Music News

John Renbourn has passed away aged 70.
The Pentangle guitarist was found dead from a suspected heart attack at his home in Hawick in the Scottish borders by police on Thursday morning (26.03.15), after colleagues voiced their concerns when he failed to turn up to a scheduled show at the Ferry in Glasgow the previous evening.
The musician was most well known for his work with the 'Light Flight' singing folk band but also forged a career as a solo artist, releasing his final studio album 'Palermo Snow' in 2011.
Describing the "great" artist, his manager of 25 years, Dave Smith, said: "He was just larger than life. Game for anything. He was just finishing off a tour with Wizz Jones - and was looking forward to the next. He was a great teacher - he was always putting himself down as a teacher and running weekend workshops all over Europe, where he would have students come and learn from him."
John originally founded Pentangle in 1967 with late friend Bert Jansch, who died in 2011, but Dave continued to say his solo career was just as important as it stretched over such a huge period.
He added: "Obviously that [Pentangle] was what brought him into prominence.
"But his solo career has been a continuous thing. It never got large because it's very specialist music, but he's had an international fan base because of his influential playing style."
Paying tribute to the folk icon on Twitter, DJ and Catatonia musician Cerys Matthews described John as a "lovely, lovely man".
She wrote: "So sorry and sad to hear of John Renbourn's passing. A loving, lovely man. RIP John, it was an honour and pleasure meeting you."

Van Morrison almost quit music in the Seventies.
The iconic performer - whose real name is George Ivan Morrison - became disillusioned with the music industry in his early twenties, but revealed he was inspired by his support act, 72-year-old blues star Taj Mahal, who gave him the confidence to continue to perform live.
He recalled: "In the early Seventies, I was trying to get out of the music business but promoter Bill Graham kept pressuring me to do gigs. He says, 'Why don't you do one more gig before you retire?'
"I said, 'I can't do this' and I was going off. Then Taj came on the stage, took the microphone and said, 'Can you turn the f***ing lights off?'
"So they did it because this guy was about 6ft 6in. I could do the show."
However, nowadays the 69-year-old singer/songwriter - whose 35th studio album 'Duets: Reworking the Catalogue' is out now - confessed performing live in small venues is "like breathing" because it has become such an important part of his life.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper: "I can't do tours any more ... too exhausting.
"Even when I was in America doing big gigs, I still did small clubs as well. I've always done it. For me it's like breathing, something I need to do."

Usher has thanked his fans for helping him through "very tumultuous times".
The 36-year-old star admitted his supporters have seen him through the "ups and downs" of his career during the final night of his 'URXTour' at The O2 in London last night (26.03.15).
Speaking to the crowd, he said: "You know, it's been some time since I've been back here at The O2 and I mean, I feel this way most of the time, but I sense that no matter how many days, weeks, months, years pass - we always stay connected.
"And for that discipline or that support I thank you guys so much because this 23 year career of mine has ... Yeah I've been here for a minute ... But within 22/23 years I've made a lot of different transitions, I've been through a lot of things.
"I've had some ups, I've had some downs, I've had some very tumultuous times and the things that help me to make it through that is your love and your support and I just want to take two seconds to thank you, thank you for everything."
The heartthrob performed a crowd-pleasing set which featured tracks from across his two-decade long career including 'Love In This Club', 'U Got It Bad', 'My Boo', Let It Burn' and 'Confessions Part II' before moving into his latest material such as the Nicki Minaj featuring 'She Came To Give It To You', 'Good Kisser' and his collaboration with Chris Brown and Rick Ross 'New Flame'.
Usher then brought the show to a close with a medley of his biggest dance hits 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love', 'More', 'Without You' and the 2002 single 'Yeah!'

People around Zayn Malik feel "misled".
On Wednesday (25.03.15), the 22-year-old singer announced he was quitting One Direction for good, saying he wanted "to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight", but was spotted heading into a recording studio yesterday, leading people around the star to feel confused about his real reasons for leaving the band.
A source close to the band - which now consists of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan - said: "He told everyone in the band and management that he wants to live a normal life and the next thing you know he's going into music studios and doing interviews with tabloids."
Since quitting the group, Zayn has given an extensive interview to The Sun newspaper, prompting speculation he may have had other reasons for leaving the band than those he's suggested.
The source told PEOPLE: "Everyone feels a bit misled and thinks he was lying about wanting to live a normal life."
The insider said people around the band feel Zayn has "played" them, adding: "Louis and Zayn are friends and will talk but the rest probably won't."

Years & Years' Olly Alexander "felt like such a loser" before becoming a musician.
The trio's frontman has admitted he finally feels content now he is in the successful band because he never felt like he fitted in before embarking on a career in music.
Speaking in a video for Vevo LIFT, he confessed: "It's so much easier being in a band, especially because, as a teenager I felt like such a misfit and I wouldn't say I had a happy childhood really, I was quite a nervous kid and never enjoyed being at school and never got on with the kids that well. I just felt uncomfortable in my own skin and, I always wanted to be someone else, like be somewhere else, and I felt like such a loser but music gives you identity. And it made me feel like I could do something."
The 'King' songwriter continued to say performing to huge audiences along with bandmates Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Turkmen has helped him to be more confident as he knows he's part of a team, which makes him feel like a "high end version" of himself.
He added: "When you're singing or playing music to an audience - that's a special relationship that maybe you don't get in another part of your life. You have a unit there and it's less intimidating going out on stage, 'cause you know you've got other people to rely on and who can back you up. Yeah, I think that's priceless, that kind of support.
"You get up on stage and become someone else, you know, you become a more kind of high end version of who you are, and the situation's high end, and all the rules are different. You use extrovert behaviour to kind of counteract feeling shy and insecure."
Years & Years are the second LIFT act of 2015 following on from James Bay. 2014's acts included Foxes, Sam Smith, Gorgon City, Ella Eyre and Rixton.

Sam Smith has vowed not to "hide anything" on his next record.
The 22-year-old star performed a sold out concert at Brixton O2 Academy in London on Wednesday (25.03.15), revealing he felt like his best-selling debut album 'In the Lonely Hour' was like a "diary", and will continue to be honest on the record's eagerly-anticipated follow-up.
Speaking to the audience, he said: "I had a very broad idea of things I needed to do to become well known. And I thought that if I lost loads of weight ... then people would listen, but the truth was people only started to properly listen to me when I started being myself. And the way for me to do that through music was to be honest. This album is my diary, I've hidden nothing from anyone and I won't hide anything from anyone on my future record, my future songs."
The show was one of a string of sold out UK gigs following tours across Europe and USA, and although he has picked up four Grammys and two BRITs already this year, the 'Lay Me Down' hitmaker confessed no awards can compare to the feeling he gets when he performs for his adoring fans.
He added: "The last few month with the Grammys and the Brits have been, have been so amazing, but truly for my heart all these awards are great but nothing, nothing compares to standing and singing to you guys. So thank you, thank you for coming and supporting me."
The chart-topping star will head to Australia and New Zealand next month to continue the 'In the Lonely Hour Tour', before performing shows across North America and a selection of festivals.

Rita Ora is set to collaborate with Jess Glynne.
The 24-year-old singer has enlisted the help of the rising star to help make some new music, and Jess has confirmed she has sent demos over to her with the idea of the pair recording one of them as a duet.
She revealed: "I've spoken to Rita a few times and she's asked me to collaborate. So I've done some stuff for her, she's had my songs sent to her to work on and yeah, I'm up for it."
The collaboration follows Jess's work with Clean Bandit on the smash hit 'Rather Be', and Rita's track with fellow female Charli XCX, 'Doing It'.
However, although they could be recording together in the near future, Jess, 25, admitted she is anxious of performing in front of Rita this weekend when she sings her new single 'Hold My Hand' on 'The Voice UK', on which the 'I Will Never Let You Down' singer is a coach.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "I'm so nervous of these TV shows.
"You have all the judges in front of you, that's my worst nightmare doing an audition. I've never met Tom or Ricky - I could never be a contestant, I'm too scared."

Ne-Yo wants to work with Adele and Sam Smith.
The 'Let Me Love You' hitmaker has revealed he is keen to get into the studio with the multi-Grammy Award winners because he is such a fan of their powerful voices.
He revealed: "[I'm] loving what's going on with Sam Smith right now.
"[I'm] waiting for Adele to come back. I heard she's about to get into the studio. I'd love to get in and do some stuff with her."
The 35-year-old singer and producer - who recently released his new album 'Non-Fiction' - has previously worked with artists including Beyonce, Rihanna and Celine Dion, but explained he prefers British acts because they are more focused on the "artistry" of the music, as opposed to stories surrounding their personal lives.
He continued: "It seems like over there the focus is on the music and the artistry.
"Whereas [in America] we kind of get caught up more a little bit in the controversy, the scandal, the back story, the imaging and all of that."
However, the crooner revealed he is going to continue working with Pitbull - with whom he created the hits 'Give Me Everything' and 'Time of Our Lives' - because "it just works".
He told ETOnline: "It's me and Pit's second time working together and definitely not our last.
"I don't know, maybe it's our appreciation for suits but for whatever reason it just works."

Gene Simmons has accused U2 and Rolling Stones of relying heavily on backing tracks at their gigs.
The Kiss rocker believes the iconic bands are being dishonest to their fans by using pre-recorded content when they perform, and thinks it is unfair to charge high ticket prices if shows aren't entirely live.
He ranted: "I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks.
"You're paying $100 - 30 to 50 per cent of the show is (on) backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip-synch. At least be honest.
"It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.
"There's nobody with a synthesiser on our stage ... no samples on the drums, there's nothing. There's very few bands who do that now - AC/DC, Metallica, us. I can't even say that about U2 or the (Rolling) Stones. There's very few bands who don't use (backing) tracks."
Despite slamming the use of synthesisers and backing tracks, the 65-year-old star went on to gush about 'Applause' hitmaker Lady Gaga, who he thinks should ditch pop music to make a rock record because she has such a great voice.
He told News.com.au: "Lady Gaga I like. She's the real deal. She's come to our shows. What she's done with Tony Bennett shows that, above the backing tracks and dancers from Las Vegas on poles, she can really sing.
"I'd like to see Gaga come out with a real rock band and do a rock record. She is the real deal, unlike all the others. She can do what Madonna can't - she can sing."