| CMU Daily - on the inside Friday 21st September |
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In today's CMU Daily:
- My instructions were wrong: Spector trial update
- iPhone French and German arrivals confirmed
- The Game let off for police impersonation
- Stereophonic injures arm in nightclub fracas
- Gallows man recovers from head injury
- Kylie and Robbie for Brits
- Akon collaborates with Jacko
- Fiddy reschedules UK dates
- Million plus register for Led Zepp tix
- Bloc Party remix competition
- CBGB owner left millions
- Stones top music rich list
- Movie inspires Jay-Z back into studio
- Radiohead US deal rumours
- Hot Hot Heat tour
- Delays tour
- Misty's tour
- Yahoo! UK launch new video music player
- Batt calls for more major indie collaboration
- Live sector want more cross industry collaboration
- 3 announce The Orchard deal
- 6Music PD resigns over phone in debacle
- Xfm breakfast host bans the enemy
- Mogwai drummer to auction pacemaker
- Britney update
- Mel B denies abandoning kids
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TOP BIT RECOMMENDED
Don't forget, there is now just one week to go until the next edition of the CMU Recommended Insomniacs Ball, which will once again take over the seOne club underneath London Bridge station, this time on 29 Sep.
On the bill this time are EdBanger stalwarts Uffie + Feadz and the irrepressible SebastiAn, giving things a little bit of a French feel, though there'll be plenty of home grown talent too, in particular the buzzy Pull Tiger Tail, the rather good We Smoke Fags, Dead Disco, These New Puritans, Ox Eagle Lion Man, Goldie Locks, Nic Nell, Punks Jump Up and Matty White Heat. In fact, in total there will be over seventeen bands playing the three rooms of the Ball, plus a stack of great DJs on top of that.
Given its name, obviously this all happens over night. Doors will open at 9.30pm and the proceedings will run all the way through to 6am the next day. And did I mention all this costs just a tenner?
Tickets are available from http://www.ticketweb.co.uk, there's more info at http://www.myspace.com/insomniacsball, and you press types can get all you need press wise from nick@10xbetter.com.
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JOBS N STUFF
VIDEO-C DIGITAL ACCOUNT & CAMPAIGN MANAGER
Temporary position for 3 months cover
Leading music video website Video-C is looking for a Digital Account & Campaign Manager to operate from their London office to cover for 3 months - 1st December 2007 - 1st March 2008. Specific responsibilities include: Maximising revenue to achieve sales targets for music marketing campaigns delivered for our UK record company clients; Generating detailed proposals for campaigns, winning, booking, executing and delivering campaigns; Liaison with the editorial / production team to ensure smooth execution and delivery; Updating external partner sites with details of new campaigns and encouraging them to add content to their sites; Identifying potential new clients, chasing new leads and following up potential business; Increasing client awareness of the wider offerings of the company including I Love Video, digital marketing solutions and the encoding and advertising services. Please contact Paul Langston - paul@video-c.co.uk.
ROADRUNNER CLUB PROMOTIONS/OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Leading rock label Roadrunner Records are looking for a young, enthusiastic and bright person to run their Club Promotions dept and assist with general office management and administration. It would suit a creative, methodical and highly-motivated college or university graduate looking to get onto the music industry ladder. Previous experience in promotions is an advantage, but not essential. However, a passion for Rock/Metal music is. Please send CV and covering letter to rrguest@roadrunnerrecords.co.uk. Mark your e-mail "CV".
TUNETRIBE DEVELOPER
TuneTribe are looking to recruit a Graduate java/j2ee software developer to join their rapidly expanding B2B department. The right candidate will have a good knowledge of J2EE programming in a Linux environment. Core skills to include Spring, Hibernate, MySQL, HTML and CSS. Please send CV and covering letter to ronnie.traynor@tunetribe.com.
Advertise your jobs here for £80 a week - email ads@unlimitedmedia.co.uk to book.
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INTERNSHIPS N STUFF
UNLIMITED INTERNSHIPS
UnLimited Media is looking to recruit new interns for the Autumn semester. Interns will work at our London office on Shoreditch High Street and will be involved both with CMU plus other exciting UnLimited projects, including a brilliant new rich-media video service and an innovative new arts festival in development. Full time, part time and short term internships are available. If you are interested email details on what you are interested in and when you are available, plus a CV, to recruitment@unlimitedmedia.co.uk.
Advertise your internships here for £80 a week - email ads@unlimitedmedia.co.uk to book.
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CMU FRIDAY TIPS
CHRIS' CLUB TIP: Remix Night at Cargo
We've been plugging this one quite a bit, but it's the final Cargo edition of Remix Night tonight, and it will be a stormer. As well as Young Punx and Slyde live, you will get Remix chief Eddy TM and Groove Armada's Tom Finlay on the decks and, this just in, Soul Of Man will be playing too - hurrah! Definitely a must go night.
Friday 21 Sep, Cargo, Rivington Street, London, EC2, 9pm-3am, £10, info at http://www.leylinepromotions.com/remix
VIGSY'S CLUB TIP: DJ Marky and Friends at The End
This great central London club hosts Brazilian D&B guru Marky and chums...who this time include Ninja Tune's crew. The Markster is in the main room with a live PA from Ben Westbeech - which should be cool - along with the AI boys and MC Rage. Then Jon More from Coldcut, Westbeech on ones and twos and Tom Ravenscroft sort out the Lounge - with their left field themes and dreams...this room will rock too!
Friday 21 Sep, The End, 18 West Central Street, London WC1A, 10pm-6am, £13 (£11 NUS), info at http://www.endclub.com/
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MY INSTRUCTIONS WERE WRONG: SPECTOR TRIAL UPDATE
The jury in the Phil Spector murder trial were back in their little room and deliberating once more yesterday after Judge Larry Paul Fidler withdrew a key part of his original instructions which some reckon may have caused some confusion.
As previously reported, the jury announced earlier this week that they were at deadlock, split five to seven regarding whether or not Spector was guilty or not of murder in relation to the death of actress Lana Clarkson at the legendary producer's Beverly Hills home back in 2003.
It was initially thought that Fidler may allow the jury to instead consider whether they thought Spector was guilty of involuntary manslaughter, but he subsequently announced that option would not be given. Instead he removed a clause from his original instructions to the jury which said that in order to convict Spector the jury members must be certain that the producer held a gun directly into Lana Clarkson's mouth before it was fired. Fidler said that, having thought about it, that instruction "mis-stated the law" and was an "absolute error".
That alteration goes in the prosecution's favour because, in theory, it makes it easier for wavering jurors to conclude Spector is guilty without any new evidence being presented. However, legal experts said yesterday that should the jury now reach a guilty verdict, Fidler's last minute change of heart on that instruction could make the ruling much easier to appeal.
After Fidler's instructions were amended, the jury resumed deliberations, before being dismissed for the day at 4pm. They will continue their discussions today.
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IPHONE FRENCH AND GERMAN ARRIVALS CONFIRMED
It has now been confirmed that the Apple iPhone will be launched via exclusive deals with T-Mobile and Orange in Germany and France respectively. The iPod/mobile hybrid will arrive in Germany on the same day as the UK - 9 Nov - priced at 339 euros, just slightly cheaper than the UK retail price of £269, and again somewhat higher than the current US price of $399 (or £198 or 284 euros). The price and release date for France is still tbc, though a November arrival is expected. Further iPhone announcements are still expected, with Italy and Spain the next obvious markets for the Apple mobile to target.
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THE GAME LET OFF FOR POLICE IMPERSONATION
The Game essentially got off on one of his run ins with the law yesterday. He was in court in New York facing those charges that he impersonated a police officer when, last November, he jumped into a cab and told the driver he was an undercover cop and he could therefore run red lights. But the judge at the New York State Supreme Court gave the hip hopper a conditional discharge, meaning that as long as he stays out of trouble for six months the charges will be dropped and the case closed. After the court hearing the rapper told reporters: "I love New York, but I hate the system. But, I hate every system".
Whether he'll be so lucky when he goes to court in California to face separate charges of allegedly pulling a gun during a basketball game in a school zone remains to be seen. If found guilty of all those charges he could face five years in jail.
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STEREOPHONIC INJURES ARM IN NIGHTCLUB FRACAS
Chief Stereophonic Kelly Jones is in hospital after injuring his arm in a fracas outside a London nightclub (and it was a pretty gruesome injury, if the picture in yesterday's Evening Standard is anything to go by).
The arm injuring incident took place outside Amika following Stereophonics' performance at the other night's Vodafone Live Music Awards. It seems there was some kind of altercation which led to Jones falling on some glass, which cut his arm. An official statement from the band issued yesterday explained: "Kelly and friends were leaving the club when he had an altercation with an over-zealous security guard. As a result of the ensuing fracas, Kelly badly injured his arm and is currently in hospital, where he has been since the early hours of this morning awaiting a consultation with a surgeon".
The tabloids, however, suggest Jones kind of brought it on himself, after going into the club's ladies toilets to find his girlfriend, and then refusing to budge when asked to leave after other female clubbers objected to him being there.
Either way, the injury means the band have had to pull out of performing on Channel 4's Transmission show this week.
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GALLOWS MAN RECOVERS FROM HEAD INJURY
Elsewhere in the pop emergency room, an update on Gallows frontman Frank Carter who, as previously reported, cut his head at a gig at the weekend after a mini-stage invasion caused him to slip. It seems the injury is slightly worse than previously thought and, in addition to required stitches, he is suffering from concussion. Either way, doctors have told him to properly rest while he recovers, causing the cancellation on a few upcoming gigs.
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KYLIE AND ROBBIE FOR BRITS
Rumour has it that both Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams are being lined up to play at next year's Brit Award. I just thought I'd mention it.
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AKON COLLABORATES WITH JACKO
Akon has told MTV that he has been working with Michael Jackson who, as previously reported, is meant to be working on a new album. On the Jacko experience, Akon said: "He's incredible. He's a genius. Just to be in the same room [with him], I felt everything I wanted to accomplish in life had been achieved. We're about to shake the world up, man. You know how you can be with somebody and you can't even explain? The way he thinks...some artists think regional, some think national, I was thinking international. He thinks planets. It's on another level". So there you have it. Akon also revealed he'll be collaborating with Madonna and Whitney Houston soon, so he's a very busy chap.
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FIDDY RESCHEDULES UK DATES
50 Cent has rescheduled his European tour which, as previously reported, was cancelled earlier this week just as it became clear Kanye West had won the big chart battle in both the UK and the US. Fiddy's people said yesterday that the rap star will now perform eight arena dates in the UK in November, ironically putting the tour up against Kanye West's next UK tour, which will also take place that month.
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MILLION PLUS REGISTER FOR LED ZEPP TIX
More than a million people have applied for tickets to see Led Zeppelin reunite at the much previously reported Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert that will take place at London's O2 arena. Well, I say that, perhaps some of the million were vying to see Bill Wyman or Paolo Nutini, who will also perform at the show. There will be 20,000 tickets available, and the lucky, lucky music fans who get to spend £125 on a ticket will be alerted of that fact by 1 Oct. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith says this: "This response is amazing. We would like to thank all the fans for their support and we hope that all those fortunate to be successful will keep the tickets out of the hands of touts".
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BLOC PARTY REMIX COMPETITION
Bloc Party are doing a remix competition with that U-Myx technology which makes it easy for the uninitiated to remix a track. Members of the band's fan club will be able to access a U-Myx tool which will allow them to remix 'Hunting For Witches' off this year's album 'A Weekend In The City'. The best remixes according to, erm, someone, will win tickets to upcoming Bloc Party gigs. The band will then pick an overall winner which will appear on a download only album and the band's MySpace.
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CBGB OWNER LEFT MILLIONS
It turns out that the late CBGB club owner Hilly Kristal was quite a bit better off than most people thought. According to Village Voice, Kristal, who died last month, has left assets worth $3.7 million, which is pretty impressive given many people thought the club owner was broke.
The fortune has led to tensions in the Kristal family, with accusations that daughter Lisa will unfairly benefit over her brother Dana and their mother Karen who, Dana claims, was persuaded to sign over her rights in the club three years ago when she was in no mental state to make any such decision. That means that Kate looks set to benefit from the bulk of her father's fortune, while Hilly's ex-wife Karen, very much involved in the building of the CBGB empire, could end up with nothing.
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STONES TOP MUSIC RICH LIST
Talking of rich music types (and 'rich' in the sense that makes a $3.7 million fortune sound like pocket money), The Rolling Stones have topped the Forbes' Musicians Rich List for the last financial year, thanks to the huge and very profitable success of their Bigger Bang tour. Between June 2006 and June 2007 the band pocketed an estimated $88 million, making them the biggest music earners of the year.
That said, the Stones have to share their fortunes, whereas the $83 million Jay-Z is estimated to have earned is all his (well, Beyonce might help him spend it). He is the second biggest earner according to the Forbes list, with the full top ten looking like this...
1. Rolling Stones - $88 million
2. Jay-Z - $83 million
3. Madonna - $72 million
4. Bon Jovi - $67 million
5. Elton John - $53 million
6. Celine Dion - $45 million
7. Tim McGraw - $37 million
8. Fiddy - $33 million
9. U2 - $30 million
10. Diddy - $23 million
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MOVIE INSPIRES JAY-Z BACK INTO STUDIO
Talking of Jay-Z, according to the New York Times the hip hop mogul has recorded a new album loosely based on the new Ridley Scott film 'American Gangster', though the project has no official connection to the movie, rather Jay was apparently so moved by the film that it inspired him to go into the studio and record some autobiographical songs based on his early days as a Brooklyn rapper and drug dealer. The plan, the Times says, is to now release the album, as 'American Gangster', later this year.
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RADIOHEAD US DEAL RUMOURS
Rumour, rumour and all that. Rumour has it Radiohead are close to signing an American record deal with an unnamed independent label. As previously reported, Radiohead have been preparing a new long player but are currently not signed to any record company, having fulfilled their commitments to EMI, meaning they can go with whoever they want for the new album. The band are expected to sign only single album deals in the future.
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HOT HOT HEAT TOUR
We like Hot Hot Heat, and hey, look, they've just announced a UK tour, hurrah.
10 Nov: Oran Mor, Glasgow
11 Nov: The Village, Dublin
13 Nov: Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
14 Nov: Sheffield, Leadmill
15 Nov: Academy 2, Manchester
16 Nov: Zodiac, Oxford
17 Nov: Sugarmill, Stoke
18 Nov: Academy 2, Birmingham
19 Nov: Scala, London
21 Nov: Pavillion Theatre, Brighton
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DELAYS TOUR
We really like Delays, and hey, look, they've just announced a UK tour, hurrah. The tour will follow the 5 Nov release of a new five track limited edition EP to be called 'Love Made Visible', to be released by Fiction, to whom they recently signed.
7 Nov: Cardiff Bar Fly
8 Nov: Manchester Night and Day
9 Nov: Southampton Joiners
12 Nov: Birmingham Bar Academy
13 Nov: Glasgow King Tuts
15 Nov: London Hoxton Bar and Grill
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MISTY'S TOUR
We really really like Misty's Big Adventure, and hey, look, they've just announced a UK tour, hurrah. And they've got a new album in the pipeline - 'Funny Times' - which is cool. Here are the dates...
10 Oct: Southampton, Joiners
11 Oct: London, Metro
12 Oct: Brighton, Audio (Play It By Ear)
14 Oct: Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
19 Oct: Coventry, Taylor Johns House (With Jeffrey Lewis)
20 Oct: Bristol, Thekla (Festival)
23 Oct: Manchester, Roadhouse
25 Oct: Liverpool, Korova
26 Oct: Preston, Kolor Bar
31 Oct: Hull, Adelphi (This Is Hallowean Party With Dufus)
1 Nov: Lancaster (LAWM)
4 Nov: Stockton, Waiting Rooms
8 Nov: Birmingham Academy (with Dodgy)
9 Nov: Manchester Academy2 (with Dodgy)
10 Nov: Northampton Labour Club (Retrotonic Night)
14 Nov: Leicester, Firebug (Club Beaux Yeaux)
15 Nov: London, Shepherds Bush Empire (With Dodgy)
16 Nov: Tunbridge Wells Forum
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YAHOO! UK LAUNCH NEW VIDEO MUSIC PLAYER
Yahoo! UK yesterday announced the launch of their new Music Video Player which, the web firm says, offers improved navigation, higher quality streams and a new playlisting function, as well as working with the Safari and Firefox browsers as well as Internet Explorer.
A statement released by Yahoo! yesterday explains: "The new Music Video Player enables music fans to access over 6500 videos with the added dimension of being able to navigate the numerous Yahoo! Music channels simultaneously. Users can also switch between the available channels, whilst at the same time watching the videos in their playlist. The improved functionality is enhanced by the option of 500K streaming, allowing for crystal clear and full-screen viewing".
As with Yahoo!'s audio service LAUNCHcast, users will also be able to rate the videos they watch from which the system will recommend other artists and tracks they may enjoy.
Yahoo!'s video service has the support of a number of key industry players, including Universal Music UK, whose SVP Digital, Rob Wells, said yesterday: "Yahoo! Music has always had an extremely strong video offering. Their new music video player takes this to another level and is a great example of Yahoo! offering tools which enable music fans to have an excellent and free online music experience. Their new player must be in serious contention as the best on the market, the playlist functionality and navigation tools are top of the range, and the player itself houses the latest in audio and visual features. This is technology to excite everyone".
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BATT CALLS FOR MORE MAJOR INDIE COLLABORATION
The man behind Katie Melua and the Wombles' music career, Mr Mike Batt, yesterday told the Popkomm conference in Berlin that major and independent record companies should call a truce and work more closely together.
According to Billboard, Batt, who is founder and MD of Dramatico Entertainment, and who recently became Deputy Chairman of the BPI, said: "A lot of us who run indie labels tend to think of the majors as the enemy. They're not. The landscape has changed and now we need each other".
In a panel conversation with Billboard's Group Editorial Director Tamara Conniff, Batt said the indies should see the majors not as a threat, but as allies, especially in efforts to lobby for longer copyright terms in Europe. He added: "Instead of fighting against majors, and slagging them off, you can work with them".
On the continued growth of the major record companies, something some indies see as a problem, he concluded: "Companies buy each other. It's just trade. Universal is buying Sanctuary at the moment partly for the live business and partly for the catalogue. There's nothing wrong with that".
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LIVE SECTOR WANT MORE CROSS INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
Talking of calls for more collaboration, there's not just a need for more collaboration within the record industry, oh no, the record industry at large should be better communicating with the live sector too.
That was the conclusion of a session at Music Week's Live & Direct conference held in London this week, at which UltraStar International Development VP Steve Machin reportedly observed that the wider music business should be collaborating to: "make the pie bigger rather than trying to take pie from each other's pockets". Machin was one of several music biz execs talking up the value of bundling live, recorded music and merchandise in a bid to help different stakeholders in any one artist drive their sales.
According to Music Week, James Perkins of Concert Live, who sell instant recordings of gigs to audience members, reported that music fans were "chomping at the bit" to get his company's recordings, adding that the recorded music sector should embrace this new revenue stream, possibly by making such recordings chart eligible.
Geoff Huckstep, CEO of Nottingham Arena, meanwhile, told the Music Week audience: "I think the industry has got to get its act together in terms of pre-selling merchandise. How much communication is there between all the different stake-holders in our industry? When you've got a live CD for sale at the venue, sales of other merchandise decreases. There needs to be strategic partnerships".
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3 ANNOUNCE THE ORCHARD DEAL
Back to Popkomm, and phone firm 3 used the music biz conference to confirm a new alliance with independent music aggregator The Orchard which will see the mobile network licence music, video, and mastertone content from The Orchard's vast catalogue of independent music.
Confirming the deal, 3 UK Marketing Director, John Penberthy-Smith, told reporters: "We love music at 3. We are strong believers in delivering the widest possible range of content to our customers. Our partnership with The Orchard means we have expanded our music service even more. With this we will continue to have the most comprehensive mobile music service on the market".
The Orchard chief Greg Scholl, meanwhile, added: "3 knows that independent music is a crucial part of providing customers with music discovery and catalogue depth. As the only independent music distributor 3 has licensed directly, we appreciate 3's commitment to work with us and bring important non-mainstream music to UK customers".
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6MUSIC PD RESIGNS OVER PHONE IN DEBACLE
More hassle over at the Beeb as more and more naughty fake competitions and phone votes come to light - leading to one radio chief to resign and necessitating the purchase of another cat for Blue Peter.
Among the various interactive features rigged by BBC producers was a phone vote to pick a name for the new Blue Peter cat. The viewers voted for the cat to be called Cookie but, for reasons best known to the BBC bigwigs, producers decided to overrule the vote and name their new cat Socks. Now that the cat naming scandal has been revealed the Beeb have brought in another cat to be named Cookie. Presumably Socks himself overruled suggestions he simply change his name.
Elsewhere two further instances of made up competition winners have materialised over at BBC 6Music, who had already fired one producer after a phone in feature on the Liz Kershaw show featured staff members not listeners. The fall out there has led to the resignation of the station's Head Of Programmes, Ric Blaxill, whose departure is the most high profile fallout at the BBC from the whole rigged phone in debacle so far.
Admitting the latest round of rigging, BBC DG Mark Thompson said yesterday: "I would like to repeat my apology to viewers and listeners who were misled by these editorial lapses. Although these lapses amount to tens of hours across one million hours of broadcasting, the BBC's standards must be as high in small-scale competitions as they are in the most major news story".
Of course, most competitions were pulled off the BBC when all these accusations of fake phone ins started to surface, but they will return this Autumn, with new stricter rules for producers in how they should be run set to be introduced and enforced.
Of course all the blathering at the Beeb over rigged phone ins followed revelations that most broadcasters had been pretty slack in the way they ran audience interaction services, many encouraging viewers and listeners to phone premium rate phone lines for votes or competitions that were actually closed.
One of the worst offenders was GMTV which is now expected to be fined £2.7 million by media regulator OfCom for all its dodgy phone ins. The ITV breakfast franchise has just announced it has promoted Sales And Marketing Director Clive Crouch to the role of Acting Chief Operating Officer - he will be charged with the task of restoring calm at the company following the whole phone in scandal, which led to the resignation of Managing Director Paul Corley and Controller Of Enterprises Kate Fleming earlier this year.
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XFM BREAKFAST HOST BANS THE ENEMY
Xfm London breakfast show host Alex Zane has said he will never play another song by indie types The Enemy because of an ongoing feud between him and the band's frontman Tom Clarke who apparently told Zane that he hoped he would get "hit by a bus on [his] way home" during a run in at this week's Vodafone Live Music Awards.
Zane played seven seconds of The Enemy's latest single 'You're Not Alone' yesterday before declaring: "Those seven seconds are the last time The Enemy are going to be played on the Breakfast Show. This is the first time I've ever done this and I don't want to do this. I like the music of that band and we've talked them up, made them Record Of The Week, but I've had enough. I'm done with them now. You can find them elsewhere on Xfm, I can't control that. But I think if someone can be that rude, offensive and nasty no matter how good his music is and how nice his bandmates are, I'm done with them. I think wishing death upon people in graphic ways is the point when you go 'You know what, I can't even find the humour in this anymore'. So that's The Enemy off the Breakfast Show playlist forever. Hoorah!"
So, The Enemy by name, etc etc
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MOGWAI DRUMMER TO AUCTION PACEMAKER
Mogwai frontman Stuart Braithwaite has announced his band plan to auction off a pacemaker previously used by his bandmate Martin Bulloch after the band's drummer had a new one fitted this week. Writing on the band's MySpace, Braithwaite says: "In the last few hours Martin got out of theatre after getting a new heart pacemaker fitted. As we did before we will be organizing an e-bay auction to sell his old pacemaker with the proceeds going to the British Heart Foundation. Details will follow shortly. Get well soon Martin!"
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BRITNEY UPDATE
Wow, two days without a Britney update, and some CMU readers are getting restless. Well, for those addicted to this stuff, here's another Spears fix.
As previously reported, Spears was back in court this week for the next leg in the increasingly nasty custody battle between the popstress and ex Kevin Federline. The Fed has, of course, been pushing for increased or exclusive access to the couple's children after his ex's high profile decline into all round loopiness.
LA Superior Court judge Scott M Gordon told the court that Spears showed "a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol", though he allowed the current custody situation - with both Britney and Federline enjoying equal access to their children - to continue, but with certain conditions. Firstly, both parents must refrain from drinking or drug use for at least 12 hours before either cares for their children; secondly, both must attend a parenting course; thirdly, both are prohibited from "making derogatory remarks" about each other in their children's presence; and fourthly, Spears must agree to regular drug tests.
Neither Spears nor Federline have commented on the court order, though the former demonstrated her commitment to the judge's wishes by, erm, going partying in Hollywood where, according to onlookers, she was "off her head". Brilliant.
Elsewhere, reports say that Britney's former bodyguard Tony Barretto who, as previously reported, had been expected to be Federline's star witness in the custody battle, but who in the end wasn't called to speak at the latest hearing, has reportedly said in legal papers that he saw Britney parade around naked and take drugs in front of her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
Finally in Britney news, an insightful commentary from Justin Timberlake who was asked what he made of his ex-girlfriend's woes on the Oprah Winfrey show this week. "I don't know, to be honest with you" he replied. Well, at least he's honest.
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MEL B DENIES ABANDONING KIDS
Talking of allegedly neglecting your children, Spice Girl Mel B has been busy denying claims she abandoned her two kids - eight-year-old Phoenix Chi and two-month-old baby Angel Iris - when she went to Las Vegas to marry partner Stephen Belafonte.
The claims were made by a former employee of Brown called Tonia Lamere, who told US publication Star: "One evening of baby-sitting turned into four days! The child was sick, there was no nanny, and when Mel called she never even asked about the baby".
But Mel is claiming there is no truth in the allegations, and that Lamere is simply trying to make cash by selling made up stories to the gossip mags. A spokesman for the Spice Girl told the New York Daily News: "Melanie is a hands-on mother completely dedicated to the upbringing of her children and the well-being of her entire family. Any fictitious accusations to the contrary stem from greedy people looking to make a buck".
