| CMU Daily - on the inside 18 Feb 2003 |
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• Glastonbury is go,
• Berlin festival faces financial problems,
• Police investigate Chicago club tragedy,
• Ms Dynamite takes anti-war message to Brits,
• Madonna says "I'm pro-peace, not anti-Bush",
• So Solid back in court,
• Review: Gary Numan – Hybrid,
• Franklin talks to police about fire,
• POD return with Matrix track,
• Boy band creator faces legal action over talent website,
• No Spice Girls reunion planned,
• Easy boss will take piracy case to the Lords,
• Capital prepare for first Tarrant break,
• Love music hate racism stages festival in Burnley,
• Review: Sugababes – Shape,
• Century reaches agreement with sacked DJ,
• LBC criticised for racist phone in,
• Unwelcome awards for Bashir and Britney,
• Aerosmith member cuts his house in half
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Brits trivia: which Robbie track is the odd one out?
Rock DJ, She’s The One, Angels
Answer tomorrow
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GLASTONBURY IS GO
Well, I guess we all knew it would get the go ahead eventually. After a seven hour sitting Mendip District Council finally gave the go ahead for this year’s Glastonbury Festival last night. The council had previously denied the event a licence last December, of course, after increased security on site last year pushed ticketless festival goers, who had been turned away from the site, into local villages. But Eavis promised to police the area around the site this year to ensure anyone turned away didn’t cause trouble elsewhere in the local area.
Michael Eavis said he was delighted: "After losing it last time we were worried, but we did a spanking good presentation. I've never worked so hard as this in my life with getting people to come along and speak at the meeting. It was a really good meeting and we will now concentrate on the problems of the villages for this year's festival. No-one cares more about Pilton than I do."
Tickets will now go on sale for the weekend of 27 – 29 June. Although REM and Radiohead have both been tipped as headliners Glastonbury does not tend to announce its line up until after all the tickets have been sold.
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BERLIN FESTIVAL FACES FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Good news for Glastonbury, but Berlin based techno festival Love Parade has a less secure future. Latest reports suggest the event is struggling to find financial backers. Love Parade began life as a musical political process – a canny move because according to German law the government has to pick up the bill for security and refuse collection at a political protest. But now that the festival is being run by a private company the government has washed its hands of financial responsibilities increasing potential costs considerably. To be fair Berlin’s Senate have stepped in stating they will help to find more corporate sponsors, but insiders reckon securing the required funding at this stage is unlikely.
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POLICE INVESTIGATE CHICAGO CLUB TRAGEDY
Police in Chicago are still investigating why 21 people were crushed to death and many more injured when clubbers went on a stampede after security staff let off pepper spray to break up a fight. Early reports suggest that many escape routes were either locked or blocked making it impossible for clubbers to evacuate the building once the chaos began.
It is likely responsibility will lie completely at the feet of the club’s owner because city officials had banned him from opening the second floor of the club (where the trouble started) because of previous safety violations - including failure to provide enough exits.
"The owner knows damn well that he was not to open that second-floor facility," Fire Commissioner James Joyce told reporters.
However the owner’s lawyer has told reporters his client was still challenging the court order placed on his club, and has pointed out that the security guards whose spray set off the stampede worked for a promoter, not the club.
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MS DYNAMITE TAKES ANTI-WAR MESSAGE TO BRITS
After headlining the anti-war rally on Saturday, Ms Dynamite will now perform an anti-war song at the Brits on Thursday – dueting with George Michael on a reworked anti-war version of his track 'Faith'. Michael, who caused uproar in the US media with his anti-Bush/Blair 'Shoot The Dog' single last year, will participate via a video link from America.
Talking about the performance a Brits organiser told reporters: "Ms Dynamite really wanted to do something different for her performance, and sending out an anti-war message is very important to her. 'Faith' is one of her favourite songs, so she phoned George and asked if she could change the lyrics. She sent them to him and he was so impressed that he offered to duet with her. Unfortunately he can't be at the Brits, so he will appear on video."
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MADONNA SAYS "I'M PRO-PEACE, NOT ANTI-BUSH"
Elsewhere in the world of anti-war pop stars Madonna has denied she is anti-America, or even anti-Bush, despite her forthcoming anti-war video for next single 'American Life'. In a statement she told reporters: "I feel lucky to be an American citizen for many reasons - one of which is the right to express myself freely, especially in my work. I understand that there have been reports about my upcoming video 'American Life' in the media - much of which is inaccurate. I am not Anti-Bush. I am not pro-Iraq. I am pro Peace".
Talking about the forthcoming video and single, the first release from the forthcoming new album, she said: "I have written a song and created a video which expresses my feelings about our culture and values and the illusions of what many people believe is the American dream - the perfect life. As an artist, I hope that this provokes thought and dialogue. I don't expect everyone to agree with my point of view. I am grateful to have the freedom to express these feelings and that's how I honour my country".
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SO SOLID BACK IN COURT
So Solid Crew members Kaish and G-Man (real name Shane Neil and Jason Phillips), still in police custody since being arrest on gun possession charges last November, were back in court yesterday. Kaish was refused bail and will be in custody until at least Friday when he will be back in court. G-Man, who wasn't applying for bail on this occasion, will also face his charges at the end of the week.
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REVIEW: Gary Numan - Hybrid (Universal)
A friend of mine once remarked that a liking of Gary Numan should be admissible as evidence in court, such is it a definition of someone's character. Much as this may be a little harsh, you do have to wonder what the point of his existence is these days few would deny the undoubted influence and invaluable source material of his back catalogue, but there are times when the if it ain't broke, don't fix it adage needs to be trotted out. Hybrid is a (gulp) double CD, mainly consisting of reworkings of the old favourites and a trio of new songs that wouldn’t stand out even if they were performed by tapdancingpenguins. I’m sorry but dragging in a few early 90s chancers to help out (Curve, for heavens sake) does nothing to add to the project either. A compilation for scary Eurogoths only, the rest of us will make do with second-hand originals. LA
Release date: 3 Mar
Press contact: Wild [CP, CR] Ian Cheek [RP] Universal Island IH [RR, NP, NR]
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FRANKLIN TALKS TO POLICE ABOUR FIRE
After complaining that police claims she wasn’t cooperating in their investigations into a fire at her home were unfair, Aretha Franklin finally sat down with investigators yesterday to answer all their questions in a two and half hour meeting.
"She was fully cooperative," prosecutor Deborah Carley told reporters. "She gave us quite a bit of information that we will be following up on, so the investigation is definitely ongoing."
Even when they criticised Franklin for not cooperating in enquiries police stressed she is not a suspect for the suspected arson attack that led to her mansion home near Detroit being destroyed.
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POD RETURN WITH MATRIX TRACK
POD have confirmed they have recorded the lead track on the soundtrack to The Matrix Reloaded, the first of two Matrix sequels due to hit the cinemas this year. The soundtrack will be released in May, around about the same time the film should get its US release. It will be the first new music from POD since their platinum selling 'Satellite' album.
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BOY BAND CREATOR FACES LEGAL ACTION OVER TALENT WEBSITE
Lou Pearlman, the man behind the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, and who put together O-Town through MTV's 'Making The Band' show, is being investigated in Florida over claims he runs a talent agency which charges young actors to include themselves on their website with the vague promise of finding them work. Florida law bands talent agencies from charging their clients ongoing fees – agents are only meant to take money once they get their clients work.
Pearlman's company Trans Continental has told reporters this law doesn’t apply to its website because it is a 'scouting' service rather than a talent agency.
Pearlman himself issued a statement saying he had no idea an investigaton had been launched. Pearlman is used to facing lawsuits – the parents of members of one his less successful boy bands unsuccessfully sued him over claims he broke child employment laws in the hours he made the band work, while acrimonious splits with both O-Town and Nsync led to legal rumblings.
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NO SPICE GIRLS REUNION PLANNED
A spokesman for Beckham (Victoria, not the bruised face footballer) has denied rumours that a Spice Girls reunion was on the cards after all five members (and that apparently includes Geri) met at the Beckham's Hertfordshire home this weekend. "They did meet but it was a social occasion not about getting the band back together," the spokesman said. "That is nonsense - they are all working on different solo projects. Victoria has signed a new deal, Emma has apparently signed a new deal. Geri is working on other things and it is just madness to say that they are getting back together."
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EASY BOSS WILL TAKE PIRACY CASE TO THE LORDS
Easy Group boss Stelios Haji-Ioannou is planning to appeal in the House of Lords against that court ruling that found his group guilty of aiding music piracy through their CD burning service (where customers could download illegal MP3s and have them burned to a CD for a fiver). The music industry sued Easy Everything after Stelios' out of court settlement came no where near what the record labels felt they were due. Last month the courts ruled in favour of the labels and will now decide how much compensation the Easy company must pay. But Stelios will be hoping that he can get a favourable ruling in the Lords and avoid any payment.
While not denying customers used his CD burning service to download and record illegal MP3s, Stelios will use the 1988 Copyright Design and Patents Act to side step responsibility. That act says "the making for private and domestic use a recording of a broadcast or cable programme solely for the purpose of enabling its review or listening to at a more convenient time does not infringe any copyright" – he claims his company was not involved in the downloading of illegal music, just in enabling customers to make private recordings that they could listen to music at a more convenient time, ie he feels he is exempt from other copyright laws.
He told reporters yesterday: "Consumers were recording music in our internet cafes in order to consume it at a more convenient time. Obviously a judgment on that basis would have thrown the music industry in disarray. I believe it is a question for the House of Lords and not for a summary judgment. We will continue to fight the point on behalf of the consumer."
It’s a complicated line of argument and the BPI will fight it full on – meaning, for some time yet, the case continues.
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CAPITAL PREPARE FOR FIRST TARRANT BREAK
Despite a share boost after some positive predictions from a leading media analyst last week Capital bosses are now bracing themselves for the first of Chris Tarrant's prolonged breaks from the breakfast show next month. Over the next few months Tarrant will be away from the show as much as he is present – with holidays booked in March, April, July and August. Capital is hoping its new look breakfast show, with its big team of presenters, will be strong enough to maintain listeners during Tarrant’s absences, and ultimately after his final departure at the end of the year. That logic will be tested next month.
The first holiday falls into the next RAJAR period which will make April’s radio listening figures interesting reading, Capital like Virgin need some good news to keep investors happy. Tarrant's breaks will also be a testing ground for Neil Fox, who is most likely to fill in while Tarrant is away and, if successful, take over breakfast at the end of the year.
Meantime the station hopes to gain some competitive advantage from keeping the exact dates of Tarrant's holiday’s a closely guarded secret so that rivals – mainly EMAP's Kiss and Chyrsalis' Heart – can't stage major promotions during those weeks. Capital boss David Mansfield told the Media Guardian: "If we reveal when Chris is going to take his breaks then the competition will use that as an opportunity. I know exactly when Chris Tarrant is having holiday this year. It's all agreed. Chris and I are very clear on it. But I'm not prepared to comment on when it is, because its competitive information."
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LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM STAGES FESTIVAL IN BURNLEY
The Anti Nazi League’s Love Music Hate Racism campaign is planning a music carnival in one of the towns where racist groups have been most prominent in recent times – Burnley. The event aims to take on racism in a positive way, and is planned for 27 Apr. It will feature Basement Jaxx, Elbow, Misty In Roots, Miss Black America, Tim Westwood among others. It follows a similar event last year in Manchester which attracted a 35,000 strong crowd.
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REVIEW: Sugababes - Shape (Universal/Island)
What is going on in the world? We've only just forgiven the Babes for harassing the talented one out of the band and not writing those heart-wrenching tunes about being dumped at Christmas when they come and drop a clanger like this on us. Lacking all the dancefloor bounce of Round Round or the I Will Survive-ness of Stronger, their latest offering is a Sting cover. On which you can still make out samples of the original track. Ah well, least said soonest mended. LA
Release date: 3 Mar
Press contact: Wild [CP, CR] Island IH [RP, RR, NP, NR]
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CENTURY REACHES AGREEMENT WITH SACKED DJ
Capital's Century FM station in Nottingham have reached an out of court settlement with former breakfast show host Ian Wickens (radio name Ian Skye) and his producer Peter Allen prior to their unfair dismissal tribunal, which was due to take place on Friday.
Wickens and Allen were fired after listener complaints over a comedy song broadcast on the breakfast show a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks - the song, 'Hey, Mr Taliban' set to the tune of the Banana Boat song, including the line: "Run Mr Taliban, we know where you're hiding ... Air Force come and flatten your home". Both presenter and producer had taken their case to tribunal, but accepted a settlement at the last minute.
Century bosses would only say an agreement had been reached the terms of which prevented both parties from talking publicly about the incident. Wolverhampton station The Wolf, where Wickins now works, told reporters: "Ian settled his case with Century on Friday and will be back on air as usual tomorrow morning."
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LBC CRITICISED FOR RACIST PHONE IN
Elsewhere in the world of dodgy radio broadcasts, the Radio Authority have criticised London talk station LBC for racist comments made by fill in presenter Adrian Allen during a radio phone in about asylum seekers. Although regulators accepted the line 'bloody foreigners', originally crediting to Allen, had actually been used by a caller, the Authority criticised "ill-judged" derogatory comments made by Allen without differentiating between between genuine asylum seekers and economic migrants. The incident took place late last year, before the station's major revamp by new owners Chrysalis.
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UNWELCOME AWARDS FOR BASHIR AND BRITNEY
More comedy surveys – and more bad news for Britney Spears. After being nominated in the spoof Oscars last week her debut movie 'Crossroads' has been awarded a NAFTA Award for the worst flick of 2002 in a spoof radio survey timed to precede the film version of the BAFTA Awards which take place on 23 Feb.
Elsewhere, Jacko will be pleased to hear that Martin Bashir currently leads the way in a Channel 4 poll to find the worst living Briton. Following the fall out of his Jackson documentary Bashir is just ahead of Prime Minister Tony Blair in the unpopularity stakes.
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AEROSMITH MEMBER CUTS HIS HOUSE IN HALF
Favourite story of the day. Aerosmith star Joey Kramer has taken the bulldozer to his 15-room Boston mansion to make it "cosier" for him and wife April. Kramer had tried to sell the house, but decided to make it smaller instead.
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Answer to Monday's pop quiz:
Kulashaker, Stereophonics, ***, S Club 7, A1
Belle & Sebastian – it's a list of the winners of Best Newcomer Brit Award from 1997 to 2001