| CMU Daily - on the inside 15 Nov 2002 |
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In today's CMU Daily:
• Eminem's night at MTV europe awards,
• Police raid Death Row offices,
• Radio concessions is a 'pyrrich victory',
• Wyclef dreams of persuading Hill back into Fugees,
• Review: Klint - The Mess We're In/Olga,
• Headliners for Edinburgh's Hogmanay announced,
• The best in student radio,
• Headliners confirmed for Nobel gig,
• Review: Bird - Early Ep,
• Smashing Corgan's new band gets deal,
• Bros boy plans solo return,
• The best drug songs ever
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How many countries did U2 top the album charts in after the 2000 release of ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’?
Answer on Monday
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EMINEM'S NIGHT AT MTV EUROPE AWARDS
MTV Europe Music Awards host P Diddy was right when he predicted it would be "Eminem's night" at the viewer voted Europe-wide music awards. Slim Shady snapped up three gongs at Barcelona event for best album, best hip hop artist and best male. Kylie, Linkin Park, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers each won two awards.
The MTV Awards is probably the only European based music awards that truly attracts the US music aristocracy - all the big names of the Western music world were there. Moby used his acceptance speech to say he had "nothing but peace and respect" for Eminem, a response to Mathers' famous knocking of Moby at the US MTV awards earlier this year. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, meanwhile, caused a stir when she spoke to reporters about the anti-fur campaign she is currently fronting: "I have seen some of the celebrities wearing it tonight and it really disappoints me," she said, "I think it is obscene and vulgar."
Although the awards were hailed a success Brent Hansen, the boss of MTV Networks Europe, has said he will be considering a revamp for the Awards' format as they reach their tenth anniversary next year. He told Billboard: "We don't want to get into the situation were we're doing the same thing. I'll look at it from the bottom up."
The winners in full:
Best group: Linkin Park
Best R&B: Alicia Keys
Best pop: Kylie Minogue
Best male: Eminem
Best live act: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Best website: Moby
Best female: Jennifer Lopez
Best new act: The Calling
Best song: Pink - Get the Party Started
Best hard rock: Linkin Park
Best dance: Kylie Minogue
Best hip-hop: Eminem
Best UK and Ireland act: Coldplay
Best rock: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Best album: Eminem - The Eminem Show
Best video: Royksopp - Remind Me
Best Nordic act: Kent
Best German act: avier Naidoo
Best Spanish act: Amaral
Best Russian act: Diskoteka Avariya
Best Romanian act: Animal X
Best Italian act: Subsonica
Best French act: Indochine
Best Dutch act: Brainpower
Best Polish act: Myslovitz
Free Your Mind Award: Football Against Racism in Europe (Fare)
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POLICE RAID DEATH ROW OFFICES
Police in the US yesterday raided the Beverly Hills offices of Tha Row Records, formerly Death Row Records, yesterday morning as part of investigations into "several homicides and conspiracy to commit murder". One person was arrested and several other people were detained at the record company offices, though the label's infamous boss Marion 'Suge' Knight was not considered a suspect.
Needless to say the media has speculated the latest raid is part of the investigation into the still unsolved murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious BIG, or maybe the more recent fatal shooting of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay. However, when the LA Times put this to the police, they refused to confirm which homicide cases they were looking at.
Police Deputy Darren Harris told the Times: "We can confirm that these warrants are being served in and around Los Angeles are for evidence and arrests. The kinds of people that we have warrants for are wanted for very serious crimes. There is some connection to Tha Row Records."
Knight was released from prison in August after serving a five-year prison sentence for violating probation by getting into a fight in hotel in Las Vegas in 1996 hours before Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting as he rode in Knight's car.
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RADIO CONCESSIONS IS A 'PYRRICH VICTORY'
Media group EMAP, owners of Kiss FM and numerous local commercial stations, last night warned the latest government concession on radio ownership could be a "pyrrhic victory" if the role of new regulator Ofcom's with regards the radio industry was not better clarified. The latest concession says that only two (and not three) commercial radio groups must trade in each area, meaning each group can own more stations in each city. But EMAP bosses say forthcoming media legislation is still very vague when it comes to radio mergers.
"This is a good start, but it could be a pyrrhic victory," Tim Schoonmaker, the chief executive Emap Performance (the groups music division which oversees its radio stations) told the Media Guardian. "What we really want to know is how will Ofcom behave as a competition regulator. We need to get into the detail of how Ofcom will operate. We are months away from Ofcom even having a chief executive."
This was backed up by a radio analyst in the city - Simon Mays-Smith of JP Morgan - who said: "The 'two plus one' rule is better than the original 'three plus one' rule, it will make things a lot easier and the market's reaction will be positive. But the whole communications bill has to be looked at under the enterprise bill - the new competition law - and radio could run into difficulties there. For example, in London, under the 'two plus one' rule, Capital and Emap could get together, leaving Chrysalis plus the BBC. But Capital has 45-55% or London's advertising market and if it merges with one of the other companies, it will have a major share of total radio advertising. Competition law may go against that." Mays-Smith reckons that a similar situation may occur in most other major cities meaning competition legislation would prevent any of the mergers the communications bill seems to allow.
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WYCLEF DREAMS OF PURSUADING HILL BACK INTO FUGEES
Wyclef Jean has told reporters at the MTV Europe Music Awards that he would love to reform the Fugees - but he admitted he'd struggle to persuade Lauryn Hill back. "The Fugees still didn't break up. We are still trying to make stuff and work stuff out," he said. "But an album is very important. You can't just throw a garbage album out there. That is not good for the Fugees. If the Fugees are going to do an album, it has to be excellent like the last one or they had better not do an album, you understand. I want to do a Fugees record. You have to talk to Lauryn Hill. You have to talk to the girl. The girl is the problem - not me."
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REVIEW: Klint - The Mess We're In/Olga (Tritone)
"'The Mess We're In' reminds us a bit of Tommy Guerro crossed with Beck, only better", reads the excitable press release for this AA single. Yeah right. It sounds like the verse from Foo Fighters' 'Stacked Actors' on a loop, without the cool, heavy bits. Literally a direct rip-off. 'Olga' is a bit better, a gloomy acoustic number that might make a nice accompaniment to a sad montage in an art house movie of a girl remembering her old boyfriend or something. The single might well appeal to fans of The Tindersticks and other such kitsch nonsense, but it doesn't really do it for this writer. DR
Release date: 11 Nov
Press contact: Cool Delta [all]
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HEADLINERS FOR EDINBURGH'S HOGMANAY ANNOUNCED
Boy George's Culture Club and Mercury Music Prize winning Ms Dynamite will play at Edinburgh's tenth Hogmanay Festival which takes over the city over New Year. Once again 100,000 people are expected to pack the Scottish capital's streets on New Year's Eve for one of the world's biggest street parties.
Edinburgh's Lord Provost, Eric Milligan told reporters: "Not many New Year events of this calibre have been running for 10 years, and are still going from strength to strength. This year's programme promises to delight residents and visitors alike, and once again, the creation of a magical, fun filled four-day festival will make Edinburgh the place to be to celebrate the New Year."
Councillor Steve Cardownie added: "Ten years ago, people in Edinburgh would enjoy a traditional Scottish New Year but there was very little in the way of organised events for them or visitors to take part in. Now Edinburgh is in the media's spotlight every year with an unrivalled programme of events which draws people from all over the world. This winter festival is undoubtedly in a league of its own and I am sure that this year's programme will be a resounding success."
The big music acts are one part of several days of gigs, parties and events taking place across the city - the climax being a city wide firework display at midnight on 31 Dec.
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THE BEST IN STUDENT RADIO
GU2, the student radio station for Surrey University in Guildford, was named Student Radio Station of the Year yesterday at the annual Radio 1 Student Radio Awards. Numerous college stations received gongs at the event, with bronze, silver and gold awards being presented in each category. Cardiff station Xpress, who had the most nominations, faired well taking six awards, two of them gold. Full list of winners is online at www.studentradio.org.uk. This Saturday the NUS and Independent hold their awards for student journalists. More info at www.nusonline.co.uk.
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HEADLINERS CONFIRMED FOR NOBEL GIG
Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson, and Michelle Branch have been confirmed at headliners to play the Nobel Peace Prize Concert next month. The 11 Dec event will pay tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who is being honored this year for his "untiring effort" to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts and to advance democracy and human rights. Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange will host the event, taking place the day after Carter wins the actual award. Destiny's Child, Paul McCartney, Wyclef Jean, Natalie Imbruglia, Youssou N'Dour, a-ha, and Russell Watson all played at last year' event, which honored United Secretary General Kofi Annan.
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REVIEW: Bird - Early EP (Ice Cream Records)
Mmmm, lovely pop music. Siiigh, beautiful cellos. Sob, bittersweet lyrics and haunting melodies. Sick of being a session celloist for people like Vanessa Mae and, ahem, The Young Offenders, Bird (so named because she's not a bloke, presumably) brings her posh instrument to the pop world with this debut EP. And. It. Is. Lovely. All the best bits from those bands you're embarrassed to admit that you like (Texas, The Corrs, Alishaís Attic, Lisa Loeb) plus an underlying REM sensibility adorn 'Stalker', and if 'Behind Closed Eyes' doesn't make you cry then you must see a doctor immediately and tell him/her that you have no soul. We like. DR
Release date: 2 Dec
Press contact: Ian Cheek [CP, RP, NP] Ice Cream IH @ Tel:01992 635476 [CR, RR, NR]
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SMASHING CORGAN'S NEW BAND GETS DEAL
Former Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan has signed a record deal in the US with his new band Zwan. The band has signed up with Reprise Records and hopes to have an album out as early as next year. Meantime the band is due to play a series of gigs in the US organised by local radio stations in Boston (11 Dec), New York (12 Dec), Washington (13 Dec), Philadelphia (15 Dec) and Detroit (17 Dec).
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BROS BOY PLANS SOLO RETURN
Rumour has it former Bros boy is planning a comeback. Word is he's quietly confident about his forthcoming solo album 'Face The Wind' which includes songwriting collaborations with Tomy Simms (of Eric Clapton's 'Change the World'), Itaal Shure (of Carlos Santana's 'Smooth'), and mega-producers Tim and Bob (of Sisqo's 'Thong Song'). It's been over twelve years since Bros stormed the charts with a hugely successful (if short) pop career that enabled them to fill Wembley Arena for ten consecutive dates. Talking about the following decade Goss told reporters: "I spent my time setting up a great recording studio, completing contractual commitments under my publishing deal with Warner Chappell, painting, and focusing on my future as a businessman in the industry." Goss did have some public exposure a couple of years back when he wrote and performed 'Lucky Day' for the movie 'Stuart Little'.
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THE BEST DRUG SONGS EVER
With everyone compiling best songs of all time polls to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the singles chart, MOJO has put together a list of the greatest drugs song of all time. The Jefferson Airplane track 'White Rabbit', memorably used during a dope-smoking scene in the movie 'Platoon', has been voted greatest drug track by the music experts who voted. Also in the list is the Beatles' LSD inspired 'Tomorrow Never Knows', Oasis' Morning Glory and Lennon's 'Cold Turkey', inspired by his own method of kicking heroin. Neil Young's anti-drugs track 'The Needle And The Damage Done', inspired by his guitarist Danny Whitten's heroin problems, also made the Top 100.
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Answer to Thursday's pop quiz:
Since 1990 only three British acts have managed to simultaneously hit the top of the album charts in both the US and the UK. Which bands and which albums?
Pink Floyd with ‘The Division Bell’ in 1994, Prodigy with ‘The Fat Of The Land’ in 1997 and Radiohead with ‘Kid A’ in 2000.