A round up of music and music business events happening in the next seven days...

Final Competition Commission ruling on AEG/Wembley Arena. The Competition Commission provisionally approved AEG's management of Wembley Arena last month, and is expected to issue its final ruling by this Thursday. Some of AEG's competitors said the live music major shouldn't be allowed to take on the management of the Wembley Arena as well as operating the O2 Arena in Greenwich, though the Commission isn't likely to agree.

BRITs Icon Award. Because there can never, ever be enough awards in the music industry, the new BRITs Icon Award is launching this week. It'll be handed over to Elton John at a ceremony this very evening. He'll then play a few songs from his new album, 'The Diving Board', which (entirely coincidentally) is out this month.

AIM Awards. As I was saying, there aren't enough awards knocking about the place these days. So, it's quite something that there's going to be another ceremony this week. Though this one doesn't seem to be mainly about selling an old-time pop star's new record. AIM's Independent Music Awards will take place again on Tuesday night, with trophies handed out to the very finest people in the independent music world.

BPI AGM. No awards here, though reps from the Featured Artists Coalition and Spotify will give speeches, which you can pretend are award acceptances, if you like. It all takes place on Wednesday.

Bestival. Well, with your diary for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday covered by the above get togethers, on Thursday it'll be time to head over to the Isle Of Wight for Bestival. Not sure if there'll be any awards or speeches there, but the festival will have a nautical theme. And that's a bit like a prize, isn't it?

Clash pop-up shop. For those of you not heading to Bestival, but who are within easy reach of central London, you could head over to The Clash's pop-up shop on Carnaby Street. It opens on Saturday, and will remain for two weeks before disappearing into the night like a lost badger.

New releases. Hey you, why not album yourself silly this week with new releases from Nine Inch Nails, Rizzle Kicks, Volcano Choir, Babyshambles, King Khan, Chelsea Wolfe, Jonathan Rado, Neko Case, Twenty One Pilots and Jackson And His Computer Band?

Gigs and tours. If you have any time in between awards, AGMs, festivals and listening to all of those albums listed above, you could also go and see Björk, Selena Gomez, Paramore, Leonard Cohen, Jimmy Eat World, The Dream, John Parish, Babyshambles, Foxes, Superfood and Manuel Göttsching live. Phew, tiring week.

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DAY THREE OF NEW YORK EDM FESTIVAL CANCELLED AFTER DRUG DEATHS
The third day of New York dance festival Electric Zoo was cancelled yesterday after two deaths during the first 48 hours of the fifth edition of the annual event. It is thought the two deaths and four other festival-goers becoming critically ill was all drugs related.

The New York authorities seemingly moved to shut down the third day of the event, due to include sets by the likes of Armin van Buuren, Diplo and Chase & Status, after the two fatalities were confirmed.

A statement issued by the New York City Mayor's office said: "During the first two days of the Electric Zoo music festival, two concert-goers have died and at least four others became critically ill and have been placed in intensive care at area hospitals. Definitive causes of death have not yet been determined, however, both appear to have involved the drug MDMA (ecstasy or molly)".

The event's promoter, Made Event, said that it made the decision to cancel day three of its festival with city officials. In an online statement that has temporarily replaced the Electric Zoo website, the promoter said: "The founders of Electric Zoo send our deepest condolences to the families of the two people who passed away this weekend. Because there is nothing more important to us than our patrons, we have decided in consultation with the New York City Parks Department that there will be no show today".

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HOOKY WANTS JOY DIVISION BIN TAPES
Peter Hook has said he'd quite like to acquire those 'lost' Joy Division/New Order tapes (not least the original 'Unknown Pleasures' masters) which Julia Adamson, assistant to late Factory Records icon Martin Hannett, saved from a bin last month.

Denying Adamson's claim that she'd tried to give the tapes back to Hook and his one-time Joy Division bandmates to no avail, Hooky has told Pitchfork he's now in negotiations with her to lay hands on the tapes, which he thinks got misplaced when Factory Records dissolved in 1992.

His plan, he adds in the Pitchfork chat, is to make an ultimate compilation of alternate Joy Division mixes and outtakes. Though that's a plan that would hinge on the approval of the rest of New Order, and given he's still in a trademark dispute with them just now, that might be tricky in the short term.

Says Hook: "The problem at the moment is that [I'm] at loggerheads with New Order - I'm contesting their right to the trademark - so everything to do with Joy Division is stopped whilst that is sorted out".

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DOTCOM HITS OUT AS POLICE DECIDE NOT TO PROSECUTE NEW ZEALAND AGENCY OVER ILLEGAL MEGA SPYING
MegaUpload founder Kim Dotcom has hit out at New Zealand police after they decided not to prosecute the country's Government Communications Security Bureau despite evidence the government agency breached the Crimes Act while spying on him and his company.

As previously reported, just under a year ago New Zealand Prime Minister John Key admitted that the GCSB "acted unlawfully" in the way it gathered communications between former MegaUpload execs before the country's authorities, in partnership with US officials, raided the homes of four Mega bosses, including Dotcom. The PM ordered an investigation, while New Zealand's Green Party reported the GCSB to the police.

Having investigated the claims, the police have now issued a report confirming that they found GCSB staff had indeed illegally intercepted an unspecified communication from Dotcom in breach of the Crimes Act. However, the police have said they will not prosecute because there was no proof the breach had been deliberate.

Needless to say Dotcom was not impressed, tweeting: "One law for them, another for us. Where was my 'criminal intent' when some MegaUpload users shared copyright infringing material? Scandal". Meanwhile he told TVNZ: "This decision smells like conflict of interest and cover up. I didn't expect anything but a whitewash. It's the police investigating the police".

Dotcom's key lawyer, Ira Rothken, said the decision made civil action being taken by the Mega founder against the GCSB all the more important. Dotcom was given the OK to sue the government agency over the illegal spying back in March, and Rothken said this weekend: "Police not prosecuting GCSB but finding they acted illegally makes the Kim Dotcom civil case more important to hold the GCSB responsible".

Elsewhere in Dotcom news, the Mega chief has stepped up his war of words with Prime Minister Key, who Dotcom accuses of bowing to pressure from Hollywood in allowing the New Zealand authorities to collaborate with the US on its criminal action against MegaUpload. Now Dotcom plans to launch his own political organisation in the country and compete with Key's party in next year's elections.

Dotcom says the new political group will launch next January, two years to the day after the US-led shutdown of MegaUpload (and a year after the launch of its replacement Mega). Responding to the news, Key told TV3: "It's like everything we see from the guy, he's got some very good PR people, we'll see how it goes". To which Dotcom tweeted: "I don't have PR people. I'm just good at being myself. Try that Mr Key".

Fun times.

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CANADIAN UNIVERSITY CANCELS SEAN KINGSTON GIG OVER SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWSUIT
A Canadian university has cancelled a planned Sean Kingston gig after the pop-reggae performer settled a lawsuit with a 22 year old woman over allegations of rape.

The plaintiff sued Kingston and two of his entourage alleging that the three men sexually assaulted her at a hotel in Seattle in June 2010, after the singer had played a support slot at a Justin Bieber concert.

Kingston admits having sex with the then teenager, but insists it was consensual. But the litigant claimed she smoked marijuana and downed over seven shots of vodka during the evening and was therefore incapable of consenting to the sexual activities that followed.

A criminal investigation did occur after the alleged assault, but charges were subsequently dropped. Sources close to Kingston say the singer was confident he would likewise fight off the allegations in the civil courts, but chose to settle, without accepting guilt, because he didn't want the legal battle to distract from his upcoming tour and release schedule.

One such source told TMZ: "[The claimant's] story wasn't consistent. She told various stories throughout her interviews with police. Her friend's story wasn't consistent with hers. The medical report had no indications of force". It is thought the lawsuit will now be formally dismissed, though it remains to be seen if any statement is made regarding liability.

Nevertheless, news of the lawsuit convinced management and the Students' Council at Western University in Ontario that it would be inappropriate to host a Sean Kingston concert as part of the college's Orientation Week festivities.

A statement from the university said: "Neither Western nor the University Students' Council is taking a position on whether Kingston committed the offence, but it was felt that while the case is before the courts, proceeding with the concert would undermine the university and the USC's efforts to educate students that Western has zero tolerance for sexual assault".

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BAY CITY ROLLERS LOSE APPEAL OVER ROYALTIES
Three former members of the Bay City Rollers have failed, for a second time, to have themselves added to a lawsuit being pursued by other former Rollers against Arista Records, now part of Sony Music's RCA.

In a complicated case, the band's original vocalist, Gordon Clark, along with two other ex-Rollers, Ian Mitchell and Pat McGlynn, sued six other members of the band in a bid to be included in their separate case against Arista over unpaid royalties. The original lawsuit launched by Eric Faulkner, Duncan Faure, Alan Longmuir, Derek Longmuir, Leslie McKeown and Stuart Wood against the major label is still working its way through the courts, very slowly.

Clark, Mitchell and McGlynn were not included in that lawsuit, but feel they should have been. And so, they sued both the other band members and Arista, claiming anticipatory breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

At first instance they lost on both counts. But the claimants felt that first time round the judge hearing the case made an error regards the unjust enrichment claim, and took that element of the case to the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals. But last week the appeals court backed the lower court's ruling.

The Hollywood Reporter reports that the judge overseeing the appeal wrote in his judgement: "A claim for unjust enrichment must be based on the value of plaintiffs' contribution to the joint effort of the band at the time it made the relevant records, not on the income stream resulting from a revival over thirty years later. That contribution and the failure of the defendants to pay for the value of the effort occurred well over six years ago and is barred by the statute of limitations".

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JACK WHITE REACTIVATES THE DEAD WEATHER
That band Jack White is in with his co-Raconteurs Jack Lawrence and Dean Fertita, and The Kills' Alison Mosshart, aka The Dead Weather, are making a new LP.

"The Dead Weather working on new songs in the studio yesterday", tweeted a rep at White's label Third Man re the new disc, the sequel to 2010's 'Sea Of Cowards'.

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CELINE DION TALKS 'GOOD TIME' LP
Be aware, Celine Dion fans, your idol is having a kind pop renaissance, the pinnacle of which will be the new LP, 'Love Me Back', she's releasing on 4 Nov. Her first English-speaking player since 2007's 'Taking Chances', it'll feature co-writes by Ne-Yo, Babyface, Tricky Stewart, and Swedish hits team Play Production.

Celine's Sia-created new single 'Loved Me Back To Life', meanwhile, will be available digitally this week, if it isn't already. In the interim, here's its teaser trailer.

Vociferating via Billboard, Dion says: "I'm not trying to reinvent myself, I don't want people to think 'this is a brand new Celine', but I am at a place in my career where I'm 45, I'm at the peak of my life, and I've never felt like this before. I want to have a good time".

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TO BE FRANK ANNOUNCES NEW EP
To Be Frank has announced that he will release a new EP, entitled 'Half The Man', on 4 Nov. Following a series of festival appearances, most recently at Reading and Leeds, Frank will be in London to support Deptford Goth at Union Chapel on 27 Sep.

Said Frank: "The response to the new material this summer has been amazing so I'm really excited about getting this next record out there".

And here's a track, the EP's title track at that, which has already got 'out there'.

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FACTORY FLOOR, EAST INDIA YOUTH TO PLAY QUIETUS' FIVE YEARS PARTY
The Quietus has unveiled the line-up for the 'Five Years' party it's throwing itself on 6 Sep.

Based at London's Corsica Studios, the event will feature East India Youth, Factory Floor, Grumbling Fur Soundsystem, Teeth Of The Sea and Perc all playing live, and a DJ set by editor John Doran.

Tickets are available here, whilst tQ intros to all the acts are listed here.

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SUMMER CAMP ADD WINTER DATES
'Fresh' hitmakers Summer Camp have added extra dates to their winter listings. Each acting as a chance to pitch the pair's eponymous new LP, which is released next week, the dates start and end as listed:

17 Nov: Cambridge, Portland Arms
18 Nov: Manchester, Deaf Institute
19 Nov: Newcastle, Think Tank
20 Nov: Glasgow, Broadcast
22 Nov: Leeds, Belgravia
23 Nov: Bristol, Exchange
24 Nov: Birmingham, Hare and Hounds
25 Nov: Brighton, The Haunt
27 Nov: London, Heaven

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PM MAY BE ABOUT TO KICK-START DEA THREE-STRIKES
David Cameron is expected to discuss finally getting round to implementing the three-strikes element of the 2010 Digital Economy Act at a breakfast meeting for music industry execs this week, according to the Sunday Times.

As much previously reported, the copyright section of the DEA, passed by parliament at the very end of the last Labour government, included the basics of a three-strikes, or graduated response, system for combating online piracy. Under the law, in theory internet service providers are obliged to send out warning letters to customers the music and movie industries reckon are accessing illegal sources of content.

However, the letter-sending is yet to occur amidst legal challenges by some key ISPs, and much debate over how the procedure should work and who should pay for it. It's thought those net firms who object to the initiative are also now raising data-protection concerns about the database that would track repeat copyright infringers (especially those who switch ISPs and repeat offend).

Despite numerous delays on the three-strikes front - much to the annoyance of the music and movie industry bodies that championed the DEA in 2010 - it is thought that if Cameron puts the initiative high up on his personal agenda, the various bodies involved in three-strikes - including the government's culture and business departments, and media regulator OfCom - could be persuaded to finally get going with the plan.

Though, as previously reported, there is the danger that the fight against piracy might get bundled with Cameron's efforts to have content filtering turned on by default by net firms. Which would do little for the credibility of copyright enforcement.

The PM's admirable ambition to protect young web-surfers from adult content through technological solutions has been widely dismissed by many in the tech industry as unachievable. And indeed when we tried out the Talk Talk auto-filters bigged up by Cameron we were suddenly unable to click on links in our own tweets, access our own Facebook profile, or login to a Wordpress content management system.

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NEW SEASON OF CMU INSIGHTS COURSES ANNOUNCED
A new season of CMU Insights training courses has just been announced for the autumn, with five courses providing valuable insights into the modern music business.

The five half-day courses now booking provide a complete overview of the music industry in 2013, more detailed overviews of copyright and licensing, and the music rights business, plus a session on promoting music through media and social media, and one on the way artist deals and investment is changing, and the increased importance of direct to fan.

CMU Business Editor Chris Cooke says: "Our training courses are constantly evolving as the industry changes, and in response to feedback from our trainees. These five sessions provide a brilliant overview of where the industry is at in 2013, how artists are structuring their business partnerships, and how artists and their business partners can build, engage and sell to a fanbase, and how music rights work".

Places on all five courses can be booked now for just £99 each (including booking fee and VAT) via www.cmuinsights.com. Or to book a place on all five sessions at the special price of £399 email insights@unlimitedmedia.co.uk.

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HMV APPOINTS NEW MARKETING BOSS
HMV has appointed a new marketing boss in the form of Patrizia Leighton, who previously worked for the Warner Home Entertainment Group. Although coming to the role from more of a movie-industry background, Leighton previously worked at the Virgin Megastores, so has experience of the wider world of entertainment retail.

She is one of number of senior hires made by HMV since it was acquired by Hilco back in April, many of the flagging retailer's former senior managers having departed during the firm's administration. Recent appointments include new customer loyalty chief Dan Truscott and top digital man James Coughlan.

That top team will oversee a relaunch of the HMV chain as it prepares for its first all important Christmas quarter since being reborn under Hilco's ownership.

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VEVO TO LAUNCH IN GERMANY WITHOUT YOUTUBE AS IT SECURES GEMA DEAL
Music video website Vevo will be able to test just how able it is to exist without its launch partner YouTube when it arrives in Germany later this year; because - for tedious legal reasons - it will launch in the country without the Google-owned video platform as a route to market.

In Germany YouTube has had a long battle with the country's publishing sector collecting society GEMA, which claims the Google-owned video site doesn't offer a fair royalty arrangement to publishers and songwriters. As a result the music video element of YouTube has been hugely limited in the region.

Vevo, of course, is co-owned by the Universal and Sony music companies (with some other investors, including Google), and now makes its library of music videos and other content available via various platforms and apps, though is still probably best known as a massive YouTube channel, the Google-owned video-sharing site being its original home.

This means that many people still mainly stumble across Vevo content via the YouTube home page or search box, rather than visiting any of the digital music firm's proprietary platforms. But the music video company has been busy expanding and promoting its other channels to become less reliant on YouTube, even though it did recently renew its partnership with the Google company.

In Germany the Google/GEMA stand-off has prevented Vevo from utilising the YouTube channel. But, according to the Financial Times, the Vevo company - which generally pays out higher royalties than YouTube itself - has done a deal directly with GEMA, and will launch in Germany via its own website and apps.

Vevo's Senior VP International Nic Jones told the FT: "This is a very different launch from the ones we've done before". If a success, the German launch may well give Vevo more confidence in going it alone in other territories, though obviously the limited supply of music videos on YouTube in the country will help; in many other markets YouTube has become the default destination for music videos (and, for many, just music).

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FESTIVALS DON'T STAND FOR ANYTHING ANYMORE, COMPLAINS ALEX JAMES
Occasional Blur man Alex James has said that festivals are now too many, too safe and too without purpose.

James told The Daily Star: "When Blur started there were only two festivals - Glastonbury and Reading. They were part of a threatening counter-culture, and my mum looked really concerned when I first told her Blur were playing at Glastonbury. But now festivals are the acceptable face of gap year culture. There are too many of them, and a lot of them don't stand for anything".

He made the claims in the run up to Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival, which the Blur bassist hosts on his farm. But before you say he's just called himself out, stop there! Because you are wrong. You see, his festival doesn't fall into the 'safe and pointless' category.

"Music, food and family are the things I care most about, and that's what The Big Feastival stands for", he said. "Despite having Basement Jaxx and massive chefs I guarantee the biggest thing will be the giant haystack we have for the kids to play in. You can't really advertise a giant haystack on the festival posters but all the kids pile into it. I lost three of mine in it for the whole weekend last year".

See? DANGEROUS and PURPOSEFUL. As this classic picture from the raucous 2011 edition of the event will attest.

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