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HMV SELLS WATERSTONES
HMV has sold Waterstones to an investment fund controlled by everyone's favourite Russian dude Alexander Mamut (what do you mean you prefer Len Blavatnik?). A&NN Capital Fund Management will pay £53 million for the book chain, £40 million on deal completion and £13 million in the autumn, which is a whole ten million more than previously rumoured. Good job, Simon.

The HMV Group put Waterstones up for sale in March, of course, as it attempted to reduce its debts after slumping sales at the HMV stores meant the retail and entertainment company couldn't meet the covenants on its £130 million plus bank loans. We've known for some time that Mamut, a minority shareholder in the wider HMV Group, has been interested in the firm's books chain, and he was always a favourite to buy Waterstones once it was up for sale, though there were other bidders too.

In a statement the company said the sale, which should be finalised next month, represented an "important step towards strengthening the capital structure of the remaining HMV Group", adding that the firm's management had concluded that a disposal of Waterstones was "the most timely and effective way" to enable a refinancing of the group's debts.

HMV CEO Simon Fox added: "We expect this deal to enable the Group to achieve a reduction in the group's borrowing requirements, and, in turn, focus on plans for transforming the HMV Group into a broad-based entertainment business".

Confirming the deal from his side, Mamut told reporters: "We are extremely pleased to have reached an agreement to acquire Waterstones and its great heritage. I believe that our investment and strategy will secure a dynamic future for the UK's largest bookshop chain and I look forward to working with its booksellers in building on the principle of excellent bookselling, which is at the very heart of the business".

Most of HMV's debts were run up diversifying the company's operations into digital, live music and artist management by acquiring the MAMA Group and a stake in 7Digital. Fox had hoped to achieve that diversification while holding on to all of the existing HMV retail business, but with hardships across the board on the high street it was perhaps inevitable the retail side of the company would have to be cut back to fund the new ventures.

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TEENAGER GIVES EVIDENCE IN BASSHUNTER SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE
A teenager from Kirkcaldy has given evidence as the previously reported sexual assault case against Basshunter, aka Swedish producer Jonas Altberg, came to trial.

The producer is accused of assaulting two female fans at Kitty's nightclub in Kirkcaldy where he was performing last December. He appeared in court last January to enter a not-guilty plea, when the date for the full trial was set for this month.

According to The Daily Record, the nineteen year old girl told the court that she and her cousin had queued up to have their photos taken with Altberg following his performance. When they met him, she said he made a crude sexual remark to her cousin, which had "surprised" them, but they had "tried to laugh it off".

She continued: "He grabbed our heads and pushed them both towards crotch level. As we got back up there were flashes going off, but I don't know if there were any other photos taken. We went to leave the VIP area but [my cousin] was pulled back. She was held round the waist and bent over, and her dress was lifted. Her dress normally sat just above the knee, and it was lifted to around waist level. She was wearing a thong underneath. He pulled up her thong, exposing her bottom from behind, and then skelped her on the right hand side of her bum".

She described Altberg as being "drunk and hyper", and said that he'd acted similarly towards other women waiting to meet him. She added: "The other girls seemed fine with it, but I didn't know them so it wasn't for me to judge their reaction".

The woman admitted that though she was "shocked and embarrassed" by the incident, she and her cousin did not immediately go to the police, only doing so the next day, after her cousin had contacted a newspaper.

Noting the girls had gone to the papers before the police, Altberg's lawyer, Ian Duguid QC, argued that "the obvious implication is that she [made the claims because she] would get some publicity from it". But the woman countered by arguing she and her cousin simply "didn't know who to turn to".

The case continues.

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IVOR NOVELLO AWARDS DISHED OUT IN LONDON
Songwriters descended on Grosvenor House in London yesterday lunchtime to pick up awards for their talents. Plan B was the big winner, picking up Songwriter Of The Year, Best Album and the PRS For Music Most Performed Work Award for 'She Said'. Villagers won the coveted Best Song Musically And Lyrically Award, while Dizzee Rascal received the Inspiration Award.

Speaking to the BBC, Plan B said that he had never expected 'She Said' to be successful, saying: "I thought it was a good song. I thought it was a cool song. But the more I heard it, the more I disliked it".

So, that's a nice positive way to end this. Here are all the winners:

Best Song Musically And Lyrically: Villagers - Becoming A Jackal (Conor O'Brien)

Best Contemporary Song: Tinie Tempah - Pass Out (Timothy McKenzie, Patrick Okogwu, Marc Williams)

Album Award: Plan B - The Defamation Of Strickland Banks (Benjamin Drew)

PRS For Music Most Performed Work: Plan B - She Said (Eric Appapoulay, Richard Cassell, Benjamin Drew, Tom Wright-Goss)

Best Television Soundtrack: Any Human Heart (Dan Jones)

Best Original Film Score: How To Train Your Dragon (John Powell)

Best Original Video Game Score: Napoleon: Total War (Richard Beddow, Richard Birdsall, Ian Livingstone)

International Achievement: Muse

Outstanding Song Collection: Steve Winwood

PRS For Music Outstanding Contribution To British Music: Paul Rodgers

PRS For Music Special International Award: Stephen Sondheim

Songwriter Of The Year: Benjamin Drew

The Ivors Classical Music Award: Michael Nyman

The Ivors Inspiration Award: Dizzee Rascal

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LADY GAGA OUSTS OPRAH WINFREY AS FORBES' MOST POWERFUL CELEB
In April last year, Lady Gaga topped Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential artists, and now she's done the same in Forbes' list of the 100 most powerful celebrities. So, I guess that proves it. We can all go home now.

Forbes works out the rankings for its celeb power list based on how much money people have in the bank, their media exposure, and their social media profile. Although not the leader in the money or traditional media categories, Gaga's dominance in social media and on the web in general pushed her up to the top.

The top ten looks like this:

1 Lady Gaga
2 Oprah Winfrey
3 Justin Bieber
4 U2
5 Elton John
6 Tiger Woods
7 Taylor Swift
8 Bon Jovi
9 Simon Cowell
10 LeBron James

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EAST 17 TO PERFORM WITHOUT BRIAN HARVEY
East 17's Tony Mortimer, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell have announced that they will head out on tour without Brian Harvey, who seems unable to commit to the band. He probably ate too many baked potatoes, or something. They last regrouped in 2006, but a subsequent tour was then called off.

Explaining why they were now going ahead with some activity sans Harvey, the group posted this statement on their Facebook page: "Friends! Time to set the record straight, as you have all been asking! East 17 were ready to get back out there, Brian didn't turn up to rehearsals [or the] studio and was cancelling gigs before we even had a chance to do them! Brian was destroying any chance for success again as a band so we had to make a decision, not only for us but for you: 'The Fans'!"

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TAKE THAT ANNOUNCE EXPANDED ALBUM RELEASE
Take That have announced that they are to re-release their latest album, 'Progress', with an bonus disc featuring eight new tracks. So, that's nice for the millions of fans who already bought the CD once. I suppose in these online times it matters less when such cynical re-releases come out, as presumably fans can just download the new tracks. Still, a lot of Take That fans prefer CDs.

According to The Sun, the new tracks will include latest single, 'Love Love', and will feature a lot more lead vocal from Gary, who only fronted the band on one song on the original album.

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PETE TOWNSHEND TO PUBLISH AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN 2012
"What ever happened to Pete Townshend's autobiography?" is a question people generally ask when they remember that the Who guitarist's excuse for looking at child porn online back in 2003 was that he was researching a book about his life. At the time he said he believed he had been sexually abused between the ages of five and six and half.

Well, the book is now set to be published by Harper Collins next year. On it Townshend says: "[This is] not a vanity for me. It is an essential rite of passage. Rock n roll is a tough career, however cynically or comically it is portrayed by its detractors. I am lucky to be alive and to have such a crazy story to tell, full of wild adventures and creative machinations. I am happy that I am able to write my book myself, in my own 'voice'".

Despite being a long time in development, it seems much of the book is still to be written. Looking ahead to that, Townshend adds: "I am not my favourite subject. So the year ahead spent writing will also trigger the last vital bit of 'growing up' required by the now pensionable fellow who once wrote 'I hope I die before I get old'. I want to write a book that is enjoyable to read, but above all, I want it to be honest".

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KATY PERRY'S MOTHER WRITING BOOK
Katy Perry's mother Mary Hudson is writing a book in which she will reveal some of her feelings towards her daughter's career. Mary and Perry's father Keith Hudson are Christian evangelists, and the singer's songs and stage act have long been a contentious issue in the family.

In the book, Mary writes of seeing her daughter back stage at a show: "Katy stepped out from behind the changing doors in a tiny risqué costume. No mother wants to see the top of her daughter's boobs..."

She adds that the performance itself was a strange experience: "I recognised the psalmist gift in her performance. Yet she sang out: 'I kissed a girl, and I liked it', while thousands joined her. One part of my heart soared... the other part broke for the thousands of hungry souls being fed something that didn't nourish their spirit, but fed their flesh".

However, speaking to Star magazine, Hudson stressed the book is not focused on her relationship with her daughter, saying: "I'm writing a Christian faith book, not some kind of tell all book about my daughter". Though the tell all bits that are there will presumably help shift a few copies.

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EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY ANNOUNCE NEW LONGON SHOW
Having performed at London's Roundhouse last night, Explosions In The Sky have announced that they will be back in the UK for another one-off London show next year.

The band will play Brixton Academy on 27 Jan. Tickets are available now.

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CLOUD CONTROL ANNOUNCE LONDON RESIDENCY
Australian band Cloud Control, who release their debut album 'Bliss Release' on Monday, have announced that they will play four nights in London's Social venue with a variety of promoters and support acts.

Dates:

14 Jun: My Band's Better Than Your Band & Cloud Control present Cloud Control, Cymbals and very special guests
21 Jun: Communion & Cloud Control present Cloud Control, Big Deal and Daughter
28 Jun: Gold Dust & Cloud Control present Cloud Control, Alpines and Kites
6 Jul: RockFeedback & Cloud Control present Cloud Control, Dry The River and Monument Valley

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FESTIVAL LINE-UP UPDATE

THE BIG FEASTIVAL, Clapham Common, London, 1-3 Jul: Partaking in the feastivities at this inaugural charitable event are the likes of Saint Saviour, Trophy Wife and Guilty Pleasures, who join a list of prior confirmations that features such luminaries as The Charlatans, Mystery Jets, Soul II Soul, New Young Pony Club and Roots Manuva. www.thebigfeastival.co.uk

EXIT, Novi Sad, Serbia, 7-10 Jul: Organisers have enhanced the Exit roster with the late additions of Seth Troxler, Damian Lazarus, The Hacker and Digital Soundboy Soundsystem, who take their places on a bill headed up by Arcade Fire, Pulp, Portishead, Grinderman and Jamiroquai. www.eng.exitfest.org

LATITUDE, Henham Park Estate, Suffolk, 14-17 Jul: The announcements keep on coming for this year's Latitude festival, with Dutch Uncles, Cocknbullkid and Dry The River fresh on the bill. Tipped Big Dada rapper Dels, art-punks Mazes and Brooklyn band Cerebral Ballzy are also new to proceedings, joining headlining trio Paolo Nutini, The National and Suede. www.latitudefestival.co.uk

POSITIVUS, Salacgriva, Latvia, 15-16 Jul: A raft of names featuring Mark Ronson, Royksopp, Glasser, Pulled Apart By Horses, Frankie & The Heartstrings and Austra join the positively brilliant Positivus bill, which is topped off by such previously-confirmed bookings as Beach House, Editors, Hurts, James and Chapel Club. www.positivusfestival.com

ROCK FOR PEOPLE, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, 2-5 Jun: A host of hard rock talent including My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Bullet For My Valentine features on the line-up for this hidden gem of a Euro-fest, with acts including Pendulum, Kele, Digitalism, White Lies, The Streets and Sum 41 also set to put in performances. www.expats.cz/rockforpeople

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EUROSONIC TO FOCUS ON IRELAND
With Ireland having been the featured country at last week's Great Escape, the focus on Irish artists is set to continue at Eurosonic Noorderslag next January, organisers have announced.

Confirming that Ireland would be the event's featured country in 2012, Eurosonic Creative Director Peter Smidt told CMU: "Ireland has a long and strong music tradition and has been influential to modern rock, punk and pop music. Ireland and RTE 2fm, in particular, have brought many great artists to Eurosonic Noorderslag from the start. Lots of Irish artists are making great music and are very successful worldwide. Enough reasons to put the focus on Ireland in 2012 at Eurosonic Noorderslag".

Eurosonic 2012 will run from 11-14 Jan, more at www.eurosonic-noorderslag.nl

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BEST BUY TO GIVE AWAY GAGA
Best Buy has announced a deal with Universal's Interscope which will mean that anyone who buys a mobile phone from the US retailer next week will get a free copy of Lady Gaga's new album 'Born This Way', whether they want it or not.

In fact, extra security guards are being shipped in to ensure that no mobile phone buyer leaves the store without a copy of the new record on their person, while a special chip in the phone will monitor whether the album is played once the shopper is at home; any customer who does not listen to it in its entirety at least twice will be given an electric shock every time they use their mobile.

Best Buy clearly means business here, and unlike some of Gaga's other recent brand partners, it's not only the gays they're after. Though anti-capitalists in the online community have pointed out that Best Buy customers could probably circumvent the system by putting Madonna's 'Like A Prayer' album on their stereos, it seems very unlikely even Best Buy's technical whizzkids could develop a chip that could tell the difference.

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EXECUTIVE CHANGES AT UNIVERSAL
Universal Music is expected to announce in the next week that Syliva Rhone is stepping down as CEO of their US-based Universal Motown division. It's an announcement that has been pretty much expected ever since former Sony exec Barry Weiss was shipped in as CEO for both Island Def Jam and the Universal Motown Republic Group, putting an extra level of management in above Rhone.

It was widely believed Rhone would leave Universal altogether, though Billboard is now reporting rumours that she will stay with the company to head up a new multi-rights division that will work with artists on multi-revenue-stream projects, and therefore have label, publishing, merchandising, management and touring operations.

In related news, Ron Fair, Chairman of Universal's Geffen division, is definitely leaving Universal, seemingly to work on 'American Idol' fulltime.

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EMUSIC SIGNS UP EMI
eMusic, one of the oldest digital music services, now has deals in place with all four majors, having agreed a licensing arrangement with EMI.

eMusic, of course, was very much an independent music service in its early days, though mainly because the majors didn't like the fact it sold DRM-free MP3s and had a one-price-fits-all bundled music approach. However, once the majors learned to live without DRM, Sony and then Warner signed up, and last year Universal followed suit, but only after eMusic agreed to change various things about the way its bundled-download subscription system worked. Changes which led to several key indies quitting the service.

Confirming his business now had deals in place with all four major music companies, eMusic CEO Adam Klein told reporters: "Whether it's indie rock, jazz or classics, the majors distribute a huge amount of that music, so you can't be a comprehensive site in those genres unless you have them".

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NAPSTER LAUNCHES SMARTPHONE APP
Long standing digital music platform Napster has finally caught up with newer rivals Spotify and We7 by launching a mobile app that enables users to access their music streams, playlists and other services via a smartphone.

Of course, ironically the mobile apps used by Spotify, We7 and now Napster actually use a DRMed download system, to reduce bandwidth drain and enable offline listening, which is very similar to the original legit Napster download service, which only worked on Microsoft-powered digital music players. Everyone hated the DRM back then, now nobody notices it.

As with Spotify, using the Napster service on your mobile will increase the monthly subscription cost from five pounds to a tenner.

Announcing the new service, Napster's Thorsten Schliesche told reporters: "Napster strives to offer music lovers the opportunity to listen to music without barriers and with complete freedom, empowering users to take the music they love and discover on the move and access via multiple platforms. Napster Unlimited plus Mobile is the culmination of listening to our members' feedback and providing what they have asked us for". Who knew Napster still had members?

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RADIO 2 TO PUT OFF-PEAK INTO DAYTIME, FOR ONE DAY ONLY
Radio 2 is following Radio 1's lead and staging a special day (OK, R1 did a week) to promote its specialist show output during daytime. On 22 Jun the BBC station will broadcast twelve one hour shows, each presented by two of the network's off-peak DJs.

Says Radio 2 Controller Bob Shennan: "We know Radio 2 listeners love its breadth, depth and variety of fantastic content but listening habits mean they tend to tune in at the same times every day so they're only exposed to a small amount of what Radio 2 has to offer. 2DAY will hopefully introduce listeners to shows and presenters they haven't heard before, as well as giving them a different Radio 2 for one day".

In case you're interested, here is the line up:

7-8am: Jamie Cullum and Simon Mayo
8-9am: Claudia Winkleman and Jo Whiley
9-10am: Jeremy Vine and Dermot O'Leary
10-11am: Live from Maida Vale with Janice Long, Mike Harding and Bob Harris
11am-12pm: Johnnie Walker and Brian Matthew's Battle Of The Decades
12-1pm: Rock and Roll Back the Years with Chris Evans and Zoe Ball
1-2pm: Richard Allinson unveils Moments 2 Remember
2-3pm: Michael Ball and David Jacobs
3-4pm: Ken Bruce and Bob Harris
4-5pm: Tony Blackburn and Trevor Nelson
5-6pm: Comedy Hour presented by Steve Wright
6-7pm: Jools Holland and the Radio 2 All Star Band with Terry Wogan

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ASHBA INSISTS NEW GNR ALBUM IS COMING
Guns N Roses guitarist DJ Ashba has once again been insisting that the band are going to release another album sooner rather than later. We're not so confident. See what you think.

Ashba told Australian radio station Triple M: "Axl has a lot of great songs up his sleeve. He probably has three albums worth of stuff recorded. The stuff I've heard... I've been up in his hotel room many nights and he just sits down at the piano and plays. I'm like: 'This is amazing, people have to hear this song', and he's like 'Ah, this is something I'm tinkering on'".

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HE DIDN'T, HE DID, AND HE WOULDN'T BUT DOESN'T CARE IF YOU DO
REM bloke Michael Stipe never had sex with Kurt Cobain, despite what some gossipers have said over the years. He's told the New York Post: "Let's set the record straight... Kurt was a really sweet man, and we never had sex. Alright? There's your exclusive".

Aerosmith frontman and 'American Idol's resident muppet Steven Tyler did once have gay sex, but it wasn't with Michael Stipe or Kurt Cobain, and he didn't especially enjoy it. He apparently writes in his new autobiography 'Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?': "Gay sex just doesn't do it for me. I tried it one time when I was younger, but I just didn't dig it".

And finally right wing American rocker Ted Nugent has told Piers Morgan he is "repulsed" by the idea of two men having sex, but that he's not homophonic and wouldn't be bothered if he discovered his own son was gay. He told Piers: "I'm repulsed at the concept of man-on-man sex, I think it's against nature. I think it's strange as hell, but if that's what you are, I love ya... I'm not going to judge another's morals. I say live and let live. I have friends that are gay. If you're gay, have a nice day. I couldn't give a rats ass".

And here ends this edition of CMU Gay Sex News.

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