Bootleg Beatles Looking for new John Lennon

The countries first and foremost tribute band the Bootleg Beatles, are on the look-out for a new John Lennon.

Formed over 30 years ago, the group have been the most sought after Beatles replicators on the music scene and are now looking for a new John Lennon to replace the current Lennon-alike, Neil Harrison who is retiring after 31 years with the group.

The bands flawless and authentic performances have wowed audiences and media alike.

Even former Beatle, George Harrison, was impressed enough to quip 'You probably know the chords better than I do!' after seeing their performance.

So, outstanding musicianship and vocals are a must - a physical resemblance to the great man himself wouldn't go amiss either!

The Bootleg Beatles perform over 30 UK theatres & arena shows a year, including their annual sell-out date at the Royal Albert Hall.

Last year saw the band tour South America & Europe as well as performing a headline set on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury Festival.

Auditions for the position is open to anyone and anyone with big aspirations and talent to match can apply by sending an mp4, CV and photo to auditions@bootlegbeatles.com.

Global Digital Music Sales Down 8-9%

Global revenues from recorded music sales were down 8-9% last year compared to 2009, according to figures released this week in the IFPI Digital Music Report 2011.

Revenues from digital sales across the world grew by 6% last year, now accounting for 29% of total income in the sector (around $4.6bn / £2.88bn). There are now more than 400 legal download services in the market offering between them 13m licensed tracks.

IFPI chief executive Frances Moore told Music Week, “What this report shows us is that we continue to operate in a very challenging market. There is no doubt about it. We continue to be crippled by piracy. But coming out of the report is an element of hope. There are many more legal services available. We are also taking action against piracy - whether it's LimeWire or Pirate Bay.”

While the drastically woeful situation in Spain was cited as a case of a country hit hard by piracy (music sales decreased by more than 50% from 2005 to 2010), a study of consumer behaviour found in Sweden was shown as an example of anti-piracy legislation helping to combat it – with 52% of illegal file-sharers in Sweden reportedly stopping or dramatically reducing their activities as a result of its implementation.

“As an industry, we remain extremely challenged,” concludes Moore. “But we believe that 2011 could be a pivotal year as we are seeing governments start to wake up. If those governments do what they need to - which is imposing a rule of law on the internet - then everything could look up for the industry.”

BRIT Awards 2011: The Nominations

Tinie Tempah leads the field at this year's BRIT Awards, after picking up four nominations.

The Pass Out rapper, who performed at the launch event with Ellie Goulding, received nods in every category that he was eligible for: British Male, British Breakthrough Act, British Album and British Single.

Mercury Prize winners The XX also look set for a good night at the awards and will do battle for British Group, British Breakthrough Act and British Album.

Plan B, Cheryl Cole, Ellie Goulding, Katy Perry and Kings of Leon all picked up two nominations each, while the British Single prize is dominated by X Factor stars, with Matt Cardle, Alexandra Burke, Olly Murs and Cheryl Cole all in the running.

There was no mention, however, of 2008 runners up JLS who, despite achieving two No.1 singles and a platinum-selling album last year, failed to pick up a single nomination.

The awards will be handed out at a glitzy award ceremony on Tuesday 15th February. Here's the full nominations list:

British Male Solo Artist
Mark Ronson
Paul Weller
Plan B
Robert Plant
Tinie Tempah

British Female Solo Artist
Cheryl Cole
Ellie Goulding
Laura Marling
Paloma Faith
Rumer

British Breakthrough Act
Ellie Goulding
Mumford & Sons
Rumer
Tinie Tempah
The XX

British Group
Biffy Clyro
Gorillaz
Mumford & Sons
Take That
The XX

British Single
Alexandra Burke feat. Pitbull - All Night Long
Cheryl Cole - Parachute
Florence & The Machine - You've Got the Love
Matt Cardle - When We Collide
Olly Murs - Please Don't Let Me Go
Plan B - She Said
Scouting For Girls - This Ain't A Love Song
Taio Cruz - Dynamite
Tinie Tempah - Pass Out
The Wanted - All Time Low

Mastercard British Album Of The Year
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Plan B - The Defamation of Strickland Banks
Take That - Progress
Tinie Tempah - Disc - Overy
The XX - The XX

International Male Solo Artist
Bruce Springsteen
Cee Lo Green
David Guetta
Eminem
Kanye West

International Female Solo Artist
Alicia Keys
Katy Perry
Kylie Minogue
Rihanna
Robyn

International Breakthrough Act
Bruno Mars
Glee Cast
Justin Bieber
The National
The Temper Trap

International Group
Arcade Fire
Black Eyed Peas
Kings Of Leon
The Script
Vampire Weekend

International Album
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Eminem - Recovery
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Kings Of Leon - Come Around Sundown

Critics' Choice
Jessie J (Winner)
James Blake
The Vaccines

British Producer
Ethan Johns
John Leckie
Markus Dravs
Mike Pela
Stuart Price

Festival Awards Europe winners announced

The best European festivals, artists and promoters of 2010 were revealed at a sold out ceremony which took place at Groningen's Stadsschouwburg in The Netherlands, on the opening night of the 25th Anniversary edition of Eurosonic Noorderslag.

Decided by a combination of public vote and industry juries, Festival Awards Europe is the only event solely dedicated to recognising the contributions and achievements of the event organisers and performing artists that generate billions of Euros for local economies and brighten up the summer for tens of millions of festival-goers each year.

More than 350,000 votes were cast by fans to decide the winners in the following categories:

Best Major European Festival: Heineken Open'er Festival – Poland

Best Medium-Sized European Festival: Electric Picnic Music & Arts Festival – Ireland

Best Small European Festival: 5 Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival – Poland

Best New European Festival: Temple House Festival – Ireland

Best Indoor Festival: Rolling Stone Weekender – Germany

Best European Festival Line-Up: Oxegen – Ireland

Best Newcomer: Florence and the Machine

Best Headliner: Muse

Festival Anthem of the Year: Muse - Uprising

Celtic Connections Gets Under Way with Torchlight Procession

Scotland's biggest winter music festival, Celtic Connections, gets under way later with a torchlight procession through Glasgow.

Pipe bands will lead hundreds of people in the torchlight procession from George Square at 1645 GMT to the main venue at the Royal Concert Hall.

Now in its 18th year, the annual winter music festival will include a line-up of some of the world’s finest folk, roots, world, traditional, indie and jazz performers.

About 1,500 artists are expected to perform in more than 300 events across 14 venues between 13 and 30 January.

The festival also features a 70th birthday tribute to Bob Dylan, who has long acknowledged his debt to Scottish folk music.

The American singer-songwriter has been invited to attend the event at the Royal Concert Hall on 24 January.

The winter festival has grown dramatically since it first began as a way of filling the Royal Concert Hall's January schedule.

Jessie J Tops BBC Sound of 2011 Poll

Hot new talent, Jessie J, has won the coveted BBC Sound of 2011 poll. With her debut single Do It Like a Dude currently at no. 4 in the UK iTunes download chart and climbing rapidly up the Official UK top 40, it seems the poll's predictions are pretty spot on.

The poll is compiled using comments from 160 key music critics and broadcasters, so is highly regarded as an indication of which upcoming artists will make a significant stamp on the music scene this year.

Others artists in the top five include James Blake, Jamie Woon and Clare Maguire. Previous winners include Ellie Goulding and Adele.

The 22 year old had already made a name for herself as a songwriter having penned tracks for the likes of Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus. But when she wrote Do It Like a Dude for Rihanna she was encouraged to record it herself.

Jessie is currently playing a series of live shows, some of which are already sold out. Here are the dates but check out her website for ticket availability.

15/01 Brighton - Coalition
17/01 London - Scala
21/01 Glasgow - ABC2
22/01 Manchester - Day & Night
23/01 Bristol - Thekla
06/02 London - Barfly

Glastonbury Festivals Emerging Talent Competition Opens Monday

Every year the organisers of Glastonbury Festival open the main stage to promising new artists via their Emerging Talent Competition.

This, the seventh annual search for bands who are currently unsigned to play on one of the Festival’s main stages at this year’s event, kicks off at 9am on Monday 10th and January and will last until Monday 17th January.

The competition is open to unsigned bands or solo artists from the UK and Ireland and is free to enter and open to any musical genre. In order to enter each participant must visit the Glastonbury Festival website during the week and supply a direct link to a webpage where at least one song can be heard. This can be either an official website for the performer or MySpace, YouTube etc.

Once the entries have been collated, a panel will help compile a longlist of 120 acts which will then be whittled down to a shortlist of 10 artists by a selection of judges including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis before the live finals at Pilton Working Men’s Club in April will decide the winning act.

Last year over 16,000 entries were received and after a hard-fought competition run over 2 nights and streamed live, clear winners were Leeds based Ellen and the Escapades.

Previous winners have included The Subways, The Deadbeats and The Travelling Band.

If you fancy a chance of playing at the Festival, go to www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk next week.

Unsigned Band's Debut Single Storms Download Chart

Unsigned rock band Intraverse has taken the iTunes download chart by storm.

Their debut single, Please Don’t Share Your Kisses, which was released on Monday (December 6) reached number four in the rock chart above The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones.

The five-piece alternative rock act from Tunbridge Wells have recently supported Might Boosh and The IT Crowd actor Matt Berry’s band in a UK-wide tour and put their success down to some tireless gigging around the country.

Intraverse is also set to play next year at Mayfield’s Music on the Meadow in May and the Local & Live Festival in Tunbridge Wells.

we7 predicts future for UK’s online music industry

Music Week has reported that we7 CEO Steve Purdham believes mobile devices will overtake PCs to become the primary listening device to access digital music in the coming year.

With the online music landscape changing dramatically in 2010, Purdham has given his top five predictions for the coming year.

They are:

- Online radio services will continue to grow in popularity and together with traditional radio will increase overall music listening hours dramatically.

- Mobile devices will become the primary listening device to access digital music overtaking tethered PCs.

- Music downloads will begin to plateau in the UK, and increasingly be replaced by music streaming and subscription based services.

- The music industry will increasingly look to streaming services as the potential answer to the crippling problem of illegal downloading. As a result, both subscription and ad-funded services will take centre stage in the consumer mind-set.

- Apple will at last launch its digital locker service allowing all purchased downloads to be accessed from any location and Apple device. This will quickly be followed up by an iTunes subscription service.

Fire Hits Kings of Leon Tour Buses at London's O2 Arena

Following this morning's fire on a show tour bus, at London’s O2 Arena organisers are currently assessing whether Kings of Leon will go ahead with tonight’s gig.

Kings of Leon are due to play the final night of their UK arena tour at the venue tonight.

A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said that around 60 fire-fighter’s were called to the scene at 8:18am (GMT) this morning (December 21) to deal with the blaze, with two vehicles on fire.

The fire, which took place in a loading bay at the arena, is now under control.

Assessments are currently underway and a decision will be made in the next couple of hours as to whether tonight’s Kings of Leon show will go ahead.

Fans have been advised to visit the O2 website for the latest updates

Blink 182 Confirmed for T in the Park 2011

Following the recent announcement of Foo Fighters as the first headliner for T in the Park 2011, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager have confirmed that Blink-182 will also join music fans in Balado for the July event.

Formed in 1992, the Californian pop punk trio have 25 million worldwide album sales under their belt, and released five studio albums including multi-platinum selling breakthrough album 'Enema of the State' before splitting up in 2004.

The band got back together last year for the 51st Grammy Awards and a new album is planned for release in spring 2011, with Blink 182 expected to showcase a new track or two for their Scottish fans. They are not one of the headline acts.

Christmas Earlybird Tickets for the eighteenth T in the Park at Balado, which takes place from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th July, are now sold out.

The next batch of tickets for T in the Park 2011 will go on general sale in February 2011.

BPI Report Shows On-going Problem with Illegal Downloaders

A study for the recording industry lobby group BPI said yesterday, at least 1.2 billion songs will have been illegally downloaded by the end of 2010 in Britain.

The estimated figure dwarfs the 370m tracks expected to be bought legally in 2010.

Music industry executives said the figures underlined the scale of the problem facing record labels and other investors who are reluctant to spend on new talent when revenues are being undercut.

Illegal downloading "is a parasite that threatens to deprive a generation of talented young people of their chance to make a career in music, and is holding back investment in the fledgling digital entertainment sector," said Geoff Taylor, BPI chief executive.

Teen Admits Involvement in £500k Music Royalties Con

A young musician from Wolverhampton admitted his part in a fraud scheme involving stolen credit cards to pay for downloads on iTunes and Amazon MP3 as part of a £500,000 royalties con.

Lamar Johnson, aged 19, posted music on the two sites and then used the stolen details to buy them thousands of times over. The teen admitted he was part of a gang that was collecting royalties from the downloaded tracks.

Johnson is the youngest member the gang, who allegedly downloaded the songs 6,000 times between January 2008 and June 2009.

The hearing was at Southwark Crown Court and the BBC reports that Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud. Sentencing was adjourned yesterday and he was remanded in custody.

Nine remaining defendants will face sentencing on January 25.

Voting is Open for iTunes Best Tracks and Albums of 2010

Voting has opened on iTunes for users to pick their favourite tracks and albums of 2010.

A dedicated voting app is available for iPhone/iPad and votes can also be cast on the http://www.bestalbumandsong.co.uk/ site.

Rather than make their own selections, users are asked to pick their favourites from the 20 biggest albums and tracks of the year on iTunes. The service's music editors have also selected five additional albums and songs to bring the shortlist in each category to 25.

Voting closes at midnight on December 19 and iTunes Best Album and Song 2010 People's Choice winners will be announced on December 21.

Voters are also invited to add comments alongside their choices. All votes are automatically entered into a draw with the top prize being 10,000 free iTunes downloads.

The Cure and Primal Scream to play Bestival 2011

Rob Da Bank revealed the first batch of artists for next year's Bestival today via Twitter, announcing 16 acts billed for Saturday, September 10th at the enormous bash on the Isle of Wight.




The Cure will play their only European show next year when they headline Bestival, it was announced today. Primal Scream will also perform, playing their landmark album Screamadelica in its entirety.



Robyn and Crystal Castles will bring the electronic pop, while A-Trak and Boys Noize keep the party rocking, with festival favourite Magnetic Man and Katy B also appearing.



Brian Wilson, DJ Shadow and Grandmaster Flash will also be on the bill for the festival which takes place on the Isle of Wight from September 8-11, 2011.



More acts will be announced early next year.

ALBUM REVIEW: Josh Groban, Illuminations

Multi-platinum-selling pop-opera sensation Josh Groban returns with his long-awaited fifth studio album 'Illuminations'.

On the new album, Groban worked with veteran producer Rick Rubin, known for his critically acclaimed work with Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers & Johnny Cash among many others.

The bracing result creates a new vibe, which Groban calls "the rawness of an intimate folk record and the power and warmth of a classical record."

Tracks such as Hidden Away and Higher Window try to be conventional pop ballads but Groban’s vocal ability is too grand for pop. The mandolin melody on, If I Walk Away, segues into an explosion of strings. He sounds more at home on the spacious Galileo.

Illuminations feels like natural evolution for Groban, an enjoyment of the new direction of his artistic expression whilst mindful and appreciative of where he’s been.

Tracklisting:

1. Wandering Kind, The [prelude]
2. Bells of New York City
3. Galileo (Somebody like You)
4. L'ora Dell'addio
5. Hidden Away
6. Au Jardin Des sans Pourquoi
7. Higher Window
8. If I Walk Away
9. Love Only Knows
10. Voce Existe Em Mim
11. War At Home
12. London Hymn
13. Straight to You

ALBUM REVIEW: Kate Rusby, Make the Light

Make the Light is Kate Rusby’s first album consisting entirely of her own compositions. The album also marks the debut of her new band, which features her partner Damien O'Kane on guitar, tenor guitar, tenor banjo and vocals.

 

Album opener, The Wishing Wife, is a pleasantly jaunty narrative set to springy accordion and banjo similar in style to her old favourite The Goodman. It’s followed by the cool ballad, The Mocking Bird.

 

Rusby’s first protest song Let Them Fly is a tilt at self-serving clergy and politicians. She writes strong melodies on songs such as the hymn-like Green Fields and Walk the Road, which features a brass ensemble, a gorgeous horn arrangement and fine backing vocals by O’Kane.

 

Although there’s an absence of traditional songs on this album, as one of the defining voices of English folk, Rusby, has not made a complete departure from her traditional sound, staying well within her comfort zone. All in all, Make the Light is a nice effort but lacks something, nothing grabs you, there’s nothing too experimental.

 

Tracklisting:

 

1. The Wishing Wife
2. Mocking Bird
3. Let Them Fly
4. Only Hope
5. Lately
6. Shout To The Devil
7. Green Fields
8. Fair Weather Friend
9. Walk The Road
10. Not Me
11. Four Stars

Pirate Bay Appeal Fails

Three men who were found guilty of being accessories to breaching copyright laws in The Pirate Bay trial in April 2009 today lost their appeal against the ruling in a Swedish court.

The court upheld the verdict reached by a Swedish judge that Peter Sunde Kolmisoppi, Fredrik Neij and Carl Lundström were guilty of facilitating mass copyright infringement. The fourth defendant, Godfrey Svartholm Warg, did not attend the hearing.

Neij was today sentenced to 10 months in prison, Kolmisoppi to eight and Lundström to four. They also face damages of 46m Swedish Kronor (£4.18m) – considerably less than the music and film industries were demanding, although more than the initial fine of 30m Kronor.

The defendants are now likely to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Paolo Nutini to Headline RockNess Festival 2011

Paolo Nutini is set to headline next year’s RockNess festival, organisers have announced.

The Scottish singer-songwriter will close the festival with a “monumental landmark homecoming gig” on the main stage on Sunday (June 12).

The event is scheduled to take place on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland on Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June 2011.

Kasabian headline the Friday, and The Chemical Brothers will headline Saturday night, they are the only acts confirmed so far for 2011.

Tickets went on sale today (November 26) at 9am.

For more information, go to http://www.rockness.co.uk/

Kasabian and Chemical Brothers to headline RockNess

Kasabian and Chemical Brothers have been confirmed as headliners for RockNess 2011.

The Scottish event, which takes place at Dores, close to the banks of Loch Ness, recently won line-up of the year at the 2010 UK Festival Awards.

Fatboy Slim and The Strokes were two of the big names that played at this year's RockNess bash.

Kasabian’s frontman, Tom Meighan, told Radio1’s Newsbeat he was looking forward to their appearance.

"It's like booking Disneyland, isn't it? I can see it, it's in front of me but I've got to wait” He said.

The Chemical Brothers' reliable mix of electro anthems and beats is also likely to pull in a big crowd.

Rockness takes place from 10-12 June 2011 and tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 26 November.