| CMU Daily - on the inside 18 Oct 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Essentially no go,
• Virgin defend musical stand,
• Dion musing over different names,
• Death In Vegas plan gala gig,
• Review: Manic Street Preachers - Forever Delayed: Greatest Hits,
• Manson’s call to female artists,
• Queen become hollywood stars,
• Capital piracy action,
• Jarvis heads for France,
• America Idol runner up signed,
• Enemy ADF return,
• One live line up,
• Review: Richard Ashcroft – Human Conditions,
• London breakfast show wars hot up
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When it comes to previous jobs – whose the odd one out?
Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde, Neil Tennant
Answer on Monday
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ESSENTIALLY NO GO
After a less than smooth running Bristol event and a London cancellation, the company behind the Essential Festival has gone into liquidation owing an estimated £450,000. Among those owed money are festival-goers awaiting ticket refunds. The festival, which began as a university based event in Brighton, peaked in size last year when it shifted to Hackney Marshes in London – through its short history it had become one of the most critically acclaimed music festivals (especially in the dance music arena). But a number of logistical problems at a Bristol based event earlier this year led to the cancellation of their London gig, causing huge financial problems for the festival’s promoters.
It’s not the first time Essential have gone out of business. The festival’s founder Ish Ali wasn't allowed to be a director of Essential Entertainments after its predecessor, Essential Music Festivals, went out of business in 1997 owing in the region of £240,000.
Word is official receivers in Brighton, where the company was based, are now trying to track down Essential Entertainments' directors. Whether the fans waiting ticket refunds will ever see their monies, or whether Essential will resurface with a new name for the third time, remains to be seen.
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VIRGIN DEFEND MUSICAL STAND
Virgin Radio has come under criticism for its latest music policy announcements. The station, originally designed to be a rock station, occasionally shifts back to its rock remit normally denouncing the bland pop that has creeped into its schedules in the process.
In the latest music policy blitz the station seems to have lumped R‘n’B and rap acts like Ms Dynamite, Roots Manuva, Craig David, So Solid Crew and Beverley Knight in with teen popstars Atomic Kitten, Gareth Gates and Westlife by saying it "has had enough" of music ranging from the manufactured acts created by reality shows "to any R'n'B or rap act".
Although programme director Paul Jackson described the move as a “bit of fun” some are saying the latest outburst shows the station to be "musically ignorant" and "dangerously close to racism" for condemning R'n'B and rap music as "processed crap".
"This reveals a lot of musical ignorance," Alan Edwards, chief exec of management firm The Outside Organisation (whose clients include Mercury Music Prize nominee Beverley Knight and US R'n'B star Usher) told the Media Guardian. "I cannot tell you how much exception we, and she [Knight], take to Virgin's stance. R'n'B, in it's classic sense, is where rock 'n' roll came from - it's what Elvis nicked. There would be no rock 'n' roll without R'n'B. Virgin has made a really, really bad and wrong analysis of the music. It's very ignorant, misjudged and gets onto very dangerous territory."
More importantly for the station, the move may be unpopular with advertisers. Ian Brewer of advertising agency Mediaedge:cia said: "Virgin need a reasonably broad format. They might be pigeonholing too narrowly, which could alienate some listeners and have an effect on the youth audience. R'n'B and hip hop is the favoured format for young people these days.”
But Jackson defended the inclusion of R'n'B and rap on his banned "processed crap" list. "Our position is around real music with people that play instruments and sing and can do it live."
In another stand to be a serious music station, Virgin is currently auditioning page three models to co-presenter its breakfast show!
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DION MUSING OVER DIFFERENT NAMES
Word is Celine Dion is considering new titles for her Las Vegas show after Muse threatened her with legal action if she used their name as planned. Dion’s Montreal publicist Francine Chaloult told reporters ‘Muse’ was one of four names up for serious consideration, but that it had been dropped after objections from the band. Muse claim they were offered $50,000 by Dion’s people for the use of the name, but they refused adding they didn’t want to be associated to her music.
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DEATH IN VEGAS PLAN GALA GIG
Death in Vegas, whose up coming UK tour has sold out, are planning a gala London show which would bring together the star-studded list of past-collaborators – artists who have appeared on tracks on DiV albums 'The Contino Sessions' and 'Scorpio Rising'. That means the show could include the likes of Liam Gallagher, Iggy Pop, Paul Weller and Primal Scream singer Bobby Gillespie. Richard Fearless told NME that the show may take place next April, though the project is still in a planning stage: "We're planning it. We've pulled off some big things in our time, so you never know. We're trying to sort something for the Royal Albert Hall in April. We've yet to ask the artists."
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REVIEW: Manic Street Preachers - Forever Delayed: Greatest Hits (Sony/Epic)
The Manic Street Preachers in their thirteen year long history have caused countless arguments, now arguably the one of the greatest bands can finally silence their many critics. This retrospective charts the highs and lows of the Manics career, their dramatic, spray painted entrance is encapsulated perfectly in songs like ‘Motown Junk’ and ‘You Love Us,’ Richey’s painful demise and disappearance epitomised in songs like ‘Faster’ and their triumphant return as a three-piece is marked by the sublimity of ‘A Design For Life.’ Though many will argue that the collection is too post-Richey heavy, it will be impossible to argue that this is not an assortment of nineteen wonderful songs.
Release date: 28 Oct
Press contact: Hall or Nothing [CP, RP, NP], Sony IH [CR, RR, NR]
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MANSON’S CALL TO FEMALE ARTISTS
Garbage’s Shirley Manson has put out a call to action to female musicians everywhere, after she realised she was the only woman on the bill of a touring Aussey festival. Garbage appeared alongside Midnight Oil, Billy Idol, Lifehouse, Nickelback, The Tea Party, Goo Goo Dolls and Default – no women.
"Now what the fuck is that all about?" Manson says in a message to fans at the Garbage website. "C'mon girls ... Get a fucking grip!!! Pick up the microphone. Grab a guitar. Be loud. Make a noise. Kick it up a notch and do it now. Your country needs you!!!"
"There is SOME movement out there, thank God" she continued. "Sleater Kinney, The Donnas, The Distillers, Peaches etc etc ... but it's all pretty much underneath the radar and just not happening fast enough for my tastes. I mean, Avril Lavigne is a nice change from Britney as a pop star but please, I've had enough of the media ramming here down my throat as a bone fide agitator!!!! Em ... no I don't think I'm buying that one! And here's a little tip for the stylists behind the "diva". For god's sake, take off the tie ... enough already!!"
"For those of you, like me, who never bought into the so called, patriarchally orchestrated "girl power' of the Spice Girls ... or the join the dots, colouring book " rock rebellion" of Avril lavigne; Get your eyes fixed on Karen O from the "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" because let there be no mistake - no misunderstanding - she really is the anointed one!"
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QUEEN BECOME HOLLYWOOD STARS
Queen will join the Beatles as one of the few non-US music acts honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Brian May and Roger Taylor are in LA today to attend the unveiling of the star on Hollywood Boulevard by Johnny Grant, the honorary mayor of Hollywood. Ten year’s after Freddie’s death Queen are still breaking musical records - the recently-released Queen Platinum Collection album hit the Billboard Top 100 at number 48 - making the record the highest charting compilation album in US history. In the UK, the Platinum Collection is still in the Album Top 30 27 weeks after its release. The award of a Hollywood star is the culmination of a campaign by the band's US fans.
Meanwhile the Queen tribute musical ‘We Will Rock You’ continues to dominate the West End despite being critically panned (if you like Queen’s music and ignore the plot it’s meant to be quite good). Now Ben Elton, who penned the dreadful script to the musical, is working on a sequel which could appear in the West End at the same time as the original. According to Brian May, Elton is already halfway through the follow-up which will be a continuation of the fictional story incorporating even more Queen songs.
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CAPITAL PIRACY ACTION
BPI Investigators assisted police officers in seizing hundreds of counterfeit Asian music and film CDs and DVDs from six stalls at the Ealing Road Market in Southall last weekend after complaints from legitimate retailers in the area. This follows a court decision last month where Mohammed Rafiq Usman – who traded in East London as Bollywood Music of Green Street - was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,150 after pleading guilty to charges under the Trademarks and Video Recordings Acts.
Talking about both incidents David Martin, Director of Anti Piracy at the BPI stated, "Legitimate retailers are being forced out of business by these illicit traders, so I am encouraged by the size of the fine awarded against Mr Usman."
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JARVIS HEADS FOR FRANCE
Jarvis Cocker is rumoured to be moving to France for a "safer" life. Word is he is currently house hunting around Paris. Admitting he will miss British pubs and pub quizzes he said he was planning on moving because France never gets involved in war. "Why do you think I'm moving like a rat deserting a sinking ship?,” he told the Mirror. “France never gets involved in war. As soon as the bullet's fired, we surrender. It's going to be a big change moving to France but I've been in London for 14 years now. I'm going to miss the pub and pub quizzes though. You don't get that in France. They're not big on tombola either."
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AMERICA IDOL RUNNER UP SIGNED
Unsuccessful American Idol finalist Tamyra Gray – of whom Simon Cowell said “she’ll be back, watch this space” – has been signed up by Simon Fuller’s 19 Recordings. Like all other American Idol winners (Will and Gareth here, Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guarini in the US) her music will be distributed by BMG where Cowell is a senior A&R.
Bob Jamieson, US chairman of BMG label RCA, told reporters: "Tamyra is a superbly talented singer who holds tremendous promise as a recording artist. We look forward to helping her build a successful recording career."
According to contracts signed by the ten finalists of Amercian Idol, Fuller's label and RCA have until 4 Dec to sign any more America Idol finalist deals.
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ENEMY ADF RETURN
ADF are on their way back – their new album will be called ‘Enemy Of The Enemy’ and should be out in January. Produced by Adrian Sherwood it will feature collaborations with Sinead O'Connor and Radiohead's Ed O'Brien.
Meanwhile ADF are among an eclectic bunch of artists appearing on the soundtrack for Jonathan Demme's forthcoming film ‘The Truth About Charlie’, which opens in the US next week. The film is a romantic thriller set in Paris. While making the film Demme described Paris as "the acknowledged epicenter of global music” explaining that the film’s location gave the movie’s makers the chance to have an especially rich, diverse soundtrack. And diverse it is – alongside ADF are 1980s New Jersey modern rockers the Feelies, UK post-punkers the Soft Boys, afro-pop Angelique Kidjo's and many more.
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ONE LIVE LINE UP
Radio 1’ s One Live festival kicks off in Nottingham next week (Friday Oct 25 to Thursday Oct 31) and we’re promised some great music in showcases attached to the station’s various specialist shows. Already confirmed to play throughout the week are: The Streets, Blak Twang, Layo & Bushwacka!, the excellent Lemon Jelly, Death in Vegas and DJ Shadow. The week also includes a programme of talks and sessions on music and music media – with numerous Radio 1 show broadcasting live from the event.
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REVIEW: Richard Ashcroft – Human Conditions (Virgin / Hut)
This album is choking with unrequited love – that is, the complete disregard Ashcroft shows for his mysteriously devoted fanbase. Callously tempting them with soaring strings on the opener ‘Check The Meaning’, he then dashes all their hopes and affection with a succession of meandering indulgences. It’s enough to make you wonder whether Nick McCabe and the rest of The Verve acted as official quality control filters on Ashcroft’s material. Whenever there’s the threat of excitement rearing its head, the danger is quickly snuffed out. Take ‘Paradise’ for example - it takes five minutes for anything to happen, only for the track to bashfully peter out. The one word to summarize the album is uninspiring, not a word we would have dreamed of associating with Ashcroft in former lives. A waste of talent is always tragic, and there can only be hope his next offering can rise above such mediocrity.
Release date: 28 Oct
Press contact: Virgin IH [all]
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LONDON BREAKFAST SHOW WARS HOT UP
Radiogoss (www.radiogoss.co.uk) is suggesting news that Chris Tarrant's news sidekick, Howard Hughes, is jumping ship in favour of the new look LBC (now owned, of course, by rival radio group Chrysalis), will make the breakfast show wars in London very interesting when the new look Tarrant show launches on Capital in the New Year.
“Many commentators are seeing this as the start of the first real breakfast war in London radio since Chris Evans' Radio 1 breakfast show dented Capital in the late 90s,” the website says. “Hughes will take over breakfast when LBC moves to FM in 2003, as part of that station's aim to reach a younger audience.” That means the Capital news man will be trying to woo Capital listeners.
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Answer to Thursday’s pop quiz:
Which former boy band member had a number one with a song co-written by an uncredited Madonna – and what was the song called?
Madonna is an uncredited co-writer on 'Love Won’t Wait', Gary Barlow’s second solo number one.