Joe Kavanagh's Music News

Yusuf Islam might regret choosing Dublin to kick off his first major tour in over 33 years, due to the less than civic reception he received from the restless crowd at the city's O2 arena a week ago. The man formerly known as Cat Stevens began his show by featuring a selection of tunes from his latest album, after which he brought out a ten strong cast who performed a 40-minute presentation from a new West End musical, which the singer has written. The decision prompted large sections of the crowd to begin booing and slow-clapping, as some people walked out of the venue in disgust at what they perceived as a self-indulgent flight of fancy. As if that weren't bad enough, when the musical feature was completed, he proceeded to bring out Boyzone's Ronan Keating to assist him on a duet of Father And Son, which is a bit like trying to make up for knocking over someone's drink by pouring your own over them. Visibly shaken by the reaction, the singer coyly informed audience members that he simply wanted to give them a "show and a half" and said that "now I know how Bob Dylan must have felt", before resuming service as normal by performing an assortment of his greatest hits. Writing on his website of the experience, he professed: "(The Dublin show) was an unnerving one, especially for the cast and creative team who had put their entire bodies and souls into the Moonshadow section, so I can only feel sorry for them. They did a great job, and 90 per cent of the audience that night and some major reviews recognized that. Philosophically and educationally I have gained something from the experience, so has the public generally, and we can now move on to the next gig a bit more prepared." I'm guessing that it's going to be at least another 33 years before Mr. Islam makes his way back to Dublin for a gig because Thierry Henry would get a better reception than that... Yeah right...

U2's Irish promoters MCD have fallen afoul of Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency, after the band breached noise pollution laws on several occasions during their Croke Park concerts in Dublin last July. MCD were handed a fine of $49,000, due to the band repeatedly breaching the 75 decibel level limit during the course of their performances. Chairperson for Croke Park area residents Pat Gates, was furious at the relatively low nature of the fine, stating: "It is a paltry penalty, it really isn't a disincentive. They would write that off in terms of planning for such things. Any fines that do accrue to the city council should be invested back into the local community, as they were the ones that put up with it." As anyone that reads this column will know, I'm neither a fan of U2's music nor their mantra but it's a little glib of locals to single them out for complaint. I can't recall any other act being subjected to such a fine in the past and it's not like residents don't know what to expect when one of the biggest bands in the world brings one of the biggest sound systems in the world into town. What do they want, a barring order placed on U2? I'm pretty sure local merchants might have a problem with that. So it gets a little noisy, go out for a pint, or better yet, get a set of earplugs, set up a stall and sell bottles of water for five bucks a pop...

Renowned act The Faces are gearing up for their first major tour in almost 35 years, but the hugely influential British band will allegedly be performing without their most well known visage, as Rod Stewart is unable to resume his role as the band's front man, due to a series of scheduling conflicts that will prevent him joining them on the road next year. Ironically, the remaining members appear to have decided upon former Mick Hucknall, as a replacement for Stewart, after the Simply Red front man joined them on stage for a charity reunion last month in London. I say ironically because Mick Hucknall is in possession of one of the ugliest faces in all of the animal kingdom, not to mind the human race. He looks like he got beaten by an ugly stick wielded by Mark McGwire. Speaking to Billboard, Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan stated: "If we don't do it (tour) very soon, one of us is gonna check out. We've been waiting and waiting for Rod to say yes; now he's finally said no. He's busy doing other s***. So we're gonna do it... I just want to play." Guitarist Ron Wood is on record as maintaining that he would like to see Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist, Flea step in to replace the late Ronnie Lane, but McLagan claims that former Sex Pistols member, Glen Matlock, would be a better choice. This could all fall apart before they even get to the rehearsal stage...

Pope Benedict XVI will release an album next month featuring a series of classical works performed by The Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanying the pontiff spoken word prayers. Last week heavy metal bible - if you'll pardon the awful pun - Metal Hammer took the rather unusual step of enlisting Cradle Of Filth's, Dani Filth to review the album. Renowned for his anti-religious inclinations, Mr. Filth claimed: "It can't hold a candle to Metallica's early work." Profound stuff but what can you expect from a man who would be a shoo-in to heaven if the test at the pearly gates ever involves passing your brain through the eye of a needle...

Staying on the heavy metal theme, Ozzy Osbourne insists that he bears no ill will toward Paul McCartney, after the latter once declined an offer to collaborate on one of Osbourne's albums. The former Black Sabbath singer claimed: "Meeting Paul McCartney was f***ing phenomenal. I was in the studio at the same time as him, and tried to get him to play bass on one of my songs. But he said he couldn't improve on the bass-line that was there. I said, 'Are you kidding? You could p*** on the record and I'd make it my life'." That's one kick-ass piece of diplomacy from Macca but given the way Ozzy is these days he might have imagined the entire thing. He may even have just thought that he met McCartney after encountering someone with brown hair at the same moment there was a Beatles track on the radio. Living in that head must be a little like living in Disneyworld...

Busted star Matt Willis is recovering after crashing his motorcycle in London last week. Writing of the incident on his Twitter account, the bubblegum punk rocker stated: "Had a smash on my bike last night! Still can't believe how lucky I am to be ok! Just a bruised leg and rib. Hit a car! And I'm ok... Wow! I went round a car and didn't see any indicator then the car turned right, went into the side of her from behind!" Merciful hour, I wouldn't fancy getting directions from the bloke! What the hell does "went into the side of her from behind" even mean? It sounds like some kind of an instruction from the Karma Sutra...

Those expecting Liam Gallagher's career to end with the demise of Oasis will be surprised to hear that the mouthy singer is already back at work with the remaining members of the band, putting together a record that they hope to release next summer. Talking to the media last week, Gallagher claimed: "We've been demo-ing some songs that we've had for a bit. Just doing that, on the quiet, not making a big fuss about it. After Christmas we might go in the studio and record them and hopefully have an album out in July. We'll do it in a different kind of way now. I'll try and reconnect with a new band, new songs, and I'm feeling confident about the songs. I'm feeling a million per cent confident that they could be better than Oasis." That last line sounds like it was written by Pinocchio from Shrek - "Uh. Hmm, well, uh, I don't know where he's not." ...

Celebrated Australian doodler, Rolf Harris has teamed up with legendary rockers Status Quo, to release a single for the festive season. The 79-year-old painter is attempted to score his first Christmas number one with Christmas In The Sun, since topping the UK singles chart 40 years ago with his twee hit Two Little Boys. Speaking of their work together, Harris claimed: "They came up with musical surprises and guitar rhythms that sent shivers up and down my spine." Not meaning to doubt Mr. Harris but Status Quo haven't come up with a musical surprise in over 40 years...

Critically acclaimed electronic songwriter, Mathew Herbert declared in a recent interview that he intends to raise a pet pig, slaughter it himself, eat it and then make instruments out of its bones. The quirky artist told FACT magazine: "(The pig) will be cooked. The head by (celebrity chef) Heston Blumenthal, who will have a banquet. The bones will be turned into a flute on which to play. I don't actually think that music has to be unpleasant or unlistenable to be challenging, That is what my work is about - it is the artist's responsibility to make connections, no matter how absurd they are and where they lead us." All a little bit Hannibal Lechter if you ask me and I think he left out the part about enjoying it with fava beans and a nice chianti before pft-pft-pfting through his teeth. No doubt PETA will be down on this guy quicker than Kate Moss can say "where's your bathroom?" at a house party. It seems pretty practical though and he can always give the pigs ears to James Blunt for the making of his next album...

In an interview last week Sting revealed that he and wife Trudie Styler once witnessed flying objects and ghosts in a home they used to own. The Police singer claimed: "I would never have said I believe in ghosts, until I saw one - I've seen a ghost with my own eyes. I was in bed one night, in a very old house I used to live in, and I woke up at three in the morning, bolt upright, looked into the corner of the room and thought I saw Trudie standing there with a child - our child - in her arms, staring at me. And I thought, 'Well, that's strange - why is she standing in a corner, staring at me?' And I then reached next to me and there was Trudie, and I suddenly got this terrible chill. And she woke up and said, 'Gosh, who is that?' And she saw this woman and a child in the corner of the room." Did he ever consider that it could have been the nanny? Seriously though, I can totally sympathize with where he's coming from because I don't believe in Sting but he definitely exists...

Meddling with fate story of the week goes to former Hefner front man, Darren Hayman, who left the following posting on his Twitter website just before a recent gig: "I'm in Nottingham. Most violent city in U.K. I'm told. Come see me play!" Eight hours later the poor sod was laid up in hospital with a fractured skull, having been beaten senseless by a group of teens who dragged him out the window of his car, as he sat outside the venue he had just performed in. Thankfully he survived and is now recuperating at his home in London, so I guess there's another city that Yusuf Islam can cross off his to-do list.