Scene and Heard

MUSIC NEWS: Co-operation between Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher would put the fall of the Berlin Wall in the shade, but the formerly feuding Brit-pop kings are rumoured to be working together.

Alex James of Blur let the cat out of the bag on the entente in an interview recently, with the recent pally-walliness apparently originating at a joint performance last month at the Royal Albert Hall for a gig in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Hot Press reports that Johnny Depp has been singing the praises of Pogues singer Shane MacGowan. “He’s a special being. To me, he’s one of the most important poets of the 20th century,” the actor told the BBC recently. The unlikely duo know each other for decades and recently worked together on the score of The Lone Ranger. Daft Punk have just released ‘Lose Yourself to Dance’, a second single from the album Random Access Memories, and like its predecessor, Pharrell Williams provides the vocals. Finally, a minute’s silence for Jon Brookes, the 44-year-old drummer with the Charlatans who passed away earlier this week, three years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

GIG WISE: This weekend’s biggie is Eminem at Slane, and promoters MCD have announced hourly buses to the gig from Customs House Quay running from 11am to 5pm. Randy Newman has cancelled his gig in Dublin on Monday due to pneumonia. After last year’s rowdiness and bad publicity, the marketing team behind Arthur’s Day will be anxious that the Sept 26 event gets headlines for the right reasons this time around. They’re already impressing with a decent line-up for the concerts, with the likes of the Script, Bobby Womack, Emeli Sandé and Janelle Monae (right) all involved. Most of the gigs are free but some of the bigger names will appear at 10 events in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Belfast, with tickets going on sale on Sept 4. Other gigs announced this week include the Orb on Nov 16 at the Button Factory in Dublin and a testimonial for Philip Chevron, the former Pogues and Radiators guitarist who is suffering from terminal cancer. The lineup for the Aug 24 event will include Horslips, Shane MacGowan and Paul Cleary. The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has announced another impressive double-bill, with Bilal headlining a gig with the Soul II Soul Sound System. Bilal is a well-travelled vocalist who has collaborated in recent years with the likes of Robert Glasper and Beyonce. Also in Cork, jazz-funk legend Lonnie Liston Smith is at the Pavilion on Aug 23, while big-name British DJ Trevor Nelson is at Havana Browns tonight.