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Once more an early morning Sunday battle ensues between the resilient iron fist of golden oldies Tony Christie and Status Quo in the blue corner, standing face to face with promising electro indie pop pioneers Wave Machines and Glastonbury’s house band of the weekend, We Have Band, over in the red. Awaking to the hymnal wafts of the WaterAid West Country Community Choir, this is about as close as life gets to an ‘Easy’ Sunday morning. Wave Machines’ brand of emotionally scarred psychedelia owes more than a nod to Animal Collective yet tinged with a sense of coherence often devoid of the Merriweather trio’s musical meanderings. Appearing in freak show paper masks of their own faces, Dead Houses could spawn a frog in the back of Faris Rotter’s throat whilst Punk Spirit blissfully contradicts its title, equipping itself with perhaps the most memorable chorus this side of Christie’s path to Amarillo. However, where the scouse Wave Machines triumph, We Have Band’s Diet Daft Punk electro funk fades into the flimsy and forgettable Glastonbury recycle bin. Despite counting amongst their ranks two fiancées, their hearts seemingly aren’t quite in it. Wearing vital organs on their sleeves however are New York Emo types Brand New. Taking a slightly misguided detour from August’s Reading and Leeds festivals, a healthy gathering of rage-harbourers have come to bow down before one of the last few purveyors of the Emotional hardcore that the likes of Rival Schools and The Get Up Kids scrawled all over underground tunnels and sewer-like clubs. Drawing heavily from seminal previous record The Devil And God Are Raging Inside (Sowing Season’s soaring chorus is the moment) with a dash of Deja Entendu (Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades) and the odd glimpse of desperately anticipated new material it’s a vital Glastonbury appearance. Defiance of stereotype complete. If only the Daily Mail were sponsoring The Other Stage at least for that single hour…

Perhaps their booking isn’t quite as off-kilter as Enter Shikari’s blurring of the ludicrously distinct boundaries between trance and metal. Knowing what can be lived with and without, they’re largely avoided like swine flu. Switching the magnet from repel to attract, Karen O’s arthouse New Yorkers Yeah Yeah Yeahs could almost hold their own sequined fate headlining tonight. New additions Dull Life, Runaway and Zero add to the flash stage show, taking in everything from spangly blue backdrops to inflatable eyeballs that roll over the thousands that sprawl out across the green green hills of home. Well, judging by the Glastonbury addiction experienced by every last veteran it’s at the very least a spiritual home. Maybe Eavis should leave it open all year round? Karen O’s enviable quirkiness/ madness (both overheard during their blistering set) is toned down by Natasha Khan’s Bat For Lashes although the sequins hold on for another hour or two before depression sinks in. Adorned in sparkles that Björk may come back for, she’s not so single-handed these days, having roped in perhaps the alt. female supergroup, comprised of New Young Pony Club’s drumming damsel Lou Barlow and Ash ex-pat Charlotte Hatherley. Haunting opener Glass is otherworldly enough for late night strolls deep into the hidden holes of Glastonbury, the zither twang of Prescilla is as sublime as any sunset and Daniel has become the undeniable ace in Khan’s pack, rounding off a subdued obliteration of Sunday evening amidst the smell of cinders and rain. Needless to say, the glitz and the glamour of Khan and O are, for the most part, absent from Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver. It’s no wonder that the record of the past year translates to one of the indispensable shows of the festival. Frankly, it seems criminal that Nick Cave & his Bad Seeds sit atop the Pyramid drawing anything away from Vernon’s tales of smashed hopes and hearts. Once more, The Wolves swathes wondrously into the lantern-filled heavens and regardless of what happens from here on in, For Emma, Forever Ago will never be forgotten. Nick Cave is about as energy-fuelling as the dirty noodles strewn all over the floor, as he growls and prowls his way through a lacklustre outback of nothingness. The only oasis comes in the shape of There She Goes, My Beautiful World, where Cave’s botany brain cells get an exercise although without the ecclesiastical gospel choir committed to Abattoir Blues, there’s room for improvement. Or retirement.

And finally, flying the flag for quintessential Britain, Colchester’s finest and Damon’s day job, Blur. Opening with the ground-breaking This Is A Low, it’s an ecstatic excursion from here on in. The shyness of specced-up unsung hero Graham Coxon puts fears aside to belt out Coffee & TV to the hundreds of thousands gathered to witness history/ relive the glory days of Britpop/ round Glastonbury off with the best karaoke show of all time. Their nostalgia bus stops off at Girls & Boys, Parklife, Out of Time, Beetlebum and a mesmerising Song 2, regurgitating the incomprehensible dilemma of quite how there ever were a ring fit for the Gallaghers’ egocentricity and monotonous, dirgy records, and Blur’s pop genius. Maybe the dispute will settle itself once and for all come August when Oasis’ dreary presence and weary heads headline this year’s V Festival. If they beat Albarn’s majestic final frontier, we’ll all be rushing out to grab one of Liam’s extortionate Pretty Green parkas.

Once more, Michael and Emily have pieced together the knees-up the temperamental British summer yearns for as the coronation of the crown of roses for the best festival on the planet has already been bagged. Keep it coming, Michael. There’s life in this old beast yet.

Glastonbury is on the horizon folks and it’s looking gigantic. This year Worthy Farm boasts more stages than you can shake a stick at and enough live entertainment for anyone to die happy. So, what sets shouldn’t you miss and which hidden (and less well-hidden) treasures are waiting? Here’s a list of 10 bands not to miss:

Mr Hudson (Other Stage – 10.50am Friday)

By now you will probably have heard of Mr. Ben Hudson because Kanye West has been shamelessly promoting him at his every turn. Sure, he may be on his record label but you don’t find Kanye generally peddling shit to the masses. Mr Hudson has an inspired voice and brings an electronic edge to his music. He has the potential and the hype to become not just a huge but a monster act so it’s worth nursing that Friday morning hangover at the Other Stage.

Hot 8 Brass Band (Jazz World stage – 3.50pm Friday)

So by 4 in the afternoon you’ll probably be wanting the sun to be out and some party music to set you in the right mood for the evening. Well, the Hot 8 Brass Band is here to answer your prayers with a heady mix of feel-good tunes and an inspired cover of ‘Sexual Healing’ in their back catalogue. Brass bands have never been so cool.

Lady GaGa (Other Stage – 8pm Friday)

Simply put this is a ‘marmite’ set. Our favourite finger-flicking pop star will either sink or swim on the 2^nd biggest stage at the festival. Something tells me that the weather and alcohol consumed beforehand will have a big bearing on whether Lady GaGa emerges from her set triumphant or tragic.

Neil Young (Main Stage – 10pm Friday)

When Michael Eavis booked Neil Young, people moaned that it was contradictory to his assertion he wants to bring the young people back to Glastonbury. Do you know what though – any young person who knows anything about music will have been influenced/listened to/heard of Neil Young. He wrote the book on guitar rock and Eavis clearly agrees, pencilling him in for a 2 and a quarter hour set. That should be enough time for classics like ‘Cortez the Killer’, ‘Rockin in the Free World’ and enough guitar solos to send your head dizzy. He may be 63 but wouldn’t you be bloody proud to be headlining the best festival in the world at that age?

Baddies (John Peel Stage – 12pm Saturday)

Here’s a band who readily admit playing Glastonbury is a life-long ambition. This set is likely to be abrupt, riotous and hectic if frontman Mike Webster’s chipped tooth is anything to go by from recent shows. You can still catch this band while they’re considered ‘new’ and ‘cool’ if you get down to the John Peel Stage early on Saturday or catch them on Sunday at the Dirty Boots stage if you like your gigs intimate.

Special Guests (Park Stage - 7.50pm Saturday)

A few weeks back Emily and Michael Eavis announced a very special guest will play the Park stage which even they’re scared to announce due to health and safety fears. Currently this 7.50pm spot remains unfilled and I’ve come up with 3 bands doing the rumour rounds.

• 1) Arctic Monkeys – Reading Festival might not like this but who cares. The Monkeys embark on a European tour a few days after Glastonbury so they should be in the right area.
• 2) Radiohead – yes they will headline again soon but a sneaky spot on the Park Stage might just remind Worthy Farm goers of their excellence and the band do have a soft spot for Eavis…
• 3) The Libertines – OK this is a bit outlandish but the forecast of a reunion show from messers Doherty and Barat is promising. Pete’s already on the bill so you don’t have to worry about him failing to show up and where better to roll out the old classics again?

Kasabian (Pyramid Stage – 8pm Saturday)

Kasabian are a band who raise their game for the big occasion. You only need to look back to their epic Other Stage headlining spot in 2005 to know they relish having all eyes on them. This penultimate spot should be no different, as Serge and the gang aim to blow Bruce Springsteen off the stage before he’s even arrived. Expect a combination of older tunes ‘L.S.F’ and ‘Empire’ mixed with newer, more experimental tracks like ‘Vlad the Impaler’. Should be epic.

Enter Shikari (Other Stage – 3.45pm Sunday)

On paper this shouldn’t work and that’s why it’ll be so bloody good. Enter Shikari will try to tame a gigantic field with their mix of dance, grime, metal and devastating techno. Vocalist Rou Reynolds will also do his best stage gymnastics throughout and probably end up vaulting off a stack of amps so even if you don’t like the music, don’t miss this.

Roots Manuva (Jazz World Stage – 7.15pm Sunday)

There are few more seminal UK hip-hop acts than Rodney Smith, a.k.a Roots Manuva. This set on the Jazz World stage has the ability to mesmerise your already fried brain. With enough special guests on his albums to compile a dictionary it may also be time for another surprise showing.

Blur (Main Stage – 9.50pm Sunday)

One of the biggest bands of British pop history reforms at the grandaddy of all festivals – how can this not be memorable? Even if Albarn and co. are out of tune and out of practice this will probably spank 95% of the other acts playing at Worthy Farm for the mere spectacle. But let’s be honest, they won’t be out of tune and they’ll presumably have 80,000 people hanging on to their every note so they can’t really lose.

• Photo courtesy of Geoftheref’s Photostream

Glastonbury regulars often profess that the festival is a home from home, an annual pilgrimage. Granted, very few people actually live in enormous fields jammed with music, mud and biodegradable pegs, but it is a valid point. This year the homely feel will be bolstered by an abundance of acts that are on the latter side of the youth vs experience divide, bringing familiarity to the faces the hordes stare at from afar. Records long since gathering digital dust will be filling cars and minds on the road to Worthy Farm, taking listeners closer to where they came from.

However, as well as the unfailing non-debate about the shocking nature of the line up – last year too radical, this year too wrinkly – there will be another constant at this year’s festival of festivals: houses. While the second homes scandal has left politicians shamed and the public has been left mortar-fied (sorry) by ever-decreasing property values, Michael Eavis has gone and booked a main stage nigh-on obsessed with dwellings of all shapes and sizes. There even seems to be a hierarchy happening with this property phenomenon. Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen, as the undisputed joint legends of the jaunt, don’t just get the biggest trailers – they get the largest house references. Both singers are likely to boom out separate songs titled Mansion on the Hill, clearly illustrating their financial clout as well as their musical standing. The tales tell of aspiration rather than grandeur, but at Glastonbury these hypothetical mansions are on “no ordinary hill”. According to Glastonbury Tor’s website, people “develop personal, profound relationships” with the mound. As the final headliner, Blur are not quite at mansion status, having to settle instead for their Country House. The Oasis-beating single, which the band promise will be revamped and rocked up for Glasto, may be a tad on the small side quality-wise, but Damon Albarn assures us it is a “very big house”.

With the big guns taking the intellectual property rights issue slightly too literally, those preceding them on the Pyramid Stage are playing catch up. Madness lay claim to the only home to spawn its own musical with Our House, while House of Fun gives them another track to claim expenses on. Meanwhile, Fleet Foxes’ slow-burning prospects will be offered to the masses when Quiet House breathes its understated mastery, while Crosby, Stills and Nash’s own Our House is sure to fire up memories. All that will be left before the long trip back home for another year is for the only investment more reliable than real estate, Tom Jones, to croon a rather famous number concerning some place or other where the grass is always greener. Home sweet home.

• Photo courtesy of al_green’s Photostream

Credible artists spawned from reality TV shows are few and far between and economic crises do little to alter such a true reality. Yet with this summer’s Blur reformation in full swing, bassist of the Colchester quartet Alex James obviously saw a glimmer of hope in the forlorn, longing eyes of Scottish troubadour-in-waiting Tommy Reilly whilst on the panel for this year’s Orange Unsigned Act. Reilly went on to win the competition and has since secured a lucrative major label deal. He’s lined up for a series of high profile festival slots over the summer, taking in London’s very own Lovebox Weekender and Ben & Jerry’s Summer Sundae as well as a homecoming at July’s T in the Park. Tommy’s tales of teenage heartbreak will be teaching students a thing or two at Kings College tomorrow night (17^th June) with tickets available here. The whirlwind video for dreamy latest single Jetpacks can be seen above.

• Tommy Reilly’s Myspace

A haze of frenzied internet scrambles and disjointed voyages into the unknown have shrouded Blur’s reunion plans of the summer thus far and the first of several secret London shows proved to be no exception. As students at London’s prestigious Goldsmiths College, the mere concept of social networking via a futuristic phenomenon that would be named the World Wide Web seemed unrealistic enough. That the same four unlikely lads would be broadcasting clandestine clues as to secret shows across the capital decades later would surely have seemed impossible. Yet around 10:42, Graham Coxon’s Twitter page gave the game away, rallying the troops to Brixton Academy for eighteen minutes later. A mad dash over the river, through the market and into the unnervingly miniscule queue ensued and fifteen minutes later, wrists were endowed with shining green/ gold dust wristbands emblazoned with the band’s now iconic freeform font. All that was left to do was wait. And wait… and wait. Until eventually, bang on five phones and electronic inboxes alike were bombarded with conclusive info as to the wheres and then the whens; Rough Trade East, on stage at 7pm sharp, no arrivals before half six for fear of jeopardising the whole shebang.

With tickets to the reformed quartet’s club shows in the run-in to colossal headlining festival slots and two sold out nights in the capital’s oxygenated heart of Hyde Park harder to come by than disposable barbeques in nigh on every London supermarket, a glimpse of hope came in a flash of green. Journeying across a drizzly, musty cityscape did nothing to dampen anticipation and impatience shot mercury out from bodily gauges. Bounding onstage a matter of minutes late, pandemonium and sheer disbelief sprung across the bemused mass of two-hundred odd devotees yet within minutes of She’s So High, any remaining emotions turn to beaming ear-to-ear grins from one claustrophobic wall to another, mirrored on the faces of the chiselled jaw of the endlessly posing Alex James and sweat-drenched youthful demeanour of Albarn. Having tried their collective hands and limbs at everything from cheese farming to Chinese operas and politics, a digging out of the roots that cemented Blur as the quintessentially cheeky Brit upstarts was always on the cards. Tonight, Rough Trade is transformed into the best garage gig never to entail smashed windscreens as involuntary feedback rasps through the murky humidity of an Amazonian rainforest. The Albarn sneer seen in full throttle for the first time in almost a decade proved its worth, as he, microphone lead in tow, veered dangerously close to a menacingly manic mob. The Arabian twang of Out of Time translated sonically to otherworldly treasures whilst Girls & Boys, complete with Alex James scaling the pillars preventing the ceiling from collapsing down upon us, served up the sort of sublime slab of disco stardust Klaxons would have to travel further than the near future for. The understated Gospel stomp of Tender juxtaposed with the visceral, obnoxious wails of Song 2 did everything to ramify precisely why Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree perfectly fill that gaping hole in the British music industry, without the sheer arrogance and destruction of the Gallagher brothers, nor the milk and cookies approach of the likes of Coldplay and The Script. Invigorating, inspiring and utterly unmissable, the reunion never sounded so victorious.

Blur tore through the following setlist:

She’s So High
Girls And Boys
Advert
For Tomorrow
End Of A Century
Beetlebum
Coffee And TV
Tender
Out Of Time
Popscene
Song 2
Parklife
This Is A Low

Solo projects for guitarists in big, brilliant, successful bands can often be a formula for the overblown extravagances that are honed back on their day jobs. For Graham Coxon, it is quite the opposite.

The Blur member now has seven solo efforts to his name, the latest of which – The Spinning Top – he showcased in the cosy confines of The Lexington. It is a mainly acoustic, whimsical offering, a tone that dominates and dictates the set.

From the ponderous opening strums of Look Into The Night, it is clear this isn’t an evening for showing off. Coxon sits awkwardly, adjusting his trademark glasses, and is joined by a double bassist and drummer. The mood onstage is gentle and calm, playfulness overriding any intensity.

The musicianship is supreme throughout, especially on the twee strum of In The Morning and the nursery rhyme melodiousness of Perfect Love. However, This House is pedestrian and it is a relief when Coxon finally dusts off the electric guitar and jerks into the exquisite Dead Bees.

He soon follows this thundering effort with Sorrow’s Army, as the double bass is played with a bow to create an intriguing sound that provides scope for Coxon to display his six-string mastery. The new songs keep coming thick and fast though – in fact he plays nothing else for the whole of the main set.

This leaves many gig-goers hoping in vain for a cut from other acclaimed albums such as Happiness in Magazines and Love Travels at Illegal Speeds. Much mirth and distraction is evident in the crowd due to this, with one heckler cheekily requesting “Play us a new one Graham”. However, Coxon is equal to it with a smile, querying “how we doing now? Worse?” after Home. His humour and warmth keep things affable as he lauds his Salvation Army shirt.

When arriving back onstage for an encore, a rendition of November is rather dribbly and directionless, but a cover of Babe, It Ain’t No Lie is a fitting ending. The pristine performance of a song made famous by the late Davey Graham, evidently a huge influence upon The Spinning Top, it is cajoled along by doting bassline and played with tenderness and care.

The new tracks lack the crashing fun and fury of the past and are more thoughtful and elegant in their composition in general. While this is certain to gain Coxon more admirers in bedrooms and headphones across the world, it doesn’t translate so well onstage as of yet – at least when taken as an entire set rather than a portion of his more mixed repertoire. Coxon is impressive tonight rather than exciting; the man himself is probably quite content to be so.

One of the world’s best loved and well known, if not muddy,  festivals sold out this morning, as music lovers snapped up the last few remaining tickets.

Final sales started at 9am, enabled those who had registered in the intial stages with photographic information to deter to touts, to get their musical mitts on the gold dust tickets.

Acts officially confirmed by www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk include Lily Allen, Fleet Foxes, Neil Young, Blur, Bruce Springsteen, Doves and White Lies to name a few. It is anticipated that the remaining headline acts will be announced in the next few weeks.

It’s hard not to be a little overcome in the presence of afrobeat originator Tony Allen. After all, Brian Eno has described him as “perhaps the greatest drummer who has ever lived.” Since the early sixties he’s been a pioneering force in contemporary African music, and his influence can be heard across a broad spectrum of musical styles. I asked Tony what first inspired him to pick up the drum sticks.

“I wanted to create my own style of music. God gave me a gift, and I followed my own path.”

He pauses to reflect for a moment, and adds “I always wanted to be different than other drummers, that’s why I’ve never tried to do anything else than afrobeat.”

Afrobeat was borne of an aim to provide social commentary on the inequalities inherent in African society. As a part of Fela Kuti’s Africa ‘70, Allen was a foundational force in its development. He is quick to note that the problems afrobeat confronts are not exclusive to the continent, and in fact much of the drive behind the movement was motivated by struggles overseas.

“The social problems are not concentrated in Africa. Don’t forget that Fela had to go to the USA in 1969, meeting with the US black people to start to realize his Africanism.. As soon as we came back from the states, he started his fight against the governments and the dictature.”

A thoughtful expression crosses his faces as he muses “One sometimes has to move away from his own country to be completely aware of his home.”

Rather than adopt the same style of protest that his American contemporaries were developing, Allen states that he was always drawn to create something unique.

“I always wanted to sound different than U.S. jazz or hip hop artists. I hoped that maybe this alternative music vision would be able to effect someting in our society.”

With such a long history, I ask Tony whether he feels afrobeat might have lost some of its political urgency. I wonder whether it is still as politically charged.

“As long as African people will suffer of many diseases, there will always be artists fighting for them.”

His influence on popular music cannot be understated. The past twenty years have seen him collaborate with many big name artists. It would seem he has a soft spot for Blur and Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn.

“My aim has always been to fuse afrobeat with other styles of music and to spread it all over the world. I love to experience my drumming with others, like my different collaborations with Damon Albarn.”

His work with Albarn has included drumming on The Good, The Bad and The Queen album released in 2007, and he assures me there will be more to come from the pair, among other works.

“I am currently working with Damon Albarn on a new album project with other guests. I am also involved in Africa Express, a series of events promoting African music. We’ve had some hectic shows at Glastonbury, Liverpool, Lagos and Kinshasa, and there’s more to come in 2009.”

The world of music has changed a lot since Allen first taught himself to drum, but he remains optimistic about the industry as a whole. Whatever some might say about music losing some of its soul, it remains essential to him.

“It is vital for me. I don’t care what people may say about it.”

Allen shows no signs of retiring as time goes on, with his many collaborations in the works as well as a new album ready for release.

“My new album “Secret agent” will be released next June under World Circuit Records. But I won’t play my new album in this Australian tour.. next time for sure!”

Allen is touring Australia in March. For more info head to his myspace page.

Musicfeeds - Tighter than a nun’s schedule!

Glastonbury Festival have finally confirmed the news we’ve all been saying we knew already. Bruce Springsteen is to headline the 2009 festival on Saturday night.

“I’m so pleased that Bruce Springsteen has agreed to come to Worthy Farm for the first time” says Michael Eavis on the Glastonbury website. “He’s one of the all-time rock legends and I’m confident that this will be one of our best shows ever. He’s also a Barack Obama supporter, which makes two headliners in a row who’ve backed the new President.”

Franz Ferdinand have already confirmed their appearance and rumours of further headliners include Blur and Neil Young.

Glastonbury takes place on June 26-28 and even though tickets have already sold out, a small amount of cancelled tickets will go back on sale at 9am on April 5th.

So - is this good news, bad news? Who do you want to see play?

The barmy Christmas season is well and truly in full flow with yet more rumours of bands reforming - fuelling festive nostalgia. Following the news about Blur and then Ska heroes The Specials who are now all set to play together next year - albeit minus an apparently snubbed Jerry Dammers - come more rumours that The Smiths might be on the road to reformation. But perhaps even more unlikely than that are the rumours surfacing that The Stone Roses might also be considering playing together again.

Even though Johnny Marr has only said something along the lines of ‘maybe, who knows?’ - this is more than enough for a few thousand gladioli-growing fans to start earnestly praying and growing their Morrissey quiffs once more. Although the thought of a legion of 30/40-something old Smiths fans bravely ignoring their paunches beneath flowery shirts and charity shop blazers should be reason enough to kill off all thoughts of healing rifts. Or if some big promoter could top a £40 million offer that Morrissey said was most recently on the table then there might be panic on the streets of London once again…

Now Primal Screamer Mani has dropped a big old teaser about the dream you should never dare to dream - that The Stone Roses might get back together. He said to Channelbee that both him and John Squire might be keen but they have yet to persuade Ian Brown. And of course 2009 is the 20th anniversay of their legendary debut album.

So what do you think? Is it a good idea for these bands to hit the comeback trail? Who would you rather see - The Smiths or The Stone Roses? Any other bands ripe for reformation?

So, Christmas being a time for nostalgia, you’ve got your name down to win a promo of The Kinks’ CD boxset, fingers poised to buy tickets for the Blur Hyde Park gig and you’re all booked in to see the Ian Dury stage show in London. What else can your Christmas stocking hold this year? The first ever official book by the actual real Clash men of course! With unique, never-seen-before content dusted down from The Clash archives comes this very pink and punk book from Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simenon and Topper Headon… called The Clash, of course. Nice. And if there’s still room in Santa’s sack then why not ask him to squeeze in the DVD of The Clash Live - Revolution Rock and the CD of The Clash Live At Shea Stadium? Okay - so has anybody taken the hint? There’s a big empty space underneath my Christmas tree at the moment…

Need some more ideas for Christmas? How about a promo of The Kinks’ CD boxset, tickets to see the Ian Dury play or a place in the queue to see Blur’s comeback gig in Hyde Park next year?

Yes - the news that all Oasis fans have been waiting for - Blur have confirmed that they are all set to reform in 2009 and will play Hyde Park, London on July 3. This will be the first time the original foursome have played together since naughty Graham Coxon left a few years back. Kinks’ fan Damon Albarn has been busy being the sound behind the animated Gorillaz, working with Clash man Paul Simonon on The Good, The Bad & The Queen and resurrecting Monkey magic in time for the BBC’s Beijing Olympics stings. Cheese fan Alex James has been busy on a farm somewhere, writing columns for British newspapers and trying to conduct an orchestra for a BBC reality TV series (and the less said about Fat Les and Wig Wam the better). Um, frankly I don’t know what drum fan Dave Rowntree has been up. But I bet he’s glad he’s got some big dates in his diary now for 2009.

Tickets are on sale from 9am GMT on Friday 12 December from livenation.co.uk.

If this doesn’t make some Blur fan happy enough for Christmas, then how about a promo of The Kinks’ CD boxset, tickets to see the Ian Dury play or The Clash book, CD & DVD?