Splendour gets sicker as London Grammar third band to pull out
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Splendour in the Grass organisers must be sick of bands getting sick. Overnight London Grammar have become the third band to pull out of the music festival.
The British three-piece announced on Monday that they had to pull out of the Byron Bay music festival, which kicks off this weekend, and their two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne "due to illness".
The band didn't specify which member was ill, however, guitarist Dan Rothman recently told AAP that frontwoman Hannah Reid avoids doing interviews to allow the singer to perform at her best.
"I tend to do most of the interviews because the other two, well, Hannah saves her voice and Dot's (keyboards/percussion) just impossible to get a hold of," he said.
The band revealed the news on their Facebook page, posting that it is with "great sadness that we must announce the cancellation of our trip to Australia & Splendour in the Grass this week due to illness".
"This is an incredibly sad situation for us as our last visit was one of the most memorable of our careers, but we do not feel that we can currently deliver the level of performance that you all deserve from us," the band wrote.
London Grammar performed here earlier this year and said their Australian fans have been hugely supportive of their music from the beginning.
"It pains us to have to disappoint any of you. We are going to do everything we can to make sure we are back down under as soon as possible and will reschedule our Sydney & Melbourne shows and give you more details very shortly," the band's Facebook post read.
Splendour in the Grass organisers are set to reveal a replacement for London Grammar later on Tuesday.
However, the band look set to reschedule their trip Down Under as Splendour in the Grass organisers tweeted on Tuesday that new tour dates would be revealed.
Rothman told AAP that he loved Australia so much he would live here if he could.
"As soon as I got off the plane in Sydney I was completely sold," he said.
"We were there in December/January time and I loved it so much it was just wonderful, I completely fell in love with it," Rothman said.
The band are the third act to pull out of the Byron Bay music festival in a week, after Northern Irish band Two Door Cinema Club and Nashville band The Wild Feathers.
Two Door Cinema Club, who were due to headline on Saturday night, pulled out as lead singer Alex Trimble was hospitalised with stomach problems.
City and Colour, who were second on the bill, will step up into the Northern Irish band's slot while UK band Foals have been drafted in to fill in the rest of Saturday's line-up.
Meanwhile, Australian band Mt Warning will replace The Wild Feathers in their Sunday slot after the band pulled out due to a scheduling conflict.
Last July Lorde joined the festival as an 11th hour replacement for Frank Ocean, who withdrew after injuring his vocal chords.
Splendour In The Grass is set to begin on July 25 in the North Byron Parklands. Tickets are sold out for the three-day festival featuring acts such as Lily Allen, Outkast, Angus & Julia Stone and Vance Joy.
AAP
Superheroes rule Hollywood rich list
It pays to be a superhero. Literally. For the second year in a row, Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr has topped Forbes’ list of highest paid actors, with his Avengers co-star, Australia’s Chris Hemsworth, also making the top five.
Downey Jr came in at No. 1 again with estimated earnings of $US75 million ($A81.15 million) from June 2013 to June 2014.
In second place was wrestler turned movie-star Dwayne ’The Rock’ Johnson, who came with $US52 million, mostly thanks to franchises such as Fast and Furious.
Johnson just completed filming big action flick San Andreas in Australia and will next be seen in Hercules this month - his first big starring role.He was followed by Hangover star Bradley Cooper with $US46 million, who will also next appear in a superhero flick, voicing Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Forbes said Cooper’s result was ‘‘thanks to his smart mix of blockbusters and prestige films’’ such as American Hustle.
The Great Gatsby and Wolf of Wall Street star Leonardo DiCaprio took $US39 million to make No. 4, while Hemsworth, who starred in last year’s sequel Thor: The Dark World, came close behind in fifth with $US37 million.
Forbes says the Thor sequel outperformed the first movie by $US200 million so you can expect Hemsworth’s pay packet to continue to grow for Thor 3.
In between playing the Norse god, Hemsworth has been pursuing more dramatic fare, last year starring in Rush by director Ron Howard - who he’s currently filming whaling tale In The Heart Of The Sea with.
AAP
Scarlett Johansson to marry in August: report
Scarlett Johansson will reportedly marry her French fiance in August.
The Avengers star, who now lives in Paris, is expecting a baby with her partner Romain Dauriac and they will tie the knot in just four weeks’ time, reports the New York Post’s gossip column Page Six.
No further details have been revealed, but the publication’s editors suggest the ceremony will take place in either Johansson’s native New York or the French capital.
Johansson became engaged to the journalist in September. She was previously married to actor Ryan Reynolds.
WENN
GOT actress hints at series 5 filming
Filming for Game of Thrones Season 5 is about to get underway, if Maisie Williams’ Twitter account is anything to go by.
The young actress who plays Arya Stark in the popular series tweeted a hint on Tuesday that she was preparing to film the next instalment of the fantasy show.
‘‘Removing jewellery and cutting off festival bands can only mean one thing.. #GoT5,’’ she tweeted, posting an Instagram photo of an array of silver rings, festival wrist bands (including Glastonbury) and bangles.
The modern adornments would certainly look out of place in the show’s rustic setting in the fictional realm of Westeros, where Williams’ character dresses more like a tomboy who is ready for battle at a moment’s notice.
The 17-year-old also used Twitter on Monday to complain when British Airways wouldn’t let her use the Business Lounge.
‘‘Denied from the business lounge once again for being under 18 and without an adult.. British—Airways sort your shit out,’’ the actress tweeted.
However, the airline said the actress wasn’t allowed to use the lounge as she was underage.
‘‘We’re sorry if you were disappointed, lounge guests must be 18 or older. We look forward to welcoming you soon,’’ British Airways tweeted in reply.
‘‘Yes.. British—Airways fully understand that, my question is why? Why can we travel alone but not use the lounge? It makes no sense,’’ the actress tweeted in response.
However, the airline made no further comment on the social media site regarding the actress’ complaints.
The Games of Thrones Season 5 premiere date is expected to screen in the first half of 2015.
AAP
Charlie Hunnam talks leaving Fifty Shades film
The first trailer for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie will be released this week and the original Christian Grey, Charlie Hunnam, says he can’t wait for the finished product.
Speaking on Sunday at a Fox event as part of the Television Critics Association press tour, the 34-year-old actor said he still believes in the film even though he’s no longer a part of it.
‘‘I’m just really excited to see it. I was just really, really invested and wanted to work with (director) Sam (Taylor-Johnson) and play that character. I’m really, really curious.’’
Hunnam went on to say it’s not fair to dismiss author EL James’ writing as so-called ‘‘mummy porn.’’‘‘I think people really do that book a disservice when they reduce it to that type of talk,’’ he said.
‘‘What (EL James) actually created is a really sophisticated dynamic and presented it in a package which was accessible to people who normally would be terrified of that subject ... Actually what she did was pretty brilliant.’’
The Sons of Anarchy actor dropped out of the big-screen adaptation one month after it was announced he had landed the role of the billionaire Grey, a sexual ‘‘dominant’’ with major baggage who falls for an innocent college coed (played by Dakota Johnson.)
Universal Pictures and Focus Features said Hunnam’s preparation time for the movie was limited by his TV schedule. He was replaced shortly after by actor Jamie Dornan.
Hunnam admits walking away from the part was ‘‘pretty heartbreaking.’’
‘‘I don’t think people have had unchaperoned access to me since all of this went on ... the CliffsNotes were exactly what we said. I couldn’t do it because of (the) schedule. It was as simple as that.’’
The actor even said he would be willing to have his audition tape be included as a DVD extra for curious fans.Hunnam says Dornan is ‘‘probably a lot better looking and a lot smoother’’ than he is.
‘‘I would’ve brought a certain rugged charm to (the role) but believe me, he’s going to do just fine.’’
Fifty Shades is scheduled to open on Valentine’s Day in 2015.
AP