Search Results for: british

Irish punk rock legend Feargal Sharkey will head a survey to examine the state of live music in Britain, which was announced by the government on Tuesday. The number of live bands and appropriate venues has declined over the past few decades, according to the Musicians Union and other critics. Complex licensing laws have also made it hard for small venues to support grassroots live acts. Partially as a result, studio-manufactured pop bands have swamped the music charts, they say. Arts Minister Estelle Morris said the survey will kick-start the Live Music Forum, a new body which will examine new… Read more »

British rock band The Darkness struck a blow for the big hair, skin-tight catsuits and wailing guitar solos of the 1980s Thursday, outshining rivals at Britain’s biggest heavy metal awards. The much-hyped quartet won two awards, for best album and best live act, at music magazine Kerrang!’s 10th annual ceremony in London. It was a far cry from the band’s humble roots in rural Suffolk, eastern England, where lead singer Justin Hawkins and the band used to perform before tiny audiences in bars. “We’ve always behaved like stadium rockers, even at the beginning when we were playing in pubs,” Hawkins… Read more »

The White Stripes’ much-heralded new album “Elephant” (XL Recordings) stampeded the U.K. chart on Sunday, going straight to No. 1, while “Make Luv” by Room 5 featuring Oliver Cheatham (Positiva) retained its place at the top of the singles chart. The singles survey also saw a new entry at No. 4 for Liverpool trio Atomic Kitten’s latest hit, “Love Doesn’t Have To Hurt” (Innocent/Virgin), and a No. 7 debut for Avril Lavigne’s “I’m With You” (Arista). The only other top-20 debuts were Mario’s “Just a Friend” (J) at No. 18 and “Satisfaction” by Eve (Ruff Ryders) at No. 20. Last… Read more »

Christina Aguilera swapped sexy for soft on her latest single but still topped the British pop charts on Sunday, ending the four-week reign of Russian “lesbian” duo Tatu. The American pop star, who recently unveiled a raunchy new image, topped the British singles charts for the second time in three months with the gentle ballad “Beautiful,” the latest release from her million-selling album “Stripped.” Aguilera hit No. 1 in Britain last November with “Dirrty.” Spanish DJ and producer DJ Sammy slid in at No. 2 with his re-dub of Don Henley’s 1980s classic “The Boys of Summer,” a current dance… Read more »

Madonna has complained to Britain’s press watchdog about a magazine article claiming she was pregnant, the Press Complaints Commission said Wednesday. A commission spokeswoman said the singer-actress had contacted the organization to say a report in celebrity magazine Heat was “inaccurate.” Heat reported in its latest issue that Madonna, 44, had visited a birth specialist in London at the end of last year. The magazine noted her baggy clothes and that she’d stopped dying her hair, which some pregnant women choose to do. Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, was quoted by the British Broadcasting Corp. as saying there was no truth… Read more »

Michael Jackson is a “disturbing individual” with a love of multi-million-dollar shopping sprees and a desire to live forever, according to a journalist granted unrivalled access to the pop star. Martin Bashir, who spent eight months making a documentary on the normally reclusive singer, said 44-year-old Jackson truly is the Peter Pan of pop who is obsessed by the idea of childhood being frozen in time. Plastic surgery, child abuse allegations and his father’s cruelty all feature in a warts-and-all British television documentary being aired in Britain Monday evening. The ITV program is the result of the unprecedented access Jackson… Read more »

A London nightclub bouncer on Tuesday accepted “substantial” libel damages from a tabloid newspaper which printed remarks by Oasis star Noel Gallagher (news) about an alleged assault at the club. London’s High Court was told that Shabazz Nelson had sued the mass-selling Sun tabloid for damages after it ran an interview with the musician about a fracas at celebrity hang-out, The Met Bar. “In the course of the article Mr. Gallagher alleged that he and his girlfriend had been assaulted by door attendants who were referred to as monkeys,” said Nelson’s lawyer, Korieh Duodu. The article was accompanied by a… Read more »

The British Army has recalled 300 promotional videos featuring music by rock band Oasis after the songs were used without the band’s permission, the Ministry of Defense said on Saturday. The singles “Wonderwall” and “Hello” from the Gallagher brothers’ hit 1995 album “What’s the Story Morning Glory” were featured on the soundtrack to a video produced for the Highlanders regiment. An MOD spokesman said the Highlanders were unaware they needed the band’s permission to use the music until it was “brought to their attention.” Media reports said lawyers for the Britpop veterans ordered the Edinburgh-based regiment to remove the songs… Read more »

Controversial pop artist Eminem rapped his way to No. 1 in Britain’s pop charts Sunday, knocking manufactured group Liberty X off the top spot after just one week. The American rapper’s single “Without Me” beat off stiff competition from the likes of boy band Westlife to go straight in at No. 1, according to figures from the Official UK Charts Company. Liberty X, comprising finalists from the hit show “Popstars” and once dubbed “flopstars” by the British press, fell to No. 2 with “Just a Little.” Liverpudlian all-girl group Atomic Kitten proved no match for Eminem, entering the chart at… Read more »

Lifehouse has turned to the U.K. for inspiration for its upcoming second album, which now boasts the odd title Stanley Climvfall. Frontman Jason Wade says some of that country’s classic rock artists, as well as some newer favorites, were on the band’s mind when they entered the studio. “All of us started listening to a little bit more Led Zeppelin and the Beatles, so I think that it’s sounds a little less American, a little more influenced by, like, Coldplay, Radiohead, Pink Floyd.” Lifehouse is approximately two weeks away from completing the album, Wade says, with a release from DreamWorks… Read more »