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Me, Myself and Ibuprofen!
Midweek Music – Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap
Nov 4th
A new feature to www.benhewis.com is Midweek Music, a chance for me to tell you what I have been listening to this week, and this weeks spot goes to Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap. WHAT A TUNE!!!
Tune Tuesday: Jay Z, Empire State of Mind
Nov 3rd
This weeks Tune Tuesday, is arguably THE tune of the year!!!! Its Empire State of Mind by Jay Z feat Alicia Keys.
My Music Monday – The Unthanks
Nov 2nd
My Music Monday this week may not be to all of your liking, but I saw them on Jools Holland last week and really enjoyed it. They are called The UnThanks, and this song is Here’s the Tender Coming. Enjoy!
Sir Elton John ‘fine’ despite E.coli and flu…
Nov 2nd
Sir Elton John’s spokesman says the star is “absolutely fine” despite cancelling more shows on doctor’s orders.
The 62-year-old singer is recovering from a serious case of E.coli bacterial infection and influenza.
But Sir Elton’s spokesman said: “He has flu and is absolutely fine.”
Doctors have advised him to postpone three concerts which he was due to perform with Billy Joel in the US over the next couple of weeks.
The singer is being treated at the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.
The musician’s partner David Furnish spent much of Sunday at the hospital and, as he left, said: “He’s OK, he’s fine.”
Sir Elton has postponed gigs in Sheffield, Newcastle, London, Liverpool and Dublin since October 23 when he contracted flu. The concerts, part of his Red Piano tour, are due to be rescheduled.
Leona & Black Eyed Peas to star on X Factor….
Oct 30th
Leona Lewis will return to the show that catapulted to her international stardom.
The Bleeding Love star will perform her new single Happy on the X Factor’s Sunday night results show on November 8.
It is her first live TV performance since she was allegedly struck in the face at a book signing at Waterstone’s in the Piccadilly area of London.
Peter Kowalczyk, 29, was charged with assaulting the singer and the case has been adjourned at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court until November 23. He has been sectioned under the Mental Health Act and is being examined by psychiatrists.
After cancelling an appearance on BBC’s The One Show and a two-day promotional tour in Germany, Leona, 24, has vowed to carry on with her life as normal. She told Sky News: “I don’t like to dwell on the negatives, I’m a very positive person.”
It will be the star’s second live performance on The X Factor since winning the competition in 2006. Last year she performed her No 1 hit Bleeding Love.
Leona will be sharing the stage with US rappers The Black Eyed Peas, who have held the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for the last six months.
This weekend’s X Factor will feature the first behind-the-scenes look at the making of the contestants’ new charity single You Are Not Alone, with proceeds going to Great Ormond Street hospital.
Twins John and Edward kept the production team amused in between takes by teaching them the moves to their Britney Spears dance routine for Oops I Did It Again.
Last year’s X Factor charity single Hero, for Help For Heroes, reached No 1 and became the fastest selling single of the year.
This Is It makes $20m in one day…
Oct 30th
The Michael Jackson concert documentary This Is It earned $20.1m (£12.1m) at worldwide box offices in its first day, the studio that made the film has said.
The movie, which is based on rehearsal footage for the star’s ill-fated comeback shows, was premiered around the world on Tuesday.
Steve Elzer from Sony Pictures said the movie is a “reaffirmation of the global appeal of Michael Jackson”.
The film made $7.4m (£4,4m) in the US and $2m (£1.2m) in the UK.
Oscar nomination
“The studio believes that the worldwide launch, with very strong performance across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, represents an amazing beginning for the film,” Mr Elzer said in a statement.
He has also revealed that the studio will submit the movie to the Academy Awards for consideration this year in the best picture category.
To be a contender for Oscar shortlisting, the film must complete a seven-day run in Los Angeles County and film-makers would need to “submit the proper paperwork,” Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said.
Director Kenny Ortega said the late star “deserves” to win an Oscar.
Jackson’s brothers attended the film’s screening in LA on Tuesday and simultaneous premieres were held in 18 other cities around the world.
The movie was then released to cinemas on Wednesday for a two-week run only.
However, Sony has said the movie will be extended beyond its planned stint if ticket demand is high.
The movie, which runs to nearly two hours, features Jackson singing and dancing to his biggest hits, including Beat It, Black or White and Man in the Mirror.
Jackson, who died on 25 June aged 50, had spent the previous four months rehearsing in LA for the record 50 concerts which were to be held in London.
More than 800,000 tickets had been sold for the concerts, with organisers promising one of the “most expensive and technically advanced” live shows ever.
He was just two weeks away from the opening night at the time of his death.
By the weekend, it will be shown in 110 countries.
Buble’s drug confession…
Oct 28th
Michael Buble hates the clean-cut crooner image his management forced on him at the start of his career – because he loves partying and smoking marijuana.
The Canadian singer made a name for himself singing love songs and became a hit with housewives with his 2005 breakthrough album It’s Time – but he admits there’s actually a wild rock star under his sweet stage persona.
He tells The Sun, “Don’t get me wrong, big band music is my passion and I am that guy in suits who sings romantic music. But if you’d accused Frank Sinatra of being some soft touch, he’d have had you shot.
“That’s what attracted me to the Rat Pack guys – they had attitude. When I first got a record deal they wanted to market me a certain way. I hated it, I was living a lie. So I had to find ways to cope with all that.”
The 34 year old was forced to smoke joints and drink alcohol in secret – to keep fans from finding out about his vices: “There I was pretending to be this sweet boy. It was hard trying to be that nice guy the whole time. Truth is, I was a Canadian kid who loved women, partying and ice hockey…
“I grew up in Vancouver, which has the best weed in the world and good alcohol. You can score (buy drugs) just walking down the street, so I did. I’ve never done cocaine or heroin or anything stronger. But I don’t see anything wrong with relaxing with a joint.
“I’d worked from 16 years old until 26 years old… then I got a couple of big breaks, but the label couldn’t give a s**t about me. They thought I’d sell 50,000 records in my lifetime. But they knew they wanted to market me as the clean-cut sweet kid who the mums would love. I’m proud of what I did but it wasn’t me, I was just surviving.”
Tune Tuesday! – Ellie Goulding, Under the Sheets….
Oct 27th
Sorry for not doing this for a while, previously called Monday, I am now renaming it Tune Tuesday, and today’s highlighted musician/song is Ellie Goulding’s ‘Under the sheets’, which you can see in the vid below:
X Factor, Big Band Week: A Review…..
Oct 26th
So another week has passed and for some reason J&E are still in the competition, begging the question “Who the hell is voting for these idiots?” Sorry that this is a more belated review, I have had a very busy weekend, but its all back to normal now. So here is my (very concise) review of Big Band Week:
Olly Murs, Bewitched: Olly is very quickly becoming one of my favourites, and seems to have all the girls on his side! Hewis Rating: 
Lloyd Daniels, Fly me to the moon: He is OK, but not good enough to win the comp! Too soppy as well! Hewis Rating:
Miss Frank, That’s Life: They ruined one of my favourite songs. I am so glad they have gone. Hewis Rating:
Rachel Adedeji, Proud Mary: Such a better performance. But talking with Dermot was WEIRD! Trying to be Stacey! Hewis Rating: 
Jamie Archer, Angel of Harlem: Jamie is now my fave! We haven’t had anyone like him on the X before! Louis was wrong! Hewis Rating:
Stacey Solomon, When you wish upon a star: A great rendition and she looked stunning. But didnt feel she was singing it to her son. Hewis Rating:
Danyl Johnson, Feeling Good: His song for survival reminded us why we like him. But is he a one trick pony? Hewis Rating:
Joe McElderry, Sway: Getting a bit bored of saying this, good voice but not my type of thing. Gareth Gates anybody? Hewis Rating:
John & Edward, She Bangs: How is this a big band song? The John Sargeant effect has well & truly kicked in! Hewis Rating:
Lucie Jones, My Funny Valentine: This was a superb performance and Simon knew it, but had to save his acts by picking a strange fault with it. My Performance of the night! Hewis Rating:
Results Show:
Great performances from Westlife and Michael Buble, and at least this week wasn’t a continuation of ‘Stars in Rehab’ although I’m sure Simon has realised the money making potential of such a show and it is in the pipelines for channel 5 as we speak.
I like that Rachel was given another chance, but she has to sort herself out, its OK to act differently on stage, all the best performers have on stage personas, but her’s is just trying to be Stacey, and no-one will buy it! The whole J&E saga is ridiculous, but they won’t do anything about it because it keeps people talking about it, Mr Cowell will be well aware that there is no such thing as bad publicity.
I thought that Miss Frank should have been in the bottom two, but even though my opinion of him has diminished since the start, I don’t think Danyl deserved to be in the bottom 2. It would have been better to see both groups in the sing off and see which one Louis chose to save, Im sure his ‘belief’ in J&E would have not been so obvious in that situation!
Danyl’s song for survival made us realise why we liked him initially, and allowed us to momentarilly forget his cockiness and the REALLY bad moment in ‘I gotta Feeling’, although he has had to play his ‘Get out of prison free’ card far too early, and he can’t play it again if he finds himself in the same position in another week.
It’s rock week next week, with performances from JLS & Bon Jovi, it is bound to be a terrific show.
HMV launches first instore cinema….
Oct 23rd
HMV is opening its first instore cinema in London, causing some to question what this means for the future of high street music retailers.
The music store is launching a three-screen digital cinema in its Wimbledon branch in collaboration with independent cinema chain Curzon.
With the disappearance of stores like Zavvi and Woolworths, HMV is one of the few places you can still buy music on the high street.
The chain has already had to branch out into selling things like DVDs and video games to help stay afloat, thanks to the fact that high street music stores are losing millions to online downloads.
HMV Chief Executive Simon Fox explained: “Our mix of sales now is about a quarter music, a quarter is computer games and half is DVD.
“Music has declined, as you’d expect. One of the reasons why we are putting cinemas into our stores is because we know the brand has to stretch, it has to stretch beyond the traditional music store into new areas.”
‘Last man standing’
“We are described as the last man standing on the high street and indeed we are, in terms of being the last entertainment specialist.”
However Fox is keen to deny that HMV is struggling, saying that 30 new stores have opened this year and 10 temporary stores are planned in the run up to Christmas.
Joe Mount from electro pop band Metronomy told Newsbeat why he thinks HMV have made the move.
“People don’t think music is worth any money.
“That’s why HMV’s opening cinemas and that’s why Virgin tried to re-brand itself as like a hang-out spot and all that phone stuff,” he said.
However he doesn’t blame music retailers for moving from music to movies and thinks the problem runs deeper.
‘Crippling the industry’
He said: “You need to educate the people who think music is worth nothing, you have to teach them that it is worth something because otherwise they’re accidentally crippling the whole music industry.
“Young people have to be taught that music is actually worth money otherwise you’re just going to lose shops, and you’re going to lose record labels and you’re going to lose new bands.”
Depending on the success of the first instore cinema HMV say more could follow.
The space will come from unused areas like basements but Fox admits that in the future there might be more space available when product sales change.
It remains to be seen whether this means that music will end up making room for movies.
Wimbledon HMV’s screens have between 70 and 103 seats and will start by showing films like The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus and The Fantastic Mr Fox.
