SATURDAY NEWS WRAP #06

* The support acts have been revealed for La Roux’s forthcoming Australian tour. They’ll be joined onsatge at their three concerts in March (Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide) by Aussie performer Bertie Blackman, along with local electropop duo Tim & Jean.
* Interscope Records in the United States is celebrating, with a first in 2009 – they’ve managed to nab the top four places on Billboard’s end of year Hot 100 charts. Black Eyed Peas scored positions #4 and #1 with ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and ‘Boom Boom Pow’ respectively and Lady Gaga popped into the Nos.2 and 3 positions with ‘Poker Face’ and ‘Just Dance’.
* More results out of the US have seen defunct Aussie outfit Savage Garden top the list of the decade-end Adult Contemporary Songs chart. They beat out the likes of Lee Ann Womack and Matchbox 20 to score the No.1 position with their mega-ballad ‘I Knew I Loved You’.
* Universal Music in Australia has taken out a six track Christmas sampler to radio this week, in the hope of spreading some festive cheer via the airwaves. The sampler features the Ronan Keating and Kate Ceberano duet ‘It’s Only Christmas’ along with tracks from Andre Rieu, Andrea Bocelli and George Michael. Lady Gaga ftg. Space Cowboy’s ‘Christmas Tree’ makes the cut, along with The Hives & Cyndi Lauper’s ‘A Christmas Duel’.
* With his single ‘Down’ now moving down the charts, Universal Music Australia has serviced ‘Do You Remember’ – the second single for UK soul artist Jay Sean – to Australian radio. The singer’s album ‘All Or Nothing’ was released yesterday.
* Some of our readers are suggesting that the super-deluxe version of Lady Gaga’s album may not make it into retails stores in Australia. They’ve told us that such limited stock was brought into the country that only pre-orders of the new edition will be fulfilled.
* Checking the charts around the world – and firstly to the United States, where Jay Z and Alicia Keys remain on top again with their single ‘Empire State Of Mind’. But they shouldn’t get too comfortable ’cause the all-conquering Ke$ha is knocking on the door with her single ‘Tik Tok’ moving up to No.2.
* On the Billboard albums chart, it’s once again Susan Boyle who’s in the top position with her album ‘I Dreamed A Dream’. It seems to be No.1 everywhere – Australia, the UK and even in New Zealand where’s it’s already been certified eight times platinum for sales of more than 120,000 copies in just three weeks on sale.
* In the UK, Lady Gaga’s done it – cracking the No.1 position on the singles chart with her track ‘Bad Romance’. She displaces the Peter Kay charity medley to claim the top spot, with Ke$ha also edging her way to the top here.
* On the UK albums chart, once again it’s Susan Boyle, who notches up a third successive week at No.1. Lady Gaga’s on the move though – her ‘The Fame Monster’ set moves up an incredible ten places to No.2. But there’s no doubt SuBo will be the one to beat for the Christmas No.1.
* And concluding our international chart wrap, he may be the Australian Idol, but that hasn’t stopped Stan Walker from topping the New Zealand singles chart with his single ‘Black Box’. It’s the singer’s second week on the top spot – a position he failed to nab here in Australia.
* Kylie Minogue’s ‘Live In New York’ album is making rather a big impact on the Aussie iTunes store. The album, featuring songs recorded live onstage at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom during her recent US tour, is available only digitally in Australia, but is currently topping the albums chart, even beating out the likes of Susan Boyle and Australian Idol winner Stan Walker.
* Belgian duo Aeroplane has been added to the line-up for the Hot BBQ music festival at Victoria’s Point Nepean Quarantine Station in Portsea. They join a throng of awesome Aussie acts, including The Presets, Jet and Sneaky Sound System on the bill for the January 16 event.
* Voting is underway on Monday in the annual Triple J Hottest 100. Check out who’s made the list of those you can vote from by clicking on THIS LINK.
* The gang from UK remixers Bimbo Jones have revealed they’ll be playing alongside David Guetta at the Royal Hall of Industries for the 2010 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
* And New Zealand rapper Scribe has been announced as the support act for British hip hop artist Dizzee Rascal when he hits the stage for two special sideshows in January. He plays the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on January 24 and Melbourne’s Forum Theatre on January 28.

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