Music News LIVE: The Killers to close London festival

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Like Madonna (scroll down) Alicia Keys is angry at the new political regime in America.

She delivered a powerful rally cry for the gathered masses at the Women's March on Washington, before launching into her track Girl on Fire.

Keys implored the crowd to "continue to honor all that is beautiful about being feminine", adding that "our potential is unlimited. We rise!"

She said: 

Quote Message: We will not allow our bodies to be owned and controlled by men in government, or men anywhere for that matter. We will not allow our compassionate souls to get stepped on. We want the best for all Americans.

We will not allow our bodies to be owned and controlled by men in government, or men anywhere for that matter. We will not allow our compassionate souls to get stepped on. We want the best for all Americans.

Read more.

Check out her impassioned speech and performance below.

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At the official after-march party Sleater-Kinney summoned the spirit of Creedance Clearwater Revival...with a little help from Matt Berninger of The National.

For those who don't know, the chorus goes a little something like this.

"It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son

"It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no."

Read more.

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Former Pulp frontman and Sheffield lad Jarvis Cocker is fronting a competition to find the city’s greatest tree, as part of a campaign to save hundreds of roadside trees from being chopped down by the council.

Cocker and former Pulp bandmates Richard Hawley and Nick Banks will join BBC presenter and naturalist Chris Packham on the judging panel, in a bid to raise awareness for roadside tree felling.

The Great Trees of Sheffield 2017 competiton was launched by Sheffield Hallam MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg last week and comes after a row in November that resulted in police detaining protetesters after eight trees were chopped down.

Clegg described it as “something you’d expect to see in Putin’s Russia, rather than a Sheffield suburb”.

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Here's Dr Richard Hawley's thoughts on the situation in the form of an idiot's guide to how trees and human beings are connected. 

Quote Message: “Do you like breathing? It’s quite good. It’s called being alive. What we exhale they inhale and what we inhale they exhale. The end.”

“Do you like breathing? It’s quite good. It’s called being alive. What we exhale they inhale and what we inhale they exhale. The end.”

Cheers for clearing that up Richard.

His old pal Jarv nominated a large weeping birch tree in Endcliffe Park as his fave, even giving it the nickname 'the bowl cut.

We bet some of you don't even have a favourite Sheffield tree do you?  Shameful.

Read more.

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We don't know if you heard or not but Ed Sheeran is apparently on the comeback trail with two new singles.

We're not betting men but here's a hot tip for you, keep an eye out for Shape of You and Castle of the Hill as ones to watch...*

Here is his latest music video, filmed in his howetown for Framlingham, Suffolk and features a young lookalikey in the role of Ed...where we see him enjoy/endure his first ever drunken snog in a car on a Friday right.

And remember... tell no-one... 

Warning: Third party content, may contain ads... and nostalgia

*obviously, we're joking.

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Goldfrapp have premiered their newest song Anymore on Lauren Laverne's show on 6 Music

The song is the first from the band since their sixth studio album, the folktronica-influenced Tales of Us, in September 2013.

Anymore sees them back in Supernature electro-disco territory and is from their album Silver Eye which is due out, hopefully, in time for summer.

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For the first time in ten years, independent music venues in London have remained stable.

A new report by the London Music Board, has showed that as many new venues have opened in the capital as have closed with 94 venues currently operating in London.

The report also emphasises that, although good progress has been made in tackling the challenges facing grassroots music venues, there is still lots to be done in order to sustain the capital as a music powerhouse.

The so-called 'grassroots' venues in London contribute £91.8m to the economy and supports 2,260 full time jobs. 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan called the new report a "major step towards rebuilding London’s live music scene".

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Despite dozens of venues across the UK closing their doors, it's not all doom and gloom for music venues as music reporter Mark Savage speaks to some of the small venues that are thriving.

Read more

John Legend has been speaking to Variety about encountering some horrific racial abuse in New York.

It follows an encounter with paparazzi at JFK airport.

John's presenter and model wife Chrissy Teigen tweeted "Paparazzi at JFK just asked me if we evolved from monkeys, why is John Legend still around? – and people wonder why celebs lose it in pics."

"He basically called me a monkey," said John, who appears in the Hollywood smash musical La La Land.

Watch him below.

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With many US states relaxing their views on cannabis, it was only a mater of time before someone pressed the first ever resin album...our money would have been on Snoop Dogg.

Instead it's the band Slightly Stoopid – described as a "fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk”

It is a coincidence that sounds slightly unfocused?

They have just made the world’s first smokeable record, made from hashish.

“It’s all about putting two old-school vintage mediums together,” the band’s manager, Jon Phillips, told Billboard. “Vinyl is an old-school medium, and that’s how we feel about hashish, too.”

And, like vinyl,  its not cheap. Just two copies have been pressed, using $6,000 worth of hash and costing $1,000 to press and master.

That says nothing of the munchies bill.

As well as supporting indie venue's week (scroll down) he's making headlines in all the right places and now the insanely talented teenage singer-songwriter Declan McKenna has shared a new video for his latest track.

Then Kids Don't Wanna Come Home features an opening montage of young people voicing the frustrations of a "lost generation" and we think anyone over the age of 30 should be made to watch it.

 You can still watch Declan's full performance at the Radio 1 Future Festival.

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A couple of bits of sad news for you from the world of music.

Firstly Mott the Hoople founding member Pete Overend Watts has died of cancer, aged 69.

Peter Purnell from record label Angel Air Records said Watts was a "highly intelligent and witty man who throughout his adult life was both an immensely likeable character and an enigma".

Read more

The bassist played on the bands biggest hit, All The Young Dudes, written and produced by David Bowie.

So this one goes out to you Pete.

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Secondly Jaki Liebezeit, the drummer and co-founder of pioneering German band Can also died on Sunday at the age of 78.

"It is with great sadness we have to announce that Jaki passed away this morning from sudden pneumonia," said a statement on Can's Facebook page.

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"He fell asleep peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. We will miss him hugely."

Can were revered as pioneers of the Krautrock movement, which blended rock, electronic and world music and influenced many artists including David Bowie, Talking Heads and Paul Weller.

Read more.

Fans of bands like Thee Oh Sees should check out Can's Mother Sky for instance and listen out for their influence.

If it's about time for your elevenses (millennials - this means 'a tea break'), or even your lunch break, then sit back and enjoy this slice of pure rawk with your brew.

It comes courtesy of Jamie Lenman - who has the privilege of being named Radio 1 DJ Daniel P Carter's Rockest Record.

You can listen below.  For best results - apologise to your co-workers in advance and play LOUD... 

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Remember that annoyingly-talented kid at high school who would not only win everything at sportsday but could also knock out a cracking tune at a house party too?  Oh and they were probably also really popular and nice too.

Got one in mind?  Well meet Jazmin Sawyers - the adult version.

The 22-year-old from Bath represented Team GB in the Olympic long jump final in Rio and also bagged a silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Now after posting some cover videos on her own YouTube channel, Jazmin was asked to audition for the new series of The Voice, and was picked by judge Will.I.Am on Saturday's show after impressing with her mashup of Alessia Cara's Here and Give Me a Reason to Love You by Portishead.

She told BBC Three:

Quote Message: Athletics is just something that i do, it's not who I am...You can do more than you think you can. The limits that people put on you and that you put on yourself often aren't real."

Athletics is just something that i do, it's not who I am...You can do more than you think you can. The limits that people put on you and that you put on yourself often aren't real."

But what would she rather do...headline Glastonbury or win the Olympic gold medal?

From the long jump to the high notes, check out her inspiring story below.

And while you usually get several attempts at recording your best distance in the long jump, you only ever get One Dance with Drake.

Check out Jazmin's one below.

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Now unless you win one of the many million reality shows out there these days it's likely that to make it to the swanky big arenas you'll have to work the smaller club circuit first.

Independent Venue Week kicks off today with the aim of giving a nod to the people who run many of the country's much-loved smaller (and often sweatier) venues.

With that in mind musicians like Declan McKenna above have been telling Newsbeat how such venues are "massively important" for artists and fans alike.

Read more.

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One man who has been to more gigs than most is 6 Music DJ Steve Lamaq.

Lamo is heading up to the Brundell Social Club in Leeds today, for the first of his live shows celebrating indie venues throughout the land.

He said:

Quote Message: Now, more than ever, it’s important to support small, grassroots venues around the country, because, while a lot of them continue to thrive, we’ve seen many of them shut down and many still under threat."

Now, more than ever, it’s important to support small, grassroots venues around the country, because, while a lot of them continue to thrive, we’ve seen many of them shut down and many still under threat."

You can follow Steve and the team's indie odyssey from 1600 GMT today (and each day this week) as they go from Yorkshire to Brighton, via iconic grassroots venues in Birmingham, Oxford and Chelmsford.

Give yourselves a pat on the back if you've already been to all five of the venues on the poster below.  That and 500 indie cool points.

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Las Vegas' finest The Killers will headline the final night of the British Summer Time gigs at Hyde Park.

They will be joined by Bury's finest Elbow - who are due to release their new album Little Fictions next month.

Tears for Fears, in their first London show in over a decade, are also on the line-up, as are White Lies.

Headliners, previously announced, include Phil Collins, Green Day, Justin Bieber, Kings Of Leon, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.

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Well, it seems only fair as it's the UK's City of Culture this year, now Kingston upon Hull will host Radio 1's Big Weekend on 27-28 May.

And we have the first names announced - Kings of Leon, Little Mix and Stormzy will all play the event - widely regarded as the summer's first festival.

Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw announced the news earlier and said in a statement: "I'm super excited for Big Weekend as it kicks off festival season and always has a mega line-up of the best live music.

"Looking forward to seeing you in Hull for Radio 1's Big Weekend at the end of the May," said Kings of Leon.

Read more.

Right let's wrap up a few other bits of business now that you lot should all know about from over the weekend shall we?

1) 16 Year old Evancho sang Star Spangled Banner for Trump

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Whether Madonna likes it or not, Mr Trump was officially inaugurated on Friday and he had teenage starlet Jackie Evancho sing the national anthem for him as he was sworn in outside the White House.  

The youngster received criticism from some sections of her supporters for accepting the gig but said she was selecting patriotism over politics.

If you don't want to watch the whole darn shooting match again, skip to 1.25 of the coverage below and see the youngster belt out the anthem in front of presidents old and new and the gathered crowds in Washington DC.

2) The xx scored a new number one album

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Brooding electro-pop trio The xx earned their second number one album on Friday evening with new release I See You.

The band's third album put an end to Little Mix’s Glory Days at the top of the pile.

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Comeback kid Ed Sheeran continues to dominate the singles charts, boasting legions of loyal fans and now number one and two tracks for a second week.

Shape of You held on to the top spot again, while Castle on the Hill is still up there in second.

Well ahe-Ed.

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3) Adele confirmed to perform at the Grammys

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This year was already shaping up to be another massive one for Adele with a string of Wembley shows announced but now she's added a Grammys performance to her busy diary.

The megastar London singer will perform on the night in LA alongside the likes of John Legend and Metallica.

She's already a Grammy winner 10 times over and is nominated in five categories this year, including record and song of the year for Hell and album of the year for 25.

Ok so you now you're all up to date. On with the show...

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Sooo, since last we spoke there is a new President of the United States of America in the form of Mr Donald Trump.

Madonna landed herself in a bit of bother at one of the weekend's organised Womens' Marches in protest - we'll have more from there shortly.

During her speech in Washington DC, below, she said she had harboured thoughts of "blowing up the White House" but admitted "it would do no good".

Social media, as it is prone to do, went a bit ape...

With some news sites now suggesting the singer will be investigated by the Secret Service, Madonna has now sought to clear things up calling the rally "an amazing and beautiful experience."

She added: "I want to clarify some very important things. I am not a violent person, I do not promote violence and it's important people hear and understand my speech in it's entirety rather than one phrase taken wildly out of context.

Quote Message: I spoke in metaphor and I shared two ways of looking at things - one was to be hopeful, and one was to feel anger and outrage, which I have personally felt. However, I know that acting out of anger doesn’t solve anything. And the only way to change things for the better is to do it with love."

I spoke in metaphor and I shared two ways of looking at things - one was to be hopeful, and one was to feel anger and outrage, which I have personally felt. However, I know that acting out of anger doesn’t solve anything. And the only way to change things for the better is to do it with love."

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Morning all.  This is reality calling.  We hope you enjoyed your time away but you are due back on planet earth now.

Get some breakfast down you but be careful with that toaster...apparently that can kill you too.

We'll bring you up to date with all the music news from over the weekend as the likes of Charlotte Church, (pictured in the toast above - a sentence we never thought we'd write) and Madonna joins masses of other people in protesting against new US President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Adele is heading Stateside herself for a special awards performance next moth and we'll see who ended the week at number one in the UK singles and album charts.

While you ponder the risk-reward ratio of potentially burning your bread, take a look at Friday's blog for new music from Gorillaz, Arcade Fire, plus discover 5 things we learned last week.