U2 Bono pumps up the volume on new songs

Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Rock stars may have to rein in their taste for loud music after a fan overheard U2 frontman Bono listening to tracks from the group's forthcoming album and recorded them before posting the songs on the Internet.

The fan heard the music blaring out of the Irish rocker's holiday home in the south of France, recorded it on his mobile phone and posted four tracks on video-sharing website YouTube, newspapers and music websites reported on Tuesday.

The previously unheard songs had now been removed from the website for copyright reasons but continuned to circulate via email, the Irish Independent newspaper said.

Nobody at U2's record label could immediately be reached for comment on the reports.

The quality of the recording was said to be poor, with the noise of waves and seagulls audible in the background.

(Reporting by Paul Hoskins)

Batman dominates box office for a month

Batman dominates box office for a month

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008

LONDON (Reuters) - The latest Batman movie "The Dark Knight" was Britain's favourite film for a fourth week, just pipping "Mamma Mia!" for the top box office spot over the weekend.

Starring Christian Bale and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, and directed by Englishman Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight took 2.3 million pounds, according to Screen International, for a four-week total of 40 million.

Mamma Mia, the film of the show based on Swedish supergroup Abba, took 2.2 million pounds for a 45 million pound six-week total and edged back up to second spot from third.

Coming in at three was Adam Sandler's new comedy "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," the story of an Israeli assassin fleeing to New York to become a hairdresser.

The third film of the Mummy franchise, "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon," was down two places at four with "Wild Child," featuring a spoilt Malibu brat at an English boarding school, coming in at five.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars," an animated version acting as a pilot for an upcoming Cartoon Network series, came in at six while animated robot "Wall-E" was down three places at seven.

The galactic rescue mission by "Space Chimps" was back up one place at eight, swapping places with "Kung Fu Panda."

At 10, down four places, was Hindi action comedy "Singh is Kinng."

Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Moore dies

Dave Matthews Band saxophonist Moore dies

Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Saxophonist LeRoi Moore, a founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, died on Tuesday of complications from a vehicle accident in June.

A statement on the band's Web site said Moore, 46, died unexpectedly at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Centre in Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon.

Moore had been injured in June while riding an all-terrain vehicle near his farm in Charlottesville, Virginia, the statement said.

He recently had returned to his home in Los Angeles to begin rehabilitation.

Reuters/Nielsen