Amy Winehouse is currently writing her new album with friend and producer Mark Ronson. The songs will make up the bulk of her as yet untitled third LP release. And if you thought Back To Black was introspective and depressing, it seems you haven’t seen (or rather heard) anything yet.

The Sun is reporting that Winehouse has played some of the new tracks to her friends, and as impressive as they were, it also left them fearing for her mental state.

Since contracting a skin disease, thought to be Impetigo, and being photographed with ugly scabs on her face, Winehouse is thought to have become depressed, and even a recluse, so the negative lyrics on the new songs are hardly surprising.

However, to hear that some of the lyrics are so black that a friend described it as “suicidal music” is still quite shocking.

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Ever since legendary British rock pioneers Led Zeppelin reformed for a one-off gig at the 02 Arena in London last December, there has been speculation over further plans for a full tour.

Firstly guitarist Jimmy Page gave the fans who had missed out on the London show hope (and there were many, including me), hope by stating that a world tour was certainly possible.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of this month, lead singer Robert Plant seemed to put paid to anything happening in the near future by reportedly turning down £100 million to take part in one last big tour.

Even though the rest of the surviving members of the band, along with drummer Jason Bonham were said to be keen, Plant wanted to concentrate on other projects, particularly his current collaboration with Allison Krauss.

Now though, there’s another twist to the seemingly everlasting saga, as Plant has hinted at the possibility of at least one more Led Zeppelin reunion gig.

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It’s a long way from being a contestant on a Simon Cowell produced reality show to becoming a number one artist on the US Billboard charts, but that is exactly what Leona Lewis has achieved, and oh, how she deserves her success.

Lewis, from Hackney, in East London, entered The X-Factor competition in 2006, and instantly blew the judges away with her beautiful voice, and subtle way of changing classic songs and making them her own.

She went on to beat Ray Quinn in the final, and what a good result that has turned out to be.

Bleeding Love has already topped the British charts, spending seven weeks there at the end of 2007, and becoming the best selling single of the year with 1 million copies sold.

It has also topped charts around the world, but it’s taken North America a little time to catch on to the phenomenal talent Lewis possesses.

The song had been at the top of the US iTunes chart for two weeks, and finally made it to the top of the big one this week.

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Keith Richards has seen fit to question the sexuality of Rolling Stone band mate Mick Jagger, and after over 40 years of sharing sexual partners, there’s not anyone who would know better than Richards.

According to the NME, Richards gave an interview to GQ magazine in support of the release of Shine A Light, the Martin Scorsese directed documentary which is due in theatres from April 4th.

When asked about the rumours of Jagger’s sexuality over the years, Richards said:

“I really have no idea if anyone ever shoved it up the shitter. I’m not there watching it every day. But there was, at the time, a load of excruciatingly painful campness that went on.”

What a way with words he has!

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The Sex Pistols are set to play a one-off gig at the tiny Birmingham Academy in preparation for their headline slot at the Isle Of Wight Festival in June.

The festival is set to be staged on the Isle Of Wight between June 13th and 15th with the vintage punk rockers closing the second night of proceedings.

The warm up gig will take place two days earlier, on the 11th June. It will be the first time that The Sex Pistols have played Birmingham in 32 years.

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Neil Aspinall, The Beatles manager and confidant died on Sunday night at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in Manhattan. He was there receiving treatment for lung cancer, and was only 66 when he passed away.

Aspinall was often referred to as “The Fifth Beatle”, a title which George Harrison himself gave to the man with probably the longest association with the band expect for Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Ringo Starr.

He was involved with the band from its earliest days, hanging flyers advertising their performances around Liverpool, England, as far back as 1961. He eventually became the head of Apple Corps., the company set up to manage all of The Beatles affairs.

He was also loyal to the end, refusing to write memoirs detailing his life with The Beatles, and any lurid secrets he may have had about the band’s tenure as the biggest group in the world, or any of its members goes with him to the grave.

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A few of us here on the b5 music channel have decided to get together and talk about our favourite gigs. I’ve been to far too many to list them all, so instead, I’ll focus on my experiences of the last year.

I have quite a broad taste in music, loving everything from Bjork and Joanna Newsome, through the Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party, up to Megadeth and The Hives, so my gig history is kind of fragmented.

My first gig was the Stereophonics back in the day (when they were good, or at least better than they are at the moment), and that kind of set the tone for my experiences since then.

All I remember about that gig was not being able to hear anything afterwards, and wondering why. Now I’m used to it, and know that my hearing will be relatively back to normal the next day.

Since I’ve started writing Brit Music Scene, I’ve reviewed the gigs I’ve been to, except Megadeth earlier this year because I didn’t know how interested my readers would be.

For the record, it was mind-blowingly good. It was my first metal gig, and one I’ll never forget. From seeing the master, Dave Mustaine, have the crowd eating out of his hand, to getting drenched in sweat that came flying from the long haired goon standing in front of me every time he rocked out, it was an unforgettable night.

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You might think that after 45 years of making money from being in The Beatles, the surviving members, namely Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, would have enough wealth not to worry about the odd release of a few unlicensed tracks here and there.

But it seems not, as Apple Corps, the Beatles company rather than the people behind the iPod, Mac and iPhone, are suing a Miami company called Fuego Entertainment, over an album entitled Jammin’ With The Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962. Catchy eh!

The album is a recording from the early days of The Beatles, before they became famous around the world, and rightly classed to be the best pop group in the world ever.

According to Yahoo! News, the eight tracks on the album were reportedly recorded from a performance at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, in 1962.

Lawyers for Apple claim that the tracks were recorded illegally without permission, and so should not be released. They further claim that due to the poor sound quality, the album would diminish and tarnish the band’s image and memory.

More than the back catalogue being featured in adverts?

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This week has seen Estelle vying for the number one spot in the UK single charts with the queen of pop, Madonna, and the so called new Amy Winehouse, Duffy.

Estelle is fully expected to pip the two to number one with her first American lead release, American Boy, which also features Kanye West.

I really like the single, as I said so in my review on Killed By The Video Star, but a comment she made while talking to The Daily Star has prompted me to question whether she’s becoming a first class diva after a small amount of success, or actually a breath of fresh air to the bitchy music industry.

She told the newspaper’s music columnist Kim Dawson:

“The worst thing about me is that I just focus on myself rather than taking any notice of what’s going on around me.”

“All I know of Duffy is that she sounds like Dusty Springfield with a little bit of Lulu thrown in.”

“When people ask me about other singers, I just don’t really – what’s the word – care.”

“I’ve been working on my own record for such a long time that I don’t want to take away from it by talking about or dissing other artists.”

That sort of comment, especially the one about not caring enough to even discuss other artists, could be taken two different ways, and I’m having a hard time deciding which is true.

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The Futureheads are one of my favourite British bands of recent years, but one who haven’t really got the recognition they deserve.

Apart from having a top ten hit with a cover of the Kate Bush classic Hounds Of Love in 2005, the Sunderland band have had to make do with being on the fringes of the mainstream.

Their sound and style is definitely alternative, and quite niche, but a pop sensibility runs through everything they do.

Hopefully, with the success of new single The Beginning Of The Twist, and a new album called This Is Not The World, due out in May, the band are about to garner some new fans.

In support of the new album, which they set their own label Nul Records up to distribute after getting dropped by their label in 2006,, the band are going on a UK tour, and tickets have gone on general sale today. Get them from the official site!

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