Tuesday, May 28, 2024

Paul Weller enjoyed ‘singing some else’s lyrics’ on latest LP 66

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Liam Gallagher ‘absolutely blown away’ by production of Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary tour

Liam Gallagher has boasted that his upcoming 'Definitely Maybe' 30th anniversary set is sounding "full-on psychedelic". The former...

Tommy Lee says Motley Crue have ‘a new energy’ after dropping music with new guitarist John 5

Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee admits it was "really important" to make new music with new guitarist John 5.

Slash brands AI ‘confusing and misleading’

Slash has branded AI "confusing and misleading". The Guns N' Roses frontman, 58, fears that overuse of the technology...

Sir Elton John and Cillian Murphy praise Cocteau Twins star Simon Raymonde’s memoir

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Tom Jones: Rita Ora ‘coming across’ well


Rita Ora's personality is "coming across" well on 'The Voice', according to Sir Tom Jones.
The 74-year-old star has revealed his new colleague has been a hit during filming for the upcoming series of the BBC One talent show after replacing Kylie Minogue on the judging panel.
Speaking at the BBC Music Awards at London's Earls Court last night (12.12.14), he said: "Rita is great, she's fresh and she's what's happening now. She fills that seat very well because I think that's the hardest seat, for a female to fill, because there are three fellas there and one girl, so she's filling it really, really great.
"Her personality is coming across. Jessie J's personality came across, Kylie Minogue's personality came across and now Rita's is coming across, so it's different because they're three different people."
The 'Delilah' hitmaker also confessed it was a no-brainer for him to return to the show for a fourth year, despite the departure of mentors including Kylie, Jessie and The Script's Danny O'Donoghue in the past.
He explained: "It feels very natural for me to do it again, it's my fourth time now and Will [will.i.am] as well, second for [Kaiser Chiefs'] Ricky [Wilson] and brand new for Rita, so it feels very natural. The more I do it the more natural it feels."
Sir Tom also revealed Rita and will.i.am have been getting on like a house on fire.
He added: "I think she talks mostly to Will because they talk a lot about music. They've worked together you see, so they have a working relationship as well."

Jessie Wallace: Kissing Shane Richie is like kissing my brother


Jessie Wallace says kissing Shane Richie in 'EastEnders' is like kissing her "brother".
The 46-year-old actress and the 50-year-old actor have starred as Kat and Alfie Moon in the BBC One soap for nearly 12 years but Jessie has confessed she's grown so close to her on-screen husband in real life that she's started to cringe during their romantic scenes.
Quizzed on whether they've ever considered getting together in real life, Shane said: "Not in a million years!"
Jessie - who is engaged to musician Tim Arnold - added: "Shane is probably my closest mate and when we do the kissing scenes I'm starting to feel really uncomfortable with it, it's like kissing my brother."
Shane - who has children Mackenzie, eight, Lolita, six, and Romani-Skye, three, with wife Christie Goddard and sons Shane, 26, and Jake, 22, with ex-wife Coleen Nolan - admitted that while they do see each other outside of the show, they try not to let their personal lives affect their storylines.
Speaking to Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on ITV's 'This Morning', he shared: "It is very funny after 12 years and we spend a lot of time together as well but we try and keep that away from the screen as much as possible."

Noel Gallagher announces Teenage Cancer Trust show


Noel Gallagher will headline a Teenage Cancer Trust gig at London's Royal Albert Hall next March.
The 'AKA... What a Life!' hitmaker will take to the stage at the prestigious venue on March 28 in what will be the seventh time he has performed in support of the charitable organisation.
Noel - who also curated the annual series of charity gigs in 2013 - said: "Who'd have thought that after 15 years we'd be gearing up for another stint at the greatest venue in the world for Teenage Cancer Trust? Thanks to everyone, the bands, artists, comedians for all your continued support, and maximum respect to you the people for making it all possible. See you on Saturday 28th March!"
Charity patron and event curator Roger Daltrey is thrilled to have Noel back on board for the gigs.
The Who rocker said: "He was with us at our first show for Teenage Cancer Trust in 2000 and is now returning to the Royal Albert Hall for the seventh time.
"Noel has put his heart and soul into these shows over the years, curating them in 2013 and even releasing a live album for Teenage Cancer Trust.
"He's not only one of the best artists in the world but gives himself unconditionally. Noel has been a pivotal supporter to our mission and I'm incredibly proud both of him and the work he's done."
Support on the evening comes from Future Islands.
The rest of the acts performing at the Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust will be announced in the coming weeks.
Ticket's for Noel's show go on sale on December 16.

Sam Smith feared Saturday Night Live


Sam Smith was so "scared" of performing on 'Saturday Night Live', he begged not to appear.
The 'Stay With Me' hitmaker credits his US success to appearing on the popular weekend entertainment programme in March but admits he initially felt it was a bad idea to go on the show while he was still completely unknown.
He told Billboard magazine: "'Saturday Night Live' is the thing that broke me in America, but I was very scared, and I actually begged my team and my label to not do it when we got the call.
"I thought it would have more impact if I had a song out and on the radio."
Fortunately for the British singer, his team insisted it was the right move to make and he went on to enjoy overnight success in the States.
He added: "But I was so wrong. I had a story all of a sudden, and I was on people's iPods in the space of a week."
Sam's US success has been further cemented this month after he was nominated for six Grammy Awards, including Best Album for his record 'In the Lonely Hour'.
And the 22-year-old star can't wait to attend the ceremony in February because people finally know who he is.
He said recently: "I'm just excited to go there because last year I was there and I sat in the very back and no one knew who I was!"
The hit album which has topped charts around the world has also been revealed as the third most wished for record on amazon.co.uk, behind Pink Floyd and Ed Sheeran.

SPECTRE has exceeded its budget, leaked emails show


'SPECTRE' is already over budget by around $50 million.
Leaked documents from the recent cyber attack on Sony have revealed some of the financial details of the much-anticipated new James Bond film, showing that the budget was originally "in the mid $300 millions", but has been reduced to $250 million by the studio.
In a series of emails sent by MGM president Jonathan Glickman, he says: "We recognise that this movie needs to build on the past few films - and there are expectations we must meet for the audience. Still, we must find further cuts.
"This is not about 'nickel and diming' the production."
Barbara Broccoli, the producer, responded angrily to the messages.
What's more, a leaked email from Sony's Amy Pascal revealed her disappointment over 'SPECTRE'.
She wrote: "It's insane and you know with no script this movie is gonna go over budget."
The emails also reveal 'SPECTRE' director Sam Mendes was keen to secure the services of 'Sherlock' star Andrew Scott for the role of Denbigh in the film.
Chiwetel Ejiofor from '12 Years a Slave' was initially cast in the role, but it was decided his salary demands were too high.








Trading cards reveal names of Star Wars characters


The names of some of the characters in 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' have been revealed in a set of trading cards.
JJ Abrams, the director of the new film, confirmed the names via some old school trading cards given to Entertainment Weekly, revealing John Boyega's on-screen character is called Finn, while Daisy Ridley's character is called Rey.
What's more, Oscar Isaac's character in the new film is known as Poe Dameron, while the droid seen in the recent trailer is known as BB:8.
The trading cards also feature a Sith warrior named Kylo Ren.
The eagerly awaited 'Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens' is set around 30 years after 'Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi' and will feature key members of the original cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
The film is to be released in cinemas on December 18, 2015 and a recent trailer has served to heighten expectations around the movie.
However, George Lucas, the creator of the space opera, recently admitted he hasn't seen the trailer.
The 70-year-old film-maker sold his franchise to Disney in 2012 and revealed has yet to catch up on the newest instalment.
Asked about the trailer, George explained: "I don't know anything about it. I haven't seen it yet."

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Expendables 3 is ultimate action film


Arnold Schwarzenegger claims 'The Expendables 3' is the "ultimate action film".
The 67-year-old actor features as Trench in the star-studded movie and gushed about the film for being packed with action and a high calibre cast.
He said: "This is the ultimate action film, but it also has a great emotional rollercoaster ride and interesting characters. Sly [Sylvester Stallone] really knows how to tell a story and how to use each actor's talents in the best possible way."
The movie - which is out on DVD now - portrays the tension between Barney (Sylvester Stallone) and his team against Expendables co-founder Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson) who is determined to take down the team of alpha males, which also features Arnold's character.
Despite the film featuring a whole host of iconic actors, 'The Terminator' star revealed there weren't any egos on set, meaning they didn't have squabbles over characters or scripts.
He explained: "There was no fighting about who had more lines or more close ups. It's really an ensemble piece that allows everyone to shine. We all have our own talents and to bring them all together was fantastic."
However, the former Governor or California said there was a competitive spirit between the actors while on set because they wanted to make the best possible movie.
The star - who rose to fame as Mr Universe - added: "There was a little bit of competition maybe, because everyone wanted to do their best and I think that was really good for the film."

Ashton Kutcher: Babies are like phones


Ashton Kutcher thinks having a baby is like getting a new phone.
The 36-year-old actor and fiancee Mila Kunis welcomed daughter Wyatt into the world 10 weeks ago and the 'Two and a Half Men' star joked caring for a newborn was a similar experience to receiving a new communications device that doesn't have all its features correctly set up yet.
He said: "It won't take pictures and you're like, 'Why won't my phone take pictures?'' and it won't make calls and it doesn't do a lot, but it looks really cute."
Ashton is in awe of his baby girl and says she is learning things quickly.
He added: "She found herself in the mirror and realised she was able to control the thing in the mirror, which was pretty cool."
As well as praising Wyatt, Ashton - who was previously married to Demi Moore - also gushed about 31-year-old Mila, hailing the 'Black Swan' star as the "greatest mom" for how well she copes while he is at work.
Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres in an interview airing today (12.12.14), he said: "But the most amazing thing about having a baby is my partner, Mila. She's the greatest mom.
"I go to work every day and I come home and she's like perfect. And it just seems like everything went amazing and I know that something probably didn't go amazing, but she never complains."
The couple are hands-on parents and decided against hiring a nanny because they want to "know" their daughter better than anyone else.
The 'Jobs' star explained: "We just want to know our kid. We want to be the people that know what to do when the baby's crying to make the baby not cry anymore.
"I think the only way to do that is by being the one who's there."

Mark Wahlberg enjoyed first meal


Mark Wahlberg ate "until he was sick" after coming off a strict diet.
The 43-year-old actor lost a staggering 60lbs for his role in 'The Gambler' and after spending so long consuming mainly liquids, he was determined his first proper meal after filming would be perfect.
He said: "The first thing I ate was a huge pancake, eggs over easy, English muffins, home fries, bacon, sausage."You know, you wait for it so long, and this English muffin, when it came it wasn't brown enough. Normally, I'm not like a take-it-back kind of guy but I said, 'You have to make this golden brown. I want the nooks and the crannies, I want the butter dripping off.' I ate until I was sick."
Mark recently applied for a pardon over a 1988 assault conviction - which saw him serve 45 days in jail - and says he did so in a bid to put the past behind him.
The 'Ted' actor - who has children Ella, 11, Michael, eight, Brendan, six, and Grace, four, with wife Rhea Durham - told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "I've been spending the last 27 years trying to correct the mistakes that I made and trying to be the best person I could be, the best father I could be, and that's why [I applied for a pardon].
"I want to hopefully put those days behind me and correct the mistakes that I've made."

Keith Urban devastated by father-in-law’s death


Keith Urban found the death of his father-in-law "huge".
The 'American Idol' judge and his wife Nicole Kidman - with who he has daughters Sunday, six, and Faith, three - were left devastated in August when Dr. Antony Kidman passed away suddenly and the country crooner admits he has found it hard without the beloved family member.
He said: "The loss of Nic's dad was huge. I can't even describe what that moment was like for our family. I was very, very close to Nic's dad."
Antony's death caused Keith to miss shooting 'American Idol' auditions in New York and he was very grateful to have such "amazing" support, both from the staff on the show and his fans.
He told reporters on a conference call: "Adam Lambert stepped up and filled in for me. It was an amazing thing to see that support. I am very grateful, and I don't take those things for granted. You would think people would have a heart.
"When I saw it in action with all of the network at FOX and all of the people involved with 'Idol', and then of course my fan base, it was an extraordinary thing."

Whoopi Goldberg clears the air


Whoopi Goldberg insists she didn't fart on 'The View'.
The 59-year-old star appeared to let rip on the US talk show on Wednesday (10.12.14) during a 'Hot Topics' debate in which singer Ashanti was discussing whether or not she thinks people should get a flu jab but insists the audible noise that disrupted the debate was an unusual sound effect that she quickly made a joke about.
She said: "There was a sound effect that we had never heard before. I'm thinking, 'Damn, that's weird, what can I do?' Oh, I know! I'm gonna pretend I let a little something go. As a joke.
""Now, these folks are emailing people, running up on people saying, 'How do you feel about the fart that Whoopi did on 'The View'?' It's a joke!
"I know you think that I don't [make jokes] any more, I do, I make funnies. I don't fart on air for real!"
Whoopi was previously reported to have broke wind while sitting on a sofa with 'Homeland' star Claire Danes and fellow host Joy Behar in 2011 and though her co-star appeared offended by a putrid pong, the actress insists that too was a joke.
On the show yesterday (11.12.14), she added: This is the second time I've covered something like this because sometimes I hear something and I think, 'Oh, we got to do something to get attention from it,' and so I try to move it and that's the fastest 'cause the fart joke works [instantly] like that.
"So everybody relax, I didn't fart on air, it was a joke."
The mysterious farting incident this week happened after a camera was firmly focused on Ashanti when a sudden explosion of air could be heard.
Whoopi then sat in her seat looking sheepish and embarrassingly said: "Excuse me! Oooh, oooh."
The panel and studio audience erupted into a gale of laughter and Whoopi then stood up, put her hand in the air and said: "Hold on for a minute."
Whoopi's fellow panellist Rosie O'Donnell then walked around the desk and started to jokingly wave her hands up and down in a desperate attempt to rid the studio of Whoopi's whiffy wind.
The other panellists joined in by picking up pieces of paper on their desks and frantically waving them up and down to try to exterminate Goldberg's gas.
Whoopi then declared: "Oh, I feel so much better now!"

Ben Haenow and Fleur East choose same winner’s single


Ben Haenow and Fleur East have chosen the same 'X Factor' winner's single.
The wannabe popstars - who are both mentored by over 25s judge Simon Cowell - have revealed they've both chosen the same song to release if they're crowned winner of the competition this weekend.
Quizzed by Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes on ITV's 'This Morning' on whether it was true they'd both decided on the same track, Ben said: "Yes it's 'Something I Need' by OneRepublic."
Andrea Faustini - who is the last remaining act from Mel B's boys category - will be sticking to what he does best by releasing a power ballad if he comes in first place.
He said: "I can tell? 'I Didn't Know My Own Strength' by Whitney Houston."
Ben has confessed they've been putting their all into rehearsals ahead of the first leg of the ITV talent show final tomorrow (13.12.14).
He added: "I think we've all got our heads in the game now and we all desperately want to win the competition and to have that released as a single and a Christmas song would be the most incredible thing ever."
Meanwhile, Andrea has commented on reports Mel - who is said to have been struck by a mystery illness - could be set to miss the final altogether.
He said: "Yes I heard that she's not so well but I think she be fine and it's okay."