News

The Rolling Stones are to become the subject of a new film based around Robert Greenfield’s 2008 book Exile On Main Street: A Season In Hell With The Rolling Stones. According to Deadline.com, Richard Branson will produce the film, which is set in the South of France during summer 1971, when the Stones recorded their album, Exile On Main Street. The last time the Stones exploits were dramatised on film was in 2005, in Stoned, about the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of the band's former guitarist Brian Jones in 1969.

Rumours that The Smiths were set to reunite have been put to bed by the band's former guitarist Johnny Marr and drummer Mike Joyce. A story on Music-news.co.uk this morning [April 26] suggested Marr and frontman Morrissey had been in talks with a "well-known" promoter about reuniting. However, a highly-placed source in Britain's live music industry, along with others close to the band, denied the rumours when contacted by NME.

Jack White is set to score a US and UK chart-topping double next week with his debut solo album, Blunderbuss. The ex-White Stripes man is predicted to top the Billboard 200 in the US with around 100,000-120,000 copies of the album set to be shifted, according to chart experts. The chart is due to be unveiled next Wednesday [May 2]. Yesterday, it was revealed White is well on course to knock Adele's 21 from the top of the UK album chart this Sunday (April 29), with Rufus Wainwright and his new album Out Of The Game his main contender.

The Hacienda, the Manchester nightclub co-owned by New Order, has announced that it will be hosting three one-off events to celebrate the club's 30th anniversary. The events, which are named X1, X2 and X3, will take place in late May and early June. The first will take place in the car park of the Hacienda, which is now a block of apartments. The other events will happen in the city's Sankeys nightclub.

The Beatles first concert in America is to screened as part of a new documentary, The Beatles: The Lost Concert. The band played at the Washington Coliseum on February, 11, 1964, two days after their historic TV appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their twelve song, 30 minute set included "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You" and "Twist And Shout" and was shown in American cinemas in March that same year. The footage was subsequently lost, but was recently rediscovered and remastered by Screenvision, who've produced the new documentary.

Fans of Levon Helm, who passed away last week at the age of 71, have been invited to his home and studio today [April 26] to pay their respects to the vocalist and drummer. A message posted on Helm’s website reads: "Levon's friends & fans are invited to pay their final respects on Thursday, April 26, 2012 between the hours of 10am. and 3pm. at his home/studio in Woodstock." It is here where Helm hosted his famous Midnight Ramble gigs.

The new issue of Uncut, which hits shelves this Thursday, April 26, features Dexys, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Tom Petty and more.

Public Image Ltd.'s John Lydon has said he fears that last summer's riots are the precursor to "something far, far worse". Speaking in this week's issue of NME, which is on UK newsstands and available digitally now, Lydon has said he was "deeply ashamed" of how the government handled the situation and that you can still "feel the tension" on the streets.

The Beach Boys have confirmed the track listing for their new album, That's Why God Made The Radio. Along with the title track, the album also features "Think About The Days", "Isn’t It Time", "Spring Vacation", "Private Life Of Bill And Sue", "Shelter", "Daybreak Over The Ocean", "Beaches In Mind", "Strange World", "My Life Suite", and "Summer’s Gone". The album will be preceded by a single, "That's Why God Made The Radio", on April 30. The album itself will be released on June 4.

John Cale has announced dates in the UK and Ireland ahead of the release of his new album later this year. Cale is scheduled to play: The Button Factory, Dublin on Wednesday, October 3 HMV Picture House, Edinburgh on Friday, October 5 HMV Ritz, Manchester on Saturday October 6 Coal Exchange, Cardiff on Sunday October 7 The Junction, Cambridge on Wednesday October 10 HMV Royal Institute, Birmingham on Thursday October 11 Royal Festival Hall, London on Saturday October 13