With this spirit in mind, Frank Turner is offering the chance for a new, unsigned act to record a B side for the single.

In a fantastic, one-off competition Frank, together with labels Xtra Mile Recordings (UK) and Epitaph Records (rest of the world) is asking for new and original music to be sent to him for consideration for the b-side. There will be two winners chosen by Frank together with Kerrang! in the UK and Alternative Press in the USA – with both winning tracks included as the B-Sides of a limited edition coloured vinyl – 1000 copies each for the UK and the rest of the world.

For more information and details of how to enter the competition go to:
www.xtramilerecordings.com or www.epitaph.com/demolition

Having just completed his first ever tour of Australia and China, Frank Turner returns to play a staggering array of festivals over the summer months including headlining Wood and 2000trees, main stage performance at Latitude, two sets at Glastonbury and the NME/Radio1 Stage at Reading and Leeds. And that’s not to mention being invited by Green Day to play at their Manchester and Wembley Stadium shows in June. Incredible. All tour dates are as follows:

MAY
23 Wood Festival, Oxfordshire
27 Club Kerrang at Birmingham Academy, Birmingham (solo show)
28 Mandela Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland (Tickets)
29 Academy 2, Dublin, Eire
30 Cypress Avenue, Cork, Eire
JUNE
4 Sublime, Tel Aviv, Israel
6 Syncopa, Haifa, Israel
10 Bonnaroo Festival, Manchester, TN, USA
16 Manchester Cricket Ground, Manchester (with Green Day)
18 Hurricane Festival, Germany
19 Wembley Stadium, (with Green Day)
20 Southside Festival, Germany
25 Glastonbury Festival
26 Glastonbury Festival
JULY
11 T In The Park Festival
15 Larmer Tree Festival, Salisbury
16 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham
17 Latitude Festival
22 Calgary Folk Festival, Canada
AUGUST
1 Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada
2 The Webster Underground, Hartford, CT, USA
3 Lost Horizon, Syracuse, NY, USA
4 Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY, USA
5 Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, USA (supporting The Gaslight Anthem)
6 Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY, USA
7 Magic Stick, Detroit, MI, USA
8 Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL, USA 20 Highfield Festival, Germany
21 Area 4 Festival, Germany
22 Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, SZ
27 Leeds Festival (NME/Radio 1 Stage)
28 Reading Festival (NME/Radio 1 stage)
DECEMBER
12th O2 Academy Brixton, London

michael monroe - sami - ginger

Legendary punk rocker Michael Monroe is hitting the UK again this summer having just been announced for the infamous Download Festival 2010! While the band demos new material in NYC for their debut, they’re still finding time to get a few summer festival appearances in.

After a sensational stint at SXSW this year followed by a captivating debut UK show earlier this month at London’s Islington Academy, the band, completed by Ginger from The Wildhearts, Sami Yaffa, Steve Conte and Karl Rosqvist, are more than a little bit excited to revisit the UK audiences.

Ginger shared some fond memories of Download;
“Fuck yeah!! Download is the first and the best. I was educated at Donnington Monsters Of Rock, it was always the place where magic happened and the stories would last a year until the next one. I’ve had so many great moments at this festival (bad acid trips, public blowjobs by complete strangers, arms impaled onstage by the Psycho Cyborgs …the list goes on) and playing here with Michael Monroe continues the theme of great moment after great moment. We’re bringing the punk, we’re bringing the rock n roll, now all we need is you. Be there or be elsewhere.”

Great stuff, Rock & Roll or what?

Here is a current list of Michael Monroe upcoming gigs around the world:

09.05.10
Highline Ballroom
New York
USA

05.06.10
Helsinki Live 2010
Helsinki
Finland

09.06.10
Sweden Rock
Sölvesborg
Sweden

12.06.10
Download Festival
Derby
UK

03.07.10
Peace & Love Festival
Borlänge
Sweden

10.07.10
Ruisrock
Turku
Finland

16.07.10
Pakkahuone
Tampere
Finland

17.07.10
Simerock
Rovaniemi
Finland

07.08.10
Summer Sonic Festival
Osaka
Japan

08.08.10
Summer Sonic Festival
Tokyo
Japan

15.08.10
Ankkarock
Vantaa
Finland

Frank Turner

Frank Turner’s dream of reaching mainstream popularity continues to grow with the announcement that due to popular demand he will be performing at the O2 Brixton Academy on December 12th this year.

This news is announced following Turner having sold out his gig at London’s Roundhouse venue two months in advance. The Roundhouse show takes place as the finale of his current UK tour, on March 24th.

The Brixton show will be his largest headline gig so far and an incredible achievement considering his humble beginnings of playing tiny venues, house parties, pubs, car parks and anywhere else that would have him – only a few years ago. Testament if ever there was need for one, that Frank Turner has turned underground cult status into a mainstream success story.

To coincide with his March tour Turner will release a live version of the track Long Live The Queen, recorded at his Shepherds Bush Empire show in October last year. The single will be available as a digital download and a limited edition 7″ vinyl, from March 22nd.

A DVD/CD Take To The Road will also be available from March 22nd, featuring the entire Shepherds Bush gig as well as his performance in the more intimate surroundings of the Union Chapel last Christmas. The DVD also includes promo videos, diaries, photos and interviews. The bonus CD features the audio from Shepherds Bush.

Following the tour Turner will release the beautiful single Isabel on April 12th, the third track to be released from the Top 40 album Poetry Of The Deed. All Frank Turner recordings are available through Xtra Mile Recordings.

HEADLINE UK TOUR
MARCH
15 Northumbria Uni, Newcastle
16 Edinburgh Picture House
17 Manchester Academy
18 Leeds 02 Academy
19 Bristol 02 Academy SOLD OUT
21 Birmingham O2 Academy
22 Norwich Waterfront
23 Portsmouth Pyramids
24 London Roundhouse SOLD OUT
**EXTRA DATE ADDED DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND**
DECEMBER
12 LONDON O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON

For our international readers Frank Turner is currently supporting Flogging Molly on their huge arena tour in the USA and having recently sold out solo shows in Toronto, Montreal and LA – the international plot continues to grow with a confirmed set at Coachella Festival in April, dates on the Revival Tour in Australia, gigs in Hong Kong and a slot at the famous Calgary Folk Festival in July.

For further information visit the Frank Turner MySpace, or Xtra Mile Recordings.

arctic monkeys

It really seems like the Arctic Monkeys have been around forever, they have lapped up award after award in the music industry, along with best selling albums and singles, not to mention their many and varied side projects.

In fact it was exactly four years ago that the single I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, the band’s first single with Domino Records was released and went straight to the top of the UK Singles charts.

Those in the know at that time had probably seen it coming, but for the rest of us the Arctic Monkeys were an exciting new and young band who despite their youth appeared to have a wealth of experience and a penchant for very British songwriting that combined realism with tongue in  cheek humour wrapped in nice helping of  alternative indie rock.

Having built a fan base through the distribution of give away CDs at local concerts, the musical content of those CDs quickly found its way onto the internet and an even wider acceptance among young music fans who quickly recognised the Monkeys as the next big thing.

By the time that the band had signed to Domino Records they already had a very healthy following through the internet with a sound that immediately set them apart from their contemporaries and song writing skills that would get them noticed.

As a live band the Arctic Monkeys come into their own, encouraging fan participation and loving nothing more than a serious sing along. The lack of flashing lights and smoke machines during some of the band’s gigs have led to criticism from some reviewers, but for the fans and the band the party atmosphere seems most important.

Arctic Monkeys embark on the European leg of  their Humbug tour on November 3rd with gigs in Antwerp, Paris, Berlin and Amsterdam before hitting the UK and Liverpool’s Echo Arena on November 13th. The following night the Monkeys return to their home city when they play Sheffield Arena.

The tour continues across the UK and  Dublin before heading off to continental Europe again for shows throughout January and February 2010. It is possible to purchase tickets for Arctic Monkeys Humbug Tour through the usual outlets including viagogo.

Watch Arctic Monkeys perform Crying Lightning at Reading Festival 2009

Arctic Monkeys UK and European Tour dates:

03.11.2009 Antwerp (Belgium)  @  Lotto Arena
05.11.2009 Paris (France)  @  Zenith
06.11.2009 Paris (France)  @  Zenith
08.11.2009 Berlin (Germany)  @  Arena Treptow
10.11.2009 Amsterdam (Netherlands)  @  Heineken Music Hall
11.11.2009 Amsterdam (Netherlands)  @  Heineken Music Hall
13.11.2009 Liverpool (United Kindom)  @  Echo Arena
14.11.2009 Sheffield (United Kindom)  @  Sheffield Arena
16.11.2009 Newcastle Upon Tyne (United Kindom)  @  Metro Radio Arena
18.11.2009 London (United Kindom)  @  Wembley Stadium
20.11.2009 Birmingham (United Kindom)  @  NIA
21.11.2009 Manchester (United Kindom)  @  MEN Arena
22.11.2009 Nottingham (United Kindom)  @  Trent FM Arena
24.11.2009 Glasgow (United Kindom)  @  SECC
25.11.2009 Belfast (United Kindom)  @  Odyssey Arena
26.11.2009 Dublin (Ireland)  @  O2 Arena
26.01.2010 Milan (Italy)  @  Palasharp
02.02.2010 Porto (Portugal)  @  Coliseu do Porto
03.02.2010 Lisbon (Portugal)  @  Campo Pequeno
05.02.2010 Madrid (Spain)  @  Arena
06.02.2010 Barcelona (Spain)  @  Sant Jordi

Arctic Monkeys Tickets

At viagogo, every Arctic Monkeys transaction is 100% guaranteed to be safe and secure. As well as making it easy and simple to buy Arctic Monkeys tickets or sell Arctic Monkeys tickets, viagogo ensure their safe and prompt delivery with online tracking.

Arctic Monkeys: Humbug

The Arctic Monkeys released their third album, Humbug, yesterday amidst much anticipation and expectancy.

Personally I felt the second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare was released too soon after the excellent debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and though included some good songs, lacked any real progression.  Both albums reached no. 1 in the UK.

Eighteen months on, the third album, Humbug sees the band look and sound more mature.  The amusing well versed lyrics are still present but the music has more depth, with several strains of rock expanding the indie pop/ indie rock sound of the first two albums.

“Outside the cafe by the cracker factory
You were practising a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude and you talked and chewed
On the last of your pick n mix” – Crying Lightning

The opening track My Propeller is a great song with Alex Turner turning in a good Morrissey impression and shows similarities to Mark E. Smith’s drawl on Dangerous Animals. Other tracks revert to the bubblegum indie pop rock of previous albums.  But after three or four listens I am really appreciating the diversity the album offers.

Humbug features 10 new tracks including the current single, Crying Lightning produced by Queens Of The Stone Age lead vocalist Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and James Ford in Brooklyn.

Arctic Monkeys are Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Matt Helders and Nick O Malley.

Arctic Monkeys Tour Dates:

21st August      Highfield Festival, Erfurt, Germany
22nd August     Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium
23rd August      Lowlands Festival, Holland
28th August      Leeds Festival, England
29th August      Reading Festival, England

The band is to embark on a North American tour September 14 in San Diego.

14th September San Diego, CA @ Soma
15th September Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
16th September Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
19th September Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
19th September Seattle, WA @ The Showbox @ Market
20th September Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park
22nd September Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
23rd September Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
25th September Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
26th September Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
28th September Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
29th September Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
30th September Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
2nd October New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
3rd October Houston, TX @ House of Blues
4th October Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
5th October Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom

6th November Zenith, Paris, France

Arctic Monkeys new single: Crying Lightning

Crying Lightning, the first single from Arctic Monkeys’ new album, Humbug, will receive it’s worldwide, exclusive first radio play on Monday the 6th of July on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show.

Crying Lightning willbe available digitally via iTunes from 7th July.  While the CD will be available on the 17th of August, a week before the release of Humbug.

Humbug features 10 brand new Arctic Monkeys’ songs and was produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and James Ford in Brooklyn.

Fans can now pre-order the album in bundle form, with a collectible, limited edition poster, from the band’s website: www.arcticmonkeys-store.co.uk

The Arctic Monkeys, who will be headlining the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August and playing the following shows over the summer, have added 4 new shows in the US to their world tour:

Thursday 2nd July Opener Festival, Gydnia, Poland
Saturday 4th July Rock For People, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
Sunday 5th July Vienna Arena, Austria
Tuesday 7th July Prokurative, Split, Croatia
Thursday 9th July Exit Festival, Serbia
Saturday 1st August All Points West, New Jersey, USA
Sunday 2nd August Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada
Monday 3rd August Highline, New York, USA
Wednesday 5th August Paradise, Boston, USA
Friday 7th August Metro, Chicago, USA
Saturday 8th August Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA
Thursday 13th August Oya Festival, Oslo, Norway
Friday 14th August Way Out West, Gothenburg, Sweden
Saturday 15th August Beat Day Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
Friday 21st August Highfield Festival, Erfurt, Germany
Saturday 22nd August Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium
Sunday 23rd August Lowlands Festival, Holland
Friday 28th August Leeds Festival, England
Saturday 29th August Reading Festival, England
Monday 19th October Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
Friday 6th  November Zenith, Paris, France

For more information visit www.arcticmonkeys.com

Arctic Monkeys announce third album - Humbug

The Arctic Monkeys‘ third album, Humbug, will be released on Monday 24th August 2009.

Humbug features 10 brand new Arctic Monkeys’ songs and was produced by Josh Homme in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles and James Ford in Brooklyn.

Arctic Monkeys – Humbug tracklisting:

1. My Propeller
2. Crying Lightning
3. Dangerous Animals
4. Secret Door
5. Potion Approaching
6. Fire And The Thud
7. Cornerstone
8. Dance Little Liar
9. Pretty Visitors
10. The Jeweller’s Hands

The Arctic Monkeys will be headlining the Reading and Leeds Festival in August and playing the following shows over the summer:

Thursday 2nd July
Opener Festival, Gydnia, Poland

Saturday 4th July
Rock For People, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Sunday 5th July
Vienna Arena, Austria

Tuesday 7th July
Prokurative, Split, Croatia

Thursday 9th July
Exit Festival, Serbia

Saturday 1st August
All Points West, New Jersey, USA

Sunday 2nd August
Osheaga Festival, Montreal, Canada

Friday – Sunday  7th- 9th August (date TBC)
Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA

Thursday 13th August
Oya Festival, Oslo, Norway

Friday  14th August
Way Out West, Gothenburg, Sweden

Saturday 15th August
Beat Day Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark

Friday 21st August
Highfield Festival, Erfurt, Germany

Saturday 22nd August
Pukkelpop Festival, Hasselt, Belgium

Sunday 23rd August
Lowlands Festival, Holland

Friday 28th August
Leeds Festival

Saturday 29th August
Reading Festival

Friday 6th  November
Zenith, Paris, France

The U2 360° World Tour 2009 will be a major stadium rock extravaganza; and with all major events U2 tickets sold out within minutes of being put on sale.

The ticket frenzy was apparently so mad in Dublin that a second night’s performance was confirmed at Dublin’s Croke Park even before tickets went on sale. Yes of course this is just clever marketing, but it works!
Tickets for the two Dublin shows went on sale today with UK tickets for London, Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff; along with tickets for the European concerts in Paris & Nice in France and Chorzow, Poland.

The World Tour begins in the Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona where according to the official Barcelona FC website, 14,000 tickets have been allocated to members of the Spanish football club, who will be able to purchase them tomorrow, Saturday 21st March before they go on public sale next Wednesday, 25th March.

The tour seemed inevitable as soon as rumours began to circulate in January, as U2 also announce the release of their 12th studio album, No Line On The Horizon.  But I’m sure U2 will also glean hits from their previous albums such as How To Dismantle A Bomb (2004), Pop (1997), Zooropa (1993), Achtung Baby (1991), Rattle & Hum (1988) and The Unforgettable Fire (1984).

U2 have continually shown an interest in choosing the support acts for previous tours, including the Pop Tour where support came from house music dj Howie B, warming the crowds before each performance.  He went on to produce a great remix of U2’s cover version, Pop Music.

For the 360° World Tour 2009, U2 have chosen several support acts including Glasvegas (Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff), Elbow (London, Sheffield), Kaiser Chiefs (Paris, Dublin), Snow Patrol (Milan, Nice, Gothenburg); and Black Eyed Peas with further support acts still to be announced.

Concert tickets for all major events are now so difficult to buy when they go on sale and U2 concert tickets are no different.

The U2 360° World Tour 2009 European Dates:

30 June Barcelona, Spain, Nou Camp
07 July Milan, Italy, San Siro
08 July Milan, Italy, San Siro
11 July Paris, France, Stade De France
15 July Nice, France Charles Ehrmann
18 July Berlin, Germany, Olympic Stadium
20 July Amsterdam, Netherlands, Arena
21 July Amsterdam, Netherlands, Arena
24 July Dublin, Ireland, Croke Park
25 July Dublin, Ireland, Croke Park
31 July Gothenburg, Sweden, Ullevi
01 Aug  Gothenburg, Sweden, Ullevi
06 Aug  Chorzow, Poland, Slaski Stadium
10 Aug  Zagreb, Hungary, Maksimar Stadium
14 Aug  London, Wembley Stadium
18 Aug  Glasgow, Scotland, Hampden Park
22 Aug  Cardiff, Millennium Stadium

At viagogo, every U2 transaction is 100% guaranteed to be safe and secure. As well as making it easy and simple to buy U2 tickets or sell U2 tickets, viagogo ensure their safe and prompt delivery with online tracking.

But U2 have been playing sold-out stadium tours for the past three decades, and tickets will be so hard to get as soon as they go on sale, Viagogo, the online ticket agent, is offering a free U2 concert tickets alert for anyone who cares to registers.

The U2 World Tour rumours have been fuelled by a new album, No Line On The Horizon, their first studio album for five years. The last album, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb included Vertigo, Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own and City Of Blinding Lights; and before that, All That You Can’t Leave Behind included Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of and Elevation.

Last week they played live at the 2009 Brit Awards performing their new single Get On Your Boots, wooing the audience with a theatrical show.  If that was anything to go by, any live concerts in 2009 should be another great spectacle, similar to past tours where the band have added an extra dimension to their music with lights, videos and special guests.

The new album is getting mixed reviews.  One reviewer suggested U2 are returning to indie rock and pulling away from stadium-fillers and dance/pop experimentalism.

But for U2 fans, reviews don’t matter; neither does a Lifetime Award at the Brits or seven Grammy Awards.  Similarly to The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and Radiohead, U2 will sell-out the biggest stadiums in every continent whatever is written about them.

And so, when U2 announce their next tour, whenever that may be, they will be looking to reclaim the title of being the biggest and most successful contemporary rock band in the world today, a title they have let slip in the past few years of non-activity.  But with a global army of fans ready to pay whatever it takes to see them, there will no doubt be a stampede for tickets, even amidst this global credit crunch.

Whenever U2 announce their next tour Viagogo will have concert tickets to buy and sell.

Black Balloon is taken from the band’s critically acclaimed third album, Midnight Boom. The EP will also feature brand new, previously unreleased acoustic tracks recently recorded by The Kills’ Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart.

Black Balloon will feature an accompanying video directed by Kenneth Capello, an art piece incorporating exclusive backstage and tour footage of the band shot on Super 8.

Watch the Promo video for The Kills – Black Balloon

After a tour of Germany in March and live dates in New Zealand and Australia, The Kills will embark on a 22-date US tour kicking off at the Coachella Arts and Music Festival in California on 19th April.

The Kills Live Dates:

14th March Dusseldorf, Germany @ Zakk
15th March Hamburg, Germany @ Ubel & Gefahrlich
16th March Berlin, Germany @ Postbahnhof
17th March Frankfurt, Germany @ Mousonturm
25th March Auckland, NZ @ Transmission Room
26th March Wellington, NZ @ SFBH
28th March Sydney, Australia @ V Festival
29th March Queensland, Australia @ V Festival
4th April  Victoria, Australia @ V Festival
5th April  Claremont, Australia @ V Festival
19th April Indio, CA @ Coachella Arts and Music Festival
20th April Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
22nd April Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater
23rd April Lawrence, @ KS Bottleneck
24th April Austin, TX @ Emo’s
25th April Dallas, TX @ Granada
27th April Atlanta, GA @ Lenny’s
28th April Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
30th April Washington, DC @ 930 Club
1st May    Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
2nd May    New York, NY @ Webster Hall
4th May    Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
5th May    Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
6th May    Montreal, Canada @ La Tulipe
7th May    Toronto, Canada @ Phoenix
8th May    Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
9th May    Chicago, IL @ Metro
11th May   Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
15th May   Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
16th May   Vancouver, Canada @ Commodore
17th May   Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
19th May   San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
21st May   Pomona, CA @ Glass House

For more information visit The Kills official MySpace page.