Courtney Love may have lost custody of her daughter because of ‘domestic violence’.

It has been alleged the Hole singer – who has had a temporary restraining order filed against her on behalf of 17-year-old Frances Bean – might have fallen out with her teenage daughter over problems with violence in the family home.

A court document filed by lawyers – which was leaked to gossip website TMZ – requests that all files which relate to ‘a minor and allegations of domestic abuse‘ be sealed.

TMZ states: “In this proceeding, every document reveals details of Frances’ relationship with her mother.”

According to one of Courtney’s lawyers, Jim Janovich, the alleged violence was only noted in court to protect Frances.

He said: “The only reason domestic violence was mentioned was for the purpose of ensuring a sealing of the case. I’m not going to comment on that issue because we’re trying to handle this in a way that’s best suited so that Frances doesn’t suffer.”

Courtney lost legal control of her daughter – whose father is late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain – on December 11.

One week after guardianship of her was handed over to Kurt’s mother Wendy O’Connor and sister Kimberly Dawn Cobain, the teenager was granted a restraining order against her 45-year-old mother.

A judge has issued a temporary restraining order forbidding Courtney to have contact with Frances, with another hearing set for January 5 to consider making it permanent.

music-news.com 24/12/09

Pete Doherty was rearrested at court today, moments after he was spared a jail sentence – escaping with a fine for driving offences. The 30-year-old singer avoided a prison sentence at Gloucester crown court after admitting careless and drink driving after a gig in the city on 11 June this year. But after he was told to pay £2,050 in fines and banned from driving for 18 months, police officers escorted him from the court to the police station across the road. The county force later confirmed that Doherty had been arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug, but would not say what type. Officers told Doherty of his arrest in the corridors of the Victorian court, and he was escorted down the steps where photographers were waiting.

Minutes before the dramatic scene the court heard Kate Moss’s former lover admit to careless driving. He also admitted to drink driving that night, having given a reading of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. Sarah Regan, for the prosecution, said the careless driving charge related to an “erratic, sharp turn” into Derby Road.

After the 12.30am pursuit, Doherty stopped the Mercedes and swapped seats with passenger Daisy Whitbread in an apparent attempt to avoid punishment, the court heard. The songwriter had already been disqualified from driving in 2007 and had not renewed his licence, the court heard. Officers found one wrap of heroin in the car, worth up to £35, and what was described as “homemade crack pipe” on the driver’s seat. A search of Doherty’s country home in Durley, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, uncovered a further 15 wraps worth around £350.

Regan said Doherty claimed to have offered to drive instead of his female companion who felt she was not fit to take the wheel. She added: “Mr Doherty was pulled from the door and arrested. It was noted that he was extremely unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and he smelt very strongly of alcohol, causing the officer to form the view he was drunk.”

Regan said Doherty had been driven to the gig by his manager but “as he came out of the back of Guildhall where the car was waiting, there were lots of people waiting - including a number of photographers“.

“Not wanting to be photographed with Ms Whitbread, Mr Doherty said that he just drove off as fast as he could. He saw the flashing lights of the police car behind him but didn’t think that they were for him.

“During the gig he said that he had been provided with half a bottle of rum when he went on stage and that it was probably empty when the gig finished. However, although he admitted that he had probably had enough to drink to make him over the limit, he didn’t think it would impair him in any way.”

Doherty had earlier admitted to two counts of drugs possession, driving without a licence and without insurance, as part of the same episode. The judge was waiting until today’s pleas were entered before dealing with all the offences together.

The court heard Doherty had 21 previous drug offences and six previous motoring offences. He had no convictions for drink driving. Doherty’s defence barrister Peter Ratliff asked for a financial penalty, which Judge Martin Picton said was “proportionate to the offence”.

It is understood that Doherty had drugs on his person when arrested.

A Gloucestershire Constabulary spokeswoman said: “A 30-year-old Wiltshire man has been arrested on suspicion of being in possession of a controlled substance. He is currently assisting police with their inquiries.”

guardian.co.uk 24/12/09

Kasabian have said their next album will draw on Nirvana and Pink Floyd as influences.

The Leicester band who released third LP ‘West Rider Paper Lunatic Asylum’ earlier this year, are aiming for the follow-up to be out by autumn next year.

“Sergio Pizzorno [songwriter, guitarist] has got a body of songs that are sounding great,” frontman Tom Meighan told BBC 6Music. “There’s one that sounds like Nirvana, which is really grungy, a big riff.”

He added that the album would be a step on from their last record.

“It’s nothing like what we’ve done on this record, it’s really old school grunge. There’s a lot of Pink Floyd, ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, piano-based songs at the minute,” the singer explained, adding that they expect to turn it around fairly quickly.

“I think we’ll do it a bit quicker this time,” he explained. “We took a good three months off last time, because we toured for about four years and that’s the only reason we took that amount of time off, because we toured like crazy. I think this time we’ll have a few weeks off or a month off, then we’ll go into the studio and record the new record. Hopefully we won’t wait around so much this time.”

Meighan added that he would like to play next year’s Glastonbury festival, but thought his band would have to make way for some music legends.

“It Michael Eavis calls, you come. If you don’t, you don’t but I can see him getting really massive established bands like The Stones,” he suggested. “If it’s the 40th Anniversary I don’t think he’d pick us anyway to headline it. He’s going to pick established bands that have been around over 30 or 40 years.”

guardian.co.uk 21/12/09

As the world’s leaders traipse home from Copenhagen, activist rock stars are doing the same, with Thom Yorke complaining that he feels “deeply traumatised” by his time at the UN climate change conference. The Radiohead frontman obtained a press pass for the summit, saying that he is “truly disgusted about the way things have ended“.

“We have no international agreement,” Yorke wrote on the Radiohead blog, where he has been documenting his experience in Copenhagen. “If you read in tomorrow’s headlines that a deal was reached, remember it was nothing like what was needed and was filed by a bored complicit press who needed to show something for two weeks of crap.” Over the course of several days, Yorke’s comments shifted from cautious (and perhaps feigned) optimism into a deflated, caustic frustration. “You’ve got to try and be positive,” he told the BBC on Friday. “Like most people, I thought nothing would happen and was kind of ready to give up on it, but the more people that think like that, the worse it is.”

That sense of hope – buoyed by a press briefing with secretary of state Ed Miliband that “made things clear in some ways” – didn’t last. “The atmosphere here is deeply distressing,” Yorke confessed. “What on earth is going on? I pray something comes of this process. That all these people for all these years, all these flights to Copenhagen, all this hot air has some meaning … What am I doing here?”

Later, Barack Obama “walk[ed] past with a very grim expression“, and Yorke thought perhaps the US president was “storming out” of the proceedings. “But no, he’d just been in talks with the Chinese … This is all starting to really feel like some enormous vaguely pointless corporate expo.”

“I think I may have had enough of cynicism, brinkmanship, face-saving and posturing,” Yorke wrote. “This is all far too late. Far too late.”

Later, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien added some year-end reflections to the band’s blog, but he admitted “none of [it] … seems at all relevant or important“. On the bright side, O’Brien confirmed that, er, the band are going back into the studio in January.

guardian.co.uk 21/12/09

Coldplay have revealed further details of their “End Of Decade Clearout Sale” to help raise money for the charity Kids Company.

As previously reported, the band had announced they were giving fans the chance to bid on a range of a instruments, costumes and signed memorabilia in the charity auction.

The auction begins today (December 18) on Ebay, with the group recently posting up a catalogue of all the items up for sale.

Included in the sale are Chris Martin’s first ever guitar. Inscribed ‘Christopher AJ Martin’ in tippex, the guitar was used to write many of Coldplay’s early songs, as well as featuring on their debut album ‘Parachutes’.

Also up for sale are the costumes the band wore on their ‘Viva La Vida’ world tour, the globe used on the cover of their debut album and many more unique items.

For those with a modest income, the band are also auctioning a collection of signed lithographs, available on a first-come, first-served basis. The prints will be sold for £10 each and will appear on the Kids Company Ebay page at random times during the the sale which runs from December 18-31.

For more information and to download the auction catalogue please visit Coldplay.com

nme.com 18/12/09

The Rolling Stones are the decade’s top-grossing live performers, according to Billboard, generating almost $1bn over 264 gigs. The Stones beat acts including Madonna, U2 and the Dave Matthews Band, though most of the top 10 artists played many more dates – and to many more people.

To the millions who attended Stones concerts in the noughties, it doesn’t seem to have mattered that they’re all old enough to be grandfathers: 8,236,586 tickets were sold, earning $869,471,325 (about £539m) – more than the GDP of Liberia. They only narrowly beat U2, who earned about $844m (£523m) with 9,869,953 tickets. But whereas U2 sold out all 288 of their 288 concerts, this was not the case with the Stones – they sold out just 190 of 264 shows.

Billboard’s list reads like a Who’s Who of legacy rock and pop acts: Madonna ($800m), Bruce Springsteen ($688m), Elton John ($603m), Celine Dion ($536m). Dave Matthews Band, country star Kenny Chesney, Bon Jovi and Billy Joel also feature in the top 10. But although the Rolling Stones bagged the most cash, it’s jam-band guru Matthews who sold the most tickets, doing his jazzy Kermit the Frog thing for 11,230,696 people. This is approximately the population of Greece.

However, the noughties’ best-selling tours show a disturbing lack of young talent. Besides Matthews and country stars like Chesney and Toby Keith, most of these artists had their heydays long before computers didn’t crash on Y2K. There’s no sign of Beyoncé, Kanye West or even Coldplay – but then maybe their audience can’t afford the pricey tickets to vintage acts like Mick, Bono and Cher.

The most unlikely artist on Billboard’s top 25 is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This American prog-Christmas act sold more than 5m tickets for 728 shows – grossing more than $203m (£126m). Who knew that jingle bells and lasers were more profitable than Radiohead?

guardian.co.uk 18/09/12

The dance contest celebrating the greatest performer in the history of pop reaches the Live Final on 20th December.

Four dance acts have made it through, all desperate to win the prize of dancing at Michael Jackson’s memorial event hosted by his brother, Jermaine, who is also on the judging panel along with Jamelia, and dance casting agent Mark Summers.

They will choose the final two and, after a final freestyle dance off, it will be up to the viewers to vote for the winner. Hosted by Reggie Yates.

But the fun is just beginning – now it’s your chance to join in!

Lavelle Smith Jr has created a new routine exclusive to BBC Three to ‘BEAT IT’, featuring five classic Michael Jackson moves – the Moonwalk, Toe Pop, Crotch Grab, Lean and Leg Kick.

All you need to do is go to the BBC Three website and choose one of the moves to learn using Lavelle’s easy-to-follow tutorials, film yourself copying the choreography and then upload it. Simple!

Whether your interpretation is smooth or just plain criminal, your video may be featured on television during the live final on BBC Three plus will be premiered on the BBC Big Screens on 19th December!

music-news.com 17th December 2009

Rage Against The Machine widened the gap over X Factor winner Joe McElderry in the battle for the Christmas number one, building up a lead of more than 60,000 sales.

The release, seen as an anti-X Factor protest vote by music fans, edged ahead of the show’s winner yesterday – and new figures show the lead is growing.

Surprise contenders Rage Against The Machine (RATM) today praised the internet campaign which has driven their sales and declared: ”Let the people decide.”

The band’s track Killing In The Name – originally released in 1992 – and McElderry’s song The Climb together account for nearly 300,000 sales so far this week.

However the situation could soon change with the release of a CD version of the 18-year-old X Factor star’s single. Until today the track has only been available on download but it is thought many people will buy the CD as a stocking filler.

The Christmas sales can buck the overall trend for CDs making up less than two per cent of singles sales.

William Hill also changed its price for favourite Joe to land the coveted spot from 1/5 to 4/7.

Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams said: ”It is a straight fight between the X Factor and Rage Against The Machine and my bosses will be in a serious rage if the X Factor des not win.”

RATM’s Killing In The Name track has been chosen by internet campaigners because of its message of taking a stand against the establishment.

Guitarist Tom Morello told BBC 6 Music the campaign was ”a little dose of anarchy”, but was not aimed at McElderry or even Simon Cowell.

Rather it was to counter the idea of the public being ‘’spoon-fed” what to buy.

The US musician said: ‘‘This shouldn’t be misinterpreted. This is a grass-roots effort. It’s nothing against the candidates or the guy that runs the show.

”Your country has such a great, rich history of cutting edge, exciting rebel music – whether it be the early Stones or Who, or the Clash and the Sex Pistols or Prodigy and Muse.

”I think people are just fed-up of being spoon-fed some overblown sugary ballad that sits on top of the charts. It’s a little dose of anarchy for the holidays, it’s good for the soul.”

He added: ”It’s this big machinery that puts forward a particular kind of music which represents a particular kind of listener.

”There are a lot of people that don’t feel represented by it and this Christmas in the UK they’re having their say.”

The track contains repeated expletives but Morello said he saw no problem with it being a festive anthem.

”I don’t think the message of standing up to illegitimate authority does not have a season. It’s a rebel anthem that transcends the holidays,” he said.

”That top spot doesn’t belong to anybody – any TV show or any 90s political rock band. Let the people decide.”

Morello said his proceeds from sales would be going toward Youth Music, a charity which helps children work with music who ordinarily could not afford to.

”My hope is that one of the results of this is there will be a new generation of rockers who will take on the establishment with the music they write.”

Conservative leader David Cameron threw his weight behind the X Factor winner. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: ”I’m going to go soft and go for Joe – nice boy.”

www.telegraph.co.uk 17 December 2009

Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello is set to donate his earnings from the ‘Killing In The Name’/X Factor Christmas Number One race to charity.

A fan-orchestrated campaign is urging people to download the 1992 track this week so it can stop the TV show winner Joe McElderry from reaching the top of the charts and so prevent Simon Cowell’s series from claiming its fifth consecutive Christmas Number One.

According to the campaign organisers, Rage Against The Machine’s guitarist has pledged proceeds from the track to a UK charity.

“Tom Morello of RATM has said he will donate earnings to Youth Music, a scheme helping young musicians in the UK,” they posted on Twitter.com/RATM4Xmas.

The campaign itself is raising money for homeless charity Shelter.

They also urged fans to keep downloading the song as McElderry’s track, ‘The Climb’ gets its physical release today (December 16).

“Destroying the opposition on iTunes,” they declared. “‘The Climb’ is in shops today so keep buying RATM!”

Yesterday, Morello himself backed the campaign via Twitter, urging fans to buy ‘Killing In The Name’.

For more on The X Factor and its effect on British music, get this week’s issue of NME – on UK newsstands now – for an exclusive interview with Simon Cowell.
nme.co.uk 15/12/09

Courtney Love has reportedly lost legal guardianship of Frances Bean Cobain, her daughter with the late Kurt Cobain. According to court documents obtained by E! Online, 17-year-old Frances has been put in the care of her grandmother, Wendy O’Connor, and aunt, Kimberly Dawn Cobain.

Love has not released an official statement on the ruling, but TMZ reports that her lawyer, Keith Fink, told the website: “”Courtney wants to say she loves her daughter and she’s the most important thing in her life.”

It remains unclear how or why this happened. The temporary guardianship was established on Friday, TMZ reported. Love was not present at the hearing. The new guardians are relatives of Frances’s father, but allegedly do not have power over the trust established for Frances after the Nirvana frontman’s death.

O’Connor previously took guardianship of her granddaughter in 2003, after Love overdosed on painkillers. It was almost two years before the singer regained custody of her daughter. “Life is about choices,” she said in a statement in 2005. “And I’ve chosen to move forward with my life in a healthy and positive way.”

The best way to get Love’s (frequently unhinged) comments on a matter used to be by monitoring her Twitter account. Alas, that account was closed this autumn, after Love was sued for libel for calling a fashion designer a “nasty lying hosebag thief“.

We must now rely on infrequent postings to the singer’s Facebook group. At the time of writing, Love’s last post was: “oh jesus, i once got an ex ex boyfriend or whatever you w ant to calthat creep a hooker and i guess it must have been thru this chick, i didnt do the getting: however. it was a bday present arent i just the libertine!” We are not sure what this means.

guardian.co.uk 15/12/09