Joe Kavanagh's Music News

Ordinarily, a Shane MacGowan drinking spree wouldn't exactly be news but fears are growing for the health of the beloved singer, after he revealed to the audience that he is now suffering from hepatitis, during a gig in Dublin last week. Doctors have allegedly warned Shane that he will almost certainly die in the near future if he doesn't quit drinking immediately, but witnesses claimed to have seen him on a vodka and cider bender in the capital last week. His father, Maurice MacGowan, has also joined the chorus of concerned voices clamoring for Shane to give up the booze, saying: "Shane must heed the doctor's advice. He's had scares before but hepatitis is serious. He has had a good run on the drink but he must remember he is mortal." We wish him a full recovery and hope he's around for a long time to come...

Jay Z may have said that he was over Noel Gallagher's scathing comments in the run up to this year's Glastonbury Festival, but a new track by the Brooklyn rapper shows he is not quite ready to let the issue go just yet. The as-yet unnamed track was produced by Kanye West and includes the lines: "That bloke from Oasis said I couldn't play guitar/Somebody should have told him I'm a f**kin' rock star." Noel Gallagher also commented on the furor his words had caused during an interview with NME last week, saying: "I wasn't saying I was better than Jay-Z as a person or rock was greater than hip-hop as a thing or whatever it is. I don't really get what all the fuss was about." Gallagher went on to point out that sales of Jay Z's records and Oasis track, Wonderwall (which Jay Z covered at Glastonbury) had gone through the roof since the kerfuffle kicked off, saying: "Everyone's a winner!" It's nice to know that rap and rock can have a good old barney without anybody winding up with a belly full of lead, unlike the internecine feuds in hip hop...

Sting's manager claims that last week's gig in Madison Square Garden by The Police will definitely be the band's final performance together. Kathryn Schenker claimed: "I would bet the ranch that this is absolutely the last show ever. Sting has been quoted as saying it's important that things have an ending, that it was never meant to be forever, and this is a happy ending for everyone." Man, I really, really hope he feels the same way about his solo career... and talking...

Rockers, Iron Maiden, have launched an online appeal to get back a guitar that was stolen after a recent performance by the band in Greece. The white, Jackson guitar was custom made for Maiden guitarist, Adrian Smith, and the band are offering a reward of a handwritten letter by the band and an Iron Maiden tour jacket, for the instrument's safe return. A letter and a jacket? That guitar is not coming back. The band also claimed: "It will be extremely hard to get rid of as it's the only one in the world." I would have thought that being unique would only make it more collectible and for goodness sakes, it doesn't take a genius to use a spray can...

Katie Melua claims that she is very worried for the safety of her mother and brother back in Georgia, after hostilities broke out between Russia and the former Soviet state last week. Melua, who is a British citizen, was born in Georgia and spent the first eight years of her life there, before taking up residence in Belfast, with her heart surgeon father. Melua is worried that her mother and brother will get caught up in the violence now gripping the country, saying: "Whoever settled anything with war?" While I certainly sympathize with her plight and that of her family, that last statement is a little fatuous; after all, war fairly put manners on the angry little sod with the ridiculous mustache that was terrorizing Europe a half century or so ago. War is terrible and should only be the very last resort but there are times when it gets the job done...

Peaches Geldof has denied reports that her father, Bob, is gearing up to send her off to Africa, in an effort to steer her away from the pill-popping, powder-sniffing lifestyle that she is increasingly becoming known for. The former Boomtown Rat allegedly believes that his daughter needs to realize just how privileged a life she leads, and thinks that a trip to poverty-stricken parts of Africa will help her to put things in perspective. Speaking to the UK press last week, Peaches denied the reports, saying: "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It would never happen. My dad would never dream of doing that. I'm the first to admit the last few weeks have been crazy - but I'm not out of control. I do need to get out of London for a while and relax, clear my head and sort things out." Maybe Bob just hasn't told her yet but using the continent of Africa as a rehab center is a new one on me...

Morrissey fans will be disappointed to hear that the Mancunian singer''s latest album release has been postponed until next year, according to a statement released by his 'people' last week. Titled, Years Of Refusal, the album was due to hit shelves next week and no reason has been given for the postponement. Mind you, given how tetchy Morrissey can be, it could be for anything really. Maybe a friend of his got new wallpaper that he didn't like and it just sent him into a tizzy...

Lily Allen has denied that she was trying to seek attention last week, when photographers snapped her with - there's really no other way of putting it - her boobs hanging out of her shirt while she was out in London last week. And I'm not talking Saturday night out, but rather leaving your house to grab a few groceries in the afternoon. And we're not talking 'discreetly slipped out' but rather that she essentially used her boobs as accessories to her outfit. Adds a whole new dimension to 'nipping to the shop'. Allen claims that she did not orchestrate the event to seek attention saying: "I'm actually trying really hard to be out of the public eye." Listen, if you know that hordes the paparazzi are permanently camped outside your house with telescopic lenses and you walk out with your boobs a-swinging, then you are looking for attention. I'm not saying it's wrong, I'm just saying 'fess up and don't treat us like idiots...

Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, made his musical debut with the release of new single, Black Ice, by Nia Jai, on Ferdinand's own label, White Chalk Records. In a move pulled straight out of Sean P-Puff-Diddy-Daddy Combs playbook, the footballer uses his position as label boss to rap on a verse, with the immortal lines: "This is Rio Ferdinand/Make sure you don't sleep on Nia Jai, White Chalk's first signing/This girl spits out fire." He's also as bad a rapper as Sean P-Puff etc. Considering he can barely talk I suppose it's not surprising he can't rap. Poor old Rio, his rapping makes Vanilla Ice look good and his interviews make David Beckham look erudite. I know it's not music related but seeing as we brought him up, I'll leave you with the time that David Beckham was famously asked if he saw himself as a "volatile player", to which he replied: "Well, I can play in the centre, on the right and occasionally on the left side." I take it back Rio, you couldn't be as dumb as Beckham but please don't rap again... ever.