The Week in Light & Sound
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Sir Elton said the mammoth 300-date tour was a chance "to say thank you to all my fans around the world and then to say goodbye." He added, "I have had a good run and I want to go out with a bang."
Grammy Awards - Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar stole the show, and most of the awards, at the 2018 Grammys. Mars provided the night's big upset, taking the album of the year trophy that most critics assumed would go to Lamar's Damn. Alessia Cara won best new artist - making her the only female artist to win a major prize. Stars like Lady Gaga, Kesha, Lorde and SZA were overlooked, with only 17 awards (out of a total of 86) going to women or female-fronted bands.
Eurovision Hopefuls - The six acts and songs that will battle for the honour of representing the UK at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal have been unveiled. They include two former contestants on The Voice UK, a 16-year-old Britain's Got Talentfinalist and a two-time Eurovision backing singer. All will perform live on 7 February in Eurovision: You Decide, where one will be chosen to compete in Lisbon in May.
Assembly Time - Derby’s fire-damaged Assembly Rooms are to be replaced with a 3,000-capacity music and performance venue at a total cost of £44m.The 40-year-old Assembly Rooms have been closed since fire caused “extensive damage” to the plant room on the roof of the venue’s car park in March 2014. Now the city council has passed plans to replace the Assembly Rooms. It has secured an £8.6m grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and will borrow the rest of the money.
A four-week consultation showed that 1,006 (43%) of the people who responded preferred the option of a music and performance building. Council leader Ranjit Banwait said: “We’ve taken our time and we’ve made the numbers work. Our plans are not only affordable, but they’re what the city wants and what the city needs.”
(Jim Evans)
30 January 2018
