| CMU Daily - on the inside Friday 17th March |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- Former Wailer goes to court over Marley royalties
- Glitter appeals sentence
- Ok Go singer arrested
- Gallery redesign White/Childish poster
- Live review: White Rose Movement at Kings College SU
- Lady Sovereign working with Ad Rock
- Ali B prepares first Air compo
- Morrissey on The Smiths
- Record number of arrests in UK anti-piracy raids
- Sony US CEO gets chairman title
- EMI not selling legendary LA offices
- Sun planning MySpace spin off
- Single review: Massive Attack - Live With Me
- Lollapalooza latest
- Ian Brown one-off
- Tokyo Dragons tour
- Erasure acoustic dates announced
- Rock Star continues with supergroup theme
- Ingenious funding for a Gorgeous company
- Mercury art exhibition announced
- Serbia and Montenegro fail to resolve Eurovison issue
- Matt Willis showcase
- Spice Girls pull reunion plans
- FCC refuse Nipplegate appeal
- Britney Spears' nasty prick
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TOP BIT>>
I'll be honest with you, I completely forgot to write a Top Bit for today's Daily. I was just scrolling up the Word file checking each story had a headline, then I found this bit looking rather blank. And now it's 9.15 am and there really isn't time to be crafting some clever and not at all dull polemic on the future of copyright law in the UK (though one's coming, of that fact you can rest assured). And while we've got a stack of interviews appearing on the CMU website in the next few weeks, all of which will get a Top Bit plugging, there's none today. So, erm... what else can I plug? Erm... don't forget Remix Night tonight. Become our MySpace friend at http://www.myspace.com/cmubeats. Get your tickets for the Insomniacs Ball today. Check out this week's CMU radio show right now at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk/cmuradio. If you're a student interested in reviewing at the Edinburgh Festival check http://www.collegemedianetwork.co.uk. Will that do? Hey, I know, why don't we make this National Tell A Colleague About CMU Day? Everyone has to find a colleague not currently subscribed and tell them to email [email protected] Now that's a good idea - though I'll have to finish this Top Bit a bit promptly - given that now I've got to go and design the NTACACMU Day logo.
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PRESS ROOM>>
CARLING LIVE 24... give 24 hours of your life to live music! ... Carling Live 24 is back with another incredible line-up, which we can reveal includes Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Ordinary Boys, Ian Brown, Dirty Pretty Things and Goldie Lookin Chain, plus many more artists still to be announced... Carling Live 24 marks the start of the summer for music lovers, bringing the festival vibe to the heart of the city, with great music and cold beer. Carling Live 24 will kick off at 7pm on Friday 28th April and fans with enough stamina can rock continuously through to 7pm the following day. Tickets will go on sale at 10am on Tuesday 14th March exclusively at http://www.carling.com.
Press info: http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/carling24
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RIGHT NOW IN THE CMU BEATS BAR>>
MySpace Of The Day: Sunday Best
CMU's love of Sunday Best isn't a secret (it's a very badly kept secret if it is), but there are two specific reasons for checking out Rob da Banks' label's MySpace page. Firstly four of our favourite Sunday Best tracks are there for previewing, including the Cuban Brothers' great new single and that wonderful Daisy Daisy track. And secondly you'll find all the listings info you need about the Bestival Spring Clean event that is taking place at Koko in London tomorrow night. So, go see.
http://www.myspace.com/sundaybestrecordings
More on our MySpace Of The Day, plus 3 Student Music Awards finalists The Wailing Jacks, Whisky Cats and Mr Mouth answer the Same Six Questions right now (actually, we're running a bit late today, so I'd leave it an hour) at http://www.thebeatsbar.co.uk
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CMU FRIDAY TIPS
VIGSY'S CLUB TIP: Groove Sanctuary At Sin
I thought this club was still called Rouge, but that's Soho for you. Chop and Change. Any-road, this weekend this massive venue hosts the rather good Groove Sanctuary night, which has recently moved on over from Madame JoJo's. On rotation will be Phil Asher and Patrick Forge, alongside regulars Raw Deal, and Roy the Roach and Joey Viera, who will mix-an-blen' of all manner of 24 karat house, with some classic soul and boogie to boot. In the other rooms there will be plenty goin on too: the Ball Room hosts Kay Gee and Crunchie's R&B sesh, the Pussy Bar (yes, that's the actual name of the room) has Femi Fem's choice of old skool, and in the Bedroom El Carto Del Diablo will be jacking out Latino house and Latino hip hop.
Saturday 18 Mar, 10pm - 4am, £10 b4 midnight, £15 after. Sin, 144 Charing Cross Road. London, WC2H, [email protected] or see http://www.groovesanctuary.com
CHRIS' CLUB TIP: Remix Night at Cargo
Things are busy in Remix world just now. With Xfm Manchester now in full swing, the Remix Show will be available on terrestrial radio in no less than four cities on Sunday night - London, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester - making it Xfm's biggest reach specialist show. Then there's Eddy TM's new night over there in West London - Pay Day - which kicks off at Neighbourhood at the end of the month (more on that next week). But tonight the big news is the latest edition of Remix Night which, once again, takes over Cargo. On the bill live wise this time round are Cagedbaby and Devil's Gun - and from the tracks Eddy has been playing from both of these bands, their live sets should be storming. Talking of storming, the Drummatic Twins will be joining Eddy TM on the decks, so expect some thumping breaks action late into the night. And don't forget, for more on all things Remix, get CMU's Remix Update - check http://www.remixupdate.co.uk or email [email protected]
Friday 17 Mar, 7pm - 3am, £8 b4 9pm, £10 thereafter, Cargo, Rivington Street, EC2, press info from Leyline.
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FORMER WAILER GOES TO COURT OVER MARLEY ROYALTIES
A lawsuit initiated by the bassist from Bob Marley's band the Wailers reached the High Court yesterday. He is suing the Marley family and Universal's Island Records over claims he has received only a small proportion of royalty monies he is due.
Aston Barrett and his drummer brother Carlton met Marley in the latest sixties. Barrett was the bassist in the Wailers from 1969 until Marley's death in 1981. During that time, it is claimed, the Barretts played an important role in helping Marley write his music and develop his sound.
Barrett's lawyer Stephen Bate told the court yesterday that the Carltons helped Marley to build on his "extraordinary songwriting abilities" creating a "new sound no one else had got". Bate added: "The chief reason for the musical breakthrough and international acclaim was Aston Barrett and his brother."
Barrett claims he is due royalties from his work with Marley based on a 1974 contract with Island Records and a subsequent 1976 agreement with Marley himself which gave Aston and his brother a 50% share of recording royalties (brother Carlton was murdered in 1986).
Island and the Marley family don't specifically dispute the seventies agreements, but say that this matter was resolved in 1994 when Barrett entered into an agreement which saw him give up rights to further royalties.
The case will continue into next week, with Marley's widow Rita among those expected to give evidence.
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GLITTER APPEALS SENTENCE
Gary Glitter is to appeal the three year prison sentence he was handed earlier this month in Vietnam for sexually abusing two young girls aged eleven and twelve. Glitter's lawyer, Le Thanh Kinh, says he recently met up with his client at Phuoc Co prison, and the singer, real name Paul Gadd, signed appeal papers. Kinh told reporters: "He told me he was innocent so he has to appeal to clear this matter."
The former pop star may not, in any case, have to serve the entire term, with reports suggesting that he may in fact be considered for release after serving a third of the time. He will, however, be deported on conclusion of his sentence and could face more charges if he returns to the UK. Gadd seems keen to pursue his claim of innocence. As previously reported, Glitter feels his conviction is the result of a conspiracy - on his exit from court on 3 Mar, he told Reuters "It's a conspiracy. You know who. One of Great Britain's newspapers."
The odds wouldn't seem to be in his favour, however. Both the UK and Vietnamese governments are keen to crack down on increasing sex tourism traffic, and Glitter's case doesn't seem particularly promising, especially as Chief investigator Colonel Nguyen Duc Trinh believes that the singer may have more victims than actually came forward. Trinh also told reporters following the trial that he recovered 2,231 images of child pornography from Glitter's computer and 31 video clips during the course of his investigation, saying "biologically, Glitter is not a normal person. A normal person would never store such photos."
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OK GO SINGER ARRESTED
It's taken us a couple of days to get around to reporting on this one, but here it is now; OK Go singer Damian Kulash was booked on charges of resisting arrest last weekend and spent nine hours in custody before he was released. The band were due to play a tour date at Orlando's House Of Blues on Sunday and Kulash was outside the venue talking with fans when Florida police approached
A statement on the band's website explains: "While standing in front of the Orlando House of Blues, Damian Kulash was arrested and charged with 'intent to take pictures and talk to fans'. Also, there was a little matter of resisting arrest, which is the official charge. The unofficial charge is 'giving the wrong answer when a police officer asks you "what part of move don't you understand?"' For those of you planning travel in the Orlando area, the correct response is not 'I understood what you said; I just didn't do it.' Damian didn't know that, so he was immediately handcuffed and taken inside the venue to chants of 'Let him go!' A bunch more cops were quickly summoned to help with all the standing around and not doing much, and eventually Damian, still handcuffed, was shoved into the back of a squad car and taken 'downtown', a ride that became more fun when the SUV full of girls pulled up next to the cop car waving 'FREE DAMIAN' signs. Damian thanks you, ladies."
The statement continues: "Upon arrival, our hero was mugshotted, fingerprinted and thrown into a cell with a bunch of people who didn't want to sign the OK Go email list. Damian was locked up for about nine hours, during which time he ate cornflakes and made friends with a couple of guys. Damian was released this morning (March 13)... he'd like to address two rumours that have sprung up on the internet in the last 24 hours: No, he wasn't drunk; and Yes, he did get the arresting officer to watch the 'A Million Ways' video on the on-board computer. If that's not awesome, awesome doesn't exist."
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GALLERY REDESIGN WHITE/CHILDISH POSTER
The art gallery who, as previously reported, found themselves on the receiving end of legal action from Jack White over a poster have redesigned the image that caused all the trouble. The east London gallery, Aquarium, currently running an exhibition by White's recent verbal adversary Billy Childish, were displaying a print bearing images of Childish and White depicted as taking part in a fictitious boxing match, labelled 'Bitter 'Billy' Childish' and 'Jack 'Whingy' White'.
White, of course, responded with a lawsuit, and the gallery have now removed the original image of White used on the poster, and are instead using a cartoon of him to get round the copyright issue.
A statement from the gallery says: "If anyone has a claim (however weak) of copyright theft it's whoever designed the Ali v Norton poster that we've ripped off. You'll notice that the poster pictured here has changed slightly from the first one. This is not an admission that they're right, it's just to make it more difficult for them to pull the same stunt again."
And continues: "Just in case Jack is being so unsporting about this fine commemorative artwork auction because he thinks he should be getting a share of the mountains of cash we're going to make out of it, we're going to give him a share. Fifty per cent in fact... The gallery will give up its share and Billy and Jack will get to split the wadge of dosh between them. We'll convert Jack's booty into gold, stick it in a pot, and he can collect it from us when he's next in London."
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LIVE REVIEW: White Rose Movement at Kings College SU on 13 Mar
White Rose Movement have a very striking visual image. The band are dressed in monochrome and this is matched by their hair colour which is either dyed blonde or black. Keyboard player Taxxi is particularly glamorous in a polka dot dress and full length gloves, while singer Finn Vine is the spit of Ian Curtis and throws moody shapes impressively. Crucially though, the band have great music to back this up, a sound as angular as their cheekbones, and unlike their dubiously monikered musical heroes Joy Division and New Order, the band are named after anti-Nazi student activists in Germany during the 30s. WRM aren't alone in being influenced by gloomy post punk acts, and they've already been compared to the Killers and the Bravery - they certainly share a talent for writing great tunes with the former, while having an edginess that eludes Brandon Flowers and an authenticity that the Bravery lack; it's easy to imagine them as a group of outsiders who've banded together in their native East Anglia. The cool London audience react to them with typical insouciance, clearly relishing the songs but refraining from doing much in response, however, the crowd thaw as electro anthem 'Love Is A Number' kicks off some serious dancing. The cracking debut album 'Kick' isn't out until next month although the majority of the audience already seem familiar with most of the songs. White Rose Movement save the best till last and finish with the scarily good, highly atmospheric 'Alsatian'. This is a band who have plenty of interesting ideas and know how to put them into practice. It could be the start of something big. JW
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LADY SOVEREIGN WORKING WITH AD ROCK
According to reports, Lady Sovereign is working with Beastie Boy Ad Rock on new material. She is understood to have been introduced to Rock by Jay Z after becoming the only non-US act to sign with Def Jam in the US, and is currently recording with the Beastie star at his New York studio. Lady Sovereign, who is showcasing at SXSW this week, is to release a limited edition EP, 'Blah Blah', on 17 Apr via Island.
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ALI B PREPARES FIRST AIR COMPO
Ali B's nine year old beats and breaks night Air is about to get is first compilation. Ali B Presents Air Breaks will be a fine eighteen tracker taking in most of the breaks world's finest, pretty much every one a CMU favourite. The album release will coincide with a global festival arena tour for the Air franchise, and will be celebrated with a launch party in London at Cargo on 29 Apr. Full tracklisting on the compo runs thus:
DJ Love - Steez
Rennie Pilgrem - Finger Of Fudge
DJ Icey - Mayday
Soul Of Man - Sukdat Dub
Janette Slack - Shake & Play
Diverted - Annihilating Rhythms
Hyper - Body Rok
Tayo Meets The Sunz Of Mecha Underground - Reality Dub
Stanton Warriors - Prisoner
S.C.A.M. Vs Freestylers - The Darkside
Bassnectar - Everybody (Bassnectar Vs Freq. Nasty Mix)
Electrotec -22 Ridhum
Atomic Hooligan - Bang Bang
Krafty Kuts - Basketball Jam
DJ Deekline & Ed Solo Featuring DJ Assault - One In The Front
Lee Coombs - Bad Baby Dub
Plump DJs - Redshift
Will Saul Featuring Ursula Rucker - Where Is It? (Evil Nine Mix)
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MORRISSEY ON THE SMITHS
With the showcasey bit of South By Southwest now up and running, the Q&A sessions are under way, and while the Beastie Boys session revealed very little, Morrissey had a couple of interesting things to say when interviewed by journalist David Fricke.
In particular, he talked about all the reunion offers the Smiths have had over the years, revealing that the most recent one from California's Coachella Valley Arts & Music Festival was the highest offer yet money wise. Morrissey told the event: "If people must know, it was 5 million [dollars]".
Asked if he had considered the offer, he predictably answered: "No, because money doesn't come into it". Is it just me or do you find that when Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour says that kind of thing you want to say "good man", but when Morrissey says it you just want to punch him? Actually, it possibly is just me, because the SXSW audience responded with a round of applause.
Asked further about his time with his former band, Morrissey continued: "It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. Johnny Marr wanted to end it. And that was that."
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RECORD NUMBER OF ARRESTS IN UK ANTI-PIRACY RAIDS
Readers in the North West might find that the dodgy market stall you get your bargain CDs from at the weekend is running short of stock in the coming months. A record twenty nine people have been arrested in the UK's biggest ever operation against a counterfeit CD, DVD and computer game operation - putting an outfit generating tonnes of bootleg merchandise out of business.
After a six month investigation involving representatives from the record, film and software industries as well as police and trading standards officers, some seventeen addresses have been raided in Merseyside and Lancashire, leading to the discovery of five "major" duplicating factories. The UK's Department For Work And Pensions were also involved because it was believed many of those involved were also committing benefit fraud.
Confirming the raids, the Anti-piracy Director of UK music industry trade body the BPI, David Martin, said yesterday: "The criminal gangs that control the production, manufacturing, distribution and sale of counterfeit goods may have become increasingly organised and large in number, but so have we. By taking a multi-agency approach to tackle this growing problem, we can not only pool our intelligence and resources, but seek far stiffer penalties for those who profit at the expense of the creative industries and the taxpayer alike".
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SONY US CEO GETS CHAIRMAN TITLE
Me old mate Rolf Schmidt-Holtz has made his first executive appointment since becoming chief executive of SonyBMG. The Bertelsmann man has appointed Don Ienner to the role of Chairman of US division Sony Music Label Group. It's not a radical appointment given that Ienner is already CEO of the division, and in fact I'm not entirely sure what the extra job title really means (second parking place, perhaps), but insiders say it is top level recognition that Ienner has done a good job in restructuring the old Sony labels into a division of the post-merger SonyBMG.
Confirming the extension of Ienner's role, Schmidt-Holtz remarked over coffee yesterday: "Don Ienner is known throughout the industry for both his fierce devotion to his artists, and for his uncompromising dedication to excellence. During his 18 years with Sony Music, he has played a central role in the success of countless numbers of artists and projects, and as the leader of the Sony Music Label Group has shown himself to be an executive of enormous talent, making it a true pleasure to announce this well-deserved promotion."
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EMI NOT SELLING LEGENDARY LA OFFICES
Now, will you all stop gossiping about the future of EMI's LA offices? Oh, you never started. Ah well, LA types have been gossiping about reports that EMI have received offers to buy the Capitol Tower, the distinctive West Coast headquarters of EMI's Capitol Records division (some say it looks like a stack of records on a spindle - which is possibly why the rumours started - surely a 21st century record company would want their head offices to look more like an iPod?).
Anyway, EMI have denied that they are actively looking to sell the building, though have admitted there have been some offers. However, they say, if they did sell the property it would only be if a 'lease-back' deal was on the table. HitsDailyDouble have published a memo circulated around Capitol's staff which reads thus: "You may have read reports that EMI is selling the Capitol Tower. Some of these reports were not accurate. However, given the unprecedented interest in real estate in the Hollywood area, we have had several parties approach us to discuss the property and I wanted to update you on those. First, we are committed to staying at the Tower and the Gogerty building and conducting business as usual. Second, EMI is not actively shopping for a sale of Capitol Tower. However, we have received some proposals from interested buyers. We have a responsibility to review serious proposals. The only basis on which we would entertain a sale is if we could also obtain a long-term lease back-as we have done in other parts of the world-so that our operations at the Capitol Tower can continue, and of course if the economics are right."
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SUN PLANNING MYSPACE SPIN OFF
Now, here's something to take the cool away from MySpace Music. The Sun is considering launching its own MySpace spin off called MySun, offering Sun readers the opportunity to network with other Sun-reading idiots through their own MySpace community. The Sun community will link in to the wider MySpace network which is, of course, now owned by Sun proprietor Rupert Murdoch.
Me old mate Rupert (though, if I'm being honest, Rolf's a better mate) was talking up MySpace during a speech he gave in London on Monday night. He said: "This is a generation, now popularly referred to as the 'MySpace generation', talking to itself in a world without frontiers. It is just one example of how the media, with its ability to reach millions with information, entertainment and education, can use the achievements of technology to create better and more interesting lives for a great many people. And it is one reason why I believe we are at the dawn of a golden age of information - an empire of new knowledge".
He continued: "Of course, all the really cool people are signing up as 'friends' on the CMU Beats MySpace page - where I believe there is also a link to the wonderful CMU radio show". According to Murdoch, the CMU MySpace page is at http://www.myspace.com/cmubeats
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SINGLE REVIEW: Massive Attack - Live With Me (EMI/Virgin)
Last summer I was trying to reach clarity on my favourite British band ever (I was bored). In my mind, there were only two real contenders: Manic Street Preachers and Massive Attack. I finally decided on the Manics, on the basis that, although musically inferior, their impact has been so much greater. However, upon hearing this single, it strikes me how much this decision was like Crash winning the Oscar. Of course, the Manics are an infinitely better band than Crash is a film. But they share the same basic description: their heart is in the right place, but their art is less than sublime. Meanwhile, this single sees Massive Attack in as strong and heartbreaking form as ever. Fans will not be surprised by how this sounds. The soundscape is rich, the violins are soaring, the voice (courtesy of Terry Callier) is melancholy. It echoes 'Unfinished Sympathy' and 'Teardrop'. And yet, it is somehow devastatingly new. A gem of emotion that you cannot live without now you have heard it, a sense of sadness having never been captured quite so exquisitely before. Plus, on the b-side 'False Flags' Robert Del Naja proves that he still has the sexiest voice in rock whilst singing about the Paris riots. Hands down, Brokeback Mountain should have won that Oscar. And Massive Attack are my favourite British band EVER. SIA
Release Date: 13 Mar
Press Contact: APB [RP, NP] Virgin IH [CP, CR, RR, NR]
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LOLLAPALOOZA LATEST
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Flaming Lips and Kanye West are all set to appear at this year's Lollapalooza Festival which takes place at Chicago's Grant Park from 4 - 6 Aug. Other acts in the line-up thus far include Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, Sonic Youth, Secret Machines, Lady Sovereign, and Ryan Adams.
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IAN BROWN ONE-OFF
Ian Brown has confirmed a one-off live date at Liverpool's Chibuku on 16 Apr. He'll appear alongside a line-up of DJ acts that includes Groove Armada, Adam Freeland, The Scratch Perverts and Blakey from 1Xtra. The event takes place from 10pm until 4am, and tickets cost twenty of your earth pounds.
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TOKYO DRAGONS TOUR
Tokyo Dragons have announced they'll be supporting Atlanta's Nashville Pussy on tour in the UK later this month. They're then off to Europe with Danko Jones, before returning to the UK for some more dates. Here's where you can catch them:
29 Mar: Glasgow Cathouse (with Nashville Pussy)
30 Mar: Nottingham Rock City (with Nashville Pussy)
31 Mar: Leicester Charlotte (with Nashville Pussy)
1 Apr: London Garage (with Nashville Pussy)
18 Apr: Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms (with Danko Jones)
19 Apr: Oxford Zodiac (with Danko Jones)
20 Apr: London The Garage (with Danko Jones)
21 Apr: Celtic Warriors 13th Birthday Biker Bash, Britten Arena, Godmanchester
22 Apr: Glasgow King Tuts (with Danko Jones)
23 Apr: Birmingham Academy 2 (with Danko Jones)
Press info from Triad Publicity.
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ERASURE ACOUSTIC DATES ANNOUNCED
Erasure have announced a series of acoustic live dates, as follows. Press info from Pomona.
14 Apr: Edinburgh Usher Hall
15 Apr: Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
16 Apr: Manchester Lowry
17 Apr: Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
19 Apr: London Shepherds Bush Empire
21 Apr: Gateshead Sage
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ROCK STAR CONTINUES WITH SUPERGROUP THEME
Rock Star, the American reality TV series that last year found a new lead singer for INXS, is this year to find a lead singer for a new supergroup named Supernova which will feature Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, former Metallica bassist Jason Newstead and former Guns n Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke. The series has apparently already signed songwriter/performer Butch Walker to produce the band's first album, scheduled for release ahead of the new band's proposed 2007 tour.
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INGENIOUS FUNDING FOR A GORGEOUS COMPANY
Ingenious, the previously reported investment fund set up to invest in new music ventures, has announced it is backing a new company called Gorgeous Entertainment - though the new business is essentially an independent TV production outfit which hopes to make and distribute a wide range of programming, though that will include music programmes. The new London based company hopes to "exploit the growing opportunities that are developing in both the domestic and international markets for strategically positioned content-led media companies", which all sounds very exciting, even though I've no idea what it actually means.
Confirming their involvement in the new venture, Ingenious top man Patrick McKenna told reporters: "Gorgeous has all the characteristics of the new breed of progressive media company that Ingenious is looking to back and we are very excited that Malcolm [Gerrie, former Initial TV boss and Gorgeous founder] is at the helm. Digital distribution continues to have a significant impact on this sector and Gorgeous is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that now exist in the market."
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MERCURY ART EXHIBITION ANNOUNCED
Details have been announced for the 2006 Nationwide Mercury Prize Art Exhibition, which will exhibit work by all the competition's finalists at The Gallery at The Hospital in London's Covent Garden from 11 - 15 Apr.
As previously reported, this competition to create works of art inspired by music is open to students at art colleges and universities throughout the UK, with more than 1500 entries received this year. The winner, whose name will be announced at the gallery in April, will win £5000, and get their artwork on the cover of 2006 Nationwide Mercury Prize compilation CD.
Dan Ford from the Nationwide Mercury Prize says: 'We're very excited about the Art Competition going into its second year. It's great that the Nationwide Mercury Prize is able to champion and recognise the work of art students in this way and it's fantastic that The Hospital is able to host the 2006 exhibition.'
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SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO FAIL TO RESOLVE EUROVISON ISSUE
It looks as though Serbia And Montenegro will not be entering the Eurovision song contest at all this year, as that dispute over the federation's entry escalates. As previously reported, a row broke out when a Montenegrin band won the televised competition to find a Eurovision representative, and Serbian spectators were not impressed, booing the winning band, No Name, from the stage when they stepped out to perform their winning song. A subsequent appearance by runners up, Serbian band Flamingoes, was cheered by the crowd whilst the members of No Name had to be escorted from the concert hall by security personnel.
A showdown has subsequently ensued between Serbia and Montenegro in which Serbs claim that the Montenegrin judges who made up half of the jury broke the competition's rules by voting tactically for the Montenegro group. The Montenegrin judges, of course, deny any such bias and claim they all voted for the best song. The issue has been taken up by the federation's media, who are depicting the incident as an indication that the relationship between the two countries does not work.
Heads of Serbian and Montenegrin TV met on Tuesday to try to bring the controversy to an end, but those efforts failed. Serb Aleksandr Tijanic suggested re-running the competition and this time having it decided by a public vote, an idea rejected by his Montenegrin counterpart, Velibor Covic, who blames the Serbs for being inflexible, given that there were, he claims, no irregularities in the voting - implying that it's just a case of them being bad losers. I couldn't possibly comment, it might start another world war.
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MATT WILLIS SHOWCASE
From the brand new not-at-all-creased (yet) CMU folder labelled 'Matt (formerly Jay) Willis: solo aspirations' comes the news that the former Busted boy will be previewing tracks from his highly anticipated (you're highly anticipating it, right?) debut solo album 'Up All Night' on 28 Mar at the Scala in London. It's invite only though, and if you don't know what cover version Busted and McFly collaborated on as the b-side for 'Crashed The Wedding', then you're not getting in.
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SPICE GIRLS PULL REUNION PLANS
According to The Sun, The Spice Girls have pulled their previously reported alleged plans for a reunion tour. Mel C, of course, has never been very keen on the idea, but now Victoria Beckham apparently agrees with her former bandmate that it would be a 'PR disaster'.
A Sun 'source' says: "Melanie has never really been into the idea of performing with the girls again. She is proud of everything they did together but she has moved on. She wants to concentrate on solo work. She met with Victoria, who was thinking the same thing. Posh is now heavily into fashion and realised the Spice tour had the potential to be a PR disaster. The girls would be compared to the amazing Take That comeback".
"Geri Halliwell is expecting a baby in the summer so she's not going to be in any position to start rehearsing for a while. Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown both wanted to do it but now Victoria and Melanie C have vetoed it."
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FCC REFUSE NIPPLEGATE APPEAL
US media spoilsports the FCC have rejected an appeal by US TV network CBS to overturn or reduce the $550,000 fine it was charged over the legendary Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction that occurred during the 2004 Superbowl half time show. CBS were appealing the fine on the basis that everyone who complained about Ms Jackson revealing half of one breast on TV were stupid. That possibly wasn't their defence, but it should have been. Either way, the FCC board weren't having any of it, so the fine stands.
The FCC also criticised Fox TV for "violating decency standards" in their screening of the 2002 and 2003 Billboard Music Awards. During the 2002 awards show Cher used a word described by the media regulator as being simply "vulgar", while in 2003 actress Nicole Ritchie used two swear words which the regulator reckon were "among the most offensive words in the English language". Alas the FCC wouldn't tell us what the words in question were. Fucking cunts. Though, to be fair, while they criticised Fox for the swearing outrages, they didn't go as far as to fine them.
Elsewhere in indecency news, "obscene gestures" have been cut from the video to new Madonna track 'Sorry'. Apparently certain record label execs thought the shots would be too offensive. Especially coming from a Kabbalah worshipping children's author.
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BRITNEY SPEARS' NASTY PRICK
Britney Spears is said to be fine after apparently standing on a hypodermic needle after getting out of a car in her bare feet whilst holidaying in Hawaii. Which might teach her not to step out of cars in her bare feet.
Anyway, according to The Daily Star, a source said: "Britney is going to be fine. She's got a nasty cut but it's been disinfected and dressed and she's been released from hospital. It was more the shock of seeing the needle poking out of her foot - as you can imagine. All sorts of things race through your mind in that situation. The conclusion we would all jump to is that it was discarded by a drug user."