In today’s Soundbites – our look back at the past week’s news, features, videos and tabloid gossip – Pete Doherty returns home from Thailand after behaving not unlike Ace Ventura, The Who spark a collective mad rush to the attics of Rhode Island, there’s a shock result in the search for the UK’s favourite number one, Bruce Springsteen feels the wrath of Middle England and this week’s most popular video is revealed.
The Cabin rehabilitation facility in Chiang Mai, Thailand conjures up the most tranquil of settings; peaceful all-white rooms, fleece flowers gently swaying in the breeze, bird-song slowly awakening residents in the morning. Now imagine Pete Doherty crashing through its doors, guitar slung over one shoulder and cigarette flopping casually at the side of his mouth. Quite a shock to the system for The Cabin’s patients, one would think. So it wasn’t much of surprise to hear of Doherty’s early departure from The Cabin this week, after being cautiously described as a ‘disruptive influence’ – why does the first twenty minutes of Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls keep springing to mind? Read the comments attributed to programme director Alastair Mordey here.
A mad, collective rush to the attic for the residents of Providence, Rhode Island this week after The Who confirmed tickets for their cancelled 1979 gig in the city will be valid for their upcoming show in February next year. The concert at the Dunkin Donuts Center is a part of The Who’s large North American tour, and marks their first return to Rhode Island since the Riverfront Coliseum tragedy in December 1979. Full details of the 2012/13 tour can be found here.
After weeks of voting and a three-part television series, ITV and the Official Charts Company’s search for the UK’s favourite number one reached a nail-biting conclusion last weekend when Queen‘s little-known ’75 single ‘Bohemian Rhapsody‘ came out on top in a result that has shocked the industry to its foundations, making a mockery of those who have said the 248th poll of its kind might have been a bit of a waste of time. Top 10 in full right here.
Never under-estimate the power of Middle England. After waving their Daily Mails in the faces of councillors earlier this year, complaining that the noise from rock concerts in Hyde Park is making it impossible to enjoy The Archers in peace, organisers were spooked enough to cut short Bruce Springsteen‘s gig at the London venue last weekend, just as The Boss was about to thank fans following a fourteen-hour-long performance. Live Nation’s Chief Operating Officer for Europe, Paul Latham, has said ‘the residents of Park Lane and Mayfair may not be numerous but they wield inordinate power over the Gogs and Magogs of City Hall and Parliament’, while E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt wants to know when ‘England became a police state’. What a palaver. Read his Twitter rant in full here.
It was July 12th, 1962 when The Rolling Stones made their live bow at The Marquee Club in London, kick starting one of the greatest, and longest, stories in rock n roll history. With Mick Jagger confirming the band’s intention to play live this year, the possibility of a new album in the air, and plenty of other plans in the works to mark their 50th anniversary, Live4ever picked out five of our own essential Stones records this week, with all the classics getting a look in. Check out the feature here.
The music world has been paying tribute to Deep Purple‘s Jon Lord, who passed away earlier this week surrounded by his family at the London Clinic after suffering with pancreatic cancer. Lord’s fellow metal pioneer Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath called him ‘one of the great musicians of my generation’, thanks to his crucial contributions to such rock classics as ‘Child In Time’ and ‘Smoke On The Water‘ – the latter of which, fittingly, is the most popular video on Live4ever this week. Check out our Videos section for all the latest new and classic promos.