Sound Bites: The Beatles, U2, Depeche Mode
March 13 -- Sgt. Pepper's Artist Seeks More Money
Peter Blake, the collage artist who created the cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is reportedly taking legal action to receive more payment for his work. Blake agreed to a payment of 200 pounds for the work — which he received — but he recently told Ampersand magazine that he is "cheesed off" that he never received further payment, despite the album's extraordinary success. He says he believes his artwork was an important part of the groundbreaking 1967 album's feel. He said he has taken up the issue with the Design and Artists Copyright Society. "Over the years, EMI and Apple have been very mean about it," he said. "It's not that I want to make money retrospectively but to establish ownership of my intellectual property."
Irish Government Works to Enable U2 Show
Governments have certain obligations to their citizens — and in Ireland, allowing fans to see homegrown superstar outfit U2 is one of them. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced a fast-track measure to modify regulations for the licensing of outdoor rock concerts, in order to enable U2 to stage a second August show. The band is already planning an Aug. 25 show on the grounds of Slane Castle in Couthy Meath — but tickets were snapped up in 45 minutes, and even some fans who had camped overnight were unable to attain them. Current Irish law requires a lengthy period of time to apply for permits, and the new legislation aims to shorten that so promoters can stage a second gig. Irish celebrities, such as teen pop star Ronan Keating, have supported the campaign for a second U2 show.
Depeche Mode Prepares for Touring Mode
New wave pioneer Depeche Mode is gearing up for a worldwide tour to support the May 15 release of Exciter, the band's first album since 1997's Ultra. The band's 1998 trek, The Singles Tour, took it to 18 countries, playing 64 sold-out shows in front of 650,000 total fans. The new tour will kick off June 15 at Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec, and will continue until an Oct. 30 performance in Istanbul, Turkey. The jaunt includes 32 dates in North America, concluding Aug. 14 in Los Angeles. Details on the shows are available at band Web site depechemode.com.
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