Clueless star Brittany Murphy dies, aged 32

20th December 2009 | 2 comments | 3 people like this

In eerily similar circumstances to the death of Michael Jackson - with the story of a reported ‘death’ circulating online through Twitter and celebrity gossip site, TMZ - actress/singer Brittany Murphy is reported to have died earlier this morning from a heart attack.

Aged 32, the actress was said to have been found unconscious in the shower by her mother - and when paramedics were called to the house she shared with her husband Simon Monjack they immediately began CPR in an attempt to revive her.

They continued mouth-to-mouth as they sped to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, several miles away from her home, but Brittany was pronounced dead on arrival.

Today reports have emerged that Brittany has been very ill in the lead up to her death - with her vomiting and taking medication for flu like symptoms. Reports from TMZ claim that Brittany was found surrounded by vomit when her mother discovered her in the shower, and while the police search of the house has not yeilded any illegal drugs, a source has told the gossip website that Brittany was definitely taking prescription medicine.

Brittany’s mother also revealed to paramedics that her daughter suffered from diabetes.

Again, the similarities with the death of Michael Jackson earlier this year continue, with the internet already alive with speculation as to what caused Brittany to go into cardiac arrest - notorious blogger Perez Hilton has spent the evening Tweeting about Britanny’s alleged drug and eating disorders, going so far as to Tweet at fellow celebrities Courtney Love and Lindsay Lohan about the dangers of drug use.

Despite these allegations, Brittany had always strongly denied any drug abuse problems, saying in a previous interview “I have never tried it in my entire life, I’ve never even see it, and I don’t leave the house too much, except to go to work. My worst vice is caffeine. The rumour is pretty far - fetched, it couldn’t be further from the truth. I have known people over the course of my life that have bad problems with drugs, and it’s something really serious”.

Born in Atlanta and raised in New Jersey, Brittany shot to fame with her role in the 1995 film Clueless, and went on to star alongside Eminem in his semi-autobiographical film 8 mile, and Ashton Kutcher in the rom-com Just Married.

Ashton used his Twitter page to pay tribute to his co star early today:

 ’2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband, & her amazing mother Sharon. See you on the other side kid.’

Irrespective of the rumours and speculation, the death of a talented, successful young woman in such tragic and sudden circumstances deserves sensitivity and sympathy from the rumour mills and commentators.

Our thoughts go out to Brittany’s family and fans.

Avatar leaves us blue, the British Fashion Awards and the best of 2009

15th December 2009 | 2 comments | 1 people like this

What a year it’s been. Katie Price and Peter Andre part company (the final blow to the institution of marriage), Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize despite being in the midst of two wars, the Pre Budget Report made more depressing reading than one of Jan Muir’s columns and the world wakes up to the urgency of climate change at the Copenhagen Conference.

We panicked about H1N1, we voted for Joe McElderry, we were told we probably wouldn’t be voting on the Lisbon Treaty, we wore leather leggings, cropped tops and green nail varnish. We watched apocolyptic films, listened to GaGa and Tweeted.

Going in became the new going out, and going out got so much cheaper. Good  thing too, because 2009 was the year of ‘fierce’ - the fine line between trash and bling - and boy, is being fierce expensive.

Need some help remembering what you loved and what you didn’t? Neil Innes counts down his top 10 albums - and seems to entirely disagree with Chris Mugan and his countdown of the top ten musical highlights of the year. If you don’t agree with either of them, maybe Mark Davison will win your vote?

Having seemingly spent most of the year in the cinema, shifting through what should have been straight to DVD releases, as well as era defining epics, Nick Clarke counts down this year’s top 10 films - and is entirely contradicted by Stephen Bains, our most provocative Upriser to date.

Our film experts, Neil and Joe attended the world premiere of Avatar last week, while fashionista authority Carli Humphries translates what the British Fashion Awards are, and explains to us why we should care.

Katy Morton reviews Nancy Reddin Kienholz’s  Hoerengracht tableaux at the National Gallery, while Julia Kollewe counts down the best art shows of the year.

If that’s not enough - we even managed to add our thoughts to the X Factor / Sports Personality of the Year / Susan Boyle / Strictly Come Dancing debate.

Reality sucks? Joe wins, Giggs scores and Ali exits

14th December 2009 | 2 comments | 0 people like this

This morning I am faced with the stark realisation, that after months of booked up weekends (Strictly followed by X Factor, followed by The Thick Of It), I have to get myself a life.

Joe is now the X Factor Dauphin - his sweet and mild manners, toothy grin and ill fitting wardrobe endeared him to the British public - while cheeky chappy Olly has only his bromance with Robbie Williams to comfort him today, as he prepares to be branded with the moniker  ’ X Factor Runner Up 2009′ for innumerable Christmas panto posters to come…

Of course, the victory should have gone to Miss Frank, who were the only contestants that made their soulful and raw ballads sound vaguely innovative with impromptu MCing and without looking like a carbon copy of The Saturdays / Girls Aloud / Sugababes etc. If the holy grail of the show was ‘making a song your own’ and avoiding sounding like a ‘wedding singer’, then there really was no competition. And if they weren’t your secret favourites, there was always Rachel Adedji, whose directional hair and gravelly vocals really didn’t deserve to lose out to Lucie Jones, Danyl Johnson and THOSE twins.

With 62% of the 10 million votes cast over the weekend, the future looks suitably shiny for Britain’s very own Zac Efron.

Perhaps more deservedly, over on the BBC veteran footballer and all around good guy Ryan Giggs beat Jenson Button to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, only the fifth footballer to be awarded the prize.

Clean living, modest and hard working - Ryan, who at 36 is about 1000 years old in footballer terms - saw a collective ‘aww’ from the nation with his oh-so-humble acceptance speech:

“If I wasn’t nervous enough, my heroes are here: Seb Coe and Michael Johnson. Honestly this is unbelievable. This is a shock as you can tell by the speech I prepared.”

Clearly, the Beeb needed to deliver some good news, after Strictly’s shock result with Ali Bastian of Hollyoaks and The Bill being booted off the show, despite getting straight 10s for one of her dances. Outrageous. Clearly the British public enjoyed the haphazard stylings of sports reporter Chris Hollins.

To finish on a high note, ‘I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story’ closed off ITV’s evening of Simon Cowell programming - with Piers Morgan hosting as SuBo performed with famous fans, including Elaine Paige. Performing songs from her best selling album, including Wild Horses her debut single, Susan looked suitably overwhelmed if not uncomfortable as she was trussed up in floor length beaded evening wear and plastered in make up. 

And while the sneering non-believers chastise us reality- TV devotees, it is not the case that Cowell was last night’s real winner, but rather us, the viewers.

Ps. Do see above for Olly Murs’ pre-X Factor debut…

Prominent Australians rally to save ‘City of Adelaide’

12th December 2009 | 0 comments | 0 people like this

Dozens of prominent Australians are behind an appeal to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to prevent the demolition of the world’s oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide.

Led by the Queen’s representative and Governor of South Australia, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, other notable Australians include United Nations Special Envoy to Cyprus and former Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer; State and Federal ministers, the Lord Mayor of Adelaide and four former Adelaide Lord Mayors; several current and former Chancellors of Australian universities; and numerous academic, business and political figures.

Built in 1864, the rare passenger ship - which is considered to be of greater historical significance than the Cutty Sark - made annual runs from London to South Australia carrying thousands of UK and European migrants who would lay the foundation for the state’s economic and social history. Today, a quarter of a million living descendants can trace their origins to passengers that sailed on the City of Adelaide.

The clipper ship currently sits on a slipway in Scotland and the Scottish Maritime Museum has called tenders to demolish it. The North Ayrshire Council in Scotland has approved the museum’s application to demolish which stated the cost could be as high as £650,000 (A$1.3m). This decision was forced on the museum after the landowners (of the slipway) called for the ship’s removal, purportedly for developers, to build a housing complex. Tenders for demolition close on November 23.

The City of Adelaide Preservation Trust, which is driving the campaign, says their major objective is to move the ship to a temporary location in the United Kingdom, which will cost in the region of £750,000 (A$1.5m).
“Ultimately, we wish to transport the vessel to Adelaide – and this can be undertaken for a further £1.2 million (A$2.5m) – but our first priority is to ensure it is not demolished,” said naval architect Peter Roberts, peter.roberts@cityofadelaide.org.au , a descendant of one of the earlier migrants.                            

“I would also like to dispel rumours that the vessel is in disrepair and rotting. This is definitely not the case and until the 1980s, it was used as clubrooms for the local naval reserves.”             

Roberts said preserving the ship for future generations is a far better outcome than demolishing it.

“To keep down the costs, we are seeking support from Australian and UK companies and individuals to assist us move the City of Adelaide to a temporary site in the UK,” he said.

t5m’s make over, exclusive tickets to an invite only Stereophonics gig and so much more

3rd December 2009 | 1 comments | 0 people like this

So, while the rest of the world is preoccupied with everything from Tiger Woods’ transgressions to the sad demise of Ab-Fab favourite, Christian LaCroix, with the economy and weather thrown in for good measure - t5m has been all smiles as we celebrate our newly revamped site.

Gone are the days of gun metal grey back grounds, endless lists of channels at the bottom of the page and just a few categories - welcome to the brave new world.

Now, you will find it much easier to find our prolific and talented Contributors  work - whether it’s a review of Twilight by Mark Davison or horror film Orphan by Neil Innes, a prediction of this year’s Turner prize winner from art authority Julia Kollewe or a pithy look at the weeks news from our top current affairs correspondent, Phil Wadley.

Then of course we have the weekly updates from hapless, hopeless and utterly adorable Madelaine Greene, style advice from fashionista - in - chief Carli Humphries and make up recommendations from our beauty siren, Jennifer O’Shea.

Keeping us all one step ahead of the recession is Daphne Thissen and her invaluable insight into the world of networking, and Louise Mowbray shares her thoughts on personal branding. Amanda Eliasch, our epic blogger / socialiate / fashion editor / photographer and just about everything else, gives us her opinions on everything from flying business class to boys having Botox, while Tim Willis critiques, amuses and informs…

Our Contributors come from all corners of the globe, with Blackmarket Boo based in New York, Kristina Dryza reporting from Japan and Michele Nardelli flying the flag for Australia in her Koala Diaries. Anna Blundy shares relationship and lifestyle advice from her enviable Italian moutain, while Twilight Moonlighter, Lorabell and Eyes of Amber are regular fixtures in Forks, Washington. Julie-Anne Rhodes beams in the California sunshine, with a little bit of help from Lisa Marks, while Deborah Willimott provides us with some apres-ski straight from the snowy French alps.

Do you like funny? Our in-house comedienne, Charlotte Browne is tracking her rise to stardom, while Mark Pilkington is keeping all the gamers firmly stuck inside with his video game reviews.

And that’s not even a handful of our informed, amusing and downright brilliant Contributors, sharing everything from the latest films and music, relationship advice, sport news, restaurant reviews, style tips, celebrity gossip, current affairs, techy gadgets and eco initiatives.

But wait.

There’s more - not even do we promise to keep you amused from dawn to dusk - we also have just announced a V.V.V.V.V.I.P competition - the chance to win tickets to an exclusive, invite only Stereophonics gig.

So please, look around. Follow us on Twitter, sign up for our newsletter, enter our competitions and comment on our articles.

RI Christmas Lectures 2009

1st December 2009 | 5 comments | 0 people like this

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures were started in 1825 by Michael Faraday who gave 14 of them himself. He wanted  to give children some formal education which was sadly lacking at the time. The Lectures have been inspiring children and adults ever since.  This year’s Lectures are given by Prof. Sue Hartley of Sussex University , an ecologist specialising in the study of plant-animal interactions,  and are entitled “The 300 million year war”.
 
The 300 million year war with Prof Sue Hartley

Prof Sue Hartley will show plants in a completely different light.  She says plants  are  “complicated, cunning, beautiful and with plenty of tricks up their sleeve. And what’s more, we humans are dependent on them in ways you’d never imagine. As well as much of our food, our drugs, medicines and materials are all by-products of this epic 300 million year war. ”

As usual, this years Lectures are sold out but there are often seats available in the historic Library to watch the live feed. The Lectures will be televised on More 4 at 7pm on 21st - 25th December and available on DVD next year. I watched the first Lecture in the Library. It was done as a recorded television show with mistakes re-shot as they went. The Lecture was also stopped for commercial breaks to be added. This was slightly annoying but probably fascinating for the many young students and adults watching and taking part in the Faraday Theatre. The students included a party of 8 young women and 2 young men from different secondary schools in South Australia, all here as Maurice de Rohan Scholars for the series of Lectures, accompanied by 2 teachers. There is a similar party from South Africa n  schools . 

Ri Australia was opened in Adelaide, South Australia in October 2009.  The Director of the Ri GB, Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE, was voted Honourary Australian of the Year in 2006 and has been Thinker in Residence in Adelaide twice, appointed by the Premier of South Australia, The Hon. Mike Rann MP.
 .  
The Lectures:
• Plant wars - 5th December
• The animals strike back - 8th December
• Talking trees - 10th December
• Dangerous to delicious? - 12th December 
• Weapons of the future - 16th December

Details of the Lectures can be found at

www.rigb.org

The lectures will be televised on More 4 at 7pm on 21st December.

An improbable couple: Bonnie Greer at the London Jazz Festival - Miles Davis meets Juliette Greco in Paris 1948

24th November 2009 | 0 comments | 1 people like this

Bonnie Greer is an Anglo-American author, playright and critic living in the UK  who often appears on radio and TV discussions; one of the few rational commentators who brings calm and sense to politics and current affairs. Greer did this recently when David Dimbleby and just about everyone else on Queston Time relished in cornering the BNP leader Nick Griffith and changing the format of the program to their own advantage. Greer was unusually quiet as she sat with her back to him.

I didn’t know Greer was a jazz fan, but it’s not surprising. I went to hear her in the Purcell Room at the London Jazz Festival on “‘48 Davis meets Greco”. I was expecting a discussion but instead heard readings in American from Miles’ autobiography and in French about Greco. Julian Joseph improvised adequately on piano while Cleveland Watkiss made musical sounds on voice, which I didn’t care for. I feel the same way about Bobby McFerrin once you get over the novelty.

Most of us know the status of Miles as a musician and composer. Unless you’ve read his book and speak French, you probably don’t know much about Miles and his early love life. He thought and played music incessantly and didn’t expect to get any “higher”. He hadn’t started using dope or heroin then.

We were told that Miles’ first orgasm was with his girlfriend, Irene. Although he cared for her, music remained supreme until he met Juliette Greco in Paris in ‘48. Miles, aged 22 was playing opposite Charlie “Bird” Parker in a setting that out did the Royal Roost in NYC. Miles used his finger to signal Greco to come over to him. He was overwhelmed by his feelings for her, an intensity he hadn’t experienced before, not even in his music. They fell in love despite neither speaking each others language, just knowing and touching. Afterall, Miles “don’t talk too much, anyway”. Something other than music dominated his life for the first time.
 
Unusually, Miles came from a well off educated black family in East St. Louis, MO. His father had three degrees and was a dentist. His grandfather was a succesfull book keeper from Arkansas and landowner. Greco was from an entirely different culture of Boris Vian, Satre and the existentialists of Paris. A chanteuse mixing in a world of bebop and race. Satre asked Miles “Why don’t you and Juliette get married?” to which Miles replied “Because I love her too much to make her unhappy.” He knew he couldn’t take her back to the USA. Miles sank into a depression and used heroin for four years.

Greer’s hour at the LJF was sparesly attended. I have no idea why she thought it was worthwhile reading about an intense love from a long and extraordinary life in jazz.

I’d rather hear Greer’s thoughts and listen to Miles’ music, like Bitches Brew, than to be a voyeur.

John Scofield’s Piety Street Band at the London Jazz Festival

20th November 2009 | 0 comments | 0 people like this

John Scofield’s Piety Street Band opened the 2009 London Jazz Festival (13 - 22 November) at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. I first came across Scofield as the guitarist with Miles Davis for 3 years in the ‘80″s on three Miles’ albums “Decoy”, “You’re Under Arrest” and “Star People”. Prior to that he played with artists including Chet Baker, Charlie Mingus, Billy Cobham, Bill Frisell and Joe Henderson. Scofield’s solo albums were a kind of jazz funk I didn’t really enjoy. One day, I was waiting for an A&R meeting at Polydor in NYC with the Australian jazz pianist and composer Paul Grabowsky when Scofield walked by. Sadly we didn’t have the courage to say hello…but we did pick up a promo copy of his latest album.

I became interested in Scofield as a solo artist at The Barbican in 2003. My friend came rushing down the steep stairs almost late for the concert. I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as I thought at the time. I was lifted by Scofield’s live music and wanted more. But he’s never really delivered for me since. I’ve heard him live and on record in various groups including with Joe Lavano, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Trio Beyond and Madeski, Martin and Wood?

This time Scofield turned up as the Piety Street Band, the street in New Orleans where he recorded his new album “Piety Street” on Emarcy Records. Englishman Jon Cleary is on keyboards, guitar and vocals. Cleary has lived in New Orleans since the age of 14 - and does it show! Legendary Meters bassist George Porter Jnr and drummer and vocalist John Boutt. From Cleary’s first note I was transported back to New Orleans at the Jazz Festival and other places hearing the strains of Prof Longhair, Allen Toussaint, Fats Domino, Dave Bartholomew, Dr John, Jerry Lee, Sonny Landreth and funeral marching bands. Rockin’, rollin’, tumblin’, R&B soaked mojo sounds and Zydeco. Next to rockabilly, sheer bliss. And when Cleary sang and played electric organ I knew I was there. The band’s mood was so relaxed as they played gospel (memories of Elvis), a secular song about sex, a Protestant 19th Century hymn and Hank William’s “The Angel of Death”. A mixture of music I’ve never heard before from one band. Scofield wanted to make a blues album but settled on old time gospel instead.

But did Scofield fit into his new group? Not really. He’s undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest jazz guitarists. But his style and technique is so different from the free wheelin’ New Orleans musicians who smiled as they played while he grimaced. It took until the last couple of songs before Scofield relaxed and become part of the session. Even then when Cleary picked up his guitar for the last song I knew Scofield was redundant in this group notwithstanding his stunning jazz solos.

There was added joy afterwards in the foyer when I heard someone calling out “Dad, dad!” It was Jon Cleary as he ran up and  hugged his grey bearded father and excitedly went off with him while John Scofield signed copies of his new album. I tried to buy one but unbelievably the foyer shop had sold out by the time the audience emerged from the concert. How could they miss out on such an opportunity with CD sales collapsing…words failed me. So I bought Bill Frisell’s new album “Disfarmer” on Nonesuch Records and look forward to his concert with Mike Gibbs and the BBC Symphony Orchestra at The Barbican, my favourite jazz venue.

Bill Frisell’s concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 at 2pm on Tuesday 24th November 2009.

Hope floats: David de Rothschild’s Plastiki prepares to set sail

17th November 2009 | 0 comments | 2 people like this

Adventurer  David de Rothschild is preparing for his unusual mission the ‘Plastiki’ as he sails across the Pacific Ocean in a catamaran made almost entirely from reclaimed plastic bottles and srPET a uniquely recyclable plastic, starting in San Francisco and ending up in Sydney - with a detour via the ‘Eastern Garbage Patch’, which is a floating island of approximately rubbish twice the size of Texas. Hmm…

David and the Plastiki team has spent three years planning this 10,000 mile long trip, and is preparing to set sail in just a few weeks, in a 60ft vessel made from 12,5000 bottles to make the ship float.

David told the Evening Standard that ‘ we want to make people think about how they use and reuse plastic. The project is a showcase for smart and sustainable technology. It’s sink or swim: we’ll know pretty quickly if it works once it’s in the water’.

We’ve got our fingers crossed for David and the team!

To find out more about the Plastiki Mission, head to Plastiki Mission Control in partnership with HP which runs until the 6th December at the National Geographic Store, 83-97 Regent Street, London.