Bruce Springsteen Page 4

Much has been made of the ‘vinyl revival’ in albums sales over the last five years or so, with old-fashioned records going ever upwards while CD sales and download sales plateau or tumble. The upsurge in the format’s popularity is in part because of Record Store Day.

Record Store Day 2017

Taking place on a Saturday every April, RSD is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, after it was founded to help out struggling independent record stores that were struggling to compete with supermarkets and the likes of HMV (now, streaming and downloads).

Continue reading: Our Guide To Record Store Day 2017

Bruce Springsteen pulled a Beyoncé this weekend by releasing his latest album without any warning and through only a limited point of distribution. The difference between Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen's newest album, High Hopes, is that the R&B diva had full control of her release, whilst the Boss had no say in the unannounced release of his new album.

Springsteen seemingly had no knowledge of the release

Scheduled for release on 17 January, the album made a surprise appearance on Amazon on Saturday, 28 December, when the online retailers accidentally released it a few weeks early. That quick hiccup from Amazon didn't go unnoticed and the album had already been downloaded a number of times before the site noticed their mistake and took down the download link. They weren't quick enough to prevent the release from falling into the wrong hands though and soon the album was available to download on P2P torrent sites and other illegal download sites.

Continue reading: Amazon Leak Bruce Springsteen's New Album 'High Hopes' Ahead Of Official Release

Bon Jovi made over $205m (£125m) collectively over the last twelve months of being on tour; an impressive amount by all means, ensuring they finish 2013 as the highest grossing touring group of the year. Since January, the band have performed 90 sets to over two million fans, according to Billboard's yearly rankings, with each show a sell-out, making them easy victors in this year's rankings.

Bon Jovi performed to millions of people across the globe and made millions back in return

The Michael Jackson-inspired 'Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour' by Cirque Du Soleil came in second and despite not scoring a single sell-out performance, they contortionists still managed to bring in $157m Third and fourth place was decided by a few (hundred) thousand, with Pink edging out Bruce Springsteen for the No. 3 spot. Her 114 shows in 2013, 111 of which sold out, earned the singer $147.9m as she performed to over 1.5 million people across the globe. Springsteen saw his 53 tours sell out in 36 locations, with over 1.3 million people paying a combined $147.6m to see The Boss.

Continue reading: Bon Jovi Record Highest Earning World Tour Of 2013

Handwritten draft lyrics for Bruce Springsteen's 1974 song Born to Run has sold for $197,000 at Sotheby's auction.According to Reuters, the lyrics fetched more than double its estimate of $70,000-$100,000 at the New York sale.

Bruce Springsteen Doing His Thing

Born to Run - the song from the album of the same name - has become an American anthem and remains one of Springsteen's most enduring songs. The notebook of lyrics shows The Boss's creative process for the track, with many of the lines not recorded. The classic line "tramps like us, baby, we were born to run," is included.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen's 'Born To Run' Lyrics Sell For $197,000, Who Bought Them?

Perhaps his most famous song to date, Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' has been copied and covered countless times before, but now you can own the most original version of the song there is. The original, handwritten lyrics to 'Born to Run,' taken from Bruce's third album of the same name, have been put up at auction at Sotheby's in New York.

Born to Run was the album that launched Bruce to stardom

The heavily scribbled-upon manuscript shows the extensive thought process that Springsteen went through on his way to perfecting the beloved song, and judging by the amount of alterations made to the original lyrics sheet, it wasn't an easy feat coming up with the finished product. Said to date from 1974, a year before the song and album Born to Run was released, the manuscript contains 30 lines of lyrics, complete with annotations in the margins and over some of the original lyrics.

Continue reading: Handwritten Lyrics To Bruce Springsteen's 'Born To Run' Expected To A Fetch Hefty Sum At Auction

Calling all Bruce Springsteen fans who are both avid and exceedingly rich: an original lyrics manuscript for The Boss' hit 'Born To Run' will be offered for sale at auction next month and is expected to fetch between $70,000 (£43,000) and $100,000 (£61,000).

Someone Is Selling A Original 'Born To Run' Lyrics Manuscript.

An unknown seller has offered the manuscript, which is said to date from 1974 and presents 30 lines of Bruce's neat handwriting on a lined page torn from a notebook. Richard Austin, the head of the books and manuscripts department at Sotheby's, said that the seller could not be identified but the manuscript had been owned by Springsteen's manager "who sold it to a collector, who sold it to the current consignor," via the NY Times.

Continue reading: High Hopes? Want To Buy Bruce Springsteen's 'Born To Run' Handwritten Lyrics?

Bruce Springsteen has confirmed the upcoming release date of his next studio album, High Hopes, in an announcement posted via Facebook and Twitter. "Got #HighHopes for a new album in 2014?" tweeted Springsteen, in an incredibly excitement-inducing message. Eagle-eyed fans will have already noticed that High Hopes is already to preorder on iTunes with an expected release date of January 14th 2014.

Bruce Springsteen Plots The Next Move In His Astounding Musical Career.

High Hopes will mark the first record released by Springsteen since 2008's Wrecking Ball: his eighth number one in the UK with the new album expected to make his ninth. Springsteen also shared a track list for High Hopes to coincide with the release of the title track, 'High Hopes,' as a taster single.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen New Album 'High Hopes' Confirmed For 2014 + Track Listing [Listen]

Forbes have once again compiled their yearly list of highest earning celebrities in every possible respect and the winner for highest earning musician in 2013 is a very familiar face indeed: Madonna. The Queen of Pop came out on top despite tough competition and the fact that she didn't really create or release any new music in 2013. Call that staying power.

Madge earned big through her touring and business ventures

According to the magazine, Madge earned most of her money over the last year through touring, with her 'MDNA' tour grossing $305 million in total since it was launched, earning the singer a cool amount in the process. Her other major sources of income has been royalties, her clothing line and the launch of her new fragrance, Forbes revealed, putting her total earnings for the past 12 months at an estimated $125 million.

Continue reading: Madonna Tops Forbes' List Of Highest Earning Musicians In 2013

Kristen Stewart managed to earn half a million dollars in only 15 minutes, and if that wasn't impressive enough, the money she made was donated straight to charity. The Twilight star caught the attention of an unnamed Middle Eastern Prince, who was so taken with the actress that he forked out the huge sum for just 15 minutes of her time.

Just $500K can buy you 15 minutes with Kristen Stewart

According to film producer Harvey Weinstein, Kristen was helping to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy when Weinstein was approached about spending some one-on-one time with Kristen by the mysterious, ultra-rich Middle Eastern monarch. Initially dismissing the requests, Kristen soon caught wind of what was happening and was actually willing to meet with the high-paying Prince, leading Weinstein to broker a deal to arrange the meet-up. Sounds seedy doesn't it?

Continue reading: Kristen Stewart Earns $500,000 For Charity After Spending 15 Minutes Alone With Middle Eastern Prince

We reckon 1D fans or Justin Bieber fans are rabid because they're mainly hormonal young girls but Bruce Springsteen appeals to a rather different demographic who have been mirroring the obsessive antics of the tweensters. 'The Boss' will perform tonight (23 July) to 29,000 fans at a sold out show, with some making absolutely sure they didn't miss out on a front row position in the standing area of the arena.

Springsteen: A True Guitar Hero.

BBC News spoke to Warrington fan Tony Tower who admitted he'd been camped outside Millenium Stadium for five days. Mr. Tower explained his need to be at the very front: "It's all about getting under the mic - it's better to be in the pit than out of it. It's the heart of the concert." He also admitted that he'd spent more than £1,300 on tickets to see his idol and that was all OK with his wife, saying "It's not about the cost - it's about the experience. My wife tells me I can afford it." Spoken like a true fan!

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Fans Are Crazy! Roads Closed, Camping In Queues & Thousands Spent For Cardiff Show

Bruce Springsteen is the latest entertainer to join in the backlash following George Zimmerman’s acquittal for the shooting of Trayvon Martin. During a concert in Limerick, Ireland, on Tuesday night, The Boss included a rendition of American Skin (41 Shots) into the setlist, after seeing a sign in the crowd, requesting the song earlier in the evening. According to The Star Ledger, the singer had an impassioned interaction with the fan, who had originally brought the sign.

The Boss has never shied away from sharing his feelings on Trayvon Martin's death.

"He said, 'Where is that sign?' and grabbed it,” said a fan who attended the concert. “He then said, 'I want to send this one out as a letter back home. For justice for Trayvon Martin.'"

Continue reading: Springsteen Gives Trayvon Martin "41 Shots" Salute During Concert In Ireland

Bruce Springsteen is not the first musician to voice their view on the recent controversial Trayvon Martin shooting case, whereby a teenager was shot by a man named George Zimmerman who has been acquitted by the jury due to Florida's 'stand your ground' law which condones murder as a form of self-defence. Stevie Wonder also chose to interrupt his own concert to announce that he'd be boycotting the state of Florida, and anywhere else that has the same law, until the 'stand your ground' was abolished.

Bruce Springsteen Showed His Support For Trayvon Martin Who Was Shot Dead.

During Springsteen's Limerick concert in Ireland last night (16th July), he introduced one of his songs, '41 Shots (American Skin)' by referring to the killed teenager and the hope for justice in the ongoing court case, as reported by NME. "I want to send this one out as a letter for back home. For justice for Trayvon Martin," he said as he and his band descended into the opening strains of the song which was first written following the death of Guinea immigrant Amadou Diallo, who was shot dead by four police officers in New York City in 1999.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Dedicates Song To Trayvon Martin During Irish Concert: The Stars Speak Out

James Gandolfini, the late actor who set a new standard for television performances as Tony Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos, shared his $70 million estate between family and friends, Manhattan Surrogate's Court heard yesterday (July 1, 2013). Gandolfini left millions of dollars to his nearest and dearest, including $200,000 to both his personal secretary and assistant.

James Gandolfini Was Worth $70 Million At The Time of His Death

The biggest chunk of his estate will go to Gandolfini's beloved children, Michael, 13, and daughter Liliana Ruth, 8 months - both receiving millions. His wife Deborah Lin and two sisters will also receive large chunks of the state, worth $70 million when the actor died in Italy on June 16, aged just 51. 

Continue reading: James Gandolfini's Will Shows True Extent Of Sopranos Man's Generosity

In a Streisand-style family affair, US rocker Bruce Springsteen has introduced crowds of fans to family members whilst on stage. During his Sunday headline slot at last weekend's Hard Rock Calling festival, Springsteen invited his mother Adele, 87, on to the stage for a performance of 'Dancing in the Dark.' The pair slow-waltzed together before his younger sister Pam also joined them on stage with a guitar ready to strum out the song's crescendo.

"All Together Now: 'It's fun to stay at the..."

The Hard Rock Calling crowds, who had already rocked out to shows from The Jam, Kasabian, The Black Crowes and Alabama Shakes, were treated by the rock icon to 1984's Born In The USA played in its entirety. According to Digital Spy, 63 year-old Springsteen incorporated request banners from the crowd into his setlist, adding in 'Johnny 99' and 'Jungleland' to the 3 hour set that was received rapturously in a performance described as "joyful," "celebratory," "funky" and a "stunning filibuster of a show" by The Telegraph.

Continue reading: Bruce Serenades His Mother At Hard Rock Calling Festival: What A Mummy's Boy!

In Somerset, Glastonbury was in full swing but further East a different festival drew its own thousands. Rock fans flocked to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London's Stratford to attend Hard Rock Calling: a two day festival hosting massive names in rock 'n' roll. Held in a pop-up venue at the site of the London 2012 Olympic Games Basketball venue, the festival welcomed Leicester's Kasabian, USA performer Bruce Springsteen and special guests; mod rock band, The Jam.

Bruce Springsteen Brought Down The House.

Kasabian enjoyed a successful Saturday night headlining slot, helping to christen the venue for a festival that began in 2006, with trumpet and violin-playing women and a cover of The Beatles' 'She Loves You' performed by lead singer Tom Meighan without any instrumental accompaniment. Busy bees Alabama Shakes managed to fit both festivals into the same weekend, playing Glasto on Friday then Hard Rock Calling on Sunday. Springsteen AKA The Boss certainly didn't let anyone down, according to the East London Advertiser, with the 65 year-old playing his 80s album Born In The USA in its entirety, accompanied by his E Street Band and even serenading his mother with 'Dancing in the Dark' onstage in front of 40,000 fans. 

Continue reading: Hard Rock Calling: Fans Answer In Their Thousands To See Springsteen & Kasabian

Bruce Springsteen played his first show at London's Wembley Stadium over the weekend, pumping out the hits to some 71,000 fans. It was stunning turn out for the now 63-year-old rocker, who still comfortably commands such crowds while putting on quite the show too - as if to ensure everyone get their money worth. Though the fiery Badlands, iconic Thunder Road and timeless Dancing in the Dark were the highlights, Springsteen pulled out the rarity Save My Love and Rosalita (Come Out Tonight), which he performs only sparingly nowadays.

Glowing reviews littered the British press on Monday morning (June 17, 2013), with The Independent writing of Springsteen's showmanship, "An entertainer to the last, "Dancing in the Dark" sees Springsteen invite two women up onto the stage (the latter of whom's child appeared to be waving a sign reading 'dance with my mum for a dollar'), and he achieves that rare thing of making such banter funny and touching."

Critic Michael Hann of The Guardian gave the performance the maximum five stars, writing, "Maybe one could say it's routine, just showmanship, but the eternal miracle of Springsteen is that he never appears to be faking it for the audience's benefit. It's almost commonplace to say a Springsteen show is another triumph, but - really - he just keeps getting better and better."

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen Treats Fans To Rarities At London's Wembley Stadium [Pictures]

A young Bruce Springsteen fanatic, dressed up to mimic The Boss’ look on the cover of the Born in the USA album was rewarded for his efforts by being invited to join Bruce onstage for a rendition of his song ‘Waiting On A Sunny Day.’ The 11 year-old was wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and even had a red cap tucked into his back pocket, to complete the look, at Bruce’s second concert in Brisbane, Australia. It’s part of Springsteen’s first tour there in 10 years, Sky News reports. 

After belting out a decent version of the song, he was treated even further, when Bruce walked him to the back of the stage, dusted his knees down with a cloth and then walked him to one end of the stage and invited him to do a stage slide with him. The young fan eagerly obliged. Who wouldn’t, give the opportunity to indulge in a little rock posturing, with an idol?

Continue reading: Waiting On A Sunny Day: Young Fan Joins Bruce Springsteen Onstage In Brisbane

Albums of Note... David Bowie’s return to the shelves of our local record shops (well, the few that still exist) has been met with a grateful and adulatory fanfare, across the board and it’s been no different here at Contactmusic. Having run out of contemporary influences upon which to draw, Bowie took the old adage that pop will eat itself and made an album to fit. On The Next Day, Bowie largely references himself and his own body of work, recalling his Berlin days, as well as providing an extension of the tracks he released in the nineties.“Assessing how The Next Day sits alongside anything else he's done is irrelevant; an artist who has gone through as many character changes, taken on as many styles and moved through as many eras as he has defies such lazy list making. What can be said is that it is, at this point in time, at this point in his life and career, probably as good a record that David Bowie could've possibly come up with.”

Some of the mystery of Rhye’s cloaked existence has been unveiled and the band’s two components have been revealed as Toronto born producer Mike Milosh and Robin Hannibal of Quadron. They draw comparisons to The XX, partly thanks for Milosh’s falsetto, which led many to believe that it was a woman on vocals. Possibly part of the reason they choose to entitle the album Woman...? “'Woman' is a chilled, tranquil listen but not a boring album by any means. The duo creates songs that fill with distant, mysterious moods. But, it still feels like an intimate album piled high with textured layers.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - Bowie's 'The Next Day' Album Was Worth The Wait, Sigur Ros Back At Their Spectacular Best, Everything Everything Take Another Step Into The Mainstream With 'Duet'

Remember last summer, when hordes of Boss fans booed and jeered as the almighty Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band were cut short during one of their typically marathon sets at London’s Hyde Park? That concert was actually part of the death knell for the area as an outdoor gig venue, but for Springsteen fans they’ve been more concerned about whether he’ll get to finish what he’d started last year.

Well the good news is that Hard Rock Calling, who put him on during last year’s ill-fated set, have moved to get the Boss back as a headliner for this year’s event! With added good news that they’ve moved from Hyde Park to the Olympic Stadium, meaning there shouldn’t be any curfew issues should Bruce decide to do what he’d planned on last year, and bring Beatle Paul McCartney on for an elongated finale. "This summer, we are giving Bruce and the band the opportunity to finish what they started and make history again," said Hard Rock International CEO Hamish Dodds in a media release, reports USA Today.

Continue reading: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street BandTo Return To Hard Rock Calling To Avenge Hyde Park Debacle

The twice-married and twice-divorced record executive Clive Davis has come out as bisexual in his new memoir The Soundtrack Of My Life. The 80-year-old has never before publically addressed his sexuality, though refers to his "bisexual life," in the concluding pages of the book, due in stores today, reports Rolling Stone magazine.

Davis reflects on his first sexual encounter with a man during "the era of Studio 54," writing, "On this night, after imbibing enough alcohol, I was open to responding to his sexual overtures. Was I nervous? Absolutely. Did the heavens open up? No. But it was satisfying." Afterwards, Davis writes that he went through a period of "soul searching and self-analysis," saying, "I didn't feel as if I had found, or was even searching for, my true self. I had not been at all repressed or confused during either of my marriages."

Davis separated from his second wife several years later and entered into a "monogamous relationship," with a male doctor, who is not named in the book. That relationship ended in 2004, though the mogul notes he has been in a relationship with another man ever since. The book - a sequel to his now out-of -print 1975 memoir Clive: Inside the Record Business - is devoted to his interactions with some of the world's biggest artists over the years. Interestingly, he recalls a particualr conversation with Bruce Springsteen's manager at the time Mike Appell, suggesting that Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J needed a couple more radio friendly songs. Springsteen subsequently wrote 'Blinded By The Light' and 'Sprit In The Night.'

Continue reading: Who Knew?! Twice Married Clive Davis Comes Out As Bisexual In Memoir

Kaiser Chief frontman Ricky Wilson has had his indie-heart broken by the evil executives at the new Leeds Arena, who have booked Bruce Springsteen and Elton John for shows at the new 13,500 seater venue despite initially confirming the Yorkshire band as an important part of is opening season. The Boss will open the doors of the arena on Wednesday 24, July, before Elton plays on September 4, 2013. The Kaiser Chiefs appear to have been relegated to the third act to play the venue on September 14, 2013, despite believing they would be opening the whole thing.

Ricky Wilson Was Less Than Happy With The Booking of Bruce Springsteen and Elton John

Wilson's band were among the first acts to be announced for the arena, with bassist Simon Rix saying at the time, "Having played everywhere in Leeds from the Duchess (RIP) to Elland Road, we are massively happy that Leeds has built somewhere new for us to play. Looking forward to opening Leeds Arena next year, it's going to be bigger than Ken Bates' legal bill." Now, with marquee acts signed on, Wilson is understandably hacked off. "Really f*cked off with Leeds Arena, they asked us to open the thing then put Elton on the week before and now Bruce," tweeted the singer on Tuesday afternoon (February 19, 2013) before quickly deleting the message. He followed it up by saying, "Thought I better delete that. Just really f**cked off."

Continue reading: Kaiser Chief's Ricky Wilson "F*cked Off" As Leeds Arena Books Bruce Springsteen

Sting, Alabama Shakes, Neil Young, Elton John Mumford & Sons and John Legend all paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen as he was named Musicares Person of the Year for 2013 at last night's pre-Grammy award show. 

The event recognises a star's philanthropic work as well as their efforts as an artist, something that "The Boss" - as Springsteen has become known - can't separate. "Whatever philanthropy I've ever done usually involved playing the guitar," he said. "I was going to play the guitar anyway." In attendance were some previous honourees: Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett and Bonnie Raitt. Springsteen is a deserving honoree "because he lives his life in such an exemplary way," Raitt said before the gala. "He's committed to his art. He's a good family man. He's a real inspiration for how to give back. I couldn't fault him in any aspect of his life."

Springsteen said of receiving the award, "It's kind of a freaky experience. This is the huge Italian wedding Patti and I never had. I had one of the loveliest nights of my life ...John Legend made me sound like Gershwin. Neil Young made me sound like the Sex Pistols. What a night." He also talked about the power and magic of music, adding, "The Taliban will never win, not now or ever, by banning music and dancing. The minute you do that, you label yourself a tyrant and your cruel days are numbered."

We've all had that moment; looking at photos of our favourite celebs and then jumping out of our seats screaming, 'He's HOW old?!' Well, we've been doing a lot of that here at ContactMusic. Some stars seem to have crept up the age ladder pretty sneakily, the odd wrinkle and grey hair barely registering on our radar, while others don't seem to have aged at all! English football player David Beckham was in his twenties when he rose to global popularity and, looking at his recent H&M underwear advert, it seems that his iconic hairstyles and tattoos are our only way of working out the old from the newer pictures of him. However, he is only 37 and has plenty of time to catch up yet. It's the over-50s that have really had our mouths agape in recent times as we've been scouring the net for the most youthful looking middle to old aged stars. 

(Anthony Kiedis, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey)

Continue reading: Good Genes Or Good Ops: Which Male Celebrities Don't Show Their Age?

It’s a real mixed bag for the biggest album releases today and the most popular is bound to be the accompanying CD release to the 12-12-12Benefit Concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The tracklisting reads like a who’s who of the biggest names in rock and pop, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band contributing ‘Land of Hope And Dreams’ and ‘Wrecking Ball,’ whilst The Rolling Stones liven things up with ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’

And of course, a who’s who isn’t a who’s who without The Who, who also make an appearance, with ‘Who Are You,’ ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ It’s very much a line-up full of (ahem) ‘experienced’ male musicians. The presence of Alicia Keys doesn’t exactly balance things out, as she sits there alone, with one track breaking up the compilation and ‘Empire State of Mind’ closing things out. The latter track, though, an affection paean to one of the cities destroyed by the hurricane, is an obvious highlight of this emotionally-weighted compilation.

Watch Bruce Springsteen discussing Hurricane Sandy and the 12.12.12. concert

Continue reading: Out Now - US Albums Releases: 12-12-12 Concert Compilation Features Who's Who Of Rock, Aaron Neville Makes Blue Note Debut,

All eyes will be on Bruce Springsteen during Grammy’s week, as the New Jersey rocker will be the recipient of the MusiCares Person of the Year award. To celebrate the honour, a Bruce Springsteen tribute concert will take place in Los Angeles on February 8, 2013, featuring some of the biggest names in rock and pop and hosted by Jon Stewart.

The event, which is already sold out, will feature musical highlights such as Elton John, Kenny Chesney and Mumford And Sons. A whole host of musicians of varying genres and eras have been included in the line-up. Patti Smith, with whom Bruce co-wrote the hit ‘Because The Night’ will be there, as will Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, as well as Alabama Shakes, Eddie Vedder and Neil Young. Proceeds for the concert will go to MusiCares, an organisation set up to provide support for struggling musicians in financial, medical and personal need.

The annual MusiCares Person of the Year award is attributed to a star whose artistic accomplishments are as worthy of merit as their philanthropic work. Previous winners of the award include Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Paul McCartney and Bono.

Katie Holmes and Blake Lively were in danger of stealing the limelight from the host of rockers performing at last night’s Concert For Sandy Relief at New York’s Madison Square Garden (December 12, 2012). Even Kanye West turning up in a skirt couldn’t upstage these two glamour-pusses, who were all a-shimmer for the big event.

Holmes may be a recent divorcee at 33 and Lively a newlywed at 25, but the pair of them looked equally happy last night. Katie chose to wear a figure-hugging purple dress with velvet panels, designed by Tom Ford, suiting her own classic style down to the ground (well, down to the knees anyway). US Magazine have pictured Tom Cruise’s ex looking relaxed at the charity concert, which featured The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney & Nirvana and Bruce Springsteen, among others and she wore her hair loose, neatly accessorised with black pointy heels. Blake went for a studded red leather mini-dress, designed by Isabel Marant and nude caged ankle boots, designed by Christian Louboutin.

Blake, who recently married Ryan Reynolds, has been keeping a low profile of late, though she and her new husband had been spotted enjoying a break in Paris at the start of this month. Both Katie and Blake were looking stunning last night; they almost put some of the musicians to shame when it came to grabbing the limelight.

Yesterday’s Concert For Sandy Relief (December 12, 2012) turned into a year’s worth of rock and pop headlines, all rolled into one. Not only were some of the coolest kids on the block performing (Alicia Keys, we’re looking at you), but they were doing it in tabloid-seeking style (Kanye West in a skirt, anyone?). However, it was the older statesmen of rock and roll that really grabbed the nations’ attention last night.

First up, Sir Paul McCartney, formerly of The Beatles and now, apparently… of Nirvana? Well, maybe not quite. But Sir Paul did perform with the surviving members of Nirvana – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, playing a new song that they had composed together, entitled ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ It was part of a wider set performed by McCartney and allayed the fears of devout Nirvana fans, concerned that they would be performing a set of Nirvana covers, with McCartney taking the place of the late Kurt Cobain.

The Rolling Stones made an impressive, if brief, performance, playing ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ before leaving the Madison Square Garden gathered crowd wanting more. Mick Jagger’s seemingly unending reserves of energy put many of the other performers to shame, even if he didn’t have to exert quite the same degree of stamina that he has had to at the band’s recent 2 hour 50th anniversary shows. “Homestate hero” Bruce Springsteen was described by New York Times as “the master of the socially conscious message that’s also a full-tilt rock concert” and last night, he didn’t disappoint. The evening ended on a rousing note, with Alicia Keys joined by a stage full of firefighters to sing ‘Empire State Of Mind Part II,’ with its appropriate chorus of “This is New York… concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” 

Continue reading: Sandy Benefit Concert Highlights: Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney And Nirvana Hit The Mark

The Dave Matthews Band have pledged to donate $1 million to help those affected by Superstorm Sandy. Fox News have reported that the band, originally from Charlottesville, Virginia made the announcement today (Wednesday November 14, 2012) on their website, revealing that the opening date of their winter tour will be a benefit show and all ticket and merchandise sales will go to the Bama Works Sandy Relief Fund, which was established at the Community Foundation of New York.

When the storm hit the East Coast of the USA just over two weeks, it caused devastation and widespread damage. There were power outages in New Jersey and New York and the clean-up operation continues to try to get communities back to their former state. The band’s show at the Izod Center in New Jersey on November 30, will benefit the Bama Works fund.

The Dave Matthews Band aren’t the only high profile artist to help with the relief effort following the storm. NBC hosted hosted a telethon concert, featuring some of the world’s best-love musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi and Sting. Christina Aguilera performed a moving rendition of her hit song ‘Beautiful,’ which became one of the highlights of the concert.

U.S Election night news is rolling in, and Beyonce - a long time supporter of Barack Obama - had posted an open letter on her website, alongside a photo of herself voting in style. 

"President Obama," the letter started. "Everyday we see your heart and character, inspiring all of us to give more of ourselves. You are the leader to take us from where we are to where we need to be," she enthused, continuing to say, "You are the reason my daughter and nephew will grow up knowing that they can truly be ANYTHING they want to be. All my respect and adoration, Beyonce" The letter was accompanied by a photo of the hitmaker posing with her ballot paper. Freshly manicured and heavily pouting, B wanted to make sure the world knew which way she was voting, as if there were any doubt; she and husband Jay-Z have been two of Obama's staunchest supporters, giving public endorsements, and even boosting his election coffers with a few successful fundraisers. 

And talking of Jay-Z: he and Bruce Springsteen have been doing everything they can to ensure the voters vote the right way, or their way, by performing in Ohio last night (Nov 5). Mr Carter even regaled a parody of his classic 99 Problems, by singing "I got 99 problems but a Mitt aint one". Delightful. 

Continue reading: U.S Election Night: Beyonce Pens Open Letter To Obama And Posts Photo Of Her Vote

Katy Perry’s skintight ballot dress is causing quite a stir, as we anticipate the results of the US Presidential elections. Perry performed at a recent pro-Obama rally in Nevada and opted to wear an eye-popping white body-con dress with the image of a ballot paper printed on the front. On the dress, Barack Obama is quite clearly the chosen one, with Joe Biden as his Vice President.

Will Katy Perry’s dress be a powerful enough image to sway undecided voters though? Will they be hypnotised by Katy Perry’s curves? Will they be wooed by her enviable figure and rush down to the local voting center to put a cross next to Obama’s name on their voting slip? Or is politics a little more complicated than that? Well, Barack Obama clearly believes in the pull of celebrity supporters and is always keen to talk about his close links with hip-hops First Couple, Jay Z and Beyonce and often talks about what’s on his iPod, in a bid to secure the trust and respect of the young, hip voting contingent. Bruce Springsteen and Lady GaGa are also known to be fans of Obama. As is Lindsay Lohan. Sometimes. But Barack’s probably going to gloss over that one.

Continue reading: Katy Perry's Skintight Ballot Dress... Is It Enough To Sway Voters?

The stars came out to raise money for the reconstruction of areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy last week, and fewer seemed more committed to the cause than Bruce Springsteen, a New Jersey native who saw his home neighbourhood devastated in the storms.

Springsteen was among a host of New Jersey locals including Jon Bon Jovi and the E Street Band, whilst Long Islander Billy Joel, Bronx native Mary J. Blige, Bostonian Steven Tyler and Staten Island’s Christina Aguilera also lent a hand for the hour long televised show titled ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’. It was Springsteen who took the day though, closing the showing and singing with closed eyes and gritted teeth. "God bless New York and God bless the Jersey Shore” he called out at the end of his short performance, with it looking like he’d could’ve gone on for many many more songs if the network had allowed him to.

Other highlights of the event saw Jon Bon Jovi perform a solemn, tributary ‘Prayer’ to his home town. Many of the performances were punctuated with video segments, and footage of the wreckage that came from the storm. It has to be said, though, that despite the undoubted cost of damages, the east coast of the US got off lightly compared to the Caribbean, where 69 people lost their lives.

America is still rocked by the devastating aftermath of hurricane Sandy, and the thought that 'never would a disaster like this happen to me' seemed to resonate on the faces at the Sandy Benefit Concert on Friday (Nov. 2). 

The star power drawn in was impressive, with such entertainers as Bruce Springsteen, Danny Devito and Mary J Blige each pledging their time to the good cause.

Opening the night's proceedings was Staten Island-born Christina Aguilera, who kicked things off with a powerful and stripped down rendition of her song 'Beautiful'. Relying solely on her vocals, Xtina packed a heft punch that delivered all the way home. Next up to perform was New Jersey's Jon Bon Jovi who first gave a shout-out to his hometown of Sayerville, N.J., before re-appropriating his hair-rock hit 'Livin’ On A Prayer' to suit the sombre mood in the studio.

Continue reading: Danny DeVito, Christina Aguilera And Jon Bon Jovi Among Superstars Who Show Support For Hurricane Sandy Benefit

A Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon was held last night in the hopes of bringing relief to the millions affected when Hurricane Sandy ripped through the East Coast of America.

NBC aired a commercial-free telethon last night (Nov 2) live from storm-ravaged Staten Island, with Matt Lauer helming the celeb fest that urged viewers across America to pledge what they could and help the millions suffering from the storm.

Christina Aguilera got things started, entering a dark stage and delivering a powerful, stripped down version of ‘Beautiful.’ After the Staten Island native’s performance, a rolling montage of just some of the destruction was played, ending with a still of the once bustling Jersey Shore, after which Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi gave acoustic performances of ‘Who Says You Can’t Go Home’ and ‘Living on a Prayer’ with guitarist Bob Bandiera and Lorenza Ponce on the violin.

Continue reading: Stars Show Support For Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together Telethon

Christina Aguilera opened the highly publicised charity telethon, "Hurricane Sandy: Come Together", in aid of the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. It was a fitting role for the singer and 'The Voice' coach, as she was born and raised on Staten Island, which is one of the areas most affected by the enormous storm.

"I was born in Staten Island" she began, addressing the crowd. "We are here for you. We will do whatever we can to help. We will not leave any one of you behind, because every single one of you matters." She then broke into a heart wrenching rendition of 'Beautiful'. Other acts that followed included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Aerosmith. "Today" hody Matt Lauer said that it was easy to get everyone on board, mostly requiring "one phone call". 

CBS news reports some very generous commercial donations already pledged, including $1m from the CBS themselves, $2m from Disney, and a further $1m from News Corp. Celebrities all over the US are tweeting support for the telethon, particularly the Jersey Shore stars who found their own fame in New Jersey. Before taking to the stage, Christina left a tweet, saying "Sending my love and support to everyone on the east coast who's been affected. Thinking of u all. XoXtina" 

Fox and Friends, Fox's casual news and opinion segment, has raised questions about NBC and their motives in airing a benefit so soon after Hurricane Sandy, suggesting that it's a ploy ensure Obama's second term is secure.

Steve Doocy and guest host Eric Bolling were discussing the matter, and were moved to ponder the question, "Where are the conservative performers?" after noticing that the benefit's three main headliners are Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Billy Joel - three vocal Obama supports. Springsteen has even been travelling with the democrat on his re-election trail. Bolling also pointed out that other benefits, like the one for 9/11, were at least 10 days after the initial tragedy, giving New York City time to "get its feet under itself", whatever that means. He went on to describe NBC's timing as "more than suspect" and added "This just seems like a rush job because the election is gonna be [in] three days." So the Fox guys are in no uncertain terms, claiming that NBC have an ulterior motive in showcasing the benefit, but surely by talking about it like that, they're doing quite the same? Far be it from us to label a station bias, though: for shame. 

Doocy's question, "Is it a hurricane benefit or a concert for Obama?" only really proves one thing: that Fox are 100% thinking in terms of political ploys and angles, and NBC only might be. 

Today show host Matt Lauer personally urged NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke to orchestrate a musical event for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, according to USA Today. Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together will air live from the Rockefeller Center on Friday (November 2, 2012), featuring performances from Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Sting, Mary J Blige and Christina Aguilera.

New York and New Jersey were devastated by the storm and stars associated with both areas, including Kevin Bacon, Tiny Fey, James Gandolfini, Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon will also appear at the event, which aims to raise money for victims of the hurricane. Lauer said it was a tour of a neighbourhood in Rockaway Beach, Queens, that made him put his plans into action.  "I came back and said, 'We've got to do something quickly here," said Lauer says. "I feared facing a period next week where the focus would be blurred. We've got an election coming up, and I feared people affected by this would be pushed to the side." He then said that unlike many television rivals, NBC was "a very New York-centered media company" adding, "you can't live in New York without being struck by what a big thing this is." A post 9/11 telethon arranged by George Cloone, which aired on all of the major networks, raised at estimated $200 million. Friday's special will air on NBC as well as cable networks it owns including Bravo, E!, HBO, Syfy and Discovery Fit & Health.

As for the set-lists, Lauer said "the songs are going to be instantly recognizable." 

Continue reading: Matt Lauer: We Need Springsteen And Bon Jovi, Pronto!

Bruce Springsteen has been confirmed as one of the major US acts to play a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, which has blighted the East coast of the United States this week. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be joined by Christina Aguilera, Billy Joel, Sting and Bon Jovi for the televised special, which will air on Friday (November 2, 2012). It will be hosted by Matt Lauer (of the Today show) and the late night chat show host Jimmy Fallon will be making an appearance, as will NBC News’ Brian Williams.

The money collected from the event will be donated to the American Red Cross, who are organising relief efforts for those affected by the devastating storm, as well as other disasters. The Red Cross will provide food, shelter, emotional support and other services to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. After Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, a similar benefit concert raised around $50 million for the Red Cross.

The concert, named ‘Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together’ will air at 8pm EST on Friday, on ET on NBC, NBC.com, USA Network, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo, E!, Style Network, G4 and more.” However, a spokesperson for NBC Universal has told the New York Times that any channels not owned by NBC will not be able to air the concert.