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Switch.TV News Archive

George Miller Has More Happy Feet - Tuesday 18th November 2008
Thanks in part to an Australian tax incentive program, director George Miller has a fancy new digital production facility -- and "Happy Feet 2" is at the top of its to-do list.

Rock stars set for guitar doc - Tuesday 18th November 2008
The Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White will be jamming next summer at a theater near you.

Michael Moore to tackle economy - Tuesday 18th November 2008
As the political winds shifted in the months before the election -- and gusted after it -- Michael Moore subtly began reorienting his long-gestating follow-up to "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Van Morrison Revisits ?Astral Weeks? at Hollywood Bowl - Wednesday 12th November 2008

Photo: Kelly A. Swift/Retna

After four decades, Astral Weeks is still the sweetest slice of mystery in Van Morrison’s catalog, but until this past weekend, Morrison had never performed the album live. (Speaking recently with David Wild in Rolling Stone, he blamed Warner Bros. for not providing sufficient promotion back in 1968.) So when he played Astral Weeks in its entirety for two shows at the Hollywood Bowl, everybody present seemed to know they were witnessing history (except for the two teenagers in line for hot dogs who expected they would be seeing Van Halen). Tickets ranged from $75 to $350, and a full camera crew captured the performance for a future DVD. The dozen backing musicians even included the original Astral Weeks guitarist Jay Berliner (Richard Davis, whose elegant work on stand-up bass provided the album’s spine, had a family emergency and backed out at the last minute).

After an opening set (generally strong, although Morrison, obviously bored with “Brown-Eyed Girl,” now barely bothers with its consonants), Morrison strapped on an acoustic guitar and tackled Astral Weeks. Sometimes he evoked the fragility of the original material, but more often he took charge the music with the authority that comes with four decades of performing, even shuffling the original playing order for no obvious reason. Morrison extended the album to a full hour, leaving lots of room for solos and for his own scatting. It seemed that once he breathed in the perfume of these eight songs, he didn’t want them to end — and looking at the enraptured crowd, he wasn’t the only one.

Set List:
“Wavelength”
“Saint Dominic’s Preview”
“Caravan”
“Heavy Connection”
“Here Comes the Night”
“And the Healing Has Begun”
“Summertime in England”
“Brown-Eyed Girl”
“Gloria” (incorporating “Who Do You Love”)

Astral Weeks:
“Astral Weeks”
“Beside You”
“Slim Slow Slider”
“Sweet Thing”
“The Way Young Lovers Do”
“Cyprus Avenue”
“Ballerina”
“Madame George”

Encore:
“Listen to the Lion”

• Van Morrison at SXSW

• The Immortals: Van Morrison

• Classic Interview: Van Morrison in 1972

Jogger keeps going with fox attached - Wednesday 12th November 2008
WHEN a woman jogger was bitten by a fox, she ran for another 1.5km with it still clamped on.

Smith and son to make Karate Kid - Wednesday 12th November 2008
The son of Will Smith will star in a remake of The Karate Kid, according to reports.

David Lynch Plans Web Series - Wednesday 5th November 2008
Web channel On Networks has landed David Lynch for a series based on his new book, "Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity."

Rob Schneider To Star In New Comedy - Wednesday 5th November 2008
Called The Virgin On Bourbon Street

The Kinks start work on comeback - Wednesday 5th November 2008
The Kinks have begun writing new songs for a possible reunion, singer Ray Davies says.

Geffen departs from DreamWorks - Wednesday 29th October 2008
Film News: Co-founder officially exits Animation board -- David Geffen's departure from DreamWorks is complete.

Giant spider snapped eating yard bird - Wednesday 29th October 2008
THIS amazing image of a mammoth spider devouring a bird was taken in the backyard of a property near Cairns.

Little people 'serious about boxing' - Wednesday 29th October 2008
THEY may be small, but two boxers will be packing a punch when they feature in the world's first little people boxing match.

U2 Net $19 Million in Live Nation Shares In Touring Deal - Thursday 23rd October 2008

U2 are set to receive 1.56 million shares of Live Nation, worth roughly $19 million, as part of the 12-year touring contract the band signed with the concert giant earlier this year. The deal, which was signed in March, includes the band’s tours, merchandising and their official website. The contract is not an all-encompassing 360 deal however, as U2 will continue to release music through Universal Music. The deal’s value was revealed in a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made last week. While U2 will have to ride the rocky stock market before learning the true value of the contract, the deal could potentially reap billions for Live Nation, as U2’s Vertigo tour in 2005-2007 made over $400 million in revenues and was the second highest grossing tour of all time. U2 plan to release their new album early in 2009.

• U2 Sign Deal With Live Nation

• The Rolling Stone Interview: Bono

• Exclusive: Bono Remembers U2’s Boy

Ryan Adams? ?Cardinology? Streaming Now on iLike - Thursday 23rd October 2008

Photo: Stawiarz/Getty>

Can’t wait until next week to hear Ryan Adams’ Cardinology? Social music discovery service iLike will stream Ryan and the Cardinals’ entire new album exclusively for 48 hours starting today. “I believe this album is destined to become a classic, and to be selected by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals for its exclusive world debut is thrilling,” said iLike CEO Ali Partovi. The stream will also be bundled with an original video performance welcoming fans to the newest addition of Adams’ ever-widening discography. iLike will also debut a new Sidebar for iTunes today to join its huge presence on Facebook.

• Ryan Adams’ Favorite Albums

• Ryan Adams Previews Upcoming Album in Vancouver

Amazing Sculpture By The Sea - Thursday 23rd October 2008
Sculpture by the Sea is Australias largest annual outdoor exhibition of sculpture. The display features over 100 sculptures from seven different countries, including this marble sculpture titled New Man. learn more at www.13above.com

Funding Documentary Films: Houseparty or Grants? - Wednesday 15th October 2008
There is a great article on financing a documentary feature film over at The Independent: I recently talked to fundraising expert Morrie Warshawski, whose book The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party With a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause, is now out in its second edition and includes new sample [...]

Rolling Stone?s Top Stories - Wednesday 15th October 2008

• Charts: Taylor Swift, David Archuleta
• Video: Wayne Coyne Talks Christmas on Mars
• Breaking: Jazmine Sullivan
• In the Studio With Dylan, Cobain, Lennon
• Flowers Upset Over “Human” Confusion
• Mark Hoppus Hints at Blink-182 Reunion
• Singers: Rob Thomas on Annie Lennox

• Taylor Swift on Def Leppard, Revenge
• Fall Out Boy Planning Folie Concert
• Fleet Foxes on Take Away Show Premiere
• Ryan Adams Tosss Barbs at The Killers, R.E.M.
• News Ticker: Beck, Jim Morrison, Motorhead