Sitting in the corner of a Starbucks in Long beach with a cup of coffee in one hand and her Apple laptop in front of her, Brande Jackson was at work even when she was away from work.

Jackson, a 27-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate, is the founder and executive director of Lokahi Outreach, a business she started five years ago. The purpose of the organization is to fight against social injustice - particularly global poverty, by bridging various non-profit organizations and campaigns with cultural relevancy and the media industry by taking non-profit organizations on tour with bands like Coldplay, U2 and Dave Matthew's Band.

While many non-profit organizations have booths or make some sort of outreach at concerts, Lokahi takes it a step further by actually going on tour with the bands.

"We're sort of this middle group. What we do is kind of weird and really specific, so it's a really hard thing for non-profits to do," Jackson said.

Lokahi connects with different fan bases by reaching out to people who want to get involved, but may not know how.

"A lot of people want to be involved and want to join stuff, but no one reaches out to them in a way that connects with them," she said.

The most recent Lokahi Outreach project was partnering up the ONE campaign to fight against AIDS in Africa and extreme poverty U2 and Coldplay.

The organization has given more than 350,000 volunteers an opportunity to be a part of their movement to help bring social injustice into light for the past two years through the ONE campaign.

One of her co-workers, Daniel Binaei said, "Working for Lokahi has been an overall great experience. Â The work we do is very rewarding. To be able to share important messages with others about human rights and the environment has been a fantastic privilege. Â Further, to have the opportunity to support others in improving their ability to share these messages has also been a wonderful experience."

As part of her job, Jackson gets to travel on the road with different bands the organization is working with. Occasionally, she's on the road for many months out of the year.

"I spend a lot of time on the road. With touring I'll be gone for three, six, eight months out of the year. I'm typically gone during the summer and in 2005, I was gone for nine months out of the year," Jackson said.

Another perk is her celebrity encounters.

"We have a lot of weird encounters. When we set up a show, it's usually not as much the band that we're working with, it's just random celebrities there at the venue with us," Jackson said.

Jackson describes some of the unexpected encounters she and her staff have had.

"We were in an elevator once with Jay-Z and Beyonce. We were at Madison Square Garden, and while we were loading out, Anderson Cooper held the door open for us," said Jackson.

What strikes Jackson's heart the most are the volunteers and fans they meet on the road and at events, she said.

"I think it's more of the fans we meet that are really cool. And that's what's rewarding, my staff and I probably talk to close to 1 million people, without exaggerating. I'm probably more inspired and interested in people I meet people on a day-to-day basis. It reenergizes you," Jackson said.

Jackson finds pride in her and the volunteers that help out with the outreach programs.

"A lot of people complain about what goes on in the world, but you woke up and chose to do something today and that's huge," Jackson said.

The most important thing to Jackson seems to be the impact the organization makes in the world.

"A lot of people care about stuff, but don't get to act on it, I'm sort of lucky in that I've managed to create something where we can get up everyday and act on it."

Long before Jackson became the founder and executive director of her own organization, she grew up constantly surrounded by her family business. Growing up in a business environment since she was 14, prepared her to start up her own landscape company at age 17. In her 20s, she began working with non-profit organizations.

"I wanted to do more with politics and activism," Jackson said.

While at CSUF taking grad classes, Jackson participated in the 2000 elections as a political activist. Jackson also took political science classes in grad school.

"Professors were in touch with what was going on culturally, politically at the time. It's easy to get isolated from that," Jackson said.

Pamela Steinle, professor of American studies and graduate adviser, was one of the professor's Jackson worked with during her graduate studies.

"It's the excitement of seeing them learn to ground their interests and abilities in historical context; to take up and refine their critical thinking through the interdisciplinary work that is inherent to American Studies," Steinle said.

Source: http://www.dailytitan.com

EMI Group, the world's third-biggest music company but struggling with sliding sales in the United States, said Wednesday that it will pay no more dividends until 2009.

The British company meanwhile unveiled long-awaited plans to borrow against its back catalogue of hit songs by artists including the The Beatles and Coldplay.

The group, which has issued two profit warnings since the start of 2007, said it hopes to issue debt secured against revenues from its music publishing arm before the end of the current fiscal year, ending in March 2008.

The music publishing division receives a fee each time one of its catalogue tracks is played on the radio or used in a commercial, and has steadier cash flows than the recorded music unit, which has been hard hit by declining sales of compact discs in the United States.

EMI's net debt stands at about 910 million pounds (1.347 billion euros, 1.831 billion dollars), the group said on Wednesday.

"In view of the company's funding requirements, the board has decided to suspend dividend payments until the benefits of the restructuring process have been fully realised," EMI said in a statement.

"I love Coldplay, but there was a time when I was going, 'Oh, Chris (Martin), just shut up. Sing and play, that's what we're here for.'"

KT Tunstall doesn't always like her favourite pop and rock stars to mix music and politics.

Source: ContactMusic

Every year, music-loving Angelenos flock to KCRW's Sounds Eclectic Evening, a concert event that takes pride in wheeling out some of the best up-and-coming names from the independent music scene.

When past performers have included the likes of My Morning Jacket, Norah Jones, and Coldplay it is easy to understand why the legions of fans turned out in droves for this year's show.

The night's first artist, Bitter:Sweet, stunned the crowd with the Morcheeba-like sexuality of their lead singer, Shana Halligan—she owned the stage in her form-fitting white nightgown. Second on the bill was L.A.'s Breakestra, whose perpetual energy gave the crowd an enthusiastic history of funk, and enticed every single member of the audience to get up and dance. Cold War Kids (who Pulse interviewed at SXSW!) followed, using beer bottles, mic stands, and the stage floor as instruments to enhance their already perfectly crafted rock songs. Lead singer, Nathan Willett's uncanny ability to channel Joe Cocker helped them deliver the most pulse-pounding music of the night.

Read the full article here

Live music to give your day a kick

British-born but New York-based DJ Mark Ronson is live in the 6 Music Hub playing tracks from his forthcoming second album, Version.

Featuring covers of tracks including: Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God (with guest vocals from Lily Allen), Coldplay's God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Britney Spears's Toxic and The Smiths' Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before.

More on this here

NEW YORK — Swizz Beatz hasn't had a problem making a hit record for the streets or pop charts since he did the beat for N.O.R.E.'s "Banned for TV" almost a decade ago.

Everybody knows how he recently gave Beyoncé some platinum smashes for her B'Day album (see "Beyonce Hitmaker Swizz Beatz Defies Radio Rules With Two-Minute Single""), not to mention his credentials from working alongside top notch MCs such as Jay-Z, DMX and T.I. (see "New T.I. Songs Leak — Swizz Beatz Calls Track With Tip 'A Whole 'Nuther Level' "). Still, Swizz only got the courage to put out his first solo album a few months ago (he considers 2000's Swizz Beatz Presents: G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories to be a compilation, like the Ruff Ryders series he produced).

"I had the inspiration — it's when I got the heart, when I got the material." said Swizz, sitting in his Manhattan studio, about how his June 5 album, One Man Band Man, started to form.

Swizz said he started thinking about making his own album while working on his latest onslaught of tracks for others. For his entire career, he's had the reputation of not just making beats, but writing hooks for his records too. Recently, he began rapping on some of the songs, just to give the artists a reference of how to flow on the beat. When many of the people he was working with kept telling him they were feeling his raps, he started making his own songs and setting them aside.

"I started tucking stuff away," he said. "Before I knew it, I had six songs. I started working little by little. It was no pressure. Nobody knew I had an album coming out — I ain't even know."

A few of the songs that made his album were tracks he contemplated selling but decided to keep. "I was doing Nas' album, and he said the reason I ain't get a beat on his album is because I played him my album," Swizz said (see "With Tracks From Eve, Nas, Mary J. On Tap, Swizz Beatz Is Hotter Than Ever"). "I played him a song called 'Take a Picture.' But that song meant a lot to me. I wasn't gonna give my song up. It was a significant amount of money offered for the song, but certain things to me — a lot of things to me — is worth more than money. He was like, 'Wow.' It is what it is. We still gravy to this day."

Like his catalog, Swizz's album is a collage of different sounds. He didn't even produce the whole album. Although he handles about 95 percent of the vocals, he handed over a lot of the production to track masters such as Nottz and Rockwilder and newcomers like Snags, E. McCaine, the Individuals and Young World. The tracks range from a cautionary tale about gold diggers out for the kill on "Money in the Bank" (a definite single contender) to "Take a Picture," where Swizz actually uses a piece of S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M.'s "It's Gonna Be a Lovely Day." Yes, Swizz Beatz sampled.

"I don't like people to predict what I'm gonna do," he said. "That 'Lovely Day' beat, it's one of the songs I produced. Who says I can't sample? I came in the game not sampling to separate myself from everybody else. Ninety to 95 percent of my catalog — over 400-something songs — have no sample. I can sample now."

Of course the major catalyst for Swizz to make the foray into rapper-hood was the song "It's Me Bitches." He says the success of the record is one of his proudest moments. " 'It's Me' was a water-tester," he said. "Is this water warm or cold? I don't like cold water. It's warm. It's a Jacuzzi. I didn't even put my name on 'It's Me Bitches.' I wasn't all over the record saying, 'This is Swizz Beatz.' I just put it out there. It started in the club, now it is what it is. Now I'm committed to doing the whole thing."

Swizz's commitment included playing most of the album for MTV News. And he didn't do the regular listening session — where we go in a studio, sit down and listen. Swizz's session was more like an experience. First of all, in the room where he played the music, there was barely a blank space on the walls. When there wasn't platinum or gold plaques, the walls were covered with graffiti from the hands of Swizz himself or some of the finest tag artists from all over the world.

And Swizz didn't just cue up songs. He played his records through the turntables and scratched and even brought a few songs back, like the record he wants to be his next single. The song is just about riding around the 'hood and feeling safe in your environment even though you're a hip-hop celebrity. "For the video, you're gonna see me driving around," he said. "I'll park my car, run into the store real quick and come out with nothing but boxes of sneakers."

The mood takes a more serious turn during "The Funeral." "With my album, I wanted to be able to do sh-- that I wanted to do, that I think other people should be doing," he said. "You know, the world is f---ed up ... but when it's sunny outside and things are going good for you at the moment, things are clear. I break down the story, like, 'The funeral now wants a piece of the action.' Like death is coming. 'Maybe death is coming because they did things different/ Like killed you in the crib right in front of your infant/ ... Death is callin', ain't no stopping it.' It's deep as sh--."

Coldplay appears on the song "Part of the Plan." "Not making it in this world is part of the plan because it's so hard," Swizz said. "I put Coldplay on there. Some people team up with Coldplay and do something out of the range of what they're supposed to be doing. I just tried to stick to the topic — break down the story. It was part of my plan to make it and not part of the plan to not make it. 'Start arguing with my brother to see who gonna pick the mouse up/ Walk by, open up the oven door to heat the house up.' That's some real sh--. This story right here, I'm gonna do it like the 'Crash' movie. I'm gonna hook up with the director of 'Crash' [Paul Haggis] for the video, and it's gonna be real crazy.

"My album is more than just party songs," he continued. "I got substance. I got street joints. I didn't really aim for radio too much on everything. I just had fun. I could have done a bunch of songs, did a bunch of features. I could have gotten Beyoncé, a bunch of other people. It might have been a bigger look than I'm probably gonna get, but at the end if the day, people will know it's a great album."

Outside of his own album, Swizz has been working with 50 Cent, Chris Brown, Marc Anthony, Usher, Eve, Cassidy, the LOX, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and some Jennifers.

"Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, all the Jennifers you can think about," he laughed.

Source: http://www.mtv.com

Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke is desperate to work with hip-hop superproducer Timbaland. The exclusive comes only weeks after it was revealed Coldplay would be working with him.

The English singer admits he's been impressed by Timbaland's latest production efforts, which include the highly successful Justin Timberlake album Future Sex/Love Sounds and Nelly Furtado's album Loose.

Okereke says, "I've loved everything that he has put out for the last ten years. Production wise, everything else leaves me cold."

More on this story and Bloc Party here

Justin Timberlake religiously listens to music by Coldplay before he performs on tour, claiming it enhances his stage performance.

The Sexyback singer says he plays the band's song Clocks and also does mild exercise before every gig. He says, "It turned into a superstition because, after I heard that song, I felt like it would be a good show."

More on this story here

Former Concrete Blonde frontwoman Johnette Napolitano will release a new solo effort, "Scarred," May 29 via Hybrid Recordings. Her first mass-distributed solo album since 1995's "Vowel Movement," the set includes covers of Coldplay's "The Scientist" and the Velvet Underground/Nico's "All Tomorrow's Parties."

Napolitano collaborated with Nine Inch Nails/A Perfect Circle contributor Danny Lohner on the new album. The singer/songwriter will tour in support of "Scarred" beginning April 27 in San Francisco.

Johnette recently self-released a pair of limited edition albums, "Sketchbook" and "Sketchbook 2," via CD Baby.

More on this here

April 9, 2007 -- Warner Music Group may pursue a merger with EMI Group, the world's third-largest music label, by appealing directly to EMI shareholders. EMI last month rejected a $4.1 billion bid from Warner, saying the price was "inadequate."

Warner is eager to push ahead with a bid because the European Commission's review of a merger between Sony Corp. and Bertelsmann AG offers an opportunity to reshape the industry, the Sunday Times of London reported. Warner is also concerned that EMI may be making a "grave mistake" in agreeing to scrap copyright protection software on music sold through Apple Inc.'s iTunes online store, the paper reported.

EMI's lineup of artists ranges from the Beatles to Coldplay, James Blunt and Gorillaz. Warner's roster of musicians includes Green Day, Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Chris Martin and wife Gwyneth Paltrow have purchased yet another property in an apparent bid to own their whole street.

The couple, who have two children Apple and Moses, have purchased the north London mansion next to their own for $6 million (GBP3.1 million).

The buy is Paltrow and Martin's fourth on the street which includes two flats valued at $2.25 million (GBP1.16 million) in a building on the other side of her main house.

Source: ContactMusic

Our clients down under are going crazy for these pix of grandma Blythe and little Apple at the farmer's market!

Look at those cheeks, those eyes...those eyebrows??? Well, she's a cute little fruit anyway.

[Thanks gise_honey]

Apple Martin proves she's a chip off the old block as she performs for her mother Gwyneth Paltrow while walking down the street together in L.A

Music group EMI can start harvesting the fruits of its landmark copy protection move today as "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" becomes the company's first album available in the new format.

The group, home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, this week scrapped copy protection on all its digital tracks in a move that was immediately hailed by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as "the next big step forward in the digital music revolution".

Today "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" by Damon Albarn's new, officially nameless, supergroup becomes the first EMI album to be offered for download in a new high quality mp3 format that is free of copy protection, or digital rights management (DRM).

"Green Fields", the latest single, and the full album, priced £7.99, are now available to download direct from the www.thegoodthebadandthequeen.com, allowing fans instant access to the band's material.

Apple's iTunes is also running a worldwide feature "Live from Soho EP" which has five tracks from "The Good, The Bad & The Queen" recorded live in New York last month exclusively for online music store.

Following this week's decision, for the first time downloads by EMI artists purchased from any online music store will be playable on any digital music player, including the market-leading iPod, with no restrictions on their use.

Until now, owners of digital music players have been restricted to buying downloads from certain stores, depending on the make of their device and the sort of copy protection it could handle.

LONDON: Disappointed Glastonbury fans who missed out when tickets for this year's festival sold out in a record-breaking 90 minutes will get another chance to snap up a ticket later this month, organisers said.

Michael Eavis, the farmer who runs the festival, said fans could try their luck again on April 22, when tickets that have not been paid for or are no longer wanted will be back on sale.

"There could be 15,000 to 20,000 of those tickets available," Eavis said.

Music fans swamped the event's booking telephone line and Web site when the tickets, at 145 pounds each, went on sale on Sunday morning. Within 90 minutes, 137,500 were sold.

The official festival Web site crashed 30 minutes before the tickets went on sale as it struggled to cope with demand.

An extra 27,500 revellers were able to buy a ticket this year after organisers won approval to boost capacity to 177,000.

Glastonbury returns after a year's absence to its Worthy Farm home in Somerset on June 22-24, with the line-up rumoured to include The Who, Kaiser Chiefs and the Arctic Monkeys.

The giant label will end copying constraints on most songs, sources say. Exception: the Beatles.

Customers of Apple Inc.'s iTunes store will soon be able to play downloaded songs by the Rolling Stones, Norah Jones and other top-selling artists free of the copying restrictions once imposed by their label.

EMI Group, the world's fourth-largest record label, and Apple, the biggest seller of digital music and players, plan to announce a landmark deal today that would remove copying protections from songs, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. The decision is likely to pressure other major recording companies to follow suit.

The agreement covers nearly all of EMI's catalog, which also includes the likes of Coldplay, Gorillaz and Janet Jackson.

There's at least one notable exception: the Beatles. The surviving band members and their estates have yet to permit online sales of their songs.

London-based EMI became the first of the four major record labels to heed Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs' call to sell songs free of the software designed to protect music against theft. Jobs has maintained that copying protections are ineffective in stemming piracy and only create hassles for consumers.

"EMI, which has historically been one of the more experimentation-friendly major labels, realized that that's the future," said Aram Sinnreich, a senior analyst with Radar Research.

EMI and Apple declined to comment.

Consumers have long chafed at the restrictions placed on music purchased through iTunes and other online music stores. Record labels have insisted on attaching software "locks" to prevent unauthorized copying.

But the software Apple uses to achieve this is proprietary, and songs bought through the online store won't work with competing services or devices. That practice of linking iTunes with the iPod has drawn the scrutiny of European regulators, who say it limits buyer choice.

Some technologists and consumer advocates have argued that lifting the restrictions would give a boost to online music, which now generates about 15% of U.S. music sales.

Jobs acknowledged consumers' frustration in "Thoughts on Music," a manifesto he published on Apple's website in February. He noted that the music companies insist on anti-piracy measures for the songs sold online even though the vast majority of the music they sell is on CDs, which lack any copy protection.

"If such requirements were removed, the music industry might experience an influx of new companies willing to invest in innovative new stores and players," Jobs wrote. "This can only be seen as a positive by the music companies."

Jobs said anti-piracy protections restricted customers' ability to do what they want with the music they bought but didn't stop determined pirates from illegally swapping songs.

As the man whose company's iPod player became the cornerstone of digital music, Jobs has tremendous clout. But Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple, too, would be taking a risk by promoting such unfettered commerce. The company has become the dominant force in online music partly by fusing its online store to its devices.

Some music industry executives said Jobs' call for them to drop anti-piracy protections was disingenuous. If he really wanted to help consumers and protect the record labels, they said, Jobs could license Apple's copy protection software to rival companies. He has dismissed the idea.

EMI has been in discussions with online stores for months about selling its songs without copying protection. Some retailers balked at the size of the advance payment that the label demanded to compensate for the risk of releasing its music without anti-piracy software.

Other labels have tested the idea. For example, Universal Music Group released songs from teen heartthrob Jesse McCartney and French singer-composer Emilie Simon in the unprotected MP3 format to gauge the effect on overall sales. Sony BMG Music Entertainment did the same with a Jessica Simpson song. Online service eMusic.com has sold more than 100 million tracks from independent labels without copying protections.

IDC analyst Susan Kevorkian said the EMI deal would help Apple reach beyond the iPod to cellphones and other devices that play MP3 music files as well as address the concerns of European regulators.

But if the other big labels didn't follow EMI's lead, she said, it could create even more uncertainty among consumers about what they can and cannot do with the digital music they buy.

"Without the other three majors following suit, and doing so sooner rather than later, it's less meaningful," Kevorkian said. "There's still the possibility of confusing consumers about what's available in MP3 and what isn't."

EMI announced a news conference today with Chief Executive Eric Nicoli and Jobs about an "exciting new digital offering." That spurred speculation that Apple had secured the rights to sell songs from EMI's most prominent holdout, the Beatles. Apple settled a trademark dispute with the Fab Four's company, Apple Corps, in February.

EMI's recent business struggles may be driving the bold move to drop the restrictions. The label has been beset by sagging CD sales in North America and high-level departures. It has been involved in on-and-off discussions about combining with Warner Music Group since 2000. It rejected Warner's most recent takeover bid.

The move could nonetheless be a boon for music lovers.

"There are probably some people who have been unwilling to buy music on iTunes because of concerns about iTunes and the rules involved," said Josh Bernoff, a vice president at Forrester Research Inc. With EMI songs, he said, "they don't have that concern."

Forrester found that only 3% of U.S. online households buy anything from iTunes, and one-third of iTunes buyers make 80% of the purchases, he said.

"If you want to get the rest of the world involved, this might be what it takes," Bernoff said.

Source: http://www.latimes.com

Tickets for the Glastonbury festival have sold out in under two hours.

Fears that a registration system, designed to prevent touting, would put off fans were not realised when 400,000 signed up. The 137,500 tickets which were available to the public were snapped up just one hour 45 minutes after going on sale on Sunday at 0900 BST.

Organisers said they were happy with how the sales went despite websites and phonelines struggling to cope.

Sell-out

In 2005, when the last Glastonbury Festival took place, tickets sold out in less than three hours - a record in the event's history.

The Arctic Monkeys, Dame Shirley Bassey and The Who will all perform at the festival, but the full line-up will not be released until June. Michael Eavis, who owns the farm where the festival is based, said: "We had a quarter of a million of people queuing up to get through. It's probably the fastest time we have ever sold out. We had coach package tickets as well and people were forced to buy those at the tail end of the sale."

He was also pleased the system of registering and then using a reference number had worked well. "Its a great system. It's the first time it's ever been done - it's just gone so well it's just unbelievable. The system has worked really, really well and it's a first. Unfortunately there will be a lot of people that will be disappointed. Only two in three get through, but such is the demand of the festival - but that is in itself great after 37 years of trying to get it right."

Licence agreed

Tickets without coach travel cost £145 with fans able to buy up to four each. Over the years, Mr Eavis has massively increased investment into preventing gate-crashers and drug dealers entering the site. Earlier this week Mendip District Council in Somerset approved a four-year licence deal, securing the festival's future until 2010.

The 177,000 capacity event takes place in Somerset from 22-24 June.

Source: BBC

Revenue streams in the music industry have drastically changed since the advent of the Internet. Concerts and tours are the main moneymakers for artists and industry professionals alike.

Concert promoters have more on their plates than ever with ensuring ticket sales, arranging all-ages nights and, of course, promoting. Not only is the pressure on for promoters to deliver sold-out shows, but also to satisfy the needs of artists and CEOs alike. The most laborious task for any promoter is to adhere to the artist’s rider.

Riders are lists of the artist’s needs in order to perform at a particular venue. Artists are requiring more items and the demands are becoming more and more outrageous. Blake Nightly, a LiveNation concert promoter in Los Angeles, submitted a list of the most absurd items he’s seen on riders in the past few years:

1. Lil’ Kim - Syrup of Ipecac, bibs and a stand-by physician in case a stomach pump becomes necessary.

2. Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) - Bottles of te quila, rum, scotch, bourbon, vodka, gin, whisky, schnapps and triple sec. Plus three packs of Marlboro Reds and an on-call speech therapist.

3. Raffi - Paper-mache replicas of all of his favorite farm animals and a large, empty room where he can “shake his sillies out.”

4. Isaac Slade (The Fray) - A cooler filled with Aspen water, Coors Light, Fat Tire and Izze’s. Also a copy of Coldplay’s DVD.

What the Kiwi gossip mags say

On the celebrity relationship market, Uma Thurman has dumped boyfriend Andre Balazs, Scarlet Johansson has hooked up with Ryan Phillippe, and Paris Hilton has split with Stavros Nachos - for the 72nd time.

Meanwhile, strong rumours suggest that marriages between Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, and Courteney Cox and David Arquette, are on the rocks.

Place your bets now.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/

LONDON (Reuters) - Glastonbury Festival has won permission to sell 27,500 more tickets this year for Britain's biggest open-air music event.

Council chiefs in Somerset granted organisers a licence to stage the festival for the next four years with an increased capacity of 177,500 revellers.

But even despite the expansion, thousands of music fans will miss the chance to see a line-up rumoured this year to include The Who, Kaiser Chiefs and the Arctic Monkeys.

Even before the final line-up has been announced, about 400,000 people have registered for the chance to buy a 145-pound ticket when they go on sale at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Headline acts in the past have included Coldplay, Oasis and Paul McCartney.

Glastonbury began in 1970 and has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the biggest annual music and arts events in the world.

Remember Vector Arena, the New Zealand venue Coldplay skipped because it wasn't built?

Well, the sound quality at Auckland's long-awaited arena has been given the thumbs down. The auditorium's sound was given the all clear by Vector Arena's CEO before the venue opened, but those who christened the new arena on Saturday night were far from impressed.

About 4,000 fans turned out to hear television group Rock Star Supernova. Afterwards concertgoers complained that the acoustics were echoey, with some saying they could not hear from where they were standing.

But it was not all bad news from fans of the reality rockers, with punters praising the actual venue. Vector Arena management could not be reached for comment on Sunday, but with the 12,000-seat facility only a third full for the concert, the empty space may have affected the audio quality.

This is not the first time the venue has struck trouble, with construction delays throughout the $80 million project causing major acts such as Coldplay and Il Divo to pull out of concerts.

Vector Arena has just under a month to sort out teething problems before Red Hot Chili Pepper fans pack the arena for two shows late April.

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz

Los Angeles,CA. (Top40 Charts/ Geffen Records) - If she didn't look so gorgeous in it, Nelly Furtado's brand-new video, "All Good Things (Come to An End)" would probably be the ultimate buzz kill.

The fourth single to stem from her platinum-selling album Loose was co-written by Coldplay's Chris Martin, who knows a thing or two about writing sad songs. And Nelly's understated Earth mother appearance (she is a mom, after all) in the video, while still sexier than her original pigtails-and-overalls hippie chick look, pairs perfectly with the track's emotional overtones and the haunting, reflective refrain.

While her recent public persona has been more erotic than ethereal, directing duo Israel Lugo and Gabriel Coss employ a sobering style to match the breakup ballad's somber tone. Watch as a more pure, pensive Nelly Furtado reveals yet another flawless facet of her femininity in her latest video.

More on this story here

Ricky Gervais is to write one final episode of Extras.

Fans had hoped for a third series of the BBC Two show.

But Gervais and writing partner Stephen Merchant want the show to bow out with a one-off special - just as they did with The Office. "Ricky and Stephen are writing one more episode of Extras and that will be it," a spokesman for Gervais said. "There is no storyline or cast yet, and things are in their very early stages."

The first two series of Extras featured celebrity cameos from the likes of Orlando Bloom, Kate Winslet and Ben Stiller. The next project for Gervais will be an ITV series based on his best-selling children's book, Flanimals.

More on this story here

The normally svelte Gwyneth Paltrow has become the subject of pregnancy speculation after being pictured with a rounder than normal tummy.

The actress could be expecting her third child with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin - if the photos in Star magazine aren't simply down to a big lunch. The actress recently told US chat show host Oprah Winfrey how much she loved taking time off work to look after 11-month-old Moses and his sister Apple, two. "I've been at home being a housewife - which is amazing and I've loved every minute of it - but it's definitely the hardest job!" she said. "It's 24 hours a day, seven days a week and they want you present and real and connected and there. But it has been the best three years of my life."

Gwyneth famously denied her previous two pregnancies until she was past the important 12-week stage. The actress, who sported a tummy-concealing ruched dress to the Oscars, is back at work at the moment, working on the film Dirty Tricks.

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LONDON (AFX) - Warner Music Group is unlikely to come back early this week with a fresh approach for its London-based rival EMI, according to a report in the Guardian.

EMI, the world's third-largest music group, said last week that it had received a 'non-binding proposal' from Warner indicating that the US group might be prepared to make an offer, pre-conditional on regulatory clearance, of 260 pence a share. But EMI, which counts Robbie Williams and Coldplay among its artists, added it would reject such an offer as too low and highlighted the regulatory risk of a merger.

The report said that no fresh approach from Warner is expected soon. The Guardian added that the music group will now push for limited due diligence to allow it to find out more about the state of EMI after two profit warnings since the start of the year.

Source: http://www.forbes.com