Pollstar magazine said an average of 6,951 tickets per show were sold, down 9% from the same period in 2009. The information comes just after it was announced that two weeks have been cut from the American Idol tour. Promoters Live Nation said eight shows by the Idol finalists, including winner Lee DeWyze and runner-up Crystal Bowersox, have been dropped. The Jonas Brothers, The Eagles, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, John Mayer and Limp Bizkit have all pulled summer dates in the US.
Influential Music - The Prodigy have been named the most influential act of their genre in a new poll. The electronic dance music group - whose hits include Breathe, Firestarter and Voodoo People - topped the survey by GlobalGathering. The dance music festival, now in its tenth year, commissioned the research to find out which artist has shaped the dance music genre the most. The Prodigy have sold more than 20 million records worldwide since 1990. They topped the poll with 29% of the vote, ahead of French dance outfit Daft Punk, and Faithless who were in third place. Other acts in the top 10 included Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and Carl Cox.
Festival Update - Singer Cheryl Cole has pulled out of V Festival and the boot camp stage of The X Factor, while she receives treatment for malaria. Her spokeswoman said Cole was "making good progress" but medical advice prevented her from working. Last week V Festival organisers had said they hoped she would still be able to perform at the two-day festival in August.
Street Music - US hip hop star Snoop Dogg has revealed he is a fan of Coronation Street and wants a cameo part in the show. Snoop told fans during a visit to Manchester, ahead a concert at the city's Apollo, that he had asked his agent to negotiate him a role. Snoop, who has followed the soap for 11 years, believed that Granada TV producers had responded with interest. A spokeswoman for Granada said, "He's obviously a great character but hard to see how he'd fit into Weatherfield."
(Jim Evans)
