Now Beastie Boys‘ Adam Yauch has written and directed a 30-minute comedy short film ‘Fight For Your Right Revisited’ to celebrate one of the Beastie Boys’ most renowned songs.

This sequel to the events of the original video sees the likes of Seth Rogan, Elijah Wood, Will Ferrell and Jack Black play past and future versions of the band members and includes a bizarre dance off between the old and younger Beastie Boys.

Split second cameos from a wide array of actors from Susan Sarandon, Steve Buscemi, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Steenburgen, Chloe Sevigny and the band themselves makes this glorious blast of silliness a snapshot of generations of pop culture.

‘Fight For Your Right Revisited’ will be given a UK screening in the Film & Music Arena at this year’s Latitude Festival.

Latitude Festival Tickets

Weekend tickets £170.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee
Day tickets Fri, Sat, Sun £70.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee
Child ticket (5-12 years) £5.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee
Campervan Permit £30.00
Weekend tickets prices include car parking and camping
Day tickets include car parking only

For more information, including the full line-up visit www.latitudefestival.co.uk.

I’m Here Now was Gil Scott-Heron’s fifteenth studio album, and his first for sixteen years.

Gil Scott-Heron is born in Chicago in 1949.  He was rightly hailed as the Godfather of Rap but he was so much more..  Since his debut album, Small Talk at 125^th and Lenox in 1970 he has blended jazz, soul and funk with his own unique style of spoken-word poetry with words fuelled by hard-edged socio-political commentary.

Gil Scott-Heron was never afraid to speak out and confront controversy.  In 2001 he was spent time in jail for possession of cocaine.  This followed his addiction to the drug that started in the 1980’s. He was further sentenced in 2006 for violating the terms of his parole.

The cause of his death has still to be confirmed but he became ill after returning to New York from a European trip.  In 2008 Gil Scott-Heron confirmed he had been HIV-positive for several years, and that he had been previously hospitalized for pneumonia.

Gil Scott-Heron was a true genius. R.I.P.

In the early 1980’s Bill Nelson made a complete break with his past and by and large replaced is guitar with synthesizers and machines by releasing solo material on his own Cocteau label.  But without major label backing Nelson’s intelligent electronic synth pop songs only grazed the top 40 even though he was producing his most commerical sounding music in this period.

Perfect pop singles like Banal, Living In My Limousine and Do You Dream In Colour I believe should have gained Bill Nelson the same level of commerical success as his contemporaries Gary Numan and David Sylvian but for whatever reason it wasn’t to be.

On March 26th 2011 ITV filmed a special concert in London with Bill Nelson.  The ITV Legends DVD is now available to buy.

“Hurrah! were like a perfect punk rock fantasy Byrds… what we all wished we were. Great songs, great shows, supreme überpunk attitude… we just loved them.” – Alan McGee, 2011

With an appearance somewhere between early pre-mop top Beatles and part Byrds circa 1965, Hurrah!’s early singles helped pave the way for many 1980’s jangly guitar indie popsters.

Originally released in 1993 on Creation Records, The Sound Of Philadelphia features those first few influential singles and demos leading up to Hurrah!’s mid-1980’s breakthrough and will be re-issued in July 2011.

Comtemporary bands such as Crystal Stilts, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, The See See and The Tambourines are all gaining acclaim for a sound that owes so much to Hurrah!

[Sorry for the quality of this promo video for Hurrah!’s debut single, The Sun Shines Here.  Can anyone post a better version on YouTube?]

The Marine Girls was formed in 1980 with further members Jane Fox on bass and her sister Alice on joint vocals and percussion. In 1981, Tracey went to Hull University where she met Ben Watt and formed Everything But The Girl.

Their debut single, On My Mind, was covered by Everything But The Girl on the b-side of their first single, Night And Day.  While their debut album, Beach Party was listed as one of Kurt Cobain’s 50 favourite albums in his diaries. A second album, Lazy Ways was released in 1983.  Both albums were re-issued as a double CD on Cooking Vinyl in 1997.

The Marine Girls also recorded two John Peel Sessions. The first included five songs: Don’t Come Back, Love To Know, He Got The Girl, Fever and A Place In The Sun.

A Place In The Sun was never released as a single.

Jeff Beck - Rock 'n' Roll Party

By now everyone must have heard about the upcoming release from one guitar legend in the shape of Jeff Beck, paying homage to another, Les Paul.

The Celebration of Les Paul show was recorded in New York in June 2010 celebrating what would have been the pioneering guitarist’s 95th birthday by playing his friend and mentor’s music, along with classic tunes from the era, in the same Times Square nightclub that Paul played every Monday for 14 years before his death in August 2009.

Sponsored by Gibson Guitar, Beck was joined on stage by The Imelda May Band at the Iridium Jazz Club with other guest performers joining Beck onstage included Brian Setzer, Gary “U.S.” Bonds, and Trombone Shorty.

“Les was my inspiration,” says Beck. “For years I had always wanted to do something for Les to show him how much I respected and admired what he had done. Les used to play every week at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, so for me it was the obvious and fitting place for a ‘Salute’ to him.”

ATCO via Rhino Records UK will be offering a CD of this exclusive show, featuring 20 live tracks from the evening, on February 21^st entitled Rock & Roll Party.

Eagle Rock Entertainment will offer the Blu-Ray and DVD of this special one off show also on February 21st. They will include seven extra live performances as well as bonus footage and interviews.

Following these releases, Beck will take the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Party” on the road for a short U.S. tour. Beck will once again be backed by The Imelda May Band and its enchanting singer Imelda May, who joined Beck on stage at the 2010 Grammy Awards for a spot-on rendition of Paul’s “How High The Moon.”

Ahead of the official release on CD and DVD here is a clip in which Jeff Beck talks about the influence of Les Paul, along with clips from the show.

Jeff Beck – Rock n Roll Party Honouring Les Paul (Trailer)

Making the award was veteran singer and actress Cher, and not to be outdone my the young pretender, the wily old fox had dusted down an outfit first seen in public over twenty years ago.

Frankly the see through nylon outfit should be consigned to the bin by now with some seductive stockings and lingerie in its place, but Cher does have her own tastes it has to be said.

Cher had joked before giving the award to Lady GaGa for the video Bad Romance, ‘I have shoes older than most of these nominees.’

“Back in the day, I used to get thrown off MTV for wearing things like this that seem so tame now. That’s when Lady Gaga was Baby Gaga. I’m the oldest chick with the biggest hair in the littlest costume,” said Cher forgetting to mention it was probably the oldest costume on display all night.

Reduced to tears and with the award in her hand Lady GaGa told the audience that she had promised herself if she won she would reveal the name of her new album and not to let herself down she did just that and announced it will be called Born This Way.

Cher, who was taking time out from shooting promos for her upcoming film Burlesque. in Las Vegas is also putting the finishing touches to her own album.

The MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12th in Los Angeles.

Lady GaGa – Bad Romance

The film was shot over 20 concerts on Cohen’s 1972 European tour and represent a near mythical piece of music history featuring one of musics genuine geniuses.

The film will be premiered in the UK at the sold out Green Man Festival in Wales, where a 2,000 capacity cinema will be converted from the Far Out Tent.

Leonard Cohen  – Bird On A Wire  film trailer;

Holding Back The Years was the second of the two standout tracks on the album and was released in 1986, reaching number 2 in the UK charts.

Simply Red – Holding Back The Years

Fiona Apple – Across The Universe