the fyrehaus

• The Enemy is playing the opening gig at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel. [DS]
• Britney dumped Adnon and tossed his iPhone in a pool, the Guardian made fun of his track jacket, and Keith Richards doesn’t like cds, Oasis, or the Arctic Monkeys. [Guardian]
• Bands gather at the Roundhouse to make a charity single to raise money for Consequences, a homeless organization. Artists include Supergrass, Dirty Pretty Things, The Enemy, Paul Weller, Beth Ditto, Andy Rourke, and New Young Pony Club. Single, also named “Consequences”, will be out next month. [Guardian]
• The Dead 60s split up non-acrimoniously. [NME]
• Led Zeppelin will not tour; my roommate can continue to blame Alison Krauss. [NME]
• Kate Nash, Editors, Richard Hawley, Battles, and Lightspeed Champion get added to Irish Oxegen Festival. [NME]

In what I SWEAR will be my last post about the NME awards this year, I bring you the news that the Arctic Monkeys set off stink bombs backstage.

The Sheffield lads played the prank after picking up three prizes at the ceremony on Thursday night, including the award for Best British Band. They left later after violating the smoking ban by lighting up at the bar.

An onlooker told The Sun: “The lads were clearly in high spirits after their triumph and thought it would be hilarious to let off stink bombs.

“The stench was incredible, but they thought it was hysterical. They stayed for an hour or so, but left swiftly after lighting up in the area.”

So charming.

Highlights from the NME blog:

During ‘I Predict A Riot’, Wilson tried to dive into the crowd, but security guards thwarted him and sent him back to the stage.

Anthony Rossomando, Dirty Pretty Things: “We’ll be out here for a while caning it on the cigarettes. I’m sure they’re gonna be Nazis about it inside!

Kate Nash on the Cribs: “The singer’s quite fit I guess,” she laughed. “And the drummer and the bassist too, I guess! They’re the best.”

Alex Kapranos, Franz Ferdinand: “We just got a lift with Anton Corbijn in a golf cart which was quite weird. They abandoned us at the side of the road because they thought there was a fire and then we got picked up by the golf cart. I’m excited to see Gallows tonight. I was out with The Cribs last night, it was a beer, wine and whiskey night. I’m feeling it a bit today.”

Apparently the Cribs are every musician’s favorite band. Ricky Wilson even asked the audience why they didn’t vote for them. (I left out the less witty comments.)  Also, I think there’s a party at Anthony Rossamando’s place.

Anyway. Awards. Blah blah blah Arctic Monkeys for pretty much everything, yay Muse for best live act, Glasvegas for Phillip Hall Radar award which is the official tipping award, I guess. And no Cribs. Pfft. Full list, including who lost, here.

Arctics side project is mind-bending. Apparently, Alex Turner is exploring 70s psychedelia, and is NOT a one-trick pony.

Joey McIntyre denies NKOTB reunion rumors

Silicon Valley’s hippy values ‘killing music industry’ You’ve heard this all before, but this time, U2 manager Paul McGuinness is saying it.

The top 4 sentences from [Sunday's] Vampire Weekend profile that made me vow to never read another story about them again. I told you all, Columbia men are not datable. And the features about Vampire Weekend just demonstrate why. (If you’ve read the feature, there’s a fucking article on the wall of Mill Korean talking about its history.  He’s not super smart, just kind of a know-it-all tool, though so am I, since I have also read it.  Though shows good taste for liking Mill Korean, it is delicious.)

One thing that consistently annoys me, like a toothache, is famous people whinging around about how they don’t WANT to be famous. Tim Jonze of the Guardian clearly agrees with me.

“It’s horrible. I feel all this hype does is expose the conglomerative, sadistic nature of the music industry.”

These are the words of Joe Lean & The Jing Jang Jong. Nothing wrong with hating hype, you might say. But then, if they genuinely feel this way, why do interviews and photo shoots?

They’re not alone, though. On 6Music news the other day, Adele was claiming “the hype” was a bit of a pain, but that there was “nothing” she could do about it. Apparently, she’d only done a “couple” of interviews, the rest just came out of nowhere. That’s odd, as the magazines I work for have been bombarded with requests to do features on her. Is the press office going against their client’s wishes?
. . .
It’s fashionable to hate the establishment, to want to represent the alternative… but if there’s nothing to back this up, who are they kidding? I suggest they all either take a leaf out of the Arctic Monkeys’ book (who made it a right pain in the neck to get an interview and refused to bow down to radio and TV station demands even before they were signed) or admit that, deep down, they secretly love having journalists frothing at the mouth over their unique ability to play a bass guitar in time with the drums.

Pink and PETA protest against the treatment of Manhattan carriage horses

Gerard Way says My Chemical Romance misses being a regular rock band:

“I think [the next album] will definitely be stripped down. I think the band misses being a rock band,” Way told NME.

“That doesn’t mean we won’t explore really crazy ideas on the next albums, or do something even crazier.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll start to take steps backwards creatively. But it felt in a live sense, this is what we do great live.

“And we’re better musicians for having written and played ‘The Black Parade’, so you’re dealing with [the fact that] everybody’s better as musicians and singers”

Ricky Wilson says he doesn’t mind if they lose to Girls Aloud:

Wilson told the Daily Star: “I am surprised to be in the same category as Take That and Girls Aloud but it’s exciting.

“You think of them being massive bands, and I think it’s healthy to think of people as bigger than you.

“You can’t really compete with Girls Aloud. But if Editors or Arctic Monkeys win, then I’d be a bit ‘grrr’.”

Disney bans Gallows from USA gig

Arctics skip Take That Brits battle?

I love a well-made documentary, especially the kind broken up into convenient 45 minute bites. So I’ve watched a few “history of rock” things on MTV and VH1 before. But the BBC/VH1 Classic “Seven Ages of Rock” was really fascinating, especially because it’s unapologetically British in point-of-view. They certainly don’t ignore the American scene, but it is really only important in its relation to and influence on the British scene, all leading up to the apotheosis that is contemporary British Indie Rock, cockily titled, “What the World is Waiting For.”

In case you were wondering the ages are:

1. The Birth of Rock: The Who, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix (the BBC didn’t pay for worldwide rights to the Hendrix footage, so he’s largely missing from the VH1 cut)
2. Art Rock: Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, David Bowie
3. Stadium Rock: Led Zepplin, Queen, Kiss, Springsteen, U2
4. Heavy Metal: Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Metallica
5. Punk Rock: Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, The Clash
6. American Alternative: Nirvana, REM, Black Flag (Actually, more like, the story of Kurt Cobain and some other guys. But really interesting.)
7. British Indie: The Smiths, Oasis, Blur, Stone Roses, The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand

I’m still trying to figure out how this story is missing Factory Records, other than a passing reference to dropping E at the Hacienda, though I suppose one could argue that is the story of Tony Wilson, and not any of the bands or the music. It’s a very linear story they’re trying to tell, so if you don’t quite fit in to the story, I guess they cut you. I’ve also confirmed yet again that I like punk, and generally hate metal. (Except for Master of Puppets and Enter, Sandman? Metallica can leave me alone.)

I’m terribly happy that there was a disparaging remark about Coldplay, whom I hate. For Sarah’s reference, the interviews with Damon Albarn and Alex Kapranos (and Dave Grohl, for that matter) are totally adorable, and Noel Gallagher comes off like a prat. A very rich prat.

You can go to VH1 Classic to see video footage of all the bands, including some that got left out, and keep your Tivos peeled for the reairing.

50 Cent says filesharing doesn’t hurt artists.

The new indie spirit of Christmas. Apparently Coldplay covered a Pretenders Christmas single. I don’t care. “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” is already the best Christmas song, past, present and future.

The gong show, or the Guardian takes the piss with a year-end list. Best bit:

Best Musical Accessory: Mockney Accent

From Kate Nash to Jack Peñate, 2007 was the year that phrases such as Nash’s Foundations lyric “You said I must eat so many lemons, ‘cos I am so bittahh” entered the Guide’s dictionary of Mockney Slang, along with the definition “Shut up you stupid posh oiks and sod off back to drama school”. TJ

The Guardian’s REAL year-end list. No surprises; lots of Arctic Monkeys and Led Zeppelin had the best live show. Though they did award the “The No Judge Will Jail Him Award for Cat-like Number of Lives” award to Pete Doherty.

And the AV Club wants to share the worst band names of 2007. I like “Those Fucking Unicorns” and “MM/DD/YYYY”.