andPOP » Australia

Flo Rida’s Hotel Raided

Natalia Buia — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:01:51 +0000

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Over the weekend when the rapper was performing down under in Townsville, Australia, his hotel room was raided after police got tipped that the room was smelling of “burnt cannabis”.

Flo Rida’s personal assistant, Dakari Dalawn Phillips was shortly taken into custody by the Northern Region Drug Squad and locked up for 14 hours.

The Herald Sun reports when cops came to bust the hotel party, they found a joint with 1 gram of weed, three grinders, a taser, a sealed bag with 16 grams of “leafy green material” and a few more weed related items. The most surprising of all: a Viagra tablet. No reports on whether it was for Flo Rida or one of his crew members.

Because Philips had no previous criminal records, he was let off with a $1,800 but missed his plane ride out of Townsville with Flo Rida and the rest of the pop-smokin’ crew. Here’s hoping they left the maid a really hefty tip.

Rebecca Black Warns About YouTube

andPOP Staff — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:48:25 +0000

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While performing in Australia, Rebecca Black did an interview to warn people about YouTube.

“What you put on there is permanent, so make sure you have very much pride in what you put on,” Black told news.com.au.

“You never know what’s going to happen. It could get two views or it could get a million views.”

In the months since, “Friday” has gone to notch up more than 167 million views and Black has become the target of death threats.

Nevertheless, things seem to be working out for Rebecca.

Rebecca Black Gets Gig in Australia

andPOP Staff — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 13:40:10 +0000

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Rebecca Black is proving she can last longer than 15 minutes. The YouTube star has been lured to Australia by a mobile phone company called Telstra.

Black tweeted, “I’m coming to Australia to perform live thanks to Telstra!! This is the best thing since microwaveable popcorn.”

The full details of what Black will be doing in “Down Under” haven’t been released.

This is the second piece of good news for Black, with the possibility of her releasing her debut album next month.

Cody Simpson Interview – He Still Gets an Allowance

andPOP Staff — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 14:40:20 +0000

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Although Cody Simpson may be a pop superstar with tons of money and fame, he is still 14 years old. That means if he wants to buy a hat, he still needs his Dad’s permission. We saw this firsthand during our interview. We also spoke with Cody about what life is like as a 14 year old Australian superstar.

Cut Copy Explains Why They Turned Down Lady Gaga

andPOP Staff — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:18:19 +0000

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Lady Gaga is one of the biggest pop stars in the world. Consequently you would think any artist would kill for the chance to work with her. Well Cut Copy was offered the chance to tour with Gaga, but they turned it down! Cut Copy explained that decision, along with their roots as a one man project.

Justin Bieber and Chris Brown Wow Australian Crowd

andPOP Staff — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:36:38 +0000

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Rumors have been circulating for a few days that Justin Bieber would be canceling his show in Australia because of a back injury, but Bieber doesn’t disappoint his fans. Bieber lived up to his commitment and tore the house down with Chris Brown.

“I don’t cancel … In route to Sydney!! THE SHOW IS ON!! I don’t let my fans down! LEGGO!! #myworldtour,” he wrote on Twitter before the gig. “Sydney … Leggo! #myworldtour”

Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, tweeted a picture of the two performing, writing, “Look At Them Now! @justinbieber and @chrisbrown 2nite in SYDNEY … KILL’T IT!”

The Daily Telegraph reports that the show was beyond belief. “By the time the countdown clock announced the arrival of the 17-year-old superstar, you would have thought these over-excited, sugar-fueled kids would be ready to relax and enjoy the show,” the review noted. “Nope, they blew the decibel reader into the red — reaching 110 decibels between songs — the equivalent of a chainsaw. Ear plugs were a matter of survival.”

Justin Bieber and Chris Brown Possibly To Perform Together in Australia

andPOP Staff — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:10:12 +0000

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Chris Brown could definitely use a boost on his Australian tour, and Justin Bieber might be his lucky charm. Bieber is performing this week in Australia, and he sent out a Tweet saying for everyone to expect a surprise, along with a video link to him performing with Chris.

Chris Brown could certainly use the help from Bieber considering ticket sales have been going poorly for the tour. They have been so bad that apparently promoters haven’t been able to even give them away.

Bieber to the rescue!

No Love Down Under for Chris Brown

RM Franks — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:20:37 +0000

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Australians love their surfing, their crocodiles, their Veggimite and taking cute cracks at winning the Masters, but one thing they evidently don’t fancy is Chris Brown.

Perez Hilton is reporting that Brown’s latest show is struggling so mightily to sell tickets in Australia, promoters have had to resort to things like 3-for-1 offers and virtual give-aways for his show at the Burswood Dome and several others.

Chris Brown’s people however refuse to move the shows to smaller venues. And after all, concert organizer Daniel Prichard claims ticket sales have tripled since Brown lost his cool on Good Morning America and trashed a dressing room.

Chris is scheduled to trash two more dressing rooms and punch Rihanna in the boob before heading to Aussie in an attempt to completely sell-out his shows.

Hugh Jackman Injured During Oprah Taping in Australia

andPOP Staff — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:03:59 +0000

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Hugh Jackman is a showman, so it’s not surprising he would want to make a dramatic entrance into Oprah’s show at the Sydney Opera House in Australia. However, he created more drama than was initially anticipated.

The plan was for Jackman to zip line from the top sail of the Opera House down to the stage. Unfortunately reports suggest he was doing roughly 80km/h by this point, and hit the brakes too late. This then caused him to bash his eye into a lighting rig, causing a minor injury.

When taping continued, Jackman commented, “That was so much fun until the end,” he said. Referring the Winfrey’s previous guest, he added with a laugh: “Bono was meant to do this, but they couldn’t afford the insurance.”

See the video below for footage of the incident.

Oprah and Russell Crowe Become Instant BFFs

Megan MacKay — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:48:18 +0000

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It looks like Oprah’s going to be doing more than just taping a few shows during her trip to Australia this week.

Radar Online is reporting that the queen of middle-aged women everywhere took a break from her show’s special taping schedule in the land down under to take a yacht cruise with the ever-charming Russell Crowe.

O and Crowe took a quick sail through Sydney Harbor followed by a flotilla of smaller boats carrying the hundreds of lucky women and fans. The ladies were winners of the talk show’s dream trip giveaway and were invited to accompany Oprah on the landmark trip and taping.

We imagine this was a segment for the show and not just some spontaneous yachting jaunt…right?

Fellow Aussies Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are also due to hang with Winfrey during the trip, though what exactly they’ll be doing with her and her guests is unclear.

Come on, Nicole! We want to see Oprah go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef!

Brace yourself for sky-high ratings amongst your Australian audience, Ms. Winfrey!

Oprah Picks up the Taxes for Australia Trip

Jacob Morris — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 21:55:19 +0000

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On the season premiere of the 25^th season of her talk show, Oprah announced to her entire audience that she was taking them all to Australia. Better yet, Oprah has also made it clear that she’ll be picking up the tab on the taxes too.

According to TMZ, the last time Oprah gave away something huge—a car for everyone in her audience—it wasn’t such a great experience, as the “lucky” audience members got slapped with up to $7,000 in gift taxes.

TMZ also spoke to Larry Edema, one of the lucky audience members going to Australia, who said that a certified public accountant was at the taping of Oprah and was also told that all of the taxes for the Australia trip will be “handled by the Oprah show.”

All we can say is that these people are extremely lucky.

‘Crocodile Dundee’ Star Paul Hogan Can’t Pay Tax Bill

andPOP Staff — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:30:14 +0000

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Paul Hogan, star of the “Crocodile Dee” franchise is in deep tax trouble with the Australian government. Hogan is saying he can’t even afford to pay 10 percent of what the Australian government says he owes in back taxes.

In an interview with the news program “A Current Affair,” Hogan explains that he is barred from leaving Australia and that the government is on a witch hunt.

“I actually came out here at the request of the Australian Crime Commission at my own time and expense to assist them with their inquires,” he said in the interview. “If I was a tax evader, which I’m not, I must be the dumbest one in the world, because they gave me five years notice that they have seized every piece of paper that my tax advisers and lawyers and accountants have ever had. I kept coming back here.”

The Australian government claims he used offshore bank accounts to conceal earnings since his low-budget “Crocodile Dundee” movie became an international hit in 1986. The government is claiming he owes 38 million Australian dollars in back taxes.

Australian Liam Hemsworth to Receive ‘Breakthrough Of The Year’ Award

andPOP Staff — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:10:29 +0000

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Miley Cyrus’s boyfriend and Australian heartthrob Liam Hemsworth has been awarded the “Breakthrough Of The Year” Award for the HollywoodLife’s Young Hollywood Awards on May 13th.

According to HollywoodLife.com, Liam first broke out in Australia with roles on two popular Australian shows. After moving to the United States in 2009, he was the male lead in The Last Song – as well as getting Miley Cyrus as a girlfriend. Next up for Liam will be the 3D action film Arabian Nights!

Justin Bieber Cancels Performance in Australia After Fans Suffer Injuries

andPOP Staff — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:15:21 +0000

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Teenage girls all over Australia must be crying their eyes out after pop sensation Justin Bieber cancelled his performance in Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia.

Several young girls fainted and were trampled by a crowd of about 5,000, reports New Zealand Herald. Paramedics were forced to deal with a huge crowd of unruly girls in order to help the injured. All of those who suffered injuries were treated at the scene.

The free concert was cancelled after concerns over further injuries. Many of the fans had slept there overnight for Bieber’s only Australian gig, due to be held at 7.40am (AEST).

Beibers has tweeted that he is “just as disappointed as everyone else.”

“I woke up this morning to the police cancelling the show for safety reasons.”

“I love my fans … I love it here in Australia … and I want to sing.”

By the way, in case you haven’t seen it, check out our interview with Justin Bieber below!

Interview: Dead Letter Chorus’ Cameron Potts on Everything from Snow to Baseball

Sara Harowitz — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:55:33 +0000

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The average Canadian wears one coat at a time in winter. Granted it’s probably the warmest coat ever known to mankind, but it’s still just one.

But to get Cameron Potts, one-fifth of the Sydney, Australia’s band Dead Letter Chorus, through the season, he needed three.

“It’s been a shock for sure,” Potts told andPOP of the Canadian cold. “I’m a bit of a wimp … I think I brought three jackets and at one stage I was wearing all three.”

Dead Letter Chorus, made up of Potts and four others, is on a cross-Canada tour in support of their debut album, The August Magnificent. It was the band’s first time seeing snow fall from the sky.

“It was pretty overwhelming,” he said. “We were just sitting having breakfast, and all of a sudden it started snowing!”

Dead Letter Chorus is made up of unique sound and equally unique dynamic. Mixing country, alternative, folk and pop, their music is often described in Australia as “new folk.”

Another feature that sets this band apart is the fact that they have two lead singers: Potts and Gabrielle Huber (who is also Potts’ girlfriend of over five years). Add Michael Faber on guitar, Lee Carey on percussion, and Tristan “T-Bone” Thorne on bass, and you’ve got a sound both powerful and serene, unique and relatable.

“It’s really good for us because it breaks up the set. It doesn’t ever feel like we’re doing too much of the one thing,” Potts said of sharing the lead singer duties with Huber. “We write songs with each other in mind with what they could be doing in the song.

“We write songs for each other lyrically as well. It’s kind of good in that way. It helps us be a bit versatile.”

The August Magnificent, which was just released in Canada a few weeks ago, has been out in Australia since 2008. Touring Canada gave the band a chance to re-connect with the songs that were going slightly stale.

“They feel good again,” Potts said of the songs. “Probably six months ago we’d been playing them for 18 months and we’d done so many shows in Australia that we were ready to do something new. We weren’t too sure how we were going to go coming back and playing some of the same songs but they’ve been great.”

And fans can look forward to more Dead Letter Chorus music very soon. Currently working with Canadian producer Les Cooper, the band already has about 17 songs to choose from for their sophomore album. And getting new music out, both here and back home, is a major priority for them once this tour wraps up.

“We’re going to go home and record,” said Potts. “We’re definitely going to release a single mid-year.”

Still, the band is enjoying being immersed in Canadian culture for the time being. And while they prefer sinking into the swing of a city instead of doing the tourist aspect of travelling, Potts admits they would have loved to go to a baseball game if time had permitted.

“We wanted to go to the Rogers Centre to see a baseball game indoors because that would have been hilarious,” he said, a look of childish wonder and curiosity in his eyes. “That blows my mind: baseball indoors!”

Miley Cyrus Loved by Liam Hensworth’s Parents

Angelina Irinici — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:33:17 +0000

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Maybe Miley Cyrus is the young American sweetheart she appears to be. The young lucky pop star is dating Australian hottie Liam Hemsworth, her Last Song costar. They are quite official and E! Online reports that when she met his parents they totally fell in love with her too.

“Yeah, they loved her,” Liam tells Michael Yo on tonight’s Daily 10. His parents met the 17-year-old on a recent visit to his hometown Down Under.

“It was really cool to show Miley where I’m from and how I grew up, and it’s a completely different world to where she’s from,” Liam continued. “We don’t have shopping centers or traffic lights or anything like that, where I live at least.”

Miley said she loved it too but for different reasons. Apparently the paparazzi was her selling feature to the continent.

“It was awesome, I really like Australia,” Miley tells M.Yo. “You know what? The media’s really cool there, too. Even though there’s paparazzi, they kind of stay their distance; it was kind of like Nashville by the sea actually, the town he’s from.”

The cute couple began dating after meeting on set of Last Song, and Cyrus admitted they were in a relationship this month at the Academy Awards.

Orianthi: Michael Jackson’s Pick

Graham Slaughter — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:17:28 +0000

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Orianthi was working in-studio when she got the email from Michael Jackson.

“I remember being in a room writing a song with a bunch of people and I got the email and was like, ‘Is this for real?’ It was really crazy. He wanted me to come in and learn Beat It. I was super nervous,” Orianthi told andPOP from her L.A. home.

The 24-year-old female electric guitarist was personally invited by Jackson to play lead guitar in his final tour “This Is It.” The King of Pop spotted Orianthi’s prodigious talent in a video guitar solo posted on her MySpace account.

However anxious, Orianthi didn’t let her nerves shake her at the audition. Jackson selected the fresh-faced Australian to join him and a group of some of the most talented musicians across the globe for 50 shows that have been dubbed “the greatest concerts that never happened.”

“It definitely made me believe in myself more when I was accepted into the band. It was an incredible experience.”

While she worked tirelessly in rehearsals for “This Is It”, Orianthi would spend her shreds of spare time in L.A. writing and recording her debut album, Believe. The 11 tracks, each featuring its own guitar solo, were released last October. The album`s single, According to You, hit #8 on Australian billboards and #17 in the U.S.A..

This guitar-strumming bombshell’s path to success began in her hometown of Adelaide, Australia. At 18, Orianthi was invited to join her idol Carlos Santana on stage to play in front of more than 10,000 screaming fans.

This February, Orianthi had the opportunity to reunite with Santana when she joined music industry heavyweights to record We Are the World in efforts to raise money for the Haiti after the crippling 7.0 earthquake.

Inside the cramped studio, Orianthi was surrounded by stars. Artists such as Lionel Richie, the Beach Boys, and her old friend Santana provided the vocals while Orianthi jammed out on the guitar with just enough elbow room.

“It was really hot in there. We were fanning ourselves with the We are the World song sheets.”

After single-handedly climbing her way to the top of the music industry, Orianthi plans on staying. The female solo artist is excited to start touring with acoustic rocker John Mayor across Australia and New Zealand in April, 2010.

As bright as Orianthi’s future looks, it’s not as if the young woman didn’t confront hurdles along the way. In her early performances, Orianthi received flak from men in the audience for being a girl with a guitar.

“When you go out there and play a show, guys are staring you down thinking, ‘What’s she going to do?’ It’s like being a male ballerina. But once they see you have a passion for it, they have respect for you and take you seriously.”

The singer hopes that she will motivate young fans to feel confident enough to pick up the guitar without the fear of backlash she once faced.

“I want girls to believe in themselves because playing the guitar is perceived as such a guy thing. It would be really cool to inspire more girls to rock out.”

Britney Spears Speaks Out About Lip-Synching

Sara Harowitz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:09:15 +0000

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Wait, so you’re saying she doesn’t really sing at her shows? Well, that is shocking.

After a frenzy of negative reviews for her Circus tour, Britney Spears is speaking out over the lip-synch scandal that started in Australia following her first two shows there, according to rollingstone.com.

“I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show,” a statement by Spears said yesterday. “Some reporters said they love it and some don’t. I came to Australia for my fans.”

The Australian press reported that concertgoers for Spears’ first two concerts in Perth began leaving the venue after only a few songs of Spears’ set, when it became evident that she was lip-synching. Spears has also been criticized for what the media has reported as a lack of engagement with the crowd. She only talked to the audience once, telling them how beautiful Australia was.

The scandal was heightened when New South Wales’ fair trade minister proposed marking all Circus tour tickets with a disclaimer that said the show was pre-recorded and mimed.

Spears’ lip-synching has been widely reported in the media since the Circus tour kicked off in New Orleans on March 3. And some may argue that the pop singer has been lip-synching since her …Baby One More Time days.

Still, those behind the circus are supportive.

“It’s been all over the Internet for nine months,” said Paul Dainty, Spears’ tour promoter. “This show is about an incredible spectacle, which it is.”

Yet somehow, the voice of reason has come from unlikely vocal chords: those of John Mayer. The Battle Studies singer tweeted on the weekend, “If you’re shocked that Britney was lip-synching at her concert and want your money back, may life continue to be hard for you.”

After a four-day break, the Circus tour will resume tonight for the first if three shows in Melbourne, Australia.

Britney Spears Angers Australians, Inspires Lip-Synching Legislation

Emma Renda — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:03:17 +0000

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Britney Spears’ first show of her 14-gig Australian tour was a bigger spectacle than expected.

A review in the Sunday Telegraph claims fans stormed out halfway through the show in Perth in an outrage over her lip-synching. But today, News.com.au filed an article giving the other side of the story: that one Australian reporter fabricated the whole thing.

It’s a case of “you had to be there”, but for Spears, it’s still hurtful. Paul Danity, her Australian tour promoter, says she is “extremely upset” and has been holed up in her Perth hotel since the incident on Friday night.

Reports were circulating the fans walked out of the show, despite having paid up to $1,500 for tickets and driving more than two hours to get there.

“It’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard,” Dainty told The Australian.

“I’m so angry. We can take heat if there’s something wrong and people can review shows badly — that’s something you have to live with — but to say people stormed out of the show was an absolute fabrication.”

The Perth Burswood Dome released a statement in Spears’ defense.

“Last night’s concert (Friday) saw record crowds turn out for her first performance in Perth and from Burswood’s perspective the event was a huge success.”

Adam Leber, Spears’ manager, took to Twitter to support Spears and her followers.

“Its unfortunate that one journalist in Perth didn’t enjoy the show last night. Fortunately the other 18,272 fans in attendance did. – Adam,” he wrote.

But Australia isn’t letting her off the hook that easily.

The Sydney Confidential reported that Spears’ lip-synched tour has inspired a move for legislation to require artists to reveal to ticket-buyers if they plan to mime their concert. China has already introduced a “name and shame” policy following the lip-synching debacle at the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony.

Virginia Judge, Fair Trading Minister and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts, told the Daily Telegraph she would not tolerate a “Mickey Mouse performance.”

“Let’s be clear – live means live. If you are spending up to $200 I think you deserve better than a film clip,” Judge said. “The NSW Government would be happy to look at options, such as a disclaimer on a ticket which would warn consumers a performance is pre-recorded.”

Steve Dixon weighed in on the opposite side, saying people pay for the show as much as the music.

“This is a pop spectacular, this is a showband show. You come for the experience,” he told the Telegraph. “There is a lot to see about this show, there’s nothing like this in the world. Britney Spears will entertain you, that’s what people come for. We absolutely give them a show.”

Spears’ has three shows in Melbourne this week, and then heads to Sydney before wrapping up the tour in Adelaide at the end of the month.

Jane’s Addiction Forced To Cancel Australian Tour

Ilan Mester — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:05:30 +0000

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Jane’s Addiction have cancelled an upcoming Australian tour due to the hospitalization of Stephen Perkins, the band’s drummer.

The 41-year-old band member has been admitted to Cedars-Sinai Hospital’s Infectious Disease Ward to receive treatment for an infection in his elbow, according to a press release issued by the group’s spokesperson.

“Doctors expect to keep him there for the next few days for further diagnosis and observation while anti-biotic treatment continues,” read the statement, which also said the drummer is expected to fully recover over the next couple of weeks.

The alternative rockers — who united with their original lineup in 2008 — are in the middle of a world tour, the first in 17 years. Their Australian tour was set to kick off on Saturday.

After Jane’s Addiction returned to Los Angeles from the European leg of their tour, Perkins noticed his elbow had swelled up.