This photo of Amy Winehouse, Jack White (HELLO CASPER), and Beyonce Knowles watching Jay-Z’s set during Glastonbury 2008 IS THE MOST AMAZING PHOTO OF OUR TIME.

Words cannot describe, but you can give it a try.

This photo is also hysterical–Jack cannot see what’s going on because Amy Winehouse’s arm is in the way. Someone give Jack White some room!

BONUS: Who would win in a fight: Amy Winehouse, Jack White, or Beyonce?

This just in from my friend at Abeano Music–Jack White stepped out to play a few bars during The Last Shadow Puppets’ set at Glastonbury. What did he guest on? A cover of Billy Fury’s “Wondrous Place.”

Video:

Notice how Jack just casual (and quietly) slumps off stage…like he was never there at all.

Writes NME.com, “Miles Kane explained they had simply bumped into White backstage: “We just asked him and he said yes.”

Picys over at NME.com

More over at Youtube, Abeano Music, NME.com

Although Jack playing is quite exciting, it’s not nearly as exciting as this video of Amy Winehouse punching someone in the middle of her Glasto set. Appropriately enough, it was during “Rehab.” Hysterical…especially b/c the guy who got punched was not hurt:

Last night I was watching Bad TV, and as a punishment I was subjected to watching this Michelob Ultra ad, which has the Kooks “Shine On” as the theme song. Well, at least this is not nearly as bad as that Hives “Well Alright” Sears commercial that I not only hear on TV but also on radio.

Oh FANTASTIC, there’s an alternate version. Just what I needed:

Reports NYLON, “Gucci creative director Frida Giannini dedicated her latest menswear show to the band. She sent some popsicle-colored suits down the runway, and we all swooned – though of course, playing Time To Pretend during the finale didn’t hurt either.”

Sweet sweet. Does this mean my

Er… since all the embeds for “Electric Feel” are disabled on YouTube (er.. ok?), here’s a live version of the song they played in Houston, TX:

Some additional thoughts/photos from Monday’s free Coldplay show.

At one point, early on in the night everyone got great amusement out of screaming out “BLUE BALLS!” in reference to the gigantic video screen projection spheres that were lowered from the ceiling at various points through the show.

Throughout the show pre-recorded footage and live feeds of the concert were projected onto the AV balls, and as I mentioned in my earlier post, they were used as lyric prompts during “Lost!”

These magical spheres are called “PufferSpheres,” made by a Edinburgh-based company called Pufferfish. Previously they have worked with companies like Google for special events and presentations.

During the final song of the night, machines through the arena shot out tons and tons of confetti into the air. It was especially cool when they made the glowing balls turn blue and all the neon-colored confetti became awesome GLOW IN THE DARK CONFETTI!

Continue reading ‘Even More Coldplay @ Madison Square Garden’ »

Tonight I went to the free Coldplay show at MSG. There were not many “surprises”–the show was almost identical in set list as the free Brixton Academy show, but it was super fun nonetheless. You cannot beat FREE!

Here I am in my little bubble…

Setlist: Life in technicolor (intro), Violet hill, clocks, in my place, viva la vida, Chinese Sleep Chant, god put a smile upon your face, 42, square one, trouble, lost!, strawberry swing, [yellow, Death Will Never Conquer (from gate 60, toward the back of MSG)], fix you, lovers in japan/ reign of love [outro]

Of course celebrities are fans of free as well. Folks like Kirsten Dunst, Ed Burns, Charlize Theron, and Danny Masterson (who sadly did not make it in the gossip mentions anywhere else, and who I saw on Sunday afternoon at brunch–weird).

From Gate 60:

There were many stops and mistakes during the performance, like right before they played “Chinese Sleep Chant”–when there were technical difficulties with Jonny Buckland’s equipment at the front right stage and Chris declared that “some people say we are much better as a three piece.” And right before launching into their anthem “Viva La Vida,” Chris stated, “Somehow it’s made it to number one in your country. It just goes to show that with good marketing and a handsome bass player you can achieve anything.”

Coldplay–ok, Chris Martin–can be particularly cloying in their desire to seem like the “everyman band”…always polite, always humble, always suffering from a horrible guilt complex in regards to being successful, and this pattern of behavior carried through the MSG performance with Chris continuing to take knocks at himself and his fellow band members throughout the concert.

While this very un-rock star type behavior can make everyone uncomfortable at times (Seriously, it’s that whole YOU ROCK STAR, US SCREAMING FANS thing that makes concert dynamics work, Chris.), I honestly believe that deep down somewhere the men of Coldplay remain honest guys who truly do care about their fans and at their very core they are just four regular dudes who happen to sell millions of records.

During the final number, “Fix You” when Chris mucked up the lyrics from the beginning. Later in the song he improvised by singing, “Lyrics to old songs that you don’t know/And you embarrass yourself at MSG/But it doesn’t matter one bit, everyone got in for free”–one of the many times Chris brought up the fact that the tickets were gratis.

Pretty colors with lyrics projected on the video balls during “Lost”

As I was walking out, I heard some guy behind me declaring to his wife, “Oh boy, the bloggers are going to CRUCIFY them tomorrow. He [Chris Martin] messed up three times in that one song, AND they didn’t play an encore.” Er.. ok. I think the point of seeing a live show is to see a band LIVE–there are going to be mistakes! Seriously, are people predicting what bloggers are going to write about the next day? Or is saying “oh boy, the bloggers are going to write about this…” a “safe” way of putting forth your own questionable opinions?

It was a little disappointing that there was no encore, but hey–maybe they were paying MSG by the hour. But probably with all that merchandise they sold (commemorative concert tees with “VIVA” and “VIVA LA VIDA” cost $30, posters cost $10) helped them recoup any of the money they shelled out do put this show on.

Anyway, I thought the concert was a great. I would say that some of the new songs did fall a little flat with the crowd due to their slow and/or non-sing-a-long nature (“Chinese Sleep Chant” and “42″), but others were tremendous fun (“Lost” and “VLV”). A little sad they didn’t do some of my CP faves like “Shiver” or “Everything’s Not Lost,” but I suppose some songs had to get the boot in order to play the new diddys. (Not everyone can play 3 1/2 hour shows like Ryan Adams.)

The boys are also on the cover of the new June 2008 issue of SPIN:

COLDPLAY: SHINE ON

New York Magazine painstakingly dishes every possible detail of their conversation with model/singer Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr. at the Songwriters Hall of Fame awards, in an attempt to read the tea leaves and figure out if they are in fact dating.

They write, “First the two unabashedly engaged in public displays of affection on the red carpet — an embrace here, a kiss on the cheek there. Once inside, we snagged a minute with the apparently happy couple, Hammond’s arm never relinquishing Deyn’s waist as the two sipped on cups of coffee…Then when we innocently inquired how the two met, they cast telling gazes into each other’s eyes. “That’s a bit personal, sorry,” Deyn replied.”

Ok, ok we get it… Albert has a track record of having a fondness for foxy blonds who can sing a song or two, so maybe maybe this could be true…

This year’s After the Jump Festival was a rip roaring success! Ok, so we might possibly have ruined a wedding occurring next door to the Williamsburg Hall of Music (oops!), and a recording session for an Australian band (double oops!), but I think nearly everyone who came to the ATJ festival this year had an awesome time.

We had four stages in various locations along North 6th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (two inside Galapagos Art Space, one inside the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and one set up on the street right outside the WHOM) played free music to eager crowds throughout the day. Folks like actress Julia Stiles and Yeasayer’s Ira Wolf Tuton hit up the day show to support local music, and the fabulous Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) came out to support her buddies from Pattern Is Movement, who played our charity fundraiser night show.

I just want to say THANK YOU so much to everyone who came out and to the amazing bands who played their hearts out.

Watch this space for more updates on Saturday’s awesome event. For now, some photos:

Los Angeles noise rock band Health BLEW MINDS with their incredible set for the night show at MHOW. There was a ridiculous mosh pit, and then this guy decided to stage dive:

Continue reading ‘After the Jump Festival 2008: Sun, Fun, and Rock ‘n’ Roll’ »

Megapuss made their live debut on Thursday night at Los Angeles’ Hammer Museum by UCLA in Westwood,CA. The band features indie star (and Natalie Portman’s current boytoy) Devendra Banhart, Fabrizo Moretti of The Strokes, and Greg Rogove of Priestbird, live from the Hammer Museum by UCLA in Westwood,CA.

Photo: Ben High for SPECTRE

Here’s a vid:

Sure, there was music played by the motley crew of weird and goofy yet “[legitimately] talented musicians,” but what has everyone talking is the bizarre outfit that Devendra was wearing…
Continue reading ‘Megapuss Debutes with Devendra’s Penis Garland and Fabrizio Moretti’ »

I think the Beatles-esque nod to the 1960s is sorta cute. The song itself is quite good. Smells like a winner: