NEWS: AC/DC Doppelgangers To Invade Reading

‘Back To Skool’ styled rockers AC/DC have announced an exciting competition for all fans attending the Reading Festival later this month.

The festival will play host to two massive billboards advertising the Melbourne band’s new album, but , more specifically, one will have these words:

"Come to the AC/DC billboards dressed like Angus, let a friend take a picture of you in front of the 60x40 and upload it to www.acdcrocks.com/uk the best "Angus" wins a 2 person-trip to an AC/DC rehearsal in the USA."

So, does exactly what it says on the tin then?

The prize is a trip to the States where the winner will see the band perform an intimate, competition winners only gig before they start a full US tour proper.

When you’re next in Asda then, head for George, get yourself a blazer, a pair of shorts, cap and a satchel (all for a shilling) and get practising your best rock gurn and Angus devil horns.

For inspiration have a look at the classic 'Highway To Hell' video below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: The Prodigy Return To Jilt The Nation

Comeback kings of the concrete jungle, The Prodigy have announced their biggest UK tour in three years.

After a series of festival shows this summer the band are spending December taking in Carling Academy venues up and down the country on what is being called ‘The Invaders Academy Tour’.

The dates of the shows are as follows:

• 7th December - Carling Academy, Liverpool
• 8th December - Carling Academy, Glasgow
• 9th December - Carling Academy, Birmingham
• 11th December - Carling Academy, Sheffield
• 12th December - Carling Academy, London Brixton
• 13th December - Carling Academy, London Brixton

Tickets will go on general sale on Thursday 21st August with prices between £27.50 and £30. For the die hard fans, website members will be able to bag pre-sale tickets 24 hours earlier at www.theprodigy.com.

The greatness of The Prodigy’s greatness direct to your eyes below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Hopper Does A Spector

Inspiration can be taken from anywhere and anything. Here at the Quietus it’s mostly pulled out of alcoholic pools of thought at our local. For a while now Hollywood has turned to the music industry and its cult figures for a spark of artistic stimulation.

Not so long ago Johnny Depp took on the guise of an inebriated Keith Richards in those pirate films before Heath Ledger slapped on some make-up and did his best Sid Vicious impression, apparently, opposite the big bad bat. Now it has been announced that Dennis Hopper is to imitate legendary music producer Phil Spector.

The star of Apocalypse Now, Easy Rider and, that classic, Speed, is to play a Spector-esque music producer in an episode of the US TV show Crash, a small screen spin-off of the movie of the same name.

Hopper said his character is “totally out of his mind.”

“It's really amazing because we don't have any restrictions, like language problems or sexual problems; we can do anything we want and we're really out there."

Spector, the producer of The Ramones and the controversial Leonard Cohen album Death Of A Ladies' Man, has certainly led a life of excess and Hopper's character looks set to be as self-destructive.

“In my episode we had an orgy. I'm doing drugs all the time. I'm smoking grass. I'm having orgies. Hey it's music, it's rock 'n' roll baby. It's gonna be an eye opener.”

As of yet it’s not known when the episode starring Hopper will air in the US but the Quietus is certainly looking for forward to seeing Hopper pull off that mad Spector afro if the make-up department feel like a challenge.

Watch a snippet of Hopper playing a very mad photojournalist in Apocalypse Now below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Colin Greenwood Plays Bass In Hollywood

Just as Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk denied the employment of Radiohead as score supremos for his new flick Choke, one member of the band has been branching out into Hollywood on his own.

Thick-thumbed Colin Greenwood has contributed to a soundtrack for a new film released this year.

In amongst playing some massive outdoor dates, rewriting the textbook on how to release an album and recording groundbreaking videos the Radiohead bass player has found time to perform on the OST for new independent film Woodpecker.

Teaming up with Lee and Tyler Sargent of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and composer James Lavino, Colin has followed his younger brother into Hollywood after Jonny last year wrote the music for Let There Be Blood.

The film, directed by Alex Karpovsky, has already had screenings at a number of festivals including South By South West, Wisconsin and Maine International film festivals.

An official release date is yet to be announced.

Visit the official Woodpecker film website here.

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Slayer To Split

Thrash-metal's forefather Tom Araya has hinted that Slayer may split after they have finished recording a new album.

Araya spoke exclusively to the Quietus’ moshier sibling Thrash Hits declaring there may not be a future for Slayer after the band complete their recording commitments with American Recordings.

In the interview Araya said: “Let's put it this way, this is the final record of our commitment with Rick Rubin. When we first signed a deal with him back in 1986, we never sat down and said, ‘How long do you guys want to keep this together?’

“We signed the deal and we've just been doing records since. Then, by the time we did Seasons In The Abyss, our third record with Rubin, we had a manager (Rick Sales) who did a really good job of renegotiating an entire new deal for ten records.

“We just continued making records with no game plan other than ‘We're gonna do a record and then tour’, ‘We're gonna do another record after the tour’ and so on.”

The end isn’t as close as fans might fear though with plans continuing for what may be the band’s final album.

“We're working on new ideas now just so that people can have a taste of what's coming. Kerry (King) and Jeff (Hanneman) are putting together ideas, so what the end result of this next two and a half months is, I don't know. Once we've put together new material, we can get together and discuss our future plans.

“Seeing a 50 year old man headbanging on stage would make me cringe. If I was watching that, I'd think, ‘Dude, you're a little too old for that, aren't you? You're gonna fall off!’”

A live performance of 'Eyes Of The Insane' by Slayer is available below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Skinner Hits The Streets

After exciting fans with a little teaser of new material, The Streets have announced a full nationwide tour for October.

The tour is expected to showcase new songs from the forthcoming album Everything Is Borrowed.

The Quietus was among the first to announce a medley of new music taken from the album which was made available on Mike Skinner’s mySpace earlier this month.

Skinner and the gang kick things off in Glasgow on 4th October and finish things up in typically raucous fashion in Leeds in the 19th.

The Streets’ fourth LP is due for release around the same time as the live dates.

The tour will take in the following cities:

• 4th October - Glasgow Barrowlands
• 5th October - Manchester Academy
• 6th October - Sheffield Plug
• 9th October - Birmingham Academy
• 10th October - Newcastle Academy
• 11th October - Oxford Academy
• 13th October - Southampton Guildhall
• 14th October - Preston 53 Degrees
• 15th October - Norwich UEA
• 17th October - Bristol Academy
• 18th October - Nottingham Rock City
• 19th October - Leeds Academy

Or click here to be taken straight to the See Tickets website.

The Streets new video 'Escapist', complete with intercontinental wanderings that would make Ian Botham proud, can be seen below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Bittersweet Tensions For Ashcroft

Stringy northern soulster Richard Ashcroft has hinted that there is still tensions within his band despite their seemingly successful reformation.

Friction has reportedly been brewing within The Verve camp as they have been putting together their new album Forth, ten year after their last long player Urban Hymns.

This shouldn’t be taken to heart though, as the singer told BBC 6 Music they’ve never necessarily seen eye-to-eye.

“Obviously there's baggage and things that you've got to sift through," he said. "It's not some Mills & Boon scene running down the beach as the sun sets. But it is the case that these four people make a unique sound together.”

Nick McCabe, the band’s guitarist confirmed that there’s always been an element of conflict within the band but that this only serves the music, man.

“We've had a lot of time to think about things, but hopefully we're older and wiser, and it just seemed to me that I put a huge chunk of my life into this and there is no way that I would turn my back on it if there was ever a chance of it working again,” he told the Beeb.

The Verve returned to the live stage with a headline set at Glastonbury this year. You can find it just beneath this scribble:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Sigur Ros Play Biggest Gigs Yet

Cunning linguists Sigur Ros have announced that they are to play their biggest UK shows ever in November.

The Icelandic quartet have only just touched down on earth again after playing to the biggest crowd ever assembled for a Latitude festival headline act on Saturday 19th July.

Now they’re celebrating the success of that show by returning to these shores for five more dates towards the end of 2008.

The venues and dates are as follows:

• 4th November – Wolvehampton Civic
• 5th November – Blackpool Empress Ballroom
• 7th November – Bristol Colston Hall
• 20th November – London Alexandra Palace
• 21st November – London Alexandra Palace

The band’s latest album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly) went into the Top 5 upon release earlier this month.

A special deluxe edition of the album is available to pre-order from the the Sigur Ros website now. It is officially released in September.

Have a look at the much talked video for 'Svefn-g-englar' by clicking below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Oasis’ Studio Bribe

Ego juggernauts Oasis today declared that they kicked U2 and producer Rick Rubin out of Abbey Road studio in order to record their new album.

Guitarist Noel Gallaher is claiming this morning that the band paid the owners of the legendary London studio to evict the Irish rockers.

The situation dates back to last December when U2 had been booked to take up the controls in the sound-booth.

“U2 were booked in there with (producer) Rick Rubin. I was like, ‘U2? U2 have to have a fucking six-hour meeting (to discuss) whether to get tea or coffee in the rehearsal room! They are not coming in here any time in the next five years’.”

Talking to Mojo Gallagher went on to say, “The guy from Abbey Road was like, ‘I've got it block-booked for the exact time you want it.’

“We actually went down to Abbey Road with a bag of money, and said, ‘We can pay for the studio now’.”

Dig Out Your Soul, Oasis’ new studio album is released on October 6th, preceded by the single, ‘The Shock Of Lightning', out on September 28th.

Although there’s a wait for the album, the band have already released the artwork which you can see below.

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Ozzy Returns To The Studio

The pickled Prince of Darkness is returning to the studio to work on a brand new album, so ASAD believes.

According to Blabbermouth.net Ozzy Osbourne will be penning and recording new music after his live appearances this summer.

In the coming weeks Ozzy will be performing at the Monsters of Rock show in Calgary, Canada on Saturday 26th July and Ozzfest 2008 in Dallas on Saturday 9th August.

On top of this his last release, Black Rain achieved gold certification and he is billed to feature in a brand new reality TV show starting in the autumn, in the States at least.

Keep it ASAD to read the latest new on the album developments as they happen.

To watch the mighty Black Sabbath pound out 'Ironman' at last year’s Ozzfest click below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Lydon Brands Okereke A 'Liar'

After this morning’s revelations about an alleged scuffle between Kele Okereke and John Lydon at a Spanish festival, the crazy eyed punk vet has finally provided a statement to the press.

In the short, sensitively constructed mail out Lydon denies his involvement in the racist assault by labelling Okereke a liar and someone in need of publicity.

“I feel very sorry for a man that needs to lie about what was a perfect evening.”

In the first public statement from Lydon’s camp about events on Saturday evening, the sex Pistols claims, “trouble was brought us, resulting in those causing the trouble being physically removed by festival security. If they need publicity so badly this is the allegation universe they run into.”

Using the punk-rock royal we he added, “After the show John Rotten and management remained behind to sign autographs, which we did for four solid hours without incident and had a great time talking to other Spanish bands, this seems to have sparked jealousy in certain bands.”

Lydon did however make one sole reference to the supposed racial accusations behind the incident, “We are in the middle of a wonderful tour, after 30 years we are achieving a true unity in our audience. They are multi-varied, all ages, all races, creeds and colours. When you are at a festival with bands who are jealous fools, lies and confusion usually follow.”

He then directs a comment directly at Okereke: “Grow up and learn to be a true man. It's a shame that the wonderful world of the media is riddled with nonsense like this.”

Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke is yet to release a media retort.

To have a look at last year’s Love Music Hate Racism roundtable debate featuring Kele Okereke click below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Everything Must Go!

The Go! Team are having a clearout.

The retro pop-rockers today launch a revolutionary brand new website that is dedicated to dishing out free digital content from their back catalogue.

Located on their website, fans will find a new recording of ’Milk Crisis’, the four track EP of Get It Together, their first release and some remixes they've done of other artists and other artists have done of them.

The cream of the crop is a collection of song parts from ‘Ladyflash’ and ‘Flashlight Fight’ featuring Chuck D which have been made available for superstar DJs out there to fiddle with.

Projects achieving a decent level of audio-aesthetics are invited to send their remixes to remix@thegoteam.co.uk

The Quietus has been reliably informed that the band will be adding more downloads to the site in the near future. Keep checking back for old demos, live versions and other stuff.

Meanwhile the band’s somewhat unbelievably busy world tour, with and without CSS continues:

• 25th July - Pentaport Festival, South Korea
• 27th July - Fuji Rock Festival (Red Marquee Stage), Japan
• 30th July - First Avenue (w/ CSS) Minneapolis, Minnesota
• 31st July - Turner Hall (w/ CSS) Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• 1st August - Lollapalooza Festival Chicago, Illinois
• 2nd August - Magic Stick, Detroit, Michigan
• 4th August - MEG stage / Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada
• 5th August - Phoenix (w/ CSS) Toronto, Ontario
• 7th August - Trocadero (w/ CSS) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 8th August - All Points West Festival, Liberty Island, New York
• 9th August - The Roxy (w/ CSS) Boston, Massachusetts
• 10th August - Virgin Mobile Festival, Baltimore, Maryland
• 15th August - Belsonic Festival, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 22nd August - MTV Weekend Day, Gijon, Spain
• 23rd August - A Coruna Beach Party, A Coruna, Spain
• 30th August - Surfstock Festival, Newquay, Cornwall
• 31st August - Jersey Live Festival, Trinity, Jersey, Channel Islands

For the classic ‘Ladyflash’ have a look below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: DFA Dish Out Some Krautrock

DFA Records are releasing a LP of material from Berlin based Supersoul Recordings to celebrate the German label’s second birthday.

Nobody Knows Anything has been compiled by DFA’s sublabel Death From Abroad for a US only release, and via Supersoul/Kompakt for the rest of the world.

Heavily rooted in stylish electronic dance music, Supersoul was founded by Xaver Naudascher in 2006. All the label’s featured artists have taken inspiration from Krautrock, Italo Disco, Electro, Chicago House and Detroit Techno.

DFA are giving readers the opportunity to listen to the entire collection. Simple visit this bit of the DFA site and enjoy.

The tracklisting for Nobody Knows Anything is as follows:

CD 1:

1. Xaver Naudascher - 'Lost'
2. Mogg & Naudascher - 'Moon Unit Pt. 2'
3. Mogg & Naudascher - 'Moon Unit Pt. 1'
4. Walter Jones - 'Deuteronomy Brown' (I-f edit)
5. Plastique de Reve - 'Resist' feat. Radical Cheerleaders
6. Strangelets - 'Riot On Planet 10'
7. Xaver Naudascher - 'Afterlife'
8. Max Brannslokker - 'Stropharia'
9. Walter Jones - 'The Odyssey Sound' (Mogg & Naudascher edit)

CD 2:

1. Skatebård - 'Marimba'
2. Plastique De Reve - 'Lost In The City' feat. Ghostape
3. Xaver Naudascher - 'Motor City'
4. Strangelets - 'Riot On Planet 10' (Blitz Gramsci rmx)
5. Mogg & Naudascher - 'Moon Unit Pt. 4' feat. Rosalind
6. Skatebård - 'Pagans'
7. Mogg & Naudascher - 'Moon Unit Pt. 3' feat. Arthur Hornig
8. Maxx Brannslokker - 'Solar Trip' feat. Katya Tyukova
9. Skatebård - 'Flexy'
10. Walter Jones - 'A.I.P.' (X.L.N.'s Maison Vumbi edit)

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Bloc Party And Sex Pistols In 'Racial Attack'

Reports are emerging today of an incident involving Bloc Party's Kele Okereke and Sex Pistols' frontman John Lydon at a Spanish festival over the weekend.

A fight erupted at the Summercase festival in Barcelona on Saturday July 19th which has now been called an 'unprovoked racist attack' by Okereke.

According to the Bloc Party camp the singer approached Lydon to ask if he would consider reforming one of the his bands, Public Image Ltd.

In a statement Bloc Party claim the punk veteran "became intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade including the statement, 'Your problem is your black attitude'."

A fight occurred soon after in which Lydon's entourage were seen by some 50 people to attack Okereke at which point Ricky Wilson of the Kaiser Chiefs and Foals' Yannis Philippakis stepped in to help the singer.

Other bands who witnessed the ruckus include Mystery Jets, Neon Neon and Har Mar Superstar.

The violence left Kele with severe bruising and cuts to his face and body and a split lip.

Festival security stepped in to neutralise the situation which was later reported to Spanish police. Okereke gave a statement to British police upon returning to the UK.

Speaking to NME.com the Bloc Party frontman said: "It's not an issue of the physical assault, even though it was an unprovoked attack, it is the fact that race was brought into the matter so readily.

"Someone as respected and as intelligent as Lydon should know better than to bring race into the equation, or socialise with and encourage those who hold such narrow-minded attitudes.

"I am disappointed that someone I held with such high regard turns out to be such a bigot."

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: U2 Producer Remembers The Early Days

Original U2 producer Steve Lillywhite has spoken of the time he spent with the band recording their monumental first three albums.

In an interview posted on the BBC News website Lillywhite records his experiences mixing the records, socialising with the band and generally witnessing the good musical juices issue forth from Bono & co.

As time went on, and one album followed the last, the Grammy award winner saw the band morph from cocky Irish wannabies to even cockier politically-driven rock stars and creative accountants.

He was also on board for the band’s first number one album War, released in 1983.

Lillywhite’s comments come as U2 release re-mastered special edition issues of those first LPs, as dissected on the Quietus by our very own Andrew Mueller here.

Below are the best bits of what he had to say to the Beeb. For the full story on the BBC website.

Boy
(1980)

Recorded when the band were all still under the age of 21 the title reflected their still innocent nature. Despite this the album was originally going to be mastered by Martin Hannett who is famous for helping develop Joy Division’s sound, a flattering proposition for such a new band.

“I always remember on that first album, I was sitting at the mixing desk with the band behind me and suddenly I heard all this giggling. I turned around and suddenly they all went sheepish, shushing each other like teacher was looking at them.

“I think they would admit that, like all teenage boys, they hadn't lived long enough to acquire a personality… There wasn't much talking in the studio. It was quite serious.”

October
(1981)

A brooding Bono didn’t go down well with the critics as U2’s second offering received mixed reviews. Fears of the music industry being against the band’s religious beliefs and the lose briefcase full of lyrics nearly stopped the band’s progression in its track. Thank God it didn’t.

“U2 could have gone two ways after Boy. They could have broken out and gone bigger - but in fact what they did was they shrunk a little bit. They were a little bit scared of the world, I think.

“Yes, there were Bibles dotted around the room during the recording. There was a fair amount of that. But I was so busy trying to pull teeth - trying to make an album - that it sort of washed over me.

“It was completely chaotic and mad in the studio and, obviously, Bono's lyrics being lost contributed to the atmosphere. I'm not sure whether any of those words would have been used on the album - only he knows that - but certainly it would have been a starting point.”

War
(1983)

The breakthrough album. Knocked Thriller off the top of the charts. ‘Nuf said.

“The band had been questioning whether their beliefs could coincide with their new experiences. And in the end it was their manager Paul McGuinness who sat down and said, ‘don't be so silly, you can have them both’.

“In his sort of matter-of-fact way, he convinced them that the world would be better if they carried on making music.

“But I think we all realised that there'd been a step back with October and that, if we were going to go for it, we had to have the urgency of the first album.

“I remember Bono saying to The Edge, ‘don't be like The Edge. Be like Mick Jones from the Clash’.

“Because Edge is like a scientist. He has the white coat on and pencils in his pocket. And I think what Bono wanted him to do was take off the white coat and put on the star-studded leather jacket.”

And for some classic 1983 U2 click below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Metallica Artwork Revealed

Metallica have released some of the artwork (pictured above) that is to feature on their forthcoming album Death Magnetic.

The images put up on the Metallica website yesterday depict a coffin etched out of iron filings that have been treated by some magnetic fields from top to bottom, just like those prepubescent primary school science experiments.

The impressive, pristine looking images are a further teaser from the metal behemoths, who earlier this month told fans of an extremely limited and already sought after collectors edition of the new album.

In a spectacularly melancholy move to win over the new-age digital loving music fans Metallica announced they are going to release Death Magnetic in a special coffin boxset when the album hits the shelves later this year.

The coffin release will include the full album, a CD of demos, a DVD 'making of' documentary with never before seen footage, an exclusive t-shirt, a flag (randomly), guitar picks and a poster along with a collector's card containing an embossed code to redeem a free download of a special European show happening in September.

The statement giving the details of the coffin box on the Metallica website also said the band were in the process of finalising the artwork at the moment.

Have a gander just below for the new Metallica video for 'The Day That Never Comes':

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Brian Jonestown Massacre Each Other?

Yesterday the NME reported on a somewhat chaotic end to Wednesday’s Brian Jonestown Massacre gig.

The show is said to have come to an abrupt conclusion after an argument broke out between lead singer Anton Newcombe and guitarist Frankie Emerson.

After police were called and rumours of knife injuries sustained by Emerson began to circulate, the label and management of the band today released a statement announcing that no such events occurred.

The statement read as follows:

“There was no knife or knives involved in any shape or form in this incident. The cuts to Frankie Emerson were caused by some glass splinters.

“Emerson’s injuries were superficial to his arm and stomach and he was treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London. These injuries were caused by horseplay by the band in their own changing room after the gig.”

Whether or not the injuries were caused by glass or "horseplay" is still up for debate as the announced remains somewhat shady with these details.

“Anton Newcombe was questioned at Kentish Police Station to help the police with their enquiries and was released with no charge or caution. Frankie Emerson did not press any charges on Anton Newcombe.

“Any comments by anyone within or outside the media to the contrary are completely false. The band will continue with their successful European tour.”

The London Forum gig on July 16th may have started well but it soon descended into some pretty laughable scenes inner-band dysfunction.

Apparently an inebriated Emerson swung a microphone in a fit of showmanship and damaged it during the evening.

Newcombe reacted by telling him, in front of the crowd, that he would have to pay for the broken equipment to which Emerson responded by sarcastically blasting "testing, one two, one two" into the mic before the band’s encore.

Drummer Joel Gion attempted to settle matters by saying goodnight to the crowd but Emerson trumped up again shouting: “Don't shut front of house man, you fucker.”

After returning to complete the encore the alleged confrontation took place backstage, and police were called to diffuse the situation. No arrests were made and the band is continuing on their UK tour.

A label spokesman played down the incident, declaring: “These things do happen on tour when the band are tired and been away from home too long.”

Brian Jonestown Massacre video to ‘When Jokers Attack’ can be watched below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: McCartney Sings ‘Happy Birthday Israel’

Hamster king of the City of Culture Paul McCartney looks set to make history once again by playing a gig in Israel, 43 years after The Beatles were banned from performing in the country.

In 1965 the biggest band in the world was famously turned away by the then education minister of Israel, who believed the band’s music might corrupt the nation’s youth.

Earlier this year McCartney, fellow Beatle Ringo Starr and the relatives of George Harrison and John Lennon each received letters of apology from Israel’s ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor.

The letter read: “There is no doubt that it was a great missed opportunity to prevent people like you, who shaped the minds of the generation, to come to Israel and perform.”

This comes five years after McCartney made history by performing in Moscow’s Red Square, the first time any Beatle had been allowed to play in the Russia since the Soviet regime banned the group.

A date for the gig has not been revealed but it is understood that the former Wings frontman will appear in the Middle East before the year is out.

In other McCartney news, Liverpool’s famous son has faced opposition to his appearance in Quebec this weekend. McCartney is to play an event celebrating the city's 400th anniversary, but members of the grumpy French-descended community have got in a huff about the "Canadianisation" of the event. The city was under French rule until it was captured by General Wolfe in 1759, and there has been a strong movement for independence from Canada ever since.

McCartney plays ‘Back in the USSR’ for the people of the former USSR below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Eno And Byrne Join Forces Once Again

Magic musical partnership Brian Eno and David Byrne have delighted fans by announcing they are once again working together on a new studio album. This will be preceded by three US tour dates.

According to Billboard, the song-writing duo has already started work on the new album, their first since 1981's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. As yet untitled, the LP will be released later this year.

David Byrne is expected to self-release the project once it is completed.

The tour, billed ever-so-succinctly as 'The Songs of Talking Heads' David Byrne and Roxy Music founder Brian Eno', will feature songs from Eno-era Talking Heads.

The three dates will take in Atlanta on September 20th then the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas on September 26th before finishing up in California on October 4th.

A truly classic performance of Eno-produced ‘Life During Wartime’ from the Talking Heads’ movie Stop Making Sense is waiting just below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus

NEWS: Glastonbury vs. Lollapalooza

The Godfather of muddy summer shindigs Glastonbury could get a new competitor as reports out this morning claim Perry Farrell is considering bringing his Lollapalooza festival across the pond.

The former Jane's Addiction singer has said he’s been approached with offers to make the famous US music gathering international. Speaking to NME.COM he also revealed the three-day Chicago festival will have new elements to it when it when things kick off on August 1.

“Lollapalooza is one of the historically great festivals in this country. Over there [in England] they have Glastonbury - it's actually older than Lollapalooza. I love the competition. I love the idea that OK, you've got Glastonbury, let's see what we can do to make our Lollapalooza fantastic.”

Taking an entire festival overseas is no mean feat, and Farrell is under no illusions as to how demanding the mammoth task ahead of him will be.

“I'm in negotiations right now with a few other locations, some of them overseas, and we'll see how it goes. I look at Lollapalooza as an incredible party machine and you have to go where you can put on the best party."

On more immediate matters Farrell spoke of the latest addition to the Chicago Grant Park outing; a shaded “club area” where punters will be able to enjoy a bit of a dance, a drink and watch some live music.

“It'll have booze and seating and an authentic club sound and feel. It's a place where you can get out of the sun, grab a drink and get a taste of dance culture. And I'll be doing a live electro set there with my Satellite Party posse.”

The once travelling music carnival which has now found a permanent home in Chicago features an impressive line-up this year. Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails, Wilco, The Raconteurs and Gnarls Barkley are all set to make an appearance, with Farrell particularly looking forward to Kanye West’s set.

“This year Kanye West has had a bit of controversy going on with his live sets, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing him hit the stage and rock the city of Chicago.”

To see The Raconteurs perform ‘Level’ at last year’s Lollapalooza divert your gaze below:

This news story can be found on the Quietus with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: the Quietus