Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me along the way, it really kept me going out there. The work Sport Relief does helps changes lives both in the UK and the world’s poorest countries and I’ve seen firsthand the difference it can make so please donate what you can.”
After months of gruelling training, the presenter of the BBC’s One Show at last set off from Dover first thing this morning at 7.46am, having been delayed on both Wednesday and Thursday due to treacherous gale-force winds.

She water skied the 22-mile stretch of freezing-cold, choppy water in an incredible 100 minutes and arrived on the shore of France exhausted, yet elated, at 9.26am.

Weather conditions were far from ideal for a water ski crossing with the wind-chill temperature below freezing and strong winds making Christine’s challenge extremely difficult.

But thanks to her physical and mental determination she fought the elements to stay afloat, only falling off her skis eight times, and managing to stay upright for a maximum 15 minutes in one go.

Christine was completely new to water skiing before undertaking training for this mighty challenge, and was determined to give it her all after seeing Sport Relief cash in action in Uganda last year.

She hopes to inspire the nation to sponsor her to raise as much cash as possible for Sport Relief and to change countless lives for the better.
To support Christine, please make a donation at www.sportrelief.com/christine

From there the show, which will air from 3pm til late both Saturday and Sunday, will feature a whole host of special guests dropping in to the studio for chats, interviews, performances, skits, collaborations and all manner of impromptu fun.
Guests planned already include the likes of The Doves, Eliza Doolittle, The Thirst, XO Man and many more still to be announced including an extra-special interview to kick-off the events on Saturday.

The weekend will be rounded off by a performance from Victoria herself on the Sunday evening, Fans will be able to tune in via Victoria’s website at www.IHartVictoria.com to listen live to the show, as well as watch the studio with the entire broadcast video-streamed live.

“Material Girl” is a newly created, fast-fashion junior collection that will launch exclusively in approximately 200 Macy’s stores and online at www.macys.com in August 2010 for the back-to-school season.

As part of the direct-to-retail agreement, Macy’s will have the opportunity to launch additional brands with MG Icon in the future.The “Material Girl” collection was inspired and designed in collaboration with Madonna and her daughter Lourdes, along with Iconix Brand Group’s in-house fashion department. In addition to the back-to-school apparel collection, “Material Girl” will also launch in multiple categories including footwear, handbags and jewelry.

The collection will retail from $12.00 to $40.00, comparative with pricing strategies at junior specialty stores. The strategy for growth will include additional categories in the lifestyle and beauty sectors, including fragrance, beginning 2011 as well as a rollout into additional Macy’s stores.

Neil Cole, CEO and Chairman, Iconix, stated, “We are excited to announce the first in a series of new brands that will be developed under our partnership with Madonna. ‘Material Girl’ has a powerful retail partner in Macy’s and we look forward to working together to deliver an innovative launch for our consumers.”

“We believe that ‘Material Girl’ will be a dynamic exclusive brand for Macy’s, and we look forward to working with Madonna, Lourdes and the Iconix team. Madonna is a fashion icon who can bring a new dimension to our juniors customer,” said Jeff Gennette, Macy’s chief merchandising officer. “‘Material Girl’ will enhance the excitement of fast fashion at Macy’s.”
www.macys.com

A time when people who like the pop-edged synth of yesteryear, crave the meat of guitars and the rhythmic joys of a full drum kit, when their music desires aren’t limited to the simply infectious but arms-in-the-air, soundtrack-of-our-lives anthemic.
It appears new band NewIslands have arrived at the right time. On 15th March 2010 they release their debut single ‘Out of Time’ on new label YouWillBeFollowing. As anthemic as they come, ‘Out of Time’ on first listen is like an old favourite song you had forgotten you knew, yet simultaneously it’s like nothing you’ve heard before %u2013 all dreamy, swirling keyboards and yearning, building vocals.

Indicative of NewIslands desires to push music further and cross boundaries, ‘Out of Time’ comes with seven remixes including ones by Is Tropical, Breton and Active Child (as played by Radio 1’s Rob da Bank).

NewIslands Q & A
WHO ARE THE BAND MEMBERS AND WHAT DO EACH OF YOU DO IN THE BAND?
David Jones – singer
Luke Shoesmith – guitar/keys
Thomas Neal – Guitar
Bogart Giner – Bass
Raife Hacking – Drums

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE / PLAY ?
(David) Well we’re huge fans of big epic tunes. We like the darker side of pop, and thats coming out more and more in our music. If we were to tag ourselves right now we’d probably say we make dark experimental pop music.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
All of us are from the midlands apart from Bogart who’s from London.

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
(David) Me and Luke started writing stuff back in March last year. Originally we were just going to write a couple of demo’s, but we enjoyed the process a lot and so the band kind of fell into place over following few months.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
(David) I don’t think we’re that influenced by the industry as such, bands wise we’re into loads of stuff but we agree on things like Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Beatles, The Doors; bands who write great songs really.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF BEING IN THE BAND FOR YOU ?
(David) Haha, if only you knew! Lets say it hasn’t exactly been easy. We’ve had near death experiences, equipment stolen, girlfriends being lost, lots of heartache…you know, standard fledgling band stuff.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY DAYS AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM NOW ?
(David) MMM, its still pretty early days for us to be honest, I guess the early days it was only me and Luke, but now we have a full band, and we’ve evolved into something quite different to how it was when we first began. Now we are much more of a unit, which feels right.

WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
(Tom) The last gig we played was at Old Queens Head in Angel, London. The set-up was a bit strange, as we were on just after a canadian guitar prodigy, whose sound was pretty acoustic. It was alright though, really.

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ? IF SO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WARD TO THEM AND WHY ?
(TOM) We’d love to play Ireland, can you get us a gig?

DO ANY OF THE BAND HAVE ANY IRISH OR NORTHERN IRISH CONNECTIONS ? IF SO TELL US ABOUT THEM ?
(David) Well Tom our guitarist has red hair, and says he’s got a bit of Irish in him, and one of our girlfriends is from Belfast. She introduced us to the ‘Ulster Fry’, I think thats what its called?

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
(Tom) Well we’ve played some great support slots with the likes of Miike Snow, and we played Offset festival and In The City last year which was great. I guess releasing a single is a big achievement for us, and it feels like things are moving along nicely.

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
(David) Our manager Federica has been great, and we have a great team around us. There’s been a lot of support for us, and we appreciate it all.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
(Tome & David) Well we have our single launch on March 11th in London which is going to be wicked and a single launch on March 19th in Northampton We’ve got a few of our friends DJing and playing live for us, and its going to be a great way to celebrate releasing our debut single. After that we intend to play a few more shows and work on some new material and prepare our next single. Its looking pretty busy for us in the near future.

IS IT HARD BEING A NEW BAND IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY ?
(David) I think you have to work harder to prove your worth. Not as many people are getting signed straight away, but that can be a good thing. It allows bands to develop a bit, and sorts the wheat from the chaff so to speak.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK SITES TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BAND ?
(David) Sites like facebook and twitter are good to make people aware of what your doing as a band, and invite people to gigs etc. We also have a blog (www.newislands.wordpress.com) that we regularly update. This gives us a chance to talk about what we’re into and what we’re up to. We like to keep our cards quite close to our chest though, don’t want to give everything away.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS:
- WHO’S THE MESSIEST IN THE BAND? (David) The rest of the guys would probably say me on this one .
- WHO IS HARDEST TO LIVE WITH ON TOUR? (David) Me again!
- WHO IS THE JOKER AND WHY ?
(David) There’s a couple of jokers in the band, Tom and Raife tend to keep everyone on their toes with their gags.
- WHO MOANS THE MOST ? (David) I couldn’t possibly say. We all moan to be fair, but probably Luke haha.
- WHO IS THE MOST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL & WHY ? (Tom) Bogart loves a good party, or even a shit one.
- WHO IS THE LOUDEST ? (David) That’ll be me then.
- WHO IS THE MOST ANNOYING ? (David) See above
- WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING SOMEONE IN THE BAND HAS DONE ?
(Tom) Can’t think of a specific occasion, but its probably Raife.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ?
(David) We respect people like Damon Albarn, Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), new bands wise, The Big Pink and Animal Collective are great.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND AND WHY ?
(Tom & David) Definitely like to have a jam with The Pogues. It would also be amazing to get Sinead O Connor singing on one of our tracks. Tom went to Dublin and saw a few traditional Irish folk bands, getting involved in something like that would be interesting.
www.myspace.com/newislands
www.youwillbefollowing.co.uk
NEWISLANDS
‘Out of Time/ Crosstown Feel’-the debut single out 15th March
YouWillBeFollowing Records
UK Spring tour dates
11th March- Carnivale, London
12th March- Jack Daniels Lounge- Roof Gardens, London
19th March- Labour Club, Northampton 2nd April- The Roadmender, Northampton
14th April- Proud Galleries, London

Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler sure make a red hot pair on the cover of American style bible W magazine. The sizzling image shows the heavily airbrushed former Friends actress leaning against her co-star in the desert as he wraps his arms around her waist.

The 41-year-old wears an Alberta Ferretti silk chiffon dress in the image, along with thigh-baring sheer hold-up stockings and cream heels with a leather ankle strap.
Photos by Steven Klein
Styled by Alex White
www.wmagazine.com

Read more

Following the release of their Grammy nominated albums Funeral and Neon Bible, Arcade Fire have toured Europe extensively. The band and their releases topped “Best of Decade” polls around the world – with Funeral charting at Number 6 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Albums of The Decade.
2007 saw the band play other major international music festivals including, Coachella, Glastonbury, Reading and Rock en Seine, and a US tour with LCD Soundsystem which culminated in a 30,000 capacity show on Randall’s Island in New York.

“the Arcade Fire produce a sound so explosive you fear the crackling speakers might rupture,” The Guardian 2007.

Arcade Fire are renowned for their breathtaking live performances and the last time they were in Ireland, their two shows at the Phoenix Park sold out 20,000 tickets in a matter of minutes. It’s a performance that promises to be unmissable!

Also announced today is Fatboy Slim. A true icon of dance music, Fatboy Slim returns to Ireland following his sold out performance at Marlay Park last summer.
He’s won two Brit Awards as a solo artist and in 2007 received an Ivor Novello Award for ‘outstanding contribution to British music’.

A pioneer of the big beat sound, Fatboy Slim’s 1998 album You’ve Come A Long Way Baby is a classic of the genre and features the massive tunes ‘The Rockafeller Skank’, ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and ‘Praise You’.

Most recently, he’s collaborated with David Byrne on concept album ‘Here Lies Love’ which features Santigold and Martha Wainwright and is released in April.


Winner of Best Overseas Festival 2009 at the UK Festival Awards, OXEGEN returns to Punchestown Racecourse from Thursday 8th–Sunday 11th July and the line-up is already shaping up to be one of our strongest and most diverse ever!

Just like previous years, we asked you to tell us who you most wanted to see and we’ve brought together a bill full of your favourite artists.

OXEGEN 2010 LINE-UP TO DATE
Arcade Fire, Fatboy Slim. Will be joining:
Eminem, Muse, Jay-Z, The Black Eyed Peas, Kasabian, The Prodigy, Florence + The Machine, Paolo Nutini, Faithless, Stereophonics, David Guetta, Vampire Weekend, Mumford & Sons, John Mayer, Hot Chip, Calvin Harris, Newton Faulkner, Gossip, The Temper Trap, Empire Of The Sun, Goldfrapp, La Roux, Wolfmother, Rise Against, The Coral, Broken Social Scene, Ellie Goulding, Two Door Cinema Club, Armand Van Helden, Steve Angello,Simian Mobile Disco, Erol Alkan, Steve Aoki, A-Trak, Aeroplane and many more…

Ticket Info…
Tickets will go on general release this Friday 12th March 2010 at 8am nationwide and prices remain unchanged since 2008 with a 3 day camping ticket costing 224.50 Euro (incl booking fee).

The OXEGEN campsite will open on Thursday where there’ll be some fantastic entertainment on The Thursday Night Live Stage in the new Campsite Village. If you want to start the party early, for an extra €20 you can purchase a 4 day camping ticket which includes your Thursday campsite stay.

Tickets can be bought via our official ticket partner www.ticketmaster.ie

Flexible Payment…
Spread the cost of your ticket… at no extra charge! Pay a €120 deposit to secure your ticket and then pay the remaining balance before 30th April 2010. Available via local ticket outlets, 24hr telephone lines and online. You’ll be issued a receipt on payment and tickets will then be issued on payment of the balance outstanding. More details at oxegen.ie.

OXEGEN is subject to license and tickets are available on a first come first served basis. Don’t forget that to encourage car pooling, one free car pass will be issued with every 4 tickets purchased.

Choose Public Transport…
Last year, more of you than ever before chose public transport and we’re urging you to leave the car at home again this year. Priority is given to buses both to and from the festival site and both Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann provide services. For more details, visit oxegen.ie

As per 2009’s event, the following conditions still apply:
Strictly 17s and over only – ID required and will be checked vigorously before entry. Under 17s will only be admitted if accompanied by guardian/relative 25 years or over who will sign for and accept responsibility for said person. Policy will be strictly enforced – persons who purchase and ignore conditions will be refused entry with NO refund.

Bombay release one of the stand out tracks from their recent live dates, ‘Evening/Morning’ this week. The single will be a super limited edition 7” (only 400 copies) with the band doing the artwork for each one of the copies individually.
Additionally, the band is putting the finishing touches on a brand new acoustic album which they aim to release later this year. Singer, Jack Steadman’s love of Appalachian music coupled with the folk heritage of guitarist Jamie MacColl (son of Neill and grandson of Ewan) has given these new tracks a distinct acoustic feel, as heard on the band’s recent cover of Loudon Wainwright III’s ‘Motel Blues’.

The critically acclaimed debut album ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ is out now.
www.myspace.com/bombaybicycleclub

Bombay Bicycle Club Live
April 22nd 2010 – QMU, Glasgow
Apr 23rd 2010 – Academy 2, Manchester
Apr 24th 2010 – Forum, London – sold out
Tickets on sale now.

Scented with vanilla, plus sweet orange and a touch of myrrh to help tone the skin, this is the crème de la crème of body lotions…and maybe the secret behind bagging those starring roles opposite Daniel Craig and Jake Gyllenhall!
www.lush.co.uk

Robbie has also been photographed in the one-off Sport Relief T-shirts which have been exclusively designed by the whole Beckham family and are available exclusively in store and online at Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx and www.sportrelief.com
TV viewers can also look forward to Robbie giving a special performance of ‘Morning Sun’ as part of the fantastic line up of TV entertainment on BBC One on Friday 19th March.

Other highlights include a new ‘Smithy’ sketch from James Corden, an Ashes to Ashes special featuring sporting and entertainment legends from the 80s, plus special editions of MasterChef and A Question of Sport Relief.

For more news and information about this year’s campaign log on to sportrelief.com

Live Pic by ©Fabrizio Belluschi/FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE / PLAY ?
Jungle pop

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
Gold Coast, Australia

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
We met at school in 2005. Random selection of nerds for battle of the bands. Then we traded some members for Taylor & Chris. Chris is the cousin of Tim.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
Shane Skillz, Janet Jackson, Prince, Missy Elliot, Amerie, Eurythmics.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF BEING IN THE BAND FOR YOU ?
Not being able to bring your whole house with you, the only time you have space to yourself is when you are on the toilet or in the shower – having to live out of a suitcase.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY DAYS AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM NOW ?
We have a new line-up = better vibes. We can actually get our FULL rider as now we are “all of age” – better hotel rooms, we have some nice crew that carry/set up our things for us. We are basically a little older, a tiny bit spoilt, hopefully a little smarter.

WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
Our last gig was actually our debut gig for the new record, which was indeed yesterday. It was boiling hot about 38 degrees in Perth as part of the Future Music Festival. It was amazing, the crowd seemed to be into our Destiny’s Child cover, we crumped – it was so hot my guitar was going out of tune but I had a balllllllllllllll.

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ? IF SO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WARD TO THEM AND WHY ?
I would like to think so. We haven’t hatched a tour plan as of yet – but Ireland is generally nice and rowdy the way we like it.

DO ANY OF THE BAND HAVE ANY IRISH OR NORTHERN IRISH CONNECTIONS ? IF SO TELL US ABOUT THEM ?
I’m sure somewhere along the lines we do. Australians are direct descendants of the English/Irish/Scottish or so they say?

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
I think everything that has happened & that we have worked towards or reached is a success in our eyes. I guess it’s the way you measure it, but there have been many things that we consider to be a successful venture – I can’t really pin point any specific moment as it’s all been amazing.

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
We have an amazing support network – I think to get to where you are wanting to go that is a key feature. There have been many people that have been there to support us along the way – they stem from family, each other, various radio/media outlets and the genuine people/music lovers and that believe in what you do – we are grateful for all of this, it works hand in hand when you are aiming for something and have people around you that reciprocate the same vision.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
We are on the brink of releasing our 2nd record “Gloves” – so everything we are doing right now is a lead into the record and then there will be lots of touring.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS:
- WHO’S THE MESSIEST IN THE BAND? Taylor
- WHO IS HARDEST TO LIVE WITH ON TOUR? We are The Brady Bunch it’s all good ha ha ha ha.
- WHO IS THE JOKER AND WHY ? A combined effort, we’re all a bit special.
- WHO MOANS THE MOST ? Me (Amandah) or Ashley because “Ima Ima – a Diva”
- WHO IS THE MOST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL & WHY ? Tim because he likes to paaaaartaaaaay and you wouldn’t know it.
- WHO IS THE LOUDEST ? Me, I don’t know what “inside voice” means.
- WHO IS THE MOST ANNOYING ? Ashley and I generally but we all have our moments.
- WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING SOMEONE IN THE BAND HAS DONE ? This is allocated for some “previous” band members, I leave that one for you to discover.
- WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ? The Neptunes, Missy Elliot, Prince.
Interview by ©FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE / PLAY ?
We make honest and jaded love songs. We play hardened, honest and jaded love songs.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
We hail from Los Angeles, CA.

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
www.jdate.com about 3 years ago.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, Michael and the Merry Men, Jordman and the Early Signs.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF BEING IN THE BAND FOR YOU ?
Putting it all on the line can be difficult at times. And writer’s block.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY DAYS AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM NOW ?
I think in the early days we were less concerned with the bigger picture. Now we are attempting to immerse ourselves into the bigger picture.

WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
The last gig we played was at Bardot in Hollywood. We always enjoy playing there. It’s a tight space and the band plays at ground level which makes for an intimate performance. Also the sound and lighting people are pro. The overall ambiance of the room is rich with class which I find rare at high-end hollywood clubs. Most of them wreak of the semblance of class with the overwhelming stench of prostitution.

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ? IF SO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WARD TO THEM AND WHY ?
We hope to make it out to Ireland within the next few months. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but we are very excited at the prospect.

DO ANY OF THE BAND HAVE ANY IRISH OR NORTHERN IRISH CONNECTIONS ? IF SO TELL US ABOUT THEM ?
I have a very good friend, Catriona White, from Tipperary. She’s the bee’s knees.

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
Our performances have been a staple in our success thus far. We recently finished our first album and are excited to see what comes from it.

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
Our manager, Michael Merriman.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
Just completed our first full length album so we are now considering offers from record labels. Jaysus, doesn’t that sound backward, finish the album then get signed?

IS IT HARD BEING A NEW BAND IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY ?
Nope. I’m assuming it’s always been a challenge in one way or another. We bitch and complain about the state of the industry these days but there always has and always will be something to bitch about because the industry, along with the universe, is in a constant state of change.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK SITES TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BAND ?
That’s like asking a band from the 80’s how important radio was to their success. It’s the status quo of promotion. If you don’t have a myspace or facebook profile you might as well shoot yourself in the foot. It’s all about how you use it and not fighting it. I still have trouble accepting this. But like I said, status quo.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS:
- WHO’S THE MESSIEST IN THE BAND?
me probably. lucas.
- WHO IS HARDEST TO LIVE WITH ON TOUR?
To be fair, I’d have to say we all have our moments.
- WHO IS THE JOKER AND WHY ?
Zach. He’s got the zaniest sense of humor and it comes out like tourette’s.
- WHO MOANS THE MOST ?
guilty.
- WHO IS THE MOST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL & WHY ?
hmmm. I would have to say I live the most rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. Because I’m 2 months behind on rent. Is that rock ‘n’ roll?
- WHO IS THE LOUDEST ?
Zach. Tourette’s.
- WHO IS THE MOST ANNOYING ?
zach. Tourette’s.
- WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING SOMEONE IN THE BAND HAS DONE ?
Dressed up as a girl.
- WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ?
Nigel Godrich.
Interview by ©FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
It happened at varying stages, it’s quite a long story actually…

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
Martin Rushent

WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
We did a club night with our friends, Lucky Soul in London which was tremendous!

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ?
Not as of yet but we’ve always loved playing Belfast…

DO ANY OF THE BAND HAVE ANY IRISH OR NORTHERN IRISH CONNECTIONS? IF SO TELL US ABOUT THEM ?
Well, both Ani and Gwenno Irish danced since they were 5 and Ani’s won the World Championships a good few times and Gwenno did lead in Lord Of The Dance and danced with Riverdance…

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
A load of stuff on the last album, playing the main stage at Glastonbury was pretty memorable!

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
Family and friends

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
Our new album, Earth VS The Pipettes is coming out in July with a single, Stop The Music out in April

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK SITES TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BAND ?
It’s just a really good way of keeping in touch with fans across the world

www.myspace.com/thepipettes
www.thepipettes.com
The Pipettes
ANNOUNCE A UK NATIONWIDE TOUR
TOUR DATES

APRIL 2010
18TH FAC251 MANCHESTER

19TH O2 ACADEMY 2 SHEFFIELD

20TH HOXTON BAR & GRILL LONDON

21ST AUDIO BRIGHTON

22ND NEW SLANG (CLUB) KINGSTON

25TH WEDGEWOOD ROOMS PORTSMOUTH

26TH JOINERS SOUTHAMPTON

MAY 2010
7TH FIBBERS YORK

8TH O2 ACADEMY 2 LIVERPOOL

14TH INSIDE OUT DARLINGTON

15TH O2 ACADEMY 2 BIRMINGHAM

21ST THE BOX CREWE

22ND PARCC HALL SOUTH WALES
Interview by ©FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

They gained the rarest prize for a British artist with not just one, but TWO number one hits in the USA; the album ‘Stars’ was the biggest selling album in the UK for two consecutive years and they have played more than 1000 live shows to over 10 million people.

“Welcome to the final year of twenty five mind blowing years. What an adventure it has been! I could never have imagined my career would bring me so far. We want to share this closing anniversary with all the people who have enjoyed our sound through out the years. Celebrate it and gently move on to the second half of a musical story. We all hope to see you at a show some where soon. Best wishes from Mick and all at Simply Red.”


www.simplyred.com
Simply Red
Plus Special Guests
Farewell
The Final Tour

The O2, Dublin
07 November 2010

The Odyssey Arena, Belfast
08 November 2010

Tickets on sale Friday 19th March at 9.00am

The O2, Dublin: Tel (01) 8198888
Book On Line: www.theo2.ie

The Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Odyssey Arena Box Office: Tel. 02890 739074
Book On Line: www.odysseyarena.com

Ticketmaster
In person: From 100 Ticketmaster Outlets Nationwide
By Telephone (24 Hour):
ROI – 0818 719 300, Northern Ireland – 0844 277 44 55
Book On Line: www.ticketmaster.ie
Live pix by ©Fabrizio Belluschi/FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

The wait is finally over Thursday, March 11 when E! News exclusively premieres the epic video, which features pop superstar Beyonce, during the show’s 11:30 PM broadcast. “Telephone” is the second single from Lady Gaga’s platinum album The Fame Monster .
After the video premieres on E! News, Ryan Seacrest will conduct an exclusive interview with this enchanting artist to dissect the inspiration behind “Telephone” and learn how she has been able to out-do herself yet again.
“What I like about it is it’s a real true pop event,” Lady Gaga said about the “Telephone” video in a February interview with KIIS-FM and E!’s Ryan Seacrest. “When I was younger I was always excited when there was a big giant event happening in pop music and that’s what I wanted this to be.”
Gritty, erotic and wildly fierce, this nine-minute, visually stunning, cinematic masterpiece features the inimitable Beyonce and is helmed by famed music video director Jonas Akerlund. Rich with Gaga’s unique dance stylings, iconic costume design and unworldly hair and make-up, this is far from your typical music video.

Since breaking out onto the music scene in 2008 with her Grammy Award-winning debut album, The Fame, Lady Gaga has consistently shocked and inspired. The Fame spawned four No. 1 singles “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “LoveGame,” and “Paparazzi,” making her the first artist in Billboard history to accomplish that feat on a debut album.
Released on November 23, 2009, The Fame Monster is the follow-up to The Fame, and already has produced a fifth No. 1 single for Gaga with “Bad Romance.” Combined, The Fame and The Fame Monster have sold 10 million albums worldwide, while Lady Gaga’s five singles have sold more than 17 million copies total. The video for “Bad Romance” has racked up more than 140 million online views.

Lady Gaga has said that the video for “Telephone” picks up where “Paparazzi” left off but will surpass its predecessor. In the new video, Gaga’s on-screen chemistry with Beyonce transforms the song from a popular dance floor gem to a raw and explosive piece of art to be reckoned with. It is the second time the two entertainers have collaborated for a visual adventure, first on Beyonce’s “Video Phone” and now on Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.”

Beyonce, who enjoyed a string of #1 hits on the dance charts in 2009, including “Diva,” “Halo,” “Sweet Dreams,” which became her eleventh #1 single, and the Song of the Year at the 2010 Grammys, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” was thrilled to re-team up with Lady Gaga. “It was fun to work with Gaga again. This video was a unique opportunity to do something we think will surprise our fans in a creative, edgy way not always seen.”

E!’s rich history of providing its audience with the latest breaking news in entertainment and pop culture makes it the perfect forum for this incredible, jaw-dropping premiere.

The video will also make its online debut at midnight that evening on VEVO.com and LadyGaga.com so fans can view it again right away. VEVO will also offer the ability to watch the video with lyrics.
VEVO.com
LadyGaga.com

Some of today’s biggest recording artists and producers have joined together to celebrate the music of multi-Grammy winning producer, composer and arranger Quincy Jones by recording contemporary versions of popular recordings from his massive catalog for a new album from Interscope Records entitled Q: Soul Bossa Nostra. A “family celebration,” Q: Soul Bossa Nostra will be released May/June, 2010.
Renowned for blending musical genres as he did with his 1989 multi-Grammy winning “Album of the Year” Back on the Block and 1995’s platinum Q’s Jook Joint, Q: Soul Bossa Nostra will feature an assortment of artists and producers from the Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop worlds such as Usher, Ludacris, Akon, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, T-Pain, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, Three 6 Mafia, David Banner, BeBe Winans, Mervyn Warren, Jermaine Dupri, DJ Paul, and Scott Storch, among others who wanted to pay tribute to these works by Jones.

Jones, who serves as Executive Producer for the album commented, “Q: Soul Bossa Nostra features some of my favorite artists and producers on the scene today from the Pop, R&B and Hip-Hop worlds performing selections from my catalog that people really loved when they were originally recorded. Each artist picked a song that really resonated with them for different reasons – some of them having a connection because they remembered their parents playing the track when they were growing up. I am honored that everyone wanted to be a part of this celebration of these songs. They all made them their own, and knocked them out of the park.”
Jones continued, “Each of these songs had incredible artists and unique stories from when we originally recorded them. I think that these new interpretations will not only introduce these songs to a whole new generation of music fans, but inspire them to seek out the original recordings and show that these songs really stand the test of time…that’s the ultimate mark of a great tune.”

The first single from Q: Soul Bossa Nostra, available March 24th, will be Akon’s interpretation of the 1977 Brothers Johnson classic “Strawberry Letter 23.” The album will also include Jennifer Hudson (produced by Scott Storch) performing acclaimed songwriter Rod Temperton’s “You Put A Move On My Heart,” from Jones’ 1996 album Q’s Jook Joint; Ludacris and Naturally 7 (produced by Naturally 7) on the title track “Soul Bossa Nostra,” a hip-hop revamp of Jones’ 1962 single “Soul Bossa Nova” which was re-born as the Austin Powers theme song and was sampled by Ludacris on his 2005 single “Number One Spot” for which he garnered a VMA; and Usher, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Trey Songz, Tyrese and Tevin Campbell with Barry White’s original vocals (produced by Jermaine Dupri) on “Secret Garden,” originally recorded on 1989’s Back On The Block.

Commented singer/producer Akon, “Quincy Jones is a musical legend and an incredible mentor. Just being around him and watching him work over the years has taught me how to develop as an artist and grow as a producer. When Quincy called and told me about this album, I said you have to let me do “Strawberry Letter 23″ and the funny thing is that’s the song he was thinking about already. We brought a new modern feel to this classic and I think everyone’s going to really enjoy it.”

Also contributing to Q: Soul Bossa Nostra singer/actress Jennifer Hudson commented, “When I was asked to work on a project honoring Quincy Jones’ songs my answer was an immediate YES!!!. He is an icon in our industry and to have been fortunate enough to work with him is just amazing. He is a true artist, genius and professional. It was an unforgettable experience and I truly hope I will have the chance to collaborate with him again very soon!!”

Additional tracks on Q: Soul Bossa Nostra will feature Jamie Foxx (produced by David Banner and Warryn Campbell) on the Grammy Award-winning classic “Give Me The Night,” originally recorded in 1980 by Jones, George Benson and Rod Temperton; John Legend (produced by Ted Chung) on the Brothers Johnson/Siedah Garrett-penned ballad “Tomorrow,” from Back On The Block; T-Pain and Robin Thicke (produced by T-Pain) on a re-make of Michael Jackson, James Ingram and Jones’ Grammy nominated dance staple “P.Y.T.” from Thriller; Mary J. Blige and Q-Tip (produced by Q-Tip) on the funk classic “Betcha Wouldn’t Hurt Me,” originally written by Stevie Wonder for Jones’ multi-Grammy winning 1980 album The Dude; BeBe Winans (produced by Mervyn Warren) on Bernard Igher’s sultry “Everything Must Change” from Jones’ 1974 album Body Heat – the title track being sampled in 1996 by Dr. Dre and Tupac Shakur on their hit “How Do You Want It;” and Wyclef Jean on “Oluwa (Many Rains Ago),” Jones and Caiphus Semenya’s Emmy Award-winning title track from 1977’s hit television mini-series Roots.

Rounding out the album are performances by Snoop Dogg (produced by Terrence Martin) on the Brothers Johnson disco classic “Get The Funk Out Of My Face;” Talib Kweli (produced by Quincy Jones) on Jones’ synthesizer infused theme song from the 1967 television show Ironside; and Three 6 Mafia and David Banner (produced by David Banner) on “Hickky Burr (Wrath of Katrina),” Jones and Bill Cosby’s collaboration for the theme song of 1969’s The Bill Cosby Show.

A 27-time Grammy Award winner (the most of any living musician) and the all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 79 nominations, Quincy Jones’ career has spanned six decades and encompassed the roles of composer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, record producer, record executive, film and television producer, magazine founder, multi-media entrepreneur and humanitarian.

As a master inventor of musical hybrids, Quincy Jones has shuffled pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, gospel, blues, classical, African and Brazilian music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performances, movies, television, broadcasting and magazine publishing.

Named by Time Magazine as one of the six most influential Jazz artists of the 20th Century, Jones won the first of his many Grammy Awards in 1963 for his Count Basie arrangement of “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” His three-year musical association as conductor and arranger with Frank Sinatra in the mid-60’s also teamed him with Basie for the classic Sinatra At The Sands, containing the famous arrangement of “Fly Me To The Moon,” the first recording played by astronaut Buzz Aldrin when he landed upon the moon’s surface in 1969.

As producer and conductor of the historic “We Are The World” recording (the best-selling single of all time), Michael Jackson’s multi-platinum solo albums, Off The Wall, Bad and Thriller (the best-selling album of all time), and the multi-Grammy winning Album of the Year Back On The Block, Quincy Jones stands as one of the most successful and admired creative artist/executives in the entertainment world. Most recently, Jones once again brought together the top recording artists of the day to produce “We Are The World – 25 for Haiti” to benefit the earthquake relief efforts in the country of Haiti.
www.quincyjones.com

If you are one of the dozen people who haven’t seen Avatar yet, the environmental message shines through the jaw-dropping special effects – the dangers of global warming, respecting Mother Nature, and environmental resource management.
Eco-minded film buffs who left the 82nd Academy Awards in disbelief are voting to put an award in James Cameron’s hands at the March 23rd Green Globe Film Awards. Movie lovers from over 100 countries around the world have voted online for the 100 Viewers’ Choice Awards and the results of the March 7th Academy Awards are inspiring fans to make their opinions heard. The online voting poll will be open until March 15th.

Whereas the Oscars are selected through a peer system by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, the fans get to have their say at the Green Globe Film Awards. The Green Globe Film Awards is one of Hollywood’s largest and most diverse film award programs with 100 Viewers’ Choice Awards and an environmental and humanitarian driven mission.

The event promotes “The Power of Film – Inspiring Environmental Awareness”. Awards in the categories of Major Motion Pictures, Environmental, Humanitarian, Animated and International Films are selected by the global viewing audience. The 2010 International Film Category Theme is “Asian Films”.

The Grand Sponsor of the event, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, will host the Green Globe Film Awards and Emperor’s Dreams Dinner Gala on March 23, 2010 with a sit-down dinner banquet and surprise performances by Hollywood’s and Asia’s top entertainers.

Tickets are limited but are still available on a first come, first served basis. Those who attend are helping humanitarian efforts and environmental preservation in Haiti as a portion of the event proceeds will go to rebuilding Haiti. Tickets can be purchased from www.movie-voters.com

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE / PLAY ?
We play Rock N’ Roll, but on the sensitive side.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
We are all live in NYC together.

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
Jacob and I started writing songs together about a year ago and we became a four-piece when we moved to NYC about 8 months ago.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
Orange Juice, The Strokes, The Shangri-Las, The Zombies, The Smiths.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF BEING IN THE BAND FOR YOU ?
No personal time. Ever.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY DAYS AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM NOW ?
Well we have only been a band for a year, so our “early days” are maybe a few months ago when we were playing little shows in NYC. Small hallway venues… and now we have just played to 5,000 people at Brixton on the NME tour. Pretty surreal.
WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
Berlin. It was my favorite of the tour. I loved that place. Felt strangely like home? Long live NYC and BERLIN!

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ? IF SO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WARD TO THEM AND WHY ?
I think we may be playing some festivals around there this summer. And of course we are looking forward to it. Ireland is significant.

DO ANY OF THE BAND HAVE ANY IRISH OR NORTHERN IRISH CONNECTIONS ? IF SO TELL US ABOUT THEM ?
I actually may be part Irish. I think Jacob too.

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
Well, we just finished our album, and to us that is a success. We are thrilled with it.

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
I think we did it all ourselves. UK Radio has helped a bit too. NME has been good to us. so far.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
We will be playing shows all year, mostly in Europe.

IS IT HARD BEING A NEW BAND IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY ?
For us , it has not been hard. It has all felt very natural. I think it is better now more than ever to start a band, because there are so many ways to be heard!

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK SITES TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BAND ?
Well, the internet is how people first discovered us, and got the ball rolling.

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS:
- WHO’S THE MESSIEST IN THE BAND? Connor
- WHO IS HARDEST TO LIVE WITH ON TOUR? Ty, our sound-guy
- WHO IS THE JOKER AND WHY ? Jacob
- WHO MOANS THE MOST ? Jonathan
- WHO IS THE MOST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL & WHY ? 4-way tie
- WHO IS THE MOST ANNOYING ?4-way tie
- WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ? we really don’t collaborate unless it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever
Interview by ©FAMEmagazine.co.uk / ©FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk

WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU MAKE / PLAY ?
We don’t really like to mark our music into a certain genre. It has a lot of synthesisers and vocal harmonies that would be considered ‘pop’. But we do love our big heavy guitars and big drums.

WHERE ARE YOU FROM ?
Ireland. Dublin, Donegal, Cork, & Wicklow

HOW DID YOU GUYS GET TOGETHER AND WHEN?
The band formed with me and Brendan moving to an old school house on the north west coast of Ireland.

Went into record our album in Dublin with our friend, James (bass), and producer Tom Mc Fall (Stars, Bloc Party, REM).

We moved to London in January 2009 with James, recruited Philip as an additional synth and guitar player, and began touring the UK and Ireland.

WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY ?
We like pretty much everything Damon Alborn has done up to date.. Queens of the Stone Age. And past bands like Joy Division and The Clash.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST PART OF BEING IN THE BAND FOR YOU ?
Moving to London was pretty difficult, especially starting from ground roots. Winning over fans. But we felt it is was a move we had to make for the future of the band
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY DAYS AND HOW THEY DIFFER FROM NOW ?
Like any band we we’re a little green as far as the music industry was concerned. But after some time, we have learned from our experiences, and are a little wiser.

WHAT WAS THE LAST GIG YOU PLAYED, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT ?
Last night. Camden Barfly. It was the opening night for London Fashion Week. Full house, great atmosphere, what more could you ask for.

HAVE YOU ANY FORTHCOMING GIGS IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND ? IF SO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR WARD TO THEM AND WHY ?

We have our album release in April. Which will follow with some home gigs. Dublin, Cork, Galway, Belfast. Keep an eye on our facebook page for dates.

WHAT’S THE MOST SUCCESSFUL THING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE TO DATE ?
Our single ‘The Haunting’ is due for release March 15th. We have a UK tour booked, which we can’t wait for. And will be the biggest thing we have done so far.

WHO HAS HELPED YOU THE MOST GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY ?
Our manager, Nic Georgiou. God bless his cotton socks.

WHAT’S COMING NEXT FOR THE BAND ?
We have our new single ‘The Haunting’ out on March 15th, which we have just finished making a video for last weekend. Our album is due for release in April.

IS IT HARD BEING A NEW BAND IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY ?
There are thousands of other new bands in the same position as us. Because there are less labels filtering what gets released, there is an ocean of music being released online constantly. So for any band, they better make sure what they are saying is worthwhile, and that it stands above everyone else.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORK SITES TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BAND ?
Its a direct route to our fans. We have been able to organise secret shows throughout London in fans houses and some gardens!

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS:

WHO’S THE MESSIEST IN THE BAND?
We are all clean freaks.

WHO IS HARDEST TO LIVE WITH ON TOUR?
Hands down…Brendan.

WHO IS THE JOKER AND WHY ?
Hands down… Brendan. He always to lower the tone in any situation.

WHO MOANS THE MOST ?
Phil. Some people are not just cut out for the road.

WHO IS THE MOST ROCK ‘N’ ROLL & WHY ?
James. Because he is old school.

WHO IS THE LOUDEST ?
Brendan and his thick northy accent.

WHO IS THE MOST ANNOYING ?
Barry. He is a diva.

WHAT’S THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING SOMEONE IN THE BAND HAS DONE ?
James fell off the stage in Glasgow and nearly broke his arse and his ego.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE INDUSTRY ?
Josh Homme.

WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN IRELAND OR NORTHERN IRELAND AND WHY ?
Niall Breslin, because he is beautiful!
www.myspace.com/blacksoulstrangers
Interview by ©FAMEmagazine.co.uk / ©FAME Inc
www.fameinc.co.uk