Music News

Yoko Ono's biggest inspiration in life is herself.
The 83-year-old musician-and-artist was at the NME Awards on Wednesday night (17.02.16) to collect the Inspiration Award but she insists she doesn't need to look outwardly to keep her creative spark shining brightly.
When asked who inspires her on the red carpet of the event - held at the O2 Academy in Brixton, south London - she said: "I am inspired by myself. It's so great to win this award, I'm so flattered."
Just as she is inspired by herself, Yoko - the widow of late Beatles legend John Lennon - hopes her fans are motivated to make positive choices in their lives by her music and art.
Yoko - who engages in a weekly Q&A session with her fans via her website ImaginePeace.com - told BANG Showbiz: "I want to keep on making music and art and keep on inspiring people. But I don't know what my fans take from what I do with my work and my website, I just keep dishing out things and I hope for the best, but I never know how people will react to what I do."
Yoko also admitted when she was told she had to go to Brixton to collect her prize she had no idea where she would be travelling to in the UK.
She said with a laugh: "Before tonight I didn't even know where Brixton was! I thought I had to go somewhere that was three or four hours from London, because it's usually like that. But when I found out it was right in London, it was easy."
Yoko was presented with her award by former Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore who paid tribute to her and John's efforts to bring peace to the world before she walked out on stage.
He said: "She is an activist for peace. Her and her husband expressed peace. To say her name is to express happiness."
A video of her incredible life was then screened before she came out to be handed her prize.
After accepting her accolade, she said: "I'm excited to get this award. I didn't expect it at all. It's great to be busy together."
Other stars in attendance at the NME Awards included Charli XCX, Ricky Wilson, Kylie Minogue and Coldplay - who were given the Godlike Genius prize.

Zayn Malik has unveiled his debut album art.
The 23-year-old singer will release 'Mind of Mine' on March 25, exactly one year after he quit One Direction, and on Wednesday (17.02.16), he revealed the cover of his solo record during an appearance on 'The Tonight Show'.
It features a picture of the star as a cherubic youngster with tattooed arms and has already drawn comparisons to Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter III' album.
Zayn also performed the song he wrote about his ex-fiancée Perrie Edwards during his first TV appearance as a solo artist, 'It's You', which will be the second single from the album.
Zayn has said previously: "I just felt like I needed to put myself out there on that just because it was a form of therapy for me and it did help get me through some s**t."
The former couple split in August, amid claims he had dumped her by text, something he denies.
Zayn is currently dating model Gigi Hadid, who appears in the video for his debut single 'Pillowtalk'.
One Direction's remaining members, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, are currently on an extended hiatus.

Mark Hoppus is "very involved" with All Time Low.
The Blink-182 rocker keeps a close eye on the rising pop punk band and always shows interest in their music, which is a "dream come true" for 27-year-old bass player Jack Barakat.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, he said: "We are as close to Mark than most bands. He is good at keeping in touch and seeing what the band is doing. He is very involved with us and that is a dream come true obviously. He is one of my favourite people."
Elsewhere, the 'Kids In The Dark' hitmaker says he hasn't been told anything about Blink's latest album, with new co-singer Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio because it's "pretty early" days and Mark is keeping tight-lipped about.
Asked if he'd spoke to Mark about their comeback LP, he said: "It's pretty early in the process. Alkaline Trio is one of my favourite bands and Blink are one my favourite bands. Put it together and I don't know how it can go wrong."
All Time Low - which also including Alex Gaskarth, Zack Merrick, Rian Dawson - have just ended their UK and Ireland headline arena tour with fellow US pop punks Good Charlotte.
One of the highlights of the run of dates for Jack was getting to meet Good Charlotte's Benji Madden's wife Cameron Diaz, who has been coming out each night to support the band.
Of meeting the Hollywood actress, he said she was "the nicest person ever".
He said: "She was watching the show from side of stage and it was really cool because she is the nicest person ever and it was really cool to talk to her."

Coldplay praised Kylie Minogue as they picked up their Godlike Genius gong at the NME Awards.
The group's frontman Chris Martin thanked the 'Spinning Around' hitmaker as they took to the stage to perform a six-song set, which included performances of some of their biggest hits such as 'Viva La Vida' and 'Fix You'.
Addressing the crowd, he said: "OK one more than we'll go. This will be our last song then we'll let you go. Thank you NMEs, thank you Kylie ... Thank you for you speech that was so kind - if you want to go the awards are finished but stay if you want to stay."
During their performance, Chris also quipped their Super Bowl half-time show set - which was seen by over 110 million people - was just a warm-up for their performance at the NME Awards.
At the ceremony last night (17.02.16) at London's O2 Academy Brixton, he joked: "We haven't played a proper gig for ages. We did a warm up gig in Santa Clara last week for the NME Awards. This is supposed to be the last one but if you want, we're going to keep f***ing playing."
Other winners at the event included Yoko Ono, who was handed the NME Inspiration Award as well as The Maccabees, who took home Best British Band.
The crowd attending the event were treated to performances from Foals, Bring Me The Horizon and The Maccabees.

The NME Awards 2016 full list of winners:
Best British Band - The Maccabees
Best International Band supported by Austin, Texas - Run The Jewels
Best New Artist - Rat Boy
Best British Solo Artist supported by Pilot Pens - Charli XCX
Best International Solo Artist - Taylor Swift
Best Live Band - Wolf Alice
Best Album supported by HMV - Foals' 'What Went Down'
Best Track - Wolf Alice's 'Giant Peach'
Best TV Show - This is England '90
Best Film - Beasts of No Nation
Best Music Film - Blur: New World Towers
Best Music Video - Slaves' 'Cheer Up London'
Best Actor - Idris Elba
Best Actress - Vicky McClure
Best Reissue - David Bowie's 'Five Years'
Best Book - 'M Train' Patti Smith
Best Festival - Glastonbury
Best Small Festival - End Of The Road
Music Moment of the Year - The Libertines secret Glastonbury set
Best Fan Community - The Libertines
Worst Band - 5 Seconds of Summer
Villain of the Year - Donald Trump
Hero of the Year - Dave Grohl
Vlogger of the Year - KSI

Jess Glynne has vowed to go "f***ing mental" if she wins a BRIT Award.
The 'Don't Be So Hard on Yourself' singer is nominated for Best Breakthrough Artist, Best Female Artist and Best British Single for 'Hold My Hand' at this year's ceremony and is super-excited at the idea of bagging a prize next Wednesday (24.02.16), but she is not backing herself to win anything.
Speaking to website Loaded.co.uk, she said: "Three BRIT nominations? Things like that just don't happen to normal people.
"I'm not going to have a fit if I don't win anything. But if I do, wow, I'm going to go f***ing mental! It'd be super-exciting, but the idea of winning is just too much to think about. All I can do is put positive energy out there.
"I don't know if it's sunk in ... I know it's happening really, but there's no way it's going to feel real until I'm actually at the BRITs on the night."
And Jess has not yet thought about preparing an acceptance speech if she does win one or more of the trio of accolades she's up for.
When asked if she had any words prepared, she said: "No! That's a bit premature, and I'm certainly not going to put a bet on myself to win."
Jess has always loved watching the BRIT Awards and she hopes to deliver an "amazing" performance that lives up to the memorable appearances of acts in previous years.
She said: "I love the BRITs! I've so many memories of so many great performances - The Spice Girls, Amy Winehouse, Adele. I promise I'll put on an amazing performance. It's going to be really fun and full of energy."
Other performers taking to the stage this year include Coldplay, Rihanna, Little Mix, James Bay, Adele, The Weeknd and Justin Bieber.
The BRIT Awards 2016 with MasterCard take place at The O2 in London and will be hosted by Ant and Dec.

Eagles of Death Metal dedicated a song to the merchandise seller who was murdered at their tragic Le Bataclan concert as they performed in Paris on Tuesday night (16.02.16).
The rock band made an emotional return to the French capital at the Olympia Theatre - their first time in the city since that fateful evening on November 13 - and took a moment to reflect on the actions of the gun-wielding terrorists that claimed 89 lives.
Before playing the song 'Secret Plans' frontman Jesse Hughes paid tribute to late merchandise man Nick Alexander.
Jesse told the crowd: "I love that man. Let's take a moment to remember and then we get back to the fun."
The flame-haired rocker then asked fans to not get "mad" if he messed it up because it was such an "emotional moment" for him.
He said: "Let's make a deal, this is an emotional moment for me so if I f**k this song up, ain't no one going to get mad at me."
The rockers had an outpouring of support at the concert, which was attended by victims of the terrorist attacks and Jesse said he really "needed" people to share the moment with him.
According to BBC Newsbeat, he told the audience: "You have no idea how much I needed you tonight and you did not let me down."
The concert had stepped up security and psychologists were reportedly on hand to help crowd members if they needed it.

Lemmy's son Paul Inder has praised the Hollywood Vampires' Grammys tribute to the late Motorhead rocker.
The 48-year-old music producer believes his father - who died at the age of 70 in December after a battle with prostate cancer that had spread throughout his body - would have been "proud" to have been remembered at the Grammys.
Of the tribute, he said: "I thought It was great. I thought it was very moving to respect my father in that way and pay homage to him, you know, at the Grammys too. So he would have been proud. So that was very, very touching for me."
Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry of the Hollywood Vampires performed Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' at the star-studded ceremony, while the late rock star's face was projected onto a video screen behind them.
Paul has also revealed how courageous Lemmy was in his final weeks of life, even going out to perform a concert despite being on the floor of his dressing room in agony just moments before.
Speaking at a Grammys press conference at the Los Angeles Staples Center, he said: "He had his up and his down days. He would battle to go on stage sometimes, but he would always get it together - even if he was laid out on his back. Like, one show I heard from Steve Luna, his assistant, that he was actually laid out on his back backstage. Then he heard the crowd chanting, 'Lemmy, Lemmy' and he got up and he went out and did it. So he was determined all the way to the end."

Gwen Stefani's new album was both "depressing" and "healing" to make.
The 46-year-old singer has been reflecting on the recording process of her third solo LP 'This Is What the Truth Feels Like' which deals with her split and divorce from Gavin Rossdale and admits the entire experience was very cathartic.
Discussing the live video for 'Make Me Like You' which she debuted on TV in a commercial break during the Grammys on Monday night (15.02.16), she said: "I think the opportunity to work with Target and do the live video for the Grammys last night was kinda the motivation to get me finished. It was a little depressing for me because that writing process was so intense, so healing, magical, but now I'm feeling that kind of place where I get to share it."
Gwen - who has three sons, Kingston, nine, Zuma, seven, and 23-month-old Apollo - insists the album is more than just "music" to her and she considers an important record of a moment in her life.
She told E! News: "It feels victorious, you know what I mean, and it represents so much more than just music. It's my life and such an amazing process."
While the album's lyrical content mainly deals with her break-up from Bush frontman Gavin - who she split from in 2015 - she appears to have written 'Make Me Like You' about her new beau Blake Shelton.
On the track, she sings: "I was fine before I met you. I was broken but fine. I was lost and uncertain. But my heart was still mine. I was free before I met you I was broken but free. All alone in the clear view. But now you are all I see."
'This Is What the Truth Feels Like' will be released ton March 18.

Skrillex has surpassed Daft Punk as the dance music artist with the most Grammy wins.
He won two awards at the 2016 Grammy Awards, for Best Dance Recording and Best Dance/Electronic Album, with Diplo, bringing his total to eight.
Daft Punk have six Grammy wins while The Chemical Brothers have four, three of them in dance categories.
Other dance artists took to Twitter to praise Skrillex and Diplo's wins, with Major Lazer writing: "CONGRATS TO OUR LEADER @DIPLO, & OUR BROTHER @SKRILLEX FOR BEST DANCE RECORDING & BEST DANCE/ELECTRONIC ALBUM FOR WHERE ARE Ü NOW & JACK Ü (sic)."
DJ Snake tweeted: "Congrats to my brothers @Skrillex & @Diplo on the Grammy win!! I'm proud of you guys" while Steve Aoki added: "@skrillex @diplo @justinbieber absolutely well deserved!!! #grammys (sic)."
And Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger, who performed 'Where Are U Now' with the duo and Justin Bieber at the Grammys is also a huge fan of Skrillex.
He told Billboard: "Sonny [Skrillex] contacted me and asked. This was a big deal for them. It was Justin's first performance on the Grammys, so they just asked me if I would do something special.
"Sonny is very, very collaborative... he is such a wizard with sounds."