Awards News - Rock band Iron Maiden have asked to be removed from the Vodafone Live Music Awards shortlist after being nominated for the best live return prize. Vodafone said the band had complained they should not be considered for the prize because they said they had never stopped touring. In a posting on their website the band said: "We are not quite sure where we are returning from." Indie group James have now been nominated for the award instead. Iron Maiden, who recently played at Twickenham Stadium, said the nomination was "very flattering". A Vodafone spokesman said: "We respect and support the band's decision and have complied with their request to be removed from this year's shortlist."
Festival News - Thousands of people have attended the London Mela in west London - said to be Europe's largest Asian festival. The day-long festival at Gunnersbury Park, which is now in its sixth year, showcased the best of South Asian music, dance, food, comedy and cabaret. "It's like the Notting Hill Carnival, the Glastonbury of Asian music," said Radio One DJ Bobby Friction. Headline acts at the Mela, which means "meeting" in Sanskrit, included Raghav, Jassi Sidhu and Taio Cruz. The free festival had seven zones and featured urban, classical and experimental music, DJs, circus, dance, visual arts, comedy, a children's area, food from around the world and a giant funfair.
Olympic News (2) - According to a report in The Times, the cute little girl whose sweet-voiced rendition of one of China's favourite revolutionary anthems started off the Olympic opening ceremony performance may not have been all that she seemed. Little Lin Miaoke, it has been revealed, was only lip-synch'ing. Officials have now admitted that the voice that rang out through the vast Bird's Nest stadium was really that of seven-year-old Yang Peiyi, who may have had the voice of an angel but whose crooked teeth made her unsuitable for the opening ceremony's top spot. The revelation has stirred up an online furore in China's Internet chat rooms and on comment pages.
(Jim Evans)
