Music News

Sir Elton John has "never" been asked to play Glastonbury.
The 68-year-old singer is one of the world's most successful artists and is a big fan of the diverse annual music festival but he claims organisers Michael and Emily Eavis have never approached him to perform.
In an interview with radio station BBC 6 Music, he said: "I've never been asked to play Glastonbury. Or I might have been asked but I'm not aware of it [if I have].
"I love Glastonbury because what it's good at, not just putting all sorts of music on the big stages, but it's a great chance for the musicians who don't have a chance of being played on Radio One, you can go there and see five or six acts that are not in the top 10 but should be."
After decades of performing, Elton is more comfortable on stage than ever thanks to his "kick-ass" band.
He said: "I'm comfortable with myself on stage, I'm enjoying being on stage more now.
"I'm singing better, I'm playing as well as I've ever done, I've got the best band since the three-piece, I've had fabulous bands but this band is the most kick-ass band I've ever had, I love them all and we get on so well.
"I'm in the prime of my life with performing, and performing with the band for the last two years has now translated onto the record, I'm so happy with it because it's captured what we do on stage."
And the 'Your Song' hitmaker never tires of singing his biggest hits time and time again because he feels so "lucky" to have worked with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin.
He said: "The more I sing Bernie's lyrics - and I've sung them a lot - the more I love them. Every time I sing 'Tiny Dancer', 'Levon', 'Your Song', every time, you never get tired.
"If they're great lyrics, they're great lyrics. I'm lucky to have a lyric writer that the more I sing their lyrics, the better they get. And that's astonishing.
"The older I get the more I realise how lucky I am to have a lyric writer that stands the test of time."

Rihanna has completed her new album 'Anti'.
Fans have been waiting for months for the R&B superstar to drop her eighth LP, which was at one point was expected to come out at the end of November.
The 27-year-old singer has now posted a photo of herself wearing a gold crown and golden headphones on Twitter along with the caption "listening to Anti".
Rihanna's social media update comes after Grammy-winning songwriter and vocal producer Kuk Harrell uploaded an image of himself enjoying a well-earned alcoholic drink after finishing his work on the record.
He captioned the pic: "Mission accomplished! badgalriri (sic)"
Rihanna has been teasing the release of the album over several weeks with video clips being released online which have shown her unlocking different rooms. She named the campaign "#ANTIdiaRy".
'Anti' is the Bajan beauty's first studio album since 2012's 'Unapologetic'
She is believed to be performing at the upcoming Grammy Awards on February 15 and is expected to join Coldplay earlier in the month at their Super Bowl half-time show on February 7.

The Guns 'N Roses reunion will be a "healing process" for the band, former bassist Tommy Stinson has claimed.
The musician played with the rock group from 1998 until 2014 when he decided to leave to reunite with his own former band The Replacements.
Stinson has given the reformation of classic line-up members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan his full blessing ahead of their headline slot at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April and thinks the trio will take a lot from their reunion.
In an interview with American radio station The Current, he said: "I think everyone kind of knows where I stand with it all. I left it in a good way. I mean, roughly, I actually had to just start turning down tours because I was unable to tour; I got into a position, personally, where my personal life was going to prevent me from doing it. I don't know, it must have been about five tours that they called me to do, and I just said I can't do 'em. And at that point, they ... I think Axl got to the position where he was, like, 'OK, so what am I going to do now? 'Cause I don't have a band. Blah blah blah.' So I think it worked out.
"I think they'll have fun. It will be a healing thing for them, if it works out good. It will be good for them."
Last week, Guns N' Roses announced two Las Vegas warm-up shows ahead of their headline slot at Coachella at the T-Mobile arena on April 8 and 9. It is the first time the classic line-up of the group will have been together on stage since 1993.
It is still not yet known who will take on drumming duties with former sticksmen Steven Adler - whom played on debut LP 'Appetite For Destruction' - and 'Use Your Illusion' era musician Matt Sorum both expressing an interest in participating in the reunion and being prepared to share duties.
Guns N' Roses are also expected to come to the UK and Europe for a series of shows.

Brian Wilson has announced he is going on a world tour to mark the 50th anniversary of classic Beach Boys album 'Pet Sounds'.
The 73-year-old musician can't wait to recognise the landmark date of the band's 11th LP - which contains acclaimed songs such as 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' and 'God Only Knows' - with concerts all "across the world".
For the shows, Brian will play the album in full and will be joined by fellow Beach Boys bandmate Al Jardine and former member Blondie Chaplin.
In a statement, Brian said: "It's really been a trip to sit here and think about releasing Pet Sounds 50 years ago. I love performing this album with my band and look forward to playing it for fans all across the world."
The 'Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds' world tour will begin on March 26 at The Civic Auckland theatre in New Zealand before heading to Australia, Japan, North America the UK and Spain.
The run of shows will be the final time fans will get the chance to hear 'Pet Sounds' - which celebrates its anniversary in May - performed in its entirety by Brian and tickets go on sale this Friday (29.01.16).
Brian recently admitted although he is aware he will have to retire sometime in the future he wants to keep performing and making music for as long as he is able to.
The songwriter - who released his last solo album 'No Pier Pressure' in 2014 - said: "I've carried a lot of weight on my shoulders - a heavy load. For me, music is about love. Love is the message I want to share. I hope people feel the love in my music, I want to keep going. That makes the hard work worth it."

Kanye West has finished his album.
The 'Only One' hitmaker is looking forward to the release of his highly-anticipated LP 'Swish' and has dubbed it the "best album of all time".
He captioned a handwritten tracklist: "So happy to be finished with the best album of all time (sic)"
Kanye was joined at his listening party over the weekend by his wife Kim Kardashian West, with whom he has two-year-old daughter North and one-month-old son Saint.
The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star's sister Kourtney Kardashian and half-sister Kylie Jenner were also in attendance, sharing snaps of the celebrations.
Meanwhile, the 35-year-old rapper's 10 track album has been praised by Travis Scott.
He said: "I feel like it's going to be like a very good f***ing good album. This motherf***er is going all in ...
"That n***a ain't sleeping, the n***a ain't eatin'. It's lit, he's just focusing on this album, he really wants this album to be the illest. So I'm just here to support that."
The album has been a longtime in the works as two weeks ago, Khloe Kardashian revealed Kanye was still struggling to finalise a track list as he had recorded a number of "genuinely terrific songs".
She said: "He has so many songs that we - I act like I'm recording them - that he can't figure out what he wants to put on his album. And they're all genuinely terrific songs."
'Swish' is expected to be released on February 11.

TLC's comeback album will feature "old soul music".
Ron Fair, who is the executive producer for the latest release, has revealed the girl group - which includes Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins and Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas - are heading back into the studio after successfully raising $430,000 for the LP through crowdfunding.
He told Renman Music & Business Live: "It's old soul music. It's '90s throwback music. It's vintage TLC and I can tell you that their vocals sound exactly the way they did the last time you heard them.
"Their artistic and vocal thing is 100 percent intact so this is gonna become a question of what are they talking about, what are the lyrics, what are the beats they've chosen. And I'm very excited for the world to hear."
The group - which also included Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes before she tragically died in a car crash in 2002 at the age of just 30 - recently took to Kickstarter to thank the fans for helping fund their "final album".
They wrote: "We have SUPER EXCITING NEWS to share with you!!! WE ARE RECORDING OUR LAST AND FINAL ALBUM. And we want to do it with YOU, our FANS (our babies!!).
"We owe so much of our success to you. Your loyalty and support throughout the past 20 years motivates us to do our best work. Without you, we wouldn't have ten top 10 singles and four number 1 singles. We wouldn't have won five Grammy awards or sold 65 million records worldwide. Without you, we wouldn't have become the most successful girl group of all time! Without you there would be no TLC!! (sic)"

Former Rainbow and Dio bassist Jimmy Bain has died aged 68.
The musician's Dio and Last in Line bandmate Vivian Campbell confirmed the news on his Facebook page and paid tribute to his "gentle and generous" friend for all the help he gave him in the music industry.
Vivian - who plays guitar for Def Leppard - wrote: "It's with the heaviest of hearts that I must confirm the news of the passing of our dear friend and Last in Line band-mate, Jimmy Bain.
"It was Jimmy who gave me my first big break in the music industry and for that I am forever indebted.
"Jimmy's struggles with his demons were well documented through the years, but over the last 18 months he had finally won that battle and he was bright and lucid and motivated throughout the writing and recording of the new record.
"He leaves behind him a rich legacy of work from Rainbow, through Wild Horses, Dio, and finally, Last in Line. Jimmy was immensely proud of our new album and his input to it was immeasurable.
"He was a very kind and gentle and generous soul and our lives were greatly enriched for having known him. We will continue to celebrate his life through his music."
The Scottish star, whose cause of death is not yet known, also worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott and recorded several of Dio's big hits, including 'Holy Diver' and 'Rainbow in the Dark', in the 1980s alongside frontman Ronnie James Dio.
Several music stars have paid tribute to Jimmy, including Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine.
He tweeted: "Jimmy Bain has passed away. I'm saddened by the loss of my friend. David & I were very close with Jimmy. Godspeed! (sic)"
Motorhead's Phil Campbell wrote: "Jimmy Bain was a true musician and songwriter. He was involved and wrote more than u probably imagine. (sic)"

Zayn Malik thinks sex "has to be talked about".
The 23-year-old singer is to release his debut solo single 'Pillowtalk' later this week and has admitted the song is about having sex, saying it is something "people wanna hear about".
The former One Direction hunk said: "I think I'm pretty black and white what it's about.
"Everybody has sex, and it's something people wanna hear about.
"It's part of everybody's life and it's a very big part of life! And you don't wanna sweep it under the carpet. It has to be talked about."
Zayn also claimed he has never been bothered by what other people think of him and he has always had a clear idea of what he wanted to achieve with his life.
He told the Sunday Times newspaper: "From a young age, I knew what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go and what I wanted to be. And that's always been in me.
"I don't really care about other people's thoughts."
Zayn admitted he was keen to make his life away from his home city of Bradford in England.
He shared: "I just knew that I wanted to do something that was outside of Bradford. I knew I was gonna go somewhere."

Brett Anderson can't help wondering what life would have been like if Bernard Butler hadn't left Suede.
The 'Wild Ones' hitmaker admits there are things which he "bitterly regrets" and he often wonders how the group would have fared if the guitarist - who quit in 1994 and was subsequently replaced by Richard Oakes - had stayed.
He said: "I don't have any issues with the past. There's things I bitterly regret but everyone does.
"Specifically, with the history of Suede, I wonder where we would have gone as a band if Bernard had stayed.
"It's one of those alternative history things that obviously plays on my mind. I'd be a liar id I said I didn't think about it.
"But you can't go back and fix these things - they are unfixable."
Brett also admitted he and his bandmates experience a lot of "conflict" when working on new material, but now they are older, they don't let it affect them in the way they used to.
He told Mojo magazine: "I wouldn't say 'Night Thoughts' [new album] was as hard as [2013's] 'Bloodsports' but we go through a lot of conflict with the band when we're writing.
"Luckily, as people we're able to not let the conflict get too personal.
"When we were younger we didn't have the emotional tools to do that - hence the fact people leave bands."