DEATH ROW RECORDS SALE PUT ON HOLD
The sale of Death Row Records has been put on hold after its new owners, Global Music Group, failed to provide $22 million of the $24 million fee they pledged to pay for the company.

As previously reported, Global saw off bids from the likes of Warner Music to pick up the legendary hip hop label, which was on the market after the high profile bankruptcy of Deathrow's principle owner Suge Knight back in 2006.

Despite the sale being put on hold, Global Music's lawyer, Kathleen March, says it is a temporary problem and that Global's acquisition of Deathrow will be completed. She blamed the delay on recent press reports that her client had made the purchase illegally. She said that the sale would be closed in the next few weeks, with help from another unnamed company.

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SUGE KNIGHT ARRESTED
In not 100% unrelated news, former Deathrow chief Suge Knight is back in jail after being arrested on drug and assault charges after allegedly beating up his girlfriend while brandishing a knife. Knight was arrested in Las Vegas yesterday after police responded to reports of a car hitting a curb in the city, and apparently found the former hip hop mogul standing over his longtime girlfriend with a knife in his hand. Police claim the girlfriend tried to flee her hip hop other half, but that he grabbed her. The drug charges stemmed from him allegedly being in possession of ecstasy and hydrocodone at the time of his arrest. Knight's lawyers have so far declined to comment on their client's latest brush with the law.

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R KELLY DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN TICKET SCAM
R Kelly has denied reports that he was involved in a South African scam in which Busiswe Zakwe conned investors out of $1.5 million by getting them to put $1,300 each into a fake tour by the R&B star. Kelly's comments come after the dodgy promoter implied her tour plans were legit and it was the R&B star's fault that it didn't go ahead. Zakwe claims that she paid the money into Kelly's bank account and local police claim to have a bank deposit slip seemingly confirming this and are checking its authenticity.

In a statement, Kelly said: "There is absolutely no truth to the reports that R Kelly received money from a South African woman accused of swindling investors by convincing them to invest in a non-existent R Kelly tour in 2005. Mr Kelly has no knowledge of this woman, has never received any money from her, and has not been contacted by any law enforcement authorities regarding the matter. He will, of course, cooperate fully with any legitimate investigation of this matter, since he has nothing to hide".

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LIL WAYNE MISSES COURT DATE
After it proved to be such a great success for DMX earlier this month, Lil Wayne has now missed a court date in Arizona. He even used pretty much the same excuse. The rapper had been due to face charges of drug possession in front of a judge in Yuma County on Tuesday, but said he was unable to attend as he was receiving treatment for a medical condition. He was arrested in January after drugs and drug paraphernalia were found on his tour bus, and pleaded not guilty to the charges in May. At a gig in Richmond, Virginia in January, he told fans that he didn't even use drugs, saying: "A junkie can't do what the fuck I do. I try to tell them. I am the ultimate high, understand? I am my drug, you understand me?" He is now due back in court in October.

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DMX FREED BUT STILL LOCKED UP
Speaking of DMX, court and drugs charges, DMX has been back in court in Florida.

As previously reported, DMX has been held in Florida since his arrest outside a Wal-Mart store in Miami, which occurred after he failed to appear at a court in Arizona. The Florida court was concerned with drugs charges pressed in that state, to which the rapper pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to time served and a $483 fine and duly freed. Sort of.

Being freed in this case doesn't mean that DMX is back on the street. As there is still that outstanding warrant for him in Arizona, relating to the missed court date, he will now remain in jail in Florida for another fifteen days, while Arizona police decide whether or not they can be bothered to come and get him.

The rapper had asked to be bailed but was refused, and had his next hearing set for 3 Oct. As he was led away he muttered something that may have been "I ain't going back to no fucking jail" or "I ain't coming back on fucking October third", depending on which reports you believe. Either way, Judge Lawrence Schwartz heard him and responded sarcastically: "Oh, that just ingratiated you to me - I've never heard the F-word before". He then turned to DMX's lawyer Bradford Cohen and said: "You need to tell your client that I've heard the F-word before. ... He can send it to me anytime he wants to come in, if that's what makes him happy, but he certainly didn't help his stature any with what he mumbled as he left the podium".

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SNOOP DOGG HITS PROBLEMS AUSTRALIAN VISA
Snoop Dogg will have to pass a character assessment test in order to gain an Australian visa before his planned tour of the country in October. The rapper has visited the country twice, in 1998 and 2006, without incident, but was banned from the country in April 2007 when he failed a character test, following gun and drug charges in the US, and his ongoing immigration battle in the UK. This ban was lifted last week, but the visa he applied for in July has been put on hold pending further assessment. If he is allowed in, he will have to adhere to a strict set of rules.

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CHINESE DEMOCRACY LEAKER IS ARRESTED
That American guy who was investigated by the Feds for leaking tracks off the long awaited Guns N Roses album 'Chinese Democracy' on his website back in June has been arrested on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws. Which, ironically, is a reaction to the leak that you might say has a lot in common with the Chinese brand of democracy. Kevin Cogill had previously admitted to making the unreleased songs available on his website. Although he removed them quite quickly, they had already worked their way around the net. 'Chinese Democracy' is now being touted for an Autumn release. As, by a strange coincidence, is hell freezing over. Climate change and all that.

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SINGLE REVIEW: Travis - Something Anything (Red Telephone Box)
Those Scottish indie rockers are back. And before we all sigh at the prospect of more indie pop rubbish, you'll be glad to know that these guys' electric guitars have been dusted down, plugged back in and maybe in their old age, Travis have re-discovered their inner youth. 'Something Anything' will be the first official release from their new album 'Ode To J Smith' and if this single is anything to go by, then we could be in for a little treat. Released on their own Red Telephone Box label, this track is raw, coarse and straight to the point. For those who miss the Travis of the mid-90's, you'll be thoroughly pleased to hear they have truly returned. SD
Release date: 15 Sep
Press Contact: Freeman PR [all]

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MUSE TO BEGIN WORK ON NEXT ALBUM
Muse have revealed that they will begin work on their next album, the follow-up to 2006's 'Black Holes & Revelations', next month.

Drummer Dominic Howard told BBC 6music: "We just did the V Festival and the one in Stafford was our last gig so we're kind of done now with the 'Black Holes & Revelations' album tour, which has been almost two and a half years, which is a long time. We're working on new stuff and we're gonna have a couple of weeks off and then in about two weeks time we're back out to Italy to start writing again. We've already done a few tracks and it sounds great so we're just working to the future".

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THE CURE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
The Cure have announced that their new album will be called '4:13 Dream' and will probably be released on 13 Oct. To be exact, the band's official website says: "The new album is called '4:13 Dream' and it will be released on 13 Cot... we think!'

The band will also release a new five track EP on 13 Sep, called 'Hypnagogic States', featuring remixes of the four singles they have released this year - 'The Only One', 'Freakshow', 'Sleep When I'm Dead' and 'The Perfect Boy' - remixed by 30 Seconds To Mars, AFI, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy, as well as all four tracks worked into one new one, called 'Exploding Head Syndrome', by 65daysofstatic.

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HATEBREED RECORD COVERS ALBUM
Hatebreed have announced that they will release a covers album next year, which will feature songs originally recorded by the metal and hardcore bands who influenced them, including Metallica, Sepultura, The Misfits, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All and Marauder.

Guitarist Frank Novinec told Billboard: "At first we were kind of just screwing around for the hell of it, recording other band's songs. It wasn't intended to be released. But the more that we got into it, it was like, 'Hey, let's roll with it' and became something we wanted to do. It's bands that influenced us, not only metal but from the hardcore scene as well. We thought the timing was right. Our band's been together for over a decade now, so we're able to pull off something like this, something different than the same old record you put out. People who are fans of the band can enjoy it, and it gives people who don't know our band and our influences a little taste of it".

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RYAN ADAMS TO PUBLISH BOOK
Akashic Books will publish a new book by Ryan Adams called 'Infinity Blues'. Adams is currently on tour in the US supporting Oasis. Beyond that, we know very little.

Adams posted the book's cover and wrote on his blog on Monday: "I woke up today to a great email from my bosses at Akashic Books. ... Wow... I guess this dream is coming true. My grandparents, who taught me to write, and type and dream, I am so proud of all your hard work today, even if this is a long, long sad book, but some funny too, just like those black and white movies in the heat of the eastern seaboard, rolling through the windows of our home. I am so humbled and so proud to be an Akashic Books author. Man, this is just crazy, like when I saw the first test pressing of the first 7" record I was on. I feel like I will be able to say I left a little of my heart here, for when I am gone. Maybe there will be comfort or safety in there, for people I will never know, for our generations never passing. I have to maybe go take a nap now. Bye".

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GLASTONBURY 2009 TICKET PRICE ANNOUNCED
Glastonbury has announced that tickets for next year's festival will cost £175, up from £155 this year. As we reported back in July, you will be able to reserve one of the first 100,000 tickets for next year's event from 5 Oct for a deposit of £50, with those taking advantage paying the rest of the ticket price on 1 Apr (or given a £40 refund if they decide not to go ahead). Registration for people who want to buy tickets will open on 1 Sep on www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.

Michael Eavis said: "We have come up with a scheme that will allow people a much longer period to plan and pay for their tickets, while still continuing the battle against ticket touting. At the same time the very successful registration scheme will ensure that tickets will only go to those named individuals who have reserved them in advance".

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READING BLAMES SOUND LEVELS ON WEATHER
Following complaints about sound levels at this year's Reading Festival, the event's organiser Melvin Benn has blamed weather conditions for the quiet levels during some performances on the main stage.

Benn said: "The council set exactly the same level that they always set, but due to the weather this year, the sound stayed low. As a result the sound hit those decibel readings much, much earlier than normal, resulting in the sound being recorded at much louder volumes offsite than normal. So we were obligated by the council to turn our levels down. The sound levels on site are almost entirely dictated by the levels offsite. The local council set levels by which sound can't be above and this is measured next to residential properties nearby to the site". Which, I'm sure you'll agree, is a pretty straight forward explanation.

He concluded: "The sound level was less than ideal on the Friday night and my sound engineer and I have a meeting scheduled in with the council to present how we will overcome this so we don't face the same issues with sound next year".

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POGUES ANNOUNCE CHRISTMAS TOUR
The Pogues have announced details of their annual Christmas tour, which will see them winding their way around the UK before playing two nights at the Brixton Academy. Tickets go on sale on Friday.

Tour dates:

7 Glasgow, Academy
9 Leeds, Academy
11 Newcastle, Academy
12 Sheffield, Academy
13 Manchester, MEN Arena
15 Birmingham, Academy
16 Bristol, Academy
18 London, Brixton Academy
19 London, Brixton Academy

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VINCENT VINCENT & THE VILLAINS FINAL SHOW
Vincent Vincent & The Villains, who recently announced that they have decided to disband, have revealed details of their final show, which will take place at 93 Feet East on 13 Sep. And very special it will be, too.

Support acts be come in the shape of Rob Skipper of The Holloway's new solo project, The Musical Differences, The Brute Chorus, Captain Black, Sam McCarthy, Olly Cox & His Samba Bandits, as well as DJ sets from Mr Hudson & The Library, Good Shoes, Tom Frog, Tommy Diamond, Finn James and DJ Cupcake. Not only that, but Cupcake's employers and promoters of fantastic 50's club nights Viva Cake will be in attendance with free cakes and a beauty bar.

In order to fit all this in, the gig will run from 7pm to 1am, with a charge of £6 in advance or £7 on the door. Bargain. See you there.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs (Full Time Hobby)
Upon hearing 2006's 'Transparent Things', you'd have been forgiven for thinking you'd slipped a Can album on by mistake, as what you heard recalled the classic krautrock sound with vocals that even sounded like Damo Suzuki. When you realised that Fujiya & Miyagi were a three (now four) piece from Brighton and that their name was taken from both a Japanese brand of record player and the martial arts tutor in 'The Karate Kid', you'd swear they were just taking the piss, though that's not the case. Their most well known track to date, 'Collarbone', perfectly evoked the bands who influenced them and has been used in a number of commercials (believe me, you'll know it). First single 'Knickerbocker' continues that trend with motorik percussion and prog-rock synths underpinning a song whose nonsensical lyrics even name drop ill-fated 70s teen starlet Lena Zavaroni. Tracks like 'Goosebumps' strive for a sound like Air or Giorgio Moroder, where mournful synths predominate, though it's not long before Fujiya & Miyagi return to their natural groove, as witnessed on 'Pickpocket' and 'Uh'. There's even a hint of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp on the track 'No More Pussyfooting', whose titles references their seminal album and features guitar work a bit more corrosive than usual. Overall, whilst it may not demonstrate much more musical ambition than 'Transparent Things', Fujiya and Miyagi are certainly going in the right direction here, and 'Lightbulbs' is a remarkably consistent album by a band who know how to play to their strengths. KW
Release Date: 1 Sep
Press Contact: Create Spark [O]

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XCLUSIVE TICKETS GOES BUST
Ticket reseller Xclusive Tickets has gone into liquidation after it failed to deliver approximately 18,000 tickets to over 4,000 customers for V Festival, Reading and Leeds, and the Beijing Olympics. And I should think so too. Though this is not good news for anyone seeking a refund for non-tickets. Especially if they didn't pay by credit card.

Lane Bednash of insolvency experts Valentine & Co told the BBC that those who paid for their tickets by credit card should be able to secure a refund, but those who paid by other means would now be classed as "unsecured creditors" and would be unlikely to see their money again. He said: "If you spend over £100 on a credit card and the goods or services do not materialise then you are entitled to get your money back from the credit card company".

He added: "If you find a website offering tickets for an event that is sold out everywhere else then be aware. Check blogs and forums to see what everyone else is saying about the company, and always pay by credit card".

A creditors' meeting will be held next month and a helpline offering advice and information will be available from Monday.

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MAN JAILED OVER ILLEGALLY COPIED MATERIAL
A man has been jailed for fifteen months after pleading guilty to illegally copying and selling music, films, videogames and pornography. Gary Boulter confessed to 23 offenses and asked for a further 144 to be taken into consideration. As well as the jail sentence, he was order to pay £12,000 costs and was told he would have £10,500 confiscated under the Proceeds Of Crime Act (2002). If he failed to pay this within six months, he will have to serve a further nine months in prison.

Boulter claimed that copying was just a hobby when police discovered over 2,300 copied CDs, DVDs and videogames, 500 blank CDs and 173 copied inlays in his home with a market value of over £50,000.

Senior Enforcement Officer for South Gloucestershire Trading Standards, Neil Derrick said: "Mr Boulter has been dealt with severely by the court today and this should stand as a stern warning to others who are tempted to engage in this type of activity. He has not only lost his liberty, but now also has to pay significant sums of money in costs and under the confiscation order, as well as having all of his discs and associated equipment forfeited. He obviously had no regard for the local retailers whose businesses are badly affected by counterfeiting and he was supplying pornographic films, which are age restricted and the content of which means they should only be sold by a licensed sex shop".

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BBC TO LAUNCH NEW ONLINE MUSIC SERVICE
If approved, BBC Worldwide - the Beeb's commercial division - has announced that it will launch a new targeted online music service early next year, giving users access to the BBC's massive archive of live performances and session tracks, including music from the broadcaster's Glastonbury coverage, John Peel Sessions, The Old Grey Whistle Test and Radio 1's Live Lounge.

The ad-funded service will initially hold over 1300 tracks and videos to stream and download, but will be expanded to over 50,000 tracks and 3000 hours of video. It will also offer all new music content as soon as exclusive broadcasting rights for the non-commercial bit of the BBC end.

As previously reported, BBC Worldwide agreed a deal with EMI earlier this year to provide online access to the label's artists in the BBC archive, and now the organisation is in negotiations with Warner, Sony and Universal about similar arrangements. A spokesperson for BBC Worldwide said it was "exploring a range of opportunities around direct-to-consumer websites and the utilisation of the BBC music archive along with other web content".

Approval is first required for the service from the BBC Worldwide board, who will be wary of accusations from the commercial sector that the Corporation is unfairly operating in the digital content space by exploiting the licence-fee funded BBC archive. However, as the BBC archive service won't directly compete with the likes of iTunes - by only selling BBC recordings, and not official album recordings - it is expected to get the go ahead.

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NECTAR TO LAUNCH DOWNLOAD STORE
Talking of new download stores, loyalty card outfit Nectar are also opening a digital music service which will enable its card holders to use their Nectar points to buy digital tunes. The Nectar Music Store will make tracks available in MP3, and will boast a million song plus catalogue when it launches at the end of the month.

Nectar Marketing Director John Sheekey says this: "Nectar is all about making it easier to treat yourself with your points and our music download service does just that with no restrictions. This is a first for a UK loyalty card and we're excited to be leading the way in the ever popular world of online digital music. The launch of Nectar Music Store will be supported with a marketing campaign including a custom branded website accessible through the Nectar homepage, e-marketing, direct mail, and a PR campaign. In the coming weeks there will be an announcement of a major artist experiential campaign that will offer unique access and on-going opportunities exclusively created for Nectar collectors".

The service will be run by Hip Digital Media, who run a similar download store for Nectar's parent company Aeroplan in Canada. Hip Digital top man Mark Holden told reporters: "We are very excited about the opportunity to enable and operate Nectar's custom branded download music store, further extending our global partnership with Groupe Aeroplan. Through our strong relationships with content providers, we are able to lead the vibrant UK market which allows us to work closer with our partners, and continue to develop new channels for marketing, promoting and selling music".

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WOLFGANG'S VAULT REACHES PART SETTLEMENT
Wolfgang's Vault, that online store selling merchandise and live bootlegs obtained from late concert promoter Bill Graham, has reached an agreement with The Doors and Santana, two of the bands who sued the site in 2006, along with The Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. The bands claimed that the site violated their trademarks, although it's owner Bill Sagan has always disputed this and has continued to stream their material on the site.

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MYAWOL TO CHANGE NAME AT LAUNCH
An American based online music service which had a beta title of myAWOL has confirmed it will change its name when it properly launches to LP33.tv. The company says various factors influenced the name change, though they admitted that the launch of the new myAOL service by web giant AOL was one of those factors.

The company's Senior VP Vlad Lodzinski is quoted by Digital Music News thus: "The market had moved on between our early planning stages and now. With our public launch imminent, we decided to update the brand into something a little easier to remember and easier to spell, with just a touch of retro-cool for those in the know. We think it nicely summarises what an audience can expect - we're proud of the several hours of high quality TV shows and live concert footage our in-house teams have prepared ahead of launch, featuring talented new acts from both the US and Europe".

As well as consumer facing content, myAWOL, or LP33.tv, will also provide content for people working in music, which already includes a regular music industry podcast called Music Insider Newstalk. And I've heard they sometimes get some very knowledgeable people involved in their discussions. As you can hear for yourselves if you check out the latest edition half way down this page - www.lp33.tv/helloblog/

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XFM SCOTLAND TO GO, GALAXY SCOTLAND TO ARRIVE
Having stopped the former GCap management's plans to sell off the three regional Xfm stations in Manchester, Central Scotland and South Wales (only Wales was sold), the new bosses at the alternative station's parent company - those Global Radio bods - have now announced they will rebrand the Scottish Xfm outpost as Galaxy Scotland, making it part of Global's youth-focused dancey-and-urbany-orientated Galaxy network.

Gossipers reckon the newly merged radio major will try to do the same in London, though by rebranding GCap's Choice station rather than Xfm London. Xfm should also be safe in Manchester where Galaxy already broadcasts.

Confirming the change in Scotland, Global Radio exec Richard Park told reporters: "Central Scotland can prepare itself to receive Britain's fastest growing radio station aimed at young people and the prospect of the output from the Glasgow studios is an exciting one".

Elsewhere in Global GCap news, the company's AM-based Gold service will be simply switched off in Exeter and Torbay where the Office Of Fair Trading are likely to express concerns that the merged radio firm would have too big a market share. Listeners of the Gold service in the area are already being told to retune to sister pop station Gemini FM or to the national Gold service on DAB.

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ZENA LEAVES 1XTRA
BBC 1Xtra's Breakfast Show co-host Zena McNally has announced that she will leave the station this week. The presenter is moving to the US with her husband, footballer Cory Gibbs, who has recently been signed up by US football team, The Colorado Rapids. McNally joined the station as Trevor Nelson's Breakfast Show co-host in October last year and also co-hosted the 1Xtra Love Summer shows in Malia and Ibiza this year.

Head of Programmes Lorna Clarke said: "Zena had no radio experience before joining 1Xtra and made an immediate impact with our audience on the breakfast show as co-host with Trevor Nelson, one of the UK's most experienced broadcasters. I know the audience will miss her banter and entertaining take on life and above all her passion for music".

Trevor Nelson said: "I'm just gutted that Zee is leaving. We have a special on air chemistry, which is so hard to find. She's a one off girl and a rare combination of gorgeous, talented and feisty - well she almost gave as good as she got! She was a joy to work with and I really wish her all the best on her exciting journey in life".

Zena said: "To be part of something from the start as fresh, fun and crazy as the 1Xtra Breakfast has truly been an honour! To wake up everyday and come to work genuinely looking forward to the day is very special! Trevor, the Breakfast team and the 1Xtra listeners have contributed to an amazing 11 months, and I will miss the show immensely. As well as being excited about the future I am very sad to leave".

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VIRGIN BREAKFAST PRODUCER PROMOTED
Virgin Radio has announced it will promote the producer of the Christian O'Connell breakfast show, Roque Segade Vieito, to the newly created job of Executive Producer for the whole station. The promotion precedes the station's relaunch under a new name, which follows its acquisition by the Times Of India Media Group.

Confirming the promotion, Virgin Radio boss Clive Dickens wrote on the company's blog: "What is important is to make sure that whenever we get new people on board or introduce new, more demanding programme properties, we make sure we give them the production resource they warrant. That's why I'm creating a new executive producer post to help me look after some of the new presentation talent we'll bring in as the brand evolves over the next few months and years".

The promotion will mean Vieito, who has worked with O'Connell ever since he was breakfast show host on Xfm, will no longer directly work on the breakfast show. O'Connell paid tribute to his out-going producer thus: "He is the yardstick by which all producers should be judged. He has the rare and important qualities you need producing a breakfast show. He is dependable, reliable, enthusiastic, energetic and has a twinkle in his eye for mischief. He has been the fire and brimstone driving what I have done on breakfast radio for along time. His hard work ethic is inspirational... The times when I have wobbled he has kept me steady".

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FESTIVAL REVIEW: Leeds Festival 2008
This year's Leeds Festival boasted a vast range of acts ranging from stand-up comedy to intense heavy metal. The headlining bands, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine and The Killers, drew a huge variety of people from different fan bases, and so simply walking around the festival site was fascinating as an anthropological phenomenon. The weather was almost perfect for a festival of 60,000 people - a few light patches of drizzle just to keep the ground from firming up completely, and mostly cool and overcast, with the odd burst of sunshine to keep everyone happy.

The Friday line-up had already been shortened by the last minute withdrawal from metal titans Slipknot, meaning the fact that Avenged Sevenfold pulled out after only playing four songs made for double disappointment. But, the day was saved as Metallica hit the stage (preceded by a crowd-pleasing Feeder and the eccentric yet hilarious - as always - Tenacious D), playing for two hours and not once pausing to let the crowd catch their breath.

Saturday morning was gloriously sunny, and it was evident that a lot of the metal fans had already gone home, judging by the lower proportion of black t-shirts amongst the throng of festival goers. Biffy Clyro, The Fratellis and Queens Of The Stone Age opened for the most anticipated band of the weekend, Rage Against The Machine. They played a very lively and dynamic set, to the extent that, during the song 'Bombtrack,' frontman Zack De La Rocha had to ask the crowd to "take jus' a coupla steps back yo!" A valiant return to the stage from a very unique band.

On Sunday, one could tell from the general atmosphere that people were tired, hungover and generally more relaxed now that the heavier bands were out of the way. With The Killers to look forward to and a largely sunny afternoon in which to bask before their set, the vast crowd thoroughly enjoyed Bloc Party's set at the Main Stage, and Bullet For My Valentine drew a very large crowd to the NME tent for their powerful set. When the time came for The Killers to take to the stage, I was barely able to muscle my way past the main sound desk in the centre of the arena, but so great was their sound that I hardly needed to be any closer. They played a well-rounded set including the immensely popular 'Mr. Brightside', which merited a glorious reaction from the crowd. The perfect Sunday headliner for what had been, until then, a very fast-paced weekend.

Leeds Festival's tenth anniversary edition was a magnificent weekend, with three amazing headlining bands and just the right mixture of support acts to please the 60,000 strong crowd - I will always default back to Leeds in the future. TC

Five we most rated:

Black Tide
Hailing from Miami, Florida, thrash metallers Black Tide are four talented youngsters. They played their music so comfortably that you might assume they had years and years of experience, however, the fact is that none of them can legally drink in their home country. Their set was powerful and tight and I was impressed when, during 'Light From Above,' the drummer Steven Spence started playing a keyboard with his left hand whilst still drumming with his other limbs.

Tenacious D
Acoustic rockers Tenacious D returned to the UK with true zeal. Combining childish comedy with visible musical skill, the duo warmed the chilly crowd with amusing to's and fro's, and hilarious cameos from a robot ('The Metal') and Satan. Combined with three brilliant session musicians, including Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion, the set was the perfect buffer between soft rockers Feeder and metal masters Metallica.

Metallica
Metallica have surely proven themselves to be the most successful heavy metal band on the planet, and their set at Leeds Festival simply consolidated their status. They played a variety of songs ranging from the early 80s to a pair of songs the forthcoming 'Death Magnetic' album, and throughout each one, they were smiling from ear to ear. It is clear that they love what they do, and that they have no intention of stopping.

Queens Of the Stone Age
Frontman Josh Homme announced, with a grin on his face, that he had been drinking since six in the morning. This, however, did not detract from his ability to play complex guitar and sing intricate melodies at the same time. Opening with the classic song 'No One Knows' was crowd-pleasing to say the least, and the whole set and light-show was surreal, in true QOTSA style.

Rage Against The Machine
After a seven-year hiatus of sorts, the band returned to British soil with energy and enthusiasm. The crowd went absolutely crazy for such classics as 'Bulls On Parade' and 'Killing In The Name'. The rhythm section, comprising of Tim Commerford on bass and Brad Wilk on drums, was very tight and funky, with the inimitable style of Tom Morello's guitar soaring above. Zack De La Rocha did not disappoint, with his trademark vocal style and his formidable stage presence. They proved that they are still one of the best rock bands ever. TC

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BRITNEY NOT TO APPEAR AT VMA SHOCKER
Those hoping for a freak show at the MTV VMAs next month are in for a disappointment. Britney will not be performing. After her embarrassing set at the big awards bash last year there had been much speculation she'd have another go this year when the awards take place in LA on 7 Sep. But Spears manager Larry Rudolph told reporters yesterday: "Contrary to media reports, Britney was never slated to perform on this year's VMAs. She's recording her next album, which is going amazingly well, and her focus remains on the studio". Kid Rock, Lil Wayne, Pink, Rihanna, Paramore, TI and the Jonas Brothers will all appear. So, we'll just have to hope one of them fucks it up.

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LOHAN SENIOR NOT IMPRESSED WITH USER SAM
Lindsay Lohan's dad Michael has told TV station E! that he thinks Samantha Ronson is a bad influence on his daughter, blaming her for persuading his daughter to return to her booze-fuelled socialising, and accusing her of using a high profile relationship with Lohan to launch her own celebrity career.

Calling Ms Ronson a "user", he said: "People like Samantha Ronson don't need to be around Lindsay. She shouldn't be dragging Lindsay around nightclubs. Who was Samantha Ronson before Lindsay Lohan? She was nobody. She is using her for her own gain. All these people have inserted themselves into her life like parasites, and it's not right. I'm done with them. Sam is using my daughter. My daughter isn't working because she's always with Sam. Even my ex-wife knows it. She just isn't doing anything about it".

A spokesperson for Lohan responded thus: "This is totally a lie and untrue".

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KID ROCK REVEALS DIVA TANTRUM
Kid Rock has said that the real reason he pulled out of playing Download in June was because the festival's organisers treated him badly, despite releasing a statement at the time saying that he had been rushed to hospital.

The rapper told The Daily Star: "They treated me like fuck. There was just one trailer for my whole band. We had no water, no bathroom, no rider. The final straw was when they wouldn't give my crew any food or drinks vouchers. I called the promoter and told him he had two hours to get it sorted or I was out. They did nothing so I visited the promoter's office, took a piss on his couch and left. I was wandering the streets in Birmingham, trying to find a good movie to watch. I'd like to do something like Glastonbury instead next year. That has a much better vibe".

Andy Copping from Live Nation, Download's organisers, said: "This is the first we've heard of it. At this stage we have nothing to add".

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