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Culture Secretary "very hopeful" for full return of live music, as Download Festival added to Events Research Programme
Optimism is growing that full capacity shows and events will be possible again in England from 21 Jun following comments from UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. Although a government spokesperson stressed that data is still being gathered and a final decision is yet to be made.

Dowden was speaking to the Evening Standard about the UK government's Events Research Programme, which has been monitoring a series of events with ever increased capacities to assess how to safely reopen the live entertainment and sporting sectors as COVID rules are relaxed.

Insiders had already said that positive results were coming out of that research. Various measures had been identified for reducing the risk of the coronavirus being spread at full capacity shows, so that people were at no more risk of contracting COVID at such an event than they were if they went to a restaurant or shopping centre.

In the new interview, Dowden revealed that 58,000 people have now attended events as part of the research programme and only fifteen positive COVID cases have been identified among those attendees post-event.

Included in the shows taking place as part of the programme was this month's BRIT Awards, where an audience of 4000 watched the proceedings live without social distancing or face masks once seated. No COVID cases were reported among that audience afterwards.

Only two cases were reported among the 5000 people who attended a mini-festival in Liverpool, while among the 6000 people who attended two Circus club nights, also in Liverpool, just nine cases were identified.

The positive outcome of the research, Dowden said, means he is now "very hopeful" that after 21 Jun the stadiums of England will be full again, while theatres and venues will be able stage full-capacity sell out shows.

Although that's not yet assured. A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson told reporters that additional data still needed to be gathered and scrutinised, after which a full report would go to Prime Minister 'Boris' Johnson who will make the final decision regarding 21 Jun.

Following Dowden's interview, it was announced that the Download Festival - the 2021 edition of which was cancelled in March - will now take place as part of the Events Research Programme. However, it will have to drop its capacity by more than 100,000 to just 10,000 ticketholders. Seemingly, this is the test camping festival that the boss of Live Nation's Festival Republic Melvin Benn revealed the company was preparing to announce earlier this month.

The festival will take place at Donington Park on 18-20 Jun (a week after its original dates), with tickets going on sale on 3 Jun.

"Researchers from Public Health England will be overseeing the study", say organisers in a statement. "They will be gathering data on transmission risk, the suspension of social distancing and face coverings over several consecutive days. This data will help to ensure that events later this summer can go ahead safely".

"There's certain criteria the science bods need you to fulfil for their research (being over sixteen is one example)", they go on. "Anyone who wants to attend will need to read and agree to a consent document first to ensure they understand the research process and meet these criteria before they can buy a ticket".

Last month, the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media And Sport Committee urged the government to add more live events to the Events Research Programme. This, it said, would ensure that more events would be able to go ahead this summer, if the government planned to hold to its decision not to provide state-backed cancellation insurance.

The lack of such insurance on the commercial market has led to many festivals to cancel plans to go ahead this summer, even though the upcoming relaxation of COVID rules means they could have taken place. However, with no cancellation insurance available, many promoters can't afford to take the risk that COVID restrictions will be extended at the last minute. Shows taking place as part of the Events Research Programme are insured by the government.

However, as the resurrection of Download shows, one drawback to this plan is that government test events are all limited in size. If events have to shrink down to around a tenth of their size, then this will also mean a significant rethink of their staging and the acts they will have performing.

No line-up has yet been announced for the Download test event, but it seems unlikely that original headliners Kiss, Biffy Clyro and System Of A Down will be performing. Find out more about the festival here.

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New Hampshire police issue arrest warrant for Marilyn Manson
Police in New Hampshire in the US have confirmed that they have an outstanding "active arrest warrant" for Marilyn Manson on charges of assault.

According to the Gilford Police Department, Manson faces two charges of "simple assault" that are "not sexual in nature". This relates to an incident involving a videographer when Manson played the Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion in August 2019.

Although the police have not given details of the incident, TMZ reports that Manson spat into the lens of a video camera being used to film the show, also spraying the videographer who has now pressed charges.

Police say that although Manson and his lawyers have been aware of the warrant for "some time", so far "no effort has been made by him to return to New Hampshire to answer the pending charges".

If found guilty, Manson could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $2000.

Manson, of course, has recently been accused of sexual assault by several women, including actors Evan Rachel Wood and Esmé Bianco. Bianco filed a civil lawsuit against the musician in April. Then last week he was hit with another sexual assault lawsuit by former assistant Ashley Walters.

Manson has previously denied the allegations made by Wood and Bianco. He has not yet commented on the New Hampshire arrest warrant.

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Sigur Rós tax evasion case acquitted
After a two year legal battle, all members of Sigur Rós have had a tax evasion case against them in Iceland acquitted.

The band were charged with tax evasion in their home country in 2019 over incorrect tax returns that were filed between 2011 and 2014, and which collectively resulted in 151 million Icelandic Krona (£877,000) of taxes going unpaid. Vocalist Jón Þór Birgisson was also charged with a further 190 million kroner (£1.1 million) in tax evasion.

The band blamed a former accountant for the incorrect tax filings. Throughout the case they stressed that they never deliberately intended to evade any tax obligations, while also pointing out that they fully complied with the Icelandic tax directorate’s investigation and paid all the monies owed.

Initially the charges were dismissed in court because of the previous deal with the Directorate Of Tax Investigations, which had also cleared the band of any tax evasion. To prosecute the band a second time over those charges, it was ruled, would contravene a European human rights law that says that people should not be tried for the same crime twice – what is sometimes known as the double jeopardy principle. However, a higher court in Reykjavik then overturned that dismissal.

Last year, the band called for their case and "over 100" others to be halted and for the Icelandic government to review the country's tax laws that allow businesses to be charged twice over the same unpaid taxes.

"We have become victims of an unjust and draconian prosecution by the Icelandic government who are unfairly seeking to portray us as deliberate tax evaders, something we have always and continue to strongly deny", they said at the time. "We have been charged and tried twice for the same offence, our assets have been frozen for years now, we are facing potential financial ruin and as such we are calling on the Icelandic government to revoke these outdated double jeopardy tax laws, which have affected numerous Icelandic businesses".

New laws were passed last month which now prohibit the double punishment of tax offences. According to RÚV, in light of this, it was ruled yesterday by the Reykjavík District Court that the ongoing case against the band should be dismissed. Their legal costs, totally almost 56 million kroner (£325,000), will be paid by the state.

On his additional charges, Birgisson was also acquitted. The court said that he was not entirely absolved of responsibility for tax evasion, but it was unable to prove that he had acted with gross negligence.

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Five Live Nation festivals to be sponsored by used car website
Live Nation has announced that five of its UK festivals - Latitude, Creamfields, TRNSMT, Isle Of Wight Festival and Edinburgh Summer Sessions - are now sponsored by Cinch. Not familiar with Cinch? Well, it's only "the UK's fastest-growing online used car marketplace".

Cinch will have headline sponsorship across all five festivals in a multi-year deal beginning as - it is hoped - live music and outdoor festivals return to the UK as pandemic restrictions are lifted later this summer.

"Brits have foregone their summer festival experiences over the last year while we all worked as one to stay apart", says Cinch's Chief Customer Officer Robert Bridge. "Now it's time to get together and have fun. Cinch couldn't be more excited to team up with Live Nation to help make possible the most memorable summer of music for years to come".

If you're wondering how this partnership makes sense, Bridge can explain that for you too. He says: "We're all about making life easier for motorists; letting them find and buy the used car that's just right for them, completely online, and totally faff-free. So, it makes sense that we've got plenty of faff-free experiences and treats lined up for customers and ticketholders going to the festivals, as well as helping some lucky customers have the festival experience of a lifetime. For everyone who can't be there, we'll be backstage sharing exclusive content and behind-the-scenes action across all of our social channels".

So, you see, it's all based on a lack of faff. No one likes faff. Especially at festivals. But hey, right now you probably want someone to talk about this used car marketplace some more, right? Good, because here's Live Nation's President Of Marketing Partnerships, Jim Campling...

"We are hugely excited about working with Cinch across many of our UK festivals in 2021 and 2022", he says. "As a new and painless way of buying cars online, Cinch's business is smartly addressing changes in consumer behaviour while delivering a physical product that empowers people to explore and create amazing memories. We're going to see a tremendous boom in domestic travel this summer and we're all ready to hit the road again to create new memories together. Whether it's getting to and from festivals, exploring a new part of the country or finding a new way to commute, Cinch can provide our fans with a revitalised sense of independence and exploration via car ownership".

More than anything, I think we've just been tricked into running an advert for a used car website, which wasn't how I saw my Wednesday going. Do please remember that cars are bad and you can get public transport to all of these festivals.

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Deezer gets emerging artists to cover classic 80s tracks
Deezer has released a new compilation of 80s tracks covered by contemporary artists. 'InVersions 80s' features acts including Wolf Alice, Laura Mvula and Holly Humberstone, respectively taking on Roxy Music, Toto and Prince.

"I am so excited to be a part of 'InVersions' because the 80s is an era that continues to inspire me", says Humberstone. "I chose 'I Would Die 4 U' by Prince because he's my all time favourite artist and I wanted to pay tribute to him in some way. I think it's a beautifully simple but effective song and I love how the melodies are really static. Being able to put my own spin on it felt super special".

Mvula adds: "I chose 'Africa' by Toto because it's an 80s classic. It feels like music that I would write today and it fits in with the sound of my album".

The first 'InVersions' compilation was released last year, seeing artists including Arlo Parks, Dream Wife and Ela Minus covering pop hits from a variety of eras.

Commenting on this latest release, Deezer's VP Global Artist Marketing, Nigel Harding, says: "80s music is seeing a resurgence like never before, with a whole new generation of fans embracing the sounds of this unique decade. So it felt completely natural to invite today's emerging musical stars to put a modern spin on their favourite 80s anthems, and the results are like hearing them all again for the first time. Just like our last 'InVersions' project, which saw a growth in streams of over 200% for some of our featured artists, I'm confident music fans from all over the world will love this new Originals album".

You can listen to 30 second clips of the tracks on the 'InVersions 80s' compilation here. Unless you actually have a Deezer account, in which case you can hear them in full.

Here's the full tracklist:

Benny Sings - Dancing In The Dark (Bruce Springsteen)
Boy - Bette Davis Eyes (Kim Carnes)
Boy Pablo - Don't You Want Me (Human League)
Cautious Clay - Holding Back The Years (Simply Red)
CSS - Buffalo Stance (Neneh Cherry)
Cuco - Don't You (Forget About Me) (Simple Minds)
Feu! Chatterton - Joe Le Taxi (Vanessa Paradis)
Holly Humberstone - I Would Die 4 U (Prince)
Juan Pablo Vega - Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)
La Femme - Like A Prayer [Madonna]
Laura Mvula - Africa (Toto)
Lido Pimienta - Orinoco Flow (Enya)
L'Imperatrice - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (Whitney Houston)
Milky Chance- Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
Roosevelt - Feels Like Heaven (Fiction Factory)
Wolf Alice - More Than This (Roxy Music)

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Megadeth fire bassist David Ellefson following accusations of sexual misconduct
Megadeth have fired bassist David Ellefson, following allegations that he groomed an underage girl into taking part in sexual activity on a video call - allegations he denies.

In a statement posted to the band's official Twitter account, band leader Dave Mustaine says: "We are informing our fans that David Ellefson is no longer playing with Megadeth and that we are officially parting ways with him. We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward".

Sexually explicit text messages and video clips featuring Ellefson and an unnamed woman, whom some claimed to be underage, emerged online earlier this month. The musician admitted that they were real, but denied that the woman had been underage and insisted that everything that happened was consensual.

He said in a statement released on Instagram (since made private) that the messages and video were "certainly embarrassing" but showed "private, adult interactions that were taken out of context and manipulated to inflict maximum damage to my reputation, my career and family". The video clips, he said, were "released with ill intention by a third party who was not authorised to have them or share them".

Another (now deleted) statement was released on Instagram purportedly by the woman involved, who said "those video calls did happen, but I was the one to initiate it and never was I underage, I was always a consenting adult ... I have not been groomed in the slightest".

Megadeth released their own statement as the posts began to circulate earlier this month, saying that they were "watching developments closely".

Ellefson was a founder member of Megadeth in 1983. After a brief break up in the early 2000s, he did not return when they reformed in 2004. However, he did eventually rejoin in 2010.

The band are set to begin a co-headline US tour with Lamb Of God in August. In his new statement, Mustaine also said that their new album is "almost complete". Ellefson has been involved in the recording of that album.

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RELEASES

Steve Aoki and Yves V have released the video for their new track 'Complicated'. Featuring vocals from Ryan Cavereo, it co-opts the chorus from Avril Lavigne's 2002 track of the same name.

YouTube channel Two Minutes To Late Night has released a cover of Björk's 'Hyperballad', featuring Cave In's Stephen Brodsky on vocals, Deftones' Sergio Vega on bass, In Flames' Tanner Wayne and Chelsea Wolfe's Ben Chisholm on guitar, and Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz on drums.

AFI are back with new song 'Tied To A Tree'. "This is not only my favourite song on the record, but an exemplification of the evolution of the band", says guitarist Jade Puget. Record? What record? Oh, their new album 'Bodies' is out on 2 Jul.

Easy Life have released new single 'Ocean View'. The band's debut album, 'Life's A Beach', is out this Friday.

Black metal blues band Zeal & Ardor have released 'Run', the first single from their forthcoming third album. Says band leader Manuel Gagneux: "'Run' is the first single we are releasing off of our self-titled album because, while there are definitely familiar elements present, it sets the tone for things to come. It is surely one of our most aggressive songs yet, but that is just a vanguard of what lies ahead. So run while you still can".

Wye Oak have released new single 'TNT'. The band's Jenn Wasner says of the track: "'TNT' is about the changing of the seasons, and using the passing of time as a means of reflecting on your own growth. It's about joyfully acknowledging all of the ways in which you've grown while trying to accept the parts of yourself that are still stuck in patterns of repetition".

FEMM have released new single 'Private Dancer'. "Confidence is sexy", says the duo's RiRi. "She is strong and fierce. She doesn't take no as an answer. She loves every inch of herself being a woman. It's cool to sing this character as FEMM. It's a new vibe for us and we are loving it".

The Holy Family have released new track 'St Anthony's Fire'. Their eponymous debut album is out on 2 Jul, with a launch party at the Servants Jazz Quarters in Dalston the same night.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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Robert Plant's personal archive of unreleased music to be made available for free after his death
Robert Plant has said that an archive of unreleased music and personal items from across his career will be made available to the public for free after his death. Speaking on the latest edition of his Digging Deep podcast, Plant says that organising and cataloguing all these items has been his big lockdown project.

"All the adventures that I've ever had with music and tours, album releases, projects that didn’t actually get finished or whatever - I just itemised them all and put everything into some semblance of order. I've told the kids, when I kick the bucket, open it to the public free of charge just to see how many silly things there were down the line from 1966 to now. It's a journey".

Among the personal items was a letter from his mother sent in the mid-60s when he was still a teenager, telling him it was time to give up his dreams of being a rock star.

He explains: "I found a letter from my mum that said: 'Look, you've been a very naughty boy, why don’t you come back? And also, the accountancy job is still open in Stourport-on-Severn. Why don't you just come back home and we'll just pretend all this stuff didn't happen?'"

"I hadn't opened the letter until about three months ago", he admits. "I opened it up and it just made me feel crazy, because I thought about what a pitch it was in those days to chuck everything up in the air and say, 'I'm sorry I've gotta do this' and for them to throw the next card down and say, 'Well, if you do it, you can't come back here and live the life you wanna live. It's academia or you're out'. So I went".

As for what sort of unreleased music can be found in the archive, he says: "I did some stuff with a guy call Robert Crash, who was a German guy who had a group called the Psychotic Tanks. I did some stuff with him in Paddington, or somewhere, in his room, and it's insanely brilliant, because it's, like, 1984, huge Oberheim computers belching out this huge bottom end ... and it's just great".

So, I hesitate to say that that's something to look forward to, because it seems a bit like wishing someone dead. I would quite like to hear that music though. Right now, you'll just have to make do with the alive Plant talking about it, which you can listen to here.

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