Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Amy Winehouse Round-Up: “Friends” Come To The Rescue Of Winegums Watch
7:02PM Clem Bastow | Just when we thought it was all over, some of those trusty “friends” (in the same basket as “a pal”, “former co-worker” and “a reliable source”) have put Winegums Watch out of danger for another day!
Saint Victoria has said “friends” revealing their true feelings about Mr Winegums, Blake Fielder-Civil, now that it’s safe to say pretty much everyone thinks he’s an enabler and they no longer have to hide behind the friendly veil of “he’s great, luv” (if they are, in fact, friends, and not “friends”, that is).
One friend said: “Amy’s party was a watershed. At the start of her relationship with Blake everyone liked him. Then they saw another side but tolerated him and thought that he still had her best interests at heart.
“But after his reaction to her overdose everyone agreed enough was enough – and ignored him at her birthday.”
His “reaction” to Winegums’ overdose was apparently to leave her hospital bed to get himself sorted for e’s and wizz (or whatever he’s taking/snorting/injecting/smoking these days).
Sounds like these “friends” are on the money! More » 
The Greatest Trailer Of The Year Proves Depressingly Prescient
6:03PM Clem Bastow | We like an ultraviolent shoot/rip/stab/burn/behead-’em-up as much as the next person, so have been enjoying the trailer for the upcoming Rambo installment for the last few months.
However, when the events in Burma started to make the trailer look less like an ripping action yarn and more like a documentary, the fun fizzled.
Well, Sylvester Stallone has this morning spoken of witnessing atrocities in the region while filming John Rambo (the latest in the series, which he is currently editing) along the border of Burma.
“I witnessed the aftermath – survivors with legs cut off and all kinds of land mine injuries, maggot-infested wounds and ears cut off. We saw many elephants with blown off legs. We hear about Vietnam and Cambodia and this was more horrific,” Stallone told Associated Press.
“Shots were fired over the film crew’s heads and we did receive threats,” he said.
Sly is now planning to interview survivors and use John Rambo to raise their profile.
We’re not sure how well scenes of Rambo liquefying the junta with his tank gun will go down with those who are also trying to speak out against the regime, but at least he’s doing something.
Failing this, of course, they could just send Rambo in to sort things out. Because Rambo is real, right? More » 
Not Appearing At Rooty Hill RSL Any Time Soon: The Beatles, The Doors, Vin Diesel
11:58AM Clem Bastow | In news to disappoint fans of cheap beer, no-frills meals and action superstars everywhere, apparently Vin Diesel is not planning on appearing at the Rooty Hill RSL – despite what an Australian promoter might have you believe.
Evidently VIP Entertainment Group announced that the Hollywood no-neck action star would be the guest of honour at the RSL club (though for what reason or event, we’re not entirely sure), and now Diesel’s management (42 West) have come out guns blazing.
Read on while we scratch our heads for a while. More » 
Fergie And The Police Go Together Like Lambsfry And A Strawberry Milkshake
11:27AM Clem Bastow | We’re well aware that these days it’s plain old-fashioned to expect a stadium gig’s support act to be in the same genre or vintage as the headliner, but this could be taking it one step too far: Fergie will be supporting The Police on the Australian leg of their reformation tour.
“I’ve always been a fan of The Police so I’m really looking forward to this tour,” she said. “It’s also a great chance to come back to Australia as a solo artist.”
Word has it, however, that as much as Fergie is apparently head of the Californian chapter of The Police Fanclub, her inclusion on the bill is more to do with promoters desperate to sell tix – seeing as the little girls of Australia would be quite keen to see The Dutchess in a stadium setting – with the word on the street that the Suncorp Stadium show has sold only half the tickets allocated.
Perhaps yoga practitioner Sting could give Fergie Ferg some onstage lessons in pelvic floor muscle control. More » 
Spice Girls Sell Out, But Don’t Sellout (Or Is It The Other Way ‘Round?)
11:18AM Clem Bastow | The reformation gig that’s made us more excited than the day Maccas brought in the Double Cheeseburger has started actually selling tickets (after the ballot to work out which fans would be able to cough up the cash): the Spice Girls’ totally-not-motivated-by-money-hunger first London concert has sold out in 38 seconds.
Concert promoters have added a further three concerts in London, so we’re hoping something similar will happen when the Sydney date on the tour no doubt goes the same way.
Because if we don’t get to go see the Spice Girls, may god have mercy on everyone’s souls. More » 
First Big Day Out Line-Up Announcement Also First Not To Induce Massed Snoring For Some Time
11:07AM Clem Bastow | As the sun starts shining more regularly, so does the festival era dawn across the nation – and this year’s first Big Day Out line-up announcement could actually be enough to entice us to go along.
Here’s the first chunk in full:
Rage Against the Machine, Bjork, Grinspoon, Arcade Fire, Hilltop Hoods, Billy Bragg, Paul Kelly, LCD Soundsystem, Sarah Blasko, Faker, Midnight Juggernauts, Dizzee Rascal, Something With Numbers, Battles, Cut Off Your Hands
With the exception of the cockroaches of the Australian music biz, Grinspoon, that’s a pretty good range of artists.
Well, it’s no “keynote address by Andrew W.K.”, but you know, beggars can’t be choosers.
The second announcement is coming soon. More » Radiohead Pwn The Music Industry
11:03AM Clem Bastow | We’ve never been particularly big fans of Radiohead but must admit that their latest move is worth applauding: they’re going to auction their new album to fans, who can pay whatever they like for it – and the band will probably still make as much money as they would have had they still been signed.
Music observers said the British five-piece, which is no longer signed to a record label, is able to sell directly to its fans because it has such an established support base.
“They are the first band to put their money where their mouth is,” Gareth Grundy, deputy editor of Q music magazine, told Reuters. “I think other bands that have been similarly successful will look and, if it is deemed to have worked, will do the same.”
Does this news mean we may actually see Thom Yorke… smile? More » 
Idol Round-Up: Mark Da Costa Leaves As Viewers Finally Realise He Is Not The Missing Member Of Jet
10:47AM Clem Bastow | “Rocker” Mark Da Costa is the first male Final 12 contestant to be booted from this year’s Idol, after his “groovy” acoustic version of Yellow (with excess use of the word “thang”) failed to keep him in the game.
We actually felt a little sad at Mark’s leaving, mainly because of the look in his eyes that said, “I’m 28; I will get exactly four months more exposure out of this and then I will be a courier until the day I retire to dream about what might have been” – but also because dear old Marcia actually seemed genuinely upset to see him go, even despite Andrew G and James Mathison’s offer of a “cup of tea” backstage after the show.
We’d like to see Surfin’ Marty leave next, if only to attempt to address the gender imbalance in this year’s Final 12. It’s just not cricket. More » 
The Mid-Morning Wrap Up
10:10AM Anna King | While you were sleeping: Unconfirmed Breaking News!! Sean Preston and the Unnamed One awarded to K-Fed? Paris Hilton’s interrogation on Letterman. A Life of Smut comes to an end as the purveyor of countless celeb sex-tapes and nudie pics follows in Owen Wilson’s footsteps. Still good: Unexpected revelation of the day week century: Kate Moss and Pete Doherty kept together by “mind-blowing” sex! Kylie to axe the juice from new doco. Elle McPherson assures women they can still be sexy at 40, world’s female population breathes collectively sign of relief. More »
