Rihanna's new album is Rated R
She’s finally put down that umbERella folks! With brilliant vocals and tracks that herald in a darker edge, Rihanna’s fourth studio has a more creative feel than previous offerings and will be launched on November 20th 2009.
Showcasing the single written by Ne-Yo and Rihanna, Russian Roulette, the album is the Barbadian R&B singer’s first to receive a Parental Advisory label. There’s also much speculation as to whether it will include any tracks written about Chris Brown – Rihanna’s ex-boyfriend with whom she was involved in an altercation before the 2009 Grammy Awards. With angrier songs carrying titles on the subject of love like Stupid in Love and Cold Case Love and Rude Boy, this could well be the case.
The CD sees Rihanna working with many prestigious song-writers and producers including Chuck Harmony, Tricky Stewart, the Norwegian record producing team Stargate and Justin Timberlake. Ne-Yo has co-written many of the songs and has described Russian Roulette as a “different direction for both of us.” Rihanna specified that she wanted dark songs that had some kind of meaning “a little more morbid,” Ne-Yo says, commenting that she also says some things on this album that you’ve never heard her say before – could he be referring to the inclusion of swear words on some of the tracks? Several recordings feature iconic performers like Velvet Revolver’s Slash who plays guitar on the suitably named track, Rockstar 101 and Hard features the American rapper Young Jeezy.
Rated R reflects Rihanna’s growth as an artist and also as a songwriter but although some of the songs are dark they’re combined with more uptempo club beats and heartfelt ballads. Fans who pre-order Rates R will receive an instant download of Russian Roulette but there’s another reason you need to add this album to your collection – it’s seriously stellar… ella…ella.
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Chris Moyles - The Parody Album
Love him or loathe him – and not many people feel indifferent towards him - Chris Moyles is widely recognised as having single-handedly dragged Radio 1 from the depths of the listener ratings. The Parody Album is an eclectic mix of uproarious parodies originally aired on the DJ’s Breakfast Show with a few new ones thrown in too and is being released on 23rd November.
With twenty tracks including spoofs of songs by well-known artistes including Meat Again (inspired by JLS’s Beat Again), Lorry Driver (from Womanizer by Britanny Spears), Big Bum (from Tom Jones’s Sex Bomb) and a parody of fellow Loiners, the Kaiser Chiefs’ I Predict a Riot - the aptly named, given the extent of Moylsey’s girth - I Predict a Diet, the album also features exclusive tracks written by the man himself.
Undoubtedly the highlight is the Barack Obama song – we challenge you to sing it all the way through without hesitation, deviation or repetition (the latter could be tricky!).
Radio 1’s longest serving Breakfast Show presenter has always courted controversy with various complaints having been upheld against him by the Broadcasting Standard’s Council. These have included accusations of sexism, homophobia and inappropriate behaviour (for fondling Mel’s B’s breasts on air with accompanying graphic description!) for which the DJ has apologised profusely.
Nevertheless, Chris and his team, comprising Comedy Dave (Dave Vitty), Dominic Byrne, Rachel Mallender, Carrie Davis and Aled Hayden Jones have now successfully shocked and amused listeners for five years - and played a few records in-between.
The Parody Album will provide unlimited, eccentric entertainment over the Christmas period, complete with lyrics that will provide the catchphrases of a generation (for the next six months at least). Order yours now to hear Chris Moyles at his funniest – after all - seven million listeners can’t be wrong.
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Strictly Come Dancing is coming to a venue near you
Tickets are available for an arena tour of the hit BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing Tickets on dates from 15th January to 21st February 2010 at various venues including the LG Arena Birmingham, the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, Sheffield Arena and MEN Arena in Manchester, Wembley Arena, the O2 Arena and in Newcastle, Belfast, Liverpool and Glasgow with prices starting from £42.50.
This five-week spectacular is one of the most glittering and exciting shows you’re likely to see. It follows the format of the TV show but this time you’ll get a chance to vote live yourself via a text message and make sure that the best couple wins. Kicking off from the Manchester Evening News Arena, the celebrities from the shows past and present will be joined by their professional partners to dazzle, entertain and enthral the audience with amazing dance moves and glamorous costumes.
Famous names taking part include Richard Dunwoody, Ali Bastian, Lynda Bellingham, Joe Calzaghe, Natalie Cassidy, Martina Hingis, Chris Hollins, Zoe Lucker, Ray Wilding, Jo Wood, Ricky Groves, Jade Johnson, Laila Rouass and Phil Tufnell who will perform in front of judges including Alesha Dixon, Craig Revel, Bruno Tonioli and Len Goodman in their bid to win the coveted Glitter Ball trophy.
For any fan of Strictly Come Dancing or of ballroom dancing in general, a chance to see the show with all the excitement, atmosphere and adrenalin of a packed arena and live audience simply can’t be missed. Get your ticket now so you can reserve the best seats to see one of the defining shows of the decade.
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Billy Connolly is appearing at the Hammersmith Apollo
He’s been described as the best stand-up comic in the UK and he’s appearing in a series of shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, London from 5th January to 24th January 2010, Billy Connolly is still one of the top-selling comedians around today and tickets are guaranteed to be in high demand.
This is your chance to catch the irrepressible Scot in the sort of intimate venue where he performs best. He may have come a long way from his first trade as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards but you can be sure that Billy Connolly hasn’t forgotten his roots in spite of being feted in the US, appearing in films such as Indecent Proposal and The Last Samurai and acting with Richard Burton in Absolution, as well as a starring alongside Judi Dench in the film Mrs Brown, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA.
Receiving his grounding at folk venues, Connolly first performed in a band called the Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty but his comedy routines between songs became the most important part of his act. His breakthrough came with a double album called Solo Concert and subsequent appearances on BBC’s Parkinson shows, when he told his memorable “bike” joke about a man who buried his wife bottom up so he’d have somewhere to park his bike, ensured his notoriety.
Despite his strong Glaswegian accent Connolly gained popularity in the US largely through the commercial success of the Amnesty show The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball in which his performance was one of the highlights and he even had his own short-lived sitcom, Billy.
Billy Connolly may have tamed his hill-billy beard and hair nowadays but the wild man of comedy still excels as a stand-up comedian with performances full of anecdotes, tangential storytelling and a laying bare of his past that endears him to all audiences. Get your tickets now for a rare chance to see this legendary performer in action.
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Lady Gaga has announced first-ever UK tour
The pop artiste, Lady Gaga is embarking on her first UK tour from 10th February to 10th March, showcasing her inimitable style of music at a host of venues across the UK including Brighton, Bournemouth, Aberdeen, Manchester, Belfast, Liverpool, London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield and Nottingham.
Following the phenomenal success of her debut album, The Fame, Lady Gaga’s driving pop has captured the imagination of the novelty satiated British public like no-one else this year. For an audience who thought they had seen it all, it’s only just begun – Lady Gaga has reinvented pop music and created an image that’s stylish, slick and sometimes downright scary.
With an arty and flamboyant performance influenced by the likes of David Bowie and Freddy Mercury (her stage name stems from the Queen song Radio Gaga), la Gaga’s formidable talents also include songwriting. She started her career writing for Akon who was responsible for persuading Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine to sign her for a joint deal with Akon’s Kon Live Distribution label.
Since that time, Lady Gaga’s electronic brand of music has topped the Billboard charts in the US with the singles, Just Dance and Poker Face becoming worldwide number one hits. She has now sold over 20 million singles and more than four million albums worldwide. Intensely fashionable, intelligent and controversial, this is the kind of concert that will go down in the annals of history and you should be there.
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Bon Jovi have been rocking stadiums since 1983
Bon Jovi are setting off on a worldwide tour in support of their 11th studio album, The Circle and will rock the O2 Arena in London with ten stomping gigs from 7th to 23rd June 2010.
The American band consisting of lead singer Jon Bon Jovi, guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres have been around since 1983 and are world famous for their particular brand of uplifting rock and for filling stadiums for almost over two decades.
And let’s face it - if you’ve never leapt around the room singing your heart out to the band’s feelgood classics like Livin’ on a Prayer and It’s My Life, you’re probably not human.
Having produced a host of successful studio albums over the years, Bon Jovi’s latest offering, The Circle is to be released on 10th November 2009 in the US to coincide with the concert tour.
After exploring country music with their album Lost Highway in 2007, Bon Jovi have returned to the anthemic rock their fans love, mixed with more meditative tracks like Live Before You Die. The first single from the new album is We Weren’t Born to Follow – another guaranteed stadium rocker that will also become the soundtrack to the Wii game Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers.
Another of Bon Jovi’s claims to fame is that they were the first band to be officially sanctioned by the Russian government to perform in Russia thus making their own contribution to glasnost. After performing in huge worldwide tours over the years, an inspirational acoustic performance on the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards received rave reviews and led to the subsequent popularity of the unplugged movement.
No doubt Bon Jovi will be firmly plugged in at the O2. It’s also highly probable that 23,000 people will be singing along to Livin’ on a Prayer and attempting to leap around a bit too. Why not join them?
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Law Abiding Citizen - crime thriller
This crime thriller starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler is to be released on 27th November 2009 in the UK after a European premiere at the Cineworld Complex in Glasgow, home of Gerard Butler, on November 15th 2009.
After brilliant engineer, Clyde Shelton’s (Butler) wife and daughter are brutally murdered, Assistant DA Nick Rice (Foxx) is persuaded to agree to a 10-year plea bargain sentence for one of their killers. When the murderer winds up dead on his release, it becomes apparent that Clyde was responsible and is himself put in jail. Clyde threatens Nick that he and his family will die unless he corrects the corrupt justice system.
Nick becomes embroiled in a struggle to save his family and the entire DA office as Clyde begins to wreak a terrible vengeance from his prison cell.
Directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, Law Abiding Citizen is filmed in and around Philadelphia and took second place in the US in its opening weekend just behind Where the Wild Things Are. Rated certificate 18, the film contains scenes of brutal violence and torture, rape and offensive language but it’s definitely worth a trip out to the cinema if just to see the interaction between two great actors.
The Box stars Cameron Diaz
The Box, a drama mystery thriller starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden is to be released in cinemas on 4th December 2009.
Here’s the dilemma – a suburban couple receives a mysterious wooden box containing $1 million which could belong to them at the press of a button. The catch is that pressing the button will simultaneously cause the death of a stranger somewhere in the world. The box will only be in their possession for 24 hours. What would you do? What should they do? What do they do in fact?
You’ll have to see the film to find out as The Box has as many twists and turns as the Pineapple Garden Maze. The storyline follows the moral dilemma as the couple discover things about themselves they did not know; their humanity, their capacity for good or bad and their trust in each other as they end up facing a terrible choice from which there is “No Exit” – the title of a Sartre play that is chillingly etched in the frost on the windscreen of their car. And believe us, things get curiouser and curiouser…
The Box is based on the 1970 short story, Button, Button by Richard Matheson which was adapted into an episode of The Twilight Zone. With an original soundtrack by the Canadian Band Arcade Fire and a 12A rating, director Richard Kelly says of the movie; “My hope is to make a film suspenseful and broadly commercial while still retaining my artistic sensibility.” To discover whether he achieves this or not, you’ll just have to open The Box and find out.
Star Wars - the animated series
From a galaxy far, far away… comes the Complete Season One of the animated Star Wars series to land in a shop near you on 16th November.
The four disc set contains 22 action-packed episodes with seven Director’s Cut episodes, 22 Behind-the-Scenes interviews with the director and crew, an exclusive 68-page Production Journal complete with original sketches and artist notes, plus a sneak preview of Season Two.
It sounds too good to be true and even better, The Clone Wars comes with a RRP of £39.99. It continues the adventures of the Star Wars saga. A fierce battle rages throughout the universe and in particular, on the planet of Christophsis, as the clones steadily advance on the Separatist forces, but the threat of the droid army is ever present. Anakin and Ahsoka, a young Padawan are charged with rescuing the child of Jabba the Hutt who has been kidnapped as a plot to make the Hutts join the Separatists under the evil General Grievous. The fate of the Republic lies in the hands of the heroic Jedi knights – can they rescue Jabba’s son and save the universe?
The voice cast includes Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker, Sir Christopher Lee as Count Dooku and Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu with Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano. The animation pays homage to the Japanese anime and manga and the marionette-based British series, Thunderbirds, with George Lucas specifying that he wanted a stylized look rather than a realistic one and uses long camera shots and strong lighting. This special edition is a must for Star Wars fans everywhere.
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Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Tickets
Tickets for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are available from Sunday 22nd November 2009 to Sunday 29th November 2009 at the O2 Arena starting from £19.50.
This is your chance to see legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and British star and World No 4, Andy Murray locked in a battle to be crowned ATP World Tour Champion with the best eight singles and best eight doubles teams playing for the first time in the O2 Arena in London.
Play takes place on a hard court within the unique round-robin format whereby eight players/teams are divided into two groups of four players/teams each, with eight seeds determined by the South African Airways ATP Rankings and 209 ATP Doubles Team Rankings. The format is thereafter an elimination competition. All singles matches will be the best of three tie-break sets and doubles will be two sets and match-tie break. Tickets are available for afternoon and evening sessions starting from 12.30pm, 2.15pm, 7pm and 8.45pm with the doors into the O2 Arena scheduled to open 75 minutes before the start of play.
With prize money notching up to $5 million, this is guaranteed to be the ultimate competitive showdown. Great seats are still available so get your Barclays ATP World Finals Tickets now and make sure it’s game, set and match to you.
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