Thursday 29 August 2013, 10:43 | By Aly Barchi

Festival line-up update: Bestival, Bluesfest, Illuminations and more

Artist News Festival Line-Up Update Gigs & Festivals

In great news for sensible and forward-thinking festival fans; early bird tickets are now on sale for Reading & Leeds, Kendal Calling, Creamfields and Wychwood’s 2014 iterations. Which is only nice if you have the cash in advance, which mayn’t apply to attendees at this weekend’s Bestival.

Still, it’s all fine, because as an added gift to said attendees, Bestival has jammed the likes of Swamp (feat Loefah), Boddika, and Digital Soundboy System (feat Shy FX) onto its now-finalised line-up, making its ticket price an even better value spend.

Moving to London and this year’s BluesFest, high-profile additions are go in the shape of The Ronnie Wood Band, Natalie Cole and an all-star collaboration by existing BluesFest big-timers Van Morrison and Mick Hucknall, who’ll join onstage to pay homage to late blues great Bobby Bland, who sadly died earlier this year.

Lastly, I’ll hand over to info on newly-listed additions to the above, End Of The Road and London-based gig constellation Illuminations:

BESTIVAL, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight, 5-8 Sep: Digital Soundboy Soundsystem feat Shy FX, B Traits, Breakage, Swamp feat Loefah, Boddika, Pinch, Mickey Pearce, Klose1, Chunky Dismantle, Stamina, LX One, Juma MC, Trojan Sound System feat Earl Gateshead, Daddy Ad, SuperFour, Chucky Bantan, Jah Buck, Scrufizzer, Tayo 3000, Soul of Man, Ed Solo, Phil Mison, Wayward, Pylo, Sombrero Sound System, Cholombian, Black Kat Boppers, Duct & Owen Howells, Gemma Cairney, Matthew Hawtin, Steve O’Connor, Run Tingz Cru, Dr Meaker, Zac Smith, Garrett Kato, Oquadro, Max Pashm, Tia Brazda, Run Tingz Cru, Wonka-Vision, Shore Leave, Gypsy Fever, Maniere des Bohemiens, Dr Meaker, Mouse Outfit feat Dr Syntax, Pony Montana, Loose Moose, Keltrix, The Devout Sceptics, Under the Driftwood Tree, The Henry Brothers, Ms Chameleon’s Incredible Flea Circus, Lucky Dog Theatre, Ethan Ash, CC Smugglers, The Vagaband, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, Auntie Maureen, DJ78, DJ GG, Monks, Duke Special, The Kipper The Cat Show, Gregs Greats, Dr Sid, It’s A Wind Up With Matt & Annabel, Karla Chameleon’s Mechanical Melodies, The Edison Brothers Cylinder Set, Tony Tunes & Matt, Del Gazeebo, Harvey K-Tel, Miss Splinters. www.bestival.net

BLUESFEST, Royal Albert Hall, London, 29 Oct – 1 Nov: The Ronnie Wood Band, Natalie Cole, Steve Craddock, Big Boy Bloater, Huddles Masses. www.bluesfest.co.uk

END OF THE ROAD, Larmer Tree Gardens, Tollard Royal, Salisbury, Wiltshire, 30 Aug – 1 Sep: Deap Vally. www.endoftheroadfestival.com

ILLUMINATIONS, various venues, London, 3-10 Nov: James Holden, Kimya Dawson, Aidan Moffat, Owiny Sigoma Band, John Wizards, Jacco Gardner, Dent May. www.illuminationslondon.com

Unsigned Guide partners on loans initiative for young creative entrepreneurs

Business News Management & Funding

The Unsigned Guide has partnered with Transmit Start-Ups, an agency that supports mainly creative start-up businesses, to find thirty creative entrepreneurs aged between eighteen and 30 who are looking for funding to help them realise their business ideas.

Transmit Start-Ups is a ‘official delivery partner’ for the Start-Up Loans Company, a government-backed initiative that offers unsecured loans to budding entrepreneurs.

With the Unsigned Guide partnership, thirty young people will be able to apply for loans of between £1000 and £10,000. Successful applicants will also get access to other tools and advice, plus The Unsigned Guide will cover their projects.

Interested and eligible entrepreneurs should apply via the Transmit Start-Up website using the code USG1.

Batt plans various Womble ventures having secured rights beyond the music

Brands & Merch Business News Labels & Publishers Media

Well, you know what they say, in this here digital age it’s not enough for a band to just write songs and sing them anymore – “the band’s the brand” remember, and merch, product extensions, TV shows and film projects are all part of the equation if you want to have a truly viable business.

And now The Wombles, presumably having carefully watched the careers of Bieber, Gaga and One Direction, have finally learnt this, and have appointed their musical director Mike Batt to handle all their business affairs. And a new TV show is already in the pipeline as a result. Bloody hell, there’ll be publishing books about these guys soon, mark my words.

So, yes, Batt’s Dramatico Entertainment company has announced various plans to develop and exploit The Wombles brand after acquiring a major shareholding in Wombles Copyright Holdings earlier this month. Batt, of course, was behind the musical side of the popular children’s characters, but his company will now also control all the other aspects of the franchise.

Genevieve Dexter of entertainment consultancy Serious Lunch will work with Batt to pursue new opportunities, and she told CMU: “Many people have attempted to bring back classic properties, and failed. What sets The Wombles apart is that they were ahead of their time, as the first recycling enthusiasts and with the extra dimension of the band which brought them to a family arena. The rights have now been regrouped and adapted for 21st century tastes and media consumption, although the relevance of the original themes holds strong and the messages therein are perhaps even more widely accepted today”.

A new Wombles TV show will be aired by Channel 5 in 2015, though CGI will replace the stop-motion animation of the original 1970s television programme and they’ll probably use some new fangled high-tech Cribinator to do the voices, rather than hiring the master narrator Bernard Cribbins (though the 1990s remake had a whole cast of voices).

New Wombles pop ventures are also in the pipeline, including another tour for the only slightly scary giant Wombles live band.

Myspace working on new video collaborations venture

Digital

The all new Myspace (remember that, anyone?) has announced plans to collaborate with artists to create new videos to accompany their tracks. The social network will seemingly cover the costs of the videos, but the artist will own them. The resulting content will be distributed via both Myspace and YouTube.

The new venture, apparently known as ‘Music Video Collaborations With Artists We Like’, will kick off with an alliance with Federal Prism, the label of TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek. Myspace will work on six videos with the label, starting off with one for the new single from Sitek’s own band, ‘Million Miles’.

Although the venture will give Myspace some exclusive content in the short term, it seems the digital firm hopes the initiative will also help win it a reputation as a champion for and supporter of new and interesting artistic talent. VP Content & Creative Joseph Patel told Billboard: “For me, from a content perspective, I could spend money and do an interview with the band, or I could spend that money and work with the band and shoot a creative music video that lasts forever and that we get content out of. Everybody wins”.

Sunrise Radio facing wind-up order

Media

The Sunrise Radio company, which operates a number of local radio stations around the country, with programming mainly aimed at the Asian community, is facing a wind-up order from HM Revenue & Customs, according to Biz Asia, which reckons the business owes £400,000 to the tax body.

A petition to “wind-up” the Sunrise group, which runs Sunrise Radio, Kismat Radio, Punjabi Radio and Buzz Radio, was issued last month, and will go before the courts on Monday. The move follows what has seemingly been a challenging year for the media firm, which shut down its TV service earlier this year, and ceased broadcasting its main radio station on the Sky and Virgin TV networks.

Although if the petition is successful, HMRC could push for Sunrise Radio to be put into liquidation, the radio firm has told Biz Asia it isn’t currently facing closure.

Eminem’s Slane crowd tough because they were tired, says Plan B

And Finally

Plan B has said that he cut short (slightly) his support set at a recent Eminem concert at Slane Castle in Ireland because his audience were clearly tired and just wanted to skip to the main event.

The British rapper, real name Ben Drew, was on immediately before Slim Shady at the Slane show, and towards the end of his set shouted “Slane, are you with me?” before adding, after a somewhat lacklustre response, “Come on you cunts!” He then reportedly asked how long he had left to play and, after being told there was ten minutes to go, said: “Ten minutes? Ten minutes… well, we’re only gonna play one more song cause we don’t really wanna be here”.

Speaking to NME about the incident, Drew said: “[The crowd] were tired. They’d been there all day. They’d been there from when Chance The Rapper was on early. They’d been drinking, they were tired and they wanted to see the main event. When you’re main support and you’re just before the main event, I think it gets to that point in the day when people just want to see Eminem”.

He went on: “My way of picking up the crowd sometimes is being a bit abusive. I’m like, ‘Come on, you cunts’, you know what I mean? That’s pretty much what it was. A crowd can be a tough crowd because they’re not interested, or it can be that they’re tired. For me, it was more that they were tired”.

Approved: Tim Hecker – Virginal II

CMU Approved

A year and a half after his last album ‘Ravedeath, 1972’, Tim Hecker is preparing to return with his seventh LP, ‘Virgins’. Due for release through Kranky on 14 Oct, the album was recorded in Reykjavik, Montreal and Seattle in 2012, using live ensembles of woodwind, piano and synth players.

Fans of Hecker will recognise his minimalist sound on ‘Virginal II’, the first track to be released from the new album. However, it also marks a development in many ways. How the rest of the album will sound we’re yet to see, but this track certainly has less of an obviously electronic slant to it, seeming to hold more of the original recording than ‘Ravedeath, 1972’, on which there was more obvious post-production work bending and distorting the live performances.

Listen to ‘Virginal II’ here:

Grooveshark announces deal with Sony/ATV

Deals Digital Grooveshark Timeline Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

Following its settlement with EMI Music Publishing earlier this month, controversial streaming service Grooveshark says it now has a deal in place with the EMI publishing business’s sister company Sony/ATV.

As previously reported, although Grooveshark has always had a shaky relationship with the music industry, it did agree a deal with EMI pretty early on, which covered both the recording and music publishing catalogues of the then UK-based major. However, before the two sides of the EMI company were split up and sold off, that partnership collapsed, and new litigation between EMI and Grooveshark began.

But earlier this month the legal dispute between EMI Music Publishing and Grooveshark was settled, and a licensing deal agreed. The EMI publishing company, of course, is now controlled by Sony/ATV, which led a consortium of buyers to acquire the EMI songs business last year. And, it would seem, by settling its dispute with EMI Publishing, that has enabled Grooveshark to do a deal with Sony/ATV too.

Announcing the new arrangement, Grooveshark CEO Sam Tarantino told reporters: “We are excited to add Sony/ATV Music’s impressive array of songwriters to our catalogue further advancing our mission to empower creators with the best audio platform in the world”.

Grooveshark has long annoyed many in the industry by allowing users to upload music to its servers, meaning that it routinely makes available large numbers of tracks without the appropriate licences.

The Grooveshark company insists that it operates a takedown system in line with its obligations under US copyright law, and therefore is a legitimate business, though the major record companies – which are all currently suing the digital firm – say that the streaming set up is simply exploiting a loophole in American law.

Whether having a deal in place with the biggest music publisher in the world – ie the combined Sony/ATV and EMI Publishing – means Grooveshark could now finally do deals with the major record companies remains to be seen.

It’s been assumed for sometime that Universal in particular would rather see Grooveshark go out of business, and is therefore possibly employing the LimeWire strategy: pursue long drawn out infringement litigation, refuse to negotiate, and wait.

The majors know that Grooveshark is operating in an increasingly competitive market place, and likely needs new and major investment to succeed, something it will be much harder to secure while big copyright litigation hangs over the business.

But time will tell.

Gatecrasher company restructures

Business News Live Business Top Stories

Clubbing business Gatecrasher has announced a restructure following a so called ‘pre-pack administration’, where a company’s management agrees a way forward with an administrator and secured creditors before going into administration. The administrator then carries out the pre-agreed plan.

Under this arrangement, some of the UK club venues previously operated by the Gatecrasher business will be spun off into a separate company, with Gatecrasher itself focusing on its flagship venue in Birmingham, and major dance music events under the Gatecrasher banner in the UK and around the world. This includes a new event at Donington Park.

Confirming the restructure, Gatecrasher chief Simon Raine told CMU: “Substantial external equity funding is in place to allow the immediate progression of Gatecrasher’s expansion plans. Critically we have a new direction and will return to producing the global events and festivals that originally made the brand a worldwide clubbing phenomenon”.

He added: “Gatecrasher will return to its roots and do what we do best! We will go back to staging the highest quality production led events across the globe featuring the biggest DJs and acts. Gatecrasher events have always been renowned for the best and most awe-inspiring production. Today far more technology exists and what you can achieve on an audio-visual scale is limitless!”

And concluded: “Our challenge is return to hosting the best EDM events in the world with the most spectacular production and the biggest artists. Donington is our next big event. We are talking to promoters and event organisers in all territories with more events to be announced soon”.

Gatecrasher’s financiers have bought the existing company’s entire Barclays Bank debt and converted that into equity in the revamped business, meaning the firm will move forward debt free.

Madonna tops Forbes celebrity earnings list

Artist News

Madonna was the highest-earning celebrity in the last year according to Forbes. The US magazine reckons that the queen of pop raked in $125 million between June 2012 and June 2013 on the back of her world tour, merchandise, fashion line and other business interests.

Madge out-performs Steven Spielberg, who comes in second place having generated an estimated $100 million in the last year. Meanwhile Simon Cowell, Howard Stern and ’50 Shades Of Grey’ author EL James tie for third place in the Forbes poll, with estimated earnings of $95 million each.

Judas Priest working on new album

Artist News

Judas Priest have finished writing a new album, their first since 2008’s ‘Nostradamus’, and their seventeenth overall. Now they just need to finish recording it and it’ll be ready for you to listen to. Contain your excitement for the moment, please.

Frontman Rob Halford, who is producing the record, told Billboard: “The writing process is complete. Now it’s the painstaking work of making sure that you get every single note, every single nuance of the vocal, every tiny aspect… right. We’re still tracking [at the moment]. It’s just a very laborious but enjoyable part of making the record”.

He added: “It’s heavy. It’s something we think our Priest fans will be thrilled with. We know we have a reputation to maintain, and we know we have to deliver something really strong and solid. The album is going to be full of all the great things you love about Judas Priest – I don’t think I can say anything more than that without being hung, drawn and quartered”.

Blimey, I had no idea labels were getting quite so tough on leaks these days.

Arcade Fire admit Refkletor is them

Releases

Arcade Fire have confirmed that the cryptic ‘Reflektor’ graffiti that’s been appearing, as if by magic, in various international cities, is (as predicted) to do with them. Whatever ‘Refletkor’ is, it will, says this giant banner pasted on a building in NYC, make itself clear on 9 Sep.

The band’s new LP, meanwhile, is to be released on 28 Oct.

Danny Brown’s Old given release date

Releases

Having ‘done an MIA’ several weeks back and threatened to leak it, Danny Brown’s first post-‘XXX’ LP ‘Old’ has since gained a release date, and that date is 30 Sep in the USA, and, as per international practice, 29 Sep everywhere else.

Whilst its final tracklisting is still TBA, it will, Brown has hinted, feature collaborations with Purity Ring, Schoolboy Q, Rustie, Charli XCX and Darq E Freaker.

The Men releasing quiet campfire EP

Releases

An increasingly gentlemanly The Men will release an EP of ‘Campfire Songs’, named exactly that, which they taped ‘al fresco’ whilst making this year’s ‘New Moon’ LP.

Carrying alternate takes on ‘New Moon’ tracks ‘I Saw Her Face’ and ‘The Seeds’, past B-side ‘Water Babies’ and a pair of brand new titles, ‘Patience’ and ‘Turn Your Color’, it’s released 14 Oct on twelve-inch vinyl via Sacred Bones.

Hear ‘The Seeds’ made new here:

Haim name December dates

Gigs & Festivals

The sisters Haim have named several dates on which they’ll play live this winter. Taking place in December, the British finale to what’s actually a larger European tour looks as follows:

4 Dec: Norwich, UEA
5 Dec: Birmingham, Institute
6 Dec: Leeds, Metropolitan University
8 Dec: Manchester, The Ritz,
9 Dec: London, The Forum
12 Dec: Glasgow, ABC
13 Dec: Dublin, Academy

And wait, who’s this? Oh, it’s only Haim again, giving off max sass in the promo for their new track ‘The Wire’, part of the band’s new LP ‘Days Are Gone’, which arrives 20 Sep:

King Krule adds October shows

Gigs & Festivals

King Krule is off on a royal tour again later in the year, and will headline five dates in October. He’ll present his princely new LP, ‘Six Feet Beneath The Moon’, as listed:

3 Oct: Sheffield, Harley
4 Oct: Glasgow, Broadcast
5 Oct: Manchester, Ruby Lounge
7 Oct: Brighton, The Haunt
8 Oct: London, Netil House

And finally, since it’s relevant listening, this is ‘Six Feet’ highlight ‘Neptune Estate’:

Twenty One Pilots map 2014 shows

Gigs & Festivals

Fueled By Ramen’s Twenty One Pilots are taking flight on a nine-show live initiative in Feb 2014. Representing their first ever headline visit to Britain, it’ll happen like this:

17 Feb: Brighton, The Haunt
18 Feb: Oxford, Academy 2
19 Feb: Birmingham, Library
21 Feb: Manchester, Academy 3
22 Feb: Leeds, Cockpit
23 Feb: Glasgow, King Tut’s
25 Feb: Bristol, Thekla
26 Feb: Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
27 Feb: London, Heaven

Given that’s still a while off, fans can at least cotton on to the band’s 2 Sep-dated new single ‘House Of Gold’, now:

Kobalt promotes Metcalfe

Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers

Kobalt has announced the promotion of its LA-based Exec VP Creative Sas Metcalfe to the new position of President Global Creative.

Confirming the promotion, Kobalt Music Group CEO Willard Ahdritz told CMU: “We are pleased to promote Sas to this newly created position, which is a result of not only her hard work but also the continuing growth of the company’s expansive and important global roster. One of my biggest pleasures at Kobalt is to promote great people and promoting Sas, my first employee in 2001, is outstanding”.

Book And Record Bar launching soon

Business News Retail

The Book And Record Bar, a shop/cafe specialising in the simultaneous retail of vinyl, literature and beverages, is to celebrate its first day’s service this Saturday (31 Aug).

Based in West Norwood, London, the shop has obtained a liquor license for the occasion, and will host live acts like Metamono (and others TBA), who’ll play live in store.

Info via this link.

Former Ticketmaster boss joins Twitter

Digital

Following his sudden departure from Ticketmaster earlier this month, Nathan Hubbard has already popped up in an exciting new role.

According to Bloomberg, he has been hired as Head Of Commerce by Twitter. In a new role for the social media firm, he’ll be tasked will pursuing e-commerce opportunities for the micro-blogging platform, which is hoping that selling stuff via tweets might be a possible additional revenue stream to advertising.

As previously reported, Hubbard’s exit from Live Nation, where he was global President of the live giant’s ticketing business, came somewhat out of the blue. Ironically, given Hubbard’s new role, rumour had it that Live Nation chiefs felt they needed someone more tech savvy to run what has become very much a data business. That said, others have suggested disagreements between Hubbard and Live Nation boss Michael Rapino may have motivated his departure.

Vevo launches on Apple TV

Digital

As expected, Vevo has launched on Apple TV, meaning anyone with one of those little black boxes can watch HD music videos to their heart’s content right there on their telly. How nice. And even if you don’t want to, it’s being automatically added as a channel whether you like it or not. So there.

Currently the Vevo channel is live in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and Poland.

As previously reported, Vevo is expected to be added to Samsung net-connected TVs in the coming weeks too, as the service attempts to break its reliance on YouTube for the bulk of its traffic.

Universal launches Electrospective Spotify app

Digital

Electrospective, the website tracking the history of electronic music, originally set up by EMI and now part of Universal Music, is launching a spin off Spotify app, in a bid to drive streams of Universal/EMI owned electronic music, as well as downloads.

The app will offer curated and artist-focused playlists, and timely content, such as the set list of The Human League’s recent shows at Kew Gardens. As with the Electrospective website, there’ll also be a chronological aspect, allowing people to browse the history of electronic music, focusing in on specific decades or sub-genres.

Timberlake sticks up for Cyrus

And Finally

Don’t worry Miley, JT’s got your back.

Asked about all the hoo and the haa that has been hooing and haaing about Miley Cyrus’s raunchy routine at last weekend’s VMAs, which has somewhat overshadowed his hits set and *Nsync reunion at the same event, Justin Timberlake told AMP Radio: “I’ll go easy on Miley, man. She’s declaring her womanhood. Let her do her thing, man…”

He added: “I don’t have anything to say about that, but she got y’all’s attention! This was not the Grammys, this was not the Oscars, this was the VMAs. This was where Madonna came out in a wedding dress and humped the stage. This is where Britney did the striptease. This is where you do it. What did you guys expect?!”

So take note people, JT’s spoken and this topic is now closed. Go back to discussing important world affairs instead, like One Direction’s new perfume, Michael Buble’s new baby, and, erm, the latest developments in the ‘Great British Bake Off’.

Approved: Glasser – Shape

CMU Approved

Having taken a break in the stead of 2010’s gleaming ‘Ring’ LP, NYC’s Glasser, nee Cameron Mesirow, is back; contemplating ‘space’ and unveiling a new single, ‘Shape’.

Misleadingly simply-made in its seemingly clean lines and air of spaciousness, ‘Shape’ is really as intricate as anything on ‘Ring’, all bassy airscapes, cadent dips and synth swirls. The first sign of a sophomore LP that’s still TBA, trace ‘Shape’ here:

Conrad Murray comments on Jacksons v AEG via leaked phone message

Business News Jacksons v AEG Timeline Legal Live Business Top Stories

So, believe it or not, the Jacksons v AEG Live legal battle is still going through the motions in that LA court room, as the former try to convince a jury that the latter should be held liable for death of Michael Jackson in 2009.

AEG’s defence is proving to be as long-drawn out as the Jackson family’s outline of its arguments. The live music giant has led a long line of ‘experts’ and a handful of Jackson associates through the courtroom to explain why the singer himself clearly hired and managed Dr Conrad Murray, the medic jailed for causing the late king of pop’s death through negligence. AEG’s role in employing, or not, Murray is at the heart of the case.

AEG’s witnesses have also discussed the various ‘red flags’ that the Jackson family’s lawyers say the live firm ignored and which should have made them worry about the treatment Murray was dishing out to their star. Team AEG, of course, want to convince the jury that those supposed warnings are only apparent with hindsight.

Dr Conrad Murray, who declined to testify during his own criminal trial, has been resisting efforts to make him answer questions in the civil case, of course, though it’s his words that have got the Jacksons v AEG battle back into the headlines, albeit via a leaked phone message rather than any officially delivered remarks.

In the phone message, obtained by TMZ, the jailed former doctor discusses some of the questions being asked in the Jacksons v AEG case. Although not an official testimony, both sides in the legal battle could pull some useful statements from the remarks for their respective cases.

According to TMZ, Murray says that “both AEG and Michael Jackson were my joint employers”, something that is key to the Jackson family’s case; AEG has argued that while it was contracted to advance monies to Jackson to pay Murray’s bills, it wasn’t actually the medical man’s employer.

Murray does go on to confirm, however, that AEG didn’t actually select him to be Jackson’s personal medic, adding “AEG was involved in the hiring process, but they wanted to hire a less expensive doctor”. He also adds that, once he’d been hired, “to the best of my knowledge, AEG was not aware of my medical treatment of Michael. Michael referred to AEG as ‘snakes'”.

Commenting on the phone message and its appearance via TMZ, Murray’s current legal rep Valerie Wass told reporters: “I was surprised. I wasn’t surprised at the content of the recording, I was surprised that the recording came out. It’s been difficult for him to just sit there, and not tell the truth, and I think he’s been feeling very compelled to get the truth out there”.

Meanwhile, speaking for the Jackson family, lawyer Kevin R Boyle said: “It is disturbing that a convicted felon continues to harass the family of his victim from prison. Although at this point nobody believes a word Murray says, in his latest message, Murray clearly states he was working for AEG and Michael Jackson”.

AEG will continue to present their defence this week.

Gaye family offered money from Thicke before litigation began

Business News Legal

Reps for this summer’s big pop idiot Robin Thicke allegedly offered the family of Marvin Gaye a six-figure sum after they first made allegations that the singer’s hit ‘Blurred Lines’ plagiarised Gaye’s ‘Got To Give It Up’.

But, says Billboard, Family Gaye knocked back the offer, and so Thicke’s lawsuit seeking court confirmation that his song does not infringe the copyrights in ‘Got To Give It Up’ followed. As previously reported, Thicke’s collaborators on the rather controversial hit, Pharrell Williams and TI, are also plaintiffs on the litigation.

If Team Thicke did indeed offer a settlement to the Gaye family, it would be interesting to know whether than meant the singer’s legal advisors feared there was a case for infringement, or if the star simply didn’t want a public squabble with the family of one of his musical inspirations.

Thicke’s lawsuit, of course, also targets Bridgeport Music which has apparently claimed that ‘Blurred Lines’ also borrows from a Funkadelic track it controls.

VMAs awarded

Awards

MTV had a party in Brooklyn on Sunday night, people showed up, songs were sung, Daft Punk didn’t cancel, *Nsync reunited, and Miley Cyrus made an exhibition of herself, and worst of all Robin Thicke was allowed to sing his song about rape. Oh, and somewhere along the lines the following awards were presented…

Video Of The Year: Justin Timberlake – Mirrors

Best Female Video: Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble.

Best Male Video: Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven

Best Pop Video: Selena Gomez – Come & Get It

Best Hip-Hop Video: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton – Can’t Hold Us

Best Rock Video: Thirty Seconds To Mars – Up In The Air

Best Collaboration: Pink & Nate Ruess of Fun – Just Give Me A Reason

Best Video With A Social Message: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert – Same Love

Best Song Of The Summer: One Direction – Best Song Ever

Artist To Watch: Austin Mahone – What About Love

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Justin Timberlake

Best Direction: Justin Timberlake’s Suit & Tie (Director David Fincher)

Best Visual Effects: Capital Cities – Safe And Sound

Best Choreography: Bruno Mars – Treasure

Best Art Direction: Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu – Q.U.E.E.N.

Best Cinematography: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton – Can’t Hold Us

Best Editing: Justin Timberlake – Mirrors

*Nsync reunion a one-off

Artist News

So, if you enjoyed the little *Nsync reunion at the MTV VMAs this weekend, don’t be thinking that’s the start of anything more permanent. No, says the group’s JC Chasez, he appeared on stage to warble to former hits ‘Girlfriend’ and ‘Bye Bye Bye’ simply to pay tribute to his ex-bandmate Justin Timberlake, who performed some of his solo hits before being joined by his past boyband allies.

Speaking to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, Chasez said: “It was just about five guys who were great friends, who spent ten or fifteen years together touring and we wanted to give that back to our fans, but we were there mainly to support Justin. Literally just a few days ago, Justin gave me a buzz and he pretty much said, ‘Hey man, listen, I’m getting this award and they’ve given me a pile of time to perform, and we started our careers at MTV and I think we should get the band back together'”.

So there you go. Though if Chasez et al really want to support JT and his current business ventures, I’m not sure his music career needs any help, they’d be better off spending their time sprucing up their MySpace profiles.

BMG announces Suede deal

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

BMG Chrysalis has announced a new worldwide publishing deal with Suede songwriters Brett Anderson, Richard Oakes and Neil Codling. The new alliance covers Anderson’s output for Suede since the band’s debut album back in 1993, and Oakes and Codling’s respective contributions since they joined the group.

And if you don’t believe me, look, BMG UK boss Alexi Cory-Smith told CMU: “Suede’s music has resonated for over 20 years with a distinct creative vision. We are delighted Brett, Richard and Neil have chosen BMG”.

While Ian Grenfell of Suede’s management company Quietus Management added: “There’s an energy and freshness to BMG which is attractive. We believe Suede can do great things with them”.

And Suede’s day-to-day manager Didz Hammond said: “Obviously, there’s great value in Suede’s back catalogue, but looking forward there is great value in Brett, Richard and Neil as songwriters, and BMG Chrysalis get that”.

Eminem confirms new album release date

Releases

Eminem has announced that his new album, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2’, will be released in the first week of November, with a single from it, ‘Beserk’, out this week.

A snippet of that track appears in a new ad for Eminem collaborator Dr Dre’s Beats Studios, which was unveiled during this weekend’s VMAs.

As previously reported, another new track was unveiled earlier this month called ‘Survival’, it also being synced, in that case in the trailer for ‘Call Of Duty: Ghosts’.

In other Slim Shady news, the rapper helped confirm for us all this weekend that Dido definitely isn’t dead, by inviting her on stage to perform ‘Stan’ with him during his Reading set. Unless it was a lookalike. But I can’t believe any lookalike agencies still have a Dido doppelganger on their books anymore.

Thursday 29 August 2013, 10:43 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Bestival | BluesFest | End Of The Road Festival | Illuminations

Thursday 29 August 2013, 10:42 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Transmit Start-Ups | Unsigned Guide

Thursday 29 August 2013, 10:41 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Dramatico Entertainment | Mike Batt | The Wombles | Wombles Copyright Holdings

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Thursday 29 August 2013, 10:38 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Eminem | Plan B

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:24 | By Andy Malt

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Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:23 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: EMI Music Publishing | Grooveshark | Sony Music Publishing

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:22 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Gatecrasher | Simon Raine

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:21 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Forbes | Madonna

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:20 | By Andy Malt

READ MORE ABOUT: Judas Priest

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:19 | By Aly Barchi

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Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:18 | By Aly Barchi

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Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:15 | By Aly Barchi

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Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:14 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Twenty One Pilots

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:13 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Kobalt | Sas Metcalfe

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:12 | By Aly Barchi

READ MORE ABOUT: Book And Record Bar

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:11 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Live Nation | Nathan Hubbard | Ticketmaster | Twitter

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:10 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Apple TV | VEVO

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:09 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Electrospective | Spotify | Universal Music

Wednesday 28 August 2013, 10:08 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Justin Timberlake | Miley Cyrus | VMAs

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:53 | By Aly Barchi

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Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:52 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: AEG | Conrad Murray | Michael Jackson | The Jacksons

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:51 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Marvin Gaye | Robin Thicke

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:50 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: MTV | VMAs

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:49 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: JC Chasez | Justin Timberlake | Nsync

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:48 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: BMG | Suede

Tuesday 27 August 2013, 10:47 | By Chris Cooke

READ MORE ABOUT: Eminem