LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Gwyneth Paltrow loves getting together with fellow celebrity-mothers so their children can play together.

The American actress is good friends with Madonna and fashion designer Stella McCartney and all three love their children getting together for play dates.

Gwyneth, 34, told Spain's Vogue magazine: "I have friends like Stella McCartney or Madonna, and very often our children get together to play. "Although we usually leave them in bed and stay to drink a glass of wine!"

Gwyneth and her husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, have two children - Apple, who turns three in May, and Moses, who turns one next month.

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie are parents to Lourdes, 10, and Rocco, six. They are also in the process of adopting David, 17 months, who Madonna found in a Malawian orphanage.

British designer Stella - the daughter of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney - and her publisher husband Alasdhair Willis have a son, Miller, two, and a three-month-old daughter, Bailey.

Gwyneth recently said being a housewife and mother was "amazing" and "definitely the hardest job in the world".

The star, who took time off from her busy career to stay at home with her family, has just announced she is to start work on two new movies - 'Iron Man' and 'Dirty Tricks'.

Source: http://www.lse.co.uk

$_GET['http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpPSUqUSq04']

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's EMI Group Plc rejected a 2.1-billion-pound ($4.1 billion) cash takeover proposal from Warner Music Group , saying the price was inadequate and not in the best interests of its shareholders.

The world's third-largest music company and home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, said it held a board meeting on Friday after getting a non-binding proposal from Warner which indicated it might be prepared to make a bid at 260 pence per share.

"The board concluded that it is not in the best interests of EMI shareholders to entertain a pre-conditional offer which would entail prolonged regulatory uncertainty and unacceptable operational risk at a critical time for the company," EMI said in a statement.

"The board also regards a price of 260 pence per share as inadequate, having regard to the stand-alone value of EMI, the synergies available from a combination with WMG and the risks identified above."

Warner, the world's fourth-largest music company and with artists including Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, approached EMI about a possible bid at the end of January despite uncertainty over whether it would win European regulatory approval. Warner Music declined to comment.

EMI had said it would consider any bid in terms of the price offered and whether it would be approved by European regulators.

The potential offer price is in line with many analysts' expectations but they noted that EMI may be reluctant to engage at that price, amid media speculation that the firm was also in talks with a number of private equity funds.

The Financial Times reported on February 22 EMI was in talks with private equity firms including One Equity Partners, a unit of JPMorgan Chase and Co , as potential alternatives.

EMI and Warner have been in a tit-for-tat takeover battle for seven years and last year Warner offered 320p a share for EMI.

The music industry has struggled in recent years as the growth in legal downloading has not made up for the slide in physical sales, but EMI has been hit particularly hard, with the poor performance of new releases such as Williams's "Rudebox."

Shares in EMI, which issued its second profit warning in as many months in February, rose by as much as 8 percent after it rejected the proposal. The shares closed 4.45 percent higher at 246-1/4 pence.

Shares in Warner were 1.3 percent higher at $19.84 by 1715 GMT.

During the most recent season of "South Park," there was a particular episode in which the character of Al Gore visits South Park to spread awareness about a beast named "Manbearpig."

The episode was a spoof that Al Gore was chasing something that didn't even exist, poking fun at his global warming campaign. It also implied that Al Gore was desperate for attention and had no friends.

On Feb. 15, Gore's announcement about the "Live Earth" concert showed that Gore has friends after all. A lot of them, actually.

"Live Earth" will take place on July 7, and the goal is to raise awareness about climate change through the universal human connection to music. The event is being organized by SOS (Save Our Selves), which was founded by Kevin Wall and in which Gore is a partner.

SOS was designed and is aimed at people everywhere, with the notion that the only people that can save the human race from global warming are, in fact, the people. In a similar fashion to Live Aid and Live 8 (which Wall produced as well), the concert will be 24 hours long and broadcast on the Internet, radio and television. It will also be played on all seven continents.

Antarctica's should be interesting, to say the least.

Live Earth is looking to reach 2 billion people worldwide, and the proceeds from the show will be used to kick-start the SOS organization.

Now to the most important question everyone's been asking: who's playing?

Just about every musical act that has made some sort of impact on the pop industry within the last few years, and more. Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, Akon, Damien Rice, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West and many more. Not to mention a few oldie powerhouses who will be performing, including Genesis, The Police and Duran Duran.

And that impressive list of confirmed acts may not be complete, with rumors circling about U2, Coldplay and Oasis playing the event.

Check out the Web site (www.liveearth.org) for a full list of names, as there just isn't enough room to print them all, or even just all of the great ones.

It turns out Al Gore is pretty serious about bringing forward action for climate change, and is not stopping until he sees some progress.

Even after the massive success of "An Inconvenient Truth," he apparently still doesn't think he has done enough.

Whether you think global warming may have been blown out of proportion, Al Gore and company have arranged such a stellar line up of musical acts that it will draw the attention of even the most skeptical.

So, regardless of your views on agenda behind the concert, make your way to a computer or television to witness musical history.

Source: http://media.www.fairfieldmirror.com

If you haven't got your ticket for the Isle of Wight Festival already you could be very sorry.

Tickets for this summer's festival only went on last on Thursday and it has sold out in record time. Now in its sixth year since it was revived, the festival has sold out faster than ever before, with all 50,000 tickets being snapped up within days.This year's festival line-up boasts the best of British.

It includes headline performances from the biggest-selling band of 2006, Snow Patrol, and winners of the Brit Award for Best Live Act, Muse.

Also on the line-up are Best British Female Brit Award winner Amy Winehouse, Best British Male Brit Award winner James Morrison and Best British Breakthrough Brit Award winners The Fratellis, as well as Kasabian, Keane, Ash and some hot newcomers in the form of Paolo Nutini, Wolfmother, and The Feeling.

The headline act for Sunday has not yet been announced although speculation has been rife that it will be the Rolling Stones.

In recent years big name acts to play at the festival have included REM, Coldplay, The Who, Foo Fighters and The Prodigy.

The festival was revived in 2002 - the last of original festivals took place in 1970, when 600,000 hippies descended on the Island to see Jimi Hendrix perform what would be his penultimate concert.

The early Isle of Wight Festivals featured legendary line-ups. As well as Hendrix, artists such as Bob Dylan, The Who, The Doors and Joni Mitchell took to the stage.

Since it was relaunched in 2002 it has become more and more popular and able to attract increasingly big-name artists - so it's no surprise that everyone is talking about who Sunday's unnamed headliners will be.

The festival takes place over three days from June 8 at Seaclose Park in Newport.

Source: http://www.thisishampshire.net

London - Fortress Investment Group, the first publicly traded US hedge fund, is preparing to join bidders targeting Britain's EMI Group PLC, a British newspaper reported on Sunday.

Britain's Sunday Telegraph, citing unnamed sources, reported the hedge fund was examining a possible deal but had not made any final decision on mounting a bid.

US record company Warner Music Group Corp has confirmed it has made a tentative approach to EMI. In a statement to the London Stock Exchange Wednesday, New York-based Warner said any bid would likely be all cash.

Both companies made offers to take over the other last year, but discussions were abandoned because of fears that a combination would not be approved by European regulators.

Fortress Investment Group and EMI were not immediately available for comment on the report on Sunday.

In the past two months, EMI - which has Norah Jones, Coldplay, Robbie Williams and the Beatles' back catalogue on its books - has issued two profit warnings, blaming poor CD sales in North America for declining revenues from its recorded music unit.

Source: http://www.fin24.co.za

Debs Wild, who does work for Coldplay, and punk band Rancid, will be speaking at the Carlisle seminar

A top lawyer and band manager is to speak at a two-day seminar in Carlisle offering advice on working in the music industry. Can You Manage? – Music Management, Records and Publishing covers management and record company deals, publishing, legal issues and A&R.

Speakers over the two days include Robert White, the first music business affairs lawyer in the UK, who worked for Island Records. White was responsible for working out deals to sign legendary musicians including Bob Marley. He left legal work behind in the 1980s and went on to manage internationally successful Scottish band Simple Minds. He handles the legal work for acts including The Futureheads and The Proclaimers.

Also speaking at the seminar is Debs Wild [pictured], who worked in A&R for Sony, Warner Brothers and Universal Records, but is currently the European A&R for Epitaph Records (home to million selling punk act Rancid) and Anti (home to Tom Waits, Michael Franti and Nick Cave among others). She also finds time to run the website of Coldplay.

The workshop has been organised by the FACE (Framework for Accelerating Creative Enterprise) programme and runs from 10am to 5pm on Wednesday and Thursday (Feb28/Mar1) at Cumbria Institute of the Arts.

Places are limited and anyone interested is urged to apply as soon as possible. Those completing the two-day course will be accredited with a Level 2 NVQ through the Open College Network once participants produce a small portfolio of work.

To sign up for the two-day workshop email Andy Mckay at mckay1@btopenworld.com or call 01228 524125 or 07900 634 252.

Source: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Tonight was special. Just before the show started - the second of three in Buenos Aires - I was asked to do two jobs during the concert.

Job number 1 was straightforward. On cue, I had to help throw some giant coloured balloons into the crowd during 'Yellow'. It may sound easy, and, well, it was. And a whole lot of fun too!

Job number 2 on the other hand was a little more involved. Miller, who's in charge of making sure Chris' piano sounds great, is also the tour diarist and general documenter. Tonight he wanted to film a special part of the show where the band 'relocate' onto a balcony in the theatre to serenade the audience from there. And out of the blue, they'd decided to play a rendition of Great Balls of Fire! Classic! Only he wanted a close-up view (to be filmed by himself), and a view from the back of the audience...to be filmed by me! What an honour.

So as the last few notes of The Scientist faded away, me and the camcorder sneaked onto stage to film them making their way to the balcony. As they walked off stage left, I went stage right and round the back of the audience. It meant I got a great shot of 2,000 people staring up at the band doing their acoustic set. It was a great moment - although my hand was shaking so much the footage is a bit, let's say 'homemade'.

My career as band tour cameraman has begun. Next stop, a Spinal Tap re-make featuring Coldplay. (Directed by Ricky Gervais...I wish!)

Read the full blog here

Taken from an MTV Nelly Furtado interview, she explains how Liam Gallagher snubbed her new single because the 'plantpot' that is Chris Martin, penned the song.

"I’ve met Noel Gallagher before, but (after the awards) I ran over to Liam and said, ‘Hi, hi, I’m Nelly, I’m a big fan, and you were great tonight’, and he went, ‘Oh right - I like your song’, and I’m like, ‘Which one? ‘All Good Things Come To An End’?

And he’s like, ‘Yeh, that one’, and I’m like, ‘Chris Martin helped me write it’, and then he goes, ‘Oh, then I hate it, it’s rubbish.’”

In a question and answer session, Bloc Party's Kele Okereke spelt out his objections to following in one of the world's biggest bands, Coldplay.

Early on, you guys were frequently compared to post-punk acts like Gang of Four. Was the new record an attempt to get away from those reference points?

Yeah, perhaps. It was mildly infuriating for us to always have people think we’re referencing Gang of Four, when no one in the band particularly liked [that] sound.

And now you’re getting measured against a new set of artists, like U2 and Coldplay. How do you feel about those comparisons?

Equally as idiotic, really.

Setting your sights high then, Kele...?

Black-clad art rockers Interpol have promised that their forthcoming third album - their first since signing with major label Capitol - will be an epic affair.

Guitarist/songwriter Dan Kessler told the BBC, "With this record, I think, anything goes. We're a lot more open. It sounds like Interpol. It sounds like our tunes, but there's a lot more atmosphere and sound in general, rather than just filling it up with guitars all the time."

Big things are expected of the as yet untitled album, due out in June, since Interpol are now managed by 3D Management, who also look after Coldplay. The New York-based foursome are currently in London, finishing final mixes for the album. We think, in the wake of Editors' mainstream success, Interpol's doom-laden sound could be about to find a much wider audience.

Source: http://news.q4music.com

LONDON (Reuters) - Warner Music Group has made a bid approach for Britain's EMI despite uncertainty over whether any deal would win regulatory approval, in the latest twist in a seven-year tit-for-tat takeover battle.

EMI, which announced the move on Tuesday, said there was currently no proposal for the board to consider and no certainty that the approach would result in one, but the statement still sent its shares up 5.4 percent to 233-1/2 pence at 1140 GMT.

Analysts had speculated that EMI, the world's third largest music company and home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, could receive a fresh takeover approach after it last week issued its second profit warning in just five weeks.

Warner, the fourth largest music major, has also struggled recently, reporting a 74 percent drop in quarterly profit due to its artists having fewer hits, and any tie-up would give both sides access to more artists and the ability to cut costs.

It would also help solve EMI's historical problem of having the smallest market share out of the four music majors in the United States -- the world's largest music market.

But any fresh attempt could run into the same regulatory problems that has hindered previous efforts.

"The regulatory outlook is still very uncertain," said Numis Securities analyst Richard Hitchcock. "But given how difficult the trading environment is -- U.S. physical sales are down 20 percent in the year to date -- they (Warner Music) will no doubt argue that the case for consolidation has been strengthened."

Analysts said any bid was likely to be pitched around 260 pence a share. Warner offered 320p a share for EMI last year.

TIT FOR TAT

EMI and Warner Music first tried to merge in 2000 and again in 2003. Last year, they were locked in a $4.6 billion battle to buy each other, but hopes of a deal were quashed in June when a European court annulled approval of the 2004 merger of Sony Corp's Sony Music and Bertelsmann's BMG.

That ruling cast doubt on whether EMI and Warner Music would get regulatory clearance, and the companies abandoned talks until there was more clarity from antitrust regulators.

The European Commission is now examining the refiled Sony-BMG application, which would create the world's number two music company, with a deadline of March 1.

By then, it could decide to either clear the deal, ask the companies to provide remedies to any competition concerns or open an in-depth investigation that would last 90 working days, with most analysts expecting the latter.

The music industry has struggled in recent years as the growth in legal downloading has not yet made up for the slide in physical sales but EMI's recorded music business has been hit particularly hard, with the poor performance of new releases such as Williams' "Rudebox."

All groups have been looking to grow their digital revenues. Barney Wragg, the former senior vice president of Universal music's digital division, told Reuters recently he had joined EMI because it was so focused on its digital business.

The European Commission is now examining the refiled Sony-BMG application, which would create the world's number two music company, with a deadline of March 1.

By then, it could decide to either clear the deal, ask the companies to provide remedies to any competition concerns or open an in-depth investigation that would last 90 working days, with most analysts expecting the latter.

The music industry has struggled in recent years as the growth in legal downloading has not yet made up for the slide in physical sales but EMI's recorded music business has been hit particularly hard, with the poor performance of new releases such as Williams' "Rudebox."

All groups have been looking to grow their digital revenues. Barney Wragg, the former senior vice president of Universal music's digital division, told Reuters recently he had joined EMI because it was so focused on its digital business.

Kaiser chief frontman Ricky Wilson regrets his high energy performances on stage - as it's the only thing journalists talk about.

The 'I Predict A Riot' hitmaker is famed for his high jumps at concerts, but can't believe the press make such a big deal about it. He sighs, "People keep asking me to jump. You would be amazed. "Once a television journalist fetched a bin, placed it on its side and asked me to jump over it. "This is what we're up against. This is what Kurt Cobain had to put up with. And what did he do? He blew his head off."

"We're not scared of becoming the new Coldplay - you just make sure you don't." Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson promises fans the group will stick to their rock roots.

Ricky Wilson also thinks Radiohead must get miserable just making a cup of tea. The 'Everyday I Love You Less and Less' singer says his band makes cheerful songs because they are happy, and though he is a fan of Radiohead, he thinks they must be tortured souls.

Ricky said: "I don't think there's anything wrong with the Radiohead way of doing things. They probably torture themselves over making a cup of tea. And they end up making amazing cups of tea. But there are different ways of making cups of tea, aren't there? We love the taste of Radiohead's tea."

Gwyneth Paltrow said she felt her family was cursed by cancer after the disease killed her father, aunt, a 23-year-old cousin and her grandmothers.

The Oscar winner, who has two children with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, admitted she now felt at risk from the disease herself. She said she and her children led vegetarian lifestyles in an effort to keep the disease at bay. Her revelations came in a press interview for an anti-cancer campaign backed by Damiani, the jeweller she models for.

Read the full article here

EMI is said to be examining plans to borrow £1 billion in a radical overhaul of its balance sheet after the company's second profits warning of the year.

The company's board is looking at proposals to borrow the money against its publishing business, which manages the rights to more than 1 million songs, the according to Sunday newspaper reports.

EMI's music publishing business has been unaffected by the troubles which have hit the company's recording business.

EMI is said to want to use the cash secured against the publishing division's income to repay more expensive debt, potentially saving around £20 million a year. Redundancies and restructuring costs are set to push the company's net debts to £1.25 billion, the newspaper reports.

An EMI spokesman said the company "regularly reviewed" its financing options, but no new decisions had been made.

Profits

Last Wednesday the £1.7 billion firm - whose artists include Coldplay, Robbie Williams and the Arctic Monkeys - warned that profits for the year to March would be "significantly" below expectations following further weakness in the North American market.

It said sales in its recorded music division are expected to be down by 15% on a year earlier.

The group also raised the prospect of major job losses last month when it said it would look to take out layers of management and seek £110 million of cost savings.

EMI's rival Warner Music Group was also said today to be preparing a bid for the troubled company. Warner could make an approach for the firm within the next two weeks, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.

Spokeswomen for EMI and Warner refused to comment on the speculation.

Craig McLean meets hot young British-born producer Mark Ronson

Robbie Williams "really knows his stuff, like abstract reggae" but is easily bored in the studio. Christina Aguilera is "definitely fair" when it comes to splitting royalties. Lily Allen's last single, Littlest Things, does not, as many listeners thought, begin with a sample of Radiohead's Karma Police - it's a snatch of a song from the soundtrack to 1970s porn film Emmanuelle. Amy Winehouse wrote the original version of Rehab in less than an hour.

Coldplay sound good with added jazz horns.

Spend a morning in the New York attic recording studio belonging to Mark Ronson and you'll discover all these pop-culture titbits. He's the hottest producer du jour, a Zelig-like knob-twiddler who can charge £25,000 per track and has worked on some of the most interesting records of the last year: Williams's Rudebox, bits of Aguilera's Back to Basics album, Allen's Alright, Still, the keynote tunes on Winehouse's Back to Black. The day I visit, he's collaborating with Cathy Dennis and raved-about British newcomer Leon Jean-Marie.

He's also one of the top hip-hop party DJs in New York, a friend of Jay-Z and Puff Daddy who also played the tunes at the late Notorious BIG's final birthday party. All of which is pretty good going for a British-born, 31-year-old posh white boy.

In a cramped room up several flights of stairs in TriBeCa, Ronson tells me how Winehouse came up with her demo for Rehab here in his AllIDo ("all I do") studios. Initially, it was a bluesy lament. "The sound was bad-arse [great]," he says, his accent slipping between English and streetwise American, "but it was a slow, shuffling rhythm."

The idea for the song had begun as they'd been walking back to the studio after a trip to the pool hall. Winehouse was telling Ronson the story "about what happened when she hit a low after her break-up and she was drinking all the time. And she said, 'They tried to make me go to rehab and I was like, "no, no, no".' And I said, 'That could actually be a funny hook for a song.' So she came back and wrote it."

Then, with the help of a retro Brooklyn funk outfit named the Dap-Kings, Ronson took her "strummy thing" and gave it an "exciting, '60s, Shangri-Las groove". Hey presto: one of the best pop hits of last year.

Ronson is not, as countless American articles and websites attest, the son of Mick Ronson, the legendary guitarist who played with David Bowie. Nor is he a scion of the Ronson cigarette-lighter dynasty. He is the son of a British model and socialite, Ann Dexter, and the stepson of another guitarist called Mick - Mick Jones of Foreigner.

He moved to the US from the UK when he was eight, after his parents split. He is well connected: Sean Lennon is a best buddy, he knows Liv Tyler from private school circles, he was engaged to Quincy Jones's daughter.

Three years ago Ronson made his own album, the supremely entertaining Here Comes the Fuzz. "I was trying to make the ultimate DJ party record," he says, "cramming my three-and-a-half hour set into 40 minutes."

The follow-up is a different concept. Version is a collection of soul-infused covers of (mostly) British indie classics. Lily Allen sings Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God with laconic cool. Robbie Williams rediscovers his Northern vowels on the Charlatans' The Only One I Know. Coldplay (God Put a Smile on Your Face) and Radiohead (Just) undergo speed-jazz instrumental makeovers.

Ronson credits his British background - his dad still lives in the UK - with his enthusiasm for indie rock. "As a hip-hop producer, you're always looking for records, like those Quincy Jones and Henry Mancini records where they would do big-band arrangements of the big hits of the day. And," he shrugs, "I've always liked looking for obscure, abstract covers of pop songs."

Has he heard what any of the original artists think? "Yeah - because I've changed the arrangements I have to go to them all for approval." Morrissey likes Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before so much, he's keen to work with the guest vocalist, and Radiohead's Thom Yorke loves the new Just. "It's not a slapdash thing," says Ronson. "You hear a lot of love for the songs."

'Version' will be released in April.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The world will witness the largest ever music concert- THE LIVE EARTH CONCERT- on 7th July, 2007- all in the name of saving our planet.

The series of eight worldwide concerts were announced by ex-U.S. vice president Al Gore at a press conference in Los Angeles on 14th Feb, 2007. "The climate crisis will only be stopped by an unprecedented and sustained global movement.” Mr. Gore said.

The number of musicians slated to perform in the concerts is enormous. Red hot chilli peppers, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow, Faith hill, Tim McGraw, Snoop Dogg, Lenny Kravitz, Foo Fighters, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, Kylie Minogue are a few names featuring on the humungous list.

Also performing are the British artists Keane, Duran Duran, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Paolo Nutini, U2. The British award winner Muse, already slated for a show in Ireland on 7th July, is keeping the organizers guessing. The complete list of the musicians will be announced next week.

There wont be just big names in the concert but along with them there would be local local artists who will appeal to regional audiences.

The concerts will be held on numerous locations- Johannesberg, Sydney, Shanghai, and London-to name a few. Host cities in Japan, Brazil, and USA have yet to be finalized. The “LIVE EARTH” concert series has another ace up its sleeves-Antarctica will also be one of the host cities.

The organizers target a global audience of around 2 billion people through the live shows as well as the web, radio and television. The producer of the concerts, Kevin Wall, has stated that the duration of each show would span between four to eight hours. Kevin Wall has been awarded an Emmy for the Live 8 shows held in 2005. The “LIVE EARTH” series itself has been modeled on the Live 8 and the Live Aid shows.

Proceeds from the concerts will go towards the creation of a foundation to combat climate change led by the Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by Mr. Gore.

The ex-vice president has also produced a film on global warming ‘the inconvenient truth’, which has been nominated for two Oscars.

Source: http://www.themoneytimes.com

One of Manchester's most popular gig venues is to have a £2.2m makeover.

Big names from Oasis to Coldplay, David Bowie and Kylie are among the artists to have performed at The Academy on Oxford Road since it opened 17 years ago.

Owned and run by Manchester Students' Union, the venue is a favourite with performers and students alike as a capacity crowd of 1,500 people can generate one of the best atmospheres in the city.

The building will close in the summer for refurbishment, opening again in September.

Work includes a new front with a 36ft-high multi-coloured glazed tower, a new lobby, cloakroom, toilets, ticket office and bar.

Union spokesman Rob Owen says they are keen to retain its atmosphere. He said: "This is about improving the quality of the venue.

"We need to make it more accessible for disabled customers and performers and improve the standard of facilities. We've been open for almost two decades and in that time what is expected of a top class venue has changed, so we need some refurbishment work.

"We want to bring the facilities up to the standard you find in London venues, keeping The Academy's atmosphere. It's essentially just a shed with a great atmosphere."

The building opened its doors in 1990 with a gig headlined by the Buzzcocks and now hosts about 50 concerts a year.

The new multi-coloured tower will be illuminated at night.

David Britch, of architects Britch, said: "We have tried to build on the success of the venue by redesigning elements that were weak in the original design, including the entrance, disabled facilities, toilets and bars.

"But we wanted to retain the feeling of the original large, robust concert hall."

Source: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

The Arctic Monkeys were the big winners at this year's Brit Awards ceremony in London, scooping awards for best British group and best British album.

But the indie band were not at the ceremony, instead sending acceptance videos dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz and The Village People. Singer-songwriter James Morrison won best British male, while soul star Amy Winehouse took best British female. The Killers won both best international group and best international album.

The Las Vegas rock band beat Gnarls Barkley and the Scissor Sisters in both categories.

Take That triumphed in the Best British single category with Patience in the event's first live public vote.

US pop star Justin Timberlake picked up best international male, while Canadian star Nelly Furtado won best international female. In a surprise choice, Scottish indie group The Fratellis beat Morrison, Corinne Bailey Rae, The Kooks and Lily Allen to be named best British breakthrough act - voted for by BBC Radio 1 listeners.

Rock group Muse won best British live act, voted for by BBC Radio 2 listeners - the second time they have won the award. The gig favourites, who beat the likes of Robbie Williams and George Michael to the prize, are playing two nights at the new Wembley Stadium this summer.

Californian group Orson won the international breakthrough award, voted for by MTV viewers. And Oasis were honoured with an award for outstanding contribution to music.

US group Scissor Sisters kicked off the show with a performance of their hit single I Don't Feel Like Dancing. Amy Winehouse, Corrine Bailey Rae, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Snow Patrol were among the other stars who took to the stage.

The event was themed around love and hate, with Oasis performing on the "hate" stage and Take That taking helm on the "love" stage. The ceremony was broadcast live on TV for the first time since 1989, with comic Russell Brand the host.

The last time the awards went out live, it turned into a famously shambolic night, hosted by Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood.

Source: BBC

It's time to tackle flying's role in climate change, writes Danielle Teutsch.

Next week I'm flying to Europe. As I soar above the clouds, eating my in-flight meal of rubber chicken and watching movies, I'll have the discomfort of knowing I am releasing 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

I can almost hear the polar ice cracking and an awful gurgling sound as another small island nation disappears into the ocean.

Frequent flyers can no longer be in denial about their contribution to climate change. Plane travel contributes an estimated 2 per cent of global warming impact, but our obsession with criss-crossing the planet means this is set to triple in the next 50 years, says the Stern report into climate change.

Air travel is a particular concern because the greenhouse gases released by planes at high altitudes increase the total warming effect.

So it doesn't matter that I have signed up for green energy and drive a small car in an effort to reduce my environmental footprint. In fact, it wouldn't matter if I lived in a bark hut and survived on wild honey, because my single annual trip to Europe would still make me an emissions bigfoot.

My return trip will release the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving my car for more than two years.

Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, the godfather of independent travel, admits the issue has been troubling him for years - and that he is "guilty, guilty, guilty" as charged. He admits he could not have foreseen the boom in air travel when he wrote his first guidebook in 1972. Each month, more than 400,000 Australians travel overseas, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says.

"It's been weighing on my conscience," Wheeler says. "It doesn't make me feel good. But I'm not going to stop travelling. It's what my life is about."

Wheeler neatly summed up our dilemma. Travel educates and broadens the mind, and connects us to the rest of the world - which is especially important for Australians.

But how can we do it without being environmental vandals, especially as poor nations are expected to suffer the most from climate change?

It's a question the travel industry is seriously considering. Last year Wheeler made a joint announcement with Mark Ellingham, the founder of Rough Guides, asking travellers to "fly less and stay longer" and donate money to carbon-offsetting schemes. Such schemes fund projects such as tree planting that supposedly neutralise the emissions air travel creates.

In the UK, British Airways and the website lastminute.com offer customers the option of going carbon neutral. Tours by bands Pearl Jam, Coldplay and the Rolling Stones - as well as this year's Big Day Out - are carbon neutral.

Australia has been slower to react to the carbon neutral trend but that's about to change. There are now a number of established carbon offset organisations such as Greenfleet, Climate Friendly, Easy Being Green, Elementree, Carbon Neutral and CO2 Australia, and the industry is taking note.

Climate Friendly's managing director Joel Fleming says it is Australia's turn to "play catch-up" with Europe and the US.

"This will be the year in which that happens," Fleming says.

Last month, Intrepid Travel co-founder Darrell Wade announced that all air tickets sold would automatically include a carbon offset payment.

"As passionate as we are about travel, we must be honest with ourselves and recognise that by taking a holiday on the other side of the world we are substantially adding to global warming," Wade said.

Tourism Tasmania has just announced it will pay to offset the flights of US tourists coming to Tasmania. And the issue is on Flight Centre's radar, with a spokeswoman saying the company was "looking at a couple of proposals" from carbon offset organisations.

Qantas has no immediate plans for an offset scheme but is updating its fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft such as the A380, which a spokesman said could reduce emissions by 15 to 20 per cent.

Airlines worldwide are feeling the pressure to stop spewing gases into the atmosphere, with the International Air Transport Association recently committed to replacing 10 per cent of its fuel with non-fossil fuel sources.

With all this in mind, I logged into the websites of two organisations - Greenfleet and Climate Friendly - to see how I could go about buying a good conscience.

It looks simple enough. I calculate my emissions on the website calculator, then pay a sum of money which the organisations use to invest in projects that directly compensate for the greenhouse gases I have released.

But the more you delve into carbon offsetting, the more confusing it becomes.

For a start, Greenfleet plants trees, while Climate Friendly invests in renewable energy. Which is better? What are these calculations based on? Is it bona fide? And am I really helping to save the planet or just paying for the right to pollute the atmosphere?

Greenfleet's calculator says that my return trip to Europe produces almost 11 tonnes of carbon emissions, based on calculations from the Federal Government's Bureau of Transport Economics.

This can be neutralised by planting 40 trees at a cost of AUD$94.12, using the Australian National Carbon Accounting System definition of a forest carbon sink. The basic principal behind tree planting is that growing vegetation acts as a carbon sink due to its sequestration of CO2 during photosynthesis.

The money will go towards various tree-planting projects, the biggest of which is in the Murray-Darling basin.

Greenfleet has faced problems with some of its planting projects, particularly due to the drought. Also, subscribers have to realise that it may take years for their carbon emissions to be offset as trees mature.

But Greenfleet's acting CEO Sara Gipton says the trees will still have an environmental benefit while they are growing, and create wildlife habitats. She says the organisation is growing "in leaps and bounds", with a 58 per cent increase last year, and that tree planting projects are on target.

But the problem with tree planting is that it doesn't reduce emissions at the source. At best, it is only ever compensating for the damage caused by fossil fuels.

Danielle Ecuyer, a former investment banker now dedicated to educating the world about climate change through her organisation Women for Change Alliance, offsets all her emissions with Climate Friendly because it invests in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar power.

"We need to reduce our reliance on coal-fired electricity plants," she says.

An important part of Climate Friendly's scheme is that each time a new customer signs up, they build demand for more clean energy sources, which in turn will drive down the price for renewable energy.

Climate Friendly's air travel calculator says my return trip emits 10.6 tonnes of carbon emissions, which will cost me $212 to offset.

So far, Climate Friendly has funded two wind farm projects. They both sound worthy, but I'm still no closer to making a decision about who to go with.

James Keating, general manager of Green Globe, an environmental certification company for the travel industry, agrees that the carbon offset market can be confusing because of the different calculation methods. "They are great in theory but there needs to be a consistent framework," he says.

Keating believes this will happen in the next decade as carbon offsetting becomes mainstream, forcing the Government to implement uniform standards that will provide more accountability to the public.

But the beauty of these programs is that they raise awareness of the environmental damage airline travel causes. "It's certainly better than doing nothing," Wheeler says.

But there are other ways of holidaying with a conscience, he says. That may mean taking fewer long-haul flights, or taking high-speed rail where possible. It might mean thinking twice before succumbing to the temptation of ludicrously cheap fares offered by budget airlines. It might also mean choosing to stay in an eco-friendly resort.

Because the issue of climate change is here to stay. And until we learn how to teleport ourselves, or someone finds a way to make battery-operated planes stay in the air, travellers had better get used to it.

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

EMI - the music company behind Kylie Minogue and Coldplay - saw its shares plunge nearly 12% after it issued its second profit warning this year.

Blaming weak CD and DVD sales in the US, it said it now expects profits to be 15 per cent lower than a year ago.

The world's third-biggest music company said it expected revenue at EMI music to show a decline of about 15% in the year to March 31 compared with the previous year.

The company, which has The Beatles, and Coldplay on its books, warned on January 12 that full-year revenues at EMI Music could decline, year on year, by approximately 6 - 10%.

EMI said the revised profit expectations are as a result of the continued and accelerating deterioration in market conditions in North America. In late afternoon trade, the share price in EMI showed a drop of 11.27% to 212.50 pence on the London Stock Exchange.

Following last month's profit-warning, EMI made boardroom changes and announced cost cuts.

Source: http://www.rte.ie

More on 'Live Earth' coming thorugh...

U2, Coldplay and Scissor Sisters are among the top acts being tipped to appear at a concert to raise awareness about global warming later this year.

A series of concerts are being planned for July 7 in London, Washington DC, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town and Kyoto where organisers hope to amass a worldwide television audience of two billion people in order to present the message about global warming.

The event is being branded SOS and the London venues being earmarked include the new Wembley Stadium and Hype Park. An SOS promoter told the Financial Times “The talent involved is just exponentially bigger because the issue itself is bigger. Live Aid was about asking people to stump up money, this about effecting systemic change. The aim is not just to drive awareness but to get people to take action."

So the cat’s finally out of the bag: ‘Live Earth,’ the much-talked-about music concert that ex-United States Vice President Al Gore is organizing in the name of global warming, is now a full-fledged project to be organized on a massive, multi-cultural scale.

“It was the most stellar array of media figures you could ever see but to get all those people in the room on a Friday night shows how willing they are to help,” said an inside source, referring to a top-secret meeting Gore had with the media and his personal advisers in order to being planning for the event.

Expected to headline the event are Kylie Minogue and U2 (of course, this is Bono’s cup of tea), as well as Madonna, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, and Oasis. (Let’s hope the organizers keep Noel Gallagher and Bono far, far away from each other.)

The full list of performers that will be participating in Live Earth will be released by the end of the week, official sources say. But some of the organizers are already buzzing with excitement at the invitation extended to The Spice Girls for a reunion performance - although Emma Bunton will probably not be able to make it because of her rapidly expanding pregnancy.

‘Live Earth’ will be held on July 7, 2007, and aired simultaneously from different performances across the globe: England, Japan, USA, South Africa, and Brazil. So tune in to this space - I’m sure we’d be getting a lot of buzz as the days go by.

Source: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk

If you want a tongue-in-cheek preview of this Wednesday's Brit Awards 2007, then look no further than this article.

I think someone has got it in for me. I really do. Firstly, I hate the Brit Awards. It gives prizes to people from Coldplay and Keane. Secondly, this year, the ceremony will be presented by Russell Brand.

I really dislike Russell Brand. You really don't see enough of him on telly do you? However, there are people I hate more than Mr Brand. That's Fern Cotton. Guess what? She's presenting too. If I'm daft enough to watch this godforsaken show (shown live for the first time in it's 18 years on ITV1, 8pm, Wednesday) I'll probably be faced with Richard Hammond and Justin Lee Collins as well.

It's enough to make me puke.

As it's broadcast live, I imagine there will be a few racy comments. I imagine one of Snow Patrol might say "bugger" on stage and then give a look of petulant defiance. The show will be the usual backslapping mixed with live performances from bands who are British... and bands that are really not Brit at all. Alongside toe-curling links and fawning, we'll get to see The Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Corinne Bailey Rae, Take That, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol and Amy Winehouse. Laughably, Oasis have been honoured with a 'lifetime acheivement award', and so, they'll be playing live.

I imagine that Liam et al will swear a fair bit and shout their way through some big hit or other. He'll say 'fuck' and Russell Brand will probably make some glib comment about it. It'll probably sound like this: "Perchance, mine nutsack doth positively quiver at the thought of yon Gallagher of Mancunia swearing in the presence of my gleaming member... Hare Krisha Hare Krishna..."

The coverage will be on for a whopping two hours. I've no idea how they're going to pad that out. Maybe you can press red during the show to cut to the backstage area to see some no-mark singer snorting coke from the thigh of a former Big Brother contestant. Or maybe you can go multiscreen and choose which cubical you'd like to look in in the unisex toilets as Liam Gallagher yells 'mad fer it' at his own phallus whilst Amy Winehouse totters around in the background asking people for spare change. You'd be mad to watch it... but you may well like some of the bands so knock yourself out if you do. If anyone is thinking of throwing some bird-flu ridden Turkeys on Wednesday, I believe you can still get them in Hungary.

Source: http://www.tvscoop.tv

Partial list of winners at Sunday's 49th Annual Grammy Awards:

Short Form Music Video: "Here It Goes Again," OK Go.

Long Form Music Video: "Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen.

Recording Package: "10,000 Days," Adam Jones, art director (Tool).

Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: "Stadium Arcadium," Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith and Matt Taylor, art directors (Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Album Notes: "If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It!" Dan Morgenstern, album notes writer (Fats Waller).

Historical Album: "Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry 1891-1922."

Engineered Album, Classical: "Elgar: Enigma Variations; Britten: the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Four Sea Interludes," Michael Bishop, engineer (Paavo Jarvi and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra).

Producer of the Year, Classical: Elaine Martone.

Classical Album: "Mahler: Symphony No. 7," Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, Andreas Neubronner, producer (San Francisco Symphony).

Orchestral Performance: "Mahler: Symphony No. 7," Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor (San Francisco Symphony).

Opera Recording: "Golijov: Ainadamar: Fountain of Tears," Robert Spano, conductor, Kelley O'Connor and Dawn Upshaw; Valerie Gross and Sid McLauchlan, producers (Women of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra).

Choral Performance: "Part: Da Pacem," Paul Hillier, conductor (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir).

Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra): "Messiaen: Oiseaux Exotiques (Exotic Birds)," John McLaughlin Williams, conductor; Angelin Chang (Cleveland Chamber Symphony).

Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra): "Chopin: Nocturnes," Maurizio Pollini.

Chamber Music Performance: "Intimate Voices," Emerson String Quartet.

Small Ensemble Performance: "Padilla: Sun of Justice," Peter Rutenberg, conductor (Los Angeles Chamber Singers' Cappella).

Classical Vocal Performance: "Rilke Songs," Lorraine Hunt Lieberson (Peter Serkin), track from Lieberson: Rilke Songs, The Six Realms, Horn Concerto.

Classical Contemporary Composition: "Golijov: Ainadamar: Fountain of Tears," Osvaldo Golijov (Robert Spano).

Classical Crossover Album: "Simple Gifts," Bryn Terfel (London Voices; London Symphony Orchestra).

Latin Pop Album (tie): "Adentro," Arjona. "Limon Y Sal," Julieta Venegas.

Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album: "Amar Es Combatir," Mana.

Tropical Latin Album: "Directo Al Corazon," Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Mexican/Mexican-American Album: "Historias De Mi Tierra," Pepe Aguilar.

Tejano Album: "Sigue El Taconazo," Chente Barrera.

Norteno Album: "Historias Que Contar," Los Tigres Del Norte.

Banda Album: "Mas Alla Del Sol," Joan Sebastian.

Rap Solo Performance: "What You Know," T.I.

Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Ridin," Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone.

Rap/Sung Collaboration: "My Love," Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.

Rap Song: "Money Maker," Christopher Bridges and Pharrell Williams (Ludacris featuring; "Ridin," Anthony Henderson, J. Slainas, O. Salinas and Hakeem Seriki.

Gospel Performance: "Victory," Yolanda Adams.

Gospel Song: "Imagine Me," Kirk Franklin (Kirk Franklin).

Rock or Rap Gospel Album: "Turn Around," Jonny Lang.

Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album: "Wherever You Are," Third Day.

Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album: "Glory Train," Randy Travis.

Traditional Gospel Album: "Alive in South Africa," Israel and New Breed.

Contemporary R&B Gospel Album: "Hero," Kirk Franklin.

Traditional Blues Album: "Risin' With the Blues," Ike Turner.

Contemporary Blues Album: "After the Rain," Irma Thomas.

Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Walk the Line," Joaquin Phoenix and Various Artists.

Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Memoirs of a Geisha," John Williams, composer.

Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: "Our Town (From Cars)," Randy Newman (James Taylor).

Instrumental Composition: "A Prayer for Peace," John Williams, composer (John Williams), from "Munich - Soundtrack."

Instrumental Arrangement: "Three Ghouls," Chick Corea, arranger (Chick Corea), from "The Ultimate Adventure."

Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): "For Once in My Life," Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder), from "Duets: an American Classic."

Traditional Folk Album: "We Shall Overcome - the Seeger Sessions," Bruce Springsteen.

Contemporary Folk/Americana Album: "Modern Times," Bob Dylan.

Native American Music Album: "Dance With the Wind," Mary Youngblood.

Hawaiian Music Album: "Legends of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar - Live From Maui," Various Artists.

Reggae Album: "Love Is My Religion," Ziggy Marley.

Traditional World Music Album: "Blessed," Soweto Gospel Choir.

Contemporary World Music Album: "Wonder Wheel," the Klezmatics.

Polka Album: "Polka in Paradise," Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra.

Musical Show Album: "Jersey Boys."

Engineered Album, Non-Classical: "At War With the Mystics," the Flaming Lips and Dave Fridmann, engineers (The Flaming Lips).

Remixed Recording, Non-Classical: "Talk (Thin White Duke Mix)," Jacques Lu Cont, remixer (Coldplay).

Surround Sound Album: "Morph the Cat," Darcy Proper, surround mastering.

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Rick Rubin.

Musical Album for Children: "Catch That Train," Dan Zanes and Friends.

Spoken Word Album for Children: "Blah Blah Blah: Stories About Clams, Swamp Monsters, Pirates and Dogs," Bill Harley.

Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Story Telling). (Tie): "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis (Jimmy Carter)," Jimmy Carter. "With Ossie and Ruby: In This Life Together (Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee)," Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.

Comedy Album: "The Carnegie Hall Performance," Lewis Black.

New Age Album: "Amarantine," Enya.

Contemporary Jazz Album: "The Hidden Land," Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

Jazz Instrumental Solo: "Some Skunk Funk," Michael Brecker.

Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group: "The Ultimate Adventure," Chick Corea.

Large Jazz Ensemble Album: "Some Skunk Funk," Randy Brecker With Michael Brecker, Jim Beard, Will Lee, Peter Erskine, Marcio.

Latin Jazz Album: "Simpatico," the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project.

Pop Instrumental Performance: "Mornin'," George Benson (& Al Jarreau).

Pop Instrumental Album: "Fingerprints," Peter Frampton.

Dance Recording: "Sexy Back," Justin Timberlake and Timbaland.

Electronic/Dance Album: "Confessions on a Dance Floor," Madonna.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: "Duets: an American Classic," Tony Bennett.

Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Heaven," John Legend.

R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals: "Family Affair," (Sly and the Family Stone), John Legend, Joss Stone With Van Hunt.

Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: "God Bless the Child," George Benson and Al Jarreau featuring Jill Scott.

Urban/Alternative Performance: "Crazy," Gnarls Barkley.

R&B Song: "Be Without You," Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox and Jason Perry (Mary J. Blige).

Contemporary R&B Album: "B'Day," Beyonce.

Female Country Vocal Performance: "Jesus, Take the Wheel," Carrie Underwood.

Male Country Vocal Performance: "The Reason Why," Vince Gill.

Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Not Ready to Make Nice," Dixie Chicks.

Country Collaboration With Vocals: "Who Says You Can't Go Home," Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles.

Country Instrumental Performance: "Whiskey Before Breakfast," Bryan Sutton and Doc Watson.

Country Song: "Jesus, Take the Wheel," Brett James, Hillary Lindsey and Gordie Sampson (Carrie Underwood).

Bluegrass Album: "Instrumentals," Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Jazz Vocal Album: "Turned to Blue," Nancy Wilson.

Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Ain't No Other Man," Christina Aguilera.

Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Waiting on the World to Change," John Mayer.

Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "My Humps," Black Eyed Peas.

Solo Rock Vocal Performance: "Someday Baby," Bob Dylan.

Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal: "Dani California," Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Hard Rock Performance: "Woman," Wolfmother.

Metal Performance: "Eyes of the Insane," Slayer.

Rock Instrumental Performance: "The Wizard Turns On ... ," the Flaming Lips.

Rock Song: "Dani California," Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis and Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers);

Alternative Music Album: "St. Elsewhere," Gnarls Barkley.

U2, Oasis, Robbie Williams, Coldplay And Kylie Minogue are among the acts expected to wow crowds at the world’s biggest ever concert to help save the planet.

Former US vice president Al Gore invited some of the world’s most influential media figures to a top secret London meeting last Friday (09FEB07) to plan the record-breaking gig. An insider says, “It was the most stellar array of media figures you could ever see but to get all those people in the room on a Friday night shows how willing they are to help.”

The ‘Live Earth’ show will be held on 7 July (07) at venues in England, America, South Africa, Japan and Brazil in a bid to raise environmental awareness.

Gore says, “Television hypnotises billions but it is a one-way conversation filling minds with junk food. The only way to breathe meaning back into our words is through music. We need you.”

The full line-up of artists will be announced next week (15FEB07).