|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DMX GETS THREE MONTHS FOR VARIOUS CRIMES
So, US police are preparing for a quiet three months following the news that rapper DMX is to stay inside to serve a 90 day jail sentence in relation to a raft of recent charges for crimes like theft, drug possession and animal cruelty. One assumes that while he's in jail he can't get into any further trouble with the police, though if any man can, DMX is that man.
The hip hopper, who, as previously reported, has been in custody since December after being arrested for failing to make a court appearance in Phoenix, finally faced the outstanding charges against him last week. He pleaded guilty to the charges back in December, some of which stemmed from that raid on his Arizona home last May where authorities found allegedly neglected dogs, drug paraphernalia and various weapons.
The rapper will have to stay a full 90 days in jail in addition to the time he's already spent inside following his court no show because, as expected, the judge refused to give him credit for time already served. The judge did, however, say the rapper could apply to serve his time in Florida if he so wished.
--------------------------------------------------
SPRINGSTEEN REGRETS WAL-MART DEAL
Bruce Springsteen says he's already regretting doing an exclusivity deal with US supermarket giant Wal-Mart, after the deal came under criticism because of the retail giant's reputation for infringing workers' rights, a cause with which The Boss has been associated over the years.
With exclusivity deals between artists and major retailers - most commonly Wal-Mart or Best Buy - increasingly common in the US, Springsteen agreed to give the supermarket chain exclusive rights to sell his greatest hits album last month.
Following criticism in some quarters for doing what some consider a deal with the devil, Springsteen told the New York Times ahead of his appearance at this weekend's Superbowl: "It was a mistake. Our batting average is usually very good, but we missed that one. Fans will call you on that stuff, as it should be".
Wal-Mart quickly released a statement on the matter, saying: "Millions of Springsteen fans have counted on Wal-Mart over the years to deliver his music into their lives, and we it will continue to offer those fans this 'Greatest Hits' exclusive and his other popular albums at unbeatable prices. We are proud of the good jobs, benefits and career opportunities we provide to more than 1.4 million US associates who choose to work at Wal-Mart and serve our customers every day".
--------------------------------------------------
WINEHOUSE BURGLED, GIVES PARENTS CASH VETO
Apparently there's a downside to fame. No, seriously, I've found one. It's that when the location of your home is in the papers every day, together with handy pictures in case anyone gets lost, people have a tendency to know where you live. Which is an even bigger problem when the same papers are letting everyone in the world know you're on holiday at the moment.
Because, yes, with Amy Winehouse famously sunning herself in the Caribbean, and her famous Camden flat therefore unoccupied, thieves last week seized on the opportunity to nick her stuff. Neighbours called police to the property in the early hours of Thursday morning, after two men were seen kicking the door in.
Police confirmed on Friday that they had been called to Winehouse's flat and had found that property had been stolen from it. A spokesman said that "a number" of items had already been recovered, but would not give further details, except to say that "the premises were secured and are now being forensically examined. The property was unoccupied".
Winehouse's spokesman Chris Goodman said that the singer was "disappointed" at the break in but "relieved" that her favourite guitar was with her in St Lucia at the time.
Elsewhere from the file marked 'Amy Winehouse's stuff', news that the singer has agreed to give her parents control over her estimated £15 million fortune in an arrangement that mirrors that that exists between Britney and her father (though that, of course, was originally court enforced, though Spears does seem to have since willingly supported the continuation of the set up).
According to the Sunday Mirror, Amy will now not be able to spend her cash without first getting the permission off one of her parents, so mother Janis or father Mitch. The tab quotes a source thus: "Mitch convinced Amy she needs a safety valve for the money for her own good - to stop her doing anything rash or daft. She can be very impetuous and the family wanted to protect her. She cannot make a sudden decision. Everyone is pleased because it means Amy is listening to good advice. It's still her money and nobody else can touch it. It is evidence that Amy is really turning her life around".
That news follows tabloid reports Winehouse was running up significant tabs in bars in St Lucia, mainly by buying loads of strangers drinks.
--------------------------------------------------
KEITH MOON TO GET LONDON PLAQUE
The Who's late drummer Keith Moon is to get one of those blue plaques in his honour, though not next to one of his former homes, but next to one of the sites occupied by the Marquee Club in London. The plaque will recognise that some of Moon's most famous drum kit trashing performances took place at the club.
According to the Independent, the plaque will be put up by a body called the Heritage Foundation, who exist to pay tribute to entertainment greats, with the permission of Westminster City Council, after English Heritage, who normally do the plaques, seemed lukewarm to the idea of commemorating Moon, allegedly because they were concerned about being seen to celebrate the drummer's legendary hell-raising (though they say there are strict criteria for how historic you should be to get a plaque, and Moon simply doesn't fulfil them).
The Heritage Foundation's David Graham told the Indie: "Keith has been overlooked but was such a character - you don't get characters like him any more. We were delighted to organise a plaque for Keith, and the Marquee is the perfect place because it was at the centre of the rock gigs in London".
BRITNEY GETS RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST FORMER MANAGER AND EX
Britney Spears has reportedly secured a restraining order against one time manager and friend Sam Lutfi and former boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, both of whom were Britney associates during her loopy period last year, of course. According to TMZ.com, Spears requested that her conservators, who look after all her legal and financial affairs, get court orders to keep Lutfi and Ghalib away from her last month, and as a result her legal reps went to court on Friday. It's the second time Spears' conservator - ie her father - has applied for a restraining order against Lutfi.
--------------------------------------------------
NEWS ORGANISATIONS JOIN CALLS FOR P2P CASE TO BE WEBCAST
It won't just be a persistent Harvard law professor that the Recording Industry Association Of America will have to fight off in their bid to stop a potentially tricky file sharing court case from being webcast, now fourteen major news organisations have joined the battle.
As previously reported, Harvard professor Charles Nesson has proposed that an upcoming court hearing relating to the RIAA's P2P filesharing lawsuit against Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum be webcast, and the judge presiding over the case has backed the proposals. The RIAA, though, is appealing that decision to let the case be webcast.
But fourteen news organisations have now put their name to a document calling on the court that will hear the RIAA's appeal to allow the webcast to go ahead. Among the US news agencies and papers who are backing the proposals are the Associated Press, The New York Times and NBC Universal, the latter of which is, amusingly, part owned by Vivendi, owners of Universal Music, one of the majors the RIAA will represent in the court case. The new agencies' court paper says: "It is hard to imagine a hearing more deserving of public scrutiny through the same technological medium that is at the heart of this litigation".
As previously pondered, while US copyright law in theory favours the record companies in file sharing litigation, when cases go to court the record labels' cases against illegal file sharers can get caught up in all sorts of technicalities. With the RIAA now moving away from suing individual file sharers, it could do without the PR trauma of one last high profile case. It's possible Nesson, who is advising Tenenbaum on his case, hopes the RIAA will drop their lawsuit rather than have the case considered in court in front of the whole internet.
EWEN TO REPRESENT UK AT EUROVISION
In case you care, 21 year old Londoner Jade Ewen has been handed the honour of being able to lose the Eurovision Song Contest on the UK's behalf. Quite an honour I'm sure you agree. Ewen won the previously reported BBC talent show to find a singer to sing this year's UK Eurovision entry at the big Song Contest in Moscow in May. She will now work with Andrew Lloyd Webber who will write the song she'll sing.
Ewen beat rivals Mark Evans and The Twins in the final stage of the 'Your Country Needs You' talent show this weekend. The public's choice was backed by Lloyd Webber, who added that: "The Eurovision show started Abba, it started Riverdance and it's going to start the career of this incredibly talented young woman". I'm assuming Ewen is sensible enough to realise that Eurovision has killed the careers of a great many more singers than it has helped, but who knows, she could be the next, erm, Gina G?
COLDPLAY BEGIN SESSIONS SANS-MARTIN
Chris Martin says the rest of Coldplay have begun work on their next album without him, not because of any band infighting, but because producer Brian Eno, who produced last album 'Viva La Vida', suggested they should. Martin also told Absolute Radio that Eno had written to the band about their next long player, and had told them: "'Viva La Vida' was good. But I know that you can do better".
ELBOW TO RELEASE SELDOM SEEN LIVE ALBUM
Earlier this month, Elbow convened at Abbey Road studios in London to perform their Mercury Music Prize winning album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' in its entirety with the BBC Concert Orchestra and Chantage, the winners of Radio 3's Choir Of The Year competition. If you were on the ball, you may have caught a recording of the performance on Saturday on Radio 2. If you missed it, don't worry, the band are giving you another chance to hear it.
Pre-orders are currently being taken for copies of 'The Seldom Seen Kid Live At Abbey Road', which comes with a CD and DVD of the entire show, all wrapped up in a very nice-looking box. Only a limited number of copies of the album will be pressed and they will only ever be available from the band's website at www.elbow.co.uk. So, I'd advise you get yourself over there sharpish.
NOTORIOUS WRITER TO SCRIPT RUN-DMC FILM
The writer of the recent Notorious BIG biopic 'Notorious', Cheo Hodari Coker has been hired to adapt Bill Adler's Run-DMC biography 'Tougher Than Leather: The Rise Of Run-DMC' into a film. Adler, who is the group's former publicist, and Coker will also act as executive producers on the film.
Dallas Jackson, president of DJ Classicz, the company producing the film, told Hollywood Reporter: "It's an extraordinary rags-to-riches journey that I'm eager to bring to the screen. And I'm hoping to have Run, DMC and Russell Simmons' involvement. This will be a big movie about the 1980s hip hop movement that took over the world".
MOGWAI TO HEADLINE FIELD DAY
So, over the last week or so I've been pawing over the various exciting festival line-ups that have been announced, wondering if I can bring myself to sit in a cold, muddy field again. Then someone announces a great line-up right on my doorstep. Brilliant. No cold nights in a tent for me, thanks. I'm going to Field Day.
Headlining this year's event, which takes place in Victoria Park in Hackney on 1 Aug, will be Mogwai. They will be joined by Four Tet, former Arab Strap man Malcolm Middleton, James Yorkston, Apes & Androids, Errors and Skream, with more to be announced over the coming months. I can't wait.
Tickets are available now and cost almost nothing. Go to www.fielddayfestivals.com for more info.
--------------------------------------------------
KINGS TO HEADLINE T
For those that prefer the muddy field option, Scotland's T In The Park has just announced its headliners too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kings Of Leon are on the bill (unsurprising because we already knew they were playing Ireland's Oxygen festival, which takes place the same weekend as T and often shares headliners with the Scots fest). They will be joined by Snow Patrol and Katy Perry. T chief Geoff Ellis told the Daily Record: "We're delighted. Kings Of Leon are the hottest property at the moment. We're ecstatic at having locked them in. Snow Patrol are Scotland's biggest band at the moment, while [Katy Perry] has great songs and is full of attitude. I saw her hosting the MTV Awards in Liverpool and I just knew she could carry it off"'. T 2009 takes place from 10-12 Jul.
--------------------------------------------------
CONNECT TO TAKE YEAR OFF
Those who prefer their festivals to be, erm, non-existent, will be pleased to hear that another Scottish festival, organised by the same people as T, will not happen this year. DF Concerts have announced they have decided to rest their Hydro Connect Festival, launched in 2007, for this year at least, seemingly because the relatively high costs of staging the festival make it less viable in the current economic climate. The aforementioned Geoff Ellis told the NME, though, that the event would return in 2010, and that his company had some smaller scale events planned for the Scottish region of Argyll (where Connect takes place) this year.
--------------------------------------------------
SOME GREAT ESCAPE BANDS ANNOUNCED
No mud at this festival either, though if it's raining you can still get pretty wet as you rush around Brighton trying to fit everything in. Yes, we're talking about the Great Escape, which will once again take over venues across the seaside city for three days during the town's May-long arts festival, this year from 14-16 May. And among the mega-list of fine bands set to play this year are Metronomy, The Golden Silvers, The Soft Pack, VV Brown, The Big Pink, Passion Pit, Kissy Sell Out, Esser, Future Of The Left, Micachu, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Chapman Family, Johnny Foreigner, Dananakroyd, Yves Klein Blue, John Steel Blues Band and The Joy Formidable. As we may have already reported, though may be not, the daytime conference part of TGE will grow once again this year, with an expanded area for industry types to network and socialise. And dry off, should those rains come blowing in off the sea.
--------------------------------------------------
COACHELLA LINE UP ANNOUNCED
And for those that prefer their festivals to take place in sunny California, well, the line up for this year's Coachella festival is out, and they've only gone and got Paul McCartney to headline, alongside The Killers and The Cure. My Bloody Valentine, Paul Weller, Henry Rollins, White Lies, Hercules and Love Affair, Cage the Elephant, Late Of The Pier, Morrissey, Leonard Cohen and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are also on the bill. Oh, and so is Amy Winehouse, in what will be her first major American appearances since her by-satellite performance at last year's Grammys. Let's hope she's back on form. This year's Coachella takes place from 17-19 Apr.
ALBUM REVIEW: Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada (End Of The Road)
'Treasury Library Canada', eight-piece Calgary indie folkers Woodpigeon's sophomore album, is, at its very core, lush, easy and melodic alternative pop. Like Sufjan Stevens and Margot & The Nuclear So And So's, the band favour a large array of instruments and quirky, peculiar yet intriguing song titles like, 'In The Battle Of Sun Vs. Curtains, Sun Looses And We Sleep Until Noon'. Channelling lead singer Mark Hamilton's journey from Edinburgh and back home to Canada, the album is a loose set of stories that recount the importance of self, longing and memory. 'Piano Pieces For Adult Beginners' is absolutely stunning and Sufjan-esque in its layered piano melodies and reflective, catchy lyrics, and grabs attention right at the forefront of the album. Choral-layered 'Bad News Brown' could be M. Ward's interlude in 'Fuel For Fire', but has a punchier, cleaner sound - when Woodpigeon attempt darkness, rays of sunshine still push through the gaps. There is nothing cloudy or indistinct about this album at all - every edge of it has been sanded off, and perhaps that is its only flaw. However, there is no denying that 'Treasury Library Canada' is emotive and extremely well produced; a sharp soundtrack to the beauty of nostalgia. TW
Release Date: 9 Feb
Press Contact: Incubator [all]
Buy from iTunes
Buy from Amazon
DYLAN TRACK TO APPEAR IN CO-OP ADVERT
While Bruce Springsteen is doing deals with nasty Wal-Mart, Bob Dylan is doing deals with the much easier to love UK supermarket chain the Co-op (who you gotta love, if only for their own-brand crumbly Cheshire cheese, with is yummy). He's given the Coey, as my aunty calls them, permission to use 'Blowin In The Wind' on a new ad campaign.
The Co-op Group is, of course, known for spearheading ethical trading in both the supermarket and certainly the banking sectors. Confirming they had licensed the retailer the song, the MD of Columbia Records UK, Mike Smith, told reporters: "It is rare for Bob Dylan to license his recordings to TV ads, the decision to do so with the Co-operative and 'Blowin In The Wind' shows a willingness to embrace fresh ways of reaching a new audience through an ethical and fair trade organisation".
The Co-op's marketing boss Patrick Allen added: "When we put the ad together we were astounded that no-one had ever used 'Blowin In The Wind' in this context before. We felt the sentiments expressed in Dylan's masterpiece summed up the optimism we have for the Co-operative, so when Columbia Records told us Dylan had agreed we were delighted".
So, well done Dylan for picking an ethical brand partner. Though he's licensed a song to Pepsi in the US. I can't remember whether they're good or evil. Though, give me a can of Pepsi over a can of Coke any day of the week. Especially Tuesdays.
--------------------------------------------------
PUMPKINS' HYUNDAI SONG AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
Talking of songs in adverts, following the news last week that a new Smashing Pumpkins song would appear on a Hyundai car ad during this weekend's Superbowl, news today that the full version of the song - especially penned for the car maker apparently - will be available for free download from the band's official website. So, that's nice.
And now some nonsense about the ad campaign the song soundtracks from Hyundai US's marketing man Joel Ewanick: "The combination of Hyundai's exciting new Genesis Coupe matched with music performed by Smashing Pumpkins offers the perfect 'kick-off' to Super Bowl advertising. From rock to classical, our Genesis Coupe ads demonstrate the two personalities of the car, which was designed for all types of driving enthusiasts".
EMI LOSSES DOWN IN 2008
Revenues were up and losses down at EMI for the six months up to 30 Sep last year which is good news I suppose.
Not sure why they've taken to now to tell us, but whatever, revenues for the major music company were up 10% to £737 million for the half year, while profits from sales before tax were up a massive 202% to £130 million, with even the major's previously loss making recordings division making a profit. Hurrah. That said, overall the Group made a loss for the period, mainly because of on going restructuring costs, though even that fact had a positive spin - overall losses were down on the previous year. The financial report doesn't offer much information on what were the big earners were in terms of artists, though both Coldplay and Katy Perry albums are name checked as "major global successes".
Commenting on the results, EMI boss Elio Leoni-Sceti, who joined the major after the period in question, said: "EMI music is starting the process of recovery and has made some important strides forward on its route to success".
--------------------------------------------------
AMAZON SALES UP
If you want some really rosey-looking financials, may I suggest checking out the latest figures from Amazon? There may be doom and gloom on the high street, but the world's leading e-tailer, and one of the biggest mail order CD sellers, saw sales rise 18% year on year in the last quarter of 2008, meaning global revenues of $6.7 billion and a net profit up 9% to $225. Amazon is, of course, looking to further solidify its position in the music retail sector by moving into digital music, with its Amazon MP3 service now operating in both the US and UK.
--------------------------------------------------
AEG LIVE BOSS SAYS HE'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE
The top man at live music conglom AEG Live has denied he is about to leave the company. There had been rumours that Randy Phillips, who also manages Lionel Richie in his spare time, was planning to quit the tour promoter and venue owner to concentrate on artist management, but he told Billboard: "I just completed the first year of a new five-year contract. I am not going anywhere".
--------------------------------------------------
FREEMAN LAUNCH DIGITAL DIVISION
London based music PR firm Freeman PR has announced it is launching a new online department, to be called Freeman Digital. It will be headed up by Lucius Yeo, who previously worked for press companies Outpost and Zest. Freeman's clients include Emmy The Great, Gaymers Camden Crawl, Brody Dalle's new project Spinnerette, Gomez, The Bookhouse Boys, Slow Club and Wave Machines. Yeo is also expected to build his own roster for the company's digital division.
NAPSTER LAUNCH NEW VERSION, MORE WEBBY
Napster, the subscription-based digital music service which, in case you wondered, is still going, has just launched a new version which means users can access music streams, libraries and playlists via a web browser, ie without installing a specific Napster player. The new version also includes a new recommendation service and the facility for users to create mood playlists.
Look, here's what Napster's VP of Sales & Marketing, Thorsten Schliesche, has to say: "Napster's mission has always been to enable consumers to explore and share the world of music as simply as possible. The introduction of Napster 4.6 with its optimised user interface and exciting new features offers music fans endless possibilities to enjoy their favourite music at anytime and wherever they are".
The second incarnation of Napster was, of course, one of the first legit download services, though one that primarily pushed its all-music-while-you-pay-your-monthly-fee subscription packages opposed to iTunes' pay-per-track downloads, a model which is still of niche interest. The company behind the service was bought by US retailer Best Buy last year.
--------------------------------------------------
SPOTIFY INTRODUCE SOME RESTRICTIONS ON CONTENT ACCESS
From a digital music service of yesteryear, to the digital music service of the moment. Though will this latest development damage the growing interest that is materialising around Spotify?
The newish ad-funded free streaming service that provides music via an iTunes-style player has had to put some new restrictions in place regarding track availability in different countries. Currently users in all the European countries where the Sweden-based Spotify operates can access the service's whole catalogue, but because of the confusing nature of the way music is licensed to digital services in Europe, some tracks shouldn't be accessible in some territories.
Spotify have said they are switching on various restrictions to make sure they stick to the restrictions of their licence. Doing so will have an impact to a certain extent on the playlist sharing element of the service, because if users access playlists compiled by counterparts in other countries they may not be able to access all the songs selected.
Confirming the new restrictions were going into place, a Spotify rep blogged last week: "Unfortunately we are going to be removing a number of songs from our catalogue and adding country restrictions to some tracks, which may make them unplayable for you. These [licensing] restrictions are a legacy from when most music was sold on tapes and CDs and they have continued over into streaming music. Our hope is that one day restrictions like this will disappear for good".
ABBEY FM GOES OFF AIR
A local radio station in Cumbria stopped broadcasting on Friday afternoon, somewhat abruptly I think. Barrow-in-Furness based Abbey FM went off the air as its owners - Cumbria Newspapers, The Local Radio Company and The Radio Business - put the company into administration. That decision followed 30% owner The Local Radio Company's decision to withdraw its financial support earlier last month. Staff, including Station Manager Amanda Bell were asked to leave shortly after the station stopped broadcasting at 3pm. The station only went on the air back in 2006, following five years of work to win an FM licence for South Cumbria.
CHART UPDATE
Well, looky looky, Lily Allen has taken on the new pretender to the pop throne and won. Yep, Lady GaGa is old news now, sitting in the pitiful number two position in the singles chart. Lily's 'The Fear', on the other hand, has made a triumphant leap from 168 to number one, following the single's first full week on release - it was released digitally on Friday 23 Jan, which accounts for its early, if low, chart position last week.
Meanwhile, Alesha Dixon moves into the top ten, up to six from 13, and Jason Mraz just missed out, moving from 22 to 11. On the new entry front, the winner of Channel 4's Orange Unsigned Act, Tommy Reilly makes a commendable entry into the chart at 14 with his first single, 'Gimme A Call', and there are some more notable jumps from outside the top 40 (although none as large as Lily's), with Shontelle moving from 43 to 25 with 'T-Shirt', The Fray moving from 45 to 35 with 'You Found Me', The Pussycat Dolls hoisting themselves up to 36 from 110 with 'Whatcha Think About That' and The Airborne Toxic Event taking off from 183 and landing at 39 with 'Sometime Around Midnight'.
And now, the album chart, where we have two new entries right at the very top. Franz Ferdinand go straight in at number two with their third album, 'Tonight: Franz Ferdinand', but they are kept off the top spot by old hand Bruce Springsteen, with his 472nd album, 'Working On A Dream'. Last week's number one, White Lies, slips to number eight in this week's chart, as people opt to buy the Donnie Darko soundtrack instead. Possibly.
The rest of the album chart is dullness in extremis, except for a few notable movements. Alesha Dixon's second solo album (no really, she's done two), 'The Alesha Show' has reached its highest position to date, moving from 44 to 21. Rifles and Naturally 7 also make their debuts on the chart, landing at 27 and 29 respectively. And that is all.
The chart is compiled like a stealthy fox by The Official Chart Company. And even when it's snowing.
MORRISSEY'S RECORD MANHOOD MEASUREMENT
Morrissey and his band will apparently appear naked in a photo on the inner sleeve of the singer's new single, 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris', which is due for release on 9 Feb. Don't worry, though. It's not going to be an entirely eye-burning display of man-flesh. Morrissey and the boys will be covering their genitals with vinyl records. I'm not sure if they opted for 7" or 12".
--------------------------------------------------
50 CENT COMES DOWN WITH A BAD CASE OF DIDDY
50 Cent has said that he is suffering from Diddy Syndrome, which apparently affects rappers who enjoy big success. And despite what you might be thinking, he doesn't appear to think it's a bad thing. Fiddy says he came down with the syndrome in 2003 after his debut album, 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin', did rather well. Symptoms include shiny hair and product diversification.
Fiddy told New York Daily News: "When [my career] blew up, I developed the Diddy syndrome. As soon as you develop the Diddy syndrome, you put a little more grease in your hair, and soon enough, you're selling cologne".
He added that he hoped to launch a new product "very soon". So, it doesn't look like he's anywhere near close to recovery at this stage.
--------------------------------------------------
NO POP COMEBACK FOR GATES
Gareth Gates has said that he's not interested in going through the embarrassment of trying to relaunch his pop career. Well, okay, that's not exactly what he said. But he did say he found the music he released in the past embarrassing, so I'm not just being nasty.
As you all know, the Pop Idol runner-up was signed to SonyBMG when the series finished, but was dropped following disappointing sales of his second album. He released a third album, 'Pictures Of The Other Side', through UMTV, but that faired even worse. Speaking about his pop career, Gates told The Daily Mail: "In truth, it wasn't as the artist I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I wanted to be happy with the music I was making - not feel a little bit embarrassed when it was on the radio".
Gates is about to begin starring in 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' in the West End. Asked if he would follow the role up with a new album, he said: "No. Maybe in the future I will. I'm just really pleased I've got this role. It's what I've wanted since I could sing. When I rang my dad to tell him I'd got the part, he said, 'I'm more happy about this than I was when you were in Pop Idol'. For him, it's really, really big".
--------------------------------------------------
LADY GAGA TRIES TO CONFUSE MEN BY NOT BEING SEXY
Lady GaGa has defended her wardrobe, after some people said she's not sexy or something. Apparently it's all intentional in order to confuse any men looking at her. I don't know. I don't really care what she wears, I just wish she'd stop singing.
Anyway, she told The Daily Mail: "A girl's got to use what she's given and I'm not going to make a guy drool the way a Britney video does. So I take it to extremes. I don't say I dress sexily on stage - what I do is so extreme. It's meant to make guys think, 'I don't know if this is sexy or just weird'".
If you want to stop receiving this e-bulletin click the 'unsubscribe' button below and follow the instructions. If any of your colleagues want to receive the CMU Daily tell them to email their name, company, job title and email to [email protected].
If you would like to recieve the CMU Daily as a text email, send a blank email from the email address you are registered at to [email protected].
MEDIA PEOPLE>> If you are looking for an independent quote on anything to do with the music business, or you need someone to come on your TV or radio show and talk music business, then we can help. There's nothing we don't know about. Email requests to [email protected] or call 020 7099 9050.
CMU is published by and (c) UnLimited Media - www.unlimitedmedia.co.uk
Send news stories to [email protected]. If we don't respond directly, we do apologise, only we get sent hundreds of emails a day and don't have time to respond to every one of them. However we do check every email sent to the musicnews email address, and do pull out stories that we feel are relevant to our readers.
Send CDs for review to CMU, UnLimited Media, 221-222 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6PJ.