Music News LIVE: UK artists make up 17% global sales

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Eagles of Death Metal have been dropped from the bill of two French music festivals, after singer Jesse Hughes reiterated claims security guards at the Bataclan were complicit in last year's terror attacks.

Ninety people were killed at the venue last November when gunmen opened fire during the band's set.

Hughes accused venue staff of allowing the terrorists into the show in March.

Despite apologising, he repeated the statements in an interview last week.

"There's no denying the terrorists were already inside, and they had to get in somehow," he told journalist Gavin McInnes in Taki's Magazine.

Following publication of the interview, organisers of the Rock En Seine and Cabaret Vert festivals have dropped the band from their line-up, saying they are "in total disagreement with Jesse Hughes' recent allegations".

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So, there are rumours that your favourite band is about to drop a surprise album.

What is this you're feeling? Excited? Nervous? Confused?

Maybe you're just dying for the toilet.

Read more

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The Sex Pistols only played two gigs in Yorkshire before the band split up - but they left a lasting impact.

Author Mark Hodkinson has been investigating the shows for a BBC Radio 4 documentary Punk, the Pistols and the Provinces - and he discusses what he learned in this blog post.

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Pop diva Cher turns 70 today and, to mark the occasion, The Official Charts Company has compiled a list of her biggest-selling songs in the UK.

You won't be surprised to see this one at number one...

...But you might be (pleasantly) surprised by the rest of the top 20.

Check out the list here.

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Pop star Britney Spears will win something called the Billboard Millennium Award this weekend and, to celebrate, she preparing a show-stopping medley of her greatest hits.

Mark Bracco, producer of the Billboard Awards, reveals: "It's going to be her with a couple dozen dancers, plus costume changes, and she's going to walk through her catalogue."

The performance, which will open the ceremony, will "kick ass," he says but don't expect any superstar cameos. 

"When you have Britney, you don't need anyone else."

The ceremony will also see Madonna pay tribute to Prince, as well as performances from Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Celine Dion, Pink and dozens of others.

4Music will broadcast it live at 01:15 BST on Monday morning, with a repeat that night at 21:00 BST.

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Tom and Joe from Blossoms are in the interesting position of having 12 hours in between their two sets at The Great Escape today. 

"It's just, 'When do you start drinking?' isn't it?," laughs singer and songwriter Tom. 

"You know in yourself when you have a drink, you're like 'if I have one more I won't be able to play drums', adds Joe as the pair settle in a sunny pavement spot. 

"It's been silly. We always love coming to Brighton because we're from Stockport. We don't have a beach," says Tom. "Feels like we're on holiday."

With hundreds of acts playing across tens of stages dotted around the city, the line-up can be overwhelming. 

So, who are their tips? 

"Black honey, I like them," says Tom. "We love Declan McKenna."

"We watched Declan on the pier last night," adds Joe. "He toured with us when it was just him doing all the loops and stuff and, now he's got a full band, it's class. Great songs."

With that, Blossoms head off "to find some factor 50" and watch Declan's acoustic open air set - he's back on stage at 22.30 tonight before Blossoms' headline set. 

We're off to try and squeeze into the Pleasure beach's afternoon show in the Spiegeltent before a (recently revealed) secret gig from Jake Bugg, a chat with Izzy Bizzu and who knows what else before the Temper Trap tomorrow. 

We'll fill you in on the adventures on Monday. 

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As if to hammer home the point that a fake news website posting a fake news story about a fake Talking Heads reunion was, indeed, fake, David Byrne has announced details of his new project.

In a blog post titled "well folks, I've written another musical," the singer-songwriter reveals he has penned a stage show about Joan of Arc.

Called Saint Joan, it will be “anthemic and spiritual” instead of incorporating the “clubby disco grooves” of his previous stage venture, Here Lies Love, written with Fatboy Slim.

He went on to explain why the story of the French heroine appealed to him.

Quote Message: Because it’s about someone – a nobody, a teenage girl – who inspired others to act, to overthrow their oppressors and take charge of their lives. She transforms from an innocent, into an androgynous warrior, and finally a martyr. Joan’s story is about the power of the individual to make a difference.

Because it’s about someone – a nobody, a teenage girl – who inspired others to act, to overthrow their oppressors and take charge of their lives. She transforms from an innocent, into an androgynous warrior, and finally a martyr. Joan’s story is about the power of the individual to make a difference.

The musical is set to premiere in New York next February.

Richard Ashcroft releases his new solo album today to some rather mixed reviews.

He was a guest on Chris Evans Radio 2 breakfast show earlier and agreed to headline Evans' CarFest gig for Children in Need later this summer.

He also performed a tribute to Prince, singing an acoustic cover of Little Red Corvette.

The BPI's latest figures show UK artists take up 17% of all worldwide music sales. The report also shows labels made more from vinyl sales than they did from YouTube.

Spokesman Gennaro Costaldo spoke to BBC News earlier...

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Ariana Grande's new album, Dangerous Woman, is out today - and critics have been falling over themselves to heap praise on the former child star.

Here's what The Los Angeles Times had to say.

Quote Message: Given that she started out as an actress, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grande can work convincingly in more than a single mode. But it’s still impressive how fully she inhabits the emotional environment of each song here, even when one directly contradicts another. In the middle of the album, she goes from Greedy, an up-tempo disco jam about craving a partner’s body, right into Leave Me Lonely, a bedraggled torch song featuring Macy Gray, of all people. Both songs feel equally believable. from Mikael Wood Music critic, Los Angeles Times

Given that she started out as an actress, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grande can work convincingly in more than a single mode. But it’s still impressive how fully she inhabits the emotional environment of each song here, even when one directly contradicts another. In the middle of the album, she goes from Greedy, an up-tempo disco jam about craving a partner’s body, right into Leave Me Lonely, a bedraggled torch song featuring Macy Gray, of all people. Both songs feel equally believable.

To mark the release, Grande has given a rare, in-depth interview to Billboard magazine, where she discusses (angrily) the sexism faced by female pop stars; and how Steven Spielberg congratulated her on her recent stint as host of Saturday Night Live.

Read the interview.

Singer Anne Marie, who featured heavily on Rudimental's last album, is back with a new solo song Alarm, all about a cheating lover.

The video's full of religious imagery, featuring the Essex-born singer in a church-like setting, complete with candles and a blue neon crucifix (just like St Paul's, then). To say it borrows from Madonna's controversial Like A Prayer video would be an understatement.

What do you think?

Speaking to Clara Amfo on BBC Radio 1 this morning, Anne-Marie said she wrote the song nine months ago with Steve Mac - who has worked with One Direction, Little Mix, Shakira and Charli XCX.

The lyrics were inspired by one of her ex-boyfriends, who she met while he was dating another woman.

"I was like, 'You need to finish it with her' - and he did it. 

"But after that I was always thinking, 'You could just do the same to me. Easy peasy.' The whole time of that relationship, I was thinking, 'Oh no.'"

After a cloudy start in Brighton the sun finally seems to have popped out for the second day of The Great Escape - with the festival's early (ish) risers beating their way to the front of an already big queue outside the first performance of the day from Blossoms.  

The in-demand band took to Vevo's outdoor stage for a short acoustic set, fresh from last night's triumphant headline slot at the Concorde 2. They'll be back at Wagner Hall to headline tonight's proceedings - where we're hoping to catch up with them later.

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We just bumped into 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, fresh off the train from London, who is making his debut at The Great Escape by hosting a special BBC Introducing show at the Paganini Ballroom tonight. 

He filled us in on the bands he's picked to showcase:

Quote Message: Idles is one of my favourite new bands of the year that I’ve come across. They are angry. They’ve got a really brilliant sense of humour. It's aggressively melodic. They’ve got some great lyrics but it’s a proper noise. What are they angry about? Everything I think - there’s a whole selection of things they’re possibly a bit annoyed by.

Idles is one of my favourite new bands of the year that I’ve come across. They are angry. They’ve got a really brilliant sense of humour. It's aggressively melodic. They’ve got some great lyrics but it’s a proper noise. What are they angry about? Everything I think - there’s a whole selection of things they’re possibly a bit annoyed by.

Steve also recommended The Anchoress, King No-One and a group called Vulgarians  which he described as "a monstrous sound"

He's hosting his 6 Music show from Brighton between 16:00 and 19:00 this afternoon, with guests including Felix White from The Maccabees, the local BIMM Music School, Attila The Stockbroker and live music from festival pick Xylaroo - who he's just popped to see perform in the square. 

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You may not know Kamasi Washington by name, but you've almost certainly heard his music.

The Los Angeles saxophonist was invited to play solos and write the string arrangements on Kendrick Lamar's groundbreaking, Grammy-winning To Pimp A Butterfly album last year, and has previously performed with the likes of Lauryn Hill, Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg, Flying Lotus and Chaka Khan.

His mind-bending triple album The Epic (never has a name been more appropriate) was released to critical acclaim last year - sidestepping its jazz origins to appear on dozens of rock magazines' "best of 2015" lists.

He's playing the BBC Proms in August, and told me he'd premiere new material from a stockpile of more than 100 songs he's written since The Epic was recorded.

Read the full inteview.

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At the tender age of 31, Lethal Bizzle is one of grime's elder statesmen - having released his first single, Pow!, way back in 2004.

But he shows no signs of slowing down, and popped into BBC 1 Xtra's Breakfast Show this morning to premiere his new single, Wobble - a romantic and erudite ode to women with ample bottoms.

He spoke to Twin B and Yasmin Evans about the song's origins (he wrote it in a gym) and what it feels like to see the grime scene get a second lease of life.

Quote Message: It’s good to see how it’s elevating, and people [are] getting inspired to make music. I think now, why it’s going off so much is people are making songs and they’ve got blueprints like myself, Wiley and these other guys. It’s a bit more structured now whereas us - we were in the dark. from Lethal Bizzle

It’s good to see how it’s elevating, and people [are] getting inspired to make music. I think now, why it’s going off so much is people are making songs and they’ve got blueprints like myself, Wiley and these other guys. It’s a bit more structured now whereas us - we were in the dark.

Listen to a clip of the song, and Lethal's interview, below.

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DNCE's breakout single Cake By The Ocean is still going strong, more than six months after it was released.

Speaking to the BBC last month, the band admitted the song's long run at the top end of the charts had delayed plans for a follow up - but the wait is finally over.

Toothbrush is the second single from their EP Swaay, and tells the story of what happens when a relationship moves to the next level. To whit, Joe Jonas sings: "you can leave your toothbrush at my place". How romantic.

The video features Jonas cavorting around with Swimsuit Illustrated model Ashley Graham - who has become an advocate for more realistically-shaped fashion models.

She is currently campaigning for the term , saying: I've got plenty of friends [of all sizes] and different shapes and everything and I don't want any of them to feel like they aren't 'real women.'"

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Whitney Houston's estate have apparently stopped The Voice US from using a hologram of the star after rehearsal footage was leaked.

The late singer, who died in 2012, was due to duet with Christina Aguilera appear using similar technology to that which brought late rapper Tupac Shakur to life at Coachella.

But after footage appeared online, Whitney's sister-in-law Pat Houston - the executor of her estate-  said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight:

"We were looking to deliver a ground-breaking duet performance for the fans of both artists. Holograms are new technology that take time to perfect, and we believe with artists of this iconic calibre, it must be perfect." 

Whitney’s "devoted fans", it added, "deserve perfection".

Read more.

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"I ain't gonna be cooking all day, I ain't your mama / I ain't gonna do your laundry, I ain't your mama," sings Jennifer Lopez on her new single called... well, Ain't Your Mama.

The lyrics rather run out of steam after that. Apparently, Lopez cannot imagine any further motherly tasks that she is unprepared to carry out for her boyfriend (might we suggest, "I ain't gonna put a plaster on that 'cut' because it is barely visible to the human eye, I ain't your mama").

The video was released this morning, and sees Lopez standing up to an array of male oppressors, before having a big old dance in the street. Pop video logic, there.

The Great EscapeCopyright: The Great Escape

After a whirlwind few months following the release of their debut album, Oh Wonder kicked off their first ever festival season at The Great Escape in Brighton, by headlining Thursday night's Spotlight show. 

The duo - Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West - topped an impressive bill at the moody and atmospheric All Saints Church in Hove, supported by Mura Masa (5th in the BBC's Sound of 2016 poll) and Shura. 

"Our music suits that chilled intimate vibe, so a church is kind of perfect," Josephine tells me ahead of their show, admiring the huge ceilings and stained glass windows. 

It might have been their first gig in a church, but it definitely isn't their first time at The Great Escape, known for championing new talent.

"We’ve both played here before in other guises," Josephine reveals, insisting their story is proof to young struggling musicians that they shouldn't give up. 

"We know what it’s like to play to five people in a really awkward scenario," she says, "two of which are your parents, your mate and his neighbour."

The Great EscapeCopyright: The Great Escape

"Last time I played, was about two years ago," adds Anthony. "It was We the Wild, an electronic project I had. There was honestly about six people watching me. One was my manager and one was the front of house guy."

Josephine says she was "just a solo artist before this, and played girl vocal piano vibe things. 

"I played here and didn’t have that good a show, but it’s okay - you learn and move forward! 

"It’s a treat now to be able to play shows to more than five people, it’s so lovely."

Elsewhere Blossoms headlined at the Concorde 2, ahead of not one but two more shows in Brighton on Friday and Craig David closed the Vevo stage at Wagner Hall to a rapturous crowd, performing his new single One More Time live for the first time (scroll down for more on the track) and sending the, very sweaty, audience into meltdown with classics like Rewind.

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X Factor runners up Reggie 'N' Bollie are set to make their Top 40 debut this afternoon with their infectious summer anthem, New Girl.

The video - which has just been released - was shot earlier this year in the singers' home country, Ghana, where they were treated to a red carpet welcome that brought Accra airport to a standstill.

The party atmosphere even spilled over to the set, says Reggie.

"The kids dancing in the video weren't planned, they all just joined in!"

You can watch it below. 

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