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Coldplay announce tour DVD, live album and single

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:06:00 GMT

Coldplay are to release concert film and live album Live 2012 on November 19, alongside new single Hurts Like Heaven on the same day.

The video for Hurts Like Heaven is available to watch on Vevo, and features imagery direct from the pages of Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto comic, which was previewed at the San Diego Comic Con in July.

Live 2012 documents the Mylo Xyloto tour, and includes footage from shows at the Stade De France Paris, the Bell Centre Montreal and Coldplay's 2011 Glastonbury headlining performance on the Pyramid Stage.

"The Mylo Xyloto tour has been the most fun we've ever had as a band," says Chris Martin. "It's felt very uplifting right from the start; partly because we are proud of the music, the LED wristbands, the pyrotechnics, the lasers and all of that stuff, but mainly because of the amazing audiences that we've been playing for. Over the years, our crowd has become more and more a part of the concert itself. They're loud, diverse, full of soul, and make the songs sound much better than we can on our own. We wanted to try to bottle the incredible feeling that they give us, and hence our concert film."

Live 2012 will be released via Parlophone on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and digital copy, and is available for pre-order now from the official Coldplay website.

MusicRadar Deals Of The Week

Fri, 05 Oct 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Killer guitar, tech, amp or drum bargains from our recommended retailers

Welcome to the new MusicRadar

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:10:00 GMT

Regular visitors to the site will have noticed that we've been testing our new design on article pages and news, review and tuition indexes for the last few weeks. Today we're ready to unveil the rest of our new look to the world.

The new look will take a few hours to work its way around the internet, but if you're not already, you'll very shortly be looking at the new MusicRadar. In the meantime, you can click here to view beta.musicradar.com.

Our primary aim has been to make it easier for you to find the content you want. That's why Guitars, Tech and Drums have been given separate homepage feeds. We've also decluttered article pages to make them easier to read and to better showcase some of the fantastic imagery and video we have to offer.

In addition we've done a lot of work to the backend to make pages load faster, but we won't bore you with that today.

We'll be in beta for the next couple weeks while we finalise features and squash bugs. Please let us know if you experience any technical issues.

More soon...

This is just the start, though - as ever, we'll keep working to improve MusicRadar. In the short term we'll be launching new versions of our sister magazine websites. In the medium and long-term we will be reworking our Gearfinder and commenting engines and rolling out new user review features. These will (among other things) make it easier for you to give us your views on the gear you love. We'd also like to know what features you'd like to see on the site in the future.

We hope you like the new look and would like to thank you for your continued support of MusicRadar.

Feel free to leave feedback and comments below or email us direct at musicradar@futurenet.com

All Axess launch IndieGoGo funding campaign

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 13:55:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE: All Axess was founded by DevilDriver's Jeff Kendrick and Mike Spreitzer and revolves around a distinct philosophy: bridging the gap between the creators of music and their loyal fans.

In the past two years, All Axess has become a force on the web with many famous guitar players being interviewed and giving filmed lessons, which in turn has grown the fan-base for the site dramatically.

With this growing fan-base in mind, Jeff and Mike spotted a gap in the app market that has been overlooked - and it is with this in mind that the All Axess is pleased to announce their plans to bring their approach to learning guitar and the music world direct to your mobile device!

The All Axess application will provide subscribers with exclusive lesson series by their favourite guitar players, as opposed to individual lessons or segments, and they are enabling their vision for this app by launching a campaign with the world's largest self-serve open-funding platform, IndieGoGo.

Since its founding in 2008, IndieGoGo has distributed millions of dollars to over 24,000 campaigns in 159 countries and depending on the level of pledge funds achieved in the All Axess campaign, the app may also contain performance-grading software for the user, which would provide a clear and concise grading of their guitar playing.

Jeff explains why All Axess decided to pursue the app:

"Our goal is to provide a service for the All Axess member that exceeds the standards of other educational applications. After years of research and educational study, we concluded that there is a lack of apps for individual musicians to educate their fans with lessons, in order to provide insight and an interactive glance into their daily lives.

"Our goal is to offer an insight in to your favourite musicians lives like never before. Believe it or not, most musicians actually enjoy engaging with fans on a daily basis. All Axess is trying to make this interaction more fun, exciting and informative than has ever been possible up until now."

All Axess came about when Jeff and Mike identified that their experience of being in touring and recording bands could help both fans and artists bridge the gap between both in a way that is both interactive for fans and financially viable for the artists who have signed up to the service. Jeff explains:

"The declining financial nature of being a musician has compelled us to create a service that can help musicians world-wide. We have created a new revenue source for all of our friends and colleagues. As the music industry further changes we, out of necessity, must create new opportunities. We have embraced technology and pulled together our resources to bring forth a new learning tool and a new interactive community."

With a great roster of musicians lined up who are excited to exclusively share their skills and daily life experiences through social media, All Axess is proud to announce that for the first All Axess Artist segment, they are working with Bring Me the Horizon's Jona Weinhofen.

The funding will be used to develop his app and film a series of lessons - through All Axess, Jona's fans will now have more insight into his lifestyle, as well as learning his skills on the guitar, which will also include learning how to get his signature sound. The All Axess app is sure to be one of the most formidable apps on the market.

Check out the variety of special gift packs that are available for the launch of the project by clicking here. These include an ESP Willie Adler signature series guitar (personally signed by Willie from Lamb of God), 'The Hollywood Experience' whereby DevilDriver's Jeff and Mike pick you up from the airport in a limo and you get the opportunity to talk about all manner of guitar-related stuff while they take you round the Strip's rock hotspots, or an extra special package whereby Mike Spreitzer will help you co-write music and even play guitar on your record! There are plenty of cheaper packages available for those who want to get involved but only have a little to spend.

Donate to the All Axess IndieGoGo campaign

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Information taken from official press release, for more visit All Axess

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How does KISS star Tommy Thayer shoot rockets out of his guitar?

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:15:00 GMT

There are artists that know how to put on a show. And then there's KISS. In a recent interview with Guitarist magazine, Tommy Thayer explained how his live showpiece stays on target:

"Basically, you have a pyrotechnic shot that's attached to the back of the headstock and it's all done electronically. It's done safely, too, as it's not just a matter of hitting a button: you also have to engage what's called a kill switch before you can go to the firing button.

"The guitar had to be kind of a custom, so I called Gibson and I picked a black Les Paul. Some wiring had to be installed, so space was routed out up the neck, and it's a pretty technical and impressive piece of machinery.

"There are three shots for that part of the solo, so there are three buttons: you shoot the rockets and it's a lot of fun. I remember the first few times I was nervous because I didn't want to screw it up.

"People say, 'That's such an Ace [Frehley] thing, why do you guys do that?' But we don't look at it that way: it's a KISS thing. It's part of a KISS show. End of story."

For much more from Tommy Thayer, including exclusive video and the full skinny on his signature Epiphone Spaceman Les Paul, check out issue 359 of Guitarist magazine, on sale now.

VIDEO: Flight Of The Conchords return for charity single

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:34:00 GMT

Check out the video above to hear a brand new Flight Of The Conchords song. Titled Feel Inside (And Stuff Like That), it's a fund-raising single in aid of New Zealand charity Cure Kids.

The 14 minute video shows how the band began talking to each other again, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement's enlightening trip to an NZ classroom for songwriting inspiration and, finally, the full music video for the tune.

After spending time working on solo projects (Bret won an Oscar for his work on The Muppet Movie soundtrack and Jemaine has appeared in numerous acting roles), the duo recently reunited and completed a 10 date tour of New Zealand. No other shows have been announced at present.

If you enjoy what you hear/see you can buy the track from Amplifier.co.nz

RIG TOUR: Rising stars Ume show off their live setup

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:25:00 GMT

Here at MusicRadar, we like nothing more than spotlighting rising stars, and recently we've been most impressed with the Austin-based trio Ume (pronounced ooo-may). Their full-length debut, Phantoms, is an explosive, melodic blend of post-alt-rock heaviness (you can stream the record on Soundcloud here and purchase it on iTunes here), and in a few weeks, they're set to record a follow-up with producer Adam Kasper, he of Foo Fighters/Cat Power/Queens Of The Stone Age fame.

We caught up with guitarist-singer Lauren Larson, bassist Eric Larson (yes, the two are married) and drummer Rachel Fuhrer at New York's Webster Hall recently, where they were set to share the stage with The Toadies and Helmet. All three members of Ume ran through their live setups, which you can see in the video above.

Lauren describes herself as "quite the Fender fan" - she plays a mid-'60s Duo-Sonic II and a mid-'70s Telecaster Deluxe. When asked what her dream guitar might be, she answered, "I'd love to have a custom Fender, maybe with a Mustang body. I like the smaller neck on the Duo-Sonic. It's still a full-scale guitar, but it's a bit smaller. I really like dual humbuckers – you get such a fatter, beefier sound with them."

Following a date this weekend (25 August) at the Rock en Seine Festival in Paris, Ume will hit the road in the fall, again with The Toadies and Helmet (click here for the dates). The group will also be featured on the season premiere of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, airing 3 September on the Travel Channel. Catch a glimpse of the episode below. And yes, those are indeed "chicken balls."

VIDEO: Steven Wilson - Luminol (Live From Mexico City)

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Check out the video above to watch modern prog hero Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) perform a new track, Luminol, recorded in Mexico City earlier this year.

This previously-unreleased 12-minute epic was captured during Wilson's Grace For Drowning world tour and will be released as part of a new DVD/Blu-ray/2CD package titled Get All You Deserve on 24 September.

The track will also feature on the follow-up to Grace For Drowning, Steven Wilson's as-yet-untitled third solo album, which is due in the Spring of next year.

If you've enjoy this slice of epic prog-ing, then head over to the official Get All You Deserve page for more information.

Meet the Live And Unsigned 2012 winners

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:15:00 GMT

The 2012 Live And Unsigned Grand Final took place at the Indigo2 in London's prestigious O2 Arena last month and it was as tense and varied a final as the competition has ever seen. Check out the full list of the top three acts in each of the categories and find out more about each of the winners here.

VIDEO: Black Country Communion in the studio

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:25:00 GMT

Check out the video above to see the latest studio teaser from Black Country Communion, the rock supergroup featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian and Jason Bonham.

Back in June the group spent six days in Westlake Village Studios, California recording their third collection with producer Kevin Shirley. In the video teaser above Joe pulls several amusing rock expressions, we see Kevin directing the action and Jason plays loudly.

For the slightly more illuminating instalments, watch the videos below, in which your host - the inimitable Glenn Hughes – shows us Mel Galley of Whitesnake's Les Paul Black Beauty, explains his Orange bass rig and continually talks over everyone else. It's brilliant viewing.

Glenn Hughes at the Black Country Communion III sessions

Glenn Hughes on Mel Galley's Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty

Glenn Hughes on his Orange bass rig

Summer NAMM 2012 video: TC-Helicon VoiceTone Mic Mechanic demoed

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

We stopped by the TC-Helicon booth at Summer NAMM to check out the latest product in TC-Helicon's popular VoiceTone range, the Mic Mechanic, a fire-engine red little pedal that offers reverbs, delays and pitch correction for vocalists.

Designed for live use, the Mic Mechanic has a simple, easy-to-use control layout, while the Tone button enables you to apply adaptive EQ, compression, de-essing and gating.

Double-threat talent Laura Davidson, who's a wonderful singer as well as the marketing manager for TC-Helicon, showed off her impressive pipes while demoing the capabilities of the Mic Mechanic in the above video.

Jon Lord 1941-2012

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:41:00 GMT

We're sad to report the death of Jon Lord, keyboard player and co-founder of metal pioneers Deep Purple, who suffered a pulmonary embolism and had been battling pancreatic cancer.

An official statement reads: "It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jon Lord, who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism today, Monday 16th July at the London Clinic, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was surrounded by his loving family.

"Jon Lord, the legendary keyboard player with Deep Purple co-wrote many of the bands legendary songs including Smoke On The Water and played with many bands and musicians throughout his career.

"Best known for his Orchestral work Concerto for Group & Orchestra first performed at Royal Albert Hall with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969 and conducted by the renowned Malcolm Arnold, a feat repeated in 1999 when it was again performed at the Royal Albert Hall by the London Symphony Orchestra and Deep Purple.

"Jon's solo work was universally acclaimed when he eventually retired from Deep Purple in 2002.

"Jon passes from Darkness to Light.

Jon Lord 9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012."

Live And Unsigned 2012: The Grand Final

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:50:00 GMT

This year's Live And Unsigned winners: Coco And The Butterfields

Walking up to London's imposing and thoroughly rain-lashed O2 just before lunchtime on Saturday 14 July, it's clear that even for a venue of this magnitude, something sizeable is going on.

Scores of nerve-addled music-types are lining the palm-treed promenades, packing out the bars and restaurants and being calmed by supportive family members. Everywhere you look there's a different tribe of fans emblazoned in the colours and T-shirts of their chosen band, handing out flyers, stickers, lollies and anything else they think might tip the day in their favour.

It's that time of the year again - when the Live And Unsigned national final takes over the dome and musicians from all over the country congregate in the hope of taking home the grand prize - £10,000 cash and a 16-date run of UK festival shows.

Entering the Proud2 venue within the dome, it's already packed out for the Rock and Metal round, one of four final heats, and judges from across the industry have assembled to sort the wheat from the chaff – among them Adam Perry (Bloodhound Gang/A), Dayal Patterson (Metal Hammer) and Alex Baker (Kerrang).

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Dayal Paterson (Metal Hammer) on Live And Unsigned:

"It was good fun. I was pleasantly surprised at how varied it was and it was good to hear that character. I think Contraband were the most memorable. They were ready to go. You could put them onstage supporting a big band and they looked like they should be onstage.

"That's the whole thing with these competitions – is to come out with a sound that it is ready to go and has a lot of character... It's prestige, if you do win a talent competition it's something else to talk about and it gives you a bit more clout when you're trying to push your demo etc."

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It's Contraband that impress the most with a surprisingly good take on rap metal (despite the odds being stacked against them in that situation), plus a clever cover of an AC/DC Back In Black/Led Zeppelin mash-up that separates them from the other contenders. Later in the day it sees them take home the title for their category and with it a Natal drum kit, plus a spot on the bill at Butserfest as their reward.

However, for now, it's the acoustic round and we wonder if unsigned one-man acts will be able to pull off such a big show. However, Ed Sheeran's approach has clearly inspired a whole new generation of strummers and while there are a few copycats here, at least stage presence doesn't seem to a problem for most. Eventually it's Leon Bratt from Maulden in Bedfordshire who proves to be a worthy winner with his goosebump-inducing version of Bob Marley's Redemption Song.

Coco And The Butterfields onstage at Proud2 for the Live And Unsigned final

Keeping the day moving quickly (there's scarcely a 15 minute break between the first three rounds), it's on to the third heat, encompassing indie and alternative acts. There are a couple of bands here making strong challenges – among them, RedStar ooze Kasabian-style danger and The Dirty Cheats come across as a well-oiled machine - but it's quirky hip-hop/folk (or "fip-fok" - their words) collective Coco And The Butterfields who most impress the judges with a genuinely unique blend of influences and a confident performance.

The fourth and final heat of the day, Urban and Pop, suffers some delays due to technical problems, but eventually blasts off in the same spectacular fashion as the first three: complete with pyro, dry ice and lasers galore.

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Alex Baker (Kerrang Radio) on Live And Unsigned:

"I think entering these kind of shows is a good idea, but it depends on what you're after. You've got to be realistic. If you look at the people that have won previously, are they as big as Kings Of Leon? No. But have they had fun and has it helped them in anyway? Probably: yes.

"There are bands like [previous winners] The Lottery Winners that I still play and what's good about Live And Unsigned is that they do bring people down that can help and it's a good way of getting in front of those people"

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Unsurprisingly, it's features the most stagecraft in terms of props and costumes. Mee, in particular, is a bizarre breath of fresh air, showing her imagination with a group of backing dancers dressed up like tripped-out palace guards, complete with bearskin hats and giant lollipops.

It's a tight category, and there's some vocal fan support trying to sway the judges (among them Radio 1 Xtra's Ras Kwame and Kiss FM's Charlie Hedges), but it's R&B/pop singer/songwriter Molly that wins out, and gets a slot at Sundown festival for her efforts.

Following the Urban and Pop final we're treated to performances from past Live And Unsigned victors, including indie group The Lottery Winners and singer Lucy Spraggan. However, the entire room's mind is elsewhere: they want results and they want them now...

After a long day of music, the prize-giving ceremony is swift, with text votes and judges decisions taken into account to find the overall winners. It's announced – after eight hours of performances throughout the day, Coco And The Butterfields take home the grand prize of £10,000 cash and a 16-date festival tour.

It's been a long road to the O2 and anything can (and did) happen on the day, but you heard it from Live And Unsigned first: "fik-fop", it's the future...

WORLD PREMIERE: Shinedown - Enemies video

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:11:00 GMT

MusicRadar is pleased to present the world exclusive premiere of Shinedown's volatile new video, Enemies, taken from their top five (US) album, Amaryllis.

DISCLAIMER: The above video contains images of falsified, but nonetheless convincing violence and therefore should not be viewed by young audiences... Or people with really bad judgement.

Once you've got over the veritable chair-to-the-face of the full and uncensored Enemies video, you should know that the single is out today and is due to be followed up by a full European tour this October. Check out the UK dates and find out where you can buy tickets below.

Shinedown 2012 UK tour dates

24 October - Southampton, Guildhall
25 October - Exeter, Great Hall
27 October - London, Brixton Academy
28 October - Birmingham, Academy
29 October - Manchester, Apollo
31 October - Edinburgh, Playhouse
1 November - Sheffield, Academy
2 November - Cardiff, Cardiff University
4 November - Norwich, UEA

Buy tickets for Shinedown's 2012 UK tour dates

Buy Shinedown - Amaryllis album (physical)
Buy Shinedown - Amaryllis album (digital)

Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard on changing the setlist every night

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 09:17:00 GMT

Total Guitar issue 331 features an Access All Areas review of Pearl Jam's Manchester show on 21 June and an exclusive interview with Stone Gossard on his other band Brad along with his work with Pearl Jam, Temple Of The Dog, Mother Love Bone and Green River.

During the discussion, we asked the Pearl Jam guitarist about the band's habit of changing their setlist every night.

It's incredible that you change the setlist so much every night - what's the reality of that? When will the setlist be planned in relation to when you step onstage?

"Well yesterday we got it about an hour and 15 minutes ahead of time. We hadn't played Black, Alive, Jeremy or Small Town in soundcheck or rehearsal in nine months. Because when we rehearse we're always kind of rehearsing the odds and ends that we don't really know that well. So we're always kind of assuming we know the main meat of the set.

"But having said that, not having played something for a long time and you're thinking, 'I know it, I know it' then you can get up to that bridge and it's, 'What the f**k is that part?' You can be up there with your pants down. Luckily, last night, it all worked out - nothing too dramatic."

Do you and Mike take time to sit down together and go over new additions?

"Yes we have a 20 minute sessions backstage when we look at the setlist and say, 'Let's do that one again' and we have a stereo system that has all the Pearl Jam songs on it so we'll play along with that. But it's huge because when we first started out I would have probably been one of those people that thought, 'Let's just go out and play the hits - why play anything other?'

"You can be up there with your pants down."

"But I think the band, particularly Jeff but I think Ed too, and ultimately me to some degree, as you get more songs we consistently work them in. Even the ones that didn't work so well. It's given us so much more room because our fans now expect nothing less than to have something very different each night.

"So even if you f**k something up, the fact that you're trying songs you haven't played before… we rehearsed a song at soundcheck today that we've never played [live], before [that turned out to be Hitchhiker]. It's kind of odd to have 130 odd songs and people are clambering and if we play it people will be on the internet [looking for them]…"

"It's a good thing to be able to have that challenge."

For much more from Stone Gossard, check out Total Guitar magazine issue 331, on sale 6 August.

Summer NAMM 2012: 6 new Fender acoustic guitars, basses and mandolins

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 09:22:00 GMT

In the run up to Summer NAMM 2012, Fender has announced a host of new acoustic guitar, bass and mandolin models – from the high-end to the entry-level, plus some intriguing twists on current instruments.

Access All Areas: behind the scenes with the world's hottest live acts

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 08:30:00 GMT

We all know what music festivals are like, right? Lots of music, warm beer, mud, wacky hats... But have you ever wondered about all the hard work that goes on backstage to make those big headline set run smoothly?

Next time you're out front enjoying the plentiful supply of live music thrills, spare a thought for the hard-working, gear-laden tech crews who will be oiling the wheels of your favourite band's festival performance.

Over the course of summer 2011, MusicRadar spent time on the road with the teams behind the scenes for a diverse cross-section of artists, including some of the world's biggest live acts, up-and-coming bands and big-name pop acts.

Finalists prepare for Live and Unsigned National Final at The O2

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 14:23:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE: Bands and solo acts from across the country are gearing up for the culmination of months of hard work, as the National Grand Final of Live and Unsigned draws closer and closer. The achievement comes after succeeding in live heats across the country and beating over 10,000 other acts to make it through to the Live and Unsigned National Grand Final at The O2 on Saturday 14th July!

Divided into genre categories of Rock, Alternative and Indie, Acoustic and Pop; those who win in their categories will receive incredible prizes including huge festival slots, Fret King Guitar endorsements, £15000 in recording studio time, music equipment including Natal drum kits along with Blackstar and TC Electronic amps; with a combined value of up to £100,000.

Click here to watch videos of the Live and Unsigned finalists

Then the ultimate winner of Live and Unsigned 2012 will embark on a remarkable festival tour this summer spanning 14 top festivals across the UK including; Relentless Energy Drink Boardmasters, Leopallooza, Brisfest, Sundown, Strawberry Fields Festival, Glass Butter Beach, Brownstock, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and five other summer festivals. In addition to the Live and Unsigned festival tour the winning act will receive a £10,000 cash prize.

Chris Grayston, Events Director of Live & Unsigned commented: "It's a fantastic achievement to make it to the Grand Final at The O2, one of the best music venues in the world. It will be a great day for all the acts performing, whether they win or not. Last year half a dozen acts were signed to both label and management companies, after representatives were invited as guests. I can't wait to see what the acts have got in store for us at the final it's going to be terrific!"

This year's Live and Unsigned National Grand Final will also include guest performances by Open Mic UK winner Hatty Keane, last year's Live and Unsigned runner-up Lucy Spraggan and 2010 Live and Unsigned victors The Lottery Winners.

This year's winners will be awarded the title of the UK's best unsigned act in front of celebrity and industry judges and an anticipated capacity crowd on the main stage at Proud2 at The O2. This year's celebrity judges so far include BBC Radio 1's Ras Kwame, Kiss FM Breakfast presenter Charlie Hedges, Kerrang Radio's Unsigned Expert Alex Baker and Mark Hill also known as one half of the urban duo Artful Dodger.

Live and Unsigned is the biggest original music competition in the UK for unsigned bands and artists. Attracting over 40,000 musicians to enter this year, it has set itself apart from its predecessors by promoting originality. To secure your audition place for next year's competition and to book a ticket for the Grand Final at The O2, go to www.liveandunsigned.uk.com

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Information taken from official press release, for more visit Live and Unsigned

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VIDEO: Download 2012 Festival Horror Stories

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:45:00 GMT

If you've seen our killer photo gallery from Download 2012, you'll doubtless be aware that a mighty fine time was had by all at Donington Park last weekend.

However, a combination of the Great British Weather and partying to excess can turn your festival dreams into a nightmare. Over the course of the weekend, we went backstage and caught up with some of the stars to hear their very own festival horror stories.

Check out the video above for the lurid details. Those of a delicate nature should note that the clip contains colourful language throughout and multiple references to faecal matter.

Al Murray to head up Marshall Amps 50th Anniversary Rock n Roll Memorial

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:24:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE: Legendary broadcaster and comedian Al Murray has been lined for the Marshall Amps 50th Anniversary event at Wembley arena on Saturday 22nd September 2012. The Pub Landlord will be swapping his bar stool for a drum stool when he appears at the event as a compere. Al will join rock n roll's biggest stars to celebrate the life and work of revolutionary amp pioneer Jim Marshall OBE.

Following the sad news of Jim's death earlier this month the event, which was already planned to commemorate Marshall's 50th Anniversary, will now be held in honour of the legendary man and his remarkable life. To celebrate Jim's 50 legendary years of musical innovation, Marshall is taking over Wembley arena for a full on rock n roll riot.

Murray will join global rock royalty from bands including Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Whitesnake, Chickenfoot, The Cult, Black Label Society, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and many more….. Tickets for the event are on sale now and can be purchased via wwww.ticketmaster.co.uk/www.livenation.co.uk.

Al Murray is best known for his hilarious alter-ego, The Pub Landlord. But he is also the drummer for rock band T-34 and has performed at the Download Festival for two years in a row. Murray also owns a drum customising company called PimpCo.

The Marshall team approached Murray because of his passion and understanding of rock music and also because of his unique synergy with founder Jim Marshall OBE. Jim also started out as a drummer and drum shop owner.

Al will join fellow drummer Iron Maiden's Nicko McBrain at the event alongside the world's most legendary guitarists, acclaimed musicians and Marshall enthusiasts. On the bill is multiple Grammy nominee and Chickenfoot super-group founder Joe Satriani, Ozzy Osbourne collaborator and founder of Black Label Society Zakk Wylde, technical wizard and one of GuitarOne magazine's "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time" Paul Gilbert, Whitesnake's Doug Aldrich and Brian Tichy, Swedish virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen, The Cult's Billy Duffy, Slipknot/Stone Sour front man Corey Taylor, Judas Priest frontman Tim 'Ripper' Owens, Trapeze and Deep Purple and Black Sabbath vocalist and bassist Glen Hughes.

Talking about the event Al Murray commented; "It is truly an honour to be involved in this monumental event. To share the stage at Wembley Arena with such legendary rock stars will be totally thrilling. But it's more than that! Jim Marshall's pioneering amps shaped the sound of rock music forever and as a music-fan and fellow drummer I believe this should be celebrated! Marshall was the epitome of loud and there is no better way to commemorate Jim's amazing life than rocking out!"

Artists have played a massive role in the success of Marshall. Jim had personal contact with each Marshall owner and the artists became a real part of the 'Marshall Family'. So it is only fitting that this 'Marshall Family' pay tribute to their founding father the best way they know how - turning it to 11 for a full on blast of full-on Marshall magic!

Celebrating over five decades of guitar amplification, Marshall Amps have become synonymous with Rock Royalty. To celebrate Jim Marshall's amazing life, the company plans a very special event as it welcomes a stellar line-up of artists and presents an impressive array exhibits for what promises to a never-to-be forgotten event.

Visitors at this one-day commemorative festival of sound will be met with a concentrated blast of full-on Marshall magic! The entire weekend will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pay homage to a beloved British icon – Jim Marshall.

Tickets for the event are on sale now priced at £35.00 subject to booking fees and are available via www.ticketmaster.co.uk/ http://www.livenation.co.uk

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Information taken from official press release, for more visit Marshall.

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Live and Unsigned festival winners

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:08:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE: The Live and Unsigned National Grand Finalists have now been selected to play at The O2 in London in a bid to win the title of the 'UK's Best Live and Unsigned Act 2012' together with £10,000 to spend on the development of the act and the opportunity to perform in various festivals.

Along the process of the UK's biggest competition for unsigned bands and acts, nearly 100 festivals slots have been awarded making it the biggest year of prizes ever for Live and Unsigned!

International Festivals!

Live and Unsigned contestants have been given the opportunity to perform at the international festival, Peace and Love in Sweden alongside headliners Rihanna & Skrillex.

Congratulations to;

Two Little Boys

One act has also been selected to play at Summer Sound Festival in, joining big names such as Far East Movement & The Big Pink. Well done to;

Sarah De Warren

Beach Break Live slots for Live and Unsigned acts!

Beach Break Live is giving three Live and Unsigned acts the chance to play the festival alongside Chase and Status, Nero, The Maccabees & Ben Howard. Well done to the acts selected for the prestigious festival:

Two Little Boys, CoCo and the Butterfields & The Story Boys.

Two Live and Unsigned grand finalists will also be selected to perform at the Relentless Energy Drink Boardmasters festival performing alongside headliners Ed Sheeran & Dizzee Rascal.

Live and Unsigned winners tour!

The overall winner of Live and Unsigned 2012 will secure a 12 date UK summer festival tour with slots at; Relentless Energy Drink Boardmasters Festival, Sundown Festival, Strawberry Fields Festival, Cockermouth Rock Festival, Edinburgh Fringe, Bingley Music Live, Stockton Weekender, Glass Butter Beach, Brownstock, Just So Festival, London Summer Jam and Lancaster Music Festival.

Live and Unsigned acts to support Razorlight, Labrinth, Kaiser Chiefs and more!

As well as the amazing winners tour, Live and Unsigned has been giving away festival slots throughout this year's competition with festival judges picking out their favourites. Well done to the following acts who were selected for festival slots;

Guernsey Festival – Remedy Sounds

Osfest - The Dirty Cheats, Frutaloka, The Peppermint Apes, Leon Bratt & Fret 14

Strawberry Fields Festival - Jack's Attic

Cockermouth Rock Festival – Memoria, Lee Paul Band & The Wee Band

Butserfest – Midday Committee, England Road & Spartan

Bfest – Bassment, Fire in Effect & Sinister Flynn

Bearded Theory Festival – Lee Gough, The Life and the Times of the Brothers Hogg (who also won a main stage slot at Bearded Theory 2013 as a result of playing this slot), One Million Fingers & The Decade Runners

Brownstock – The Story Boys, The Peppermint Apes & Deco Pilots

Beverley Festival – Milly Bolton, The Mirrortones, Daysleeper & Leo

Live and Unsigned supporting independent and small-scale festivals

Independent Festivals across the UK are getting huge support from Live and Unsigned and this year, Live and Unsigned have selected multiple acts from the competition to perform at smaller-scale and independent festivals.

Congratulations to the following acts: who were selected from their Live and Unsigned showcase;

Aldershot Live Music Day – Molly, Alana & Misphits

Music In The City - Fat Cat, Matt Benham, Iolla Grace, The Sirens & Liam Iliffe

The Big Stooshie – Emily Middlemas, Act Natural, Fire in Effect & Bassment

Paddington LI.VE Jubilee Music Weekend – Sarah De Warren, Otty, Matt Hodges & Two Little Boys

Bournemouth 7s Festival – Remedy Sounds, Matt McGowan, QuAckhouse & Juddy and Lauren B

Danson Festival – Otty

Paddle Round the Pier - CoCo and the Butterfields, QuAckhouse, Angharad & Lucy and the Lights

Newcastle Green Festival - Dean James, Dox & Lee Paul Band

Watchet LIVE Festival –Kelly and Alana & Alex Pascoe

Boomtown Fair –Hullabaloo & Shoot the Moon

Lancaster Music Festival –Hannah Nicole Gorge, Katie O'Malley, Freerunner & Kaitain

Z-Fest – Mitsotu & The May Birds

London Summer Jam – Joy to Filth Ratio & Santino

Folk on the Water–Silent Frenzy, Slanted Frames, Tiger Blue, Vaudeville Tramp Band, River City Portrait, Leon Bratt & Frutaloka

The Live and Unsigned National Grand Final will take place on Saturday 14^th July. Click here to purchase an all-day ticket for £20. It is an event not to be missed!

For your chance to win festival slots in next year's Live and Unsigned competition Enter Now!

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Information taken from official press release, for more visit Live and Unsigned

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VIDEO: Get an interactive, 360-degree view of Professor Green live

Mon, 28 May 2012 14:53:00 GMT

Click through on the video above - from the team at O2 Academy - to see Professor Green and his band performing Remedy on stage at the O2 Academy Brixton.

You can click and drag the mouse to get a 360 view from one of 6 selectable cameras to get an up-close view of all the musicians and gear on stage.

Live and Unsigned alumni play summer festivals

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:54:00 GMT

PRESS RELEASE: This year's summer festival season features the alumni of Live and Unsigned, with previous acts bagging festival slots from all over the country.

Winners of the competition alongside runners-up and guest performers have found themselves spaces on line-ups of a number of music festivals including Bestival, Strawberry Fields and Sundown Festival, playing along the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dizzee Rascal and The XX.

Folk-pop artist, resident guest performer and 2011 runner-up Lucy Spraggan has achieved a range of festival slots this summer, after her performance at 2011's Sheffield Regional Final inspired promoters of Danson and Strawberry Fields Festival to give her slot at the Leicestershire and Bexley events. Other festivals that have been confirmed for her throughout the summer include Beatherder, Folk on the Water, Glade, L Fest, Osfest, Y-Not and Whaley Water Weekend.

Nineteen year-old artist Charley Macaulay will be showing how far she has come since her 2009 Live and Unsigned Under-18 category win by bringing her brand of soulful pop to Bestival this September, which this year is headlined by Stevie Wonder, and in previous years has been headlined by acts including Amy Winehouse, Beastie Boys and The Cure. 2011 Alternative Category Winners The Robbie Boyd Band has also been announced for Just So Festival. Among all this 2009 Live & Unsigned winner Danny Shah is lined-up to play Glass Butter Beach festival.

Live and Unsigned partners Cockermouth Rock Festival, or 'CockRock 2012' headlined this year by Tinchy Stryder and Fun Lovin' Criminals, will feature three acts from Live and Unsigned this year, including 2010 victors The Lottery Winners, 2011 finalists Top Boy Round Here and guest performers The Dub Pistols all being set to play as part of the main line-up.

As part of the Live and Unsigned Winners Festival Tour, the Live and Unsigned 2012 champion will get the opportunity to play 14 festival slots to play throughout 2012. So far the tour consists of: Cockermouth Rock Festival on the weekend of 20th-22nd July, Stockton Weekender on the 3rd-5th August, the following weekend the winners will be playing Relentless Energy Drink Boardmasters, Cloud 9 Festival, Strawberry Fields Festival, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Just So Festival will be next up, before the first weekend of September when the winner plays Glass Butter Beach on Friday 31st August, then Brownstock Festival on Saturday 1st September and Bingley Music Live on Sunday 2nd September!

For more information on Live and Unsigned go to the website and for tickets click here.

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Information taken from official press release, for more visit Live and Unsigned

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Submit a press release: email musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

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Drum kits of the pros: stars' live and studio drum setups in pictures

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:38:00 GMT

UPDATED: We've updated the collection with several new kits, including the set-ups behind huge pop tours from Rihanna and The Wanted, a spartan punk kit from Rise Against and Mike Portnoy's current set. Find them on the next few slides and scroll through the gallery to see the whole selection.

Every month Rhythm magazine scales the four corners of the Earth to interview the best pro drummers out there and (more importantly for the purposes of this gallery) to take a closer - often exclusive - look at their drum setups. This gallery celebrates the best from Rhythm, and some of MusicRadar's own…

Scroll through to see kits belonging to some of the biggest names in the business from Travis Barker and Joey Jordison to Steve Gadd and Thomas Lang. You can click through to read gear-centric extracts from Rhythm's interviews from the stars themselves and, in many cases, from their all-knowing drum techs.

First up: Chris Johnson's Rihanna drum setup...

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees dies at 62

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:21:00 GMT

Robin Gibb, singer and songwriter with the Bee Gees, has died aged 62 following a battle with cancer.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," said a statement.

"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

The Bee Gees were famed not just for their own hits - including the hugely popular soundtrack album from the film Saturday Night Fever - but also for songs that they wrote for other artists, including Diana Ross (Chain Reaction), Dionne Warwick (Heartbreaker) and Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (Islands In The Stream).

Robin Gibb's twin brother Maurice died in 2003 following complications from a twisted intestine.

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Live and Unsigned festival winners

International Festivals!

Beach Break Live slots for Live and Unsigned acts!

Live and Unsigned winners tour!

Live and Unsigned acts to support Razorlight, Labrinth, Kaiser Chiefs and more!

Live and Unsigned supporting independent and small-scale festivals

VIDEO: Get an interactive, 360-degree view of Professor Green live

Live and Unsigned alumni play summer festivals

Drum kits of the pros: stars' live and studio drum setups in pictures

First up: Chris Johnson's Rihanna drum setup...

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees dies at 62

Bee Gees - Night Fever