CMU
Daily - on the inside Thursday 14th July
In today's CMU Daily:
- Queen invite London emergency workers to rescheduled concert
- Rise Festival reinvented in light of bomb blasts
- Sum 41 announce date of postponed gig
- Status Quo gig cancelled
- Criticism grows for BBC classical freebies
- US Senate explores online royalty issues
- Happy birthday MP3
- I came, I saw, iPod - what's next?
- Roll Deep release debut single
- Live Review : Jazz Café Picnic at Kenwood House
- Tokyo Dragons release debut album
- The Game says no more Fiddy dissing
- P Diddy settles over memoirs dispute
- New acts for Nightmare
- Wild Wild West Weekend
- Franz Ferdinand set release date for new album
- Big Head Todd to help launch space shuttle
- Depp says Thompson will be shot out of cannon
- Mariah Carey does a Janet
- Young gets dance tips from Brown
- Kelly Osbourne would have plastic surgery
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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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QUEEN INVITE LONDON EMERGENCY WORKERS TO RESCHEDULED CONCERT
While the Queen has donated an unspecified sum to the charitable fund that has been set up to support the victims of last week's London bomb blasts, the other Queen are inviting members of the London emergency services to their rescheduled Hyde Park concert this Friday as a thank you for their hard work in getting London back to normality. The concert, Queen's first gig in Hyde Park in 29 years, was due to take place last Friday, but was postponed for a week after Thursday's events.
Commenting on the invitation to emergency services personnel to attend the concert, former Free frontman Paul Rodgers, who is fronting the current Queen tour, told reporters: "We feel it is fitting to thank London's emergency services for their extraordinary response in dealing with the effects of the bombing attacks and to celebrate the historical resilience of Londoners in their response to yet another atrocity."
Guitarist Brian May added: "We were away playing a concert in Germany and arrived back Thursday morning to see all this going on. We were unbelievably shocked and saddened. The heroes that day, and since then, are the police and emergency services coming together as one, calmly and bravely dealing with the tragedy and getting London's wheels turning again. We'd like to offer an appreciation."
Queen will be supported by Razorlight, Justin and Dan Hawkins from The Darkness and comedian Peter Kay.
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RISE FESTIVAL REINVENTED IN LIGHT OF BOMB BLASTS
In related news, Ken Livingstone has announced that this weekend's Rise festival is to be reinvented in light of last week's bomb blasts. The anti-racism concert in London's Burgess Park - already a very multi-cultural event - will be named London United, in a bid to show the capital as a proudly multi-cultural city.
Livingstone explained: "The bombings that took place last week indiscriminately attacked Londoners irrespective of race, culture, religion or age. London is the future. This free gig will show that London stands firm and celebrates its status as a city of all races, faiths and cultures, the very thing the bombers hate".
As well as the existing line up, which included Goldie Looking Chain, Terri Walker and The Mitchell Brothers, a number of other headline acts will now appear at the event, including Billy Bragg, Suggs and Jarvis Cocker.
Confirming his support for the event, Suggs told reporters: "We love London because London lets you be yourself. On Saturday at 'London United' we will show that London stands firm in all its diversity after the terrible events of last week."
Jarvis Cocker added: "At this time it's important for people from all backgrounds to stand together - it's also important for them to enjoy themselves. This event allows them to do both."
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SUM 41 ANNOUNCE DATE OF POSTPONED GIG
Sum 41have announced a new date for their London Astoria gig, which also was cancelled in the wake of the aforementioned bombings. The concert will now take place at the London Forum in Kentish Town on 17 Jul.
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STATUS QUO GIG CANCELLED
Status Quo have been forced to cancel a gig scheduled for 31 Jul at Hatton House in Warwick because the concert promoter, John Hessenthaler Productions Ltd, have gone into administration. The band's management and agent have tried over the last few days to put together a rescue package so that the concert might go ahead, but without success. All ticket holders will be contacted this week to explain how they can claim their money back. A statement said "the band sincerely apologises to all ticket holders for a situation which is totally out of their control."
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CRITICISM GROWS FOR BBC'S CLASSICAL FREEBIES
Criticism is growing regarding that recent BBC promotion that made all nine Beethoven symphonies available as free downloads. The Beeb has hailed its classical download promotion, run alongside programming on the composer Radio 3, a huge success after scoring over a million downloads. However as the million landmark is passed classical music labels in the UK, who were always cautious about the promotion, are expressing increasing concern.
As previously reported, the Beethoven promotion was possible because classical music of this kind does not, of course, have any publishing rights assigned to it. The BBC, meanwhile, owned the recordings because they were performed by their own Philharmonic orchestra.
While recognizing the positive aspects of the project - ie introducing a classical audience to digital music - classical labels are concerned the free download promotion will affect their sales, and are privately cautioning the BBC about staging any other promotions of this kind.
A report in the Independent this week confirms: "This week the BBC will announce there have been more than a million downloads of the symphonies during the month-long scheme. But the initiative has infuriated the bosses of leading classical record companies who argue the offer undermines the value of music and that any further offers would be unfair competition."
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US SENATE EXPLORES ONLINE ROYALTY ISSUES
Copyright news anyone? This one relates to the royalty fees being charged to online broadcasters in the US, mainly by the music publishers. The web companies argue that there is a discrepancy between the way web companies and terrestrial radio stations are charged for the use of music, and that that gives traditional broadcasters an unfair advantage.
The debate reached the US Senate this week where the snappily titled Senate Judiciary Subcommittee On Intellectual Property instigated a debate between the webcasters and the publishers on the topic. RealNetworks boss Rob Glaser was most vocal, saying that the current set up was in risk of jeopardising the businesses of those trying to build legal online music platforms. He told the committee: "By clarifying and simplifying the compulsory composition mechanical license and the statutory sound recording performance license, this Subcommittee and the Congress will provide RealNetworks and the entire online music industry with business and legal certainty and dramatically reduced complexity". So there you go.
Word is that the music publishers remain cautious of some of the webcaster's proposals because they reckon that what will be positioned as bureaucratic savings will actually end up cutting the income they receive for their music being played online. However insiders say key players in US music publishing do recognise that something needs to be done if the survival of legit online music platforms is at risk because of the current situation. The MDs of Real Networks et al might be playing hard ball on this, but the publishers recognise reaching a deal with those companies is better than the alternative - a lack of decent online music provision that encourages punters to go the illegal P2P route.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MP3
So, presumably we will all be celebrating the tenth birthday of the MP3 today? No? Well, whatever, it is exactly ten years since the Fraunhofer Institute invented the audio compression codec which remains the most user friendly of online music formats a decade on.
Of course, it could be argued that in its ten year life the MP3 has actually been a major hindrance for the music industry. MP3, after all, made the original P2P networks like Napster possible - and so enabled phenomenal levels of global music piracy of a kind never before witnessed by the then very web unsavvy music business. And as it enters the second decade of its existence, the MP3 continues to present the music industry with something of a challenge.
A recent survey of students at America's University of Rochester, who can use the Napster subscription service for free as part of a deal between the college and the download platform, revealed that very few users who find tracks they like in the Napster library then buy them via the digital music company's pay-to-download service, mainly because tracks bought this way are supplied as WMA files, not MP3. Most students will either buy their tracks from iTunes (which, while not MP3, will play on an iPod), or they go back to their P2P of choice and download an MP3 version from there.
This poses an interesting challenge in the fight against illegal P2P file sharing. While the music industry is keen to admonish P2P users on the grounds that there are plenty of legal download platforms out there, so there is no excuse to take tracks from Kazaa or Grokster, the music fan could turn round and say "well, that might be true, but none of the legal download platforms will sell me an MP3" (actually, some of the independent download services do, but all the major players with the big music libraries use other codecs, more often than not Microsoft's).
Of course the problem is heightened by the whole iPod incompatibility thing. While the iPod will only play Apple's own AAC format or MP3, and while Apple won't let anyone else sell AAC files, iPod users are always going to resist legal platforms other than iTunes, and when iTunes doesn't satisfy their needs they will go the P2P route.
So, what can the music industry do? Well, perhaps start making music available to buy as MP3 in all its un-DRMed glory? Yes it makes it easier for music fans to then share those files with their mates, but most music fans do that anyway. By selling MP3s the download companies would be truly competing with the illegal P2P networks, and could then build numerous other revenue streams around their services to ensure any money lost because customers pass on their music to others is recouped elsewhere. Now, there's an interesting idea.
Either way, it seems the MP3's second decade is likely to be as eventful as its first, though lets hope it's in a positive way.
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I CAME, I SAW, IPOD - WHAT'S NEXT?
And talking of which, the next MusicTank Think Tank event, taking place in London next Tuesday, will be dedicating itself to what music format really is the future.
What file formats and what players will we be using in twenty years time - MP3, WMA, AAC or something new, iPod, PlayStation, mobile phone or something much more sci fi?
Tackling the topic will be technology columnist Charles Arthur, who will be giving the key note, with Barney Wragg (Senior Vice President, Universal's eLabs), Steve Mayall (Mobile & Wireless Analyst, MusicAlly) and Dr Michael Bull (Snr Lecturer, Media & Film Studies, Univ. Sussex) adding their opinions in the panel debate. As always, MusicTank's Keith Harris will chair.
It all takes place next Tuesday, 19 Jul, at Bertorelli's in Soho. Full info and booking at http://www.musictank.co.uk/events_ipod.htm
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ROLL DEEP RELEASE DEBUT SINGLE
Roll Deep, the crew that spawned Dizzee Rascal, release their debut single, 'The Avenue' on Monday. Their first album, 'In At The Deep End' was released last month. The single is a cut up of the Maisonettes 1982 hit 'Avenue'. How scary it is that I should have received that single as a present on my birthday that year. In my defence, it should be noted that it was a highly inappropriate gift, as I was, at that stage, far too young to be listening to pop music.
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LIVE REVIEW: Jazz Café Picnic at Kenwood House on 10 Jul
Sunday was a scorcher of a day and Hampstead Heath was mobbed. The venue, National Trust's Kenwood House, with a stage set back from the audience by a lake, was a most picturesque setting for the Jazz Café Picnic, hosted by Normski. Manchester's RSL made their debut well, with world music with a Latin twist, performing their soon to be released track called 'Kings of Spain' which is redolent of Santana's 'Oye Como Va'. The Earlies were a strange one for the bill and did some very late Beatles style numbers along the lines of 'Revolver'. 'Little' Louie Vega was on next with his Elements of Life band. We missed the talent of Raul Midon who really enthralled us at the Jazz Café a few months back, but this time Blaze's Josh Milan was on the mic, doing a very good job and looking rather dapper in his multicoloured trackie bottoms, whilst LV's wife Anane was very much on form. A performance of 'Brand New Day' was the highlight, and 'Nos Vida' was performed with verve, but it was sadly rather a brief set. Nitin Sawhney arrived shortly after on stage with minimal fuss. He was accompanied by Tina Grace and Reena Bhardwaj on lyrics, and both ladies shone, with Sawhney himself firmly fixed behind his keyboard. A few tracks were played off his 'Philtre' album, and one of my personal favourites 'Immigrant' was delivered with as much enthusiasm as usual. He left the stage in his customary mild mannered and modest way, singing the praises of his band. The Lemon Jelly Bingo tickets handed out kept us amused in the next interval, along with the Leffe Tent handing out free bottles, and one reveler decided that it would be a good wheeze to take a dip in the lake. Lemon Jelly were next, and I have to admit that I'm not a major fan, but it was easy to fall in with the crowd, who now found their feet and really got into the groove. The sun and beverages got the better of me by and I had to slink off - it was, after all, a school night. The next picnic will be in August at Marble Hill and features Morcheeba, Röyksopp, The Herbaliser and the Quantic Soul Orchestra. Count me in. PV
Press contact: Spring PR
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TOKYO DRAGONS RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM
Buzz rockers Tokyo Dragons are to release their debut album this autumn through Escapi. The eleven track long player will be called 'Give Me The Fear' and will be available from 19 Sep. A full UK tour is expected to take place following the release, but in the meantime you can catch them at the Tapestry Goes West Festival on 29 Jul (http://www.tapestryclub.co.uk ), and at Bulldog Bash on 12 August (http://www.bulldogbash.com ).
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THE GAME SAYS NO MORE FIDDY DISSING
Former G:Unit member The Game has again repented for his public dissings of his former collaborator 50 Cent. As previously reported, The Game and Fiddy had a very public falling out earlier this year, which led to a New York shooting as tensions grew between the two rappers' entourages. Then both men showed up to a New York press conference to say how silly their feud had been, that they had made up, and here's some cash for charity. But a couple of months later The Game was back on stage reworking his raps so to slag off Fiddy.
But speaking to Radio 1 this week the rapper tried to bring an end to the tensions between the two rappers. Well, sort of. He admitted the feud was silly, but then blamed it all on Fiddy, before wittering on about his grandmother for a few minutes.
Make of his quote what you will: "I am very upset with myself, and ashamed, to have participated in the things that have been going on. I'm definitely not the person who started it. I had my back against the wall and was forced to defend myself - I'm ashamed and am really apologetic. When I say it I say it with the sincerity of my heart and also with my grandmother who passed right after I graduated from high school. She was the only person in my life at that time who ever believed I'd be anything. I'm looking forward to a more positive and productive future."
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P DIDDY SETTLES OVER MEMOIRS DISPUTE
Sean 'P Diddy' Combs has settled a lawsuit issued by publishers Random House over allegations the hip hop mogul failed to complete his memoirs as contracted.
As previously reported, the publishing company launched the litigation in Feb this year, claiming they paid P Diddy $300,000 in 1998 as an advance for the promised autobiography, which never materialised. The book was originally meant to be ready for publication at the end of 1999.
Yesterday a spokesperson confirmed that the matter had been "amicably resolved" and that the publisher would no longer be publishing a book by P Diddy. A spokesman for the rapper declined to comment.
The deal may well have left Combs out of pocket. He independently arranged a deal with writer Mikal Gilmore to collaborate on the book and paid Gilmore a reported $325,000 advance. After Random House first accused Combs of being in breach of contract for not delivering a manuscript, his lawyers sued Gilmore claiming that it was the writer who had bailed on the project. Combs' lawsuit was looking for Gilmore to repay his advance but the legal action was dropped after the writer declared himself bankrupt last year.
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NEW ACTS FOR NIGHTMARE
Curators The Mars Volta have announced a host of additions to the All Tomorrow's Parties Nightmare Before Christmas line-up. The event, which takes place in December at the Camber Sands holiday park, will now include such acts as Antony And The Johnsons and The Eternals. The full line-up at the moment looks like this:
The Kills
Diamanda Galas
Cinematic Orchestra
Blonde Redhead
Jaga Jazzist
Weird War
Damo Suzuki
Beans
High On Fire
The Fucking Champs
Les Savy Fav
Michael Rother
Acid Mothers Temple
Battles and Mr Quintron
The Locust
Year Future
400 Blows
Subtitle
Kill Me Tomorrow
Anthony And The Johnsons
Holger Czukay
Dungen
Saul Williams (Spoken Word)
Lydia Lunch
Hella
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WILD WILD WEST WEEKEND
Talking of festivals that take place in holiday camps, the Tidy people have confirmed that the Wild Wild West Weekender 8 will take place from 7 - 9 Oct. Info from http://www.tidy.com/weekender
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FRANZ FERDINAND SET RELEASE DATE FOR NEW ALBUM
Franz Ferdinand have apparently announced a date of 4 Oct for the US release of their second album, so presumably it will be coming out in the UK around the same time. As previously reported, the new album will be entitled 'Franz Ferdinand', and will feature exactly the same cover art as their similarly eponymous 2004 debut - the albums will be distinguished only by their colour scheme. Which isn't pretentious at all.
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BIG HEAD TODD TO HELP LAUNCH SPACE SHUTTLE
NASA's Discovery space shuttle lift-off was apparently to be sound-tracked by the song 'Blue Sky' by US band Big Head Todd & The Monsters. The shuttle was due to be blasted into space yesterday, but was cancelled with just two hours to go. Sources suggest that the next attempt will be made on Monday.
Anyway, the band's song had been given the status of official theme tune to the launch, the track itself deriving from the group's interest in NASA and space exploration. Frontman Todd Park Mohr wrote the song after a meeting with John Horan, Deputy Program Manager for ASRC Aerospace Corporation.
Mohr said: "John's a fan and came on our BHTM Fan Cruise in Jan. We got to talking, and he said they've used 'Rocket Man' so much and wanted a song specifically about the American shuttle program. I drew on my experience from visiting the visiting the Kennedy Space Center with Brian and Rob, where we were given a behind-the-scenes tour, as well as astronauts' autobiographical material posted on the NASA website. I am a believer in space exploration and believe the effort is in many ways the cream and flower of human achievement."
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DEPP SAYS THOMPSON WILL BE SHOT OUT OF CANNON
Actor Johnny Depp is apparently involved in arranging the 'scattering' of the ashes of his close friend Hunter S Thompson. As previously reported, the legendary journalist shot himself in the head earlier in the year, and Depp, who played Thompson in the film 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas', says that he asked for his ashes to be shot out of a cannon.
In a recent interview, Depp said: "He was a great pal, one of my best friends. We had talked a couple of times about his last wishes to be shot out of a cannon of his own design. All I'm doing is trying to make sure his last wish comes true. I just want to send my pal out the way he wants to go."
The private event is set to take place in Aspen in Aug, but Thompson's widow Anita has said that a public commemoration will also take place at a later date.
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MARIAH CAREY DOES A JANET
Mariah Carey had a nipple slip on German TV recently, according to MTV news, who say that she exposed herself in front of a live audience when her dress accidentally came apart. She apparently joked: "Someone bring me a jacket or the show's off, we all know how quickly these images can spread around the world." I daresay those images probably have spread round the world. But no, I have no intention of going looking for them, not for you, not for anyone.
Anyway, the lights were cut and Mariah ran off stage before re-emerging in a more complete state of dress to continue the show. So well done her. That Superbowl booking is surely on its way.
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YOUNG GETS DANCE TIPS FROM BROWN
The Sun claims that Will Young has been getting some dance lessons from James Brown, having met the soul legend at Live 8 last week. A source apparently said: "James is a big Will fan and told him his dancing is coming along brilliantly - but a few hip thrusts wouldn't hurt. Will is resigned to the fact he'll never compete with the Godfather Of Soul. But they get on so well they will meet up again when they are in the same country."
I'm trying hard to imagine James Brown being a Will Young fan. No. No. Can't do it. And don't even get me started on the dancing.
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KELLY OSBOURNE WOULD HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY
Kelly Osbourne has said that she's not shy of plastic surgery and plans to go under the knife in the name of vanity as soon as she needs to. Kelly said: "When I get older, I'm getting sucked and tucked. Look at my mother for God's sake! She looks fabulous and, if she can do it, why can't I?"
Perhaps she should have some now. Just for practice.