Ziggy the Comment Bot

This is the discussion topic for: Dolly Parton looks for Scarlett Johansson in biopic Dolly Parton wants Scarlett Johansson to play her in a movie of her life. The singer has reportedly been in talks with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes about producing the biopic and is keen for blonde beauty Scarlett to take on the lead role. Reports say: "Dolly is a huge fan of Scarlett and thinks she would be perfect for the role. She has approached Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to see if they will produce the film. "She's really excited about the project, and is determined to have the very best people in town working on it." Dolly also joked about her famous breasts will rise like mountains from her grave when she is dead and buried. She said: "I can just see two big mountains growing up out of my grave, and people going around on mule rides to look at them. Throughout my whole career, I've been known for two things - I'm talking about my music and my lyrics!"

This is the discussion topic for: The Police Forced To Apologise To Chilean President The Police’s drummer Stuart Copeland has been forced to apologise to President Michelle Bachelet of Chile after comments he made in an interview. Copeland told Chile’s Mercurio newspaper in an interview in October: "Look, the future President of Argentina would be good for one beer; yours would be good for four." Many Chileans felt that his comments suggested that he found their female president, Bachelet, less attractive than Argentina’s president-elect Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. In a letter to Bachelet, Copeland said that his words were taken out of context, reports Reuters. Copeland said he was “mortified” that his comments had reached the president. He added: "If by chance you are able, Sting, Andy and I would welcome the opportunity to personally express our admiration for you and your wonderful country by extending an invitation to you and your guests to attend our performance." Whatever you say Stu.

This is the discussion topic for: Radiohead leak tickets Radiohead have put tickets for their tour next summer on-sale, 48 hours earlier than expected. The band are setto play a series of shows in Europe this summer, in support of new album "In Rainbows". This morning, an number of tickets were made available for the following concerts at radiohead.com/tourdates: June 2008 07 Dublin Malahide Castle 09+10 Paris Bercy 12 Barcelona Parc del Forum 14 Nimes Arenes 18 Milan Civica Arena 20 Southside Festival 22 Hurricane Festival 24+25 London Victoria Park 27 Glasgow Green 29 Manchester Old Trafford Cricket Ground July 01 Amsterdam Westerpark 03 Roskilde Festival 08 Berlin Wuhlheide

This is the discussion topic for: Bono: new U2 album is 'extraordinary' Bono has warned U2 fans they will "feel the difference" with the material they are working on for their next album. "U2 in dancefloor shock!" Bono told The Independent. "Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dancefloor. And that may not be true of this. There's some trance influences. But there's some very hardcore guitar coming out of The Edge. Real molten metal. It's not like anything we've ever done before, and we don't think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either." "We're just beginning the processes, We did some recording in Morocco last year. All the band went to an amazing religious music festival in Fez with some incredible Sufi singers. It was a real humbling thing for a punk rock shouter, listening to these people who just close their eyes for 40 minutes and sing the most sophisticated melodies." "We got this little riad, a small hotel with a courtyard in the middle and set up the band there, with a square of sky over our head. The two great catalysts of U2's recording life, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, joined us. We'd record during the day and then disappear into windy streets of the medina at night. It was an inspiring experience and a drummer's paradise." "We have enough material for two albums but it has to be extraordinary," he concludes. "And I think we've got that."

This is the discussion topic for: Osbournes to host Brits 2008 Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have signed on to host the Brit Awards in London next year. Ozzy and his wife/manager have been given the job after event organisers opted not to ask this year's host, Russell Brand, to return. The announcement of the new hosts marks only the third time the Brits have been fronted by male and female co-hosts.

This is the discussion topic for: Queen release first recording in 10 years Queen said it would release its first new recording in 10 years this weekend and that it will be available for free on its website Jam! reports. The rock group, including its new frontman Paul Rodgers, recorded the new song, "Say It's Not True," to mark World AIDS Day on Saturday. "By making the song available for free, we hope to help Nelson Mandela with his campaign to get across the message that no one is safe from infection," Queen's drummer Roger Taylor said Thursday. "We have to be aware, we have to protect ourselves and those we love." He said the song follows the line of Mandela's personal message: "It's in our own hands to bring a stop to this."

This is the discussion topic for: Portishead To Release Third Album On March 31! Portishead will release their first new album in a decade next year, they have confirmed. Ten years after their self-titled second record, Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley finally look set to return with new material. According to reports, the currently untitled LP will be released on March 31. There are no other details, although it is expected to come out on Island Records.

This is the discussion topic for: Amy Winehouse Could Enter Rehab Amy Winehouse’s father hasn’t ruled out the possibility of his daughter entering rehab. Mitch Winehouse said that "all options" will be considered about his daughters health, including a rehabilitation centre. Winehouse’s father also told the BBC that Winehouse was “sorry for fans” that she cancelled the remainder of her tour commitments for 2007. He added that the decision had been made “in her best interests.” Winehouse said yesterday that she couldn’t tour without her husband - who is in jail.

This is the discussion topic for: Jay-Z: 'I've Inspired A Generation Of Bad Lyricists' Jay-Z has joked that his approach to writing lyrics has inspired a generation of bad lyricists. The US rapper has revealed that he hasn’t written down the lyrics to a song since, ‘Can I Live’ – which appeared on his 1996 debut album, ‘Reasonable Doubt.’ "What happened was, I was doing that song with someone else, and they heard the first verse and they was like, 'Man, you take that song. Finish it, 'cause it sounds like you got a lot more to say,'" he told MTV. “You know, that type of thing. So I just wanted to get it down quick, I didn't want to keep going over it. It was like the album's mastering time, so I just sat down in the booth and wrote that verse." The rapper added that he prefers to allow the lyrics to flow when he’s listening to music in the studio. “It's difficult to go back to what you was doing when you was 15, 16 years old,” he explained. “My process is different now. It sounds great on paper, like 'I'mma sit down, I'm going to write the entire album like I did before.' “But once you get back in the studio and you've been doing this process for years and years now, so it just felt natural to do it the way I've been doing it: no paper, no pen, just listen to the music."

This is the discussion topic for: Led Zeppelin Struggle In Rehearsals Led Zeppelin have been forced to change the arrangement of their classic hits for their upcoming reunion show because Robert Plant can no longer reach the high notes. The band have apparently rehearsed several songs in a lower key as a result of Plants voice getting lower since the last time they played together. According to the Sun the rehearsal haven’t been going well for Jimmy Page either. A source told them: "Jimmy is a bit rusty and Robert has been struggling with the high notes. To avoid any embarrassing vocal wobbles with the world watching, they decided it would be best to transpose the songs in a lower key."

This is the discussion topic for: Wyclef Jean tells Lauryn Hill: 'get help' Wyclef Jean has spoken out about his former Fugees bandmate Lauryn Hill, claiming she needs to get "psychological help" before he would consider working with her again. The Fugees split in 1997 but reunited briefly in 2005 to release a new single "Take It Easy" and play a number of charity shows. However, Wyclef doesn't remember the time fondly, and says the singer needs to seriously look at herself. "Nothing is going to happen while Lauryn is in this weird place that she's in right now. She needs psychological help and I think it's about time someone spoke out and said this," he says. "You can see that something is seriously wrong. She goes around wearing weird green make-up and looking like a clown. At recording sessions she insists that everybody - including me - should refer to her only as 'Miss Hill'. I asked her what she was playing at and she said totally straight-faced that she thought it was easier because she figured we'd go crazy if she asked us to call her 'Queen'. "The word 'diva' is an understatement," he adds. "I believe she's completely out of control and has lost touch with reality. Lauryn has some serious issues she needs to address. This difficult side of her has taken over and it's about time someone called her on it."

This is the discussion topic for: Sony Fined Over Meat Loaf's 'Bat Out Of Hell' A court has ruled that SonyBMG must pay out a massive $5million to a smaller record label, for failing to put their logo on the classic Meat Loaf ‘Bat Out Of Hell’. The decision stems back to a court agreement in 1998 which ruled that the big record label must include the logo of Cleveland Records on all future sleeves of the Meat Loaf record. However, the court has now found that SonyBMG failed to put this order into practise until more than a year after the ruling. SonyBMG claimed that it was a mistake, but Cleveland Records boss Steve Popvich was having none of this, telling the BBC: "I worked too hard for them and made them too much money to get robbed now." In the 1998 case, Cleveland Records was rewarded $6.2million in lost royalty fees from the 30million selling 1979 album.

This is the discussion topic for: Snoop Dogg to release new album Snoop Dogg is set to release his new album 'Ego Trippin'' in March. The first single is set to be 'Sensual Seduction', which was produced by Snoop and Shawty Redd. Snoop said: "'Sensual Seduction' is like a throwback feelgood song. I wanted to have fun with this one ... and the video is crazy!" The promo sees the rapper in 1980s setting, surrounded by lookalikes of bands from that decade including Vanity 6 and The Mary Jane Girls, reports SOHH.

This is the discussion topic for: Lemmy Fined For Smoking Onstage! Lemmy, frontman of Motorhead, is facing a fine after smoking a cigarette on stage. The band were supporting Alice Cooper at the Hallam Arena in Sheffield, England where Lemmy lit up mid performance. In England, smoking was banned in public places in July 2007. A police spokesperson said, "Other venues on the tour will be notified and appropriate action may be taken should any further incidents take place." He faces a 100 pound fine. Idiots.

This is the discussion topic for: Inxs tribute to Michael Hutchence The members of INXS are paying respects to singer Michael Hutchence today, on the 10th anniversary of his death. The band members have posted tributes on the INXS Web site. Drummer Jon Farriss says Hutchence will always be remembered "as a young, vibrant, gifted and passionate person. Age will not weary him as it gradually does his band mates!" Keyboardist Andrew Farriss says he misses Hutchence's "sense of humor, his intelligence and cheeky smile." Bassist Garry Beers says Hutchence was a great friend who always made an effort to help others. Hutchence was found hanged in his hotel room in Sydney on November 22nd, 1997.

This is the discussion topic for: The Cult To Support Led Zeppelin On 2008 Tour The Cult are set to support Led Zeppelin on a 2008, according to the band’s frontman Ian Astbury. The singer broke the news during a Cult show in Cincinnati, US on Saturday. He told the crowd: "We'll be back next year because we're opening for a band you may have heard of ... the name starts with an 'L' and has a 'Z' in it." To which the crowd shouted Led Zeppelin back. Astbury’s comments add to the widespread speculations that Led Zeppelin will announce a 2008 following their one-off Ahmet Ertegun tribute show on December 10.

This is the discussion topic for: Donda West's Surgeon To Appear On US TV The plastic surgeon who operated on Kanye West’s mother, Donda, hours before her death is set to appear on Larry King Live tonight. This will be Dr Jan Adams’ first on-camera interview since Donda's death last week following a tummy tuck and breast reduction performed by Adams. Adams is expected to defend himself against numourous reports of his dodgy past that have surfaced since.

This is the discussion topic for: Bob Dylan to record with White Stripes? The White Stripes’ Jack White could be on the verge of collaborating with Bob Dylan, according to Dominic Suchyta, an old Friend of White’s. "I wouldn't put it past either of them. They seem to be cut from the same cloth, sort of misplaced Midwestern brothers," Suchyta told Paste magazine. "I do know Jack has joined him on stage quite a bit and joined him for his radio show. “When we were high school teenagers, we recorded quite a few Dylan tunes on our old four-track reel machine." "I remember having a nice version of 'Masters Of War' on some cassette somewhere. Jack played drums and guitar, I played bass and guitar." Suchyta is currently working with White on the re-recording of a number of unfinished Hank Williams songs.

This is the discussion topic for: Kanye breaks down on stage Kanye West broke down in tears at his first concert since the death of his mother. On stage in Paris, France, on Saturday night, he paid tribute to Donda as he introduced the song 'Hey Mama', saying, "this song is for my mother." However, Kanye couldn't continue as he began to sob on stage. French journalist Meddy Magloire, who was at the show, added: "He said the word, 'Mother' and just couldn't go any further. A back-up singer, the DJ and a guitar player came over to console him. It looked like he might collapse. He just couldn't continue. He just stood there in a spotlight, crying while the band continued playing." After a few moments of silence, the 5,000-strong audience started clapping and the band restarted the song, but Kanye left the stage. He returned 15 minutes later to conclude the concert with a rousing performance of 'Stronger'.

This is the discussion topic for: Jackson 5 2008 reunion? The Jackson 5 are planning to embark on a reunion tour in 2008, their concert promoter has revealed. Leonard Rowe - the man behind Michael Jackson's Off The Wall tour in the late 1970s and early 1980s - admits he has been in touch with the Jackson family to discuss reforming for a number of live dates. He claims Jackie, Tito, Jermaine and Marlon have already confirmed their involvement. Michael has not. Janet is also said to be involved in the reunion. "His brothers are ready. Janet is ready. But the motor of that car that makes the car run, isn't just yet. "In April of this year, I flew out to Las Vegas and met with them all and he told me, 'Let's look at '08'. "We wanted to go this year, but Michael said it would take a lot of preparation. He didn't say no", Rowe said. The Jackson 5 last studio album was 1989's 2300 Jackson Street.

This is the discussion topic for: The Sex Pistols Made No Money Until 1996 John Lydon has revealed that The Sex Pistols never actually made any money until their reunion Filthy Lucre tour of 1996. Despite number one singles and a hit album, he says theband never saw a penny for two decades. "I love the money. But do you know how broke the Pistols were? Until that '96 reunion tour we never got a pay-off at all. We never saw a penny."

This is the discussion topic for: Two Zeppelin tickets make $170,000 in charity sale A man from Glasgow paid 83,000 pounds ($170,000) for a pair of tickets to a Led Zeppelin reunion concert in London on December 10, according to the BBC which organized the charity auction. Kenneth Donell was the winner of Thursday's sale held by radio host Terry Wogan for the Children in Need charity. Over the last four days, the auction has raised 894,000 pounds. In addition to watching the concert, Donell will also be allowed to watch Led Zeppelin rehearse the day before and take home a signed memento from theband.

This is the discussion topic for: Ass of the Week: Gene Simmons Gene Simmons told Billboard about filesharing: The record industry doesn't have a f*cking clue how to make money. It's only their fault for letting foxes get into the henhouse and then wondering why there's no eggs or chickens. Every little college kid, every freshly-scrubbed little kid's face should have been sued off the face of the earth. They should have taken their houses and cars and nipped it right there in the beginning. Those kids are putting 100,000 to a million people out of work. How can you pick on them? They've got freckles. That's a crook. He may as well be wearing a bandit's mask. So what if music just becomes free and artists make their living off of touring and merchandise? Well therein lies the most stupid mistake anybody can make. The most important part is the music. Without that, why would you care? Even the idea that you're considering giving the music away for free makes it easier to give it away for free. The only reason why gold is expensive is because we all agree that it is. There's no real use for it, except we all agree and abide by the idea that gold costs a certain amount per ounce. As soon as you give people the choice to deviate from it, you have chaos and anarchy. And that's what going on. Read the whole interview here.

This is the discussion topic for: My Bloody Valentine to play first shows in 16 years My Bloody Valentine have announced details of their first live dates since 1992. The band, who have not released an album since 1991's 'Loveless', will play three shows in summer 2008. They will play UK: London Roundhouse (June 20) Manchester Apollo (28) Glasgow Barrowland (July 2)

This is the discussion topic for: Lily Allen for Doctor Who role Lily Allen is rumoured to be starring as Doctor Who's assistant in the next series of the show. According to reports, the singer, who's also set to star in her own chat show, will reportedly follow Billie Piper and Catherine Tate. A source told several tabloids: "Lily is multi-talented. She comes from more of a TV background than a musical one "After the chat show we hope she'll take over from Catherine as Dr Who's assistant. We've talked to her and she was excited by the idea."