Joe Kavanagh's Music News

One of the biggest stories currently circulating in the Irish music world surrounds the recent split of Irish indie-rockers, The Immediate, who decided to call time on their promising career just over a week ago. The timing of their demise does certainly seem curious, given the fact that the four-piece was considered to be one of the most promising bands on the Irish rock scene since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, In Towers & Clouds in 2006. It is made doubly peculiar given the fact that they are penciled in on the lineups of some of the biggest festivals in European music this summer but such is life in the music industry. Known for swapping instruments during their live shows, it is perhaps not hard to envisage how two or more of the band probably felt that they were the true front man and their citation of 'existential differences' as the catalyst for the split probably points in that direction. We wish all four members luck in their future endeavors and hope that they don't live to regret their decision...

Anyone who feared that Sinead O'Connor's recent album filled with religious themes had led her any closer to sanity should not have been too worried. Speaking about the seeming contradiction of her embracing the Rastafari religious movement and its inherent dislike of all things homosexual, the domed one gave the following answer: 'I suppose what I like about it is that it's not a religion, it's a prophetic movement. And, yes, I'm aware that it's anti-gay in a lot of ways. I can deal with that even though I'm a woman who likes shagging birds. I'm also madly in love with a man right now. Which makes me bisexual, I guess.' I believe the word 'unhinged' might be a little more appropriate Sinead...

An extensive poll carried out by Scottish firm Freeads.co.uk has discovered that Pete Doherty is most people's idea of a 'roommate from hell', by a veritable landslide. Over 60% of those asked named Doherty as the celebrity that they would least like to cohabitate with, presumably due to his prodigious drug intake, unsavory habits and questionable friends. The remainder of the top five were, in order: Britney Spears, Victoria 'Posh Spice' Beckham, Simon Cowell and Madonna...

Speaking of Simon Cowell, the music mogul was in the media last week telling interviewers that he will never, ever indulge in any plastic surgery to stave off the effects of old age. Whilst I believe him for the most part, if that belt of his keeps commuting up his torso then I would imagine that he will definitely have to undergo some sort of surgical procedure just to remove his boxers from between his buttocks...

Paul McCartney made a welcome return to the live circuit in recent weeks and many are hailing is latest album, Memory Almost Full, as his best work in over a decade. The album title is widely believed to be an anagram of 'for my soulmate LLM (Linda Louise McCartney)' and Macca was telling journalists last week that he will never write a song dealing with his breakup with estranged wife Heather Mills. Personally, I am a firm believer in the old adage about never using the word never. After all, I am sure that the former Beatle would have used that exact word if he had been asked whether he would ever marry a one-legged, money grabbing sycophant...

Forget Taser and antisocial behavior orders, a traveling fairground in the UK has discovered a highly effective method of keeping the thugs at bay that does not involve anything nearly as punitive. Plagued by brigades of hooded youths that deterred families from using their fairground attractions, Carter's Steam Fair in the UK began playing Cliff Richard records over loudspeakers in recent months and discovered that the move had the effect of driving away the youths, who were presumably horrified by such tunes as The Young Ones, Living Doll and Summer Holiday. Fairground employees claim that the music has been the most effective deterrent available to them, short of calling the cops. There is simply no truth to the rumor that they considered using Chris de Burgh records. After all they wouldn't want to drive the customers away too...

The Kaiser Chiefs' indie credibility took a hit last week when Mel C revealed that it was the band's drummer who talked her into agreeing to a Spice Girls reunion. Speaking to the media last week, Melanie Chisolm told interviewers that she was the one member that resisted recent efforts to get the five girls together for one last - hugely profitable - go around until Kaiser Chief's, Nick Hodgson, persuaded her that she should take part in the upcoming reunion. Mister rock councilor eh? Perhaps Nick could persuade New Kids On The Block to give it another go. I mean, why stop there? Maybe he could organize a tour involving Wang Chung, Air Supply, Styx and Ace Of Base. I bet they could sell out a two-week tour of the Sun and Nick could be their tour pilot. It's bad enough that we have to look at Posh Spice (unless she turns sideways of course) without ever having to listen to her again. Thanks mate...

Our own Sinead O'Connor aside, quote of the week has to go to Happy Mondays frontman and reformed drug addict, Shaun Ryder, who was reminiscing about his legendary love for narcotics to reporters last week. When asked if any of his past transgressions gave him pause for concern, the 44-year-old singer replied: 'Regretful? Am I f**k. No chance, no chance. They were great times. I can't remember any of them, mind. If you handed me some photos, I wouldn't know where I'd been. My memory's f**king bad now, which I'm probably thankful for. I can remember stuff from being under 13, and from 13 onwards, it's just a f**king blur.' The scary thing is that you absolutely know that he is not exaggerating in the slightest.