Added 20/08/2008 by ronni

Finnish Monsters to Rock PopKomm

The ultimate monster rock band in the entire Universe and highest scoring Eurovision Song Contest winner of all time Lordi will be a headliner at this year's Popkomm in Berlin.

Lordi will will be seen in their new monster costumes.

Popkomm, which takes place in October, attracts over 10 000 music business professionals from all over the world.

Lordi's appearance will support the release of their fourth studio album entitled Deadache, which will be released internationally on October 27th, 2008.

Rumours has it that the new album and new costumes will feature a stronger horror theme than ever before. Lordi will perform at K17 club in Berlin on Friday, October 10th.

Finnish music is all over Berlin
This year's performances by a great variety of Finnish artists at Popkomm are a part of the Finnish music industry's "Helsinki in Berlin" marketing push. In addition to Lordi the following artists will be featured:
- Sturm und Drang (Warner/HMC)
- Ismo Alanko (Fullsteam Records)
- Rubik (Fullsteam Records)
- April (Spinefarm Records)
- Underwater Sleeping Society (Backstage Alliance)
- Damn Seagulls (Fullsteam Records)
- Astrid Swan (Johanna Kustannus / Pyramid)

In addition to Popkomm's offical festival program the following Finnish artists are performing in Berlin: Pets on Prozac, Huoratron, Obi Blanche, Les Gillettes, Downtown, Top Billin' and Le Corps Mince de Françoise.

More bands and venues will be announced during August. Nearly 40 companies from Finland are participating in the export campaign which is organized by Music Export Finland and financed by the Finnish music industry, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Finnish Foundation for the Promotion of Finnish Music (LUSES), The Finnish Performing Music Promotion Centre (ESEK), the cities of the Helsinki metropolitan area Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, and Altia Corporation/Koskenkorva Vodka, the main sponsor. Laitilan Wirvoitusjuomatehdas is co-operating in the project.

Added 19/08/2008 by ronni

Iran denies De Burgh live concert

Authorities in Iran have denied that singer Chris de Burgh is to play a live concert in Tehran, according to an Iranian news agency.

It had been reported in December that the Irish singer would perform with Iranian pop group Arian.

But IRNA reported that the Music Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance had not received a request for the show, nor issued a permit.

A spokeswoman for De Burgh said efforts to bring him to Iran were ongoing.

Official permission is required to stage a concert in the country.

Arian's manager told Reuters news agency in December that Iranian authorities had approved a plan for De Burgh to play with the pop group.

At the time, he said the concert would be scheduled for either June or July.

If the concert went ahead, De Burgh would be the first Western artist to play a concert in Iran since the country's 1979 revolution.

De Burgh recently recorded a song, The Words I Love You, with Arian and visited Tehran in May.

A spokeswoman for De Burgh said: "We have been looking into a concert and been working on it for a while.

"Permission has not yet been granted but we have also not yet been denied."

According to BBC

Added 18/08/2008 by ronni

The Dubliners founder dies at 73

Ronnie Drew, the legendary Irish folk singer and musician, has died at the age of 73, his family has announced.

Drew, the founder of The Dubliners, had been battling ill health for some time.

In a brief statement, his family confirmed he passed away at St Vincent's Private Hospital in Dublin at 1400 BST on Saturday.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said Drew had been an "iconic figure in Irish music" over five decades who would be remembered worldwide for his music.

"I met him and admired his music, his unique singing voice was loved by so many people," he said.

"Ronnie, whether as part of The Dubliners or during his solo career, will also be remembered for his promotion of Irish music both at home and around the world.

"He bore his illness with bravery and will be sadly missed."

Drew underwent six months' treatment for throat cancer two years ago.

His wife of more than 40 years, Deirdre, died last year. The couple lived in Greystones, Co Wicklow.

He is survived by his two children and five grandchildren.

Drew's family said he passed away peacefully while they were at his bedside.

"The family are very grateful for all the letters of support and wishes during the term of Ronnie's illness," they said in a statement.

They also thanked Professor Crown and the entire medical staff of St Vincent's Private Hospital.

Con Kavanagh, barman at O'Donoghues, where The Dubliners started out, said everybody gathering at the pub this evening was talking about Drew.

"When you mention Dublin, you mention Ronnie Drew - the two just went together," he said. "Everybody loved him."

Irish president Mary McAleese said it was with great sadness that she learned of Drew's death.

"Ronnie was a champion of traditional Irish music and, with The Dubliners, he re-energised and refreshed our unique musical heritage," she said.

Pub beginnings

During his career, Drew recorded with many artists, including Christy Moore, The Pogues, Antonio Breschi and Eleanor Shanley.

Earlier this year, members of U2 joined fellow Irish musicians Sinead O'Connor, Shane MacGowan, Christy Moore and others to record a tribute song The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew.

All profits from the release of the single went to the Irish Cancer Society.

Speaking at the time of the recording, U2 frontman Bono said: "Ronnie is like the King of Ireland, and we are his subjects.

"This is a big fight for him. But like any fighter, it's easier if there's a crowd cheering."

Drew founded the Ronnie Drew Group in 1962, which later came to be known as The Dubliners.

The group included fellow Irish music legends Luke Kelly, Ciaran Bourke and Barney McKenna and they began by singing in the O'Donoghues pub in central Dublin.

Kelly was known for singing their soulful ballads and Drew will be best remembered for his gravelly-voiced renditions of songs like Finnegan's Wake and Dicey Reilly.

Drew sang one of the band's biggest commercial hits, Seven Drunken Nights, and the band appeared on the BBC's Top of the Pops.

They later appeared again on the show with Shane MacGowan and the Pogues to perform the single The Irish Rover.

According to BBC