Joe Kavanagh's Music News

The sensational row between NME and Morrissey continued to smoulder last week with the latter actually beginning court proceedings against the legendary music publication, in an attempt to clear his name after some jingoistic quotations were attributed to the singer. In the interview printed recently by NME, Morrissey is quoted as saying:"Other countries have held on to their basic identity, yet it seems to me that England has thrown it away." He went on to claim that controls would have to be put in place to stop the unfettered immigration that has seen Britain undergo considerable demographic changes in recent years. After a backlash that saw many in the media berate Morrissey for such insensitive remarks, the singer hit back at NME saying: "I believe they [NME] have deliberately tried to characterise me as a racist in a recent interview I gave them in order to boost their dwindling circulation. This, regrettably, is what has taken place with this most recent interview, which, it need hardly be said, bears no relation in print to the fleshly conversation that took place," He also reserved some vinegar for Tim Jonze, the journalist responsible for the piece, saying of him: "When I first caught sight of him I assumed that someone had brought their child along to the interview. Tim accepted every answer I gave him with a schoolgirl giggle, and repeatedly asked me if I was shocked at how little he actually knew about music." NME are standing by the story, with Jonze claiming that Morrissey offered the opinion without any prompting, stating: "How can Morrissey possibly claim a stitch-up when the interview is printed in Q&A form, his quotes are recorded on tape and he wasn't even asked about immigration in the first place?" Personally, I think Morrissey is just a little embarrassed and ashamed that he got caught saying these things, especially given his standing as some kind of paragon of liberal virtue. Can I also say that I find it just a little bit hypocritical that Morrissey, who is the son of Irish immigrants, and suffered racism first hand, should be preaching about keeping out the foreigners. In other words, it was ok for his parents to seek out a better life but not for anyone else's. Haul up the ladder, I'm aboard. Tut-tut...

Renowned drum n' bass deejay, Grooverider, is facing four years in prison after a court in Dubai decided to press charges against him, stemming from an incident in November when he was arrested for smuggling contraband. At the time, Grooverider, was entering the capital city of United Arab Emirates, to play a show when he was found to be carrying cannabis and porno magazines, which are both illegal in the highly conservative country. What kind of a guy needs his bash mags so badly that he would rather risk prison than leave them at home for one night? Kinda sad really, no? Maybe somebody needs to explain to him the real meaning of the phrase "pull a groupie" because it sounds like he misunderstood the memo. Grooverider (real name: Raymond Bingham) might need those four years in prison just to claw back some of his reputation. Imagine what he'll be like without his precious mags for four years. Mind you, with his boyishly good looks he'll probably have no need for magazines or his imagination in prison., Either way, that's one cell I'd sure hate to have to clean...

If any more evidence on the re-emergence of club music into the mainstream was required, then it came in the form of Brian Eno, last week. Speaking to the press about how the new U2 album was progressing, the near-mythical producer claimed: "Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dancefloor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences. But there's some very hardcore guitar coming out of The Edge. Real molten metal. It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." While I have the absolute utmost of respect for Brian Eno, I think you'll find that every album U2 has ever made sounds like somebody else. Biggest band in the world they may be, but original trailblazers they are not...

Last week, Stewart Copeland, was forced to apologize to the president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, after insulting remarks made by the drummer were reported back to the head of state. Traveling with the Police on the South American leg of their tour, Copeland was talking to a Chilean newspaper when his brain obviously deserted him and he began offering his opinion on how many beers it would take him to sleep with certain Latin American leaders, saying "Look, the future President of Argentina would be good for one beer, yours (would be good) for four." A red-faced Copeland offered a thorough apology in the form of an open letter but it appeared that the damage had already been done and you just know that Sting is spitting mad over this one. Yet another example of why drummers shouldn't talk and are the butt of all band jokes (eg. What does the average drummer get on an IQ test? Drool)...

Reunion tours may be all the rage at the moment but Hard-Fi's Steve Kemp is certainly not getting swept up in the all the nostalgia, claiming that bands like Sex Pistols, the Police and Led Zeppelin are cynically trading on their legacies for one big pay day. Kemp told tabloid, the Daily Star: "I know these old bands have a huge legacy but paying over GBP100 for a ticket is a joke. If it's a band you really love, of course you want to go and see them - buy why should you then pay so much money for it? These rock 'n' roll dinosaurs are coming out for a last pay cheque. I don't know what they're going to do on stage that's so special." I totally concur, except for one small point. Led Zeppelin are doing their gig for charity, so it kind of undermines his argument just a smidgeon. He is a drummer after all. I also happen to be of the mind that if people are foolish enough to shell out ridiculous amounts of cash to see wrinkled old has-beens, sing bad knock-offs of their own tunes, while gamely managing to persuade themselves that they sound just the same (they don't) and are still on top of their game (they're not) while said individuals attempt to recapture some lost moment of youth that was not even as they imagined it in the first place. Then let them go right ahead...

Q: What has three legs and an a**hole? A: A drum stool. Thank you very much folks, I'll be here all week...