Joe Kavanagh's Music News

Poor Delores O'Riordan apparently can't get a break on her current US tour as she attempts to reclaim the glory days that characterized The Cranberries in the early-90s. Only days after she was forced to cancel the Washington DC date due to what a fanclub described as a 'dental emergency', she was then forced to call a halt to her LA gig due to another medical calamity. Drummer Graham Hopkins apparently collapsed during the band's gig in the City of Angels forcing them to call of the show, leaving fans disappointed but - more importantly - concerned for the wellbeing of Hopkins, who had to be taken away in an ambulance. The future of the tour remained uncertain at the time of going to print because the band do not have anyone else that knows the drums parts. We wish Delores all the best and hope to goodness that there's no truth to the old adage of these things coming in threes...

Fionn Regan was a surprise nominee for the Mercury Music Prize, which is awarded to the best British or Irish album each year. The nomination caps off an amazing year for the young Wicklow man, who has seen his stock rise internationally since the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album: The End Of History. Among the other names up for the award are: The View, Klaxons, New Young Pony Club, Amy Winehouse, Bats For Lashes and the Arctic Monkeys...

Bob Geldof has urged BBC bosses to reconsider their pronouncement that they are to make a documentary on the singer's ex-wife: Paula Yates. Geldof is said to be livid at the TV bosses decision to chronicle his ex's colorful life in an upcoming special titled: Sincerely Yours Paula. Speaking to reporters last week the former Boomtown Rats vocalist and charity campaigner claimed: 'If I say anything on the record, I will simply be giving these people publicity for their grubby little program.' Yates led an extremely colorful and often troubled life before dying of a drug overdose in 2000...

Andrea Corr has hinted at a reunion with her siblings in the near future as the saccharine sweet Irish novelty act decide whether to return from their self-imposed retirement. I'm guessing that all of this has something to do with the fact that Andrea's recently released solo debut, 10 Feet High, has been utterly savaged by critics and totally ignored by the music buying public. Having heard the album, I'm not sure what scares me more: another album from Andrea or more of the same old diddly-piddly rock that typifies The Corrs...

It never ceases to amaze me how certain rock stars can forget the fact that the people that buy their records are essentially their employers and should be treated with at least a modicum of respect. Last week Kooks singer, Luke Pritchard was reportedly in a London airport after having just returned from a vacation in Dublin when he was approached by a fan who wanted an autograph. Instead of taking the easy route and obliging the fan, Pritchard instead launched into a tirade in front of dozens of witnesses. In an interview with the UK's Sun Newspaper, Donald Weir claimed: 'I am a massive fan so I went over and said so but Luke turned round and told me to f**k off. I apologized for intruding but told him there was no need to speak to me like that. That just set him off. As I walked away he started charging at me as if he was going to swing at me. He stank of booze and was swaying from side to side. A girl with him had to pull him back and shouted at him to stop behaving like an idiot. But he started screaming at her to f**k off.' Real class act...

Speaking of moody rockers, Mr. Personality, Van Morrisson lately assuaged any fears that he might be slowing down even though he recently celebrated his 61st birthday. Speaking to the UK media, 'Van the Man' claims that he could not slow down his songwriting muse even if he wanted to, saying: 'You've got this stuff running through your head all the time. Sometimes you just want to turn it off. It can be annoying to have to go and get a paper an write it all down. These thoughts, these half dreams, these bits and pieces that people might say. it can be so annoying that sometimes you just want it to go away.' ...

Barbara Streisand continues to disappoint fans on her current rip-off tour of Europe with performances that fall far short of what you could expect for ticket prices that verge on larceny. Now comes further evidence of how far removed from reality the notoriously petulant star actually is. According to multiple reports, while staying at the $12,000 per-night (yes, per-night!) Dorchester Hotel in London, staff were ordered to avoid direct eye contact with Streisand, as one of her many diva-like demands. I mean, c'mon, what's that all about? Although, with the size of her schnoz, the request might have a practical purpose vis-à-vis accidents involving staff members...

We were quick to report how Iggy Pop forced the BBC into an apology over comments he made in a televised interview he gave during the recent Glastonbury festival. Reminiscing about his time spent living in the UK, the Stooges frontman made a reference to 'p**i-shops', using a term considered offensive by Asian people from the sub-continent. Speaking to NME last week, Iggy apologized unreservedly for his insensitive remark stating: 'I'm sorry. It was one in the morning (when I said it)...that was a phrase I learned from English people while I was living there. But it's terrible. More fool me. Shame on me.' In an era when most celebrities have an aversion to ever admitting they are wrong or else get some lackey/publicist to apologize on their behalf, it is refreshing to hear one act with a bit of class and sensitivity...

Finally, Kelly Johnson, a founding member of seminal UK girl-group, Girlschool passed away last week after a six-year battle with spinal cancer. Although they were certainly not everyone's cup of tea, the hard-rocking outfit more than held their own in the almost exclusively male dominated rock music scene of the 1980s and provided inspiration to young female musicians over a decade before the superficial 'girl power ' as espoused by such spurious acts as the Spice Girls. Girlschool wrote all of their own songs, played some of the biggest venues in the world and just got on with making music making without stopping every ten minutes to tell everyone how great they are. Johnson was 49-years-old. R.I.P.