UK & USA

Rip It Up, Issue 113, 1 December 1986, Page 6

UK & USA

The Smith's Johnny Marr was injured when his car ran off the road near Manchester. Besides injuries to his neck and back, the use of his fingers and hands was affected ... Billy Bragg was in court last month on a criminal damage charge following his involvement in an anti-nuke protest. The alleged crime was wire cutting, for which his girlfriend has spent time in Holloway prison ... ex-Birthday Party bassist Tracy Pew died in Melbourne last month after suffering an epileptic fit. He was 28 ... Nick Cave spent two nights in a New York jail recently; he was picked up on a vagrancy charge ... Culture Club’s Jon Moss was also in court recently, on a cocaine charge. Thirty years, 1000 cover versions and 300 million records after he wrote ‘Louie Louie,’ Richard Berry has regained the rights to royalties from the song ... Run DMC are said to have contributed an “anti-crack" song to Michael Jackson’s new LP ... Prince has disbanded the Revolution, who have backed him for four years. Wendy and Lisa are planning an album together and a film score, and it’s rumoured Prince protegees Maserati will be his new backing group Billy Idol, looking rather worse for wear and tear in his new video, has been seen jogging round London’s Hyde Park lately ... Elvis Costello has been playing in London with the Attractions, plus the "Confederates," comprising some of his King of America musicians, including James Burton and Jim Keltner ... the Jesus and Mary Chain have denied rumours of a breakup, and are scheduled to play some London concerts this month, and enter the studio to record their second album ... it’s all over for Pink Floyd, though some members of the group are trying to stop a Roger Waters inspired court-enforced split... our own Aotearoa and Dread Beat & Blood received album reviews in the NME recently, with Aotearoa’s Tihei Mauriora receiving the thumb’s up.