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Calvin Harris at The Edge Festival on 10 Aug
Despite his lofty claims, Calvin Harris did not create disco, nor has he really changed the shape of dance music at all. But catch the boy live and this is just an afterthought. What matters is that his band transform budget bedroom sounds into stadium filling stuff. Despite the set-up being pretty indulgent (they probably could have done without the 12ft high cymbal or a sixth member on bongos) it's a spectacle most DJs can only dream of. This was most apparent in the show's climax, the epic Ibiza haze of 'I'm Not Alone'. Even if you think he's bland on 4.72 inches of disk, you'll find him utterly enthralling on 100 square metres of stage.
tw rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Gordon Bruce
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MJ Hibbett: Dinosaur Planet at Medina & Negociants
A one-man acoustic rock-opera about dinosaurs from space starring Deborah Meaden from Dragon's Den, in theory, is one of the most ill-conceived performances to ever reach a stage. Luckily, MJ Hibbett doesn't take himself too seriously. While we're all familiar with the Hollywood clichés, Hibbett revitalises cinematic parody in his own ramshackle way. His bespoke, anti-folk style, as his lyrics take us through the decimation of Peterborough, serves to emphasise how absurdly inane the blockbuster formulas are. Though that's not to say MJ doesn't enjoy the thrill of big-budget cinema, and this passion gives his performance a rare, boy-like enthusiasm. At times this excitement leads to over-wordy plot explanations between songs, but I can't help looking forward to the sequel.
tw rating: 4/5
reviewer: Robert Cooke
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The Magnets at Udderbelly Pastures - daily until 31 Aug
Audience participation is key when attending The Magnets. Whilst the aim is to relax and have fun, expect to clap, shout, sing endlessly and dance embarrassingly. The premise is simple: six guys, six mics, and a lot of music. The magnets blend piercing harmonies and jaw dropping human beatboxing whilst performing genre spanning tracks from Lady Gaga to AC/DC. The show flows seamlessly, and the choreography is step perfect. Having no backing tracks or instruments, this is the true definition of 'what you see is what you get', and with one man drum solos and an A-Z song quiz, the set's diversity makes 60 minutes fly by without a pause to stop for breath. Slick, sexy, instantly lovable and absolutely unmissable.
tw rating: 5/5
reviewer: Gina Scott
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DESK SPACE TO RENT IN SHOREDITCH
A bright Shoreditch third floor 4 desk unit, ideal for a start-up. You'll be sharing with 4 other small media enterprises (film, publishing, PR and design). The space comes with four desks, chairs and shelving units and is ready for you to move in today. Office has internet, wifi and is fully air-conditioned. In a very desirable location 5 minutes from Liverpool Street station and 10 minutes from Old Street station. Rent is £250 per desk, per month, including rates and service charge. Please contact [email protected]
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FILM PRODUCTION STUDIO TO RENT IN SHOREDITCH
A fully equipped film production studio in the heart of Shoreditch. An ideal temporary studio to meet all your freelance and overspill needs, with access to 2 cameras (Z1E and HC1E) with 2 sound kits, an HD edit suite with FCP Studio 2, HD deck, HD monitor and sound station. Full specs available on request. Includes a working space for up to four people. The space with production and post-production equipment is £200 per day, minimum hire of three days; 7 days is charged at 5 days. Discounts available for hire of 4 weeks plus. Please contact [email protected] or 07809601366.
OASIS FORCED TO PULL OUT OF SECOND V HEADLINE
So the people of Essex didn't get to enjoy a headline set from Oasis last night, which you can read as good or bad news, depending on your opinion of Oasis, and your vicinity to Essex. You might think the V Festival crowd deserve everything they get - but I couldn't possibly comment.
But yes, the Gallaghers were forced to pull out of the Chelmsford leg of the V Festival yesterday because Liam had come down with viral laryngitis. Noel was possibly a bit under the weather too - after playing the Staffordshire bit of the festival on Saturday night he blogged: "Didn't enjoy it one bit. Don't feel too clever. Outrageous stomach ache. Feel like I'm coming down with summat. Might have to get the doctor out in the morning. Hope it came out of the speakers OK. Gutted. Oh well, there's always tomorrow". Or not as the case turned out.
An official statement from the band read: "After a year of being on the road this is the first performance to be lost to a band member's illness, so naturally we are all gutted".
Various V-goers lined up to tell the BBC that they were majorly disappointed that the headliners were not playing, and when Snow Patrol - who were parachuted into the headline slot in Oasis' place - mentioned the Gallaghers there was a bit of booing in the crowd. Though Gary Lightbody et al did do a couple of Oasis covers, so I'm sure that made up for it.
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JACKSON BURIAL DELAYED
Hey, he's only been dead two months, what's the rush? Michael Jackson will no longer be buried on his 51st birthday, as had been planned. The date has now been pushed back five days to 3 Sep.
A spokesman for Jackson's family, Ken Sunshine, informed reporters of the date change on Friday but offered no reason for the delay.
In further Jacko burial news, it is expected that the star will be laid to rest at the Great Mausoleum in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in LA. The heavily secured mausoleum features a stained glass representation of Michelangelo's Last Supper for all the dead people inside to enjoy. Those dead people number many late Hollywood stars, including Walt Disney, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable.
LEANN RIMES ACCUSED OF HIT AND RUN
LeAnn Rimes failed to stop after being involved in a car accident last week, according to reports. Police officers in LA apparently visited the singer at her home on Thursday night to question her about a crash earlier in the evening.
A spokesperson for the singer confirmed that she was under investigation by the police but played down her involvement, saying: "It was a routine police investigation into this incident, and a police report was filed. We are confident that this matter will be resolved shortly and LeAnn will be cleared".
A police spokesperson added that no one had been injured in the accident and no charged had yet been brought, telling People: "[Rimes] was questioned and released. It's an ongoing investigation".
N-DUBZ TULA MIGHT HAVE SWINE FLU AGAIN
N-Dubz' Tulisa 'Tula' Contostavlos might have swine flu for a second time, which seems unfortunate. As you may remember, Tula was suspected to be suffering from the condition back in May. Now she's ill again - and had to cancel two performances this weekend, one at V and one at the Edinburgh Fringe - and it's thought it might be the piggy virus once more. Tula's bandmates went ahead with their gigs this weekend while she stocked up on Tamiflu.
UNIVERSAL JAPAN SIGN TOP PRODUCER TO MANAGEMENT DEAL
One of Japan's hottest producers and songwriters (apparently), Jeff Miyahara, has signed to UM360Inc, the artist management company owned by Universal Music Japan. Miyahara has been behind a number of chart-topping tracks in Japan, none of which you'll have heard of, so I won't bother you with their names.
Confirming the deal, UM360Inc boss Atsushi Suzuki said this: "We are thrilled to be working with Jeff Miyahara. UM360 Inc. is committed to developing the careers of the world's most exciting artists, and we are looking forward to a long and productive relationship with this unique and exciting talent".
DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN BACK IN THE STUDIO TODAY
Hardcore geniuses The Dillinger Escape Plan are due to go into the studio today to begin recording their fourth album, 'Option Paralysis', with producer Steve Evetts.
Guitarist Ben Weinman recently told Rock Sound: "Lately I have been realising the purpose of why I started Dillinger all those years ago. It was to make people truly uncomfortable and to make them not feel accepting of what is happening in their surroundings. When I was growing up, I discovered metal and it interested me, I liked that it was dark and talked about the fact that the world is not all puppy dogs and ice cream cones. But then it just got ridiculous, humorous. I look at black metal bands and they are supposed to be so evil. But it's not real. It's about fiction. About goblins and the gates of hell; pretty much a bad horror movie".
He continued:"The music we are writing is influenced by the feelings I get when I hear and see the real evils of this world. Horrible things that make me really question if there is a God or not. This shit is not comfortable, the world is not comfortable, babies are getting raped in your town for God's sake. Young girls are being sold as sex slaves, but most people sitting at their computers downloading music don't want to know. They want to sit on a message board or play fantasy football while their mommy makes them a sandwich".
The album will be released in early 2010 by Season Of Mist, in collaboration with the band's own label, Party Smasher Inc.
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CANCER BATS BEGIN WORK ON NEW ALBUM
Canadian hardcore types Cancer Bats have begun work on their new album, the follow-up to last year's 'Hail Destroyer'.
Frontman Liam Cormier told Kerrang!: "The writing is so rad. It's all we have been thinking about. We were worried that it was going to be harder than this, but we've been creating really heavy riffs. [It's going to be a] brutal sludge masterpiece".
UNIVERSAL TO RE-RELEASE SINATRA
Universal Music have signed a deal with Warner Music and Frank Sinatra's family to acquire the rights to all the singer's recordings for his own Reprise label. In total this gives them the right to re-release 38 Frank Sinatra albums, as well some previously unreleased live recordings and 14 DVDs.
Amongst the new releases currently planned is a 40th anniversary re-issue of the single, 'My Way'.
Lucian Grainge, top dog at Universal Music Group International, said: "There's simply no one like Frank Sinatra. His music is one of the reasons I got into this business. Now we plan to bring it alive for a whole new generation of fans".
JANET JACKSON WRITING MEMOIR
According to In Touch Weekly, Janet Jackson is writing a tell-all book, which will be released next year. Part of the book apparently covers her relationship with her family and how they all dealt with her brother Michael's death, while the rest is about her self-esteem and weight problems.
A 'friend' said: "A lot of it will focus on her battle with self-esteem and weight. She's a huge success. But that's not always what she has seen when she looks in the mirror, so the book will talk about how she has coped, and about her family relationships. She wants to help other young women out there".
NOISETTES OFFER SUPPORT SLOTS TO UNSIGNED BANDS
Noisettes are offering unsigned bands the chance to support them on their upcoming UK tour. The band will select one band per night to join them on each of the gigs. The only condition is that the bands must have no more than three members, so it might be time to think about sacking that redundant second guitarist.
For more details, check out the band's MySpace page at www.myspace.com/noisettesuk
The tour kicks off in Glasgow on 11 Oct and ends up with two nights at the Shepherds Bush Empire on 26-27 Oct.
PIAS TO DISTRIBUTE SUB POP IN THE UK
PIAS UK has signed a new deal with Sub Pop to distribute all the legendary US indie label's new releases in the UK and Ireland, as well as handling its back catalogue.
The UK company will begin representing Sub Pop on 15 Sep, and will start by distributing upcoming albums and EPs from No Age, Grand Archives and Eugene Mirman, as well as recent releases from Pissed Jeans and Blitzen Trapper. In October it will release the latest in Sub Pop's re-issues series, with two classic Sunny Day Real Estate albums, new vinyl versions of the three classic Mudhoney albums, 'Superfuzz Bigmuff', 'Mudhoney' and 'Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge', and, most importantly, the 20th anniversary release of Nirvana's debut album, 'Bleach'.
Peter Thompson, Managing Director of [PIAS] UK told CMU: "Sub Pop is a label that requires no introductions. From being at the forefront of cutting-edge music for over twenty years and with a roster of artists that is the envy of many labels across the globe, it is an honour to be working with them on their releases in the UK and Ireland".
Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of Sub Pop Records added: "Sub Pop is thrilled to be in business with PIAS UK. As the music industry continues to re-invent itself, we feel privileged to have this opportunity to meet the attendant challenges head on, with a resourceful and imaginative partner".
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HMV APPOINT NEW TICKETING EXEC
HMV has made another appointment in its ticketing division, which was launched at the start of the year when the retailer entered the live music market through its joint venture with MAMA Group. Jon Lee, formerly of Ticketline, and before that formerly of, well, HMV, will become a Client Account Executive for hmvtickets. He'll report to Jason Thomas, another former Ticketline exec, who is managing the retailer's ticketing operation. As previously reported, hmvtickets sells tickets both for venues within the Mean Fiddler Group (it's aforementioned JV with MAMA), and for other promoters and venues too.
SONY LOSE YAHOO! LAUNCHCAST APPEAL
Sony have lost an appeal in an ongoing legal squabble in the US with Yahoo! The legal wrangle related to Yahoo!'s old Launchcast service, and centred on how interactive an online music service could be under a standard webcasting licence.
In these days of Spotify and MySpace Music it all seems a bit irrelevant, but back in 2000 there was much debate over how much user-interaction an online streaming service could offer before a web provider went beyond the remit of a standard webcasting licence.
Most streaming services are now fully on-demand, but back them labels were hesitant to offer truly on-demand streaming, for any price, fearing it would hit CD and download sales. When Launchcast started to give users the option to skip tracks, the labels got nervous and subsequently went legal.
A previous court ruling said that the Launchcast service circa 2000 did not go beyond the remit of Yahoo!'s music licences, the track-skipping option being a really rather limited user-interaction device. All the majors were involved in the original litigation, but only Sony (or SonyBMG to be precise) appealed.
Last week the US appeal courts stood by the original ruling. Which is good news for Launchcast users. In 2000.
COMMERCIAL RADIO SAYS RADIO 2 TOO OBSESSED WITH YOUTH
Commercial radio trade body RadioCentre has accused Radio 2 of failing to provide a public service, saying the station has gone for a more youthful audience in order to boost ratings, and in doing so has failed to serve older listeners, or provide programmes different from those available in the commercial domain.
The Centre's submission to the BBC Trust's review of Radio 2 and 6Music is titled 'Reach not Reith: How Radio 2 is prioritising popularity not public purposes' and, commenting on it, the Centre's CEO Andrew Harrison told reporters: "Over the last decade, Radio 2 has shifted its programming policies - nobody has intervened and this has been disastrous for commercial radio's heartland audience and for the plurality and diversity of the UK's fragile radio ecology. Had this kind of format change occurred in the commercial sector, Ofcom would have taken action, so it is welcome that the BBC Trust is reviewing the output of Radio 2".
Expanding his criticisms, Harrison continued: "We think the BBC urgently needs to rebalance its portfolio of popular music radio. You've now got Radio 1 targeting 15-29 year olds, 1Xtra targeting 15-24 year olds, 6Music with more than 80 per cent of its listening hours coming from 15-44s and Radio 2 becoming increasingly younger. That could be construed as an obsession with youth".
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CRIDLAND LEAVES THE BEEB
James Cridland, one of BBC Radio's top 'future media' men, is leaving the Corporation. He announced his departure from the Beeb via his own blog last week (which is very future media), saying he would be concentrating on the MediaUK.com website for a while (he is a director of it) before starting a new job in radio next year.
Cridland joined the BBC after a tenure as Digital Media Director for Virgin Radio. He worked within the audio and music bit of the Corporation, on online and digital ventures, including the incorporation of the Beeb's radio programmes into the iPlayer.
Confirming his departure, he wrote: "I'm proud to have significantly increased the audio quality of our online streams, played my part in a radio player for the entire radio industry, and laid the foundation for truly interactive radio. I'll [now] be exploring a bit of the world's radio industries, before popping up somewhere new and exciting in the Spring - in radio, naturally. It's in my blood".
CHART UPDATE
So, it's new number ones all round this week. Kicking off with the singles chart, David Guetta scores his second number one this year with 'Sexy Chick', which features vocals by Akon and is up from last week's number 21.
Also new in the top ten is Esmee Denters with 'Outta Here', while just outside at number 11, Just Jack jumps up from last week's 134 with 'The Day I Died'. Sean Paul is also a new entry at 25, with 'So Fine', Kasabian are at 30, up from 84, with 'Where Did All The Love Go?', Lady GaGa moves from 64 to 33 with 'Lovegame', 'Sweet Disposition' by the Temper Trap moves from 56 to 35, and Calvin Harris just slips back into the top 40, shifting two places up from 42, with 'I'm Not Alone'.
As I'm sure you're aware, there was a huge album chart battle this week, with Calvin Harris and Tinchy Stryder battling it out for the number one spot. It was, of course, a matter of pride for both parties, after Harris recently revealed that he'd unfollowed Stryder on Twitter (not because of their simultaneous record releases, just because he was a bit boring, I think). And it's Harris who won, despite slightly unfair treatment from some corners of the media. Stryder comes in just behind at number two.
This, of course, means that 'The Essential Michael Jackson' is no longer at number one. In fact, it's gone all the way down to number six. This breaks a seven week run at the top for the recently deceased singer, finally lowering him down into... no, wait, the rest of that sentence is in incredibly poor taste.
Moving swiftly on, there are a few other new entries down at the lower end of the chart. Vagabond go straight in at 27 with 'You Don't Know The Half Of It', The XX are at 36 with 'XX', and Simian Mobile Disco are at 39 with 'Temporary Pleasure'.
The cold, hard, unfriendly numbers that make up the charts are compiled by The Official Charts Company.
NUTINI AND HIS BIG ARSE
Paolo Nutini on one of the down sides of fame now. He told reporters: "It's surprising what you find out about yourself. I was walking into a bar a few weeks ago when I heard this girl shouting my name. I thought, 'I'm not turning round', and she shouted it again, and I thought, 'No, I'm going to keep walking'. Then I heard her say to her friend, 'It's not him anyway, he's not got that big an arse'".
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