CMU
Daily - on the inside Wednesday 13th June
In today's CMU Daily:
- Early bird tickets for T In The Park 2006 sell out in hours
- Lauryn Hill disses Fugees
- Danny Rampling retiring from DJing at the end of the year
- New Somerset House support acts
- Now politicians are becoming rock stars
- Bright Eyes and Bloc Party pay tribute to London
- Bloc Party tour dates
- Beatles re-issue stuff
- New Crazy Frog
- Tom Vek announces tour
- Dutch courts side with ISPs
- Jackson faces news lawsuit from finance firm
- Farm Aid 2006 launched
- Former Def Jam boss to publish guide for rising from intern to president
- Mercury Music Prize nominations announced next week
- Loudeye face Nasdaq delisting
- HMV introduce digital plans to independents
- White Stripes play a gig
- Kaiser Chiefs release a single
- Robbie Williams plans stadium tour
- Kate and Pete kiss and make up shocker
- Snoop Dogg gives marriage another go
- Brian Wilson makes naked Madonna comments
- Keith Richards to appear in Pirates sequel
- Tweedy says Church is Girls Aloud copycat
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THE TOP BIT>>
*** BigTime.tv are developing a new media channel for a major player in the music space. This will capitalise on and develop the BigTime download and preview service used for stand alone music promotions by Oasis, Moby, British Sea Power, Brian Wilson, and Pete Tong among others (www.bigtime.tv/showcase). The new channel will provide a one stop guide to great music events - including key gigs, events and releases. BigTime is looking to put in place a team, including qualified enthusiasts with music editorial, label liaison, design and/or content management experience. Anyone interested should send a CV to [email protected] asap.
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PRESS ROOM>>
*** KILL ALL HIPPIES JULY - London's greatest rock night is once again taking over the Scala, Kings Cross. Live sets come from sublime industrial punkmeister T.Raumschmiere plus Broken Dolls and Kiosk. There are DJ sets from resident curator Eddy Temple Morris (Xfm), Jeff Automatic (Transmission) and DJ Syrinx, plus don't forget the Fun House, KAH's second room, hosted by legendary Primal Scream producer Jagz kooner and cohort Richard Clouston. All takes place Saturday 16 Jul, 8.30pm til 4am. Tickets £8, but £3 discount admission if you guest list yourself at http://www.leylinepromotions.com/killallhippies. And don't forget you can download exclusive live sets from Kill All Hippies right now at http://www.tunetribe.com - new sets from this month's event will be available for download from Sunday.
Full press release: http://www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk/pressroom/killallhippies/
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TOP BIT>>
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*** Promote your services or releases here from just £50 a week - email [email protected] for info
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EARLY BIRD TICKETS FOR T IN THE PARK 2006 SELL OUT IN HOURS
So, if you were thinking, "oh that's nice, T In The Park early bird tickets, I'll buy one of them later this week", well, tough. Because they've all gone. In fact, they'd all gone within three hours of going on sale.
As previously reported, T In The Park promoters Big Day Out announced they were making 20,000 tickets available for the 2006 festival during this year's event last weekend. They went on sale on Tuesday morning and sold out within hours. Another 5000 tickets were then put on sale, and they sold out straightaway too. That means a third of tickets for the 2006 event have now been sold even though a line up won't be announced until next Spring. The remaining tickets will go on sale when the 2006 festival is officially launched next year.
Commenting on the fast sell out of the early bird tickets so soon after his 2005 event, T In The Park boss Geoff Ellis told CMU: "We're delighted that after the success of this year's festival, the 20,000 tickets we put on sale for T in the Park 2006 sold out within two and a half hours. We put an extra 5,000 on sale mid morning and now they too have all gone! The remainder of tickets for next year's festival will be put on sale after the festival launch next year and fans should make sure they register on www.tinthepark.com for any updates. I'd like to thank everyone who came up to Balado at the weekend for helping to make T in the Park 2005 the best ever - see you all in 2006!"
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LAURYN HILL DISSES FUGEES
An interview with former Fugee Lauryn Hill, who performed a rare London gig last night, has appeared in US magazine Trace, ending a pretty much seven year silence since the release of her Grammy winning solo debut, 'The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill' in 1998. A long awaited follow up is apparently on its way, and, as previously reported, Hill has been sporadically reunited in performances with fellow Fugee bandmates Pras and Wyclef Jean in recent months.
In the interview, however, she criticises her former band, and says the experience of being part of it led her to become disillusioned with men: "The Fugees was a conspiracy to control, to manipulate and to encourage dependence. I took a lot of abuse that many people would not have taken in these circumstances. As a young woman, I saw the best in everyone, but I did not see the lust and insecurities of men. I discovered what a lie was, and how lies manifested themselves."
Hill is now married to Rohan Marley, son of Bob. The mother of four told the magazine: "If I make music now, it will only be to provide information to my own children. If other people benefit from it, then so be it." She continues to write, but says she is reluctant to release new music, "because a lot of the songs were transitional. The music was about how I was feeling at the time, even though I was documenting my distress as well as my bursts of joy."
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DANNY RAMPLING RETIRING FROM DJING AT THE END OF THE YEAR
Erm, Danny Rampling is retiring from DJing at the end of the year.
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NOW POLITICIANS ARE BECOMING ROCK STARS
MP4 are releasing an MP3! Well, actually they're releasing a WMA, but let's not be pedantic. MP4 is new top rock combo formed by, erm, four members of parliament - Labour's Kevin Brennan (guitar and vocals) and Ian Cawsey (Bass and lead vocals), the Scottish National Party's Pete Wishart (keyboards) and Conservative Greg Knight (drums).
The band are lined up to play a special BPI junket for political types due to take place on a boat of the Thames next Wednesday, but it's not only VIPs who have a chance to enjoy the political men's music, because they are releasing a download of their cover of the Beatle's 'Can't Buy Me Love'. It's all for charity - Save The Children - and it's a quirky idea, so you should probably all go to http://www.7digital.com/downloads/mp4/ and download your self a copy.
Commenting on the project the Right Honorable Ian Cawsey told CMU: "We are very excited at the launch of our first single and to be supporting the development of legal downloading. At a time when many musicians have become politicians this is the backlash. Politicians masquerading as musicians; you have been warned!"
BPI boss Peter Jamieson also gave his support to the project, telling us: "This is an opportunity to buy a piece of history and raise money for charity as well. Never let it be said that MPs are out of touch. Just like the record industry itself MP4 are embracing the download revolution!"
Press info from EMI.
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NEW SOMERSET HOUSE SUPPORT ACTS
More support acts have been confirmed for those Grolsch Summer Set gigs at Somerset House, which happen in August:
2 Aug: El Presidente support Starsailor
3 Aug: Morning Runner support Athlete
4 Aug: Son Of Dave support Supergrass
5 Aug: Nine Black Alps support Idlewild
6 Aug: Adam Freeland support The Prodigy
7 Aug: The Duke Spirit support The Tears
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BRIGHT EYES AND BLOC PARTY PAY TRIBUTE TO LONDON
Conor Oberst paid tribute to Londoners during his Bright Eyes gig at the aforementioned Somerset House on Monday. At the climax of the set Oberst voiced his feelings about the terrorist attacks on London on Thursday. "I know things have been super fucked-up around here and we've been thinking of you. And I know you've all been even more worried thinking about each other, but hopefully humanity won't destroy itself while we're alive. I believe in people and in love... people need to stop hating people, it's a big task but hopefully it can be done. We love you guys." The gig, watched by Michael Stipe, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke, and members of Razorlight, was far better received than that infamous set at Glastonbury in which he dissed the late great John Peel, so perhaps fans will forgive him now.
Meanwhile Bloc Party have sent their own message of sympathy to those caught up in the London bomb blasts. The band were at the Accelerator Festival in Stockholm on Thursday, but posted a message on their official website which read: "We were out of the country when all the terrible events unfolded in London on Thursday. We do hope all of you and your loved ones are safe and well. We'd like to send our deepest sympathies to the families of anyone who was hurt in the bombings."
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BLOC PARTY TOUR DATES
And talking of Bloc Party, the band, who are heading off on tour in Australia and Japan, will return for the Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of Aug and will also play a series of UK live dates this autumn, as follows:
2 Oct: Edinburgh Usher Hall
4 Oct: Glasgow Carling Academy
5 Oct: Middlesbrough Town Hall
6 Oct: Newcastle Northumbria University
8 Oct: Cambridge Corn Exchange
9 Oct: Norwich UEA
10 Oct: Portsmouth Guildhall
12 Oct: Sheffield Octagon
13 Oct: Birmingham Carling Academy
14 Oct: Birmingham Carling Academy
16 Oct: Nottingham Rock City
17 Oct: Liverpool Academy
18 Oct: Leeds University
20 Oct: Manchester Carling Apollo
21 Oct: Manchester Carling Apollo
22 Oct: Leicester De Montfort Hall
24 Oct: Cardiff University
25 Oct: Bristol Carling Academy
26 Oct: Exeter University
28 Oct: London Carling Academy Brixton
29 Oct: London Carling Academy Brixton
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BEATLES RE-ISSUE STUFF
1970's Beatles flick 'Let It Be' is to be released soon following a delay due to the volume of film stock shot and colour restoration issues, and apparently will contain "remarkable bonus material." And elsewhere in Beatle related reissue news, George Harrison's 1971 'Concert For Bangladesh' is shortly to see a release on both CD and DVD, and is also expected to contain bonus material.
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NEW CRAZY FROG
Crazy Frog will release his debut album on 25 Jul, with another single, a cover of Gershon Kingsley's 1972 hit 'Popcorn' to follow 15 Aug. Having equaled the UK success of debut single 'Axel F' in France, a US launch for the ring tone star is now planned for Sep. Shall we just all pack it in and go home?
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TOM VEK ANNOUNCES TOUR
Tom Vek has announced an autumn series of UK live dates, as follows:
5 Oct: Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
6 Oct: Bristol Fleece
7 Oct: Falmouth Princess Pavillions
12 Oct: Nottingham Rescue Rooms
13 Oct: Glasgow Oran Mor
14 Oct: Edinburgh Venue
15 Oct: Hull Silhouettes
19 Oct: Liverpool Academy
20 Oct: Manchester Academy
21 Oct: Newcastle Academy
22 Oct: Sheffield Club Zero
24 Oct: Brighton Komedia
25 Oct: Birmingham Academy
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DUTCH COURTS SIDE WITH ISPS
More for you fans of anti-downloading litigation. The Dutch courts have refused to force internet service providers there to reveal the identities of 42 suspected downloaders. This is quite an interesting decision because while courts elsewhere have been reluctant to force ISPs to reveal the identities of their customers on a day to day basis, once the case against those suspects have been presented in court judges have been generally willing to comply with the record labels' requests.
As you all surely know by now, the ISPs are important in the legal fight against individual file sharers because when record labels track dodgy file sharing online they can only identify the IP address of those they suspect of copyright violation. It is the ISP who knows which IP address is used by which person - but they are very reluctant to hand over the information.
And it seems the Dutch courts think rightly so. When making their judgement on this case the Dutch courts said they were worried about the use of American firm Media Sentry by the record labels to track online file sharing. They also questioned whether the fact that someone stored files in a Kazaa folder was, in fact, illegal, even though people could dip in there and make copies of copyrighted music.
Whether the Dutch courts are right is debatable - the record labels and judges in most other counties would probably argue they are not. But the setback to the anti-piracy cause in the Netherlands is, nevertheless, interesting as regards the ongoing fight against illegal filesharing.
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JACKSON FACES NEWS LAWSUIT FROM FINANCE FIRM
Staying with legal news (everyone's favourite), and Michael Jackson is facing more legal problems, this time in the form of a lawsuit over claims he owes a finance company unpaid fees for their help in securing complete ownership of the Beatles back catalogue.
Prescient Acquisition Group launched a $48 million lawsuit against Jackson on Monday. They claim they are owed fees for their help in finding the investment that enabled Jackson to gain complete control of his music publishing firm ATV, which now operates as part of Sony/ATV. As we reminded you only yesterday, ATV owns the publishing rights to many high profile songs, including most of the Beatles catalogue. Prescient also say they helped him raise funds to pay off a $272.5 million debt with the Bank Of America.
Confirming the lawsuit, Prescient's lawyer Steven Altman told reporters this week: "The reality is, we have helped Michael Jackson acquire a magnificent asset and he'll be able to fund his exotic lifestyle for the rest of his life. We just want to get paid".
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FARM AID 2006 LAUNCHED
Country singer Willie Nelson has set a date for the twentieth Farm Aid, an event which organisers are now dubbing as the "the longest-running benefit concert in America". Nelson will be joined by John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews at the 2005 fundraiser, which will take place at Tinley Park, near Chicago, on 18 Sep.
Farm Aid raises money to support 'family farming' in the US - over the years it has raised over $27 million. Co-founder Mellencamp explained this week: "Farm Aid for me has always been about a dream of equality for the little guy and trying to be able to make David slay Goliath". On the success of the programme he continued: "In an individual person's life, Farm Aid has made a great difference. In the big scope of things with the government, probably not so much".
For his part, Nelson told reporters: "We know we're making some sort of impact, that's why we're still here."
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FORMER DEF JAM BOSS TO PUBLISH GUIDE FOR RISING FROM INTERN TO PRESIDENT
Well, if you're one of the CMU Daily readers currently embarking on a career in the music business, perhaps you should read this one. Warner Music boss Kevin Liles is publishing a book charting his rise from intern to President at Def Jam Records, the major label Liles ran before being head hunted by Warner's Lyor Cohen.
Called 'From Intern to President Make it Happen: The Hip Hop Generation Guide to Success', the book will take the form of a guide for anyone hoping to follow his rise up a corporate hierarchy, presumably with specific reference to making it in the music business. There won't, however, be any tips on how to stage a lukewarm share sell and to convince the entire investment community your company is insecure and underperforming - presumably he's leaving that to the future books of more senior Warner execs Edgar Bronfman Jnr and the aforementioned Lyor Cohen.
The book will be published in the US in Sep by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. No word yet on whether it'll get a UK release.
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MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK
I reckon Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Razorlight, The Futureheads, Kasabian, KT Tunstall, James Blunt, U2, Prodigy, Mia, Mylo (on rerelease) and some folk band I've never heard of - but what do I know? Ah well, this time next week we'll know for certain, because the shortlist for this year's Mercury Music Prize will be announced next Tuesday at 11.30am at a London bash hosted by Mr Jools Holland. Some 170 albums from British and Irish artists released between July 2004 and July 2005 are eligible to appear on the shortlist.
A new website will be launched at the same time at http:// www.nationwidemercurys.com. The overall Prize will be awarded on 6 Sep.
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LOUDEYE FACE NASDAQ DELISTING
City news now, and digital-music-back-end-supplier-thingy Loudeye, the US company who now own OD2, one of the main UK download providers, faces being delisted from the Nasdaq share index, which means nothing to me but will apparently be a cause of concern for the company's shareholders.
The threat of delisting comes after the company's share price spent more than 30 days below one dollar (it is currently sitting at 75 cents, up from a recent low of 67 cents). The slump in share price followed the revelation that the company had made a net loss of $7.5 million in its first quarter on revenues of $6 million. Apparently Loudeye bosses have told key shareholders how they plan to get their share price back above a dollar (they have 180 days to do it), and also what their contingency plan is should they get delisted (hide?).
Since acquiring OD2, Loudeye have become the backend suppliers behind a number of UK download platforms including those operated by CD Wow, Gizmondo Music, My Coke Music, MSN Music Club, Wanadoo, Packard Bell, Tiscali, Ministry Of Sound, MTV, NTL, Blueyonder, GWR and the Oxfam supporting Bignoisemusic.com.
However Loudeye's UK clients will soon be facing two big new competitors - HMV and Virgin's download platforms, both due to launch at the end of the Summer. Both HMV and the Virgin Group have, until now, used the Loudeye system for their limited download services, but both will be using Loudeye rivals MusicNet for their full on digital music platforms, which can't be helping Loudeye's bid to dominate the UK market.
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HMV INTRODUCE DIGITAL PLANS TO INDEPENDENTS
Talking of which, HMV have presented details of their new digital download platform, due to launch on 5 Sep, to representatives from a load of independent labels at an AIM organised bash in lovely London.
Most of what they are proposing seems pretty standard (a pay-as-you-go and a subscription service, bespoke player, regular artist promotions, genre specific content) or predictable (lots and lots of promotion instore), but the main thing HMV bosses seemed to want to communicate was that they want to work very much with the labels and distributors in shaping their service, rather than inflicting a ready-to-go-can't-change-it-now system on the industry.
That is obviously a reference to iTunes who are still being criticised for their lack of understanding of the European music business, and their insistence that the industry falls in line with their way of doing things. HMV say that, while they hope to build an online customer base through their existing relationship with consumers on the high street, they hope to utilise their existing relationships within the industry to build a download platform that helps label's achieve their online goals. Presumably the business plan runs thus - "get the labels onside, and we'll get the premium content before our competitors".
Therefore the key words of the day were 'flexibility' and 'support'. HMV say they will let labels and distributors set their own prices, plus they told independent labels that if they didn't have a distributor that they could get in touch direct and if they still had music un-encoded, their back-end supplier MusicNet would encode tracks for free.
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WHITE STRIPES PLAY A GIG
The White Stripes are to play an intimate gig in California at the end of the month. The duo will play at the Glass House in Pomona on 28 July, and a two ticket per person limit has been imposed. Though the tickets have already gone on sale, and let's face it, have probably all gone.
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KAISER CHIEFS RELEASE A SINGLE
Kaiser Chiefs will release a new single on 22 Aug which will feature a re-release of 'I Predict A Riot' and new song 'Sink That Ship'. A statement said: "'I Predict A Riot' was given a limited release late last year, this single gives the track a full commercial release across Europe and pairs it with our newest track Sink That Ship, written on tour - and recorded in June this year with our good friend Steve Harris at the controls."
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ROBBIE WILLIAMS PLANS STADIUM TOUR
Good news for all you Robbie Williams fans out there. The singer is planning a stadium tour across Europe, Asia and Australia next year to promote new album 'Intensive Care' according to The Sun. One of their remarkable 'sources' said: "Robbie is planning a massive assault on the charts and the tour will be his biggest ever. He's been out of the picture working on his album and can't wait to get out there and perform his new material. He will go all around the world with the Intensive Care tour but is planning to kick it all off in Britain."
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KATE AND PETE KISS AND MAKE UP SHOCKER
The Sun reports that Pete Doherty and Kate Moss have made up again, following a nasty bust up last week that resulted in Babyshambles' failure to turn up support Oasis at that gig at Southampton's Rose Bowl. Apparently, for I did not know the alleged details of the fight, the feud began on a Eurostar train and seemed to concern Kate's former lover Jefferson Hack, and Moss decided to cut all ties with her troublesome boyfriend.
Anyway, they're apparently back together again, er, thank God. Yet another of The Sun's remarkable 'sources' told the paper "Pete is in a state because there's all sorts of the problems with the new Babyshambles album and he's falling out with everyone over it. The bust-up with Kate last week sent him over the edge. Kate was furious after the row because Pete told everything to a stranger. The past fortnight has been the stormiest ever between them but ultimately she is in love with him and finds it hard to stay angry at him for long."
They probably deserve each other. And not in a good way.
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SNOOP DOGG GIVES MARRIAGE ANOTHER GO
Snoop Dogg has apparently decided to give his marriage another go, after filing for divorce from wife of 8 years Shante. According to contactmusic he said he's allowed his career to get in the way of his relationships. Mr Dogg said: "I fell back in love with my wife and kids. A lot of times you get cloudy. The music industry is a mother, man, and it'll take your vision and blur it. But I need my wife and kids in my life. So if you hear about a divorce, it'll be my wife divorcing me. It won't be me divorcing her."
They probably deserve each other too, but possibly in a good way.
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BRIAN WILSON MAKES NAKED MADONNA COMMENTS
Brian Wilson has implied that Madonna's success somehow might relate to the level of clothing she has worn throughout her career. According to contactmusic, the former Beach Boy said: "Madonna. I'm not sure why [she's been so successful]. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she was always naked."
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KEITH RICHARDS TO APPEAR IN PIRATES SEQUEL
Actor Bill Nighy has confirmed that Keith Richards is to appear in a new 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' film. As previously reported, Johnny Depp recently said that the Rolling Stone was the inspiration for his character in the film, and hoped to get Richards to play his father in the sequel.
Co-star Nighy said "I can confirm Keith Richards will appear in Pirates of the Caribbean 2 or 3. I'm not sure which one, because they are being filmed back to back."
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TWEEDY SAYS CHURCH IS GIRLS ALOUD COPYCAT
Girl Aloud Cheryl Tweedy has accused Charlotte Church of copying the Girls Aloud sound, according to yet another 'source' in The Sun: "Cheryl reckons Charlotte's album is a carbon copy of a lot of Girls Aloud material. She says Charlotte has no originality and reckons she is trying to copy the image that made them a chart success." She went on to say that the band are working on their own new direction and would "let Charlotte get on with using their old sound."
Elsewhere in Church news, the singer's ex-boyfriend Steven Johnson is rather unsportingly releasing a book called 'Hell's Angel" which will reveal intimate details of the relationship he had with Charlotte before the pair split in 2003. Johnson's father George said: "It's very good - the Church family will be left holding their heads. Steven is the angel, not Charlotte. It's not my child that you see crawling out of clubs."