Joe Kavanagh's Music News

In yet another sign that the worldwide economic malaise has caged the Celtic Tiger, the so-called U2 tower project has been postponed because developers have been scared off by Ireland's failing property market and the global recession in general. The $230 million project, which was pushed through by U2, would have created the tallest building in Dublin and would have featured a recording studio for the band on its top floor. Designed by acclaimed architect, Norman Foster, the planned building has been dogged by architectural and environmental battles, but it was money that finally appears to have put the venture on hold for the foreseeable future. Dublin's Docklands Development Authority claim that they will open negotiations in a search for new developers in 12 months time and say that they are confident that they will find someone to rescue the deal. We'll just have to wait a while more before Whipping Boy's song, We Don't Need Nobody Else, finally becomes a prophecy. In it, they sarcastically sang: They built portholes for Bono, so he could gaze, Out across the bay and sing about mountains. In other U2 news, the band announced that they will definitely be releasing the follow-up to 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb early next year...

Oasis are not known for being shy when it comes to opinions, but a chance encounter last week allowed the brothers Gallagher to show off their political knowledge to an unlikely sounding board. The band was traveling over to Belfast to play the first of two sold-out shows, when they bumped into Sinn Fein's deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, in Heathrow Airport, and the trio spent the flight over discussing the political process that has seen peace reign in the north of Ireland after decades of violence and strife. A spokesperson for Mr. McGuinness confirmed the story to the Belfast Telegraph, saying: "Martin has met the Gallagher brothers before at Heathrow Airport and, yes, he was talking to them again yesterday. They seemed genuinely interested in what is going on here and seemed to be pretty knowledgeable about the situation as well." The spokesperson also added: "Mr McGuinness's favorite Oasis song is 'Wonderwall.'"...

Hewlett Packard proved that they are pretty low on the totem pole when it comes to moral fiber when it emerged last week that they have put $155,000 in the pockets of pedophile, Gary Glitter, after commissioning his song, Do You Wanna Touch Me? for use in an upcoming advertising campaign. The computer company's pathetic excuse is that they are using Joan Jett's 1982 version of the track, instead of the original 1974 version but they honestly must think we're a bunch of idiots if they expect anyone to believe that it was some kind of oversight. Children's advocacy groups are up in arms over the decision and have roundly condemned the company for what is an extremely distasteful decision at the very least and more than likely was chosen to make the campaign a major talking point. Glitter (real name: Paul Gadd), who has been in hiding in the UK since being deported from Vietnam after serving time for molesting children, must be licking his chops because that will buy a whole lot of child porn. Shame, shame Hewlett Packard, really...

Speaking of people up in arms, Led Zeppelin fans are outraged that the band is apparently set to go out on the road and even record new material with a new singer, after Robert Plant repeatedly refused to rejoin the group for an upcoming tour. Although initially only a rumor, the story was given credence last week when bassist, John Paul Jones, admitted the band were auditioning singers for the role, saying: "We are trying out a couple of singers. We want to do it. It's sounding great and we want to get on and get out there. There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be on board." Everyone except Robert Plant apparently, which kind of renders that last statement redundant. Also, if they really are trying to break with the past in order to try something new and fresh, why is it that one of the first people they reputedly auditioned was none other than fellow dinosaur, Aerosmith singer, Steven Tyler? If you're going to break with the past, then it surely doesn't make sense to drag someone from the 70s with you. To be honest, having Led Zeppelin tour without Robert Plant is kind of like having The Doors tour without Jim Morrison... Exactly...

Celine Dion has announced that she will attempt to have another baby as soon as she is finished her current world tour and I must say I don't envy the man that has to take on that job. Do they even make an 'extra-strength' Viagra? ...

Welsh singing star Duffy is enjoying her newfound fame and particularly the male attention that comes along with it. The 24-year-old soul star told an interviewer last week: "There are a couple of good-looking gentlemen dotted around to keep me entertained. I have different phones which work in different areas. I lost my English one so the English guy is just going to have to understand. Getting to spend time with them is another thing. It's all based on a little bit of text banter. My phone bill was a whopper last month. There is one guy who is a plumber. He keeps coming in and out but he's a text pest." If his name is Joe, then I think we have a suspect because that bloody nuisance is everywhere at the moment. Maybe she could give him a few singing lessons the next time she's with him because the only reason that guy should be on a stage is if it's the next one leaving town... And never coming back... And preferably tied cowboy-style with a rope to his ankles...

After almost four decades, the identity of the of the nurse who was the subject of the Beatles' track, Penny Lane, has allegedly been revealed. According to John Lennon's school friend, Stan Williams, the pair were playing as boys in 1954, when they noticed nurse, Beth Dawson, selling poppies. Williams makes the claim in his recently released book detailing his time with the former Beatle but quite how they made out the name on her tag is beyond me and it seems that everyone that had the slightest acquaintance with Lennon appears to be making money from his name of late. I'm not saying Williams is a liar but it's very convenient that the only two people who can contradict his claims are both dead...

Dido returns later this month after a five-year hiatus with what many are saying is her strongest work to date. Speaking to the media last week the singer claimed that one of the tracks will be named Grafton Street, as a tribute to her late father who died two years ago of lupus, at 68-years-old. William O'Malley-Armstrong was an Irish publisher who doted on his daughter and according to unconfirmed reports, Dido was singing the old Irish ballad, Raglan Road, to him as he passed away. The song contains the lyric: "On Grafton Street in November, We tripped lightly along the ledge, Of a deep ravine where can be seen, The worst of passions pledged."...

If Max Drummery hoped that one of the residual effects of marrying Peaches Geldof might be that his band would secure a foothold in the UK market, then he was sorely mistaken as his group, Chester French, was forced to cancel their upcoming UK tour, due to lack of ticket sales. The - you guessed it - drummer for the US act caused a bit of a stir when he married Bob Geldof's rather erratic daughter last August, after dating for just over a month. A posting on the band's MySpace site stated: "As some of you may have noticed, we've had to cancel some tour dates in October and November. We apologize and thank you for your understanding and we hope to be through a town near you in the very near future." Yeah, maybe as tourists.