Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr is set to join the mooted musical collaboration between his ex-bandmate Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan.

Dylan and McCartney expressed an interest in working with each other earlier this month, with the Daily Express now reporting that Starr will join them on drumming duties in California this summer when they hook up.

"The word is Ringo is likely to play drums on a couple of tracks once Paul and Bob have put some songs together," an anonymous source told the newspaper.

Starr and McCartney appeared together onstage yesterday (June 1) to promote The Beatles: Rock Band' computer game in California.

Source NME

The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger has backed a campaign to re-open the Walthamstow EMD cinema in London, where his band played in the 1960s.

The derelict venue was bought in 2003 by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, although planning permission to develop it has been refused, reports BBC News.

Now Jagger, who played at the venue in 1964 when it was known as the Granada, has voiced his support for a campaign to allow it to be opened again.

"Cinemas and live venues like the Granada where the Stones played in the early days, learning our craft on the way, are the lifeblood of our cultural history," he said.

"They helped launch British popular music on to a world stage and should continue to function as places of entertainment and enjoyment.

"It's heartbreaking to hear about such a beautiful, important historical building and centre of entertainment being lost to the local community. I fully support the campaign to keep it open and provide film, music and the arts for generations to come."

A Facebook group where supporters of the campaign can sign up to has been set up.

Source NME

Former Oasis guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs has said that he believes the band should have quit after they played their two shows at Knebworth in 1996.

The Manchester band played in front of a combined audience of 250,000 at the two huge outdoor shows on August 10 and 11 that year – with Bonehead (who was still in the band at the time) saying it would have been a suitable point to end their career.

"I always thought we should have bowed out at Knebworth," he told the Guardian G2. "Walking out on that stage is a feeling I can't explain: a sea of people. Big!"

Speaking about why he left the band in 1999, he added: "It was the best job in the world but by the time we recorded [1999 album] 'Standing On The Shoulder of Giants' it wasn't enjoyable.

"My daughter was two days old and I was jumping on a flight. We'd made our money. We had big cars. We were renting out Christian Dior's mansion in France. That should have been fun, but it wasn't.

"Liam [Gallagher, singer] was on a drinking ban and I wasn't helping by not sticking to it. [Liam's brother, guitarist] Noel had his own problems."

Arthurs said he would not re-join the band, but would be interested in playing with them live.

"I'd never rejoin them," he asserted. "Not that I'd be asked. But for one gig? Absolutely. I still know the chords to 'Rock 'N' Roll Star'."

Oasis are set to kick off a series of three gigs at Manchester's Heaton Park on Thursday (June 4), with Liam Gallagher recently saying he hoped they would surpass Knebworth in terms of quality.

.Source NME

Koko Taylor, who was known as the "Queen Of Blues," died today (June 3) at a Chicago hospital. She was 80.

The singer, who won a Grammy Award in 1984 and appeared in the David Lynch film 'Wild At Heart', passed away about two weeks after she underwent surgery for a gastrointestinal bleed, reports the Associated Press.

Taylor, whose career spanned fore than 50 years, gave her last performance in Memphis, Tennessee on May 7 at the Blues Music Awards. She was widely lauded for being a successful woman in a male-dominated genre, and performed an average of 100 concerts a year.

Born Cora Walton to Tennessee sharecroppers, she earned her nickname 'Koko' because of her love of chocolate.

Taylor is survived by her husband Hays Harris, her daughter, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will soon be announced, said her label Alligator Records.

Source NME

The Zombies, The Yardbirds and The Spencer Davis Group have added more shows to their 'Rock Royalty' tour, set to take place across North America this summer.

The outing now wraps up on July 19 in Canada, with three shows from The Zombies only. The band will perform a selection of their greatest hits on the tour, which features a show at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on July 10.

The updated tour dates are:

San Diego, CA, Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay (June 26)
Los Angeles, CA, Wiltern Theatre (27)
Yountville, CA, Lincoln Theatre (28)
Spokane, WA, Knitting Factory Concert House (Zombies, Yardbirds only) (30)
Bellingham, WA, Mount Baker Theatre (Zombies, Yardbirds only) (July 2)
Glenside, PA, Keswick Theatre (8)
Westbury, NY, The Capital One Bank Theatre At Westbury (July 9)
New York, NY, Hammerstein Ballroom (10)
Wilkes-Barre, PA, F.M. Kirby Center (11)
Baltimore, MD, Pier 6 Concert Pavilion (12)
Ottawa, Ontario, Cisco Ottawa Blues Fest (13)
Toronto, Ontario, Mod Club Theatre (Zombies only) (15)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Club Regent Casino (Zombies only) (17)
Nakusp, British Columbia, Nakusp Music Fest (Zombies only) (19)

Source NME

Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells is to have it's 35th anniversary celebrated in London on Saturday (June 6) with an afternoon of events at the British Music Experience at the O2.

The Hand Bell Ringers of Great Britain, Europe’s largest Hand Bell and Chime Orchestra will go head-to-head with ambient house DJs The Orb in performing sections of Oldfield's most famous work.

The Tubular Bells celebration will also include your own chance to try bell ringing with interactive workshops, plus there will also be exhibitions and ambient light shows with music.

For more information, see www.mikeoldfield.com or www.britishmusicexperience.com.

Source UNCUT