Joe Kavanagh's Music News

The very public disintegration of singer Amy Winehouse took an extraordinary turn last week when a BBC radio show contacted the parents of both Winehouse and her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, after the couple was recently photographed covered in cuts and sporting mysterious bandages. Speaking live on-air, Winehouse's father, Mitch, took a conciliatory tone, agreeing that the pair have certain issues, but saying that he believed they did not inflict the injuries upon each other and also praised the strength of their relationship. Fielder-Civil's father, Giles, was more trite, telling listeners, 'I think they believe they are recreational users of drugs and they are in control, clearly they are addicts. Perhaps it is time to stop buying records. It's a possibility, to send that message.' He went on to claim that such a move by the public would send a very clear message to Winehouse that 'her addiction and her behavior are not acceptable.' Concern has grown for the mental state of Winehouse in recent weeks with the tabloids claiming that the admitted self-harmer is experimenting with heroin and crack-cocaine. Some in the media are already referring to the couple as 'the new Sid and Nancy', which should give the couple some idea of just how crazy the situation has become. Scottish singer/songwriter, Paulo Nuttini has been a vocal supporter of Winehouse throughout her troubles, but even he confesses that he is somewhat relieved that she has cancelled her upcoming US tour, with Nuttini as the opening act. The New Shoes singer claimed: 'I was looking forward to it but there were funny vibes at the Isle Of Wight festival. She did the gig with the (Rolling) Stones and we were at the side of the stage and she walked by. I didn't even get a hello, but the U.S. gigs had already been booked. I'll be thinking a good thought for Amy. She is a remarkable talent.'...

U2 fans will be pleased to hear that Lord Bono and company are back in the studio and work is progressing nicely on the follow-up to 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Daniel Lanois, who has worked with the band on album's such as Unforgettable Fire and Achtung Baby, is currently co-writing the band's latest long-player, along with longtime U2 collaborator: Brian Eno. The producer claimed: 'We've been invited as writers this time. I did three writing sessions with Eno and U2 - one in Fez, Morocco; two in France. It's going great. We're regrouping in November.' No doubt the studio demo tapes will get left in the back of a car and 'stolen', just as soon as the band need a little publicity. They never do seem to find those missing demos, and yet, they never seem to show up anywhere on t'internet. Amazing that...

Billy Corgan made known his true feelings regarding American women in the curious surrounds of the recent Reading Festival, during a performance by his re-formed (well, kind of) Smashing Pumpkins. When cameras panned through the crowd during the band's set they settled upon a scantily-clad female, prompting Corgan to allegedly remark: 'There's something about a girl willing to take her clothes off so quickly. American girls are sluts too. See isn't it great to be alternative? You can say all these things.' You think so Billy? I'm sure there might be significant percentage that would disagree...

One of the more unusual events in the music world last week was provided courtesy of the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, who was so put out by a negative review that claimed he was drunk during the band's recent concert in Gothenburg, Sweden, it moved him to fire off an angry letter to the journalist that wrote it. The tempestuous letter to Markus Larsson, was printed by his newspaper: Aftonbladet and read in part: 'How dare you cheapen the experience for them - and for the hundreds of thousands of other people across Sweden who weren't at Ullevi and have only your 'review' to go on. Write the truth. It was a good show' Touchy, touchy Keef. Either that or he's getting warmed up for when he begins his soon-to-be-published autobiography. Well, him or his ghostwriter now that I come to think about it. Larsson was unbowed by the guitarist's angry blast, refusing to apologize and writing: 'I am not going to apologize for my subjective opinion. It is Keith who should apologize. After all it costs around 1,000 kronor (US$145) to see a rock star who can hardly handle the (guitar) riff to 'Brown Sugar' any more.'...

Gary Glitter looks set to emerge early from a Vietnam prison with word that the convicted pedophile may be released as early as next week, despite having two years left to run on his sentence. The singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is expected to be released as part of the prisoner amnesty that takes place in Vietnam each year on the country's independence day. Glitter's lawyer claims that his client intends to return to the UK, which seems a curious move considering the loathing his name induces around those parts. Can't say there'll be many friends there to meet him when he jets in. Plenty of paparazzi though. And maybe Jonathon King...

I'm beginning to understand why Razorlight singer Johnny Borrell has a reputation as having the biggest head in rock and roll. In fact his head is twice the size of his nearest rival and he is a reputed a*****e of such proportions that only someone who was a complete a*****e since birth could attain such levels of superhuman self-conceit. Well anyway, Razorlight drummer, Andy Burrows, reckons that the arrogant frontman is just too damn good for his own good. Speaking in the media last week, Burrows claims: 'I really wish he would do a solo record. He's got material coming out of his ears, that goes does not stop working. He writes on tour, he writes in his sleep, he writes all the bloody time. There's so much great stuff.' This could be one of two things. Either a long-suffering Burrows is slyly attempting to get Johnny to leave the band or this guy is one serious brown-noser who has helped to spawn the Borrell who famously regards himself as better than Bob Dylan, in which case: shame, shame...

Black Sabbath's former bassist, Geezer Butler, was as surprised as anyone when internet chatter began floating a rumor that he was about to invest a huge sum of money in football club Aston Villa. Birmingham-born Butler is a huge fan of the club since boyhood but balked at the idea that he was about to invest $60 million in the team. When asked to respond to the story, he simply stated: 'What a load of s**te.' Ah, that Geezer, he's a real man for the words, isn't he? To be honest, that whole story falls down right at the point where it mentions $60 million. With the amount of stuff that Sabbath blew on wine, women and song, I'd be surprised if Geezer Butler had the price of a small Spanish villa...

Poor old Panic! At The Disco. They traveled all the way from the US to the UK to play last year's Reading Festival only for singer, Brandon Urie, to get knocked unconscious when he was hit in the head by a bottle thrown from the crowd during the band's first song. You've got to admire a band that would come back to the scene of such abuse, passing off last year's mishap as an anomaly. In fact, it looked like things were going fine during the band's set at this year's Reading as they even managed to get through the first song without any missiles in the air. The crowd's behavior was actually so good that Urie took the time to say: 'Alright, this is going better than last year. We made it through the first one.' Apparently that was the secret password - or so it seemed - as the crowd immediately began firing a hail of projectiles toward the stage, striking bassist: John Walker. Although bruised and a little shook up, Walker gamely continued until the band finished their set giving them the last laugh. Kind of...

Meanwhile, on a stage just across at the festival, US act, Fall Out Boy were taking the mickey out of their fellow of Americans. Frontman, Pete Wentz, told the audience: 'People were asking us if we were nervous about playing Reading. We said no, because people here have always been really hospitable to us. But we don't want be hit in the head with a bottle, because that sucks, so we brought our friend here, and he's going to break a real beer bottle over his head.' Their friend did in fact come out onto the stage and break a bottle over his head, giving himself a bloody nose and conclusively proving the adage regarding their being one born every minute. Talk about egotism, big rock stars making an obviously sub-intelligent minion break a bottle over his own head just to please them, What's that about? Now, I'm not saying that I agree with throwing things at the stage because I don't but if the crowd feels the need, then I think Pete Wentz and company have just given a stellar audition.