Joe Kavanagh's Music News

Fans of Thin Lizzy will be thrilled to hear that the band will release a new album early next year, a full 23 years after the tragic death of their lead-singer and main songwriter, Phil Lynott. In contrast to the myriad collections often released by other defunct bands, where tracks are cobbled together from B-Sides and often don't feature the original musicians, the latest 'Lizzy album will be a complete entity featuring the classic line-up of Lynott, guitarists, Brian Downey and Scott Gorham, with drummer Brian Robertson. The live album features a show from the legendary Irish outfit's heyday during a 1976 tour of the UK, and was recorded by BBC radio. Details of its name and release date have yet to be announced but Downey asserts that the album perfectly captures one of the watershed moments in the band's storied career, saying: "In 1975, the band had decided on a different attitude, to change to a harder rock sound. The softer songs from the previous album Nightlife were to be replaced by more stage-orientated songs, as we planned to put our rock'n'roll stamp on the next album, Fighting."...

In what can only be described as an ambitious attempt to offset the damage between the Radiohead and U2 camps, Bono has written an open letter to NME, which was published in the British music magazine last weekend. In the rather over-the-top pronouncement, Bono praised Radiohead for being "courageous and imaginative" in their decision to release their latest album, In Ribbons, for whatever price fans felt they wished to pay. In full on booty kissing mode, Bono also declared: "They're a sacred talent and we feel blessed to be around at the same time as them." U2 manager, Paul McGuinness, recently criticized Radiohead's decision and claimed it had "backfired," so obviously Bono is putting those legendary diplomatic skills to work, particularly given the fact that McGuinness and others in the U2 camp claimed that they would never give their music away. To be quite honest, if any fans ever deserved to get something for nothing then it would be U2 fans because it seems that the band re-re-re-release albums on an annual basis ("Now with special features such as a photo of Adam's spoon collection for only $10 extra!")...

For an opinion that Radiohead actually cares about, one need look no further than the praise heaped upon the band last week by environmental group, Friends of the Earth, who celebrated the Oxford group's attempts to reduce the carbon footprint left by their world tour. The band has employed measures such as cutting back on the amount of equipment utilized, using only low energy lighting and making all merchandise from recycled materials, in an effort to make their shows more environmentally friendly. Friends of the Earth spokesperson, Anna Mitchell, exclaimed: "I'm not sure whether it is the most environmentally friendly tour ever, but it certainly feels like it. They are doing everything they possibly can to cut emissions. It's incredibly impressive." Hooray Radiohead in the week that we were told that the polar ice caps may disappear this year for the first time in recorded history! I'll be honest here, it still irks me that Sting's band, The Police were responsible for the most environmentally damaging tour in recent times. After all, this was the same Sting that spent much of the 80s traveling the globe with some unfortunate Amazonian tribespeople, lecturing us all on the environment. Of course, that was also around the time that his career went through its biggest lull, but I'm sure he'll claim that was purely a coincidence. Just one other reason to dislike a former-teacher named Gordon who once wrote a song about having an affair with a student and who can talk endlessly without ever actually saying anything. Oops, I believe that's called a rant...

Incredible as it sounds, disgraced pedophile rocker, Gary Glitter, still believes that he has a future in the music business, even as he languishes in a Vietnamese prison for committing sex acts with two girls of 11 and 12-years-old. With Vietnamese authorities expected to release Glitter (real name: Paul Gadd) this coming August, the leader of the kiddie-fiddler pack told reporters: "I have an incomplete album that I want to finish. I have been thinking about the plan during my days in jail. I am trying to contact my lawyer and friends to see where the best place to live is." Glitter is expected to be deported to the UK upon his release, where he will be forced to register as a sex offender because of a 1999 conviction in a British court for possession of child pornography. For me, the best place he could live is obviously some place where there are absolutely no children at all because he's revoked his right to be anywhere near them. Honestly, I feel dirty just writing about him...

Sadly, after seven years and hosting names such as Kings of Leon, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and local-heroes, Snow Patrol, Belfast's Vital music festival is no longer, for now anyway. The critically acclaimed urban festival, held annually in the city's Botanic Gardens, has not, however, been a victim of falling crowds or even the notoriously fickle Irish weather, but rather a dearth of talent due to the sheer volume of music festivals now strewn all over Ireland and the UK. According to a spokesperson, the festival simply could not secure significant names because of "an over-saturated scheduling of talent at this level"; hardly surprising given the fact that Ireland and the UK alone are estimated to have over 600 summer music festivals. Organizers claim that they will once again try to revive the festival next year if they can secure significant acts...

I read where Gavin Rossdale, singer with Bush and husband of, Gwen Stephanie, was complaining to the media about life under the glare of the paparazzi, saying: "My mum loves seeing me in the magazines! I try to explain to her not to buy into it because if you do, you feed it (the paparazzi), but when I see them, I'm so vain I just get annoyed about how I look!" There is a very simple solution to his problem, if Gavin Rossdale does not was the paparazzi to take photos of him then he should try walking around without his wife, because at this stage nobody knows who the heck he is...

I also read where Simple Minds singer, Jim Kerr, claimed that the band has been thriving since their decision to regroup and record new material. According to Kerr, the band already has enough material for two albums. After all this time off, I think the band should concentrate on making one high-quality album in 2009. That way the public can decide whether they should bother with another...

Prince is suing a Norwegian record label after they decided to release a set of five CDs featuring Norwegian artists covering songs by Prince, including hits like Purple Rain and Signs. The 81-track collection, titled Shockadelica, was released by C&C Records without Prince's permission, but they were found out after the label accidentally sent a copy of the set to Prince, only for the diminutive singer to demand - through his attorneys - that the label destroys every single copy. Now there's a collector's item in the making, although, that is mitigated somewhat by the fact that the songs have been covered by Norwegian bands. It probably sounds like a William Shatner album being played underwater.