| CMU Daily - on the inside Tuesday 15th August |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- CMU at the Edinburgh Festival
- Electric Proms - initial line up announced
- Tiscali Reading back stage line up - VIP pass application
- The Walkmen plan Nilsson tribute
- Test Icicles man launches new project
- Dirty Pretty DVD Things
- Raconteurs tour
- Wilson to perform special 40th anniversary Pet Sounds gig
- Snow Patrol US gigs cancelled
- Babyshambles cancel Ibiza Rocks gig
- Stones cancel gig to allow Jagger's voice to recover
- Peaches pants no longer up for auction
- Moby best of planned
- eMusic launches in UK
- Cherry Lane sign former Sex Pistols
- Universal to make Lloyd Webber catalogue digital
- Edmonds warns Church against chat
- Diddy on upcoming Rooney party
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CMU AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL>>
Late again today - sorry - Tuesday mornings are proving really rather busy here at the Edinburgh Festival, which means your daily dose of music nonsense is getting delayed. But hey, were almost at half way point on this here festival, so normal service will be resumed soon. Meantime, you too can enjoy a bit of Edinburgh Festival madness wherever you are by tuning in to the ThreeWeeks radio show every day at 11am online at http://www.festivalfm.net. Go on, you know you want to. While you're turning in, I'll type out some CMU Edinburgh Festival reviews.
Comedy Through The Rye at Roxy Art House at Edinburgh Fringe (until 26 Aug)
This short concert consisted of well-known Scottish folk songs by Robert Burns, Lady Nairn and Sir Walter Scott. "In memory of Adam Duncan, who would have sang with me" was on the bottom of the programme notes. Gulp. And Sophie's absent French violinist was still on the train from Paris. Could all this explain her small, vulnerable voice? This authentic young singer was a "work in progress"; her voice was in tune, pretty and pleasing and showed flashes of the outstanding folk singer she has the potential to become. It was a simple, well-mannered, slightly solemn performance. She introduced each song with the historical background, making this event a good introduction to Scottish song. LR
tw rating 3/5
Nomad at St Bride's Acoustic Music Centre at Edinburgh Fringe (until 15 Aug)
World Music would be an understatement. These guys seem to have blood ties to half the planet. From Bongos to fiddles and electric guitars to wooden necklace type things, we left feeling we'd been to warm places with organic entertainment. Whichever apparatus they used, Nomad made them sing. So strikingly evocative were some of the melodies, I didn't realise no actual voice was present until half way through. Nomad evoked the sunset over the Serengeti, Irish jigs, the sounds of Arabia. The frequent changing of musical roots was well blended and rhythmically inviting (enough to dance). You must go and explore these guys quickly, before they get bored staying in one spot. KR
tw rating 4/5
Soweto Gospel Choir at the Queens Hall at Edinburgh Fringe (until 28 Aug)
Deep in the urban jungle of Soweto must be a well loved church. Gospel favourites were taken from South Africa's scarred past, Sutu and Zulu cultures and, predictably, from Africa's postcard movie, The Lion King. Dressed in gospel robes but appearing more like an army of kites, these 20 or so Sowetonians praised the lord, land and each other with all they had. In contrast to the mainly western, sedate audience, these foreign songs and dances display profound, shared connections between man and nature and the spiritual world. Only when you witness Gospel music up close, that you can conceive of its power, and how soulfully uplifting it is - it certainly lifted the crowd for a standing ovation. A necessary experience. KR
tw rating 4/5
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ELECTRIC PROMS - INITIAL LINE UP ANNOUNCED
I think we dissed the BBC's Electric Proms when they were first announced - and I remain unconvinced another live music event is the very best use of licence fee payers money - but even the cynics round here have to admit the line up is looking pretty special.
Among the shows being planned for the Beeb's live music fest will be a mini-opera by The Who, which has been described by Pete Townsend as a "a concept piece about three children forming a rock band", and the very first live performance of Damon Albarn's previously reported new project The Good, The Bad And The Queen. Mercury Music Prize nominees The Guillemots will also appear, in collaboration with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
As previously reported, the Electric Proms will take place from 25 to 29 Oct in Camden. The first batch of tickets go on sale tomorrow.
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TISCALI READING BACK STAGE LINE UP - VIP PASS APPLICATION
Following on from the news yesterday that Tough Cookie are recording bands performing in the Tiscali Sessions tent back stage at this month's Reading festival, today Tiscali have announced details of some of the bands who will be playing. Plan B, Boy Kill Boy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mystery Jets, Four Day Hombre and the wonderful The Fratellis will all appear in the back stage area during the weekend, and will therefore appear on the Tiscali Sessions website. More acts will be announced over the next ten days. But more important right now, for all you media types at least: if you have press accreditation for the Reading Festival then you need to apply for a VIP pass to get into the Tiscali Sessions area. You can do so now by saying nice things to [email protected]
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THE WALKMEN PLAN NILSSON TRIBUTE
As well as working on an album of new material, New York's The Walkmen are also planning a special tribute record in the form of a song-by-song recreation of Harry Nilsson's 1974 album 'Pussy Cats'. The album, recorded at the end of the sessions for new original album 'A Hundred Miles Off', will hit stores in late October, complete with a 20 minute behind the scenes documentary about the recording.
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TEST ICICLES MAN LAUNCHES NEW PROJECT
Well, clearly the urge to find a new project came very quick for former Test Icicles member Devonte Hynes. He has formed a new band called Lightspeed Heat, which also involves members of American band Whirlwind Heat. The band's debut song is called 'How Do You Do' and, we hear, is doing the rounds of certain blogs. Hynes is also involved in another band called Naked Babes which also features Tom Vek and members of Semifinalists. Whether any of these new projects involve knowing how to play a musical instrument, we're not sure.
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DIRTY PRETTY DVD THINGS
Dirty Pretty Things have announced that they will release a DVD charting the first six months of their time together, following their rise from being already quite famous to being definitely quite famous. The DVD will feature two documentaries about the band, plus 12 songs from the group's show at the Kentish Town Forum in May and 17 other live tracks recorded elsewhere. Word is the DVD will be sold in shops.
If you'd rather see the band play live for yourself, then you can see them at the Reading of Leeds Festival, or at one of the following dates:
28 Aug: Edinburgh Corn Exchange
13 Sep: The Coronet, London
21 Sep: Mandella Hall, Belfast
22 Sep: Savoy Theatre, Cork
23 Sep: Ambassador Theatre, Dublin
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RACONTEURS TOUR
More live news. The Raconteurs have announced details of a UK tour. I have a feeling we've already published these, but can't seem to find any record of doing so. Perhaps we published them in some other CMU Daily in a parallel universe. Anyway, just in case, here's the dates:
14 Oct: Glasgow, Academy
15 Oct: Manchester, Apollo
18 Oct: Newcastle, Academy
19 Oct: London, Brixton Academy
22 Oct: Bristol, Colston Hall
23 Oct: Nottingham, Rock City
24 Oct: Wolverhampton, Civic Hall
25 Oct: Liverpool, University
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WILSON TO PERFORM SPECIAL 40TH ANNIVERSARY PET SOUNDS GIG
Brian Wilson will play a special show to mark the 40th anniversary of 'Pet Sounds' which was originally released, well, forty years ago, I guess. While some of Wilson's most memorable concerts since his return to form a few years back have been in London, this one will take place at the University College Of Los Angeles, so I guess there's little chance of most of us seeing it. Though presumably they'll film it and release a DVD in the near future. Certainly they're releasing a special anniversary edition of the original album complete with previously unheard music and unseen footage.
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SNOW PATROL US GIGS CANCELLED
Lots of bands were affected by the hundreds of flight cancellations that followed that terror-alert thingy last week - I know for a fact that Simple Minds' Jim Kerr was stranded in Nice, because that's where he was when I spoke to him for a ThreeWeeks interview yesterday (he did admit there are plenty of worse places to be stranded).
But lots and lots of bands felt the impact, so much so, it would be pointless to report on any one affected band. But hey, we love being pointless, so we'll tell you that Snow Patrol have had to call off two US gigs because of the flight chaos that followed that terror-alert thingy last week. The band were due to play gigs in Seattle and Portland, but couldn't make it to either event because of flight delays.
A spokesman for the band told reporters: "The band members were flying from different cities, and while two, Nathan Connolly and Tom Simpson, did make it to the US, the rest did not. Continued delays and problems securing new flights have made it impossible for the three others, Gary Lightbody, Johnny Quinn and Paul Wilson to arrive in time for the concerts."
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BABYSHAMBLES CANCEL IBIZA ROCKS GIG
Babyshambles, of course, don't need world terror alerts in order to cancel their gigs. They missed their rescheduled Ibiza Rocks gig this weekend (they missed their original set because of one of Doherty's impromptu stints in rehab) because Pete had lost his passport, and couldn't get a temporary one in time.
Ibiza Rocks promoter Andy McKay was again possibly over-understanding regarding the whole thing. NME.com quote him thus: "We're really disappointed that the rescheduled Ibiza Rocks Babyshambles gig at Bar M had to be cancelled at the last minute. It was sold out and everybody on the island was really hyped about it, but the problem with Pete's passport was genuine and despite a lot of effort by him and us to do so, it just couldn't be sorted at such short notice. We're already trying to get another date sorted for September. Hopefully it will be a case of third time lucky!"
Yeah, wouldn't hold my breath if I was you.
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STONES CANCEL GIG TO ALLOW JAGGER'S VOICE TO RECOVER
Elsewhere in cancelled gigs news, The Rolling Stones have had to cancel a date on their Bigger Bang European tour after Mick Jagger came down with laryngitis. They were due to play the Spanish town of Valladolid but pulled out after doctors ordered Jagger to rest his voice.
Jagger told reporters: "I always love playing in Spain, but unfortunately I have no other choice and I apologise to everyone who bought tickets. I am very sorry to be cancelling this show."
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PEACHES PANTS NO LONGER UP FOR AUCTION
A pair of Peaches' pants, being sold on eBay for charity, have been taken offline because bosses at the auction site ruled they were "unsuitable" for sale. The pants were being auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for Three Gut Records founder and visual artist Tyler Clark Burke, who is experiencing "family health problems" at the moment.
Burke explained the situation to NME.com: "The Peaches auction was yanked because it was apparently against the eBay adult content mandate - no used underwear, no matter what. What I'm going to do is actually auction off a ball of peach yarn so eBay won't pull it again," said Burke. "The winner of this yarn will also get a free pair of used Peaches' thong undies, which I'll explain on my site, not on eBay. She's donated a nice pink mesh thong."
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MOBY BEST OF PLANNED
Mute are going to release a Moby best of on 6 Nov, plus there'll be a new Moby single featuring Debbie Harry to coincide with the release. The full tracklisting of the greatest hits collection will run thus:
Go
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?
In This World
Porcelain
In My Heart
New York, New York (featuring Debbie Harry on vocals)
Natural Blues
Lift Me Up
Bodyrock
We Are All Made Of Stars
Slipping Away
Honey
Move
James Bond Theme
Feeling So Real
I really want a copy, which means I guess I'll have to be nice to Sarah Lowe at Mute, she being the press contact and all.
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EMUSIC LAUNCHES IN UK
US based independent download platform eMusic has launched a UK based platform, offering its popular indie digital music service directly to British music fans. As previously reported, eMusic only sells music from independent labels who allow their catalogues to be sold in non-DRM-protected MP3 format. While that means their catalogue excludes major label artists, it does mean the music it stocks is available in an iPod compatible format.
The UK service is part of the roll out of eMusic Europe. A range of subscription packages are available, with 25 free downloads available as part of a launch promotion. As is the case with most global download platforms, the cost of subscriptions is higher in the UK than elsewhere.
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CHERRY LANE SIGN FORMER SEX PISTOLS
Cherry Lane Music Publishing has confirmed it has entered into a North American publishing deal with former Sex Pistols members Steve Jones and Paul Cook, and the estate of Sid Vicious. John Lydon, however, is not part of the deal, and it is not clear how that will impact on the company's efforts to capitalise on the Pistols' catalogue.
Confirming the deal, Cherry Lane's VP Creative Services & Marketing, Richard Stumpf, told reporters: "Creatively, the music of the Sex Pistols has been underworked by the music industry... that's about to change. There are a handful of bands that are viewed as pillars of change and progress in their respective genres: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Van Halen come to mind. The Pistols are one of those few who have impacted their genre in a profound way and Cherry Lane is going to aggressively pitch their music to make sure the world remembers this."
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UNIVERSAL TO MAKE LLOYD WEBBER CATALOGUE DIGITAL
Great news everybody. Universal Music UK yesterday announced it had signed a deal with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group which will see all of the music catalogue owned by the musical composer and theatre producer's company made available to download and mobile platforms. Much of that catalogue is made up of Lloyd Webber's musicals, and will mean music from the likes of 'Evita', 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', 'Cats', 'Jesus Christ Superstar', 'Starlight Express' and 'The Phantom of the Opera' will now be available via digital music services.
Announcing the partnership, Universal UK boss Lucian Grainge told CMU: "This deal brings the biggest and best-loved musicals of all time into the digital age. I have also been reminded of Andrew's magic touch - his idea to bring The Sound of Music to the West End via a TV talent search is a masterstroke. We're very excited to be involved."
Andrew Lloyd Webber added: "I am delighted to be able to announce these significant deals between the Really Useful Group and Universal Music and thrilled that my entire catalogue can now be downloaded (I say this although the bulk of my own music collection is on vinyl!)"
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EDMONDS WARNS CHURCH AGAINST CHAT
Noel Edmonds has warned Charlotte Church that her previously reported new chat show could be a flop. Quite what it has to do with Edmonds I can't work out, but the Daily Star quotes him thus: "She might be biting off too much. It's one of the most dangerous areas, as Davina proved. Parky still does well, Jonathan Ross is brilliant, but the others aren't in the same league."
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DIDDY ON UPCOMING ROONEY PARTY
P Diddy has said he is looking forward to partying round New York with Wayne Rooney. The footballer won a weekend with Diddy in an auction at David Beckham's previously reported pre-World Cup party (reportedly outbidding Sharon Osbourne), though the big day is yet to be arranged.
Diddy has told the Star (again): "I am waiting to put a definite date in the diary for Wayne to come out and we're both working it around our busy lives. I'll close down Macy's and Barney's so his lovely lady can go shopping and Wayne can help me pick some girls for some of the videos I'm working on. Wayne and I will have a blast and it'll be a non stop party with lots of sexy looking ladies around. It's okay to look! But he's more excited about trying the £1,000 burger at Glitterati."