Music
Rihanna @ London 02 – Monday 10th May
By Laura Wozniak
After finishing up the spare ribs at Spurs Grill we went into the 02 arena to catch the last 20 minutes of Pixie Lott’s supporting set. She’s come far since I last saw her last year. 
Half an hour and four full-circle Mexican waves later, Rihanna bounds on stage complete with attitude and leather clobber.
This is the Last Girl On Earth tour and was partly inspired by horror film The Omega Man so in parts you felt like you’d somehow ended up in the London Dungeons.
After an intense performance of Russian Roulette on an elevated stage she jumped on a pink army tank for her 2007 hit Shut Up and Drive.
Live, she is surprisingly rocky despite being an R&B girl – a lot of the set was her jamming (pretend or real, who’s to say?) with an electric guitar.
After Rude Boy and the memorable booty shakes she resigned once again to her army tank and covered Oasis’ Wonderwall followed by Hate That I love You.
Rihanna performed no less than 27 tracks in all (including, of course, Umbrella-ella-ella) so maybe £50 for a ticket wasn’t daylight robbery after all!
Although it’s more about the celebrity than the music with these massive arena shows, it’s always a spectacular night out.
* download Good Girl Gone Bad for £5.59
Jamie Lidell: Compass Interview
MSN Music Guest Blogger: Steven Wilson-Beales
Since his early days with Supercollider, Jamie Lidell has always tried to push the boundaries of electronic music, marrying the old with the new through his experimental sound and rich, soulful vocals. Going to a Lidell gig is to expect the unexpected as Jamie is equally happy beat-boxing or fiddling with an array of audio effects as he is actually singing. With support from Beck, Lidell is now set to release his third solo album ‘Compass’. I spoke to him about Beck’s involvement and what we can expect this festival season…
Hi Jamie, what are you doing right now?
I’m in Hoxton at the moment, nursing a particularly bad hangover. I’ve just come back from a tour of Australia which was pretty mental. That combined with my move to New York has left me more than a little knackered. So I’m recharging before it all kicks off again.
What’s the story of Compass?
Well, when I moved to New York last year I got a call from Beck, who I’d toured with in 2006, asking if I wanted to work with him. It was insanely good timing because I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do. So he just called to get the ball rolling.
We then spent two days at his studio in LA bashing out material I’d written. But whilst we were doing that we all got sucked into the Record Club project – which is Beck’s way of gathering loads of musicians together to record a cover of an album in a single day. He’s already done INXS and Velvet Underground like this but I got thrown into the deep end with Skip Spence’s ‘Oar’ which I’d never heard before. So that was a challenge!
Through that I met the legendary drummer James Gadston who’s played with everyone including Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye. We really connected as musicians so Beck said we should schedule a session together. So before I knew it I was rehearsing my little sketches with Beck and James and then all these other characters who joined us in the studio. It was an incredible couple of days.
Is that how the collaborations happened on the album?
Well, not all of them. When I went back to New York with all the outtakes, everything was a complete mess even though it sounded brilliant. So I reached out to artists like Wilco and Chilly Gonzales to complete certain tracks. All in all this album was a pretty fast process like rustic cookery. Like throwing coarsley chopped basil into a pan – it should still taste fresh and delicious when you come to eat it.
How are you going to perform the album live this Summer?
Well, it’s going to be four people onstage including me, it’s going to be really varied. Anything goes. I’m really looking forward to Coachella and Glastonbury although Holland and Belgium also have some great events. I don’t know why but I have a huge following in Belgium!
http://www.jamielidell.com/
http://www.beck.com/recordclub/
Jamie Lidell Band Rehearsal NYC from Jamie Lidell on Vimeo.
You can read the full version of this interview here
Jamie Lidell: Compass Interview
MSN Music Guest Blogger: Steven Wilson-Beales
Since his early days with Supercollider, Jamie Lidell has always tried to push the boundaries of electronic music, marrying the old with the new through his experimental sound and rich, soulful vocals. Going to a Lidell gig is to expect the unexpected as Jamie is equally happy beat-boxing or fiddling with an array of audio effects as he is actually singing. With support from Beck, Lidell is now set to release his third solo album ‘Compass’. I spoke to him about Beck’s involvement and what we can expect this festival season…
Hi Jamie, what are you doing right now?
I’m in Hoxton at the moment, nursing a particularly bad hangover. I’ve just come back from a tour of Australia which was pretty mental. That combined with my move to New York has left me more than a little knackered. So I’m recharging before it all kicks off again.
What’s the story of Compass?
Well, when I moved to New York last year I got a call from Beck, who I’d toured with in 2006, asking if I wanted to work with him. It was insanely good timing because I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do. So he just called to get the ball rolling.
We then spent two days at his studio in LA bashing out material I’d written. But whilst we were doing that we all got sucked into the Record Club project – which is Beck’s way of gathering loads of musicians together to record a cover of an album in a single day. He’s already done INXS and Velvet Underground like this but I got thrown into the deep end with Skip Spence’s ‘Oar’ which I’d never heard before. So that was a challenge!
Through that I met the legendary drummer James Gadston who’s played with everyone including Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye. We really connected as musicians so Beck said we should schedule a session together. So before I knew it I was rehearsing my little sketches with Beck and James and then all these other characters who joined us in the studio. It was an incredible couple of days.
Is that how the collaborations happened on the album?
Well, not all of them. When I went back to New York with all the outtakes, everything was a complete mess even though it sounded brilliant. So I reached out to artists like Wilco and Chilly Gonzales to complete certain tracks. All in all this album was a pretty fast process like rustic cookery. Like throwing coarsley chopped basil into a pan – it should still taste fresh and delicious when you come to eat it.
How are you going to perform the album live this Summer?
Well, it’s going to be four people onstage including me, it’s going to be really varied. Anything goes. I’m really looking forward to Coachella and Glastonbury although Holland and Belgium also have some great events. I don’t know why but I have a huge following in Belgium!
http://www.jamielidell.com/
http://www.beck.com/recordclub/
Jamie Lidell Band Rehearsal NYC from Jamie Lidell on Vimeo.
You can read the full version of this interview here
Thursday May 6th is ROCK DAY
I’m interviewing Courtney Love and Ozzy Osbourne on the same day. I may not make it to Friday alive.
Alan Wilder: A Selected Interview
MSN Music Guest Blogger: Steven Wilson-Beales
This month the producer and ex-member of Depeche Mode, Alan Wilder releases his first ‘Selected’ compilation – a summary of his best work as Recoil solo artist. I spoke to him to find out more about the release, making music and if he has plans to work with ‘The Mode’ again.
Hi Alan, you’re back with an album and tour. I have to ask: why now?
Well, Mute Records approached me with an idea for a compilation and it was initially just going to be a quick ‘best of’ selection. But we then started to discuss releasing it on multiple formats and performing it live so the project got bigger and bigger. I think for an artist that’s always appealing to show all your work off in the best possible light and it’s been great to plough through all those old tracks again.
Have you ever been tempted to stay 100% electronic and not use performers in your music?
Well, even the early Recoil music isn’t really electronic music. It’s just samples looped around and around and put together in a different way. And I’m still doing that now. I’m using all this technology but using it to reprocess human live performance. That’s what really interests me and why I often use gospel and blues performers. They often deliver the rawest, most emotional music you can get and when you combine that with the digital process you get something very special. If it was just electronic I think I’d get bored of it.
So you’ve been tempted to release a quick and dirty drum and bass track?
No!
Do you think it’s easier to create good music now with today’s technology?
It’s easier to create records in your bedroom, sure, but even though technology might give you many more options, you’ve still got to have the ideas. Technology can almost be restrictive in that way. You have to try to leave out all the cr*p and get to the core of what is really important.
Do you think it’s easier for an artist to connect with their audience with the social tools that are available?
You would be stupid not to connect with your audience more if you have those tools available. I think you see a trend now where the artist is more in control of communication and then dictating to the label what they want to do. The record label should be there to offer advise and support for the marketing of your record, not dictating to you.
What can we expect from the UK gig on April 25th?
We might have Daniel Miller and Daniel Jones but that’s still very much TBC. I’d like to get him to do a version of ‘Warm Leatherette’ but we’ll see. But Atomiser will be there.
How did it feel to play with Depeche Mode after almost 16 years at the Teenage Cancer Trust gig?
It was unnervingly familiar in many respects, as if I had just played with them the night before. But at the same time it was really overwhelming, to remember what it was like to be in front of such a big audience again.
Is there scope for doing more in the future with Depeche Mode?
Well, we’ve not discussed anything like that so there aren’t any plans. But you never know…
You can read the full version of this interview here
Supergrass to split after 17 years
I realise I’m showing my age but I was a little saddened when I heard this news. And then I got to thinking how criminally underappreciated they’ve been over the years. People only mention Pulp, Blur, Oasis and The Verve when they talk about music of any lasting value from the Britpop era but I think Supergrass’ best stuff (Richard III, Moving, Sun Hits The Sky) is right up there with anything released in the mid to late 1990s.
Unfortunately they shot themselves in the foot right at the start of their career with that bloody Alright song. You know the one. “We are young, we run free / Keep our teeth, nice and clean / See our friends, see the sights, feel alright”. Its relentless chirpiness, not to mention the accompanying video in which they frolicked on bicycles and a big bed, made them seem like a ‘90s version of The Monkees.
In fact, if the rumours are to be believed, that’s exactly what Steven Spielberg was thinking when he saw it and offered them megabucks to make a knockabout TV series. Supergrass might have been a good laugh but they were also a serious band and were rightly horrified at being taken for a cartoon. So how did they react? Not only by turning Spielberg down flat but by making an album called In It For The Money which featured them dressed as old tramps on the cover.
No matter that it’s an absolute corker of a record (their best, in my opinion), their little joke wrong-footed the public and although it sold respectably, it didn’t build on the success of their debut. They recorded some great songs after that point, some of which were moderate hits, but their momentum never really recovered. I suppose what I’m saying is they could have been absolutely, internationally huge.
But then again, perhaps it’s better that never happened. Their official statement (“Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years – we still love each other but, cliche notwithstanding, musical differences have led to us moving on and of course we all wish each other well in the future") suggests their friendships and collective sense of humour remain intact.
Some things are more important than money.
Meeting Kate Nash
I’m meeting Kate Nash tomorrow. I interviewed her the best part of three years ago but she won’t remember me. I won’t be offended. The first few occasions on which I interviewed someone for a second time, I naively assumed they would remember our previous conversation as well as I did. Well, of course they were never going to. Celebrities speak to guys like me in 15 minute bursts, one after the other, asking much the same questions, all the time.
I’m sure we all melt into one another after a while.
After my initial discomfort at such situations, I’ve learned to enjoy them now. It’s a bit like having one of those memory-erasing sticks from Men In Black. How often in life do you get to meet someone, apparently for the first time, but with the benefit of experience? It’s oddly empowering.
(The last few years of my great aunt’s life were a bit like that but that was slightly different)
Anyway, I’m hoping she’s still as natural and unaffected as she was in 2007. But if she isn’t, she won’t know I know she’s changed.
Sugababes dropped by Jay-Z’s label?
According to a report in the Daily Mirror, the new-look Sugababes have been dropped by rap king Jay-Z’s American label, Roc-A-Fella, after poor sales of their last album. But that’s not the best bit. Apparently he’s in talks to sign Keisha Buchanan, the last remaining original member who was booted from the group at the end of last year. Just when you thought the Sugababes saga couldn’t get any stranger, it only goes and does. It’s enough to make you believe in karma.
In other news (ok, it’s not really news), I met American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert last night. He’s in town on a schmooze-fest of UK journalists, and I’ve never knowingly turned down free 
food and booze yet, so it was a match made in, well, Soho.
As anyone familiar with American Idol will know, he was by far the most talented performer on the show but presumably didn’t win because the US public might be able to elect a black president to run the country but not a gay man to win a TV talent show.
Not that it will make any difference to his career, I’m sure.
Anyway, he was very nice in a ‘working the room’ sort of a way and I got the obligatory out of focus photo with him.
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It’s the Live Brits Blog 2010
Hello. It’s Tom Townshend here (that’s me in the corner, so you don’t mistake me for the esteemed editor James Hurley). Foolishly, MSN Music have left the blog unlocked again, while they’ve all swanned off to The Brits. So I’m going to be sitting here, watching the show, eating my dinner and needlessly writing stupid and ill-informed things about it. Think of me as the online equivalent of your dad shouting at the telly.
I would genuinely love for you to join me, your comments are most welcome and the best/worst/funniest will be quoted here on the blog. Probably.
If you’ve not seen it yet, that fine fellow Rob Morgan has made his predictions for tonight’s winners. Have a look here. If he gets more than three wrong he has to come to work in his pants tomorrow (MSN rules).
Before we begin, let’s just say we’re concerned about tonight’s Brits. We’re concerned because it seems that in their 30th year, the whole ceremony is hinging on just two things: what Lady GaGa will or won’t wear, and Cheryl Cole.
Despite this teaser picture, released earlier today, GaGa has said she may tone down her appearance out of respect for the late Alexander McQueen. We can’t believe this is true (wouldn’t the fashion maverick have wanted her to be even more outrageous in his memory?) but we’ll be monitoring her closely with our very own GaGa-ometer, built specially for tonight. And we all know what the lovely Cheryl’s going through at the moment so we’ll be giving her nothing but support. (A certain bookmakers are offering odds on whether she’ll cry or not – charming.)
Right then, settle down, crack open the Kettle chips and let’s get on with the Brit Awards 2010 (with MasterCard)…
After The Krypton Factor. Sigh.
19:39
This is the first time I’ve seen the new Krypton and I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. It’s basically Numberwang by a different name, isn’t it?
Ah, that Rufus bloke and a girl we don’t know are doing the Brits red carpet stuff on ITV2. Let’s watch that instead.
19:47
it’s Florence from Florence & the Machine telling us how weird it is to be on the red carpet. It’s not that weird really, is it? She’s forgotten who made her dress. George at ASDA?
All Saints are getting the lifetime achievement award! Oh no, they’re just interviewing Kasabian being a bit nonchalant.
Apparently Robbie sang a Take That song in rehearsal. Hooray. First Ashley Cole joke of the evening from Alan Carr. 🙁
19:53
Crikey it’s Robbie on the actual red carpet, not wearing a tie. Ties are clearly out. If you’re wearing a tie, throw it in the bin. You won’t need it again.
19:58
Cheryl Cole’s L’Oreal advert: “Five problems – one solution” 🙁
Here we go…
It’s Lily Allen with odd hair riding a slow and jerky rocket and wearing some kind of leather underwear. Business women with prams, business men in union flag pants, pink soldiers… If anyone has any clue what’s going on then please speak up.
Is it just our telly or are her lips not in sync with the live vocals? That’s a neat trick.
20:04
Audio already muted on Peter Kay’s intro. What could he have said? Nothing funny yet, that’s for sure. It’s all a bit Crackerjack.
“Crackerjack!”
We were gonna predict he’d make a joke about Sam Fox and yet here she is in person. No reaction from the crowd to her joke about cocking up The Brits 21 years ago. They weren’t born then. And, er, neither were we.
Spice Girls win Brits Hits 30 award! Get in!
Only Mel B and Geri turn up to get it. Bah.
Though Geri has come disguised as Emma Bunton so it’s like having three of them there.
Are we wrong to find Mel B really hot, these days?
20:08
They’re rattling through them. Best male is…
Mika! Not really, it’s Dizzee Rascal.
Blimey.
Dizzee just snuck a rude finger gesture past the censors. And a swear word. He’s thanked all the British people. That’s nice.
20:10
JLS are dangling. Why are they dangling? Are inexplicable stage performances going to be the theme of this year’s show? Everyone’s clearly been racking their brains to work out how to upstage Lady GaGa. JLS just need to take their tops off, it’s what the people want. Well, some of the people.
Did the label really blow all the budget on those wires? A video screen of some lightning is a bit lame. We’re liking Aston’s tribute to Kylie with the hooded top, though.
20:15
Oh brilliant it’s Fearne Cotton. We thought they’d forgotten her. But no.
Toilet break!
20:20
Is Peter Kay being deliberately rubbish? If I were the Brits producers I’d be sending a courier bike round to Russell Brand’s house right about now.
Best International Male…
The really famous one who is performing later: Jay-Z
Seasick Steve shouldn’t have bothered having that wash.
Jay-Z’s wearing a tie. Ties are back! Laughs at his own attempt at a Spice Girls joke. Aw!
At least he tried to tell a joke. Take note Peter Kay. 🙁
20:24
Public vote!
Brits Album of 30 Years (don’t even start, I know, I know…)
Oasis win for their second best album. Amazing.
Liam’s here, thanked all his bandmates except Noel. Did a swear, gave the award to the audience and went off. Text book.
Peter Kay follows it with an insult and a joke about Kasabian that made absolutely no sense. Sorry folks but this is dire.
20:26
Another inexplicable stage set. Why do Kasabian have fire on stage for their performance of Fire? it’s probably a metaphor or something…
We have a comment!
Carol Walker thinks that “the Brits are poo”. No arguments here. Yet.
It has had a lot of the now very attractive Mel B on it though. Which, while absurd, is easy on the eye. Or my eye anyway. It’s probably just a phase.
I fear an Oasis argument is about to kick off in the comments. Hayley says “Noel is a knob!” Are we ‘aving that? I thought he was the nice one?
QUESTION:
What are you all having for your dinners?
I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
Great. Peter Kay as good as admitted the show isn’t worth watching. Hasn’t yet realised it’s because its being presented by a funnyman not being funny.
Geri asks: “Is Peter doing a good job?” No one replies.
Good to see a Spice Girl on the stage, eh? What a novelty, etc.
British Breakthrough Act…
JLS. The public vote triumphs again.
JLS are not wearing ties. Take your ties off!
Aston is risking a nipple slip.
20:40
Female masturbation joke from Peter Kay. Said with dead eyes to no laughs. If he doesn’t want to be here why doesn’t he bugger off and let Lady GaGa do the rest of the show.
James Laurenson has been counting: “we’ve had 5 Mel B/Geri appearances already”
It feels like more.
Ellie Goulding is going to pieces in front of the big crowd even though she’s known she’s been getting this award for months. That Wembley Stadium gig still a way off, eh?
20:45
This is the LADY GAGA AWARDS
Everyone else go home
That was fantastic. Really, really fantastic. No matter what you think of her music or attention seeking ways. That’s what a pop performance should be like in the 21st century.
Shame we’re dragged straight back to earth by Fearne. Courtney Love looks like she could be Geri’s mum and Ellie Goulding’s granny.
20:51
Seems like I’m alone in thinking GaGa was magnificent. So let’s discuss the more important issue of food. Daniel Innes is having pizza. A good choice. No name is having traditional pancakes. What else?
Oh great, Peter Kay just tried the “garlic bread” line to no success. He used to be brilliant, right?
It’s Stringer Bell! Still can’t get used to him having an English accent.
Oh. Ashley Cole joke from Stringer. 🙁
Best British band…
Kasabian.
Can we just say here that the drummer from Kasabian is a really lovely man. What we mean by that is we met him once and he didn’t spit at us. No really, he was lovely.
International Breakthrough…
Lady GaGa (a bit emotional)
21:02
john writes “gaga takes the earth, fear run for the hills”.
Ain’t that the truth? Possibly.
We wouldn’t employ her as a babysitter but that Florence has some lungs on her. We’re starting to forgive her for the time she nearly burnt us with a cigarette in a Camden pub (it was a long time ago).
Prince Harry actually made more of an effort to be funny than Peter Kay. Bet his iPod has some dreadful things on it though. Probably got the first Mika album. Not the second (who has?)
21:08
No name writes: “wow Harry has changed :-?”
At least he still has his natural hair colour.
You’ve already done that joke, Peter. Jeez.
Jonathan Ross allowing us all to feel as embarrassed as his children are right now.
International Female…
GAGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
The teacup is back. She forgot people to thank!? She’s already named over 160.
Are the audience just looking away and talking amongst themselves each time Peter Kay speaks?
Female Solo Artist…
Lily Allen.
New wig. Even worse than the last one. At least she seems happy.
James Laurenson says: “Why has Lily come as Jimmy Krankie?”
Laura Hickman says: “it seems Lily has dressed up as Nicola Roberts tonight”
Jay-Z and Alicia – classy.
Please don’t say this is going to be one of those Brits where we’re shown up by the Americans again. Come on Robbie, we’re relying on you (*keeps hopes lows*)
Natalie says: “Stupid watershed, why not put it on at 9 and just let them bleep away.”
A sweary Brits would be more fun. Possibly.
Lily Allen wins an award, Fearne Cotton spends most of what should be an interview with her talking about Jonathan Ross’s stupid outfit. Brilliant. 🙁
Right. It’s time for…. Tom’s Dinner
If any of you have been here for previous live blogs, you’ll know this is a vast improvement on the usual. It might not look pretty but there’s two kinds of mushrooms in there. And rice noodles.
Forgot pudding, again.
21:27
It’s quite literally Mika! Amazing.
International Album…
GaGa Rah Rah etc.
When this is all over we will all forget how rubbish it’s been and remember only GaGa. It’s as if she planned it this way. Maybe she booked Peter Kay?
She’s gonna wet her doilies.
She forgot more people!? She’s just going through her Facebook friends now.
Oh sod off Peter Kay.
Jessica Billman says: “Why am I bored? Was it really more fun when Ricky Martin performed Livin’ la vida way back in ’99..but then I was just a giddy teenager”
All very good points. But when pop is really good it should still makes us feel like a giddy teenager, I reckon.
Cheryl is rescuing this ropey song by playing another far better one over the top. Terrifying dance routine. Is ITV playing everything slightly out of sync so we can’t tell who is miming and who isn’t?
Anyway…
British single…
JLS – Beat Again
The boyband is really back, isn’t it? Well, a boyband anyway. This one. What’s my point again?
Aston backflipped! We’d like to see GaGa do that in that outfit.
What, no Spice Girls? Surely they should be on again soon.
British Album…
Florence & the Machine – Lungs
Crikey. Who saw that coming? It’s only half a good album too, let’s be honest.
But yeah, she waved her cigarette mere millimetres from my face without a care in the world. But I’ll get over it. She probably wouldn’t do it now.
Mike Hackett says: “What were you all expecting from Peter Kay, its the BRITS not an audience with Peter Kay”
I guess what we were expecting is that he would earn the astronomical amount of money he’s being paid by occasionally looking like he wants to be there and possibly doing some funny jokes. But we’re a demanding lot.
21:48
Robbie better be about to bring Take That on stage, that’s all we can say.
The pop genius that is Trevor Horn is on bass! And Robbie doesn’t have “scary eyes”.
I think Robbie Williams is about to pull off the comeback of a lifetime.
He’s just remembered how to do his job. Talk about scoring in the final seconds.
(ok, maybe a bit “scary”)
Come Undone? I’d forgotten that song ever existed. What’s gonna be the big finish?
Naomi says: “You can’t deny it; Robbie can entertain. This is like a mini concert.”
Therehadtobeone says: “The god who is Robbie Williams is outperforming EVERYONE!!!!”
Blimey.
It’s the mass Angels sing-a-long. I know you’re doing it at home.
He’s wearing a tie. Ties are back!
No Take That, but that was pretty incredible. And goodness knows the show needed it.
Thanks to all of you who commented or read this. I’d like to thank my parents, MSN, the man in Fopp who let me exchange a CD today and everyone who helped me write this nonsense. I feel we’ve been through something slightly traumatic together.
That was the Brit Awards 2010. Let’s never speak of it again.
New Lady Gaga photo
Thank the Lord for Lady Gaga. Without her ever-ready supply of craziness to rely on, people like me would be reduced to writing blog entries for the sake of it.
Anyway, as you may have heard, the bonkers one herself is performing with Beyoncé at tonight’s Brit Awards. They’re going to be doing Telephone, the track they recorded together for her Fame Monster album, and it’s bound to be spectacular.
To get you in the mood, here’s the first still released from the video of that song. Ever the fan of visual clues, Lady G appears to be wearing a hat fashioned out of old-school telephones.
See what she did there?
And it would be remiss of me not to mention that you can win an EXCLUSIVE Lady Gaga Multi-Platinum Sales Disc, celebrating her 1.5million UK album sales, by clicking on the photo below.
