Joe Kavanagh's Music News

U2's Spider-Man musical appears to be back on track after a recent meeting aimed at securing enough finance to ensure that it would meet its scheduled debut on Broadway next year. The high-profile production has been the subject of many rumors of late, with some claiming that it was being stymied by ongoing financial troubles, while other stories posited that star, Evan-Rachel Wood was attempting to get out of her contract in order to pursue movie roles that she had previously turned down in order to partake in the musical. The much ballyhooed song and dance extravaganza now seems to be moving ahead, for the moment at least, after assurances that it will be able to meet its budgetary requirements. Written by Bono and Edge, the musical will star relatively unknown actor Reeve Carney, in the lead role as Peter Parker/Spiderman, if it ever does indeed make it as far as the stage. Considering U2's wealth, it is hard to understand why the production is in any kind of financial difficulty, unless of course, they don't believe in it quite enough to invest their own money in the project...

Radiohead have lashed out at the British government's decision to build 10 "next generation" nuclear power plants, in order to meet the nation's ever increasing energy needs. Writing on the band's website, singer Thom Yorke opined: "Under the confused assumption that we can carry on consuming power as we do now into the future and too afraid to think out of their own isolated political fuzzy cloud, the British government is committing to build a new round of nuclear power stations for which we don't have the money. Great. Just perfect. Well done fellas. You've really thought about this haven't you?" Is there an elected politician that has thought anything through anywhere these days? At least Radiohead back their words with action, given the fact that their last world tour was so eco-friendly that it actually reduced their carbon footprint, unlike some of the hypocritical acts who are quick to preach about the environment at gigs even as they employ a fleet of exhaust belching trucks to ship their equipment...

Speaking of which, Sting was in the news last week, after he launched a scathing attack on Simon Cowell and shows like the X-Factor, and its US counterpart, American Idol. The Police bassist blasted: "I am sorry but none of those kids are going to go anywhere, and I say that sadly. They are humiliated when they get sent off. How appalling for a young person to feel that rejection. It is a soap opera which has nothing to do with music. In fact, it has put music back decades. Television is very cynical. I was looking at televised karaoke where they conform to stereotypes. They are either Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston or Boyzone and are not encouraged to create any real unique signature or fingerprint. That cannot come from TV." He reserved his strongest barbs for the judges on such shows, saying: "The X Factor is a preposterous show and you have judges who have no recognizable talent apart from self-promotion, advising them what to wear and how to look. It is appalling. The real shop floor for musical talent is pubs and clubs, that is where the original work is. But they are being closed down on a daily basis. It is impossible to put an act on in a pub. The music industry has been hugely important to England, bringing in millions. If anyone thinks The X Factor is going to do that, they are wrong." While there is certainly merit to his words, Sting's reputation for hollow preaching all but ensures that his views on music carry about as much weight with those on the "real shop floor", as my opinion on troop surges in Afghanistan will carry at the next meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the highly unlikely event that Sting ever did find himself in financial difficulties from paying for the upkeep of his seven mansions, I would imagine that the right amount of money would secure his services as a judge on a TV talent show quicker than you could say "pretentious nitwit"...

While we're on the subject of causes, punk band F***ed Up, are set to record an updated version of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure's iconic charity track, Do They Know It's Christmas?, 25 years after the track first drew world attention to the shocking famine in the African state of Ethiopia. While the band has yet to begin work on the single, which hit the number one spot in the UK charts in 1984, 1989 and 2004, they have already lined up some impressive names to assist them with the project, the profits from which will be donated to charity Justice for the Missing. Speaking to New York's Vulture, charismatic front man Pink Eyes claimed: "David Cross, members of Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, Broken Social Scene, the GZA, Bob Mould, No Age, and Yo La Tengo are all confirmed. I'm still waiting on confirmation from Feist, Jarvis Cocker, and M.I.A. We wanted the biggest people we could get. If we could get a Jonas Brother on this, I would get a Jonas Brother." Asked whether he would enlist the help of big name participants on earlier incarnations of the song, he maintained: "We're not taking on world hunger this time, but something that's much more marginalized. So I liked the idea of somewhat marginalized indie rockers coming together for a marginalized cause. But if Bono wanted to be on the record, I'd say yes, because, at the end of the day, it's about raising money and awareness. As terrible as I find his music and as reprehensible as I find him as a person, I would definitely have him on." After an invitation like that, how could he turn it down? ...

According to Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno, his own band and the Arctic Monkeys are the only true rock bands left, since the recent demise of Oasis. Speaking to website, Clickliverpool.com, the guitarist declared: "We never actually said we were the biggest band in the UK but what we did say is that now, with Oasis splitting up, there aren't many proper rock'n'roll bands left. Can you name one? There are only us and the Arctic Monkeys. All the rest of them have released s*** albums or didn't care enough in the first place." Pizzorno also maintains that he is unconcerned about Kasabian's upcoming arena tour of the UK, which represents their most ambitious tour to date, stating: "I'm not scared at all about playing arenas but it's a difficult thing - you've got to be careful. They're big buildings so you've got to put on a show but also keep the vibe going. I think it gives us more of a chance to do everything bigger - make it a real psychedelic trip. It will be a beautiful show." I happen to be a fan of Kasabian, but given the amount of big upping themselves that this band has been doing of late, I'd imagine that the reason they are doing an arena tour has less to do with the volume of crowds in attendance and more to do with accommodating the size of their own egos...

Ron Wood and wife Jo, were granted a "quickie" divorce in a London court last Wednesday (November 11) putting an official end to their 24-year marriage. The divorce, which will become permanent in six weeks time, reputedly pays Jo Woods over $10.4 million. The Rolling Stones guitarist will now be free to continue his affair with 20-year-old girlfriend, Ekaterina Ivanova, who definitely isn't just with him for his money and his fame...

I can't think why but now seems like a good segue into a story regarding Rod Stewart, and his reported plans to expand his family with current wife, Penny Lancaster. The Maggie May singer told a recent interviewer that he and his wife intend to provide a sibling to son Alastair, who was born in 2005. Far from viewing the fact that he is 62-years-old as a negative, Stewart claims that he is currently more suited to fatherhood because he has more time on his hands than in years gone by, stating: "She (Lancaster) wants another child and I will do more or less anything to keep her happy. I would love to have another little one. I feel I've got more energy and am more mobile and I've got the money and the time to have another child - which wasn't always the case. Especially in the early '80s when Sean and Kim were born, I was very much on the road working hard. I didn't get a great deal of time with them when they were Alistair's age." The eldest of Stewart's seven children is 45-year-old Sarah Thubron, who was given up for adoption shortly after her birth. Speaking about his eldest daughter in a 1995 interview, Stewart claimed: "You can count her if you want, I try not to." What a lovely man. Ironically, I would imagine that if Rod does actually manage to muster up enough juice to produce another child, perhaps it may grow up to have a similarly low opinion of him. After all, who wants to be the kid in third grade who sees their old man walks up to their high school on a Zimmerframe, with a face full of so much Botox that it looks like a slapped arse? Not cool...

German act Rammstein have come in for some fierce criticism at home, due to the controversial nature of the artwork for their latest album, Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Love Is There For All). The cover picture depicts a naked woman laid out while band members surround her, one of them holding a butcher's hatchet in a manner that suggests that he is going to chop her hands off. The image contains enough sado-masochistic imagery that German authorities deemed it to be potentially harmful to children, decreeing that it cannot be put on public display and can only be sold "under the counter" to adults with the correct form of identification. In a move that is highly unusual, authorities have also issued an order preventing the band from performing the track Tu Dir Weh (I Want To Hurt You) during live shows anywhere in Germany. The latter tune contains such memorable lines as: "Bites, kicks, heavy blows, nails, pincers, blunt saws - Tell me what you want." Seeing as they're asking; I'll take a set of earplugs because that's some of the most shameless lowest common denominator pandering I've heard in a while, but hey, what the hell do I know; the album is currently the second highest selling record in Europe. I wouldn't mind but Rammstein are actually a pretty decent band without all this cartoon ultra-violence nonsense. I can't blame German authorities for their strong reaction given that this is the same country that recently produced Armin Meiwes. For those of you that don't know, Meiwes is the fruit bat who went to prison a few years back for cooking and eating the johnson of a man who answered an ad on the internet, which read in part: "looking for a well-built 18 to 30-year-old to be slaughtered and then consumed". If that wasn't bad enough, then consider for a moment the salient detail that Meiwes actually shared this penile meal with the man who owned said Johnson, as he lay bleeding to death, or indeed the fact that he turned down several other loons who also answered the ad. I should also probably insert at this point that the box set for aforementioned Rammstein album contains - and I quote - "replicas of the band members' penises". It doesn't mention what flavor they come in though but I'm sure good old Armin could give you a few recipes. C