A time for celebration!!!

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had an amazing day and have some exciting plans for New Years Eve. Bring on 2006….we have a lot to look forward to.

Have not had much in the way of new music for awhile but Pink has been a busy girl. She has got engaged (and possibly getting married New Years Eve, rumor has it) to motor-cross star Corey Hart and has filmed horror movie ‘Catacombs’ due for release next year.

Congratulations to Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale on the announcement that they are ‘with child’. It is Gwen’s first baby, and Gavin’s first time giving fatherhood a real crack from word go (it was revealed last year that he fathered model Daisy Lowe 15 years ago, after a brief fling with Peal Lowe. Ironically, he is her God-Father.)

Another congratulations goes out to Eminem who is back together with Kim (inspiration for most of his most hate-filled hits). The two are discussing getting married again. I always thought he wasn’t quite over her…anyone who needs to go on abvout how much they hate someone for so many years clearly has some unresolved issues. Good luck to them! I wonder how his hard core fans have taken the news. Do you think this means we should hold our breath for a reunion with his second most bitched-about song topic...his mum Debbie?

Are we believing that congratulations are in order for our very own Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman? Is it a double congratulations for an engagement and a baby? Who knows. Lot’s of the press are focusing on the fact that they are not denying it…so it must be true. Perhaps though, they are just sick of denying things and are having a good laugh letting people believe what they want to believe? Only time will tell…but if she is pregnant, she will be showing soon, there is no hiding that!

The Sugababes are playing music chairs again with Mutya Buena leaving the band to spend more time with her daughter. The line-up change comes following the announcement of the band securing the highly sought after support spot for the Take That reunion tour next year.

Speaking of the Take That reunion, tickets were snapped up so quickly in the UK that the scheduled shows have now been doubled to cater for the demand. Please let them bring the show Down Under!!!

Silverchair are back in the studio working on their follow up album to the critically acclaimed ‘Diorama’. The boys will road test some tracks at the latest Australian music festival ‘The Great Escape’. The festival will be held in Sydney at Newington Armory over the Easter weekend. Should be interesting to see what sort of sound they come up with, especially after Daniel John’s stint with Paul Mac in The Dissociatives, wonder if it will affect the bands sound??? He is the song writer of the group after all…

Well done to Missy Higgins for having the top selling album in Australia for 2005, very well deserved. Missy is an amazing role model for young Australians and I wish her every success in 2006!

Speak soon,

Pop Princess xo

Things go from Dandy to Motley...to ???

Ahh, I love Summer. I love the warmer weather and the bands that are attracted to our fair country in the brighter months!!!

Best not to get ahead of myself....The Dandy Warhols...gotta love them. In fact you've got to love any band that is sucessful enough to not have to do a free concert, but who does one anyway! I did not make it to the Vic Market free gig, but I was fortunate enough to see them perform at the Chapel. They are amazing. Although, I must admit I was excited at the prospect of a one hour Dandies gig...any one who had ever been to a gig will kow that the band tend to get a it caught up inthe moment and it is not unsual for them to play for 3 hours or more. Needsless to sayd they went significantly over their allocated one hour! By the way, if you have not seen 'Dig' the DVD yet...go out and get it! Addictive viewing.

Long live Motley Crue!!! Because I'm not sure how much longer some of the memebers will...No that is nasty! Their gig at Vodafone Arena was pretty impressive considering their ages and years of substance abuse. The theatrics were a little over the top and I found myself giggling through certain parts, although i am sure that was NOT the intended response. I guess I was comparing their gig to Velvet Revolver...which is not fair, as they were completely different gigs. The pyro's were worth the proice of the ticket alone though. Who could resist seeing 'Home Sweet Home' performed live?!? Also, lets face it, as feral as he is Tommy Lee isn't exactly hard on the eye is he? How cute is he in 'Tommy Goes to College'!?!

Now....gig of the year so far (and that is not a claim I make lightly). The Foo Fighters!!! You forget how many hits they have had until you see them playing them back to back. Dave Grohl, and to a lesser extent Taylor Hawkins own the show...but what a show it is. Grohl has boundless energy and the ability to continhue to hype up the audience throughout the whole show. You have to wonder if this band would have happened even if Nirvana hadn't been over...it looks to me as though Grohl is doing exactly what he was born to do with the Foos and their infulence as a band should not be ignored. They have been around for a bloody long time and have managed to keep producing fantastic and popular music (the two often do not go together). In my opinion 'In Your Honour' is by far their best album to date.

So many tours to look forward to in the first few months of 2006! Rob Thomas, Shannon Noll, The Backstreet Boys, U2...does it get any better?!? Also new music from Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Goo Goo Dolls, Live...the list goes on.

Speaking of theings to look forward to....this is something I have been dreaming of for years. A Take That reunion!!! Granted, Robbie Williams is not involved (at this stage), but they went on for a good year without him before they split and they were still awesome! Only one word for it...speacial!

Speak soon!

Pop Princess xoxox

Intensive Care from Robbie, A Lift from Shannon and great music from Alex Lloyd!

Well I have been very slack and there is a lot of news to catch up on!

First up, how good where the ARIAs?!? The lists of winners is below, and were all pretty much as they should be, in my humble opinion!

Album of the Year - Missy Higgins, The Sound Of White (Eleven/EMI)
Single of the year - Ben Lee, Catch My Disease (Inertia)
Breakthrough Artist - Album - Missy Higgins, The Sound Of White (Eleven/EMI)
Breakthrough Artist - Single - End Of Fashion, O Yeah! (EMI)
Best Group - Eskimo Joe, Older Than You (FMR)
Best Male Artist - Ben Lee, Awake Is The New Sleep (Inertia)
Best Female Artist - Missy Higgins, The Sound Of White (Eleven/EMI)
Best Rock Album - Grinspoon, Thrills Kills And Sunday Pills (UMA)
Best Country Album - Keith Urban, Be Here (Capitol/EMI)
Best Blues and Roots Album - Mia Dyson, Parking Lots (Black Door Records/MGM)
Best Children's Album - The Wiggles, Live Hot Potatoes (ABC Kids)
Best Dance Release - Infusion, Six Feet Above Yesterday (Sony BMG)
Best Urban Release - Daniel Merriweather, She's Got Me (FMR)
Best Adult Contemporary Album - The Go-Betweens, Oceans Apart (Capitol/EMI)
Best Pop Release - Missy Higgins, The Sound Of White (Eleven/EMI)
Best Independent Release - Ben Lee, Awake Is The New Sleep (Inertia)
Best Comedy Release - Tripod, Middleborough Road (Liberation)
Best Music DVD - Jet, Right Right Right (EMI/Capitol)
Highest Selling Album - Missy Higgins, The Sound of White (Eleven/EMI)
Highest Selling Single - Anthony Callea, The Prayer (Sony BMG)
ARIA Awards Hall of Fame Inductee - Jimmy Barnes

I had the pleasure of seeing two of the biggest winners at this years ARIA’s perform at the Myer Music Bowl last night. Ben Lee was fantastic, I have to be honest, I used to hate him. I thought he was a self-centred, arrogant little prick, but he seems to have had an attitude adjustment somewhere along the way, for the better, and I found him to be quite charming. Missy Higgins was her usual humble and gorgeous self. Her voice is so powerful, it blows me away. Just quietly I am expecting an announcement any day that they are a couple….we will see. The only low point of the gig was that I had to miss End of Fashion Live at the Chapel, as it was the same night :0(


Very pleased to see that Mr. Robbie Williams has taken his rightful place back at the top of charts with ‘Intensive Care’; following in the footsteps the previous week of our very own Shannon Noll with 'Lift'…Go Nollsey!

Alex Lloyd’s new self-titled album would come close to being the best thing he has ever done! He is looking great too, he has lost a heap of weight. Fatherhood must be agreeing with him in a big way!

I’ll try to keep this relatively short and sweet and promise I won’t leave it so long next time!

Luv Pop Princess