Entertainment

Steve Harley, frontman of rock group Cockney Rebel, has died

Published

2 months ago

March 17, 2024

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Steve Harley, best known for being the frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel, has died at the age of 73.

The English singer and songwriter, best known for the 1970s hit Make Me Smile, was receiving treatment for cancer.

“We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband, father and grandfather, has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side,” his wife, Dorothy, and children, Kerr and Greta said in a statement.

“The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four beloved grandchildren.

“Stephen. Steve. Dad. Grandar. Steve Harley. Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity, and much more, in abundance.

“Steve took enormous comfort from all of his fans’ well wishes during his battle, and we know he would want to thank you all deeply for your love and support throughout his career, and during his battle to the end.”

Harley’s family said they knew the singer would be “desperately missed by countless friends, family and devoted fans all over the world”.

Along with Make Me Smile, which went to number one in the UK charts in 1975, Cockney Rebel’s hits include Here Comes The Sun, Mr Raffles (Man, It Was Mean), Love’s A Prima Donna and Judy Teen.

Earlier this year, Harley was forced to say he could not commit to any concerts in 2024 due to ill health.

He had previously cancelled shows scheduled for spring and autumn of this year.

In a Facebook post in December, when announcing his cancer diagnosis, he said cancelling the shows were “heartbreaking” and gave an update on his treatment.

He also thanked fans for their support and “touching messages”, adding: “It means more than I can tell.”

Scottish musician Midge Ure hailed Harley as a “true ‘working musician'” in a tribute this afternoon.

Ure, who produced Harley’s 1982 track I Can’t Even Touch You, said in a social media post: “Steve Harley was a true ‘working musician’.

“He toured until he could tour no more, playing his songs for fans old and new.

“My thoughts go out to Dorothy and his family at this very sad time. Our songs live on longer than we ever can.”

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly also said she “loved his music” and recalled watching the band as a teenager as she paid tribute.

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Mike Batt, who worked with Harley on several songs, described the musician as a “dear pal” and “lovely guy”.

The pair worked together on tracks including Ballerina (Prima Donna) released in 1983 and were joined by Yes lead singer Jon Anderson for the 1988 charity single Whatever You Believe.

“Oh no! My dear pal, Steve Harley has died,” Batt posted on X.

“I just found out on Twitter. I was just writing about him yesterday in my autobiography.

“What a talent. What a character. What a lovely guy. My condolences to Dorothy and all. RIP, mate.”

Born in southeast London in 1951, he spent almost four years in hospital as a child after contracting polio.

He joined the Daily Express as a trainee accountant aged 17 before working as a journalist for several regional newspapers including the East London Advertiser.

Cockney Rebel began in the early 1970s in London after Harley spent several years performing at folk clubs in the city.

The band – after undergoing several line-up changes – released their debut studio album, The Human Menagerie, in 1973 and followed it up with 1994’s The Psychomodo which went to number eight in the UK charts.

The band regrouped and changed its name to Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and it was under this moniker they released a string of albums including 1975’s The Best Years Of Our Lives, which peaked at number four.

Their biggest hit Make Me Smile has sold around 1.5 million copies and has been covered more than 120 times, including by Robbie Williams and Duran Duran, according to the Official Charts, as well as being featured in films including The Full Monty.

Harley also enjoyed a solo career from 1977 onwards and wrote for other artists, including his friend Sir Rod Stewart.

He went on to present the BBC Radio 2 show Sounds Of The 70s from 1999 to 2008.

Helen Thomas, Head of BBC Radio 2, said: “All of us at Radio 2 are saddened to hear of the passing of former Sounds of the 70s presenter, Steve Harley. We send our condolences to his family and our presenters are paying tribute to him on air.”

Entertainment

Manchester’s Co-op Live arena finally opens after weeks of cancellations and setbacks

Published

8 hours ago

May 15, 2024

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Manchester's Co-op Live arena finally opens after weeks of cancellations and setbacks

Manchester’s beleaguered Co-op Live arena has finally officially opened its doors after weeks of setbacks, cancellations and postponements.

The venue was initially due to fully open with two Peter Kay stand-up shows on 23 and 24 April, but these dates were pushed back when problems emerged at a test event headlined by Ricky Astley.

The Co-op Live’s new opening night was then due to be 1 May when US act A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie should have performed – but this was cancelled at the last minute as fans queued outside.

In the fortnight since, numerous other acts have been forced to postpone or move their Co-op Live gigs but the doors have finally opened to fans, with Manchester band Elbow taking to the stage this evening.

The show reportedly got under way a little late, with London band The WAEVE as the support act, the first to take to the stage as the massive arena began to fill with people.

Elbow took to the stage shortly after 9pm, with singer Guy Garvey shouting “let’s open this venue properly”, according to What’s On Editor for the Manchester Evening News Jenna Campbell, writing on X.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s last-minute cancellation two weeks ago came after part of the venue’s ventilation and air conditioning system fell from the ceiling during a soundcheck.

The venue’s boss said today that the accident could have been “catastrophic” if it had happened just 15 minutes later.

Signs Co-op Live is still a work in progress

Shingi Mararike

North of England correspondent

@ShingiMararike

The fact that the opening of Co-op Live has been beset by issues was not lost on Dermot and Diane as they stared up at the sleek black structure with a capacity of 23,500.

The couple, who had travelled from Lancaster, said they already had a Plan B to go to the Trafford Centre in Manchester for a meal if the concert failed to go ahead. As an Elbow fan, Diane saw the concert as an early treat for her 60th birthday.

Another group who travelled from Norwich for five hours also had their own backup plan if things didn’t go as they had intended.

Less than a month ago, the arena still looked like a building site, with workers in hard hats surrounding it.

This evening, there was not a crane in sight as the queue began to build. As scheduled, the gates opened at 6.30pm and hundreds of people slowly streamed in through the security gates, scanning their own tickets on the way into an atrium that had a huge LED screen taking up most of one wall, flashing with the names of the headliners.

Some people walking into the arena audibly gasped at its sheer size. From the self-scanning tills to the lights lining the escalators, the venue is as modern and sleek as advertised, but there were also signs that Co-op Live is still a work in progress.

Some security and hospitality staff seemed to be playing catch-up with the technology, while police officers in the venue were deep in conversation with both staff and Manchester City Council. Meanwhile, a woman hovered around the atrium with a notepad to check all the screens were working.

For this multi-million-pound venue and its financial backers, the first crowds through the doors and first notes finally being played must have come with a huge sigh of relief.

Tim Leiweke, chief executive of the arena’s operator Oak View Group, told BBC News: “They didn’t put the bolts in. It wasn’t visible to the eye and it fell out.

“So we [have since] got that double checked and triple checked. We’ve looked at thousands of bolts up in that ceiling now. We’ve looked at the life safety lines. And we were going to take our time to make sure we did this right.

“There was no way we were opening the doors until we checked every screw and every bolt and every one of those 95 shafts.”

A number of Elbow fans at the venue admitted they were feeling “apprehensive” ahead of the gig.

“When you go anywhere you want to know about the structural integrity of the place you’re going to,” said Samantha, 51, who did not want to share her surname.

“I know all venues have to start somewhere but as long as they say everything is fine, that’s as reassuring as it can be.”

With a capacity of 23,500, Co-op Live is the UK’s latest indoor arena and it cost £365m to build.

Entertainment

Cannes Film Festival 2024: The Apprentice to the new Mad Max – five films to look out for as stars hit the red carpet

Published

14 hours ago

May 14, 2024

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Cannes Film Festival 2024: The Apprentice to the new Mad Max - five films to look out for as stars hit the red carpet

This year’s Cannes Film Festival is getting under way with, as always, a French movie opening proceedings and celebrities lining the red carpet.

Lea Seydoux is among the stars in The Second Act, which tells the story of actors working on a doomed movie production – a delightfully wicked way to kick off the world’s most famous film festival.

Away from opening night, here are five more films playing at Cannes that are worth keeping an eye on.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

A post-apocalyptic action adventure, this is a prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road – which won six Oscars and is largely regarded as one of the best action films ever. Furiosa is by the same director, George Miller, and early reviews suggest it’s somewhat different to its predecessor but equally brilliant. With stars including Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hardy, it should be a great way to kick off summer blockbuster season – in cinemas from 24 May, so audiences who aren’t on the French Riviera don’t have long to wait too long.

Megalopolis

Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola‘s self-financed passion project is playing in competition at the festival. The filmmaker is reported to have spent several decades and more than a million dollars of his own money making the sci-fi, which is described as a Roman epic fable set in an imagined modern America. The ensemble cast includes Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Dustin Hoffman – and as Coppola’s first film to be released since 2011, expectations are high for this one.

The Apprentice

As Donald Trump continues to grab headlines in the US, this film looks at the former president’s life before politics, his career in real estate in New York in the 1970s and 1980s. Sebastian Stan stars as Trump, but little else is known about the drama ahead of its world premiere at Cannes. Promoters say it tackles themes of power, corruption and deception – so now it’s a watch and wait to see if the billionaire has anything to say about his life becoming fodder for the big screen.

Horizon: An American Saga

Another passion project making its way to the south of France is the first half of this two-parter Western co-written, starring and directed by Kevin Costner. The actor first pitched a version of this movie back in 1988 so it’s been brewing since long before the Western drama series Yellowstone that he’s been busy with during recent years. Audiences will be going in knowing they won’t get the whole story, and with a 181 minute running time it’s quite the commitment – but perhaps not as big as Costner’s himself; he’s personally financed the films, which currently have a budget of almost $100m.

Kinds Of Kindness

Mere months after Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things won four Oscars, the director has got the gang back together for a new film premiering at Cannes, also starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley. Described as a “triptych fable”, the film tells three stories that are loosely connected. Known for his strange tales and specific vison, while Lanthimos’s movies aren’t for everyone they certainly can’t be accused of being dull. However, with little to be gleaned from the teaser trailer that’s been released so far, it will be all eyes on Cannes to see what audiences make of this one.

Entertainment

Baby Reindeer star’s fresh plea to fans speculating about characters’ identities

Published

17 hours ago

May 14, 2024

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Baby Reindeer star's fresh plea to fans speculating about characters' identities

The creator and star of hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer has issued a fresh plea to fans to stop trying to discover the identities of characters in the show – and warned he will refrain from commenting for good.

Described as a true story, Richard Gadd’s series – in which he plays barman and aspiring comedian Donny Dunn – sparked an online frenzy over the real-life identities of some of the characters – including a stalker played by actress Jessica Gunning.

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Gadd called on fans to stop their searches, saying: “If I wanted the real life people to be found, I would’ve made it a documentary”.

Gadd also said he was concerned any further comment on identities would cause yet more speculation.

“I’ve spoken publicly about how I don’t want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then I’m almost adding to it,” he added.

“I don’t think I’ll ever comment on it ever again.”

It follows a previous appeal in an Instagram story, when Gadd said: “People I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.

“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.

“Lots of love, Richard.”

Baby Reindeer is about the traumatic life of a struggling comedian who is stalked by a woman called Martha Scott and is sexually assaulted by someone seemingly high up in the entertainment industry.

In the opening sequence of the series, viewers are told in an on-screen message: “This is a true story.”

A woman alleged to be the inspiration for the stalker character of Martha has since appeared in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, saying she was “forced” to come forward after receiving online death threats from “internet sleuths”.

Fiona Harvey repeatedly denied being a stalker and described the series as “a work of fiction”.

When asked if she will “categorically be taking legal action”, she replied: “Absolutely, against both him (Gadd) and Netflix.”

Gadd’s interview with the Hollywood Reporter was published on Monday but was carried out before the Morgan interview with Ms Harvey aired.

Gadd also revealed he lost almost 20 kilos to play the role because he wanted “to feel vulnerable and fragile” in his body so when filming was over “there was a bit of piecing myself back together”.

“To play Donny Dunn, I had to go back to that head space where I was at the time [in real life], which was very raw and very damaged,” he added.