Joe Kavanagh's Music News

While most of the 240,000 people who attended U2's monster series of concerts in Dublin's Croke Park last week walked away happy, local residents are not anxious to see the band return any time soon. Enraged at noise levels over the course of the three gig stand, damages that they claimed were caused as a result of the gigs, and the fact that authorities gave the crew permission to spend 44 hours taking down the stage when the concerts were over, locals took direct action in an effort to voice their displeasure. At 1am last Tuesday, angry residents set up a series of road blocks, which essentially prevented U2's trucks leaving the area with their stage. The impediment was eventually lifted but not before the band's road crew missed their ferry crossing to the UK. The action did not sit well with U2's production director, Jake Berry, who claimed: "It's really put a damp squib on something which was a fantastic experience and a fantastic show." I thought Bono was all about the little man standing up for himself against the corporate giant. Just not his corporate giant I guess...

Count David Byrne amongst the growing number of people who see the apparent discrepancy between what Bono preaches and what he actually practices. Writing on his website, the former Talking Heads front man pondered: "Those stadium shows may possibly be the most extravagant and expensive (production-wise) ever: $40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all." Fair comment but to be honest, Bono is probably the cleverest politician out there in terms of talking out the side of his neck...

Irish boyband, Boyzone have been left with egg on their faces after recently telling the media that super-producer Mark Ronson had agreed to work with them on their upcoming album. Singer Ronan Keating announced the news last week, telling journalists that he is a huge fan of Ronson, but the producer wrote on Twitter during the week that the story is "categorically untrue". I must confess that I was a little surprised that Ronson would be interested in working with a group of sub-talented, has-beens who insist on calling themselves a boyband despite the fact that they are middle-aged men. Talk about a step backwards. Who's next for him, Bros? ...

Speaking of people who model themselves on Peter Pan, Cliff Richard was in the news last week, after claiming that he is the most rebellious rock 'n' roll singer that the UK has ever produced. The 68-year-old singer told an interviewer: "I've always maintained I'm the most radical rock 'n' roll singer Britain has ever seen. I was the only one who didn't spit or swear or sleep around. I didn't do drugs. I didn't get drunk. I didn't indulge in soulless sex. And I've always felt comfortable with the decisions I've taken. I like being Cliff Richard." No, I'm not buying it either. The guy is about as radical as Bert from Sesame Street. Following his logic then the Jonas Brothers are the wildest men in rock and if that's true then the apocalypse is truly only moments away...

One fascinating story that emerged in the media last week pertained to the legendary London gangsters, the Kray twins, and their attempt to manage The Kinks, back in the band's 1960s heyday. In an interview last week, singer Ray Davies revealed: "Our managers at the time were stockbroker types. They had a visit from someone in the Kray organisation saying they were interested in managing us. They also asked if Mick Avory (the band's drummer) would be available for a date. It wouldn't have been beneath our managers to strike a deal. The mind boggles." Given the fact that Ronnie Kray was a murderous paranoid schizophrenic with a penchant for buggering people who crossed him - whether they were that way inclined or not - I would imagine that The Kinks should thank their lucky stars that such an arrangement never came to pass. The Krays ruled much of London's underworld until their imprisonment in 1968. Ronnie died in prison in 1995, while his brother, Reggie, died only weeks after his release in 2000...

Graham Coxon has insisted that Blur may yet return to the studio in order to begin work on a new album, in the wake of their highly successful summer reunion, which came to an end after a series of critically-acclaimed gigs last month. Only days beforehand singer, Damon Albarn insisted that the band would never record again out of fear that the differences which broke them up in the first place would raise their ugly heads once again. With conflicting statements like that, I'd say those ugly heads are beginning to appear already and it's probably best to leave well enough alone...

Cream bassist, Jack Bruce, claimed that he was the subject of death threats from enraged Led Zeppelin fans after he had a go at the band this past May. At the time Bruce claimed that Zeppelin were "crap" and that Cream were ten times the band that they ever were, which is a stretch even for most Cream fans to be honest. Talking of the response, Bruce declared: "It was just a bit of fun and it was blown out of all proportion. Some Led Zeppelin fans were really angry at me and I had a few death threats. People like me tend to forget that with YouTube and Twitter, you can't say anything without it getting around the world. We always used to have a pop at other bands in the old days and that was all it was. It was like I had spoken out against the Queen or something. You obviously can't say anything against Led Zeppelin." That's kind of like ripping someone behind their back and not saying it to their face, if I understand Bruce correctly. Obviously the man does not even believe his own words, which is kind of apt given that nobody with a scintilla of musical taste could ever claim that Cream are better than Led Zeppelin...

While we are on the subject of Led Zeppelin, the band's former singer, Robert Plant, was in a car crash in London last week, after his Audi collided with another vehicle driven by drug counselor, Richard Grant. Neither driver was seriously injured but I would imagine that Plant was glad that he hit drug counselor Richard Grant, as opposed to Light-Heavyweight boxer Richard Grant. There is something almost symmetrical about Robert Plant crashing into a drug counselor though. It's almost a pity that he didn't bump into him about 35 years ago because then maybe his face wouldn't look like someone set fire to it and put it out with a cookie-cutter. That's me on the hit-list now too...

Madness front man, Suggs, is concerned over the decision of daughters Scarlett and Viva to follow him into the music business. The Must Be Love singer claimed: "They're on the verge of getting a record deal. They're starting to take it seriously and are getting some notice... My only advice for them would be don't do it." That's all very well but if he really didn't want to encourage them then why did he let their band open for his at the Madness organized, Madstock, which was held in London last month. What means of discouragement will he use next, take them out on tour? ...

Victoria Beckham has apparently decided to go on a full-court PR blitz in the coming months, in order to turn around the growing public perception in the US that her husband, David, is nothing short of a class-A weasel. The former Spice Girl was apparently horrified at the hostile reception given to her hubby when she attended an LA Galaxy game last week, in the company of Tom Cruise. Mrs Beckham intends to make the rounds of all the major talk shows in an effort to salvage their image in the States, with a stop on Letterman already planned. If they think that their brand - and let's face it, that's all they are - can be salvaged by some inarticulate, po-faced, slapper touring the US crying out for love then they're more deluded than I ever imagined. Mind you, she is the better choice, given that her husband has a smaller vocabulary than a talking Elmo doll and is about as popular as Alex Rodriguez on the set of a Guy Ritchie movie. There is, however, a part of me that hopes she succeeds because if she doesn't, it means that she and her pet husband will be back on our side of the Atlantic...