"Imma Let You Finish"

Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards were such a blast, they've gotten us thinking! What is the most infamous VMA moment of all time? Here are a few reminders...

There are many moments to choose from, like Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley's onstage kiss to Diana Ross grabbing Lil Kim's boob but we've picked a couple more popular favorites...

No VMA highlight real would be complete without a visit from Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera or Madonna; and in this case it's all three. Back in 2003 the trio opened the show with a three-way rendition, of Madge's Like A Virgin and Hollywood. In an interview Britney later confessed: "I didn't know it was going to be that long" and “I've never kissed a women before" adding that Madonna's pre-show advice had been that they would "just feel it out and see what happens".

And, of course, there was that infamous incident in 2009 when Kanye West stormed the stage to interrupt Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for defeating Beyonce's All the Single Ladies video exclaiming "Yo, Taylor, I'm very happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time!” OF ALL TIME! Classic Kanye.

VMA Round-Up

This Sunday night was the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. It was officially the biggest audience in MTV history and you could see why!

You either love her or hate her but Lady Gaga was her usual effervescent self, or more literally, she wasn’t. Gaga showed up in drag as her new alter ego Jo Calderone, oddly enough, to complain about his ex’s (Gaga) high-heeled shower habits. We know it’s weird, but Gaga is one hell of a performer regardless.

Jay-Z and Kanye West debut awards show performance as the rap-duo The Throne was extremely well received. Only to be outdone by Adele’s heartfelt performance forcing everyone to their feet. Jay-Z shouldn’t mind though, considering his wife Beyonce, confirmed after her own performance, that she was pregnant by rubbing her stomach as the camera cut back to her husband.

Britney Spears received Best Female Video to her surprise as well as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, essentially a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The night wouldn’t have been complete without a tribute to the late Amy Winehouse. With a touching introduction by Amy’s close friend Russel Brand, Bruno Mars did a rendition of Valerie. Biggest ever you say? We agree.

Gimme all your Money

Band members always claim that money isn’t the reason they’re suing a fellow member, but rather the need to make things right. With money.

Liam Gallagher says he just wants an apology from Noel Gallagher, and the truth revealed. Yeah right. They are known for their small incidences of sibling rivalry but now Liam is taking it to the courts. He’s suing Noel over a comment he made last month that the reason they cancelled a show two years ago was because Liam was hung over. Who knows why they’re bringing this up now but they felt it was necessary.

The cancelled show was during the 2009 V Festival with the split of Oasis a mere week later. Liam says the reason he withdrew was because of laryngitis and he even has a doctor’s note to prove it. That was until this picture of him partying the night of the concert surfaced.

A fan that was there said, “He didn’t seem to have anything wrong with his voice.” We think this court proceeding is going to be a very long (pointless) one indeed, with many petty fights and Twitter profanities.

Shady Performs for Millions

Eminem hasn’t played in the UK for several years, so when V Fest 2011 rolled around he decided that a festival would be more worth his time than a stadium show. Walking away with £2 million pounds after a performance a day over the weekend, Slim Shady is back. Not bad for two days work.

The event was held in Staffordshire and Essex. Eminem was paid £1 million a day on a 25 track set, which means he charged £40 000 for one song.

In each of his 90 minute performances he gave the crowd a trip down Shady lane, with some of his well known hits including ‘Cleanin' Out My Closet’, ‘Stan’, ‘My Name Is’ and ‘The Real Slim Shady’. Rihanna also appeared, receiving £500 000 for each of her turns on the stage, including their collaboration on last year's hit ‘Love The Way You Lie’.


His rendition of 'Stan', released over a decade ago, was a standout performance, inciting mass chanting and approval from the crowd. Follow the link for for a sampling of Em's V Fest performance.

The Prank

Some musicians’ statuses get retweeted on Twitter, and some result in criminal charges. Rapper, The Game, may face charges for delaying and obstructing officers from doing their duties.

Last week, the genius posted a tweet with a number to call regarding a musical internship. His tweets are seen by over 590 000 followers. The number was the official help line for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. One of the officials compared the phone traffic to that after an earthquake or a mass shooting; one referred to it as a phone flash mob (but no, this is a flash mob). That’s how Twitter destroys a sheriff’s department.

The rapper’s followers were unaware whose number it was until they called. Most hung up after realizing it was a prank. But some smart ones stayed on to inquire about the special internship. After some investigations, The Game was unveiled as the culprit and was asked to take it down. Which he did, without apologizing, and blamed a friend. He did respond later with an intellectual tweet, mocking the department. Who knows why celebrities use Twitter to mock each other, but they do.

During the few hours The Game’s followers terrorized the department, there were calls about a missing person, a stolen car, domestic violence and robberies. No report on whether the department solved those mysteries.

Trey Songz Coming to SA

South Africa is bracing itself to welcome American rapper Trey Songz to celebrate women with two Me & My Girls concerts at the end of August.

The 26-year-old will be in Durban and Johannesburg performing tracks from his latest album ‘Passion, Pain & Pleasure’. The shows will be held in celebration of Women’s month, and will be hosted by a community called Me & My Girls who hope to present fun, outrageous and seductive evenings.

Songz real name Tremaine Aldon Neverson. He's been nominated for numerous awards and won the BET Award for Best Male R&B Artist in 2010.



His recent nominations were for BET's Best Male R&B Artist 2011 and the Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice for Bottom's Up, featuring the crazy female rapper Nicki Minaj. He didn't win, but he did leave the crowd awed by his electrifying performance with  Kelly Rowland. 



The Concerts will be held at Wave House, Gateway in Durban on Friday 26 August and the following night at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg on Saturday 27 August. Tickets are available at Computicket.

Whether you're a fan, dating a fan and looking to score some brownie points or on the prowl, the concerts should be worth a look.

Hip Hop Cashes In

We asked the question and it took just a week for the answer. We’re talking about the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings List. Once again Jay-Z has topped the list, for the fourth time in the last five years, with $37m. Was there ever really any doubt. Perhaps?

In second place, and breathing down Jigga’s neck is another Forbes List favourite P. Diddy, just edged out with a close $35m. Followed at some distance by Kanye West ($16m), Little Wayne, Eminem etc, etc. A very impressive debut on this years list has to be that of Wiz Khalifa, who exploded onto the rap scene last year with his chart topper Black and Yellow. Wiz made up half his $11m, to earn him 11th place, by touring an impressive 133 shows.

But the biggest surprise on this year’s list is Nicki Minaj, gracing us at no. 15 with a very respectable $6.5m, becoming the first female rapper in history to do so, thanks to her platinum selling CD and as the opening act for Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale tour. Even more impressive is that she beat out list veterans such as Rick Ross, Pitbull, 50 Cent & T-Pain.

Oppikoppi vs Lollapalooza

Two festivals. Two countries. The same weekend. Which was better to attend?

Oppikoppi is a South African favourite. It’s in Limpopo and this year took place from the 5th to 7th August. 16 000 people were expected to attend the 17th Oppikoppi, which was also streamed worldwide. With Sum 41 (who cancelled their Durban show due to bad weather) and The Used as the international headlining bands, tickets sold out quickly. Approximately 65 bands played, which is commendable.  But then we took a look at Lollapalooza.

Lollapalooza was created by Jane’s Addiction lead singer, Perry Farrell, 20 years ago. It took place the same weekend as Oppi but in Chicago, IL. The grand total of fans expected was 270 000; for one festival, in one place, over three days. That number shoots Oppi down without even taking a look at the bands. And the bands were good. It’s hard to pick just one main headliner, but with the likes of Eminem, Foo Fighers, Muse and Coldplay you’re guaranteed to leave very, very happy. There was also another 100 additional musicians. This debate is starting to seem very one-sided.

Much as we love supporting local festivals, Lollapalooza is definitely a festival you need to partake in before you die. As are these.

I said, “Hip Hop, Hip Hop”

You may consider yourself a bit of a mover and a shaker on the dance floor when the bass kicks in. You may even, on occasion, put a few rhymes together. Heaven forbid, your party trick is a spot of beat boxing.

Rather leave it to the pros: they'll be down at the Annual African Hip Hop Indaba which is taking place in the Mother City this weekend. It's proclaimed as the biggest hip hop event to take place in our country and will feature South Africa's best DJs, MCs, break dancers and artists. And it's a contest, not an expo. They're all competing for a chance to represent South Africa overseas at the World Champs.

Established in 2000 by Heal the Hood, The indaba is a non-profit organisation that fights for youth empowerment and job creation through art and music. The organisation uses Hip Hop to promote self-pride and to offer a better way of life through expressing talents, away from gang membership and drug addiction.

Catch the action this evening at 20:00 at the Platinum Lounge, 88 Shortmarket Street and Saturday from 12:00 till late at the Good Hope Centre. Tickets are R50 per day, and R60 at the door. Check out this week's playlist for some to and from the function beats.

Who Owns The Throne?

Jay-Z or Kanye West? 
Everyone has a favourite. The pair have been friends for almost a decade and are finishing up a collaboration on an album under the moniker The Throne. It's a massively anticipated heavyweight rap duo.

One of the only guest producers on the album, The RZA of Wu Tang Clan fame commented, "With this project, it's the best of many worlds. These two guys have a great chemistry and a great relationship," adding "I'm excited."

Jay-Z has dominated the hip-hop charts going on 20 years, with multi-platinum selling albums such as The Blueprint and The Black Album. On the other hand, West's last album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was heralded as a masterpiece (by himself no less), overshadowing Jay’s last couple of efforts.


For our money, The Black Album is the best of the bunch, but Twisted Fantasy is nipping at it's heels.

Kanye is ready to step out of Jigga's shadow and take the helm as Hip Hop's main man. Recent reports indicate they may be having some creative differences. A case of keeping your friends close? Jay, you may be the current champ, but take your own advice and "Watch the Throne".

The Good, the Bad and the Gallaghers

There’s healthy sibling rivalry and then there’s the Gallaghers. There will always be arguments and fights amongst band members, but the Gallaghers always take theirs public and to a whole new level of diabolical.

Other bands have suffered due to siblings out to get one another but they seem mild compared to Oasis. There was the Bee Gees and the fighting between Barry and Robin Gibb (Brothers Gibb, get it?) resulted in Robin leaving the band for a year. The Beach Boys kept it in the family and consisted of three brothers and a cousin. Most of the tension was caused by Brian Wilson’s drug use and mental illnesses but that didn’t stop Mike Love from taking him to court in 2005.

Liam and Noel Gallagher even have a song called Sibling Rivalry. Noel has broken Liam’s foot, Liam has changed song lyrics, cancelled shows and the last fight that caused Noel to leave was Liam wielding a guitar like a weapon. Maybe Noel deserved it but don’t take it out on an innocent guitar! And then of course Liam recently called Noel a little bitch. Even though the brothers split ways in 2009 we’re sure there will be more fights coming in the future, hopefully accompanied by some excellent music.

Hype for no reason?

The American-Saffa twins with the freakishly deep voices are back. Locnville’s second album drops on July the 30th and if their Facebook page is anything to go by, fans are excited. But are they gonna be able to pull off another great album or just bomb?

They first excited the masses with Sun in my Pocket and 6-second Poison. Sticking with numbers, one of the songs on their new album, Running to Midnight, is 5 seconds til the end. We wonder if there’s going to be a 4 second doomsday on their third album. The twins are also acting like rockstars, getting drunk and causing fights then complaining about it.

The first track off the new album is Stars above You and the music video is a mix between Lord of the Rings and Red Riding Hood (scary dog, hoods and all).  We like the song though; it’s very catchy and in Locnville’s dance-track style. 5fm isn’t a fan of it though, the station says it isn’t good enough to play on air. But they will gladly play Lady Gaga repeatedly. We rest our case.

If you were into Locnville before, you will enjoy their second album. You might even enjoy it if you didn’t like them. But either way we think their second album is worth a listen.

Gone But Not Forgotten

As the dust settles and news of the tragic passing of Amy Winehouse actually begins to sink in. The world and in particular the music industry has continued to express their condolences.

On Twitter, Lady Gaga expressed that Amy inspired her and that "she (had) changed pop music forever".

British comedian Russell Brand also wrote a touching piece on his website entitled ”For Amy” exclaiming “she was a $#%@ing genius”.

In-vogue artist M.I.A has since even gone as far as to produce and post a song on Soundcloud that she "Dedicated to all (her) friends that died at "27". However, the majority of the online community has kept it simple. Merely tweeting, "RIP".

Adele, who attended the same school as Amy, contributed that "we believed every word she wrote, and it would sink in deep when she sang them." as well as "I don’t think she ever realised just how brilliant she was and how important she is, but that just makes her even more charming." 

While Amy’s music has quickly climbed it’s way to the top of the charts, for what will probably be the last time, it's clear that while she's gone, she will not be forgotten.

Unlucky 27

Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and now Amy Winehouse are unfortunate members of the 27 Club, also known as Club 27 and Forever 27, a collection of talented musicians who died far too early.

This is a club you don’t want to join and one Cobain’s mother referred to as “that stupid club”. Drugs have frequently been a factor in their deaths. There are 25 members that are listed on website Forever 27's Hall of Fame, each with the cause of death. 


Richey James Edwards (of Manic Street Preachers fame) has not been listed there but has been considered. He disappeared in 1995 at the age of 27 but when his family was given the chance to legally declare him dead they preferred the term “missing person”.

The latest member is Amy Winehouse, who passed away on Saturday July 23. Her cause of death is still undetermined but she had well documented history of drug-use. It wasn't necessarily a shocking death but tragic nonetheless. Russell Brand, a friend of hers and recovering addict, wrote an emotional and passionate blog about her.

Their memory lives on in the music they inspired and the movements they influenced. We will miss your talent and your voice, Amy Winehouse. RIP.

Hiatus Much?

Most bands take some time off every now and then but collectively these three bands have taken off 18 years (basically the product of Justin Bieber). Welcome back Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Incubus and, back from an eight year hiatus, Blink 182.

But why did they all take off so much time, years to be exact? Blink 182 had broken up to do other projects, Incubus went to school and RHCP replaced their guitarist. John Frusciante is gone (again) and has been replaced with Josh Klinghoffer who toured with them before. Check out these shots of the Peppers to help you remember what they look like.

Bands are releasing new music left, right and centre in America right now but it usually takes a few months to reach us, unless you're a audio pirate. What we would love to reach us is the Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance tour.

In the meantime, take a listen to Incubus’ first song off their new album 'If Not Now, When?' Maybe they came back for the fans or maybe they came back because they ran out of money; either way keep a look out for the release of their albums in SA.

Rock and Rowling

We got a little lost today on the internet. That happens. You set out looking for cool and interesting things, and sometimes the most interesting things out there lead you down twisting, turning paths through links to even stranger stuff. And because the final film in the Harry Potter series has just come out it seems to have tainted all pop culture online, or is at least a mere click away.

Which is how we went from Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 best albums of the last decade to a re-imagining of iconic album artwork featuring characters from the Harry Potter franchise (our favourite is Voldemort as MJ, closely followed by the halfblood Prince as the King).

And finally, just when you think it can't get any weirder, you land up watching a music video for a band into Wizard Rock, downloading an album and trying to find out where you can see the feature length rockumentary. Follow the links if you don't believe us, or just go get some free music from our playlist.

We promise none of it will mention Harry Potter.

Festival Flavour

There are plenty of great festivals in South Africa, but if you're looking for some international flavour the next time you're planning a music binge, here are a few to consider: 

Pukkelpop, Steenweg, Belgium : Pukkelpop has gained major respect from Electro music lovers and brings in a lot of big names. The festival has a large following which it's accumulated over a 20 year history. The veteran fans keep coming back for more, it’s just that good. 

Projekt Revolution, Tour Dates Around The World : Projekt Revolution is a hard-hitting event that happens once every other year, it has become famous for the quality of artists that attend. Previous years have seen the likes of Cypress Hill, Xzibit and even Placebo join the ranks. Keep posted on the Linkin Park website for details on the festival.

Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, Spain : This is set right by the sea and although it doesn’t have many amenities or a very large camping site the shows they put on are insane. It 's a lot smaller than the other festivals and keeps you right amidst the action.

Summer Sonic, Osaka, Japan : Japan brings you Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park, if these names haven’t gotten you all excited not much else will. Will you be having a super Sonic Summer this year?

iTunes Festival, London : iTunes Festival goers get the chance to listen to 62 bands over the course of 31 nights in just one venue. iTunes always keeps very secretive about the artists that perform. Visit the site and click on the bands that you want to see to have your name entered into a draw for tickets. That’s the way it rocks.

It's in the Clouds

Cloud is a service that'll allow users to upload their music and other files to secure internet hosts, which will allow those users to access their stuff from any mobile device. Amazon, Apple and Google have announced their involvement in the movement.

As for Spotify, Pandora and Rhapsody, these applications have been the first choice for US and UK users only, which puts them at a big disadvantage to the global take-over by bigger contenders.

Amazon’s service will be a win for users who already make purchases in the Amazon MP3 store. Google’s Music Beta will most likely get a large number of Android users and people who simply want mobile and flexible access to their entire music library. As iTunes as the preferred digital music store for most Apple users the success of the iPhone and iPad will see users of those devices automatically gravitate towards using the service across their devices. If Apple can successfully tap into that without a hitch, it will likely take a big chunk of the pie.

As if we weren't already spoilt for choice, Facebook is also entering the fray. As Spotify moves over to their launch in the US the rumour is they will integrate with Facebook and create Vibes. South Africa will have to wait for the launch of Apple’s iCloud to see any action without a Proxy server but until then we have weekly playlists right here on Vaseline MFM.

A Glimpse of the Future

The Music industry as a whole has had a tough decade. File sharing has decimated record sales and the industry's hesitation to adapt to match the progress of its consumers had many critics forecasting doom and gloom.

Some  people denied, some fought and others innovated. Bands gave away music in attempts to raise their profile in order to make money from performance fees. Look out for Slipknot to stream their next gig live on Sunday, and Justin Bieber to revolutionise the way in product endorsements.

What this means is labels, musicians and event organisers are all working that much harder to grab attention and revenue which means fans are the clear winners. Someone looking to further push the boundaries of innovation is Bjork an artist who has made a point of pushing boundaries in her 25 year career.

Her next project, Biophilia, looks to seriously stretch the definition of an album by releasing mobile apps that are linked to each single but form a coherent whole. There will also be music videos for each track, and her live show takes this same approach to innovation. She'll be taking up residency in 8 cities over the next 3 years, teaching kids about music using tesla coils, laptops and custom made instruments. Read the full interview on Spin.

Not bad, considering the entire project is self funded. Bjork is currently without label support.

Ghetto in the Hood

With a new song generated out of the African music scene every day, how do we keep up with the different genres that keep emerging? We don’t. Here are two of the genres you do need to know:

Kwaitofabulous:

Kwaito uses elements from international genres and makes extensive use of local African signifiers, such as the marimba and xylophone instruments, izibongo praise poetry and most importantly, lyrics that use indigenous South African languages. Eg. Siphuo Makhabane - Hamba Nami no. 6 on this week's playlist.

Afrotainment:

This is a term used to describe African dance music, where local artists and DJs collaborate to give you international sounds with an African twist. See it featured on the playlist with DJ Fisherman featuring Big Nuz And Professor - Owenthu Wena.

Bringing MySpace Back

Justin Timberlake is the proud new owner (alongside a small Californian Marketing company) of one very large white elephant. The pachyderm in question is MySpace, and News Corp. sold it for $35 million and a 5% stake in the buyer, which is about $525 million less than what they paid for it 6 years ago. We're wondering what JT has planned.

At the time people applauded media mogul Rupert Murdoch's forward thinking, though the price tag drew criticism for over payment. While MySpace made money initially, with over 1400 employees it cost a pretty penny to run and it's inability to keep up with the innovations by rivals watched it's userbase and advertisers dwindle.

But that's all relative. With over 30 million users (roughly a dollar a user) in the US alone, Specific Media and JT want to re-invigorate the music angle of the social network and make it a cool place to interact with fellow fans, meet the musicians and find new beats. The question is, does he have a plan or is he a method actor stuck in his role as Sean Parker?

Just how it's going to differentiate itself from existing services like Spotify, Last.fm and Pandora is not yet clear.

“There’s a need for a place where fans can go to interact with their favorite entertainers, listen to music, watch videos, share and discover cool stuff and just connect. Myspace has the potential to be that place,” Timberlake was quoted as saying.

Look out for the relaunch later this year. For now, if you need to get new beats, we've got you covered.

Best of Glastonbury

Glastonbury has come and gone with all it's usual chaos, mayhem and music so good you wish you were there. Luckily for you the best of the best has been put on youtube for you to enjoy.

If you think you know what baby making music is, you'll definitely recognise this: Beyonce was the first solo female performer to headline Glastonbury in 20 years, and part of her show included a couple of covers. She belted two out, one after the other and you can watch the performance here. She did a phenomenal job on Kings of Leon's 'Sex on Fire' and Prince's 'Beautiful Ones'.

Other artists who made a big impression were recently re-formed British outfit Pulp, and the highly acclaimed Mumford and Sons.

Glastonbury is set to take a year off in 2012 to let the farm grounds, and most importantly the fans, recover, but there is already buzz regarding the 2013 line-up. Organiser Michael Elvis claims he's already got his headliners but is keeping his mouth shut. Who would you hop on a plane to go watch?

Have Some Black Coffee

Our new list of 10 free tracks went up Monday, if you haven't checked them out, why the hell not?

We're keeping a tight mix of local and international going and the beat we're really digging on this week is a local boy with a global sound.

DJ Black Coffee may hail from KZN but his jazzy keyboard infused and beat heavy tracks have taken him all over the world. The guy's a businessman, artist and philanthropist. He's started a charity benefitting the disabled and launched his own music label. He'll also be at the South African Music Conference later this year imparting his wisdom to up and coming artists.

Plus he just married the gorgeous actress Mbali Mlotshwa. All in all the sort of guy you'd happily have some interesting conversation with over a few drinks. He's an incredibly talented producer and musician and his track 'Urban Zulu" is on our list this week. Give it a listen, let us know what you think.

Selling Out or Buying In?

Local music, sport and culture magazine Mahala recently published an in depth interview with the Parlotones' lead singer Khan, a band who they confess to have derided with glee and abandon for quite some time. Parlotones were recently announced as Coldplay's support during their SA tour.

Kahn is frank and eloquent, and the article has garnered over 100 comments when we last looked.

Why exactly do they take such an exceptional beating? They're undoubtedly talented musicians and equally savvy businessmen to have earned the results they've had, and they put their dues in just like any other success story must.

Despite these accolades they receive vitriol and hate that seems excessive in proportion to the number of fans they collect. Is it jealousy, crab bucket mentality or is the South African music scene's collective psyche so damaged from years of struggling anything that doesn't resemble a starving artist is singled out and torn apart.

It's a long read, but worth it. What's your stand on the flak they get? Valid criticism or bitter abuse?

Bang Bang Beats for Free

You should know by now that MFM is showing our fans big love in the way of free downloadable music.

We've got 10 tracks available till the 19th then we'll take 'em down and put some new ones up. Our choice right now is #6: Pete DaFeet's remix of Bang Bang's 'Broken'. It's a smooth and loungey down tempo track that's a perfect start to the night. The sort of beat you're playing at home early in the night before you head out to the spot, something to set the mood to put you in the mood for a good night out.

The Capetonian group is doing some cool House infused live instrumentation and Pete DaFeet's mix complements their vibe very smoothly. Check out more from him and other artists at his label Lost My Dog.

Go give it a listen, then browse through the other 9 tracks and find something to take your evening top the next level.

And tell us what you want to hear!

Bono Bites the Spider-Bullet

You'd think with all the chaos surrounding Spider Man: Turn off the Dark that Bono and the Edge would cut and run from history's most expensive musical. It's not like they can't afford to write the $65 million fiasco off as a bad call.

But instead they have risen above the snide comments, accidents and getting shredded by just about every comedian and TV show host alive (and inanimate. Even Sesame Street has put the boot in) and tried to give the show a re-vamp, focusing on what they know best: the music.

They've added some new songs, gone ahead with an album release and arranged to have the lead appear on American Idol. Bono calls it "Doubling Down", and he's right. By aligning themselves so closely with the musical, any egg on the shows face is just as much on their own. But at least they've kept their sense of humour.

"Being in a band with Edge for all these years, to discover he's gay now is just wonderful" Rolling Stone quotes him as saying. "He's so into these dance routines. Who knew?"

The show opens tonight. Hopefully no-one breaks a leg.

Aging Gracefully

Motley Crue are launching a massive US tour with "more Pyro than Rammstein" according to guitarist Mick Mars, Brian Johnson wants AC/DC back on the road and Aerosmith are getting into the studio for the first time in a decade, assuming they can find one big enough to accommodate the chip on Joe Perry's shoulder and Steven Tyler's ego.

The weird thing is the music these guys became famous for put youth on a pedestal and now they're in their 60's. At what point does it cease to be relevant Rock n Roll?

Perhaps it's not about age, but rather about attitude. If that's the case, we're likely to see Tyler strutting across a stage wearing scarves and tight jeans well into his golden years, a thought that should make even the most die hard fan just a bit nauseous.

Maybe they should all take a lesson from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder and try something new, like playing a ukulele. Is there a point at which this whole thing becomes a joke (like the Metallica themed version of Monopoly, perhaps?) or can the music, fans and bands age together with some style?

Kaiser Chiefs New Social Media DIY Album

British rockers Kaiser Chiefs have always been at the forefront of rocking new tunes, but the release of the band's latest album, The Future Is Medieval, has seen them pioneering a new business model rooted firmly in social media…

For years the music industry has been trying to find a novel way to monetise the power of social media, and it seems the Chiefs may have stumbled onto a winning formula. Their latest album is on sale through the band's website for £7,50 as a download. Nothing too ground-breaking there… but here's where they've got clever. First of all, they have allowed their fans to custom-make their own album by selecting 10 of the 20 songs available, and also by allowing them to design their own album cover artwork.

Further to that - and this is where they are leveraging social media - the band will pay their fans £1 for every album they sell to one of their friends, thus incentivising their fans to become their sales force. It's a novel approach, and a step in an interesting direction. It'll be interesting to see how the concept affects sales and the music industry as a whole. Whatever your take, the Future is far from Medieval…

Shark Rock

Earlier this week we included AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck' in our list of songs to include in a running playlist, but we may have been leading you astray. It seems that the band's rock 'n roll stylings are more likely to get you chilled out than pumped up. If you're a shark, according to Matt Waller, a South Australian charter operator.

After chatting to divers in Guadalupe who commented that the sharks around them had different reactions to different types of music, Waller experimented with a few tracks and found that the Aussie quartet's ode to amore 'You Shook Me All Night Long' produced a calming and inquisitive effect on the animals.

It's about frequency and vibration more than lyrics, considering sharks don't have ears, and Waller is now on a mission to find something that will repulse the apex predator.

"If there is something that attracts them there is obviously going to be something that they reject - maybe it would be Justin Bieber." His words, not ours.

Inspired by the Comrades Marathon

Watching 12 000 dedicated runners cross the starting line on Sunday, we were inspired to start training for next year. When we heard that 2000 guys registered but didn't show up, we felt a bit better about being couch participants.

But we're on it and every training regimen needs a great playlist, although there is some debate regarding how much benefit it provides. Here are some classics everyone should have in their playlist:

THE EARLY MORNING START
Survivor - 'Eye of the Tiger'

THAT FIRST MONSTER HILL
Journey - 'Don't Stop Believing'

PICKING UP THE PACE
Fatboy Slim - 'Right Here, Right Now'

HITTING YOUR STRIDE
AC/DC - 'Thunderstruck'

ONE LAST BIG PUSH
Apollo 440 - 'Can't Stop the Rock'

THE START OF THE HOME STRETCH
Vangelis - 'Chariots of Fire'

IT'S ALMOST FINISHED
Guns 'n Roses - 'Paradise City'

IT'S FINALLY OVER
U2 - 'Beautiful Day'

If you don't like any of these, this site can help you select your own playlist. So can this one. Let us know what you're listening to on the move, or go download some free stuff here.

Back In The Summer Of ‘69

Today in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their famous seven day "bed-in" to promote world peace. Originally meant to take place in New York City, Lennon was banned from entering the United States due to a previous cannabis conviction, and the bed-in took place in the hotel Le Reine Elizabeth in Montreal, Canada.

During the week long protest, the couple took interviews from the Canadian press, and invited some of the great minds of the time to visit them. Among the visitors were Timothy Leary, the influential writer, psychologist and father of psychedelic drugs; controversial disc jockey Murray Kaufman; and American comedian Tommy Smothers.

While the 26 May 1969 bed-in was one of many, the reason this one is so remarkable is that during the seven days, John and Yoko recorded one of the most famous protest songs of all time, Give Peace A Chance, with Leary, Kaufman, Smothers and other visitors lending their voices to the song.

Rave on Buddy Holly

It's not too often one can get really excited about a covers album, but when the line-up includes artists as talented as The Black Keys, Florence and the Machine, Paul McCartney and Modest Mouse, it's worth sitting up and taking notice. When the music in question is that of legendary Buddy Holly, you start ticking off the days till it's released. And that day is coming! The album will be available June 28th and can't disappoint.

Giving an old hit a re-working is nothing new but occasionally someone comes along and does a number on it that makes you think their version may even be a bit better than the original. Muse covering 'Feeling Good' and The XX covering 'Teardrops' readily spring to mind.

It's awesome that the hit making, glasses wearing guitar genius is going to have fresh life breathed into his music by a new generation of artists. Who would you see revived next and who would you want to do the reviving?

Piracy: Easier Than Evarrrrrrr

It’s a great time to be a music lover. Amazon has reduced the price of MP3s, Spotify is upgrading their service and now offering an MP3 download option that syncs playlists with your listening device and is pretty much giving iTunes the middle finger.

And if you still want to get your music free because record labels are the devil and artists produce their best work when they’re poor, try Chinese search giant Baidu, who are offering legal downloads of copywrited music for free.

It’s probably easier to use a Bit Torrent service for your music theft, but this feels slightly more legal. Who says the communists don't know how to have a good time? Thanks, China!

The best of Nigeria Beatmasters

Nigerian artist General Pype has just tweeted links to the second remix of his powerful, ridiculously catchy track ‘BORN CHAMPIONS’. Featuring Zimbabwean artists Winky D, Jusa Dementor, Carlprit, Metaphysics, Cynthia Mare, Tek Neek, Bkay & Kazz there’s a smorgasboard of talent and style on here and they come together perfectly to produce a sound you’ll want to play over and over, whether it’s in the club, the car or anywhere in between. And chances are most people won't have heard of him and that will make you seem edgy and in the know to them. You're welcome.

Check out his Facebook Page.