The Star Online: Entertainment: Music
The Star Online: Entertainment: Music |
- Sting returns to his childhood for new album
- Paris Jackson in hospital after suicide attempt, says mum
- Heavy weather
| Sting returns to his childhood for new album Posted: 05 Jun 2013 11:03 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Sting has turned back to his childhood in the shadow of a struggling shipyard in northern England for a musical that will debut on Broadway next year and his first album of original material in 10 years. The musical, The Last Ship, is based on Sting's experiences of living near the Swan Hunter Shipyard in Wallsend, Newcastle, and watching the demise of Britain's shipbuilding industry in the 1980s. A spokeswoman for Sting on Wednesday said the musical had also inspired the rock star to produce his first album of new material in nearly 10 years, also called The Last Ship, that will be released on September 23. "Guest artists on The Last Ship with roots in the northeast (of England) include Brian Johnson, Jimmy Nail, The Unthanks, The Wilson Brothers and Kathryn Tickell," the spokeswoman said in a statement. The Last Ship, released on Universal Music Group's Polydor Records, will feature 12 songs and be produced by Rob Mathes. Sting, 61, has released 10 albums since going solo from the band the Police around 1984. This will be his first album of original material since Sacred Love in 2003. As well as his music, Sting has acted in a list of films, including Quadrophenia and Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Barrels, and appeared as himself in TV shows like The Simpsons but this is the first time he has taken a major role in producing a musical. He spent nearly three years working on the story that is focused on relationships, family, and community, collaborating with Joe Mantello, the director of the hit musical Wicked and John Logan, co-writer of the latest James Bond film Skyfall. Sting, born Gordon Sumner, was raised in Wallsend. The Swan Hunter Shipyard on the River Tyne was once one of the world's leading shipbuilding operations that came under national ownership in 1977 with its construction operations wound back in the 1990s. |
| Paris Jackson in hospital after suicide attempt, says mum Posted: 05 Jun 2013 09:31 PM PDT LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Paris Jackson, the 15-year-old daughter of late pop star Michael Jackson, was rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital on Wednesday after an apparent suicide attempt, her mother said, but her family later reported she is "physically fine." "Paris is physically fine and is getting appropriate medical attention," Perry Sanders, an attorney for Paris' grandmother and guardian, Katherine Jackson, said in a statement. "Being a sensitive 15-year-old is difficult no matter who you are," the statement added. "It is especially difficult when you lose the person closest to you." Pop singer Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from a lethal dose of surgical anesthetic propofol while preparing for his This Is It series of concerts in London. The Jackson family's wrongful-death lawsuit against concert promoter AEG Live is currently at trial in Los Angeles and family attorneys have been expected to call Paris as a witness. Paris' mother, Debbie Rowe, told entertainment TV program Entertainment Tonight that her daughter attempted suicide and had "a lot going on (lately)." "We appreciate everyone's thoughts for Paris at this time and their respect for the family's privacy," an attorney for Rowe said in a statement. Celebrity website TMZ.com, which first reported the suicide attempt, said Paris had been taken from her family's home in Calabasas, California, by ambulance at about 2am, citing unnamed sources. Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies responded to a medical situation in Calabasas at 1.27am, sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said, declining to provide additional details because of privacy laws. Jackson was married to Rowe from 1996 to 1999, and the couple had two children together, Prince Michael in 1997 and Paris in 1998. Jackson later had a third child, Prince Michael II, also known as Blanket. Rowe turned over full custody of the children to Jackson as part of their divorce but she had recently rekindled her relationship with Paris. Jackson's children live under the custody of their 83-year-old grandmother, Katherine, and their cousin, T.J. Jackson. |
| Posted: 06 Jun 2013 03:30 AM PDT Thunder In The East brings together some of Asia's finest rock bands for an all-out aural assault. THEY'RE no storm bringers, but come June 30, Japanese rock veteran Loudness, Malaysia's very own Search, Indonesia's pride and joy Slank and Singapore's favourite sons Rusty Blade will shake the foundations of Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur in the Thunder In The East concert experience. It's a no-holds-barred rock show that brings together Asia's hardest hitters for a mouth-watering serving of heavy music, like it was the 1980s all over again. The spandex, fishnet stockings, guyliner, hair mousse and boots may be more optional than obligatory today, but the high voltage on display will be – like it always has – straight outta the guitar strings and things. Loudness leads the pack of hungry rock hounds in this extravaganza, having singed the Asian rock scene since the 1980s, what with seminal albums like Devil Soldier, The Law Of Devil's Land and Shadows Of War. But it was 1985's Thunder In The East which took the band to the big time with its American breakthrough, having signed to Atco Records. Since 1981, the band, headed by guitarist extraordinaire Akira Takasaki, has influenced Asian rock music with a sense of virtuosity and verve that's rarely been seen before or since, going through everything from personnel changes to the death of original drummer Munetaka Higuchi in 2008. And taking a leaf from its pages is homegrown heroes Search. Amy and gang have always referenced Loudness, and like in 2011 when the Japanese quartet shared the stage at KL Live on its King Of Pain World Tour, the Johor-raised band will not only get to pay tribute to its source of inspiration, but give it a run for its money. Expect to hear stadium staples like Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur, Isi Atau Kulit, Fantasia Bulan Madu, Fenomena and Isabella, If Search's shows at Stadium Merdeka through the years are anything to go by, this is going to be rip-roaring fun, particularly so since the band is expected to roll back the years, focusing on material from its 1980s heyday. Indonesia's export Slank, also rooted in 1980s rock consciousness, hit the big time with 1990s debut Suit Suit ... Hehehe, before embarking on a whirlwind career which saw as many highs as there were lows. But through 20-odd albums and counting, vocalist Kaka and drummer Bimbim have remained the torchbearers for the band's brand of tuneful rock, churning out radio-friendly hit after hit. And the band's live performances in Indonesia have drawn anywhere between 10,000 to 100,000 fans. A headbangers' ball at full tilt might be a bit much for the faint-hearted, though, which is where Slank's melodicism comes in as the perfect antidote. Rusty Blade's stageside mayhem is not to be outdone though, and sticking closer to the programme, the Singaporean band will be expected to unleash cranium-crunchers like Ikrar Perwira, Langsuir Liar and Taming Sari. While the band, with members in their mid-50s, is capable of writing heart-wrenching ballads like Penantian and Kehilangan, to watch a Rusty Blade show is to get your rocks off. Just ask the band's guitarist Mat Nor Hendrix. A show of Asia's rock royalty? But of course ... Tickets for Thunder In The East, presented by Clockwork Events, range from RM138 to RM888 and is available from ticketpro.com.my. For more info, call 03-7880 7999 or visit clockwork.com.my. |
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