July 31st, 2009

The Fab 4 drive the girls crazy in this 1965 classic!

Arctic Monkeys previewed five new songs on a live internet web cast last night, giving fans a taste of material from new album ‘Humbug‘. As ever, the band were in a quiet mood, quickly rattling through a set which also included a cover of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds track ‘Red Right Hand’ which will appear as a bonus track on Japanese editions of the album. The short set consisted of ‘Pretty Visitors’, new single ‘Crying Lightning’, ‘Potion Approaching’, ‘Red Right Hand‘ and ‘Secret Door’.

Meanwhile, two men involved in the production of the record, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and James Ford, have given their thoughts on the album.

Speaking to GQ magazine, Homme praised the lyrical prowess of singer Alex Turner: “I was sucked in at first by the lyrics. Alex sounded like a rare poet playing music – he has a special gift for the gab,” said Homme. He also praised the drumming abilities of Matt Helders, labelling him as “one of the best drummers in rock ‘n’ roll”.

James Ford, who is a member of remixing duo Simian Mobile Disco, and has produced records for the likes of  Klaxons and Florence & The Machine, said he feels people will be shocked by the album. “It’s a really great record. A lot slower, deeper and desert like. Really great lyrics and melodies, I think anyone who only liked the first album might be a bit shocked,” he told Gigwise. “They’re trying to be an interesting and creative band and move things forward and they’re a talented enough band to achieve that.”

The new album is released on August 24th.

Paul McCartney is ready to quit touring, nearly 50 years since first hitting the road with The Beatles, The Sun is reporting.

According to the paper, he will hit the road next year for one final world tour. A ‘source’ said:  “Paul wants to go out with a bang. He’s played countless stadiums over his 50-year career and is on the hunt for the most unusual locations he can find. He realises that the older he gets, the less his body will be able to cope with the demands of extended periods on the road. He might play the odd benefit gig if the likes of President Obama gives him a bell – but other than that he’ll be putting his feet up and enjoying retirement. The tour in 2010 is likely to last well over a year, by which time he will be almost 70. He’s making enquiries about a number of special locations and he’s keen to play in China and at Checkpoint Charlie.”

Silly Love Songs, Paul McCartney and the Wings

McCartney has been on the road for most of his adult life since embarking on his first major jaunt with The Beatles – their now imfamous residency in Hamburg, Germany. After the break up of The Beatles he continued to play live with his new band The Wings and then as a solo performer. His live tours have only grown in popularity over the years, providing generations of new fans the opportunity to hear classic tracks from his long career. It now seems 2010 may be the last chance to see one of the all time greats in action.

Peter Doherty has once again hinted a Libertines reunion could be close after revealing he and fellow ex-bandmate Carl Barat discussed the idea after a gig together in May.

Speaking to The Times newspaper, Doherty said: “Basically we had a good couple of hours. We were up all night together. Yeah, it was amazing really. I think we’re gonna make a record, and tour. Get the Libertines to take it to the next step, next stage. Next year.”

He also discussed his feelings after the band carried on for a short while without him, telling him he could return to the band only when his drug problems were under control. “My heart caved in. I was destroyed, he said. “Not by the fall-out, but by seeing him on Top of the Pops doing Don’t Look Back Into the Sun without me. The very idea of them doing a gig without me was just, like…whatever happened, whatever he did, I would never, ever do a gig without him and call myself the Libertines.”

Doherty has recently released his first solo record, and revealed he already has plans in place for a follow up: “I just see ‘Grace/Wastelands 2′,” he said. “I think I’ve got a ‘Harvest’ in there. I keep getting flashes of it, even if it’s just for a couple of minutes.”

Doherty will be performing at this year’s V Festival, which takes place on the weekend of 22nd and 23rd of August.

Billboard reports that Co-headliners Billy Joel and Elton John got top honours in the Hot Tours ranking with totals from two venues on their 2009 “Face2Face” tour.

The pair mostly hit the arenas but had a couple of stadiums on there schedule this summer as well. Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass on July 18 with more than 52,000 fans for a sold out performance grossed over $6.2 million and a sellout at Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena rounds out the duo’s reported take.

Shows in Buffalo were postponed due to Joel being ill with the flu, but the pair hopes to resume, and conclude, the current leg of the tour with their other stadium stop, Philadelphia’s Citizen’s Bank Ballpark on July 30 and August 1.