Newsbites: AC/DC Johnson’s Newcastle Utd stitch-up

Second thoughts: Brian Johnson

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has told of how close he came to buying into his football team, Newcastle United, after club hero Jackie Milburn invited him to invest. He says: “Jackie was such a wonderful man and he was just so worried about the way the club was going. He took me in to see the board. I was very excited about doing it, then about halfway through we looked at each other and realised they wanted me to put half a million pound in the club. This was 1981 or 82. At the time was a fortune – and for that they were going to make me an honorary board member, with no decisions and no say. I realised that it was just a big stitch-up by these greedy men who wanted more money from some silly pop star dude who would just throw it in because of his love for the club.” [Absolute Radio]

The Rolling Stones‘ guests for the last of their five 50th anniversary shows will be Bruce Springsteen, the Black Keys and Lady Gaga. The show in the Prudential Center, New Jersey, on Saturday will be available on a pay-per-view service. The Stones say: “We’re excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world. Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together.”

Hawkwind have issued an update on the funeral of guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton, who passed away last week. The band say: “On behalf of Huw’s wife Marion, daughter Kirsty and the rest of the Hawkwind family, we’d like to send out a heartfelt thanks to all of you who have sent tributes and kind words of support at this sad time, via the forum, Facebook and e-mail. Due to an overwhelming response and restrictions on space we need everyone who would like to come and pay their respects to Huw on December 20th, and who has not already confirmed, to contact us at Huw@hawkwind.com as soon as possible and at the latest by Monday, December 17th. We will then collate a list of names which will be checked on the day. Unfortunately if you are not listed, we will not be able to guarantee entry for the reasons mentioned.”

Ian Thorley, singer with 90s outfit Big Wreck, says he refused the job of fronting Velvet Revolver because they wanted him to perform without a guitar. Thorley explains: “They are all really great guys and Slash is such a sweet guy. There was a good musical connection that I could feel for sure, and I think that Slash certainly could, and I think all the boys could. Then this manager dude came out and he was like, ‘Would you like to try a couple of numbers maybe without the guitar?’ I was like, ‘Mmm, no.’ It’s not my vibe. I just know that I would be horribly uncomfortable every night before I hit the stage. I’m just not that guy.” [Noisecreep]

Trent Reznor is working on a music streaming system with the working title of Daisy. The Nine Inch Nails mainman says: “Here’s 16 million licensed pieces of music – but you’re not stumbling into anything. What’s missing is a system that adds a layer of intelligent curation. There’s a real value in trusted filters, like having your own guy when you go into the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn’t necessarily have encountered.” [New Yorker]

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has recalled his nervous moments before inducting his musical heroes the Clash into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. “I guarantee you that no one has rewritten a speech for the Hall Of Fame more times than I did,” he says. “There must have been about 80 drafts of that. I took it very seriously. And, of course, Joe Strummer had just passed a couple of months before, so there was that as well. I wanted to make sure that I got it right.” He says of seeing the Clash as a young man: “That was the moment. It wasn’t just a matter of ‘I can do this one day,’ it was more ‘I am doing it. I’m doing it too. We’re all doing it.’ It made me feel that the music I was making, and the music I would make, really mattered.” [Music Radar]

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund has donated $100,000 to the TJ Martell Foundation, to be spent on cancer research. It completes the fund’s commitment to donating a total of $300,000. Foundation boss Tony Martell says: “We are all working together to fund important stomach cancer research that will lead to new discoveries and hope for patients and their families. Ronnie James Dio was a friend of mine. I know he would be proud of the progress being made in his name.”

Clutch have revealed a few hints about the content of their upcoming album Earth Rocker in a video shot during a private party to celebrate its completion. View it below.