Idris Elba to DJ in London
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Concerts / Tours, Performances, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, R&B / Soul,
Idris Elba will make a special DJ appearance at London's Sway nightclub on Friday.
The actor-and-DJ will provide the soundtrack to a night of partying at the Covent Garden hotspot, marking his first DJ set since the whirlwind success of his latest acting role as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, for which he recently earned a Golden Globe nomination
The 41-year-old star will DJ under his musical moniker 7 Wallace and will also be joined by US female rapper Eve - whose hit singles include "Tambourine" and "Rich Girl" with Gwen Stefani - and former EastEnders actor Chucky Venn, who plays Ray Dixon in the BBC One soap.
Idris recently revealed that his next album will be dedicated to former South African leader Nelson Mandela, who died at the age of 95 earlier this month: "The album will be called Mi Mandela. I went back to South Africa and worked with some great musicians. I'm really proud of the album. I'll wait until the film has died down so it doesn't get muddled but I'll release it in the New Year. Basically, it's a love letter from me to Mandela about me playing him."
Gallery: Idris Elba to DJ in London
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Jay-Z Joins Beyonce at Sound of Change
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Concerts / Tours, Performances, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul,
Beyonce was joined on-stage by husband Jay-Z at the Sound of Change concert last night. The couple - who together have a 16-month-old daughter Blue Ivy - performed their huge hit "Crazy In Love" much to the delight of the crowd at London's Twickenham Stadium. They even shared a kiss on stage in front of the adoring fans at the show in aid of The Chime For Change charity which funds education, health and justice projects for women.
Appropriately opening her set with "A Change Is Gonna Come," the superstar led the crowd through a set filled with hits like "If I Were A Boy" and "Single Ladies." She also paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston - which was also done on her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour - saying, "We will always love you, Whitney" during a performance of "I Will Always Love You." Beyonce then brought her headline performance to an end with the ever-powerful "Halo," closing a hugely successful event.
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Carrie Underwood to Write About the UK?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Gossip, Country, Pop,
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Carrie Underwood would love to write a song about the UK.
The "Before he Cheats" singer is headlining The C2C: Country to Country festival at London's The O2 on Sunday, and thinks the country could provide suitable inspiration for one of her future hits.
"I've been to England a few times already. And country music is full of such incredible writers. I think we could sit down and write a song about anything. About breakfast at St. Pancras [railway station]? Sure, I bet. The train, that's a country image," she said.
Carrie, 30, thinks her genre has become so diverse she could imagine bands from all over the world could make it in the US. "I think an English act could make it. The cool thing about country right now is that there are so many different kinds of country music. You can turn on the radio and hear some people who are really traditional, who have been around forever and still have a huge following, then people like me, Rascal Flatts and [New Zealander] Keith Urban. He's not from the US and he's one of our biggest stars. Things that are more rock, more pop and even people who are rapping in country songs lately, I don't know how," she added.
Gallery: Carrie Underwood to Write About the UK?
The Rolling Stones Face Huge Fine
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Concerts / Tours, Performances, Rock, New Releases,
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The Rolling Stones are facing a $320,000 fine because their gig at London's O2 on Sunday was 35 minutes too long.
The veteran rockers - made up of Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts - were playing the first of their historic 50 and Counting shows and were meant to finish at 10:30pm. However, they defied local council rules and thrilled the 20,000-strong crowd by continuing to play encores until 11:05pm, meaning they will be given a huge fine.
"It means a big fine - but the guys just do their thing. There wasn't a janitor standing there, jangling his keys, saying. 'I want to go home,'" their agent Bernard Doherty told The Sun.
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Muse Makes Live Return
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Concerts / Tours, Performances, Alternative, Electronic, Rock, New Releases,
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Muse made their live return in London last night.
The "Survival" trio closed the annual iTunes festival in spectacular fashion, treating fans to a selection of material from their new album The 2nd Law, as well as classic tracks from their back catalogue.
Although the smaller venue meant the group did away with their usual stunning laser show and complex stage setting, video screens running around the venue and frontman Matt Bellamy's dazzling sparkling jacket meant there was still a visual spectacle accompanying the music.
The group opened their set with "Supremacy," with Matt taking the opportunity to reveal one of his heroes was in the crowd. "That last song was a little bit influenced by a certain Jimmy Page - who I believe is in the building," he said after the song.
While preview material has hinted at the trio going in a dub-step direction, Matt used the show to prove their experimentation isn't new. Introducing 2003 single "Time Is Running Out," he quipped, "Listen to the dub-step bassline on this."
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Coldplay Close Paralympic Games
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Concerts / Tours, Performances, Alternative, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, Rock,
Coldplay closed the Paralympic Games last night. The "Paradise" group performed a 15 song set at the closing ceremony of the games at the Olympic Stadium in London.
The group took to the stage with "Us Against the World" before launching into one of their most recognizable anthems, "Yellow." Later in the set the band - Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion - were joined by Rihanna for their single "Princess of China." After her first guest spot they performed "Strawberry Swing" with The British Paraorchestra, before Rihanna returned for a rendition of her single "We Found Love."
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Usher Opens iTunes Festival
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Concerts / Tours, Performances, Alternative, Dance, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul, Rock, iTunes,
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The "Yeah!" hitmaker got the party started on the opening night of the month-long free festival at the city's Roundhouse venue with a hit packed set and his trademark super-smooth dance moves. The muscular singer may have slipped up as he performed "You Make Me Wanna," but after a cheeky suggestion from his backing dancers, did 40 push-ups for the crowd to make up for it.
The singer's set featured hits including "Burn," "OMG," "Climax," "Scream" and his collaboration with David Guetta, "Without You."
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Blur Unveil Two New Tracks
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Performances, Alternative, Rock, New Releases,
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The "Song 2" band performed "Under the Westway" and "The Puritan" from a rooftop at a secret location via a live video stream, watched by fans around the world.
The band last staged a reunion show in 2009 but are back together again for a special show on August 12 in London, to mark the end of the Olympics. Bass player Alex James said the band had only started recording the tracks three weeks ago, and finished "The Puritan" last week. When asked whether there was a future for the band after the Olympic shows, Alex told BBC Radio 1, "I've got no idea what happens next, or if it ever happens again." He did, however, add, "There's never been a period where more than six months have gone by and we haven't stuck our heads in and had a bish-bash. It's just really, really good fun."
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Rihanna Records New Material in London
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, R&B / Soul,
The "You Da One" singer has booked studio time with top up-and-coming UK music producers Burns and Nicky Romero ahead of her performance at Radio 1's Hackney Weekend in London on Sunday. "Rihanna is working with Marina and the Diamonds' boyfriend Burns, a Brighton-based producer who is good mates with Calvin Harris. They've booked three days in the studio, which they'll fit around him doing some work with Kelis. Rihanna's also working with Nicky Romero, another DJ and pal of Calvin," a source said.
Rihanna previously worked with Calvin on her track "We Found Love," from last year's Talk That Talk album.
The 24-year-old has high an extremely high work rate, releasing six albums since 2005. However, the Barbados-born star had delayed her studio sessions as she was reluctant to leave her family in New York, as her grandmother is battling cancer in hospital. "I'm in LONDON bitchesssss. I didn't wanna leave NY! I kept missing my flights hehehe (sic)" she wrote on Twitter.
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Usher to Get ‘Up Close and Personal’ With Fans
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Performances, Hip-Hop & Rap, R&B / Soul, New Releases,
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The "OMG" hitmaker will launch his new album Looking 4 Myself at the Hammersmith Apollo with a concert which will be streamed live around the world on his YouTube Vevo channel as part of the American Express Unstaged series and Usher is excited about the experience.
"The American Express Unstaged show is my chance to be a little bit modern and also to get up close and personal with the fans, which is something I don't get in a stadium or arena. Things are changing with the way we discover and develop talent and this is just another way to bring fans closer to the music and the artist. It's art in motion but also something that I think the fans will really get a kick out of."
The livestream from London will be directed by Hamish Hamilton and Usher is thrilled to be working with the filmmaker: "Working with Hamish has always been a pleasure, he's someone I really respect and he really gets me as an artist. Having the ability to stream my performance live allows me to be connected to the entire world, it's kind of like modern thinking but classic at the same time."
Gallery: Usher to Get ‘Up Close and Personal’ With Fans
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