AS THE DEBATE HEADS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, A LONG RAMBLE ON COPYRIGHT EXTENSION
Good news and bad news for you, people, following a meeting at the Houses Of Parliament last night hosted by the Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group ahead of a debate in the European Parliament on the much previously discussed Copyright Term Directive, proposals initiated by European Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to increase the copyright term for recordings in Europe from fifty to 95 years.

As previously reported, while the UK government's 2006 Gowers Review of copyright law said there was no case to increase the sound recording copyright, since McCreevy tabled his proposals at a European level Britain's Culture Minister Andy Burnham has said the current cabinet is basically in favour of term extension, though not necessarily as far as 95 years (70 years has been muted as a compromise).

And last night Burnham's colleague David Lammy who, as the minister responsible for intellectual property is actually the man in charge of this issue, reaffirmed that commitment in pretty bold terms. "I am hugely sympathetic to the case made by the performer community on this issue," he told the meeting. "The case has been made. The government accepts the case. My job isn't to debate the case for extension, it's to move this debate on from establishing the case to actuality. Opinions on this vary across Europe - so there needs to be some canny footwork to make this happen".

So that's the good news, and given there does seem to be some distance between where Burnham and Lammy stand on that other big issue - making ISPs police internet piracy - the music business will be glad to see that Lammy is as supportive on the extension issue as his more cultural colleague. Lammy, though, isn't backing the basic copyright expansion for the good of the 'music business', rather for the musicians and performers who stand to benefit for any increase in copyright term. He was quite bold about that point too: "We are doing this to benefit performers. And that's it, full stop. We're not doing this to benefit the industry. If the industry does benefit as a result, that's great, but that's not our motivation".

Now, we should note that last night's meeting was very much focused on individual performers rather than music companies, and Lammy was surrounded by performers as he spoke; four of whom had kicked off the proceedings by explaining how important the modest royalties enjoyed by jobbing musicians are in enabling them to afford to live, especially in their later years when they may not be able to perform so regularly. But Lammy does seem to genuinely care about securing a better copyright deal for musicians, and does seem genuinely ambivalent towards record companies.

Of course the record companies, who also quite fancy earning off their recordings for 95 rather than 50 years, have frequently pushed the performer dimension of the copyright extension debate to the foreground, it being easier to feel sorry for session musicians on meagre incomes than for multinational corporations. It's a good strategy, because if Lammy et al do push an extension through for the good of the performers then the record labels will indeed "benefit as a result", and much more so than the performer community who, while due a cut of royalties generated by recordings they were involved in (contractually on all royalties in the case of featured artists, and by statute for all artists in the case of broadcast royalties), in reality earn meagre percentages compared to the labels.

The only down side for the labels is that both McCreavy and Lammy are aware of this. The former has, as previously reported, written extra proposals into his copyright extension plan that skew the financial benefits of a longer copyright term slightly more in the performers' direction. Which is all well and good, except it makes the whole thing a lot more complicated than it needs to be. And when you make things complicated on a European level that can add months and sometimes years to the debate.

Lammy and his civil service colleague, Ian Fletcher, top man at the UK's IP Office, last night reported that pretty much every country in Europe has a different opinion on quite how the interests of corporates and performers should be balanced in the term extension debate, meaning that getting a pan-European consensus isn't as simple as compromising on a figure somewhere between 50 and 95 and making that the term length. Given that those talks have to be fit in to a crowded European Union diary, and a diary that will get all cluttered up with the big European elections that will take place in June, it could be that general support the "case" for extension takes a very long time to become an "actuality".

Which will be irritating for record companies, because really the 'relationship between musicians and copyright law' (which is minimal - performers' only automatic rights being a share of someone else's copyright - ie the recording producer) and the 'term extension proposals' are two separate debates and while the former may strengthen the case for the latter it also makes what should be a simple question to answer - should the copyright on recordings be more than fifty years? - quite a complicated one to tackle. Which means it could be years before the term extension is approved by European types and finally incorporated into UK law. That, in case you wondered, is the bad news.

Still, let's not dwell on the challenges to come, and let's instead remember that two years ago British labels and performers were heading to Europe because no one would accept the case (any case) for copyright extension in Whitehall. I think the message to take from last night's meeting in Westminster is that, while Lammy and co may not sympathise much with the labels' extension claims, and may not be especially set on an extension as far as 95 years, they will be telling MEPs and EC officials that the case for performers to receive royalty cheques past fifty years is a given, and that attention should now be put on how to make that happen. Which is, I reckon, a move in the right direction. Well, unless you oppose copyright extension on all levels, in which case I think you lost the debate.

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GLASTONBURY SELLS OUT
So, it seems that the passing of the bad weather has made people nostalgic for bad weather, because there's been a rush on the last batch of Glastonbury tickets, which were released on Sunday. Yes, after all you naysayers last year said that it was dead (yeah, I'm looking at you), this year's Glastonbury has sold out with the minimum of effort. It seems that allowing people to buy tickets over a long period of time and not announcing any line-up until after all the tickets have gone is a good idea.

Organiser Emily Eavis told reporters: "We're chuffed to bits that we've managed to sell so many tickets so far ahead, especially when you look at the weather outside. Thanks to everyone for keeping the faith; it's certainly shaping up to be another vintage year for Glastonbury Festival, with a brilliant line up to be unveiled in June".

As previously reported, the festival abandoned its normal server- and phone system-crashing mad rush for tickets, and started selling them much earlier than normal. Fans could opt to pay a deposit of £50 when the early bird tickets went on sale. Any tickets that had been held but not fully paid for by Saturday went on sale on Sunday, and it's those that sold out in a speedy fashion.

In theory that's all Glasto 09 tickets now sold, though before you start weeping onto your keyboard because you haven't got any, stop. It's dangerous to get electrical items wet. Dry your eyes (and you keyboard - safety first), because there will actually be another set of tickets available later this year. Cancelled tickets will be resold on 5 Apr.

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HUDSON PRODUCER DEFENDS SUPER BOWL MIMING
The producer who pre-recorded Jennifer Hudson's vocals for her much publicised performance of the American national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday has defended the star's decision not to sing live. Ricky Minor said that as this was the first time Hudson had performed in public since the murder of three members of her family last year, it would not have been wise to leave any room for error. In fact, he said that no artist should ever sing live in public.

I'm not sure I agree with either of those suggestions. The latter certainly, and as for Hudson's special situation, I'm pretty sure people would have been more impressed with a fully live performance, even if Hudson had made a mistake. As it is, it just looks like her people, and perhaps she herself, didn't think she was ready to start singing in public again, which would suggest that she probably shouldn't have.

But whatever, here's what Minor had to say: "This was such an important performance, because it's the first time everyone has seen Jennifer [since the murders]. But she's in such a great place, with such great spirits, and time can heal her wounds. She's on fire right now and totally grounded. [Miming was] the right way to do it. There's too many variables to go live. I would never recommend any artist go live, because the slightest glitch would devastate the performance".

Despite some media criticism for the miming, Minor says Hudson has had a huge number of calls and messages telling her how good it was. Jamie Foxx apparently sent a text saying: "Amazing. It brought tears to my eyes". Though given the recent tragedies in Hudson's life, her first day back at work would probably have that effect whatever.

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NO KIDS, NO SHOW, SAYS BRITNEY
Folllowing rumours that Britney Spears was threatening to cancel her upcoming US tour, after her ex-husband Kevin Federline's lawyers refused her allow her to travel with the couple's two children been announced that the tour will be a family affair after all. K-Fed, of course, has sole custody of their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, although Britney does have visitation rights.

It had been reported that Federline, Britney and her father Jamie Spears had been in talks for several weeks trying to reach an agreement over where the children would live during the tour, but these talks were rumoured to have fallen apart.

However, a message posted on the singer's website today reads: "Britney is so excited to kick off her tour. She has been enjoying every moment of rehearsals and is looking forward to performing in front of a live audience again. Both Sean Preston and Jayden James will, in fact, be joining Britney throughout the duration of her tour".

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U2 VIDEO LEAKS, IS SUCKED BACK UP AGAIN
An unfinished version of the video for U2's next single, 'Get Your Boots On', leaked online over the weekend, but has since been removed. The footage showed the band posing in front of different images on a green screen. Sounds thrilling.

'Get Your Boots On' is set for release on 16 Feb, with the album 'No Line On The Horizon' following on 27 Feb. The band will also perform the song live at the BRITs on 18 Feb.

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DUBE SUSPECTS GO ON TRIAL
The three men suspected of killing South African reggae star Lucky Dube have gone on trial. For reasons I'm not sure of, Sfiso Mhlanga, Julius Xowa and Thabiso Maroping have all been asked not to plead at the start of what is expected to be a one month trial. Dube's killing, as he dropped of his children at his brother's house in Johannesburg in October 2007, caused anger across his home country where his award winning albums had given him a large and widespread fanbase.

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MEL B SETTLES PATERNITY DISPUTE WITH MURPHY
Spice Girl Melanie Brown has reportedly quietly settled her ongoing legal battle with one time boyfriend Eddie Murphy regarding their daughter Angel Iris. As previously reported, Murphy has been switching between being unhelpful and nasty in relation to his daughter by Mel B, reportedly on account of him being a cunt. First he publicly doubted he was the father and then, when he finally took a paternity test that proved he was indeed the daddy, he proceeded to have little to do with her and instead went round bad mouthing his ex. Anyway, the whole thing got legal, but according to RadarOnline.com the matter has been resolved with a secret deal regarding maintenance payments and visitation rights. Details of the agreement are not known.

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TIM GRUNDY DIES
Former Piccadilly Radio Programme Controller Tim Grundy has died aged fifty.

Grundy, son of TV presenter Bill Grundy (he of that infamous Sex Pistols interview on ITV's London local news programme in 1976), joined the Manchester ILR at the bottom of the hierarchy when still in his teens, working his way up the tree to become programming chief. While in charge of the station he oversaw the early career of one Chris Evans, among others.

As well as exec roles at Piccadilly and elsewhere, and running his own TV production company, Grundy also had a second career as a presenter himself, both on radio and on TV, perhaps being best known for his 'Two's Country' programme. In 2002 he was involved in the launch of a new radio station, Reading 107, where he also presented the breakfast show.

It is unclear how he died, though he did have heart problems, having suffered heart failure in 2006, an incident that led to a 13 day coma.

Paying tribute, Henry Matthews, a former Piccadilly Radio colleague of Grundy, told the Manchester Evening News: "I've spoken to a number of former colleagues since hearing the news, and, like me, they have been absolutely shocked and devastated. Tim was a hell of a nice block, a considerate colleague and a nice guy. In the early days he stood in the shadow of his father, but it's testament to his skills and talent that he was able to step out of that shadow. He was an innovative and inventive broadcaster".

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PHIL EASTON DIES
Another North West radio veteran has died. This time Phil Easton, best known for his work on Liverpool ILR Radio City, and its sister stations Magic and City Talk.

Easton worked for Radio City on and off for thirty years, presenting various shows and enjoying much popularity around Merseyside. He most recently presented a morning show for City Talk. In the early nineties he worked away from his Liverpool base helping launch Somerset radio station Orchard FM, where he worked in various roles including Head Of Music.

Easton died after suffering a heart attack yesterday afternoon. Paying tribute, Radio City Station Director Richard Maddock told reporters: "We are deeply saddened to hear this tragic news. Phil was an astounding broadcaster and friend to everyone here at Radio City, Magic and City Talk. Our thoughts are with his family at this terrible time".

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HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS SIGN TO WIND-UP
Emo types Hawthorne Heights have signed a new record deal with Wind-up Entertainment. Actually, it's one of those new fangled 360-degree deals, and will see the music company handle their recordings, online activity, merchandising and publishing.

Let's hope they don't fall out, given how far reaching that deal seems to be. As much previously reported, Hawthorne Heights fell out big time with their last label Victory Records, hitting out at the rock indie's marketing exploits, and trying to get out of their record deal so they could sign to EMI. But Victory successfully sued to make the band stick to their original contract (and to stop them doing the EMI deal). After much legal wrangling the band and label reached a deal, which resulted in the release of one more album by the band on Victory - 'Fragile Future' - last year.

Their first album on Wind-up is expected later this year.

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MYSTERY JETS SIGN TO ROUGH TRADE
Mystery Jets, previously signed to Warner's 679, have signed a new deal with Rough Trade. I know this because the label have just said this: "We are delighted to announce that Mystery Jets have signed to Rough Trade. One of the brightest bands to emerge from these shores in the past decade, they join Rough Trade at the peak of their powers".

Rough Trade co-founder Geoff Travis told CMU: "The Mystery Jets are in my opinion the best British group since The Libertines and I have been wanting to work with them for a very long time, so I am delighted they have chosen to join the roster".

The band are working on their first album for the indie, and will play Shepherd's Bush Empire next week.

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BRECON FESTIVAL TO TAKE YEAR OFF AS DECISION IS MADE OF NEW PRODUCERS
The Arts Council have said there will be no Brecon Jazz Festival this year, despite four groups expressing an interest in producing it.

As previously reported, the company who formerly produced the jazz fest went into liquidation last year. The Arts Council invited approaches from companies interested in taking over the running of the popular annual event and four came forward.

Two dropped out last week after an Arts Council meeting, which means it is now between the people behind the Hay Festival and a partnership of local businesses. ACE plan to make a decision as to who to give the festival to in April, but say that will be too late for a 2009 event to be viable.

The festival will, therefore, take a year off, returning with new promoters in 2010.

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BIG NAMES LINE UP FOR BONNAROO
The initial line-up for this year's Bonnaroo has been announced, with a pretty impressive collection of headliners. Topping the bill at this year's event will be Bruce Springsteen, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Al Green, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello and Phish.

It will be Springsteen's only North American festival this year and the newly reunited Phish's only festival, so they're making the most of it by playing two sets at Bonnaroo.

Also on the bill are The Mars Volta, MGMT, Animal Collective, Santogold, The Ting Tings, TV On The Radio, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bon Iver, Crystal Castles, Of Montreal, Jenny Lewis, Wilco, Paul Oakenfold, Neko Case, The Decemberists, Erykah Badu, Andrew Bird and more.

Bonnaroo takes place in Tennessee between 11-14 Jun. Tickets go on sale on Saturday, with organisers for the first time allowing fans to pay for their tickets in five instalments of $50.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Grand Duchy - Petits Fours (Cooking Vinyl)
Frank Black aka Black Francis aka Charles Thompson aka Dark Lord of The Catholics aka supreme deity to the followers of the Cult Of Frank. A man of many aliases he may already be, but Black's penchant for the pseudonym doesn't look like it's about to let up any time soon. This time he's keeping it in the family. Following a 'very punk' 12 day stint producing Art Brut's new LP, he's in compositional cahoots with his wife Violet Clark and together husband and wife are operating under the musical moniker of Grand Duchy. Whatever he's called, I'm just happy to have him on my stereo in any incarnation. Like Macca and his first better half did with Wings, Grand Duchy sees the pair form a new partnership in addition to their matrimonial union. Black's involvement may conjure up most of the hype surrounding the project, but from the off, it's clear that Clark's charms are brought very much to the fore on this album. With the exception of a few gloriously rollicking numbers like 'Black Suit' where Black's thunderous yowl is unleashed, Clark is on lead vocal duty for the most part of 'Petits Fours'. She sounds commanding yet sweet, somewhat akin to the vocal stylings of Chrissie Hynde. Actually, her sometimes semi sung, semi spoken style of delivery emulates Kim Deal's contributions to the Pixie's signature sound so much so that this may pacify the legions of fans that wait, wishing and hoping for some new material. That said, perhaps it's all a bit too familiar. Other tracks like 'Lovesick', whilst a delight in themselves, could easily be mistaken for the less bass driven tracks that didn't make the cut for The Breeders 'Last Splash'. Don't get me wrong, this is a great album, but it feels like Black and Clark should have made the sound that they had preconceived for Grand Duchy shine through a little more starkly. MB
Release Date: 16 Feb
Press Contact: Cooking Vinyl [all]

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GHOST GETS EPIC US
As expected, singer songwriter Amanda Ghost has been appointed as the new president of Sony's Epic US division, where she will take over from Charlie Walk who quit late last year. Her appointment is seen as part of Rob Stringer's moves to take more control over his Sony Labels Group division of Sony Music US (a group that now seems to be called the Columbia Epic Label Group, fans of major label division naming should note).

Ghost, who has run her own production and publishing company in addition to her performing and songwriting work, told reporters: "I'm very excited to be working with Rob Stringer and joining a label as iconic as Epic. Epic historically has stood for pop music in as broad and exciting a sense as possible".

The aforementioned Stringer said this: "I am delighted that Amanda has chosen to bring her creative vision and flair to the Epic label. In the changing environment of the music business, record labels undoubtedly need to be complete partners with the artistic community, and Amanda will be the perfect executive to meet that challenge".

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WOOLIES TO REAPPEAR AS ETAIL OPERATION
Once a brand has become synonymous with the credit crunch and the general collapse of capitalism as we know it, what better than to, erm, buy it and launch a website using its name? Especially if it's a brand that had lost its way years ago, and which didn't really stand for anything anymore.

This is presumably the logic employed by Shop Direct, the online and catalogue retailer owned by slightly strange Daily Telegraph proprietors David and Frederick Barclay, which is apparently the UK's biggest home shopping retailer. They announced yesterday that they had bought the rights to the Woolworths name in the UK, and also its kids clothes brand Ladybird, both of which will be used for new etail operations.

It's not the first time Shop Direct have bought old High Street brands - in 2005 they expanded their operations considerably by buying Littlewoods, though at least that company had an existing home shopping business that was of value. It's not clear how exactly the Woolies brand will be used by Shop Direct, though perhaps they're planning on launching a website which mainly sells things you don't really need at prices that aren't really that competitive compared to supermarkets and pound stores. Oh, and Ronan Keating CDs and cola bottle sweets.

Anyway, here's what Shop Direct CEO Mark Newton-Jones said of the acquisition: "Woolworths is a much-loved brand that engenders huge affection among British consumers and is an important part of the country's retail heritage. In what will be Woolworths' 100th year, we are proud to be reviving the brand for future generations".

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GREIG CONFIRMED AS NEW STANDARD EDITOR
As expected, Tatler editor Geordie Greig has been announced as the new editor of the London Evening Standard, replacing Veronica Wadley, who has been on her way out ever since it became obvious the deal between Associated Newspapers and Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev, giving the latter 75% ownership of the title, would go ahead. Greig has been touted as new editor for the Lebedev-owned Standard throughout the takeover, and some reckon it was him who persuaded Lebedev to buy the paper in the first place.

Confirming her departure, Wadley, whose tenure at the paper wasn't especially successful, though more because of the growth of the free newspaper market than anything else (though the paper has always seemed decidedly dull to me while she's been in charge), said yesterday: "I am very proud to have edited this great London newspaper and, with the huge support of the staff, to have built it up into a prize-winning newspaper. The Evening Standard is an important London institution held in equal measures of respect and affection. I sincerely hope it will have a secure future".

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MTV2/MYSPACE CHART
It's the MTV2/MySpace chart, based on votes by MTV2 viewers on MySpace. The top ten this week is as follows...

1. [NE] Fighting With Wire - Sugar
2. [7] Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses
3. [2] The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
4. [1] Innerpartysystem - Don't Stop
5. [NE] Little Comets - One Night In October
6. [6] Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
7. [10] The All American Rejects - Gives You Hell
8. [NE] Coldplay - Life In Technicolour
9. [NE] Glasvegas - Flowers and Football Tops
10. [RE] White Lies - To Lose My Life

Meanwhile, added to list for viewer voting this week are...

La Roux - In For The Kill
Pete Doherty - Last Of The English Rose
Red Light Company - Arts And Crafts
The Killers - Spaceman
The Virgins - Teen Lovers

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ERYKAH BADU GIVES BIRTH ON TWITTER
Erykah Badu gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday, documenting the whole process on micro-blogging site, Twitter. Well, I say "documenting the whole process". She said "Morning, I'm in labor", followed by "Contractions are three mins apart... breathing" a little later on, and then "Can't believe it's over. Home birth, no pain killers, 'bout five hours. She was lil passed due date but I didn't mind waiting. Breathe" a little later still. She also revealed that the baby had been named Twitty Milk. That's right, Twitty Milk.

The baby's father is rapper Jay Electronica. Badu, real name Erica Wright, also has a son and daughter from previous relationships.

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PERRY NOT ISSUING MCCOY WARNINGS
Katy Perry has taken on People.com and won, after the website claimed on Sunday that she had had a little rant about her ex-boyfriend, Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy, at a recent show.

People.com quoted Perry as saying: "Girls, if you have ever dated a boy - specifically the lead singer from Gym Class Heroes - don't do it! Boys should have a heart. You know what I mean girls? Boys just want the milk, but they don't want to buy the cow".

In fact, she was telling people that she had not got engaged to Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. She & Him's Zooey DeChannel has, and she looks a little bit like Perry. Clearing up the confusion, Perry dedicated a performance of her debut single, 'Ur So Gay', to Gibbard, saying: "Girls if you feel me, if you've ever dated the lead singer from Death Cab For Cutie ... it's not like that, I'm not engaged ... this one goes out to him". She later added, while introducing her single, 'Hot N Cold': "To all of the my upcoming relationships - one foot in, one foot out. He wants the milk but he never wants to buy the cow".

People subsequently issued a correction to their story and apologised for their error. Commenting on this (under the heading "That's fuckin' right it was an error"), Perry wrote on her blog: "I challenged them to actually find the audio clip/video of me "QUOTED" saying that. They, of course, couldn't 'cause... I didn't say that. I would never be so tacky. I go great lengths to keep it about the music. I made a different random type of joke before I introduced my song, 'Ur So Gay'. I never mentioned Travis or his lovely band, as they are all still friends of mine. I don't care if you make fun of me, my music, my zits, my cellulite or my bad choice of clothing, I really don't. Just have some soul, and don't LIE. I am not asking to be exempt from the media, I am just asking for some fucking fact checking".

I have just checked, and Katy Perry definitely wrote that.

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