Music News

Courtney Love and Dave Grohl have ended their feud by placing a $10,000 bet over strippers.
The pair - who hadn't spoken for 20 years since the death of Courtney's husband, Dave's Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain - were seen laughing and hugging at a party for Danny Clinch's photo book 'Still Moving' at the McKittrick Hotel in New York on Monday (13.10.14), much to the astonishment of other guests.
A source told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "Courtney and Dave were nose-to-nose at the table in the back, laughing, crying and hugging. It's nice to see those two burying the hatchet for real. Courtney doesn't really drink, but she and Dave did tequila shots.
"They were very intense with each other. People were surprised . . .  Michael Stipe looked like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Then Courtney and Dave were heard making a 10-grand bet on who could get the most strippers at Scores."
However, Courtney went home from the party, while the Foo Fighters rocker went on to the famous strip joint and spent a reported $10,000 on tequila, champagne and private dancers.
A source said: "Dave was a real gentleman and very generous. The dancers loved him, he was a really good tipper.
"If he and Courtney had a competition over strippers, he would have definitely won."
However, the 50-year-old rocker insists the bet is "still on" and has vowed to win.
She tweeted yesterday (14.10.14): "the bet is still on @davegrohl we'll do the wager out west and I swear I'll win! (sic)"
The two stars feuded for year over the rights to Nirvana's music and finances but relations thawed this year at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April.

Jack White has cancelled his tour dates in Mexico after the death of his keyboard player, Isaiah 'Ikey' Owens.
The singer cancelled two Mexican tour dates after announcing the news of the keyboard player's passing via a statement on the official Jack White website.
The statement read: "It is with great sadness that we tell the world of the passing of the incredible musician Isaiah 'Ikey' Owens. He will be missed and loved forever by his family, friends, bandmates and fans.
"Out of respect for Ikey, the remaining shows of the Jack White Tour in Mexico have been cancelled. We will all miss you Ikey. You were and are an incredible artist."
The heartfelt post also praised Ikey for his involvement in Jack's band but also for his other achievements.
The statement shared: "Ikey Owens was an astounding keyboard player in Jack White's backing band. He also played with Mars Volta, Free Moral Agents, and many other projects."
After making the announcement yesterday (14.10.14) Jack cancelled a scheduled gig in Guadalajara which was meant to happen later that evening. They were also due to play Monterrey at the Banamex Auditorium in Mexico on October 15, which has now been cancelled.

Jessie J took John Newman for a special birthday dinner to thank him for writing for her album.
The 26-year-old singer was thrilled when John gave her the track 'Fire' for her new LP 'Sweet Talker' - which was released this week - and although she didn't get a chance to work with him in the studio she did treat him to a delicious meal to show her gratitude.
Speaking to BANG Showbiz, she said: "Unfortunately with John I didn't get to go into the studio with him but I took him out for dinner on his birthday and that was my thank you. I know that he heard the song and came back and forth with things that he felt could be changed, but no, we didn't actually work together, he just sent it over."
The pop pair were prevented from working with each other in person by Jessie's decision to re-locate to Los Angeles to record the album.
She knew the process was going well because the entire record only took five weeks to make and each track sounded like it's "own film".
She explained: "I did everything in LA. I only recorded this album in five weeks, old school! We recorded 20 songs and I used 16. And there are probably three of the songs that weren't used that will be on the next record. I wanted every track to be its own film. I think so many people now worry about everything being very similar like, 'I'm going to do 12 songs like 'Domino' but I would be so bored. And there are definitely going to be songs that are for some people and not for others, you know? My mum has her favourite and my nephew has his and my best friend has hers and everybody's favourite is different and that's what I want ... I wanted each song to be its own personality and a little bit of me, you know? Not every day am I 'Bang Bang' and not everyday am I 'Personal' but those moments exist in my life."

Nile Rodgers and Rudimental have completed their collaboration on the remix of Chic song 'Le Freak'.
The artists reinvented the disco classic as part of the GoThinkBig project - an initiative launched by O2 which offers young people valuable work experience - and it comes out on October 17.
Grammy Award winner Nile and Rudimental worked with 70 young people on the track giving them the chance to contribute to the production and also create the accompanying music video and all proceeds from the song will be donated to GoThinkBig and Nile's charity, the We Are Family Foundation.
The 62-year-old musician debuted the video and song at his sold-out concert at The Indigo2 in London last Thursday (09.10.14) and revealed he got involved in the project because he can remember how hard it was for him and his late songwriting partner Bernard Edwards to break into the music business.
He said: "I remember we got turned away from Studio 54 and we went and wrote 'FO' which eventually became 'Le Freak'. But we couldn't have done that without having so people around us so me & Rudimental wanted to do the same ... Without rejection you won't learn how to do it right. All the songs that don't do well allow you to make the hit records."
At the concert Nile played a greatest hits set comprised of songs recorded by Chic and tracks he wrote and produced for other artists.
After opening with 'Everybody Dance', 'Dance, Dance, Dance' and 'I Want Your Love', the band then played a medley of "some number one hit records" Nile was responsible for, including Diana Ross smashes 'I'm Coming Out' and 'Upside Down' and Sister Sledge's 'He's The Greatest Dancer' and 'We Are Family'.
Before a rare rendition of Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' - which Nile played guitar on - he told fans, "I feel pretty lucky to be here. Everything we do and every song we do we got to simplify it," prompting Chic to open with a slowed down, gospel tinged version of the song before speeding it up.
They closed the set with a version of David Bowie's 'Let's Dance',
'Le Freak' and 'Good Times' - for which they were joined on stage by the young people involved in the GoThinkBig project.
Meanwhile, Nile collected the prestigious Song of the Year prize for 'Get Lucky' at the BMI London Awards on Monday night (13.10.14).
He was on hand at the ceremony - held at The Dorchester Hotel - to pick up the gong, with his collaboration with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams beating off competition from tracks by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding and Avicii.
Other winners on the night included Van Morrison, who picked up the BMI Million-Air Award, and Sir Tim Rice, who was honoured at the event with the BMI Icon Award.

Ella Eyre is working with DJ Fresh.
The pop prodigy co-wrote Sigma and Paloma Faith's recent hit single 'Changing', and has now started collaborating with other artists, and is busy at the moment with music for the 'Gold Dust' producer.
The 20-year-old singer is most well known for her collaboration with Rudimental on their hit single 'Waiting All Night' and she has also hinted that she might be heading back into the studio with the drum and bass group again.
She told BANG Showbiz: "Well I've been working a bit with DJ Flesh and the Rudimental boys are starting on their second album so we'll see how that goes.
"I'm doing bits and bobs of writing but I'm mainly focusing on myself at the moment."
The 'Comeback' singer toured with Rudimental in 2013, and she admits life on the road with the guys was always fun.
She said: "I've had loads of wacky experiences, especially being on the road with the Rudimental boys, but they're good fun, you know, everyone is in there for the right reasons, and I guess it's just a lot of late nights."
Ella - whose debut album is set for release in 2015 - added: "I went on tour with the Rudimental boys for seven months and that was on the rise of their success, and I got to take the backseat and watch them, it was like a crash course on how the music industry works."

Pharrell Williams is open to recording with One Direction.
The 'Happy' hitmaker would happily work with the British boy band - which comprises Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles - on a track - because he knows it doesn't have to be released if it isn't very good.
Asked if he would work with the group, Pharrell told BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw: "I would. What's the worst that could happen? Something that we don't think is good? We don't put it out."
Producer Pharrell - who has previously worked with stars including Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran - also admitted his "life has changed" now he is a successful solo artist in his own right.
He said: "Two years ago my management said Columbia Records wanted to have a conversation with me. My life has changed ever since. I've not gotten used to it
"The only reason why I said yes was because I was so overwhelmed and touched that they even cared what I would make. I wasn't asking for it. Even up until my first show, I didn't know what I was going to do."

Noel Gallagher is still friends with his former Oasis bandmates.
The songwriter insists they are no hard feelings with the musicians he used to work with following his decision to quit the super-group in 2009 after a backstage bust-up with his brother, singer Liam Gallagher.
In the aftermath Noel launched a solo career while Liam formed new group Beady Eye with the other members Gem Archer, Andy Bell and Chris Sharrock.
However, the High Flying Birds frontman insists they all get along well now and spent a recent night together drinking.
Refusing to reveal whether Liam was involved in the meet-up, Noel said: "I was with some of Beady Eye the other night and they are still plugging away. They're good lads. We all got completely s**t-faced and we talked nonsense for hours. It was good."
Quickly stopping speculation they may have discussed an Oasis reunion, he added: "Though not about a reunion, for anyone trying to seize on that."
The 47-year-old musician was speaking at a Q&A session at Facebook HQ to announce his new album 'Chasing Yesterday' - out March 2 2015 - and one cheeky fan couldn't resist asking about the possibility of an Oasis reunion.
When quizzed if he'd play solo material when the band reforms, Noel laughed: "What reunion? You tell me, you seem to know."
The 'Don't Look Back In Anger' singer also scoffed at his brother Liam's criticism of the recent anniversary re-issue of Oasis' debut LP 'Definitely Maybe', insisting he wouldn't be complaining about the money earned from it
Noel said: "What did Liam say, (rehashing?) Really? I bet he didn't say that when he was putting the cheque in the bank."
As well as his new album Noel also announced his next single, 'In the Heat of the Moment', will be released digitally and on limited-edition vinyl on November 17 and he will be heading out on a UK arena tour next March.

Lorde has sung a parody of herself from 'South Park'.
The 17-year-old 'Royals' singer proved that she has a good sense of humour after she sang an excerpt of a song from the cartoon series 'South Park' - which claimed that Lorde was actually a middle aged man.
Talking to New Zealand's TV3, she joked: "I was thinking, 'Yeah he has a moustache ... I mean I have a moustache, but is it that prominent?' But it was someone's dad pretending to be me.
"We actually, in my hotel room, went, 'Ya ya ya ya I am Lorde! Ya ya ya!' for like an hour, because that's what they do on the episode."
At the time the episode of 'South Park' went live (09.10.14) she tweeted: "i have officially been the subject of 2 south park episodes and that is weird and cool (sic)"
The pop star also admitted to TV3 that Twitter has played a big role in finding the artists for 'The Hunger Games' soundtrack because it meant that she able to contact them directly.
She said: "I have been putting together 'The Hunger Games' soundtrack and probably half the artists on there, I sent them a DM [Direct Message]. Or a selfie on Instagram on private, saying, 'Can you email me?'
"It really is easy to reduce the steps in talking to someone and people appreciate it if you talk to people one-on-one. And I do it with fans too, send them a DM. They appreciate it and it's cool."

Noel Gallagher wishes his new album had a different title.
The 'Everybody's on the Run' singer has announced the release of 'Chasing Yesterday' in March 2015 and admits he struggled to come up with a name for the record as all his ideas were "f***ing s**t".
He said: "Effectively it doesn't really have a title, I couldn't really come up with a title for it and every time I did somebody would say to me that's f****ing s**t. I literally came up with it last week but it'll have to do for now, if I could change it I would change it."
And the former Oasis rocker admits he always hates coming up with album titles and would rather fans made their own names up for his records.
Speaking during a Q and A session streamed live on Facebook, he said: "If I could stick an album out with a plain white sticker on it and say "Call it what you want" I would."
Noel - who will release new single, 'In the Heat of the Moment' next month - admits working titles for the album paid tribute to Pink Floyd and The Smiths' classic albums 'Dark Side of the Moon' and 'Meat is Murder'.
Asked about the record's working titles, he said: "'Dark Side of The Room', 'Wheat is Murder'. Look a title is a title it's really about the tunes at the end of the day."
Meanwhile, the singer also admitted one track on the album, 'Lock All the Doors' has taken 23 years to complete.
He said: "I always meant to finish it off, I kept the chorus but I could never find a way of getting the verses and chorus to tie up. One day I was coming out of Tesco Metro in Maida Vale, where I live, and it just came to me. The song is from 1993 but the chorus was so f***ing brilliant I never forgot it."