Earlier this month, Sheffield Theatres was hit with a £106,000 cut to its £529,000 grant from Sheffield City Council, while Stoke-on-Trent City Council has said it will reduce its annual grant of £67,500 to Staffordshire's New Vic by £23,000 in the next financial year. Meanwhile, Moray Council in Scotland has announced it is to cut its entire arts budget. Morrissey said, "Not only are the arts an important part of local culture but theatres are major contributors to the economy."
West End Update - X Factor - It's Time to Face the Musical! will open in the West End in early 2014, its producers have announced. The show will be produced by Stage Entertainment UK and Syco Entertainment. It is written by Harry Hill, with 19 new songs by Steve Brown, and will be directed by Sean Foley. Choreography is by Kate Prince, best known for her work with Zoonation, and design will be by Es Devlin, who designed the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony. The creative team is completed by sound designer Gareth Owen, lighting designer and musical supervisor Phillip Bateman.
Voice Coach - Dave Grohl has told a music conference that budding singers and artists should ignore what is in the charts and concentrate on making their own music. The Foo Fighter opened South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas, giving the keynote speech to around 1,000 people. "There is no right or wrong," he said. "There is only your voice, your voice screaming through an old recording console, singing from a laptop, echoing from a street corner, a cello, a turntable, a guitar." He added: "It doesn't matter. What matters most is that it's your voice. Cherish it. Respect it. Nurture it. Challenge it. Stretch it. Scream it until its gone. Because everyone's blessed with at least that. Who knows how long it will last?"
Morrissey Cancels - A series of "medical mishaps" has forced Morrissey to cancel the rest of his concerts in the US, his publicist has said. The ex-Smiths frontman has suffered a number of illnesses. The 53-year-old, who was due to perform at Liberty Hall in Kansas on Monday, has pulled 22 shows. The singer had already called off 21 gigs this year due to poor health. His publicist said Morrissey fans would be refunded for the remaining gigs.
Summer Nights - Tom Odell, Jessie Ware and Lianne La Havas have been confirmed as part of this year's line-up for a series of shows at London's Somerset House. The annual open air concerts will take place from Thursday 11 July to Sunday 21 July. Further acts confirmed are Alex Clare, First Aid Kit, Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Goldfrapp and Basement Jaxx will close the summer series by performing on the final weekend.
Old Gold - David Bowie's first album in a decade has become the fastest-selling of the year, hitting the number one spot in its first week. The Next Day is the 66-year-old's first number one since 1993's Black Tie White Noise. The album sold 94,000 copies this week, according to the Official Chart Company, outselling the number two album from Bon Jovi two to one.
(Jim Evans)
