Ronan Lashes Out At Celebrities Who Treat Others Like Dirt

Posted on by
Reply

Ronan Keating has lashed-out at the sensations who surround themselves with massive entourages.

Speaking recently, the wee Irish pop star admitted that, throughout his career, he’s seen some stars treat people with very little respect and, as a result, he’s learnt a valuable lesson about dealing with people.

“When I hosted the MTV Awards a few years ago, all these stars all came along with their entourages and came in and treated the crew and their staff like dirt,” Ronan remembered, explaining, “It really opened my eyes. I don’t surround myself with people who treat me like a star. It’s unhealthy. I’ve been with the same people for nine years. They know who I am. I don’t have an entourage, which just goes to your head. I’m not interested.”

In the meantime, Ronan Keating has also revealed that the minute he quit Boyzone, he thought he’d lost all of his fans.

The crooner said “It was overnight from boyband to solo artist. The hysteria disappeared overnight. I’m not joking you, it suddenly went from being met in Bangkok or say in India by 10,000 screaming girls, to just two or three people. The funny thing is, now I sell more records now than I ever did, which is weird. People my age buy my records which didn’t really happen when I was in Boyzone. It was younger girls or older women. Now guys come up to me in the street and say ‘Hi, how’s it going. Love the record.’ Parents come up to me and shake my hand. There’s a younger audience and an older audience. Thank God, I’ve got an across-the-board fanbase.”

Ronan, whose ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ single managed to touch the desirable No. 1 slot, released his ‘Destination’ album on May 20th.

Garbage Ask Fans To Help Them Out

Posted on by
Reply

Garbage have asked fans to help them decide which of their b-side tracks should appear on a compilation of their flipsides that’s set to be released later this year.

In a post on their official website, www.garbage.com, Shirley Manson and the boys asked their legions of fans to send their dream tracklisting to garbagefanmail@qprime.com.

If the idea of the album sounds a little familiar, it’s probably because it was initially planned to appear back in 1999 but was put on hold while the band worked on their ‘Beautifulgarbage’ set.

Natalie Imbruglia’s So In Love

Posted on by
Reply

Natalie Imbruglia is heads over heels in love over her Aussie boyfriend Daniel Johns of Silverchair.

A pal told the papers “The truth is they are absolutely blissfully happy.”

The ‘Wrong Impression’ crooner, who was a guest at Posh and Beck’s World Cup party, recently revealed that Daniel helped her turn her life around and saved her from depression.

She said “I was really down. Now I’m in a happy relationship.”

Meanwhile, Natalie Imbruglia is giving her music a rest and returning to her acting roots.

The Australian songstress will be starring with actor John Malkovich in another Austin Power/James Bond spoof, ‘Johnny English’, a flick I simply can’t miss.

According to thisislondon, Natalie will be cast as special agent Valdez and as Rowan Atkinson’s love interest. Director Peter Howitt said Natalie was casted for the part because she won the auditions. “She is very sweet. We didn’t cast her automatically though, she won through on merit.”

The Reelists Want Listeners Not To Be So Discriminating

Posted on by
Reply

So Solid Crew collaborators, The Reelists, have said they want to be judged on their music, not their backgrounds.

Sef and K1, who release their cool radiant new single ‘Freak Mode’ this week, were brought in to work on the track ‘Haterz’ by So Solid and Shabz. Sef is Shabz’ brother, and was also in an R’n’B group with Megaman a few years back.

The Reelists both have Asian roots, which sets them apart from most of the UK soul scene, but they told BBC Radio 1 they really want the listeners to go past the race issue and just listen to them without any prejudice.

“I just want to do music. I’m a singer, I’m a songwriter and I just want to do that. Hopefully people shouldn’t watch the whole colour aspect of it.”

“The person that’s singing it, and how he’s singing it, that’s what it’s about. It’s about music at the end of the day.”

“We’re just doing our own thing. It’s more of a natural thing for us. We’ve never had no lessons. We’ve always been into music, so here we are” said Sef.

Personally, I think no one should judge anybody by their skin colour or the religion they believe in. It’s sad really. In this case, The Reelists have come up with a brilliant number and anybody shunning them because of their race, then it’s pretty much pathetic.

Visit them at their radical cyberhome: www.thereelists.com

Frontin’ On Velvet Empire

Posted on by
Reply

Meet the guys and girls of Velvet Empire, made up of Janelle Belgrave, 18, Alex Price, 22, Justin Humes, 22, Ryan Hamilton, 19, and Lacey Block, 18, who are the latest pop sensations, having won the Canada’s version of ‘Popstars’. Personally, for some reason or another, I just have to say that they’ve picked a pretty cool name for their band.

“This has definitely been a whirlwind” Ryan said recently, speaking to the papers. “What’s been weird really, has been living in secret for six months or so. Even with everything out in the open, it’s still kind of weird, but it’s pretty exciting.”

For the past six months, Velvet Empire’s been working on their album, from which, their first single, ‘Frontin’ On Me’ can be found. “Our album is a little bit more edgy-pop, R&B pop, so hopefully it’s something that people haven’t heard yet”. This is according to Lacey.Meanwhile, Ryan says that he finds that it’s hard not to compare their ‘Frontin’ On Me’ to N’Sync’s ‘Pop’. If you’ve got the Real Player plugin, you could click on the link below and check their debut offering out. It’s not so bad, if you ask me. It’s the kind of song that’ll grow on you even if you hate listening to it first time round.

http://umusic.ca/umusic/media/velvetempire/vefrontinonme.ram

When asked if there are romantic sparks flying between members of the co-ed pop group Velvet Empire, Ryan insists “We’re all like brothers and sisters. I’ve got a girlfriend outside of the group and Alex has got a boyfriend, but otherwise we’re all single.”

Unlike the last Popstars-born act, girl-group Sugar Jones, whose members complained the show’s producers abandoned them after it ended, Ryan says Velvet Empire is prepared to leave the nest.

“They’ve forewarned us that we need to prepare and get our own place and get our stuff together. But that’s not about abandonment. We’re ready.”

Plans are already underway for a Canada’s Will Young.

Check Velvet Empire out at their official site at: http://umusic.ca/velvetempire/

Scott Cain – Australia’s Will Young

Posted on by
Reply

Baby, you’ve been fired from hurting me/ It’s time you go find another job, yeah/ I’m moving on/ I’m feeling strong/ I’m good as gone out of your heart babe/ I’m moving on/ Guess who got strong and baby look at me/ I’m free.

You just read a few lines from Scott Cain’s debut pop/rock song, ‘I’m Moving On’, written by Greg Alexander of New Radicals fame. He is of course the fellow who won Australia’s version of ‘Pop Idol’ but for some reason, over there it was still called ‘Popstars’.

Recently the press got wind of the news that Scott has a two year old son and it practically overshadowed all publicity for the show and his debut single. Scott said “It doesn’t surprise me that people are interested. That’s what happens to celebrities, right. I have to protect myself. It takes away from the good side”.

Scott Cain, who is a big fan of Britney Spears, Anastacia, Ja Rule and J Lo, is currently working on his second single and debut album. He says he has written a hip hop song called ‘Stuntwood Circus’ for the record and that hopefully it would make the cut and finds its slot on the disc.

Apparently he was in a band before and an LP was something his first band, Funkapation, never accomplished. He said “I was in the band for six months in Port Macquarie. We won an award, a battle of the bands award but even then, an album was never produced. Sad, huh.”

On a personal note, I think the song’s cool and all. You’d be able to hear it via his official site: www.scottcain.com

Bellefire May Be Dropped By Virgin

Posted on by
Reply

Pretty Irish ladyband Bellefire have been booked to play at next month’s Fleadh festival in London, despite reports a few days back that seem to suggest that their label has dropped them.

The band’s record company, Virgin, refused to comment the other day on reports that the band had been dropped after their new single, ‘All I Want Is You’, reached No 15 in the charts recently, a chart position that isn’t exactly befitting when it comes to the Irish girls since they haven’t exactly managed to score themselves a Top 5 position with their previous song.

Bellefire will be appearing on the same stage as Fleadh festival favourites like the Pogues, Joe Strummer, fellow Irish acts Paul Brady, Paul Kelly and Mary Coughlan as well as recent additions, Cornershop.

The Fleadh takes place at London’s Finsbury Park on 8 June. Tickets cost GBP32.50 and are available from the credit card hotline on: 08701 500044

Atomic Kittens Claw At Rockers

Posted on by
Reply

Atomic Kitten have bitten back at accusations that they are just another manufactured pop band.

“We’re just making music and not offending anyone,” Jenny told the papers. “But when people get on our cases – it’s when other bands say ‘pop’s crap and Atomic Kitten aren’t real’ – it’s like ‘get a life’.”

She continued, muttering “There’s so many guitar bands out there and they don’t get compared to each other. Why is that so really? It’s crappy.”

“And I think their music’s all the same,” added Tash. “And they shout down the mic. You’re boring. We don’t go out and say we write our own songs and then go and do a cover version. Not mentioning any names.”

The trio – including glowing pregnant member Tash – were speaking to the papers prior to the release of their brand new single ‘It’s OK’ which is slated to drop into all good music stations on the May 20th and it looks set to be another smash hit for the ladyband.

Got to agree with the Atomic Kitten ladies on the rock music scene.

Claire Richards Faults With The Big Hype Of Will & Gareth

Posted on by
Reply

Ultra pop star Claire Richards has said she doesn’t think it’s right that Pop Idol winners Will Young and Gareth Gates are being nursed like superstars just because they’ve enjoyed a twosome of hits between them.

Speaking to an webpage, Claire admitted, “I don’t like the fact that they’re being portrayed as these mammoth pop stars when they’ve only released one single. You hear that ‘they can’t do this’ or even appear on ‘Top Of The Pops’ because they’re so famous. What trash. They’re riding on the crest of a wave at the moment but when it comes to their second album, they’ll have to start to prove themselves.”

While there’s still sometime to go before we even hear Will and Gareth’s debut albums, the pair will attempt to prove their worth when they release their second singles over the next month and half. Pop Idol winner Will is set to unleash ‘Light My Fire’ on May 27th, with Gareth’s ‘Anyone Of Us (Stupid Mistake)’ following-up on July 8th.

H & Claire’s debut single, ‘DJ’, is made its entrance onto the British singles charts at a not-bad No. 3 spot.

Geri Halliwell’s Fighting Bulimia

Posted on by
Reply

Geri Halliwell is battling the slimmer’s disease bulimia. The former Spice Girl checked into a rehab clinic last week in Arizona in the US to keep her condition in check.

A friend of Geri’s told all that her condition recurs every few months. It can be sparked by all manner of issues and usually results in binge eating. The problem never develops any further because Geri is so aware of the warning signs and always acts quickly to sort herself out again.

Geri checked out of the clinic after a brief stay because she didn’t agree with the clinic’s cafeteria regime which offered a wide array of foods. The star also had her four suitcases of designer clothes confiscated and had to share a spartan room with two other women.

In her autobiography, If Only, Geri spoke openly of her illness. “I’d binge my way into the new year,” she wrote. “I cleaned out the cupboards and the fridge and the contents were flushed down the toilet via my stomach. Then I went to the supermarket.”