LATEST NEWS…SYDNEY'S WES CARR WINS IDOL: A peak of 1.85 million viewers tuned in to witness Bondi's Wes Carr take out the 2008 Australian Idol crown. The former Tambalane frontman fulfilled his ambition in front of an Idol audience that surpassed 2007's figures with Ten's chief programming officer David Mott announcing that the show will return in 2009. He says, "While we are thrilled with the performance of the show this year, we know that simply means we have yet a higher benchmark to exceed in 2009 - when Australian Idol will be back with new production elements, lots of surprises and, of course, a group of unpolished diamonds all hoping to be turned into our Idol." Wes Carr picks up a recording contract with Sony Music. Watch out for his cracking debut single, 'You'….AXL'S DEMOCRACY: Axl Rose has finally released the most expensive and most anticipated album in the history of music - 'Chinese Democracy'. Released under the Guns N' Roses moniker (despite being the only remaining original member), Rose has reportedly spent up to $20 million and taken almost 15 years to finally complete the record. This is the band's first new material since 1991's simultaneous release of 'Use Your Illusion I & II' which took over the top of the charts upon debut. The band's 1987 full-length debut 'Appetite For Destruction' remains one of the biggest-selling albums in history with sales of over 28 million worldwide. Reviews for the new album are mixed but co-managers Irving Azoff and Andy Gould remain optimistic. They say, "The release of Chinese Democracy marks a historic moment in rock 'n' roll and we're launching with a monumental campaign that matches the groundbreaking sound of the album itself. Guns N' Roses fans have every reason to celebrate, for this is only the beginning." The beginning indeed with 'Chinese Democracy' parts II and III set to be unleashed over the coming years….TAYLOR SWIFT'S #1: 18 year old sensation Taylor Swift has scored a massive #1 debut in the US with her 2nd album 'Fearless' recently debuting at the top of the Billboard charts. In the process, she also scored the highest first-week total for a female artist this year with over 592,000 copies sold! Swift has struck a deal to have the album released by Universal Music Group internationally. Swift is also planning her first trip to Australia in March playing at Brisbane's Tivoli on 5 March, CMC Rocks The Snowys Festival (7 March), Melbourne's Billboard (10 March), and Sydney's The Factory (12 March). 'Fearless' is out now….U2'S DIARY: Author Matt McGee has just unleashed 'U2: A Diary' - the single most comprehensive resource that details all of the relevant day-to-day events that have shaped U2 into the band it is today. The book provides stories and insights that have never been told before and includes input from fans who have contributed their memories and personal photographs of the band. The book sheds light on several stories including the band's 1978 victory in a St Patrick Day's talent contest which led to their first studio session with CBS, Bono's visit to Central America in 1986 which led directly to several songs on 'The Joshua Tree', and U2's struggle to finish the 'Pop' album and its impact on Universal Music. In other book news, U2 are also featured in Chris Charlesworth's '25 Albums That Rocked Your World'. From Elvis Presley's 'Sun Sessions' right through to Radiohead's 'OK Computer', the book explores the very best of rock and pop music of the 20th Century. Both books are available now….NEW DVD FOR LESS THAN 50 CENT: Rapper 50 Cent is giving fans their money's worth announcing that his 2009 due 'Before I Self Destruct' album will come with a free DVD of a full-length original movie. Written, directed and starring Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent), the gritty 90-minute film is a coming of age story about an inner city youth who is consumed by revenge and takes up a life of crime in order to support his younger brother after his hardworking single mother is tragically gunned down. The album on the other hand sees 50 Cent once again working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem and is led by the club-friendly first single, 'Get Up'. The album is scheduled for a February release….NSW'S THE LAZY'S WIN JD SET: Central Coast five-piece The Lazy's have become the very first winners of The JD Set. Voted by the Australian public as their favourite live performance, The Lazys were awarded at a special function at the Prince Bandroom in Melbourne on 20 November. The Lazy's burst onto the scene in 2006 combining punk's raw edge and anthemic rock and were highly chuffed after the announcement. The band said, "Winning the Jack Daniels Set Award for 2008 means a lot to us, knowing that more and more people are following our music. The support that Jack Daniels has given us has helped us reach out to more and more people who in turn voted for us to take the Award and to them we are grateful. The support that JD are giving us next year is fantastic as we will be touring our new EP which is due out at the end of February all being well, so with the financial support for touring taken care of, we can just concentrate on what we do best!! So thanks a lot to everyone who has supported us, we can't wait to see you in the future!!"… YUNUPINGU DOMINATES AIR AWARDS: Independent music was celebrated at the recent AIR Awards which were held at Melbourne's Corner Hotel in front of 500 members of the music industry. Guests were treated to incredible live performances by Lior, Felicity Urquhart, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Grafton Primary, The Herd, The Getaway Plan, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, The Drones and special guest Martha Wainwright. But the night belonged to Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu who walked away with three AIR Awards including Best New Independent Artist, Best Independent Album, Best Australian Independent Blues/Roots Album for his critically acclaimed 'Gurrumul' release. Other winners on the night included The Herd (Best Independent Artist and Best Independent Urban/Hip Hop Album for 'Summerland'), The Getaway Plan (Best Independent Single/EP for 'Where the City Meets The Sea'), Eddy Current Suppression Ring (Best Independent Hard Rock/Punk Album for 'Primary Colours'), Bec Willis (Best Independent Country Album), Peret Mako (Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album for 'The Devil is in the Detail') and Tina Harrod (Best Australian Independent Jazz Album for 'Worksongs'). Congratulations to all of the winners….BACARDI EXPRESS 2009: The Bacardi Express train is returning in 2009 and will take five bands on a rock and roll adventure of a lifetime from 26-28 March 2009 stopping off to play exclusive concerts in Melbourne, Wagga Wagga, Wollongong and Sydney. UK DJ sensations Groove Armada will headline in Melbourne and Sydney while more acts will be announced in January. The DJs say, "We can't wait to climb aboard the Bacardi Express - DJ decks and plenty of time between stations can mean only one thing - FUN! It will be great meeting some of our fans and other artists on the train journey before stopping off to play in Melbourne and Sydney. All aboard…next stop Party Central!" Concert tickets will be limited and can only be won through registering at www.bacardi.com (registration opens early 2009), selected bars and via Channel V who will air all the action from 15 May next year….V FESTIVAL RETURNS: The Killers, Snow Patrol and the Kaiser Chiefs have been announced as some of the headline acts for the 2009 V Festival which makes its return to our shores in March. Back for its third year, the 2009 event promises to be another corker with Elbow, Duffy, Louis XIV, The DØ, Tame Impala, The Temper Trap and Canyons all also confirmed to play. Tickets will go on sale from 28 November but those who can't wait can pick up some pre-sale tickets at any Virgin Mobile store from 19 November….BDO SIDE SHOWS: If you missed out on tickets to next year's Big Day Out, then fear not! A whole host of side-shows have just been announced for some of the festival's headline acts. The Prodigy will be playing special one-off shows at the Hordern Pavilion (Sydney) on 24 January and The Palace (Melbourne) on 29 January while fellow UK act Simian Mobile Disco will be playing the Metro on 21 January (Sydney) and The Prince Bandroom (Melbourne) on 25 January. Sheffield quartet Arctic Monkeys will play the Enmore Theatre (Sydney) on 22 January and the Palais Theatre (Melbourne) on 24 January while Perth's Pendulum will hit the Enmore on 25 January and Melbourne's Forum on 28 January. Chicago hip hop trailblazer Lupe Fiasco will also be playing the Enmore on 20 January and The Palace on 27 January while London's Hot Chip will be hitting the Enmore on 21 January and Billboard (Melbourne) on 25 January. System Of A Down's Serj Tankian has teamed up with Mike Patton's Fantomas for some shows at the Tivoli (Brisbane) on 21 January, Enmore Theatre (Sydney) on 24 January, and The Palace (Melbourne) on 25 January. If that wasn't enough, you can also catch The Ting Tings (Metro - 20 January, Prince Bandroom - 28 January), TV On The Radio (Metro - 24 January, Hi Fi Bar - 29 January), The Black Kids (Gaelic Club - 20 January, Corner Hotel - 24 January), and the Dropkick Murphys (Metro - 25 January, Billboard - 28 January). All tickets are on sale now....
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Silverchair have become the most successful act in ARIA Awards history with their clean sweep of all the major awards at the 2007 ARIA Awards which were held at Sydney's Acer Arena on Sunday October 28th. The band won the highly coveted Album Of The Year trophy for their 'Young Modern' record (which was also named the Best Rock Album) while the album's first single 'Straight Lines' (which they performed on the night) won the Single Of The Year and the Highest Selling Single awards. The band also won the Best Group award taking their all-time tally to 19 and now surpassing John Farnham as ARIA Award kings. Daniel Johns was gob smacked that his band had overtaken some of the country's legendary acts. He asked, "Even John Farnham? Even Barnsey? Chisel? Midnight Oil? AC/DC?" The resulting affirmative had Johns screaming for a "hallelujah" from the media contingent backstage. Johns added, "I think the Australian music industry at the moment is magnificently healthy - more than ever! We're on fire. We're the best nation in the world and we feel privileged to be a part of it."

The night also belonged to two of the country's most successful independent acts - Sneaky Sound System and the John Butler Trio. Both walked away with two awards each. Sneaky Sound System picked up the Best Dance Release and Breakthrough Artist - Album awards for their hugely popular self-titled album which is now approaching double platinum status. Lead singer Connie Mitchell is an in-demand woman at present with Kanye West and Snoop Dogg both using her vocal services recently while a major record company bidding war is said to currently be under-way to sign the ex-Primary singer to a solo album deal. The John Butler Trio's 'Grand National' album was also recognised by the industry after winning the Best Blues and Roots Album and also the Best Independent Release. The band were joined on stage by Keith Urban for a special performance of 'Funky Tonight'.

Melbourne multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist, Wally De Backer (aka Gotye) surprised many with his well deserved Best Male Artist win over favourites such as John Butler and Josh Pyke. This followed the show stopping performance of 'Learnalilgivinanlovin' - which Silverchair's Daniel Johns later described to us as "the most out of control thing I've seen for ages."

Another surprise winner was Sarah Blasko who won the Best Pop Release for her album 'What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have' over favourites such as Missy Higgins and Operator Please. Blasko said, "I'm quite happy actually because I consider my music to be pop music but I think sometimes a lot of people don't."

But Missy Higgins and Operator Please didn't walk away empty-handed. Higgins picked up the Best Female Artist award while Operator Please won the Breakthrough Artist - Single award for 'Just A Song About Ping Pong' - which they performed to a standing ovation.

The star-studded line-up also included Academy award winning actress Nicole Kidman who was there to support husband Keith Urban who not only won the Best Country Album for 'Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing', but also dedicated his win to Kidman. "This album wouldn't exist without my wife. She was the inspiration for it," he said.

Other winners on the night included Josh Pyke for Best Adult Contemporary Album ('Memories and Dust'), Damien Leith for the Motorola Highest Selling Album ('The Winner's Journey'), The Wiggles for Best Children's Album ('Pop Go the Wiggles'), Hilltop Hoods for Best Urban Release ('The Hard Road Restrung'), You Am I for Best Music DVD ('Who Are They, These Rock Stars? Live At The Mint') and Dave Hughes for Best Comedy Release for his 'Live' album.

The night was capped off with Nick Cave's induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Cave made the night a memorable one when he personally inducted his overlooked fellow band mates from The Bad Seeds and The Birthday Party. Cave, who no doubt enjoyed a fine kebab afterwards, later joked, "I live in England, they're going to bury me in England, and now my soul can make its way across the sea and live for all eternity in the ARIA Hall Of Fame." Congratulations to all the winners on the night!

THE WINNERS

Hall of Fame Inductee: Nick Cave
Album of the Year: Silverchair - Young Modern
Single of the Year: Silverchair - Straight Lines
Best Group: Silverchair - Young Modern
Best Rock Album: Silverchair - Young Modern
Motorola Highest Selling Single: Silverchair - Straight Lines
Best Blues and Roots Album: The John Butler Trio - Grand National
Best Independent Release: The John Butler Trio - Grand National
Best Dance Release: Sneaky Sound System - Sneaky Sound System
Breakthrough Artist - Album: Sneaky Sound System - Sneaky Sound System
Best Male Artist: Gotye - Mixed Blood
Best Female Artist: Missy Higgins - On A Clear Night
Best Music DVD: You Am I - Who Are They, These Rock Stars? Live At The Mint
Best Adult Contemporary Album: Josh Pyke - Memories & Dust
Best Pop Release: Sarah Blasko - What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have
Best Urban Release: Hilltop Hoods - The Hard Road Restrung
Best Comedy Release: Dave Hughes - Live
Best Children's Album: The Wiggles - Pop Go The Wiggles
Best Country Album: Keith Urban - Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing
Breakthrough Artist - Single: Operator Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong
Motorola Highest Selling Album: Damien Leith - The Winner's Journey

2007 ARIA FINE ARTS AWARD WINNERS (presented on 15 October):

Best Classical Album: Richard Tognetti, Australian Chamber Orchestra - Bach Violin Concertos
Best Jazz Album: Mike Nock & Dave Liebman - Duologue
Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album: Choir of Hard Knocks - Choir of Hard Knocks
Best World Music Album: Zulya - 3 Nights

2007 ARIA ARTISAN AWARD WINNERS (presented on 19 September):

Best Cover Art: Aaron Hayward & David Homer (Debaser) - Powderfinger: Dream Days At The Hotel Existence
Best Video: Paul Goldman & Alice Bell - Silverchair: Straight Lines
Engineer of the Year: Wayne Connolly - Josh Pyke: Memories & Dust
Producer of the Year: Wayne Connolly & Josh Pyke - Josh Pyke: Memories & Dust

THE LOSERS

Where there are winners, there must be losers. One must feel for Kate Miller-Heidke who was up for four awards but walked away empty handed. She did however put in an amazing performance of her first single 'Words' which is sure to have won her a legion of new fans. While the following news might come as a shock to many - Powderfinger didn't win an award! The band that have been winning the most coveted awards with each album over the past decade missed out on all four of the awards that they were nominated for. The competition was indeed tight at this year's event!

EMBARRASSING MOMENT #1

The bloopers started before the show even began with Ricki-Lee's bungled entrance. The former Idol was to do a red carpet performance of her latest single 'Can't Touch It' upon arrival but things didn't quite go to plan. Right after stepping out of the limousine, her shoe strap became loose creating some major grief that resulted in her missing the start of the song. She then got back into the limo and started the performance again. If there was a youtube moment of the day, then this was it!

EMBARRASSING MOMENT #2

Nicole Kidman had an embarrassing moment of her own when someone pointed out that her red carpet outfit was leaving little to the imagination. It wasn't long before one of her minders threw a jacket around her just before she reached the photographers' pit. The resulting boo's from the pit were deafening but Kidman plowed on.

RECORD COMPANY AWARD

Silverchair aided EMI to once again dominate the awards picking up more awards than all of the other record companies combined. A highly chuffed John O'Donnell, CEO of EMI Music Australasia said, "Silverchair have blazed a bold and brave trail for over a decade and across five albums and to see 'Young Modern' hailed as the masterwork that it is, is totally fitting and deserved. 'Straight Lines' is clearly the biggest and most powerful song of the year and 'Young Modern' a work of dazzling genius. All power to the 'Chair!" After their recent record breaking fifth #1 album in a row, could the Chair now be our most successful act ever?

TOP 5 QUOTES BACKSTAGE

1. "Is Kylie in there? She f**king well should be!" (Nick Cave does some further inducting into the ARIA Hall Of Fame)

2. "Sneaky Sound System - how catchy are their songs? You hear one and you're f**ked!" (Daniel Johns reveals his addiction to Sneaky Sound System)

3. "I think people are getting sick of people who do songs about what they own and who they're going to kill. I don't give a shit if you've got a car and I really don't give a shit what your chain's made of." (Hilltop Hoods keep it real)

4. Adult contemporary is a funny (category). But at the end of the day, you've got rock, you've got pop, you've got roots, and dance - and I don't really fit into any of those categories. I think (Bob Evans) winning it last year kind of opened the doors…like it had a bit of a stigma for being uncool but he made it cooler." (Josh Pyke on his Best Adult Contemporary Album win)

5. "It's not deep." (Operator Please on their smash hit 'Just A Song About Ping Pong')

Photos coming soon!

© Words & Images: Danny Canak


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