Despite the news that front man, Deeder Zaman, has quit Asian Dub Foundation, the future of the innovative UK collective is pretty much safe.

Since their ‘Community Music’ LP, the unclassifiable London 5 piece, are about to return with new material.

Deeder, the inspirational singer who wanted out in order to work with grassroots civil rights and anti-racist organisations, apparently played his last gig for the band on New Year’s Eve of 2000.

Here are a few excerpts from the band’s statement:”Deeder generally wished to have a break from music, in particular the heavy touring aspect and explore other avenues of life, having been in the band since the age of fourteen”.

“We thank him for the contribution he made to the development of Asian Dub Foundation from a sound system to a respected international band. We wish him success, fulfilment and happiness in all his current and future endeavours”.

“Asian Dub Foundation has always been a collective in that everyone in the band writes the lyrics and the music”.

“With Deeder’s departure, we resolved to continue in the same vein. The line-up has been expanded. Spex and Aktarvata have been taking care of MCing duties. Rocky Singh has come in on drums and Prithpal Rajput aka ‘Cyber’ on dhol and tables”.

Jason Donovan says former girlfriend Kylie Minogue is his inspiration to find chart stardom once again. He says he wants to follow in the singer’s footsteps and perhaps get nominated and win a Brit Award next year. The pair had a number one hit in 1989 with their duet ‘Especially For You.’

The Sun newspaper has embarked on a campaign called ‘Let’s Get Donovan On Again’ to help Jason discover fame again. The main intention of the campaign is to bring Jason back into the limelight after reporting on how the fallen star is currently touring seedy venues around the country. Jason, who was once as famous as Will Young is today, lost his career, together with his pretty boy looks, when he got hooked on drugs in the ’90s.Jason said: “What I would say in relation to people like Kylie is that if you keep on trying, one day it is going to stick. If you keep putting out records and keep making mistakes, doing arty stuff, you can still come back. I was famous in my day. It’s hard to know what is going to happen but I’d love to win a Brit like Kylie. I wouldn’t mind 10. I don’t make comparisons with Kylie. It’s pretty ugly to make comparisons. I’m rich in some areas and she’s rich in others.

Jason, who counts Russell Crowe and Natalie Imbruglia as inspirations as well, adds “The idea that you have to follow a particular course in your working life has gone. If you are clever enough to manipulate things you can be reincarnated.”

When Bryan McFadden, husband of ex-Atomic Kitten singer Kerry Katona, has a bit too much to drink, those around him had better beware. He might try finding trouble with just about anybody and may have to be restrained.

The one-fifth member of Westlife had to be controlled by security at the Brits after drunkenly winding up So Solid Crew who won for Best British Video for their ’21 Seconds’. The Irish singer, whose band had almost a thousand votes disqualified by the Brit Awards’ organisers after it was discovered that it was voted with just 3 phone lines by their over-obsessive fans, wandered over to their table shouting, “You’re crap!”In order to prevent any messy conflict from taking place, Bryans’ minders had to swiftly step in and hold him back.

Afterward a member from So Solid Crew said, “We didn’t rise to the bait. We’re not interested in picking a fight with Westlife.”

But according to newspaper reports, that wasn’t the end of Bryan’s dramatic night. One observer claimed Bryan’s guard had to go to extremes, hitting him in the face to stop him from getting into more mess. And that’s not all.

Shortly after his run in with his very own security guard, Bryan had to be escorted from the backstage area by more security guards because he was just so drunk.

The Westlife member was spotted wandering around the television and radio area with a bottle of white wine gripped tightly to his hands. After being pulled out of a photo-taking session, he gatecrashed Samantha Mumba’s radio interview.

So far, there has been no comment from Westlife pertaining to this incident at the time this article was written..

Remember Warren Stacey? Well, if you don’t, fret not. See, Warren was the 22 year old who didn’t exactly make the cut on last year’s ‘Popstars’ that finally spawned the pop group ‘Hear’Say’. Warren, who grew up singing at church choirs, was also the chap who told all who tuned in that he wanted “to make music” and not get wrapped up in the whole concept of being a massive star.

Ever since the ‘Popstars’, the reality television program ended, Warren, who hails from east London, has scored a recording deal with Def Soul Records. Taking his time to produce an LP filled with tracks that he loves and getting help from the likes of Wade Robson (Britney Spears, N’Sync), Redzone (Destiny’s Child, Blu Cantrell), Warryn Campbell (Alicia Keys, Sisqo) and more production-wise that is, now he’s about to release his debut single ‘My Girl, My Girl’, come 4th of March.Warren’s very first single is essentially a treat-her-right ode with a tinge of pop and a whole lot of rhythm and blues. For the video associated with the single, Warren pulls some really cool moves on the dance floor. Warren would like all to think that his album is about mixing US sound with UK flavour to fashion something that’ll bridge the gap between pop and urban music lovers.

Anyway, when you do listen to Warren’s single, decide for yourself if he’s a “Flopstar” or has he got the potential to be a “Popstar”?

The British music awards, The Brits, were held last night (Wednesday) and as usual there was much excitment both on and off the stage. Comedian Frank Skinner and ex-Radio 1 DJ Zoe Ball presented the awards, but many of Frank’s jokes didn’t go down very well with the audience.

The event will be aired in the UK on Thursday night on ITV1, starting at 8pm.

Here’s a complete listing of all of the winners from The Brits 2002:

Best British female solo artist: Dido

Best British newcomer: Blue

Best international male solo artist: Shaggy

Best international group: Destiny’s Child

Best pop act: Westlife

Best international newcomer: The Strokes

Best British single: S Club 7: Don’t Stop Movin’

Best international female solo artist: Kylie Minogue

Best British male solo artist: Robbie Williams

Best British group: Travis

Best British album: Dido: No Angel

Best British video: So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds

Best British dance act: Basement Jaxx

Best international album:

Kylie Minogue: Fever

Outstanding contribution: Sting

‘Pop Idol’, the reality television series that’s about to make, or rather has already made Will Young a major pop sensation and an household name everywhere, has not made Fran Healy from Travis a fan.

Fran is calling the show a mere money-spinning venture. “There is a massive problem with Pop Idol,” Healy said. “It’s all about fat, greedy men making more money and is a celebration of the mediocre.” Fran added that the Pop Idol winner, Will Young, and others from the show who scored record deals may not get all they were wishing for. “I don’t blame the kids — good luck to them — but they’re in for a rude awakening.”The front man from Travis also exposed the fact that his girlfriend, Nora Kryst, who is an enormous fan of the show, voted time and again for Will on the night of the Pop Idol final, “Nora phoned 100 times for Will so Gareth wouldn’t win. She said it was only GBP10, but I didn’t want her to give any money to it all.”

Reports say that Fran may just be feeling a little jealous since his girlfriend seems more thrilled to hear Will sing ‘Evergreen’ than she was about Fran and his band’s latest offering ‘Flowers In The Window’.

Meanwhile, the main creators behind ‘Pop Idol’, Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, have sold the shows’ rights for 35 million smackerooes to the US. There will also be most likely a ‘Pop Idol 2’ in the UK and if all talks go through, then you might just be voting for another Will Young some time next year.

Hi!! My name is Hannah Watkins! I’m a HUGE fan of WESTLIFE and ATOMIC KITTEN and they have been a huge inspiration to me in their music! I would LOVE to start a 3 girl band and maybe one day have a no.1 hit just like WESTLIFE and ATOMIC KITTEN! If you are interested then please e-mail me and tell me a bit about yourself and why you would be interested in joining this group! I live in Bristol, and I’m looking for people aged 13-15. My email is egan_hannah@hotmail.com! Hope to speak 2 ya soon!!!P.s Has anyone heard about Jenny Frost’s new engagement to her D.J boyf Dom? CONGRATULATIONS GUYZ!!!!!

February 3rd will see British Beatle Sir Paul McCartney join Mary J Blige, Marc Anthony and Mariah Carey in providing pre-game and half-time entertainment during American football’s Super Bowl 2002.

The event will be beamed live from the Louisina Superdrome, and will should have an audience of over 80 million.

Sir Paul will perform his track “Freedom” – a song written directly after the September 11 attacks in the US.

Irish rock band U2 will also be playing at half-time.

Last year saw Britney Spears perfom during the half-time interval in a stunning show alongside Aerosmith, Backstreet Boys and N’ Sync.

Th nominations for the 2002 Brit awards was made yesterday. The Gorillaz were nominated for a total of 6 awards, whilst Kylie, Robie Williams and Dido each received 4 nominations.

The award ceremony will be held on 20 February and screened on the UK’s ITV1 channel on the following day.

Who do you want to win an award?

Full nomination list is shown below.Best British male solo artist:

Aphex Twin

Craig David

Elton John

Ian Brown

Robbie Williams

Best British female solo artist:

Dido

Geri Halliwell

PJ Harvey

Sade

Sophie Ellis Bextor

Best British group

Gorillaz

Jamiroquai

Radiohead

Stereophonics

Travis

Best British album

Craig David: Born To Do It

Dido: No Angel

Gorillaz: Gorillaz

Radiohead: Kid A

Travis: The Invisible Band

Best British newcomer

Atomic Kitten

Blue

Dido

Elbow

Gorillaz

Mis-Teeq

So Solid Crew

Starsailor

Turin Brakes

Zero 7

Best British single

Atomic Kitten: Whole Again

Bob the Builder: Mambo No 5

Daniel Bedingfield: Gotta Get Thru This

DJ Pied Piper: Do You Really Like It

Geri Halliwell: It’s Raining Men

Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood

Hear’Say: Pure and Simple

Robbie Williams: Eternity/The Road To Mandalay

S Club 7: Don’t Stop Movin’

So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds

Best British video

Basement Jaxx: Where’s Your Head At

Coldplay: Trouble

Dido: Thank You

Elton John: I Want Love

Fatboy Slim: Weapon of Choice

Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood

So Solid Crew: 21 Seconds

Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue: Kids

Robbie Williams: Supreme

Travis: Sing

Best British dance act

Basement Jaxx

Craig David

Faithless

Fatboy Slim

Gorillaz

Best international male solo artist:

Bob Dylan

Dr Dre

Ryan Adams

Shaggy

Wyclef Jean

Best international female solo artist:

Alicia Keys

Anastacia

Bjork

Kylie Minogue

Nelly Furtado

Best international group

Daft Punk

Destiny’s Child

Limp Bizkit

REM

The Strokes

Best international album

Alicia Keys: Songs In A Minor

Daft Punk: Discovery

Destiny’s Child: Survivor

Kylie Minogue: Fever

The Strokes: Is This It

Best international newcomer

Anastacia

The Avalanches

Linkin Park

Nelly Furtado

The Strokes

Additional category

Best pop act

Blue

Hear’Say

Kylie Minogue

S Club 7

Westlife

Outstanding contribution

Sting