Music News

Sarah Harding won't take solo career advice from Girls Aloud.
The 32-year-old singer has revealed she is so strong-willed that she is unlikely to listen to musical tips from her former bandmates Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Kimberley Walsh and Nicola Roberts, who have all released solo albums in the past.
She explained to the latest issue of new! magazine: "They've all done solo work but there's nothing they can say. I don't take advice - I'm not good at listening. I just learn my own way. I've always been stubborn."
The 'Promise' hitmaker says her solo music is more mature than the pop records she performed with Girls Aloud.
She teased of her new music: "It's a bit more grown-up. I've co-written quite a bit of it and a lot of the songs reflect who I am as a person. I can connect with them."
However, Sarah admits she has butterflies about putting her own music out there as she it is so personal.
She added: "I'm really excited, but nervous too. I'll be putting my soul out there for everyone to see."

Ricky Gervais has announced two new David Brent concerts.
The comedian will take to the stage as his fictional 'The Office' character, cringe-inducing office manager David Brent, at London's Hammersmith Apollo and Oxford New Theatre this May.
Demand is expected to be high when tickets go on sale this Friday (07.03.14) at 9am since tickets for Ricky's first ever musical shows last October sold out within 60 seconds of going on sale.
The 52-year-old comedian performed as David Brent & Foregone Conclusion at London's Bloomsbury Theatre and Bristol's Colston Hall, with a backing band including former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows.
Future gigs were hinted at earlier this year by the musician, and the duo were said to be working on a humorous concept album together.
A source previously said: "Ricky has written nearly all the material himself but he wanted a helping hand with some specific tracks. He and Andy first met in 2008 on 'The Jonathan Ross Show' and they have stayed in touch ever since.
"Although Ricky's performances are all slightly cringe-worthy, they are extremely tongue-in-cheek and actually, lyrically, very clever. Andy was keen to get involved in the new album as soon as the idea was put to him."
The actor revived his hapless, wannabe rock star alter-ego last year for a 'Comic Relief' sketch.

Courtney Love has announced UK tour dates.
The 49-year-old singer hasn't played in Britain since Hole - which she formed in 1989 with Eric Erlandson - toured in 2010 and has thanked fans for their "patience" before announcing the eight dates on which she'll take to the stage in May.
She wrote on Facebook: "UK, Thanks for your patience! Here we go!!!"
The blonde beauty will kick off the series of gigs with two shows at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on May 11 and 12 before taking to the stage in Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow and Nottingham and will be supported by White Miles on all dates.
The tour comes after Courtney, who struggled with drug addiction in the past, admitted she wants a "second chance" after seeing how stars including 'Sherlock Holmes' actor Robert Downey Jr. and 'Orange is the New Black' actress Natasha Lyonne have put their problems behind them to enjoy further career success.
She previously said: "Listen, if Natasha Lyonne can burn down a house and Robert can go to prison for two years, I deserve a second chance. I know there is hope for me."

Courtney's tour dates are as follows:

London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire - May 11, 12
Manchester Academy - May 13
Glasgow O2 Academy - May 15
Leeds O2 Academy - May 16
Birmingham O2 Academy - May 18
Bristol O2 Academy - May 19
Nottingham Rock City - May 20

Kurt Cobain's former roommate is selling his belongings on the internet.
Items belonging to the Nirvana frontman, who committed suicide and was found dead in his home in Seattle, Washington in 1994, are being sold on Craigslist by a man claiming to have lived with the star in Capitol Hill in Washington.
Kurt's belongings include skis, a phone and video game, which range between $25 and $80, and the old roommate had kept hold of them for a number of years.
He wrote on the site: "I have been holding on to a bunch of stuff that he left in a box when he moved out.
"He owed us rent and said he would get the box when he came back and gave us the money but he never came back, then when he was famous he never really talked to any of us again because Courtney [Love] never liked us."
But the roommate, who was a bass player in Seattle rock band Gruntruck, insists he's not a fan of the Hole singer, who was married to Kurt, so there are "no hard feelings" and he plans to sell more of the star's belongings.
He added: "i also have a lot more stuff of kurts, like magazine and clothes that i will be selling off soon. thank you for looking (sic)."
Meanwhile, a weeping statue of Kurt was unveiled in Aberdeen in Washington last month, the star's hometown.
The city celebrated Kurt Cobain Day on February 20, which would have been the singer's 47th birthday.

Aerosmith will headline the new Calling Festival.
The 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' hitmakers, who haven't performed in the UK for four years, will play the event in London's Clapham Common on Saturday, June 28.
The festival, formerly Hard Rock Calling, has been re-vamped and moved to a new site for 2014, which will feature multiple stages with 20 rock and pop acts on the bill, including Thunder, Walking Papers and Joe Bonamassa, who will perform throughout the weekend.
Aerosmith's Joe Perry said: "Speaking for myself I've been so involved writing my autobiography I did not realize how long it had been since we have played across the big pond."
The band - which also includes Steve Tyler, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford - plan to play recent material as well as treating fans to their hits.
Guitarist Joe added: "It¹s been far too long since we have performed in the UK. We can¹t wait to bring back some of the classics as well as some of the new songs from 'Music from Another Dimension' [2012 album]. We miss our UK fans. See you soon."
Previous headliners at the festival have included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Paul Simon, Pearl Jam, Paul McCartney, The Who, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder.
Tickets for the event go on sale on March 7, visit livenation.co.uk for more information and to book.

Lea Michele claims recording her debut album helped her to deal with the tragedy of losing her boyfriend Cory Monteith.
The 'Glee' star releases her record 'Louder' this month and says music has been her "therapy" but she still finds it difficult to listen to the track 'If You Say So', which is about Cory, who was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver, Canada, in July last year, after an overdose.
Lea told Billboard: "It has both sides of the spectrum. Listening to it, it's therapeutic and difficult. It will always represent the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me in my whole life.
"But at the same time, music is therapy. It has been therapy for me in the entire grieving process and in my entire life."
The 27-year-old singer says she has to "acknowledge" what she has been through and claims another song on the record, 'Cannonball', represents finding strength and hope.
She said: "These are the two sides of my life right now. The grief, but also the search for strength and hope. I really wanted those two songs to bookend the album. Really let everyone know where I'm at."
'Louder' will be released on March 17 and Lea is already looking towards her second album after completing her debut last summer.
She said: "I'm already thinking about what I want it to look like. This record is such a strong representation of what the last two years of my life were like and I don't know what's next for me in my life. But I can't wait. Making music is so incredible, you tell the story of your life through music. I plan on it being very happy, very bright. Maybe not as dark."

Pharrell Williams believes the spirit of late soul singer Curtis Mayfield helped to make his song 'Happy' a hit.
The 40-year-old singer, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song for the track, which was used in the film 'Despicable Me 2', is a big fan of the 'Move On Up' singer.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "I was pretending to be the masterful Curtis Mayfield. I hope he likes it, I'm trying to do what he would've done."
The song has conquered the charts and although Pharrell missed out on an Oscar, he is overwhelmed by his solo success, after big collaborations with Daft Punk and Robin Thicke.
He continued: "It's incredibly rewarding. I've never been so humbled in my entire life.
"It seemed like the most difficult thing ever, write a song for a mean-spirited character in the film who has this dry humour, trying to make him be happy."
The song is taken from Pharrell's new solo album 'G I R L', which was released this week, and he insists it's the "most important work" he's ever done, with his favourite track being another collaboration with Daft Punk called 'Gust Of Wind'.
He said: "It's my favourite because it's the first song that came to me.
"I've never had dreams about music before but I just woke up and I had it there.
"But those robots are so cryptic. they are like so 007 about everything."
Meanwhile, despite his solo success, Pharrell is adamant he's still with his band N.E.R.D, featuring Chad Hugo and Shay Haley, and they have been working on new ideas.
Asked if the band were parting ways, he said: "No, we're working on this animation project."

Fatboy Slim would be "dead by now" if he hadn't quit partying.
The 50-year-old DJ - real name Norman Cook - who checked into a rehab facility for alcohol abuse in March 2009 - believes he could have died if he hadn't become sober and thinks he's added years onto his career as a result.
He said: "I bought myself an extra 10 years as a DJ by quitting drinking. I definitely couldn't have carried on the life of a partying DJ. I would have either been burnt-out or dead by now"
The 'Right Here Right Now' singer - who has two children, Woody, 13 and Nelly, 4, with his wife Zoe Ball - says the decision to slow down came shortly after a "mid life crisis" born out of juggling a demanding career with fatherhood.
He told The Daily Telegraph website: "There was a big shift in my whole life when I stopped partying. It was my mid-life crisis, having a think about my priorities. I prefer being a DJ to making records. I haven't got time to do both and be a dad."
Although the BRIT Award-winning artist - who will be performing a series of sets during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer - prefers playing to a live audience he admitted he will "probably" return to the studio at some point when his hectic schedule begins to take it's toll.
"I won't be able to live this pace of life, with late nights, forever. At some point I may decide, 'I don't want to go round the world playing to records to drunk people anymore.' Then I probably will go back into the studio. "

Bastille's second album will have more of a hip-hop sound.
The band shot to fame with their hit single 'Pompeii' last year and continued to impress with their debut album 'Bad Blood', but frontman Dan Smith claims the follow up to their first album will sound very different due to collaborations with hip-hop artists such as Angel Haze - who they've teamed up with on new track 'Weapons'.
He said: "We are touring with Angel Haze and we have recorded some stuff together too. Maybe it's not the most obvious fit but she's an intelligent rapper with insightful lyrics."
The 26-year-old singer-songwriter claims the change in sound will reflect the kind of music he and his bandmates - Kyle Simmons, Will Farquarson and Chris "Woody" Wood - like to listen to and who they are influenced by.
He told the Daily Star newspaper: "The second album will be much clearer as to what our influences are. If more drastically all over the place, in a good way.
"I still sneak off and sing into my phone but we are writing more collaboratively at sound checks too this time."
Dan also admitted that despite winning the Best British Breakthrough Act award at the BRITs last month, they still haven't come to terms with their success, and he says they're nervous about their homecoming show at London's Alexandra Palace on Thursday (06.03.14).
He added: "We never imagined we'd get to play Ally Pally, as someone who has grown up in London and seen bands like Sigur Ros there - it's nuts."