News

Director Dexter Fletcher has reportedly quit the forthcoming Freddie Mercury biopic. Deadline says that filmmaker Fletcher, who made his directorial debut with 2012's Wild Bill and also helmed last year's Proclaimers-inspired musical Sunshine On Leith, has backed out of the project due to creative differences. His vision for the film reportedly clashed with that of producer Graham King.

A new documentary charting Pulp's homecoming show in Sheffield in December 2012 has been unveiled at the SXSW Film Festval. The movie, simply entitled Pulp, received its world premiere in Austin, Texas, and also had a follow-up screening last night (March 12) at the city's Stateside Theatre, at which Jarvis Cocker and director Florian Habicht were present.

Peter Gabriel answers your questions in the new issue of Uncut, dated April 2014 and out now.

The Rolling Stones have returned to China for the first time since their debut there in 2006, headlining the Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena last night (March 12) with a setlist altered due to government censorship. The band had been set to play the country for the first time in 2003 but the gigs were cancelled due to the Sars crisis. When they did play there, in 2006, songs including "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Women" and "Let's Spend The Night Together" were banned by the Chinese Ministry Of Culture.

Led Zeppelin are to kick off a major chronological reissue programme of their entire catalogue on June 2, 2014 with deluxe editions of Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II, and Led Zeppelin III. Each album has been remastered by Jimmy Page and will feature a second disc of companion audio comprised entirely of unreleased music related to that album.

Johnny Marr has said that his future live shows are in jeopardy after he broke his band earlier this month. The guitarist and singer fell while he was out running in London last week, and now has his hand in plaster (see picture above). In a statement, Marr said: "I was running pretty fast and just went straight over. I banged my shoulder and then realised my hand was in a bad way. Obviously we’re hoping there’s no long term damage."

The video for a previously unreleased Johnny Cash track "She Used To Love Me A Lot" has been released – watch it below. John Hillcoat, the man behind films including The Proposition, The Road, and Lawless, directed the video in homage to the late singer.

Neil Young has confirmed that Jack White will appear on his new album. The album, titled A Letter Home, was recorded at White's Third Man studios in Nashville and will be released "very soon", most likely this Spring, Young told Billboard.

The Rolling Stones have confirmed they will be playing European tour dates this summer. Last week, Uncut reported that the band were planning a run of European dates.

Keith Richards will release a children's with his daughter, Theodora, later this year. The guitarist will release Gus & Me: The Story of My Granddad and My First Guitar on September 9 after signing a deal with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Richards' artist daughter Theordora has illustrated the picture book, which was co-written with Barnaby Harris and Bill Shapiro.