Music News - GIGWISE.com

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:31:07 GMT

Chad Kroeger has revealed how he and his Nickelback deal with critics of the band, claiming they rival each other to come up with the wittiest response.

The band have been the source of much mockery during their career, not least by rival rockers The Black Keys, but Kroeger admits he is aware how the public perceives the band and the band enjoy fending off the criticism.

"We're just laughing while we do it," Kroeger said in an interview with the Edmonton Journal. "I mean, it's just like when you got guys all sitting around together, you know, we'll hear about something and, you know, we laugh. You know, whoever comes up with the most comedic thing, it's like, `Oh, that's good. We have to tweet that.'"

He also added that he doesn't believe the band will ever receive any awards for their music, adding: "We may be dead by then but I think the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will probably show up the same time as our first Grammy."

Below: Nickelback vs Black Keys and more rock and roll feuds

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 12:08:07 GMT

Ahead of the release of Cheryl Cole's third album 'A Million Lights' on Monday, (18 June, 2012) tracks from the record have begun to appear online - including 'Ghetto Baby', written by Lana Del Rey.

A classy slice of moody, downbeat electronic pop, 'Ghetto Baby' bears all the hallmarks of Lana's work such as the glamour/despair of the lyrics, the laid back vocal delivery and the spoken word sections. The only thing different are the vocals.

Cheryl had spoken previously of the track, saying in an interview with Capital FM: "I noticed Lana about a year ago. I was hearing these songs that were really fresh to my ear and amazing and I asked the guy who she was and he said, 'Watch out for her, it's a girl called Lana Del Rey'."

Adding: "It all happened really organically just like that. And then 'Video Games' came out and I fell in love with her as an artist as well, so yeah, she's super talented."

Listen to 'Ghetto Baby' below:

Below: the sexiest women in music 2012, including Cheryl and Lana

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:47:20 GMT

It is proably best for everyone that Lady Gaga leaves a number of Eastern destinations off her new world tour, having added Thailand to her list of countries upset by the content of her 'Born This Way' ball shows.

She was recently forced to cancel a show in Indonesia when protests became so severe that there were concerns for the safety, not only for Gaga, but her fans as well.

In her recent Thailand show, Gaga wore a tradional Thai headress and a bikini while straddling a motorcycle adorned with a Thai flag. Which many saw as offensive.

The country's Culture Ministry said the stage stunt was "not appropriate and hurt the feelings of the Thai people", but also added that the ministry will not seek any legal action against the star.

As well as offending people every time she stops for a show, Lady Gaga was earlier this week whacked in the face by a metal pole during a New Zealand show, performing 16 songs with a concussion and black eye.]]>

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 11:26:34 GMT

Kasabian have once again shown off their football talents in a new video teaser released ahead of tonight's (15 June, 2012) England vs Sweden match.

Serge Pizzorno recently proved himself the man of the match at a recent Soccer Aid game, where he scored a dazzling goal at the celebrity match.

Kasabian are tonight performing in Sweden at the Hultfred Festival - where last night The Stone Roses performed, getting their comeback tour back on track.

Kasabian will return to the UK to headline Reading and Leeds festival and perform at BBC Radio One's Hackney Weekend event in London. Tom Meighan recently hit headlines when he claimed that One Direction are 'five little d**ks' after their overnight success in America.

Watch Kasabian's new football video below:

Below: Serge Pizzorno on the pitch with JLS, Robbie Williams, Olly Murs and more

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 09:31:04 GMT

Cheryl Cole continues her rise to world stardom, as her latest album is currently outselling Justin Bieber on album pre-orders.

Her new release 'A Million Lights' is currently selling more on Amazon.co.uk than Bieber's 'Believe' - having sold double the number of copies of her third album than the Canadian star has his latest release.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Paul Firth, the music manager of Amazon UK said:"With Cheryl's Call My Name dominating our radio waves, there is a genuine excitement about the release of A Million Lights which looks set to become one of the biggest sellers of the year so far.

"Cheryl is really establishing herself as a leading female solo artist here in the UK and looks set to have a third number one album."

Cheryl's new single was earlier this week named the biggest selling single of 2012.]]>

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:10:30 GMT

A number of new names have been announced for this year's Underage Festival in East London.

New on the bill are Disclosure, Hadouken!, Jessie Ware, Lianne La Havas, Mahalia, Tribes, Willy Moon and Zulu Winter, who join the likes of BIGKids, Maverick Sabre, Pulled Apart By Horses and many more at the Shoreditch event.

Arranged by the same team who run London's Field Day, the Underage Festival has become known for likewise pioneering new talent.

Tom Baker of Eat Your Own Ears says: "It’s incredible how quickly five years has gone. The first Underage Festival was an amazing event; the atmosphere and energy of the audience, everyone was buzzing from the bands and singing along to all the lyrics.

"The line up this year is really shaping up and I think will be more focused than ever as there are less stages, but no less thrilling than in previous years. It’s also exciting to be on a new site in Shoreditch Park"

The Underage Festival is a one-day event, taking place on 31 August 2012 in Shoreditch Park, London. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.]]>

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 08:03:09 GMT

US rapper Drake has denied any involvement in the supposed bar brawl that left singer Chris Brown sporting a gash to his chin earlier this week.

Chris Brown has reportedly been helping police with enquiries into the incident, which was said to have begun when Drake boasted to Brown about having sex with Brown's ex, Rihanna.

"Drake did not participate in any wrongdoing of any kind last night at W.i.P," says Drake's spokesperson in an official statement. "He was on his way out of the club when the altercation began. He did not engage in any activity which resulted in injury to person or damage to property."

Onlookers at the nightclub have told how the brawl was between the US stars' entourages, rather than the stars themselves. With one club-goer telling US website TMZ: "Chris and Drake never got in each other's faces. It was entourage versus entourage, never Drake versus Chris."

Below: Chris Brown and (much worse) music star injuries

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 07:53:34 GMT

The Stone Roses have completed a live performance without any members of the band storming off stage or calling each other a 'c***'.

The band performed last night (15, June 2012) at Sweden's Hultsfred festival, performing classic anthems from their back catalogue alongside a selection of obscure tracks and fan favourites. The band's comeback tour was thrown into chaos earlier this week when drummer Reni stormed off stage amid sound problems in Amsterdam, with frontman Ian Brown calling him a 'c***'' after he left.

The Manchester band mixed tracks such as 'Waterfall' and 'Fools Gold' with tunes including 'Standing Here' and 'Ten Storey Love Song', closing with an extended version of 'I Am The Resurrection'.

Following the band's chaotic Amsterdam show, the band reassured fans that their remaining tour dates would be unaffected.

Below: classic shots of The Stone Roses

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 06:18:06 GMT

Madonna's rider for her current world tour has been revealed - and it includes flowers in her dressing room which have been trimmed to an appropriate height.

Madonna demands her blooms be snipped to exactly 15.24cm (6in), reports US magazine Touch, who also claim that she has her own home replicated wherever she travels.

Her own home must include 30 bodyguards, a personal acupuncturist and 200 more members of staff to see to her every need while on tour, as these are also on the extensive list.

‘Madonna requires all the furniture be removed from the rooms and replaced with her own pieces that she has shipped in,' says a source to the magazine.

She is also said to demand 20 international phone lines and all fabric in her quarters be fragranced with pink roses and lillies.

Madonna has been causing controversy on her current tour as she has revealed her breast and later he bum during shows in Turkey and Rome.

Madonna tickets are on sale now. For more information visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Below: Madonna's breast and more exposing stage moments

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 06:06:39 GMT

Former Pussycat Doll and former US X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger has been named the fourth X Factor judge on this year's UK show.

The singer joins Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Tulisa on the judging panel, following much speculation over who would complete the line up. Previous star linked with the role have included Dannii Minogue, Geri Halliwell and Katy Perry.

She is reported to have been signed to the show for £750k and replace Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland, who spent a year on the show in 2011.

The Sun newspaper suggested that Scherzinger negotiated a higher pay deal than producers were initially willing to pay.

"Nicole has played the long game on this," a source tells the paper. "She was offered a £500,000 deal a week ago but kept her counsel and managed to get this bumped up by another £250,000."

Nicole previously joined the X Factor judging panel in 2010 and spent a series on the US show. She fell out of favour with US audiences however, when she voted a young finalist off the show, leading to an on-stage tantrum from the eliminated contestant.

An official statement is expected shortly.

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 05:50:54 GMT

Mumford & Sons star Ben Lovett has revealed that the eagerly awaited second album from Mumford & Sons is close to completion.

In an interview with NME, the musician discusses progress of the follow-up to the band's hugely successful 'Sigh No More' debut.

"We're just finishing up the album now, as anyone who's kept up to date on what we're doing will be fully aware of," he told the magazine. "Not much to report, it's the same stage as we were a year ago because there's still no record. But we're aware of what it is now and we're excited about getting it out there."

He also added that the band did not feel under pressure to match the success of their first album, despite the many fans desperate to hear the new record.

"There's no pressure. We're just a band from London," he continued. "The fact that the first record did well was great, but it didn't make our lives. It's just a by-product of what we do, which is record music and play gigs."]]>

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:33:40 GMT

Fresh from ditching her management team and teasing her upcoming '1991' EP with mid-tempo R&B tracks, Azealia Banks has revealed her second proper single 'Liquorice. Watch the video below.

Following on from the dance sounds of her '212' hit, 'Liquorice' is a dance-rap hybrid, with nineties beats mixing with her trademark rhymes. The video is a wild west-themed affiar, with a desert-bound Banks riding horses, wearing horns, eating hot dogs and sucking on lollipops under the sun.

She recently parted ways with Lady Gaga's manager to sign with Coldplay's manager - who also happens to be her boyfriend. Last weekend she threw a Twitter strop, deleted her account and declared she no longer wanted to be consider a rap artist. She has since returned to Twitter.

Watch 'Liquorice' below.

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Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:17:26 GMT

Tickets for Bat For Lashes autumn tour are on sale now. The singer will perform a string of dates in October and November 2012.

Natasha Khan announced the live dates earlier this week along with the release of her third album 'Haunted Man'.

Her new album will be released on 15 October 2012 and she will also start a headline UK tour the week of the album's release.

The UK tour begins on 19 Octoberat Edinburgh Picture House and concludes on 4 November at Brighton Dome Concert Hall. She will also perform at this year's Latitude and Bestival.

She tihs week premiered new track 'A Wall', taken from 'Haunted Man' at a live show in Cambridge.

'Haunted Man' follows her debut album 'Fur And Gold', released in 2006, and 2009 release 'Two Suns'. In her career she has toured with Coldplay, collaborated with Beck and scored Mercury Music Prize and BRIT Award nominations - as well as an Ivor Novello win for her single, 'Daniel'.

Full tour dates are below. For more information, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Sun 15 July       Latitude
Sun 9 Sep         Bestival
Thu 18 Oct        Inverness Ironworks
Fri 19 Oct          Edinburgh Picture House
Sun 21 Oct        Glasgow O2 ABC
Mon 22 Oct       Manchester Cathedral
Thu 25 Oct        Leeds Metropolitan University
Fri 26 Oct          Norwich University of East Anglia
Sun 28 Oct        Leicester O2 Academy
Mon 29             London Forum
Thu 1 Nov         Birmingham HMV Institute
Fri 2 Nov           Bristol Anson Rooms
Sat 3 Nov         Portsmouth Pyramids
Sun 4 Nov         Brighton Dome Concert Hall]]>

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:08:00 GMT

Tickets for Alice Cooper's huge Autumn tour have gone on sale today, including dates at some of the UK's biggest live venues - and a must-see Halloween show in Edinburgh.

The star's tour opens at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena on 24 October and finishes on 1 November, 2012. He will perform at Edinburgh's Usher Hall on Halloween.

Cooper will be supported by veteran rock acts Ugly Kid Joe and Loaded, the band formed by Guns N' Roses bassist Duff MacKagan.

Earlier in 2012, Cooper was the victim of a memorabilia theft, when irreplaceable items from his archives were stolen, including the sculpture seen on the cover of his 'Hey Stoopid' album.

Full Alice Cooper tour dates are below. For more information on Alice Cooper's UK tour, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (October 24)
Wolverhampton Civic Hall (25)
Bournemouth International Centre (27)
London Wembley Arena (28)
Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (30)
Edinburgh Usher Hall (31)
Sheffield City Hall (November 1)]]>

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:22:15 GMT

Cheryl Cole has announced two in-store signing sessions in London and Newcastle to coincide with the release of her new album, 'A Million Lights'.

The singer angered fans when tickets for her upcoming arena tour, including a meet and greet with the singer, were priced at £350. Now, fans can meet the star for free at HMV stores.

Cheryl will first be appearing at Whitetelys Shopping Centre in London’s Bayswater W2 on Monday 18 June 2012 at 6pm, the day of her third album release.

The following day she will be signing copies in her hometown at the Northumberland Street store at 6pm on 19 June 2012.

Fans wanting to attend the sessions must collect a wristband from the relevant HMV store, which can be collected from 9am on the day of the signing. Only 500 wristbands will be issued, so Cheryl Cole fans will need to be up early to make sure they claim one.]]>

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:13:46 GMT

Tickets for former X Factor contestant Aiden Grimshaw's first ever UK tour are on sale today, 15 June, 2012./

The singer, who made his chart debut this week with debut single 'Is This Love', will follow the release of his debut album 'Misty Eye' with the tour, which begins in Bristol on 19 September and concludes in London on 2 October. His album is due for release on 20 August.

Grimshaw recently told Gigwise that he listened to very little music while he was recording 'Misty Eye', hoping not to be directly influenced by anyone else's work.

"I went through a weird stage of not wanting to listen to any music, and I was thinking that if I listened to music i'd steal other people's ideas - I don't know why," he said in an interview with Gigwise. "I listened to Eva Cassidy a little bit, that's all I listened to.

"After i'd written it and showed it to my friends, the influences become clear and when I listen to it back I can hear a lot of my dad's indie-punk he'd have on after a night out that i'd have to listen to from my bedroom because he'd have it on at full blast. I listen to a lot of Moby - and you can definitely hear a Moby influence on there."

Aiden Grimshaw's full tour dates are as follows. Tickets are on sale now. For more information visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

September 19 - Bristol, O2 Academy 2
September 20 - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
September 22 - Northampton, Roadmender
September 23 - Bournemouth, The Old Firestation
September 24 - Brighton, Concorde 2
September 26 - Birmingham, O2 Academy 2
September 27 - Glasgow, King Tuts
September 28 - Leeds, Cockpit
September 30 - Manchester, Academy 3
October 1 - Oxford, Academy 2
October 2 - London, Scala

Below: Aiden Grimshaw - from X Factor flop to 2012's most exciting new popstar

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Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:09:34 GMT

Cheryl Cole is set for her first UK tour later this year, and tickets for her eight-date tour are on sale now. Full dates and details are below.

'Call My Name' star Cheryl, set to release her new album 'A Million Lights' next week (June 18), will play eight huge shows in October, including nights in London, Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow.

Opening in Nottingham on October 6th, the tour will wrap up in Cheryl's native Newcastle on the 17th.

Cheryl Cole recently revealed that she takes people complaining that she mimes as a compliment.

Tickets for Cheryl Cole's tour are on sale now. For more information, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Cheryl Cole UK tour dates 2012:

Nottingham Capital FM Arena (October 6)
London O2 Arena (7)
Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (9)
Liverpool Echo Arena (11)
Birmingham LG Arena (12)
Manchester Arena (13)
Glasgow SECC (15)
Newcastle Metro Radio Arena (17)]]>

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:01:31 GMT

Tickets for Muse's huge European tour are on sale now, following the announcement of five UK dates last week (7 June, 2012).

The band are set to perform a handful of shows in the UK in October and November of this year as part of their mammoth European tour. The announcement of the shows came just days after the band teased the release of their upcoming album 'The 2nd Law' - hinting at a pursuing a new dubstep direction on their new record.

The Devon trio will release 'The 2nd Law' on September 27th and will head out on a tour across Europe shortly afterward to launch the album in style.

General sale tickets will be available from 10am, Thursday 14 June, 2012.

For more information, visit Gigwise Gig Tickets.

Muse European tour dates 2012

Park&Suites Arena, Montpellier, France - October 10th
Bercy, Paris, France - Oct 18
Palacio de Deportes, Madrid, Spain - Oct 20
Zenith, Nantes, France - Oct 22
SECC, Glasgow, UK - Oct 24
O2 Arena, London, UK - Oct 26
O2 Arena, London, UK - Oct 27
LG Arena, Birmingham, UK - Oct 30
Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK - November 1
Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany - Nov 12
St. Jakobshalle, Basel, Switzerland - Nov 14
Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy - Nov 16
Adriatic Arena, Pesaro, Italy - Nov 17
Stadhalle, Vienna, Austria - Nov 19
Arena, Budapest, Hungary - Nov 20
O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic - Nov 22
Atlas Arena, Lodz, Poland - Nov 23
Spektrum Arena, Oslo, Norway - December 5th
Ericsson Globe, Stockholm, Sweden - Dec 6
Arena, Malmo, Sweden - Dec 7
Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland - Dec 10
Saku Arena, Talinn, Estonia - Dec 11
Arena, Riga, Latvia - Dec 13
O2 World, Hamburg, Germany - Dec 15
Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Dec 17
Sportspaleis, Antwerp, Belgium - Dec 18

Below: Muse, live

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Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:22:30 GMT

Stars such as Beth Ditto, Jarvis Cocker and Michael Stipe have contributed to a video encouraging young people in the UK to attend a talk being given by the Dalai Lama in Manchester this week.

A host of stars have recorded parts of the 'Stand Up and Be The Chnage' video, made by photographer Rankin, with actors Tilda Swinton and Willem Dafoe joining musicians Grimes, Alison Mosshart and Gorillaz in calling for the urgent need to foster a culture of non-violence and global peace in 2012.

The Dalai Lama will give a special free talk,compered by Russell Brand, this Saturday 16th June at 1.30pm at Manchester Arena in Manchester.

Check out the star studded video below, now.

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Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:20:41 GMT

Producers of hit fantasy drama Game Of Thrones have apologised for using a model of George W. Bush's head in several beheading scenes in a 2011 episode of the show.

Use of the head was acknowledged in the DVD release of series one, with creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss saying: "George Bush's head appears in a couple of beheading scenes. It's not a choice, it's not a political statement. We just had to use whatever head we had around."

After viewers took offence, creators of the show issued an apology to offended fans.

"We use a lot of prosthetic body parts on the show: heads, arms, etc," says the statement. "We can't afford to have these all made from scratch, especially in scenes where we need a lot of them, so we rent them in bulk. After the scene was already shot, someone pointed out that one of the heads looked like George W. Bush.

"In the DVD commentary, we mentioned this, though we should not have. We meant no disrespect to the former President and apologise if anything we said or did suggested otherwise."]]>