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Monday, March 23, 2009

UK Charts

Lady Gaga has once again hit the top spot with her new single "Poker Face" with only 221 copies seperating the Top 2, the comic relief songs take a subsequent fall and end up back down at 3 and 4 respectively. Beyonce is now the one to watch as she races up the chart with new single "Halo" climbing from No.20 to this weeks No.9.



1 4 LADY GAGA POKER FACE 53,699
2 2 FLO RIDA FT KESHA RIGHT ROUND 53,478
3 1 JENKINS/WEST ISLANDS IN THE STREAM 40,478
4 3 SATURDAYS JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH 34,633
5 5 TAYLOR SWIFT LOVE STORY 33,922
6 7 TI FT JT DEAD AND GONE 31,353
7 6 KELLY CLARKSON MY LIFE WOULD SUCK 30,030
8 9 AKON BEAUTIFUL 25,565
9 20 BEYONCE HALO 25,122
10 8 KINGS OF LEON USE SOMEBODY 19,637


On the album charts, in the battle for the mothers day album, Ronan Keating came out on top, whilst Lionel who has been in the UK all week promoting his new album could only just scrape the Top 10.



1 (NEW) RONAN KEATING SONGS FOR MY MOTHER 87,030
2 (2) ANNIE LENNOX THE COLLECTION 52,317
3 (4) KINGS OF LEON ONLY BY THE NIGHT 40,964
4 (6) FARYL FARYL 40,350
5 (9) TAKE THAT THE CIRCUS 37,642
6 (1) U2 NO LINE ON THE HORIZON 30,199
7 (8) LADY GAGA THE FAME 28,214
8 (3) KELLY CLARKSON ALL I EVER WANTED 27,373
9 (21) BETTE MIDLER THE BEST BETTE 25,031
10 (NEW) LIONEL RICHIE JUST GO 22,618

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Beautiful shots of the Aurora Australis



The aurora australis, commonly known as the southern lights

Jade Goody has passed away


Jade Goody passed away around 3:30am this morning at her home in Essex, England.

Jade who has been fighting cancer since finding out on India's Big Brother back in 2007, lost her battle whilst surrounded by her mum and husband.

Thoughts and prayers are with her family at this difficult time.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Prince's LA shows for album release





Prince has a busy schedule next week. Along with performing three nights in a row (March 25-27) on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno," the Purple One is scheduled to play three back-to-back concerts at separate venues in Los Angeles on March 28.

Prince is hoping the live appearances will help build anticipation for the March 29 release of his two new albums, "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND." Both CDs, along with a third by new artist Bria Valente, will be available as a three disc set exclusively through Target for a price of $11.98.

Prince is also launching a fan subscription service called Lotusflow3r.com. For $77 a year, subscribers will get an as yet not fully outlined set of content that will include exclusive music, video, lyrics, artwork and photos.

On March 28, Prince is scheduled to perform three full-length concerts at Los Angeles' $2.5 billion L.A. Live sports and entertainment project, which is owned and being developed by AEG. Doors for the first show at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live will open at 5:30 p.m.; doors at the Conga Room open at 8 p.m.; and doors at Club Nokia will open at 11:30 p.m.

Fans will be required to purchase separate tickets for each concert. Tickets go on sale March 22 via ticketmaster.com and lotusflow3r.com for $77 (plus additional fees).

The "Tonight Show" performances are part of a larger rollout for the CD package in Los Angeles. In an e-mail message sent to fans who signed up for updates on lotusflow3r.com, Prince wrote, "From the 24th on, there will b a slew of NPG-related events happening around electric LAlaland.. we don't want 2 give away all the details yet, but b prepared 2 get yo groove on, numerous ways 4 numerous days. We know $ is tite but the adventures will b worth ur while! Stay 2ned 2 this outtaspacestation."

As previously reported, Prince is just the latest music legend to release new music exclusively through a major retailer. AC/DC and the Eagles were among the acts who sold millions of CDs through their partnership with Wal-Mart.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Walmart hand out $2billion in bonuses



he world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, has released new annual bonus figures today. Wal-Mart said it paid out about $2 billion to its U.S. hourly employees through various financial incentives, which included $933.6 million in cash bonuses, $788.8 million in profit sharing, merchandise discounts, 401(k) contributions, employee stock options, among other incentives.

Last year, Wal-Mart handed out $1.2 billion in financial bonuses.

Wal-Mart has been able to do this given strong growth despite a global economic downturn. Same-store sales were up 3.3% in the last fiscal year ending Jan 31, 2009. Total sales during that same period were up significantly by 7.2% to $401.24 billion.

More and more people are going to Wal-Mart today to save on purchases given massive job losses and high mortgage payments that become due. Wal-Mart said today it plans to further cut prices including specifically on glasses and contact lenses, among other merchandise.

Fritzl sentenced to life



The sick man who trapped his daughter in his basement and raped her thousands of times over 2 decades and subsequently had 7 children with her has been sentenced to life in jail.

The daughter and children are still being looked after by officials, and though the children are said to suffer from psychological issues, because they are young they should be able to adapt to their new surroundings. However it is the daughter that will have the massive psychological problems and need constant observation, as she spent most of her life void of communication to humans, bar her children and father and the overwhelming feeling of being introduced to a new world will have serious repocussions.

Google launches UK version of its street view maps

Funniest group ever

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Celebs feeling the credit crunch too



Heir-head Paris Hilton is feeling the pinch.

The 28-year-old It Girl once commanded around £75,000 for a nightclub appearance in London but in November her “work” fee dropped to just £25,000.

And she can’t even fall back on a big inheritance either. In 2007, her grandfather, Barron, cut her original £50million potential windfall to just £2.5million, pledging the rest to charity.



MEGA-MINTED Roman Abramovich is thought to have suffered losses of up to £12BILLION thanks to the crunch.

The Chelsea FC owner has seen his stakes in Russian steel group Evraz and mining firm Highland Gold take a kicking, while his property investments and his main company Millhouse have also plunged in value.

The 42-year-old Russian tycoon may now have only a measly £3billion in his personal coffers now.

Zac Efron naked girl scandal



And this time it isn't Vanessa Hudgens but an outtake from his shoot with "Interview Magazine"

Joby One Kanoby this ones for you!

Jade Goody Hours from deaths door


It is now a matter of hours
Jade deteriorated overnight and is close to the end


CANCER victim Jade Goody was last night just hours from death.

Frail and weak, the desperately-ill star is not expected to live beyond tomorrow.

As family and close friends gathered at her bedside yesterday one pal warned: “It IS now a matter of hours, she has deteriorated dramatically overnight. Sadly she is very close to the end.”

The friend then told how, when the truth sank in on Friday night, reality TV star Jade cried out in terror, screaming for husband Jack Tweed.

“One of the problems is she’s terrified of falling asleep because she’s afraid she’ll never wake up,” said the source.

“That means she completely exhausts herself. It was terrible.”

Lakers

Monday, March 16, 2009

Grammy's moved next year.



Next year's Grammy Awards will be held at L.A.'s Staples Center on Jan. 31, a week earlier than this year's kudocast.
One reason for next year's shuffle -- which is not expected to be permanent -- is that CBS, longtime broadcaster of the Grammys, has the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. The Olympics also begin on NBC soon thereafter, so moving later wasn't an option, especially with the Oscars also set for late February on ABC.

As a result of the shift, the eligibility period for voting will be shortened by one month, lasting from Oct. 1 to Aug. 31.

The usual week's worth of fashion, education and philanthropic events leading up to the kudocast will remain in place, the Recording Academy said.

The date of the Grammy nominations announcement will be disclosed soon, the org said.

UK Top 10 Single and Album Charts

This week sees a new number one in the form of comic relief's "Islands in the Stream" by Ness and Glyn from Gavin and Stacey.

1 NEW JENKINS/WEST ISLANDS IN THE STREAM 87,177
2 1 FLO RIDA RIGHT ROUND 66,493
3 2 SATURDAYS JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH 63,433
4 3 LADY GAGA POKER FACE 55,293
5 5 TAYLOR SWIFT LOVE STORY 42,907
6 4 KELLY CLARKSON MY LIFE WOULD SUCK 42,050
7 6 TI FT J T DEAD AND GONE 38,334
8 11 KINGS OF LEON USE SOMEBODY 26,052
9 13 AKON BEAUTIFUL 22,418
10 NEW OASIS FALLING DOWN 21,448

Over on the album charts, U2 just manage to hold on to the top spot, with new entries by Annie Lennox and Kelly Clarkson vying for that coveted top spot. Also new entries this week from Taylor Swift and Faryl keep the top 10 interesting.

1 1 U2 NO LINE ON THE HORIZON 44,261
2 NEW ANNIE LENNOX THE COLLECTION 42,649
3 NEW KELLY CLARKSON ALL I EVER WANTED 39,858
4 3 KINGS OF LEON ONLY BY THE NIGHT 37,064
5 NEW TAYLOR SWIFT FEARLESS 33,829
6 NEW FARYL FARYL 29,172
7 2 PRODIGY INVADERS MUST DIE 26,892
8 4 LADY GAGA THE FAME 23,597
9 7 TAKE THAT THE CIRCUS 17,298
10 5 LILY ALLEN IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU 15,666

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Song Of The Day - Keri Hilson



This song "Knock You Down" is definitely a future single for her, with Ne-Yo and Kanye also on the track.

Gotta love the Keri.

Liverpool on the way to two cups




Liverpool completed the double this week, by beating both Real Madrid in the European Cup on Tuesday 4-0 and then beating Man United today 4-1. Torres named man of the match in todays clash with Man U, has been on form and now Liverpool are into the quarter finals of the Champions League and then still could win the Premier League although they are still 4 points behind Man Utd.

Jai Ho - the video



Furthering my blog posting last month of the song, here is the video for PCD's new song, the oscar winning Jai Ho.

It really is all about Nicole!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Lily's US tour in trouble



After Lily Allen's car was rear ended by a paperazzi, she got out her car and got into an altercation with the paperazzi guy.

Unfortunately this incident means that Lily could not be granted her work visa to tour in the states.

Paperazzi need to learn some fucking respect and give celebrities the relevant amount of space and privacy, and this was clearly an invasion of both!

Fergie looking great in NY



Fergie was spotted at a charity event in NYC last night sporting new brunette locks, presumably from the new video "Boom Boom Pow"

This definitely suits her better than the blonde look, more sexy less crystal meth look.

Song Of The Day - Alain Clark



Alain Clark - Blow Me Away

AMAZING soul singer, hey one good thing recently is I have been discovering a lot of great new music. I am a bit late on this bandwagon but better late than never!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The internet

The internet is a city. It has monumental libraries, theatres and museums, but like any city it also has red light districts and places you wouldn't want your children to wander alone. And like any city, you don't pull down all of it because it's got bits you don't like.

Song Of The Day - "Sleepwalking" Joe Brooks



AMAZING new singer - Joe Brooks - my new favourite singer of 2009!

Pic of the day

Zac Efron and Taylor Swift...17 Again



Zac Efron and Taylor Swift attend Zac's film premiere for his new movie 17 again in Australia this week.

Don't they make for a cute couple!!!

Credit: Just Jared

Foreclosures



The US Market really is feeling the recession kick in now with foreclosures growing every day:

* Foreclosure filings are up 6% in February 2009 on January 2009
* Due to the grace period Obama introduced to hold foreclosures for 90 days there was a 10% decline in filings in January 09
* Foreclosure filings are up 30% from a year ago
* One in every 440 households with mortgages drew a filing last month
* 291,000 properties in US got a foreclosure notice in February 2009
* One in every 54 households with a mortgage got at least one filing notice in 2008
* House prices are down 26% since their peak 3 years ago i 2006

If You Seek Amy Video

Looking good and back to the old Britney days!!!!

Michael Jackson just keeps on adding dates!



Added to the ever growing list of dates, Michael Jackson has now added dates in January and February of 2010, see below for the new dates for next year:

Thu 07/01/10
Sat 09/01/10
Tue 12/01/10
Thu 14/01/10
Sat 16/01/10
Mon 18/01/10
Sat 23/01/10
Mon 25/01/10
Wed 27/01/10
Fri 29/01/10
Mon 01/02/10
Wed 03/02/10
Mon 08/02/10
Wed 10/02/10
Fri 12/02/10

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Downloading films from your cell phone to your PC



Technology is evolving so fast, you can now scan a barcode on your phone for a film and it will find the film in a torrent site and then by activating it on your computer and having your IP address, you can start the download from your phone to make it start downloading on your computer at home, and then it will be ready for you when you get in.

CRAZY!!!!!

Katie Holmes back to best


Katie Holmes, is back to looking her best after getting new hair extensions put in this week in Tokyo, Japan where she is with husband Tom Cruise to promote his film Valkarie.

At one point I questioned why Katie Holmes used to be the person out of anyone in the world I would want to spend the rest of my life with, but it looks like she is getting back to the way she used to be.

Youtube ban UK viewers to watch music videos


LONDON -- Google Inc. said Monday it will block U.K. users from watching music videos on its popular video-sharing site YouTube after negotiations with Britain's music royalty-collecting body broke down.

Google said it would begin blocking British users starting Monday night. The Internet titan said it knew the move would cause "significant disappointment." But it said its hand was forced by PRS for Music, which it said is asking for royalties that would cause Google to lose money every time a video was played on YouTube.

"Our previous license from PRS for Music has expired, and we've been unable so far to come to an agreement to renew it on terms that are economically sustainable for us," Google said in a statement. Until a solution is found, it added, "we will be blocking premium music videos in the U.K. that have been supplied or claimed by record labels."

PRS for Music, which collects money on behalf of writers and publishers worldwide, said it was outraged by Google's move.

"Google has told us they are taking this step because they wish to pay significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing," the group said in a statement.

Source: Associated Press

Product placement ban still in place on UK TV

The government is keeping the ban on product placement in British TV shows -- and struggling commercial broadcaster ITV is furious. A three-month consultation had failed to make a convincing case for product placement, which is widespread in the U.S.

“There is a lack of evidence of economic benefits, along with very serious concerns about blurring the boundaries between advertising and editorial.”

He said he was aware that a number of commercial broadcasters were facing difficult economic times and he would continue to work with the industry to explore ways of supporting these webs, but allowing product placement was a last resort.

The European Union greenlit limited TV product placement in 2007 but individual governments still have the power to outlaw the practice. Imports, including movies, which feature product placement can be aired in Blighty.

ITV, hit by declining ad coin, said it will fight the decision, labeling it “perverse but not surprising.”

Executive chairman Michael Grade said, “Given the extraordinary economic pressures ITV and others face, we can’t let a decision like this simply go through without trying to fight it.”

Ego and Broken Hearted Girl - new Beyonce singles


As if 2009 hasn't already been jam-packed for Beyonce Knowles, the singer-actress is currently preparing a year-long world tour with dates in Canada set to launch later this month. "I've been working on this tour for eight months," Beyonce told EW when we caught up with her on the set of a TV ad she was taping. "It's crunch time! I've been rehearsing and trying to make sure I put my set list together. Right now I'm anxious and I can't sleep -- I'll be wanting to be at rehearsal. That's the only thing I can think about. But I can't wait." While details are still being worked out, she has dates tentatively penciled in for the U.K., Ethiopia, Japan, Brazil, and more, plus a run through the U.S. this summer. She'll be backed once more at each show by the all-female band from 2007's The Beyonce Experience tour.

Beyonce has also finished two new music videos to keep fans happy while she's crisscrossing the globe: "Broken-Hearted Girl," from the ballad-heavy I Am... half of her recent double album, and ...Sasha Fierce's up-tempo "Ego." Beyonce co-directed the latter clip with her choreographer. "My goal for [the 'Ego' video] is simplicity," she says. "In 'Single Ladies,' I saw this old tape of Bob Fosse's wife, and I used that as inspiration. I thought in this world, with all the technology and everything that's going on, to strip everything down -- great idea. So I kind of did the same thing, but glossy and black, for 'Ego.'"

One thing that the video for "Ego" won't share with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" is a certain animatronic appendage. "I didn't have the Sasha Fierce hand [in the video]," she laughs. "But I have it on the tour. It's actually even more wild -- I have to figure out how I'm going to perform with that hand!"

Source: EW

This weeks top digital songs

Flo-Rida is still sitting pretty atop the digital sales chart selling another 319,294 with the highest new entry coming from Miley Cyrus with her song "The Climb" (from the new Hannah Montana move) debuting at No.3 on sales of 165,735. Flo-Rida therefore looks set to hold the BIllboard Hot 100 position for another week.

1 (1) FLO RIDA RIGHT ROUND 319294 1749649
2 (2) LADY GAGA POKER FACE 192354 6 182208 1265535
3 (-) CYRUS*MILEY CLIMB 165735 165735
4 (4) SOULJA BOY KISS ME THRU THE PHONE 164332 914749
5 (3) T.I. FEAT. JT DEAD AND GONE 1598341436288
6 (6) AAR GIVES YOU HELL 137501 2049841
7 (5) EMINEM CRACK A BOTTLE 128067 -9 141503 1123942
8 (11) ROTH*ASHER I LOVE COLLEGE 118533 360089
9 (8) CLARKSON*KELLY MY LIFE WOULD SUCK 102241 1147104
10 (9) LADY GAGA JUST DANCE 98186 3311690

The one track to watch out for and a band I have been tiping since early 2008 is LMFAO with "I'm In Miami (or LA) Bitch" this week it sold 24148 and jumped from 108 to 62 on the sales chart so watch this band come up and be 2009's one to watch!

On the album charts, U2 bow in at No,1 with their new album "No Line On The Horizon" selling a 484,000 copies this week. However many people believe this to be a poor sales tally for the band, whose last studio album "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" sold over 800,000 copies first week - surely due to the scathing reviews a lot of the press have given the album.

1) U2 - No Line On the Horizon 484,000
2) Taylor Swift - Fearless 52,000
3) Neko Case - Middle Cyclone 44,000
4) Lady Gaga - The Game 42,000
5) Nickelback - Dark Horse 36,000
6) Jamie Foxx - Intuition 32,000
7) The Fray - The Fray 32,000
8) Beyonce - I Am Sasha Fierce 31,000
9) Slumdog Millionaire - OST 24,000
10) TI - Paper Trail - 24,000

Apple bringing in Touch Sceen for 3rd Quarter release




Apple have just commissioned a batch of 10" touch screens, supposed to be the first generation of laptops to have the same technology as the current, iPhones and iTouch.

Taiwan touchscreen specialist Wintek already makes small screens for Apple iPhones, and has received orders for the larger ones that are roughly the same size as those used in mini PCs, said the source close to the Taiwan firm. He asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Second suicide bomber detonated himself



This is the moment caught on camera, that a suicide bomber detonated and susbequently killed all of those in the picture.

The image captured in Sri Lanka, shows the devastating impact of what a suicide bomber can do when it sets off.

Rihanna first public appearance



Rihanna spotted out at Coco De-Ville last night in LA. Its the first public outing for RIhanna since the infamous run in between her and Chris Brown on February 8th.

Jade Goody, leaving hospital to die at home



Jade has been granted her wish of leaving the hospital to spend her last days at home with her family and friends.

Her publicist Max Clifford stated that “The plan is she will leave in an ambulance under supervision of someone from the Marsden who will administer the epidural and pain control. Jade is desperate to get home with the boys.”

Jade is also reportedly going blind as the cancer travels up through her blood into her brain. Poor girl.

Tours Tours and More Tours




Jonas brothers announce new tour too, South America and North America first followed by Europe, Asia and Australasia.

No Felicia though as she is with Britney, but they still have Big Rob.

Mel C's new baby - Scarlet Starr



The final Spice Girl to have a baby, Mel C welcomes Scarlet Starr into the world.

Above is the first official picture of the two!

So adorable.

They should do a spice kids band soon! 8 and counting!

Michael Jackson presale NOW 27 SHOWS!!!!


So the pre-sale for Michael Jackson's O2 shows started today, in true fashion I set my alarm, but for LA time not London, so I clearly woke up after the sale, but the 10 dates are already at 18 and growing by the minute!!! Below is a list of all the announced dates so far (12:15pm GMT)

Wed 08/07/09
Fri 10/07/09
Sun 12/07/09
Tue 14/07/09
Thu 16/07/09
Sat 18/07/09
Wed 22/07/09
Fri 24/07/09
Sun 26/07/09
Tue 28/07/09
Thu 30/07/09
Sat 01/08/09
Mon 03/08/09
Mon 10/08/09
Wed 12/08/09
Mon 17/08/09
Wed 19/08/09
Mon 24/08/09
Wed 26/08/09
Fri 28/08/09
Sun 30/08/09
Tue 01/09/09
Thu 03/09/09
Sun 06/09/09
Tue 08/09/09
Thu 10/09/09
Mon 21/09/09

Back in London

Apologies for the lack of updates these last few days, I have had to head back to London to sort out a load of things, and subsequently my life (and this site) has been put on hold to do so.

I hope that all of you have been keeping well and updates will resume this afternoon.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Chris and Rihanna saga continues



So following on from the newest round of rumours, Chris Brown went in to court today to face up to the charges brought against him (felony assault and criminal threat). However Brown did not enter into a plea and subsequently his lawyer asked to postpone the arraignment until April 6th, to which the judge accepted.

However the judge did order Brown "not to annoy, harass, threaten or commit violence against anyone."

Also in an extreme twist on events, speculation is rife that whilst in Miami Chris Brown and Rihanna actually got engaged???!!!!

According to Perez Hilton: This is the response we got back from one of her reps about the wedding/engagement reports:

"Sorry for the delayed response, but we aren’t able to offer anything right now but will keep you in posted if that changes.

With every day something new unravels...next she will be pregnant!!!!

Rock Band - Beatles Edition gets release date


Mark September 9th in your diarys!

The Beatles will finally release their music in a digital format for the gaming phenomenon Rock Band.

The game will be released worldwide for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Wii.

Exclusive content will be made available for fans who pre-order the game (pre-order date still TBC)

The game along will carry a $59.99 list price. A version with standalone guitars will run $99.99, while the Limited Edition Premium Bundle will cost $249.99.

Double "Relapse" for Eminem



Eminem is making his "Relapse" a double: not only did the best selling rapper reveal the release date for his highly-anticipated return to the rap game, but he announced that the follow-up will drop in 2009 too.

"Relpase," Eminem's first full album of new material in four years, is due from Interscope/Aftermath/Shady on May 19. The album's first single, "Crack the Bottle," is currently at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A second album, "Relapse 2," is promised before the end of the year. "A lot of people were expecting Relapse to drop last year," said Eminem in a statement. "I was one of them. Then Dre and I went back in the studio in September for a few days, and that turned into six months. We were on such a roll; we wound up with a ton of new music produced by Dre."

The second single from Eminem will be released on April 7th, with the download released the same day as the video and single are serviced to radio.

20-25 O2 dates according to AEG ECO + President



AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke revealed that Michael Jackson is set to perform 20 to 25 shows at London's O2 Arena and that the singer is "very focused." Leiweke was speaking during his keynote Q&A session at the Billboard Music & Money Symposium at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.

"The man is very sane, the man is very focused, the man is very healthy," Leiweke said of Jackson. "I think he has been dragged through the mud."

The shows will be promoted by AEG Live, which also put together Prince's record-setting run of 21 sellouts at the O2 that grossed more than $22 million. The Spice Girls, Take That, and Kylie Minogue all have played multiple nights at the London arena, and Britney Spears has an eight night run scheduled for June. AEG operates the O2 venue.

Leiweke told the Billboard Music & Money audience: "We’ll announce 10 shows. I think you'll see 20, 25 dates at the O2. His production budget is... Wow."

"Despite everything you read about him, he was fine," added Leiweke. "The man took a physical for us to go do these concerts."

Leiweke also confirmed that it has taken some time to get Jackson to agree to the deal. Jackson has not released a studio album or played a full concert since 2001. His last major tour was the "HIStory" World Tour in 1996-1997.

"We spent two years working with Michael trying to get him comfortable with this," said Leiweke.

Asked why the comeback was being staged in London at the O2, Leiweke commented: "It's the most important venue in music today. With all due respect to the Staples Center and the [Madison Square] Garden, the O2 is where you went to see Led Zeppelin reunite."

Past O2 multiple-night runs (via Billboard Boxscore):

Prince $22,052,026 (£10,971,157) 351,527 21 shows (all sellouts)
Spice Girls $33,829,250 (£16,637,563) 256,647 17 shows (all sellouts)
Take That $10,195,810 (£5,097,905) 132,835 9 shows (all sellouts)
Kylie Minogue $9,881,561 (£4,964,386) 116,375 7 shows (all sellouts)
Justin Timberlake $7,346,896 (£3,649,725) 79,742 5 shows (all sellouts)
Stevie Wonder $6,343,690 (£3,603,960) 60,066 4 shows (all sellouts)
Neil Diamond $5,896,536 (£2,985,890) 46,174 3 shows (all sellouts)

Michael's press conference announcing 10 dates at O2



Starting July 8th, Michael Jackson will perform a series of 10 concerts at the O2 arena in London. To get tickets for the show, you must register with his website www.michaeljacksonlive.com this is for the pre-sale only and will take place on Wednesday 11th March at 7am GMT, failing that the general onsale is at 7am on Friday 13th July.

This definitely is the show of the year - if not the decade!!!!

PRESS CONFERENCE




Below is the email confirmation for registering with the website for the pre-sale.

Welcome to MichaelJacksonLive.com!
You successfully registered for your chance
to participate in the Michael Jackson Presale.
Michael announced 10 shows at The O2 arena
in London starting 8 July 2009

If your application is successful you will receive an email in the upcoming days with your exclusive unique password and information on where and when you can purchase tickets during the presale window. The password pin code can only be used once. The password pin code allows up to four (4) tickets to be purchased during the presale window.

If you miss the presale window or due to demand are unsuccessful in being chosen to receive a password pin code, the general onsale is 7am 13 March 2009.

Barry Islands In The Stream

My favourite show from England "Gavin and Stacey" have brought two of their stars Ness and Bryn together to record their take on Dolly Parton's "Islands In The Stream" with a special guest appearance (see the video) for this years Comic Relief.

Check out the video below.



If you ask me it is much better than The Staurdays "Just Can't Get Enough"

'Substantial doubt' for GM future



Ongoing losses and the struggle to generate cashflow meant the firm's ability to continue as a going concern should be questioned, auditors stated.


Last week GM posted a $30.9bn (£21.9bn) loss for 2008 and warned that 2009 was set to be "challenging". The firm, which plans to cut 47,000 jobs also said it might need another $22.6bn in government loans to survive.

It has already received $13.4bn in federal loans as it struggles in what analysts say is the worst vehicle sales market in 27 years.
GM said that its creditors had decided not to force the company to repay more than $6bn in loans following the auditor's warning, in order to let GM press the case for more government financial aid.

Shares in General Motors fell almost 15% in early New York trading.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

US Bilboard Hot 100



Flo-rida once again tops the digital sales for a 3rd week running, and will once again reign on top of the Billboard Hot 100. Unsurprisingly the oscar awarded Jai Ho, makes the biggest impact on the digital sales jumping from 76 to number 7 and with a new version coming from the Pussy Cat Dolls, it looks like this song will be around for a long time in the charts.

(1) 1 FLO RIDA RIGHT ROUND 334312 1430355
(4) 2 LADY GAGA POKER FACE 182208 1073181
(2) 3 T.I. FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DEAD AND GONE 182036 1276454
(6) 4 SOULJA BOY KISS ME THRU THE PHONE 156070 750417
(3) 5 EMINEM CRACK A BOTTLE 141503 995875
(5) 6 ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS GIVES YOU HELL 137290 -12 155381 1912340
(76) 7 RAHMAN*A.R JAI HO! 130062 489 22081 216018
(7) 8 CLARKSON*KELLY MY LIFE WOULD SUCK 103828 1044863
(8) 9 LADY GAGA F JUST DANCE 103561 -13 119175 3213504
(9) 10 WEST*KANYE HEARTLESS 95591 2381817



Over on the album charts; with an 18% uptick in sales, Taylor Swift's "Fearless" continues its rule over The Billboard 200 for an 11th week. The Big Machine effort sold 73,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As reported last week, such a feat has gone unmatched by any album since Santana's "Supernatural" collected 12 weeks at No. 1 in 1999 and 2000.

Debuting at No. 2, a career high, is Lamb of God's "Wrath" (Prosthetic/Epic), having sold 68,000. The metal act's last release, "Sacrament," entered at No. 8 with 63,000 in 2006.

The Jonas Brothers' "3D Concert Experience" soundtrack from Hollywood Records bows right behind at No. 3 with 50,000. The group's movie opened with $12.5 million at the U.S. and Canada box office last weekend, a lower figure than what was expected by industry observers.

Whitney Houston - screws up the classics

iPhone vs Blackberry Storm



Hillarious!

New 3-disc Prince album dropping March 29th


Prince is coming to a Target near you.

The superstar is releasing a three-disc CD set through the retailer at the end of this month. The set will include two new albums - "LOtUSFLOW3R" and "MPLSoUND" - as well as a third by his new artist, Bria Valente, for the price of $11.98.

Prince is just the latest music legend to release new music exclusively through a major retailer. AC/DC and the Eagles were among the acts who sold millions of CDs through their partnership with Wal-Mart.

Prince has released his recent CDs through major labels, but they were one-album deals that gave him the flexibility to go elsewhere when the project was done. Last fall, he released a coffee table book of photos titled "21 Nights" documenting his record-breaking, 21-night run at London's 02 Arena in 2007. The book also included a CD of live performances.

"Prince has long been renowned as one of the world's most original and iconic musical artists," said Mark Schindele, Target's senior vice president of merchandising. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share his most recent work with our Target guests."

The CD set will be on sale at Target and its Web site on March 29.

Madame Tussauds opening in Hollywood this year - FINALLY



After what seems to have been a long time coming, Madame Tussauds is set to open this year in Hollywood. Construction is under way on the $55 million project, part of the U.S. division of Merlin Entertainments Group.

Los Angeles architect Michael Rotondi was tapped to design the 40,000-square-foot building located at Hollywood Boulevard and Orange Drive. The Hollywood location's opening will coincide with the 200th anniversary of Madame Tussauds.

Other locations include London, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Washington and Berlin.

The first inducties into the Hollywood location will be none other than Beyonce and Jamie Foxx.

Dow Jones the lowest it's been since 1997



As a fresh setback Monday sent major indices plunging to mid-1990s levels, media companies generally kept pace with the market.

The Dow fell another 4% -- the lowest it's been since 1997 and less than half its all-time high above 14,000, reached in October 2007. Similarly dented was the S&P 500, which closed at 700.82, its worst finish since 1996.

Among the biggest pure media congloms, Disney was down 4% to $16.05; News Corp. dipped 5% to $5.28; Viacom dropped 6% to $15.75; and Time Warner gave up 3.5% to $7.36.

Wall Streeters had little specific news on which to blame the drop. They simply cited continuing anxiety about financial institutions and the complexity and severity of the recession and credit crisis.

In particular, the day brought unnerving revelations about AIG. The mega-insurer received a fourth round of federal assistance of up to $30 billion to repair damage from some $500 billion in credit that it extended with little collateral to cover defaults.

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody

The next single in the US already a No.1 on the European Hot 100 Charts it looks to help propel them from popular indie band to mainstream act.

LA Mayor Villaraigosa scores 2nd term in office


Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa established a solid lead over his nine challengers Tuesday, securing a second four-year term.

With about half of the votes counted, Villaraigosa avoided a runoff against the second-place candidate, attorney Walter Moore.The mayor had been expected to secure the needed majority, given that he had appeared in television commercials for himself and two other campaigns -- and had outspent Moore by a ratio of 15 to 1.

Villaraigosa has some major changes that he wants to bring to Los Angeles and is well on his way to doing so. He is more than two-thirds of the way toward his goal of hiring 1,000 additional police officers. The mayor also is attempting to replace as many as 17,000 older diesel trucks at the Port of Los Angeles and reach his goal of ensuring that 20% of the power at the DWP comes from renewable sources, such as wind and solar energy.

Britney kicks of Circus Tour



The reviews are coming in thick and fast and it is only 12am PST! It looks like Britney is back on form and aside from the predictable lip syncing throughout the tour, the show itself is said to be a 90 minute set of pure entertainment. Though deemed quite inappropriate for some younger fans, the show is extremely well produced, choreographed and executed.

I can't wait to see the shows in LA in April and London in June.

Below is the set list for the tour:

Act 1: CIRCUS
Circus (Funky Remix)
Piece Of Me
Radar
Act 2: HOUSE OF FUN (Anything Goes)
Ooh Ooh Baby/Hot As Ice
Boys
If U Seek Amy
Me Against The Music
Act 3: FREAKSHOW/PEEPSHOW
Freakshow
Get Naked
Breathe On Me/Touch Of My Hand
Act 4: ELECTRO CIRC
Do Something
I'm A Slave 4 U
Toxic
Baby One More Time (Remix)
ENCORE
Womanizer (Extended Remix)
Circus Reprise

Beyonce and Solange - Samantha Thavasa Campaign



Check the above image for an exclusive peek at the new campaign for Japanese bag designer Samantha Thavasa, featuring Beyonce and sister Solange.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Michael Jackson to follow in Prince's footsteps and do an O2 residency



Michael Jackson is set to announce a string of dates on Thursday 5th March at London's O2 arena, to be played over the summer, in a similar way to which both Prince and the Spice Girls both did in 2007 and 2008.

Talks for the last 2 years have been circulating about the King Of Pop's return to the stage, with him said to be performing 10 dates in London at the O2, 10 at the Tokyo Dome and then 10 at the Staples Center in LA.

His last substantial series of concerts came in 1996 and '97, when he played 82 shows in 58 cities as part of the History tour.

The whole world will be looking to see if this comes true and even more so if he can pull of touring in such a fragile state. Also speculation is rife that a new album will coincide with the tour dates.



Michael seen above arriving in London on Tuesday 3rd March 09 for the announcement on Thursday

For all the chavs and gangs out there....

The perfect mug/cup

UK Charts - Kelly Clarkson and Prodigy rule

In the singles chart, Kelly Clarkson makes a massive leap from No.102 to No.1, and impressive jumps also are incurred by Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and TI and Justin Timberlake at No.2, 3 and 4 respectively.



1 (103) KELLY CLARKSON MY LIFE WOULD SUCK... 51,114
2 (22) TAYLOR SWIFT LOVE STORY 33,261
3 (15) LADY GAGA POKER FACE 32,338
4 (17) TI FT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DEAD AND GONE 31,733
5 (1) LILY ALLEN THE FEAR 30,961
6 (2) LADY GAGA JUST DANCE 28,408
7 (3) KINGS OF LEON USE SOMEBODY 27,167
8 (6) SHONTELLE T-SHIRT 24,934
9 (10) PUSSYCAT DOLLS/MISSY WHATCHA THINK ABOUT 24,034
10 (5) ALESHA DIXON BREATHE SLOW 20,929

In the album charts, Prodigy return to the top of the album chart with their first album in 4 years "Invaders Must Die" but the real winner this week is the Kings Of Leon who at No.2 who this week went 5 times platinum in the UK selling over 1.524 million copies.



1 (NEW) PRODIGY INVADERS MUST DIE 97,254
2 (1) KINGS OF LEON ONLY BY THE NIGHT 58,636
3 (2) LILY ALLEN IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU 29,507
4 (4) DUFFY ROCKFERRY 23,251
5 (7) LADY GAGA THE FAME 19,393
6 (5) ELBOW THE SELDOM SEEN KID 19,355
7 (8) TING TINGS WE STARTED NOTHING 16,565
8 (16) TAKE THAT THE CIRCUS 15,861
9 (10) FLEET FOXES FLEET FOXES 14,829
10 (6) KILLERS DAY & AGE 14,279