Queen and Paul Rodgers have announced that they are to part ways after just over four years' collaboration, touring and recording last year's 'The Cosmos Rocks' album.

Speaking to VH1 news earlier this month, the former Free singer explained: “Well, you know, we did a world tour, we did a second tour of Europe and the Far East and Eastern Europe and we did a studio album and I think we’re kind of leaving it there gently. It’s out there for us to do things in the future if there’s something, a huge charity say like Nelson Mandela, I’m always open to that, but I think we are pretty much done.”

Additionally, speaking to Billboard magazine, Rodgers added it was never intended to be a long-term arrangement with Queen, adding: "At this point we're gonna sit back from this. My arrangement with (Queen) was similar to my arrangement with Jimmy (Page) in The Firm in that it was never meant to be a permanent arrangement.

Bad Company's tour kicks off on June 20 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Meanwhile Brian May and Roger Taylor are helping on an Italian version of their smash hit musical 'We Will Rock You.'

More info on Queen is available here: BrianMay.com

Source UNCUT

Legendary guitarist and producer Todd Rundgren is set to perform his classic album 'A Wizard, A True Star' in its entirety for the first time.

The rock veteran will perform the 1973 album on February 6 next year at the London HMV Hammersmith Apollo.

A favourite of artists including Hot Chip, who sampled his voice on their 2008 track 'Shake A Fist', the experimental album was, on its release, the longest-running album ever released on vinyl.

As well as his solo work, Rundgren is best known for producing artists including XTC, Patti Smith and Meat Loaf. Most recently he helmed the New York Dolls' latest effort 'Cause I Sez So'.

To check the availability of Todd Rundgren tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/GIGS now, or call 0871 230 1094.

Source NME

Morrissey has rescheduled the two dates he was forced to cancel due to illness last week (beginning May 11) and announced details of four further UK live dates.

The former Smiths frontman had to cancel shows in London and Birmingham after being struck down by a throat illness, but the dates have now been put back on as part of a UK tour in October.

Morrissey will play at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on October 23 and at the London Royal Albert Hall on October 27. Original tickets for the previously-cancelled shows (dates May 11 and 13 respectively) will remain valid, while returns will be resold.

The star will play further dates in Swindon, Bournemouth, Leeds and Sheffield as part of the October tour.

Morrissey will play:

Birmingham Symphony Hall (October 23)
Swindon Oasis (24)
Bournemouth Opera House (26)
London Royal Albert Hall (27)
Leeds 02 Academy (29)
Sheffield City Hall (30)

To check the availability of Morrissey tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/GIGS now, or call 0871 230 1094.

.Source NME

David Byrne is happy to be "the guinea pig" at this year's Bonnaroo Music and Art Festival.

Byrne is helming the first artist-curated stage in Bonnaroo's eight-year history, presenting a Friday night (June 12) lineup that will include his own "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" show along with Santigold, the Dirty Projectors, Ani DiFranco, St. Vincent and the all-female Norwegian alt-folk band Katzenjammer.

"For me it's kind of a wonderful thing to be asked to do," Byrne said during a conference call with reporters. But, he added, "I also feel like, 'Am I really needed here?' Maybe for a couple acts...my name might help draw attention to them or make somebody go, 'Maybe I'll check that out if (Byrne) thinks that's worthwhile.' But a lot of the audience might have already heard of these acts, (or) I might not be the first person they would turn to for advice.

"I don't really know about all that. Ashley (Capps, Bonnaroo co-founder and producer) gave me pretty much of a free hand. I thought, 'OK, then, I'm just gonna reel off some names that I like...and we'll see where it goes."

Byrne said he "self-imposed a little bit of restrictions" upon himself in planning the Bonnaroo stage. "I wanted to pick acts I'd actually seen perform," he noted, "which kind of limits me quite a bit, actually." "He also took the festival's environment into account.

"I think outdoors, on a hot summer night (or) late afternoon in Tennessee, some kinds of music are not going to work," Byrne explained. "I kind of self-edited myself; 'No, I'm gonna try and think what kind of things are going to work in that venue, that time of year, that place' and like that."

The Bonnaroo stop is part of Byrne's continuing tour to promote "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today," his 2008 collaboration with Brian Eno. He's also releasing a digital EP, "Everything That Happens Will Happen On This Tour," featuring four songs recorded live, with proceeds benefiting Amnesty International.

The next leg of Byrne's tour kicks off June 1 in Shelburne, Vermont. A European tour starts July 6 and wraps at the Big Chill Festival on Aug. 9 in Ledbury, U.K.

Source Billboard

Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam will be part of Conan O'Brien's first "Tonight Show."

Ferrell joined O'Brien in February for his final "Late Night" show in New York. Now the actor-comedian will help O'Brien kick off his tenure on "Tonight" in Los Angeles.

Pearl Jam will be the first band on O'Brien's show, playing songs from an upcoming studio album, NBC said Monday.

O'Brien takes over the late-night show on June 1, after Jay Leno wraps up his 17-year run as "Tonight" host on May 29. Leno is moving to a daily prime-time series for NBC in the fall.

Source Billboard

Now that he has finished producing Art Brut's latest album, Pixies frontman Black Francis (aka Frank Black) has been busy touring with his latest band, Grand Duchy, and is gearing up for a handful of shows with the Pixies, as well as the June 15 release of the band's career-spanning box set 'Minotaur'.

The prolific singer-songwriter took some time out to speak with NME.COM about the challenges of touring, the release of the new box set and the current state of the music industry.

"Grand Duchy is challenging because mommy and daddy are in the band," said Francis, the father of five young children with Violet Clark, the other half of the Grand Duchy duo.

"We wish we could just throw money at the scenario, which is what we do, but unfortunately we're just not in the bracket of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. It's really challenging touring with little people and making sure they're comfortable. You can't just throw them in the back of a van as we've found out. They have a lot of needs and touring is hard. We're trying to figure out how to accomplish Grand Duchy stuff without making it a bummer for the kids."

Francis said that nowadays touring is more important than ever for bands because fewer people are buying albums.

"The rendezvous point between the patron and the artist has been moved from a record shop or online…to live shows," he said. "People are excited about live personal appearances. They'll buy tickets for that. That's a great thing for live music. But now everyone's touring, which is great for roadies and nightclubs and theatres. But now everyone and their mother is on the road. So that means there's a lot of competition for your dollars."

"I think what has to happen is everyone has to get used to making less money and have to charge less money," Francis declared. "Everything's got to get cut down to more of a five-dollar world. People will say, "Oh yeah, I'll pay five bucks to see that or for a T-shirt or a record. I think it's gonna become more of a five-dollar world than a $25 world, $50, or a $150 world.

"I realise to some people I may sound like a hypocrite because the Pixies are getting ready to release a box set. I think the limited edition version retails for $450. But that art already exists--the demand for that particular product has been researched by the people putting it out. If people don't buy it, we'll all be fools.

"I think everyone should sell whatever product they want to sell for whatever price they want to sell it for, but ultimately the market will dictate what it is and people will have to charge less money for everything. Record companies have been overcharging people for way too long and now this is the trouble that they're in. They created this situation because they were just a little too greedy," he said.

Pixies are set to perform at the Isle Of Wight Festival on June 14, and Francis said that the band plan to play a handful of other live dates as well, but they have not yet been confirmed.

Meanwhile, Francis is hitting the road with Grand Duchy, performing at summer festivals including New York's Siren Festival on July 18 and Chicago's Wicker Park Festival on July 25.

Source NME