Music News LIVE: Liam Gallagher is looking for Chinatown
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- News updates for 6 July 2017
- Meandering new music video from Liam Gallagher
- Jay Z's new album 4:44 goes platinum within five days
- Dave Grohl reveals Boys II Men feature on new Foo Fighters record
- Warning: Third party content, may contain ads
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By Kev Geoghegan & Paul Glynn
All times stated are UK
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Hello, Goodbye
Its bye from us for today.
Join us tomorrow for New Music Friday and 5 Things We've Learned This Week.
Until then scroll down to see if Liam G ever did make it to Chinatown, how Jay Z defied logic to land another platinum disc this week and Ariana's thoughtful birthday message.
As you'll know already by now loyal readers, it's 60 years to the day that the guy top left above met the other bloke top right.
We don't know why they say goodbye, we say hello...
Watch Blink 182's intimate new family home video
Finally today...
Everyone's favourite US college slacker rockers Blink 182 have released an intimate new video to go with their 2016 single Home Is Such a Lonely Place.
The song already had an official video but now Mark Hoppus and Matt Skiba from the band have given us all a handheld lens directly into their family lives.
Hoppus told NME: "It's the most honest video we've ever made because it's us being ourselves with our families."
Rock stars with normal family lives? Whatever next?
Adele fans angry over concert refund
BBC Newsbeat
Adele fans have been expressing no small amount of anger as they haven't been refunded the booking fee from her cancelled Wembley Stadium gigs last weekend.
The singer cancelled the last two dates of her world tour, due to take place on 1 and 2 July, after damaging her vocal chords.
Eventim UK's terms and conditions state that they don't refund booking fees - up to £5.50 per ticket - for cancelled concerts.
Many have tweeted the singer to complain.
Read more.
Ghostpoet releases dystopian new video for Freakshow
Obaro Ejimiwe hasn't left the city in months according to the opening line of his dark new video for Freakshow.
The haunting track will feature on forthcoming album Dark Days and Canapés. His last album Shedding Skin was nominated for the Mercury Award in 2015.
According to Hot Press, the singer describes the new song as "a kind of commentary on modern consumerism...the unstoppable cash-driven churn we seem to be caught up in as a society."
And a groovy little tune too.
Warning: This video contains disturbing visions of the future.
BBC presenter Huw Edwards tinkles on the ivories
He's more used to reading off the auto cue but it turns out that BBC news presenter Huw Edwards is equally adept at reading sheet music.
He was guest speaking at an event when he stepped in as piano accompanist for the singer.
Check him out above.
Wilko Johnson recalls his first time seeing Chuck Berry
BBC Radio 2
Five years ago, Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson was diagnosed with terminal cancer, now following treatment and surgery he's still going strong, playing live shows and is less than a week away from turning 70.
He's been speaking to Radio 2's Paul Jones about his earliest musical memories, which included a trip as a schoolboy to see Chuck.
"It was all seated in a cinema and I ran to front of the audience and started going crazy and we had a moment of eye contact.
"The next day at school, I was like: "He saw me man, he saw me".
Listen above.
Wolf Alice share new song
London indie rockers Wolf Alice have shared a hypnotic new song Don't Delete the Kisses.
Its ahead of their second album Visions Of A Life which is due out on 29 September.
Last month, they announced their return with the mischievously titled track Yuk Foo.
The new single was premiered on Beats 1 radio, where singer Ellie Rowsell said she "kind of wanted to make one of those head out the window on a long drive tunes."
We think she has nailed it.
They've also shared the somewhat creepy album artwork online.
According to the band the below pic is "a photo of Ellie's aunty Helen playing the classic game of 'dance round the horse's skull in your Sunday best'."
Everyone has an 'aunty Helen' character in their family now, don't they?
How well do you know music biopics?
All Eyez on Me, the new Tupac Shakur, opened in cinemas last week and the formative years of Morrissey have just been told in the film England is Mine, which premiered in Edinburgh.
Other musical biogs in the film pipeline include a John and Yoko film and a Freddie Mercury film, starring Mr Robot actor Rami Malek.
But how well do you know your biopics?
BBC Three has this quiz to test your knowledge.
Green Day's Billie Joe leaves message for Glasgow fans l
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has posted the above message to the people of 'Glasgow, Scotland' after his band were forced to cancel their Bellahouston Park gig on Tuesday.
Speaking from a Glasgow hotel room - with gathered fans outside - the singer says it was "a bummer" that safety fears stopped the show on the day.
Good news though if you were one of the fans singing the Californian punk band's song Still Breathing outside their hotel while this was being filmed, as Billie says he thought it was 'beautiful'.
Every cloud.
Kesha shares new song a day early
Kesha's first new track in four years has been shared by the singer a day early.
The song is called Praying and the colourful music video (and its minute-long spoken intro) is below.
The singer has been embroiled in a lawsuit with her former producer and songwriting collaborator Dr. Luke for the past three years.
It's impossible not to read into the lyrics of the new track - apparently co-written by Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis fame - which hear her sing: "You brought the flames and you put me through hell / I had to learn how to fight for myself / And we both know all the truth I could tell / I'll just say this is I wish you farewell".
The song is out tomorrow.
She collborated with producer Zedd on his track True Colors last year.
Lil Wayne drops four new tracks
The rapper has given fans a treat the day before New Music Friday by releasing four new tracks on his YouTube account.
Sadly, we can't embed any of them here because, y'know, swearing and that but you can head over and have listen yourself.
It's been two years since his Free Weezy album. Earlier this year, he announced he had signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation.
In a tweet, Wayne said: "I luv my fans. I ain't **** without y'all!"
Watch pre-fame Nirvana playing in empty radio shop
So like Foo Fighters (scroll down), Seattle band Nirvana would go on to conquer the rock world.
Not before playing in an empty RadiShack in hometown Aberdeen (not that one).
Previously unseen footage from 1988 of Kurt Cobain, bassist Krist Novoselic and drummer Dale Crover - later of The Melvins - jamming has been shared online by video archivist Mike Ziegler.
No sign of Dave Grohl yet in this early incarnation of the band then known as Ted Ed Fred.
We're so glad they changed their name.
You can check out the full 17-minute video, which shows Kurt practicing his stage entry leap here.
He must've got through some jeans that lad.
Ariana Grande pays tribute to youngster victim of Manchester attack
Ariana Grande has paid a touching birthday tribute to the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena attack.
Saffie Roussos, one of 22 people killed after Ariana's gig in the city in May, would have celebrated her ninth birthday on 4 July.
The singer posted a tribute on Instagram, after a gig in Buenos Aires saying: “Saffie, we’re [thinking] of you baby”, alongside a birthday cake emoji.
Read more.
Katy Perry wants to see your best moves. Yes, you!
Fancy dancing alongside Katy Perry in her next video?
We're not sure we have what takes (not in these shoes anyway).
When she's not offending Australian vets, KP loves to connect with her fans and has asked them to get in touch on social media with proof of their "fun, funny, weird... I dunno, great choreography".
The winner of the Swish Swish challenge will appear in her next video for the single of the same name.
Find out how above.
We're off to stretch...
Does the hat fit for making music?
Jonathan Morris
BBC News Online
It’s not exactly a fashion statement but this hat could spell the end of all that boring and time-wasting button pushing on your mobile device.
Professor Eduardo Miranda at the University of Plymouth is developing headwear that measures brain signals.
It means that by changing your thought patterns, you could change your playlists.
It could take some getting used to if your mind starts wandering, but I thought I’d try it on for size...
Toddla T's 'self-indulgent' new track is Annie Mac's Hottest Record
Radio 1 DJ Toddla T didn't have to travel far to make it into the Radio 1 studio to talk about his latest track which Annie Mac made her Hottest Record last night.
The Sheffield DJ's "self-indulgent" new record Magnet features Andrea Martin on vocals.
Toddla said he knew within a minute of meeting Andrea that she would inspire the new album and that "this is the mission".
Listen above to hear Annie quiz her partner IRL on the new track.
Throwback Thursday: 60 years ago today - Macca met John
BBC 6 Music
Our #TBT today is a cracker, courtesy of the good people at 6 Music.
On this day - 6 July - in 1957 John Lennon first met Paul McCartney for the first time.
It was at a Garden Fete at St Peter's Church in Woolton where John's skiffle band the Quarrymen were playing.
Paul was 15, John just a few years older.
They would go on to re-write the course of pop history as The Beatles. You've probably heard of them.
Listen to Sir Macca tell the tale above.
Working with Kanye is 'quite nice and sort of normal really'
BBC 6 Music
Well that's hardly what we want to hear now is it? We refuse to believe it.
But then we've never actually worked with the man in the studio. Sampha has, so you're probably better taking his word for it than ours.
Speaking to 6 Music's Stuart Maconie and Mark Radcliffe at the Manchester International Festival, the South London singer/songwriter (who has drawn huge praise from Beyonce's sister Solange) said one of his childhood heroes is "a really nice guy" and "hands on" in the studio.
We don't think he's telling the whole truth, but you can listen above.
Boomtown Rats to release first album in 30 years
Daily Mirror
Bob Geldof says The Boomtown Rats are recording their first new album in more than 30 years.
The singer told the Mirror the band's original line-up - who split in 1986 - has recorded 26 tracks.
They reformed for the Isle of Wight festival in 2013.
Bob said: "I’ve done the vocals on them. We’re getting really excited, we think they’re great.
"What we’re probably going to do is issue a series of EPs, I’m going to call the album Mega. I’ll release four tracks and then a couple of months later another four tracks, and then another four, which allows us to space out the music but also do different things."
The band formed in Northern Ireland in 1975. Their last album was 1984’s The Long Grass.
Let's hope they release the new stuff on a New Music Friday and not a Monday...
Read more.
Foo Fighters reveal surprise special guest singer on new record
BBC 6 Music
Foo Fighters won at Glastonbury (not that it's a competition, but if it was they definitely did).
Now, their thoughts have turned to the arrival of their "weirdest album" yet Concrete and Gold, which drops in September.
Ahead of the release, the band spoke to 6 Music's Matt Everitt about the impact of politics on the record, the one that drummer Taylor Hawkins sings and what underpants singer Dave Grohl wears.
Dave even pin-pointed the weirdest moment of recording.
He said: "The guy from Boys II Men walking through the parking lot and me saying 'dude will you sing on our record'. And he does.
"On the heaviest song on the entire record! It's sounds like Sabbath and Pink Floyd... with the guy from Boys II Men... singing like a choir.
"He builds a choir with his voice. It's like 40 vocals stacked - it's amazing."
Now this, we have to hear.
Listen above.
Jay Z's album goes platinum in the US - but how did he do it?
Jay Z's new album 4:44 has gone platinum within five days - despite being available only on Tidal, his own streaming service, and to customers of US mobile firm Sprint.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) platinum certification requires more than one million sales.
The RIAA only started counting digital streams last year, with 1,500 plays considered equal to one album sale.
But how did he do it - our music reporter Mark Savage has been having a look...
"On the face of it, this is hugely impressive. In the space of five days, Jay-Z has sold more than one million copies of 4:44 in the US - instantly giving him the sixth biggest-selling album of the year.
"But then Variety magazine noticed something odd: The photograph of Jay-Z receiving his platinum award was taken before 4:44 was released.
"Crucially, they paid for each of those copies, making every "free" album chart-eligible. But the RIAA rules state that the wholesale price of the album only needs to be $2 (£1.55) to register as a sale.
"It's almost certain that these downloads are what spurred Jay-Z's album to platinum status.
"To do it on streaming alone, the album's tracks would have had to be streamed 1.5 billion times, which means each of Tidal's subscribers, each of them would have needed to listen to the album 500 times in just five days."
Read Mark's full analysis
Mr Jukes covers Laura Mvula for Radio 1
Jack Steadman was once know as the lead singer of Bombay Bicycle Club and is now the shaven-headed Mr Jukes.
He popped into Radio 1 studios for one of the station's Piano sessions last night and covered another shaven headed British singer, the amazing Laura Mvula.
He also played his own track From Golden Stars Comes Silver Dew.
You can listen above - his debut album is due out next week.
Follow Liam Gallagher down... down to Chinatown
The former Oasis frontman was back with a big bang on his debut solo single Wall of Glass recently.
Now, the second offering from forthcoming album As You Were is a reflective acoustic number that sees the singer strolling along London's Southbank contemplating Europe and what it is to be free... man.
He's so lost in thought that it takes until the very end of the video to make it to his destination.
You'd think he'd know his way around London by now, he's lived there for about 20 years.
Check it below.
Time please
Morning ladies and gents.
It's that time again...to return once again to the Music News LIVE court.
Like Beyonce and Jay Z last year, we're getting in to Wimbledon this week.
So, in-between trying to sneakily keep track of Roger Federer, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki and of course the UK's Kyle Edmund, we'll be bringing you all of the most interesting news from around the music world.
Foo Fighters talk about their new album (with its surprise special guest), the impact of politics on their lyric writing and what kind of pants Dave Grohl wears (all the tough questions) and Liam Gallagher takes us down...down to Chinatown baby in his new video.
Plus, Jay Z's new album 4.44 goes platinum in the US, we'll take a look at how he's done it, and new (by which we mean really old) footage of a pre-fame pre-Dave Nirvana surfaces.
And as it's Throwback Thursday we'll have a dig in the archive for an 'ace' musical memory.
First serve... coming soon.