Bryan Adams relishes the unconventional. Not because the veteran pop-rocker has all of a sudden taken up hardcore metal or hip-hop. In fact, his most recent CD, 11, is classic Bryan Adams. He had a hand in writing every song. But the Canadian musician best known for his string of ’80s and ’90s hits such as “Run to You,” “Heaven,” “Summer of ‘69,” “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” and “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” rolls with his own rhythm when it comes to recording, touring and even publicity photos. Take 11, for instance. The CD is quintessential Adams, full of crunchy rock tunes brimming with pop hooks. It was recorded on the road, as was 2004’s Room Service. “Sitting in hotel rooms all day long is a bit dull,” Adams says by phone from a tour stop in Kalamazoo, Mich. “I can’t stand it. I love making music. I love singing. I love being in front of an audience. But that’s two hours. Then there’s the other 22 hours. That’s why I started to record on tour.” Touring for Adams isn’t your usual months-long trek aimed at promoting a new release. Again the 49-year-old breaks from tradition. “I just go out for a week every month,” he says. “I’ve been doing that for 10 years. It works for me.” He’s currently performing solo acoustic shows in U.S. theaters. Adams will be at the Majestic Theatre on Wednesday night. When asked about his concert repertoire, since it’s just him unplugged, Adams is matter-of-fact. He’ll play “a few songs from the new album, more obscure songs from my past, and a mix of other things,” he says. “It’s still a rocking show. I’m doing all kinds of different songs. Some rock, some don’t.” Yet even more so than the material, Adams is excited about the venues. “I have enjoyed this tour so much. I’m getting to see America on a whole different level.” As if recording and touring isn’t enough, Adams is an accomplished photographer whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar and Interview magazines, to name a few. He’s published three photo books, and has shot musical peers such as Mick Jagger, Céline Dion, Pink, Herb Alpert, Lenny Kravitz, Annie Lennox and Amy Winehouse. Oh, he has one other subject – himself. Adams takes his own publicity pictures. “I did Annie Lennox’s new album cover,” he says. “While I was setting up, I was shooting myself to see what the pictures looked like. And I use those photos as publicity shots. If I can make myself look good, I can make anybody look good.”

THE BIGGEST STARS in the music industry have joined forces on the latest Rhythms Del Mundo album, ‘Classics’ produced to raise awareness and funds for climate crisis projects and natural disaster relief. The album is released on Universal Music on July 13, 2009. The sublime talent of Cuba’s finest musicians together with the unmistakable vocals of artists including Amy Winehouse, The Killers, Jack Johnson, The Rolling Stones, Kaiser Chiefs, Fall Out Boy, and many others, results in a unique album merging Afro-Cuban rhythms with some of the most memorable songs of the last 40 years. With brand new recordings from The Killers, Editors, KT Tunstall, The Zutons and OneRepublic, through to special recordings from contributing artists such as Amy Winehouse and Jack Johnson, this long player is set to be the soundtrack to the summer! Rhythms Del Mundo – Classics is the latest project from UK climate change charity, Artists Project Earth (APE) which was formed in 2005 following the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. This album follows in the footsteps of their first release Rhythms Del Mundo – Cuba! (ft. Coldplay, U2, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys and others) which went platinum and gold in many countries across the globe and was met with much critical acclaim; ‘….an album made with such integrity and passion that turns out as entertaining as this, is hard to resist.’ – The Independent. As a result more than 175 groundbreaking projects have been funded globally, all of which are developing solutions to climate change, thanks to support from APE and the Rhythms Del Mundo albums. To celebrate the launch of Rhythms Del Mundo – Classics, APE will make an award of $100,000 to the project judged most likely to make a significant impact on climate change. Previous projects include the natural rebuilding of coral reefs, and reforestation in Brazil and Africa. Kenny Young, RDM’s producer and founder of APE says: ‘These great artists have given up their time to be part of an album that will raise awareness and funds for the most crucial crisis facing us today. Climate change is our greatest global challenge – so join us and act now to do something positive for our future.’

Rhythms Del Mundo – Classics Track-listing:

Hotel California – RDM ft The Killers
Cupid – RDM ft Amy Winehouse
Walk On The Wild Side – RDM ft Editors
Imagine – RDM ft Jack Johnson
Beat It – RDM ft Fall Out Boy and John Mayer
Under Pressure – RDM ft Keane
Satisfaction – RDM ft Cat Power
Heard It Through The Grapevine – RDM ft Kaiser Chiefs
Because The Night – RDM ft KT Tunstall
Bohemian Rhapsody – RDM ft Augusto Enriquez
Under The Boardwalk – RDM ft The Rolling Stones
Runaway – RDM ft The Zutons
For What Its Worth – RDM ft OneRepublic
Big Yellow Taxi – RDM ft Aquila Rose and Idana Valdes
Purple Haze – RDM
Smells Like Teen Spirit – RDM ft Shanade
Are You Ready For Love – RDM ft The Kooks
My Cherie Amor – RDM ft Eros Ramazzotti
Stairway To Heaven – RDM ft Rodrigo Y Gabriela

Andy Sharrocks and the Smokin’ Jackets have announced a new album on Lanta Records and will be touring in support of John Mayall in June & July. The album, ‘Dirt’, is their first since 2007 and features contributions from members of Hey Negrita! as well as regular members. The whole line up was: Andy Sharrocks - Guitar and Vocals
The Reverent Paul Green - electric guitar and BV’s
Matt Ord - mandolin, electric and acoustic guitars
Captain Bliss harp and BV’s Huskie Jack - Natinal steel and acoustic slide guiatr and BV’s
JohnT - acoustic bass
Kid Casswell snare and kick
Kofi Kari Kari percussion
Phil Dobbin electric guitar and bass (on 2 tracks)

Jon Moon (Amy Winehouse) engineereed and co produced.

The full track listing is:
Road Ahead Miles
Living With A Lie
Lifetime Guarantee
Davey’s Blues
Waste Some Time
Ain’t Getting My Share
Ballad Of A Dying Man
Dirt
All About You
Tragedy

The Smokin’ Jackets will be playing:
May 31st The Mill Beach Public House in Essex
June 29th Glasgow O2 Academy supporting John Mayall
June 30th Edinburgh Picturehouse supporting John Mayall
July 2nd Liverpool Academy supporting John Mayall
July 5th Nottingham Rock City supporting John Mayall
July 6th Ipswich Regent supporting John Mayall
July 7th Basingstoke Anvil supporting John Mayall
July 8th Tunbridge Wells supporting John Mayall

Following on the heels of his universally praised and successful album 24 Hours, Tom Jones is pleased to announce a full UK Tour this October. Tom is a living legend who has befriended, collaborated and hung out with practically every key character in the music and showbiz worlds; he has the rare ability to cut across generations and genres, appealing to young and old, mainstream and cutting edge alike. One of the great performers of both the 20th and 21st centuries, he’s widely recognized as one of the godfathers of modern soul, a man without whom the likes of Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson, Joss Stone and Duffy would never have existed. Incredibly, after making music for 45 years, it has been suggested by critics on both sides of the Atlantic that his latest album 24 Hours might just be his best yet. Recently certified Gold, it is a collection of largely original songs that Tom has co-written, containing some of the most personal and revealing work in his 5 decade long career. Sir Tom is coming back into the UK arenas and hearts with a career topping album, 2 hit singles, memorable performances on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Later With Jools Holland and lending his name to one of the biggest selling singles of all time – the Comic Relief Islands In The Stream. Or, in the more humble words of a true music fan, “I’m just opening up shop again. Let’s see who comes in through the door. ”

TOM JONES UK tour:

October 09
FRIDAY 09 CARDIFF CIA
TUESDAY 13 NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA
WEDNESDAY 14 GLASGOW SECC
FRIDAY 16 MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS ARENA
SATURDAY 17 LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA
SUNDAY 18 BIRMINGHAM LG ARENA
TUESDAY 20 BOURNEMOUTH BIC
FRIDAY 23 BRIGHTON BRIGHTON CENTRE
SATURDAY 24 LONDON WEMBLEY ARENA

Tickets go on sale at 9.00am on Friday 8th May 2009, priced at £50/£45 and can be booked through www.livenation.co.uk (all tickets subject to a booking fee)

For more info go to www.tomjones.com

Amy Winehouse has spent the night in hospital in St Lucia, after collapsing at her holiday home on the island. The singer’s spokesperson said that doctors had kept her in the hospital overnight for observation, adding that she was told she was dehydrated. “She fainted at home (in St Lucia) and they took her in for observation, mainly to do with her medication to check everything was OK,” he said. “They told her that she was dehydrated and needed to drink more water.” Winehouse was apparently seen playing with local children before fainting, reports AFP. She is set to perform her first gig of 2009 at the St Lucia Jazz Festival on May 8. Her spokesperson also confirmed that Winehouse has obtained an injunction to prevent photographers from approaching or following her within 100 metres of her London home.

After a strong start, a few hiccups, and a somewhat listless finale, the Grammy-nominated new mom declared at the end of her hour-long set in the desert that “next time I’m back in the tent.” “I want to be in the sweat,” she said. M.I.A. had performed twice in smaller tents at the music festival, in its tenth year and one of the nation’s most prestigious. She noted earlier, “I really don’t know how to bring it on the main stage.” And her live show staples — climbing on speakers, dancing body-to-body with the crowd — didn’t quite fit the new digs. When she tried to bring some of the audience onstage Saturday night, security guards thwarted most fans. M.I.A. ended up on a platform above the crowd performing “Bird Flu,” and asked when it was over: “Can we get some order in the place? My baby’s waiting.” She gave birth to a son in February, a few days after the Grammys. The Killers took the main stage to close the evening. The Las Vegas-based group, who began with their most recent single “Human,” appeared far more comfortable in the setting. Wearing a black No Limit Records T-shirt, sneakers and jeans with Day-Glo green lining, M.I.A. performed songs from her two most recent albums and gave up the spotlight to Baltimore-based protege Rye Rye for a song. While she moved alongside Day-Glo-clad dancers for a lively opening number, she stood stiffly at other times behind a podium adorned with microphones as if at a news conference. Roaming into the audience with help of a piggyback ride, she finished with crowd favorite “Paper Planes,” lifted to hit status by appearances in “Pineapple Express” and “Slumdog Millionaire.” But the British-born, Sri-Lankan-bred rapper pushed back against Hollywood. She slyly referenced her status as Coachella replacement for Amy Winehouse, who canceled due to visa trouble, by singing “They tried to make me do the Oscars. I said no, no, no.” And, she noted, “I want to let you know that just ‘cuz I did the Grammys, it doesn’t mean I’ve gone all sold out.” Though she wasn’t embracing Hollywood, some of its regulars certainly wanted to be around for her. Zac Efron was seen ducking out of the fest’s VIP area in the afternoon Saturday, and Paris Hilton posed for pictures with her new boyfriend during Thievery Corporation’s popular main stage set just before M.I.A. Also performing Saturday were Joss Stone, TV On The Radio, Fleet Foxes — who apologized to fans after suffering repeated technical problems — and Travis Barker and DJ AM, who had the dance tent crowd roaring at their drum-assisted remixes of pop hits. Exact figures weren’t released but crowds at the three-day festival appear to have more than doubled the approximate 75,000 population of this community southeast of Palm Springs. Police reported 17 arrests Saturday and fire officials said two people had been taken to hospitals. Temperatures, climbing throughout the fest, were expected to hit the high 90s on Sunday, which features the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Public Enemy, My Bloody Valentine and the Cure.