Joe Kavanagh's Music News

After all the rhetoric, promises and deeds that Bono has donated to Africa over the past decade or so, a group of African producers have decided to give something back to the singer and his band by gathering a selection of up-and-coming artists from throughout the continent to record an album of U2 songs. The project, In The Name Of Love: Africa Celebrates U2, will eventually be released as a 12-song album although a release date or track-listing has yet to be finalized. Forget release dates and track listing, they better make sure that they get the proper clearance from U2, because - African musicians or not - they could find themselves in deep water with the band's notoriously tetchy legal team. Just look what they did to that poor lady that tried to take a cowboy hat that Bono claimed as his own....

Pete Doherty's band, Babyshambles, claim that his current stint in prison will not stop them from recording their latest album. Last week, Doherty was given 14 weeks in Wormwood Scrubs by a judge that had grown tired of his inability to stay clean and sober. Babyshambles drummer, Adam Ficek, told journalists: "We will send Pete the first nine burns (recordings) so he can work on them in there. It will give him something to keep him occupied, keep him focused and remind him that outside we're all holding the fort for him. And also that as soon as he gets out it will be business as usual." Not all are convinced that things will run so smoothly though, as actor and close friend of Doherty's, Danny Dyer, fears that other inmates will prey on Pete simply because of his celebrity status. Dyer claimed: "Wormwood is one of the worst jails. Pete will be KO'd in there."...

Another rocker might be joining Pete behind bars in the near future, if British animal lovers get their way. Legendary misery-guts and lead singer of The Fall, Mark E Smith, is in a spot of bother due to comments he made in a recent interview with British publication, Uncut. The ornery singer was talking about gardening, when he declared: "(I'd) happily set about an endangered red squirrel with a set of professional hedge-clippers. Squirrels mean nothing to me. I killed a couple last weekend actually. They were eating my garden fence. My sisters are animal lovers and they had been leaving food out for these squirrels. They've got rats in the bloody house now. Serves 'em right." British animal lovers were less than impressed and an investigation has been instigated by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), for whom a spokesperson proclaimed: "The comments made by Mark E. Smith are extremely irresponsible and he has basically admitted to committing an offence under the Wildlife And Countryside Act by killing two red squirrels. These animals are highly protected and anyone killing, harming or taking red squirrels from the wild is liable to prosecution and can face up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £20,000 ($40,000)." A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) was even more aggrieved, and a little bitchier, saying: "Nothing says inferiority complex like a fully grown man harming a defenseless animal who weighs only a few ounces and whose only defense is to run away. Animals have the same capacity to feel fear and pain that humans do, of course, and they should have the right not to be cruelly attacked and killed by a has-been singer. PETA strongly advises that Mark seek help for his anger issues before anyone else gets hurt and hopes the court throws the book at him."...

On the other side from Mark E Smith's cavalier attitude to nature and the environment stands CSS bassist, Ira Trevisan, who has decided to walk away from the Brazilian media darlings because of her fears over her personal contributions to climate change. In a statement announcing her departure from the band only months before the release of their second major album, she said: "I decided to move forward and dedicate more of my time to fashion and other projects. Just a big change of priorities, as I will never stop playing music. I am also a bit worried about climate change. People should care more and do something about it. I decided to fly less. CSS will always be in my heart. They said goodbye to their bass player, but they won a new life time fan. In health and sickness, in happiness and so forth. Blah blah blah, so help us God."...

A nude portrait of French singer/actress/model, Carla Bruni, was sold at a New York auction house last week for $91,000. Seems a bit steep for something you can get on the internet for free, not that I'd know or anything, naturally. The photo, taken in 1993 was purchased by a Chinese buyer that made himself seem a little bit more seedy by refusing to give his name. As most of you will know, the aspect of this that makes it even more unusual is the fact that Bruni recently became the wife of French President, Nicholas Sarkozy. Could you imagine the shockwaves that would travel throughout the US if a nude photo of Laura Bush was sold at a major auction house? I'm guessing that Larry Flynt would be first in line if that little item should ever come up for sale... Or some seedy anonymous rich dude...

While we are briefly on the subject of politicians, former Pink Floyd singer/bassist, Roger Waters, announced his dislike for Hilary Clinton last week, while throwing his lot in behind her opponent for the Democratic party nomination, Barack Obama. Waters claimed: "I'm a huge fan of Barack Obama. I was so disappointed the other night when the ghastly Hillary got Texas and kept the whole thing going. Please God, let's not have this woman. Hillary will want to make her mark and show that she can be just as good as a male president, and she will f**king invade Iran. Trust me. She voted to declare the Iranian Republican Guard a terrorist organization. I would buy a whole page in The New York Times and fly Obama's flag. But I would be terribly afraid they'd (Americans) go, 'This is that pinko s**tbag who's attacking our president in a time of war.'" By the by, is it just me or does anyone else notice how Hilary is getting a little bit like someone that seems to think it's her divine right to be the next president and how dare anyone get in her way? I would cross Edmund Dantes before I'd cross her because on those occasions that she starts seeing it all slipping away, she gets a certain look in her eyes that is so cold it could freeze the river Styx...

Finally, Bob Marley's mother, Cedella Booker, died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Miami, on Tuesday, April 8, at 81-years-old. Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, stated: "Her life was one of hardship, struggle and eventual fulfillment, and through it all, she exuded hope, strength and confidence." But for the gender, that statement could as easily refer to her remarkable son. R.I.P.