On Tour: Madness

Following their standout rooftop performance at The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert Madness have confirmed a second London O2 Arena show just before Christmas on Saturday 22nd December as part of their biggest arena tour to date.

Featured Music: Sebadoh

With their first release in 14 years, Sebadoh last week made available a 5-track EP through Bandcamp (entitled the Secret EP) as something of a taster of their upcoming album, due in 2013. The tracks are 'stand-alone' however, and are not set to appear on the LP.

R.E.M. Add 1987 Concert To 'Document' Reissue

The new edition of R.E.M.'s classic 1987 LP Document (to see release in September), is set to feature the digitally remastered original album, plus a second disc with a previously unreleased 1987 concert from the band's 'Work' tour.

R.E.M. on Friday night teased the release on its website:

"Details and special features on the Document anniversary re-issue coming here next week!"

Multiple online retailers in Europe and Japan — including Germany’s Amazon.de — show a new 2CD anniversary edition of Document set for release on September 10th and the American outlet, Amazon.com, giving a date of the 25th. Previous album reissues from R.E.M. have included a second bonus live disc (with Murmur and Reckoning), whilst others featured studio demos (Fables of the Reconstruction and Life's Rich Pageant).

Based on the tracklist for the bonus disc listed on Amazon, fans have suggested the live disc is the widely bootlegged September 14th, 1987, concert in Utrecht, Holland — minus the four cover songs played that night (Superman, Strange, Funtime and Harpers).

CD 1: Original album:

• Finest Worksong
• Welcome To The Occupation
• Exhuming McCarthy
• Disturbance At The Heron House
• Strange
• Its The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
• The One I Love
• Fireplace
• Lightnin’ Hopkins
• King Of Birds
• Oddfellows Local 151

CD 2: Previously unreleased 1987 concert:

• Finest Worksong
• These Days
• Lightnin Hopkins
• Welcome To The Occupation
• Driver 8
• Feeling Gravitys Pull
• I Believe
• The One I Love
• Exhuming McCarthy
• Wolves, Lower
• Fall On Me
• Just A Touch
• Oddfellows Local 151
• Little America
• Its the End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
• Begin The Begin
• Disturbance At The Heron House
• Moral Kiosk
• Life And How To Live It
• So. Central Rain

Blur Play Intimate Maida Vale Show

Last night (July 31st) saw Blur drop by Maida Vale to play an very cosy show, with only a handful of competition winners being allowed entry, the show having only been announced two short weeks ago. The event was split-streamed by BBC 6Music and Radio 2.

Van Halen's 'Jump' Voted Greatest Sporting Song

Van Halen's only Billboard number-one single last week topped a poll of the world’s best sporting songs. Music rights body PRS for Music held a vote among its members to mark the London Olympics. The resulting top 20 also includes The Rolling Stones, Hawkwind, Queen, The Beatles, Survivor, Tina Turner and Journey.

PRS boss Guy Fletcher said,

"Music plays such a classic role for both the spectator and participant. As a Brit I would have to vote for Spaundau Ballet’s Gold – I think we might get a few of those, fingers crossed."

Jump, from Van Halen’s sixth album 1984, has a controversial history. Its heavily-featured synth riff alienated singer David Lee Roth, who’s said to have written the lyrics and performed the track under protest. The change in musical direction led to a split between the founder members and Roth’s later departure. Despite that, it remains one of the band’s most popular tracks.

PRS For Music's Top 20 Sporting Songs:

• Jump - Van Halen
• Start Me Up - Rolling Stones
• Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson
• Gold - Spandau Ballet
• Thriller - Michael Jackson
• Wake Me Up! - Wham!
• The Winner Takes It All - ABBA
• Silver Machine - Hawkwind
• We Are the Champions - Queen
• Shine - Take That
• Tracks of My Tears - Smokey Robinson
• The Long and Winding Road - Beatles
• Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
• Simply the Best - Tina Turner
• Jump Around - House of Pain
• Gonna Fly Now - from Rocky
• Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
• Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey
• Chariots of Fire Theme
• We Will Rock You - Queen