Bush Wants Right to ISP Customer Data

Bush Wants Right to ISP Customer Data: "'Wired is reporting that the Bush administration wants back the ability to make ISPs turn over information on their customers. The U.S. Court of Appeals is handling the case and of course the feds want to hide details of it from the public. The law giving the government the power to seize communications records from 1986 was strengthened in 2001 by the Patriot Act and struck down after the ACLU challenged it.'"

Platinum record sonograms compared

Platinum record sonograms compared: "This site has turned the tracks off dozens of platinum albums into sonograms, then analyzed the sonogram similarities between different hits, trying to peg the mathematics of a hit."

perfect pop structure!!!

2005 Risks In Global Filmmaking Map

2005 Risks In Global Filmmaking Map: "The 2005 Risks in Global Filmmaking Map measures crime, corruption, kidnap and ransom, disease and medical care risks, and references terrorism and political risks."

Asimo takes its dog for a walk

or is Abio walks his human?!?!?

How to back up and restore your important Mac OS X 10.4 files

How to back up and restore your important Mac OS X 10.4 files: tips from apple!!!

Strike Looms Against Game Makers

Strike Looms Against Game Makers : "I filed this report for Wired News today on labor conflict between the game industry and two Hollywood unions representing voiceover talent. The most contentious issue at hand: whether actors should be entitled to a share of the profits from video games that feature their voices. 'Nine of the top 10 selling games in 2004 were produced with union contracts, using union voice talent -- and because of that, the quality of those games becomes exponentially higher,' said Seth Ostrom, a representative of SAG and AFTRA. Under one of several models proposed by the two unions, actors would receive additional compensation when a game in which their voice is used sells 400,000 units. When sales reach additional 100,000-unit thresholds, the actors would receive additional payments. 'Every other sector of the entertainment industry provides some residual profit-sharing model to performers whose talents make the product come alive,' Ostrom told Wired News. 'The video-game business is the only exception, and that's unfair.'
Bob Finlayson, of the game industry's Publishers Interactive Bargaining Group, disagrees.'People buy games for gameplay, not to hear voices,' counters Finlayson. 'And technology creates gameplay, not actors. People who play these games understand that, and in fact, some gamers turn the volume down because (they) find those voices distracting. In film or television, the actor's performance makes the experience. In video games, it does not.'"

Bob Geldof gives 'Live Aid 2' the go-ahead

Bob Geldof gives 'Live Aid 2' the go-ahead: "BOB GELDOF has confirmed that he and MIDGE URE are planning a huge gig to coincide with the G8 summit in July, although it will not be called LIVE AID 2. “What started 20 years ago is coming to a political point in a few weeks," said Geldof. "There's more than a chance that the boys and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis.""

Closing windows make exhibs hot

Closing windows make exhibs hot: "If Mark Cuban has his way, theatrical distribution may never be the same. 2929 Entertainment, the company Cuban founded with partner Todd Wagner, is determined to collapse the traditional distribution windows by simultaneously releasing films across theatrical, home video and cable. But even though the experiment has barely begun, it already is running into steely opposition from theater owners across the country who are up in arms."

people get ready and pick a side cause war is coming! do you know who your friends are, cause i don't do windows?!?!

Indie 103.1

Indie 103.1; if your not listening you really should be! within 10mins this morn, pil - public image limited, the fall - victoria, and dk - holiday in cambodia! thanks dicky!!!

oh yeah and later, age of consent! still up jonesy!!!

Decriminalizing File Swapping

Decriminalizing File Swapping: "'Wired reports that judicial activism is taking hold in France, much to the dismay of the recording industry, as judges are beginning to suspend the sentences of convicted file swappers. Further, they believe they are starting a revolution against the draconian laws at the base of the industry's legal agenda, and that sometimes laws need to be changed. Says Judge Dominique Barella of the laws against file swapping in today's society: 'It is similar to the sociological consequences of the Prohibition period in the U.S. (during the 1920s). Certain laws can have unexpected consequences on society.''"

Official BitTorrent Search Opens

Official BitTorrent Search Opens: "'The official BitTorrent search has debuted. The search engine was built by BT inventor Bram Cohen. The question? Will he get sued? The BT search seems to be down right now. (It'll really be down after this story is posted...) Spiegel has more (En): 'Naturally other sites such as Bitoogle, Isohunt, SuprNova or Torrentspy have tried before, but either they became fast a goal of legal attacks on the part of the industry or they furnished rather durchwachsene [??] results. BitTorrent search however proves with first tests [that it is] as...Google...fast. The results come from a large number [of] more well-known and unknown... sites, and...permits sufficient restricting to the inquiry, in order to obtain really relevant results.''"

Feds Shut Down Elite Torrents

Feds Shut Down Elite Torrents: "Cnn Money reports, 'Government agents said the onslaught included 10 search warrants and the shut down of a central Web site used to coordinate all file-sharing activity on the Elite Torrents network. That Web site, Elitetorrents.org, had a selection of copyrighted works that government officials described as virtually unlimited."

Cory's Broadcast Flag talk as streaming video

Cory's Broadcast Flag talk as streaming video: "On Wednesday, I gave a talk at the London campus of Florida State University on the American Broadcast Flag and the coming European Broadcast Flag. A friend of Alfie's brought down a couple of camcorders and filmed the whole thing and now it's up as a pair of streaming Quicktimes."

PGP Ruled as Relevant For Criminal Case

PGP Ruled as Relevant For Criminal Case: "'A Minnesota appeals unamimously ruled in a child porn case that 'the existence of an encryption program' on the defendants computer could be admitted as evidence of criminal intent. The article doesn't mention if this can be taken into account for sentencing too.'"

this sounds very creepy and if i wasn't so tired i'd probably write at length about the federal rules of evidence the first amendment and the reasoning behind the fourth. but for now we'll stick with its creepy!!!

The Stone Roses to reform?

The Stone Roses to reform?: "JOHN SQUIRE has said that he wants to reform THE STONE ROSES."

Limited edition Stone Roses prints set for release

Limited edition Stone Roses prints set for release: "STONE ROSES guitarist JOHN SQUIRE's original artwork for the band's legendary SPIKE ISLAND concert is being issued in 150 limited edition prints. To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the event, johnsquireart.com is offering the exclusive digital prints for a price of ?250. Prints will be available for order from this Friday (May 27). The original image was created by Squire as artwork for the event and subsequently used for T-shirts and posters. Touted as the Woodstock for the E generation, 28,000 people gathered together in May 1990 at Spike Island to celebrate the fusion of dance and rock."

Vestax VRX-2000

Vestax VRX-2000: "Burning CDs is so April 2005. Why play around with CDs when you can burn vinyl! Let the Vestax VRX-2000 be your vinyl solution, turning content from any audio source tapes to MP3s to sound cards into hot wax for DJs and sentimentalists alike. Vestax claims the sound quality and durability [is] similar to that of commercially pressed vinyl. There you go."

MPAA Blames BitTorrent for Star Wars Distribution

MPAA Blames BitTorrent for Star Wars Distribution: "Slyck News reports on
the MPAA's press release (.doc) blaming the BitTorrent protocol for the leak of Episode III. MPAA President and CEO Dan Glickman: 'There is no better example of how theft dims the magic of the movies for everyone than this report today regarding BitTorrent providing users with illegal copies of Revenge of the Sith. The unfortunate fact is this type of theft happens on a regular basis on peer to peer networks all over the world.'"

if i were an mpaa member, i couldn't work fast enough to eject glickman from his post. what kind of an idiot makes a comment about the dangers of p2p, using as an example a movie currently holding the title for biggest single day in cinematic history. fuking joke. and not being a member of the mpaa, dan shut up stop wasting electrons and bandwidth, i'm trying to watch the movie!!!

Noel Gallagher: "It's only a matter of time until Stone Roses reform"

Noel Gallagher: "It's only a matter of time until Stone Roses reform": "It's only a matter of time until STONE ROSES reform, NOEL GALLAGHER has claimed. Speaking in the current issue of City Life magazine in Manchester, Gallagher, who is friends with Ian Brown, claimed the four original members of the Roses would be idiots if they didn't play together again. He said: "They've got unfinished business, and they'd have to do new tunes, but they'd be idiots if they didn't; Mani would at the drop of a hat; Ian (Brown) and John (Squire) have got issues, but they can be worked out.' The three original members of the band, except Brown were recently spotted at a gig together in Manchester."

Stem Cells Derived from Human Clones

Stem Cells Derived from Human Clones: "'Wired News reports that South Korean scientists have made a dramatic breakthrough by deriving stem cells from cloned embryos of patients with spinal cord injuries. It shouldn't be long before we can expect have a set of replacement parts ready when our own wear out.' From the article: 'Researchers must test the cells in animals before they can try the therapy in humans. But embryonic stem-cell researchers were shocked and delighted by the advance, which many had referred to as a distant possibility until they saw this study by Woo Suk Hwang and his colleagues at Seoul National University, which appears in the May 20 issue of Science.'"

Teacher Fired for P2P Lecture

Teacher Fired for P2P Lecture: "'A teacher at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, was forced to resign after a talk about P2P networks. You can read his side of the story on his blog.' From the article: 'The day before the conference, the Dean (pressured by the Spanish Recording Industry Association 'Promusicae' as I found out later, and he recognized himself in a quote to the national newspaper El Pais, and even the Motion Picture Association of America, as another newspaper quotes) tried to stop it by denying permission to use the scheduled venue. So I scheduled a second one, and that was denied again. And a third time. Finally I gave the conference on the university cafeteria, for 5 hours, in front of 150 people.' Commentary on this story at BoingBoing as well."

Happy Mondays return to Manchester

Happy Mondays return to Manchester: "HAPPY MONDAYS have confirmed their first MANCHESTER date in five years. The band will play at the Manchester Evening News Arena on October 29, with support from The Farm and Stereo MCs."

Nintendo promises a console that will run anyone's code?

Nintendo promises a console that will run anyone's code?: "Hidden in a fluffy press release for Nintendo's new Revolution console device is this notice:

Freedom of design: A dynamic development architecture equally accommodates both big-budget, high-profile game 'masterpieces' as well as indie games conceived by individual developers equipped with only a big idea.

Not much detail, but if Nintendo makes good on that promise, they're poised to kick the competition's ass: a world of consoles that only ran signed code was a nice racket while it lasted, but at the end of the day, needing to get permission to run software on your own device sucks and devices that let anyone write software for them get more valuable as more people write more code for them"

Star Wars III online, all studio countermeasures futile, Lucas still rich

Star Wars III online, all studio countermeasures futile, Lucas still rich: "There's a workprint of Star Wars Episode III on the Internet already. It's got some timecode and watermarks, but judging from the 19 second XVID sample that Waxy has posted, it seems like it's eminently watchable. Workprints leak from studios. The studios are trying to lock down what customers do with DVDs and cable TV and PCs, but they can't even keep their own house in order. They've got laws that allow them to get your name from your ISP and to sue you into bankruptcy for file-sharing. They've got laws to criminalize the math to defeat DRM. They're after laws to let them design TVs and camcorders"

Netflix takes over Wal-Mart DVD rental business

Netflix takes over Wal-Mart DVD rental business: "Well, it looks like Wal-Mart%u2019s master plan to bankrupt Netflix didn%u2019t quite turn out %u2014 the world%u2019s largest retailer is now essentially surrenduring to the much smaller internet startup and turning over their DVD rental business. The agreement specifies that Wal-Mart will offer its existing online rental customers the chance to continue their subscriptions under Netflix at their current price for the next year, and begin promoting the Netflix service in its website. In turn, Netflix will remind its customers that they can purchase DVDs from Walmart.com %u2014 awww, isn%u2019t that nice? Of course, Netflix still has Blockbuster to contend with, but it%u2019s a major victory to have at least knocked Wal-Mart out of the running."

its good when the good guys win!!!

Happy Mondays to headline another summer festival

Happy Mondays to headline another summer festival: "The baggy veterans, now well into their second reunion after shows in London over the past year, will appear at the surf and rock party on July 23."

rave on bez!!!

The Beeb Shall Inherit the Earth

The Beeb Shall Inherit the Earth: "While Hollywood locks down American culture with draconian copyright restrictions, across the pond one of the world's leading broadcasters is embracing the digital future. Blogger and sci-fi author Cory Doctorow sings the praises of the BBC."

informative and well argued, but what else would one expect from mr. doctorow! now someone in hollywood hire him before you all go down with the ship!!!

Washington State Outlaws Spyware

Washington State Outlaws Spyware: "'Today, the Governor of Washington signs a a bill outlawing spyware (bill history) which imposes penalties of $100,000 per violation. Spyware is broadly defined. It includes everything from changing a browser's bookmarks or homepage settings, 'Opening multiple, sequential, stand-alone advertisements in the owner or operator's internet browser', keystroke-logging, taking over control of the computer, modify its security settings, and even 'Falsely representing that computer software has been disabled.' But here is my favorite: 'Prevent, through intentionally deceptive means, an owner or operator's reasonable efforts to block the installation or execution of, or to disable, computer software by causing the software that the owner or operator has properly removed or disabled automatically to reinstall or reactivate on the computer.' Microsoft and Ebay both testified in support of the bill. On May 10th, a similar law banning Internet and email phishing was also passed.'"

now those who know me, know i am super free speech guy, so i think any limits on code are not a good thing. however that said, it seems to me i remember something about unauthorized use of computers being illegal, and using instrumentalities of interstate commerce (the net) to do so seems like it would make it a federal crime. assuming those two points, and again i am a bit rusty here, but seems like its already probably illegal. if you use the net to mess with my machine with out my permission (or some fraudulently obtained assent) seems like i should either get to beat you ass or the feds should!!!

Dave Matthews's new CD DRM crashes PCs

Dave Matthews's new CD DRM crashes PCs: "Dave Matthews has released a new CD with Windows DRM that crashes your PC when you put it into your drive. And the music industry can't figure out why we'd rather download music than buy CDs."

thanks dave!!!

Ibiza announces mini rock festivals

Ibiza announces mini rock festivals: "The KAISER CHIEFS, FISCHERSPOONER, THE BRAVERY, MAXIMO PARKBABYSHAMBLES will be playing at IBIZA nightclub MANUMISSION. The Ibiza Rocks festival will kick off at the club%u2019s Manumission Music Box venue, which will also feature DJ slots from Zane Lowe. %u201CRight now, it feels like there is a lessening division between rock %u2018n%u2019 roll and clubs,%u201D said Lowe of the event which is been organised in conjunction with the Barfly. %u201CThere is desire for rock kids to dance and dance kids to rock. This summer, Ibiza will become a breeding ground for both. Let's see how their kids turn out.%u201D"

Excursions at the Speed of Light

Excursions at the Speed of Light: "'S/F fans can finally find out what you really get to see at relativistic velocity, and tourists are one step closer to 'doing Europe in a day' in these amazing Space Time Travel simulations of the Theoretical Astrophysics & Computational Physics department at the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics Tubingen. They put you in a driver's seat that both Armstrong the Astronaut and Armstrong the Cyclist would equally enjoy, in simulators built to ride a bike at the speed of light.'"

How Battlestar Galactica Killed TV

How Battlestar Galactica Killed TV: "'Following up on the MPAA going after torrent sites, you may be interested in Mindjack's latest feature - Piracy is Good? How Battlestar Galactica Killed Broadcast TV by Mark Pesce. It includes a post-script written in reponse to the recent Torrent site shutdowns.' From the article: 'While you might assume the SciFi Channel saw a significant drop-off in viewership as a result of this piracy, it appears to have had the reverse effect: the series is so good that the few tens of thousands of people who watched downloaded versions told their friends to tune in on January 14th, and see for themselves. From its premiere, Battlestar Galactica has been the most popular program ever to air on the SciFi Channel, and its audiences have only grown throughout the first series. Piracy made it possible for 'word-of-mouth' to spread about Battlestar Galactica.'"

L.A. Derby Dolls Official Website

L.A. Derby Dolls Official Website: "Here's where to get all the latest news on L.A's premiere all-girl banked track roller derby league!!!"

Hilary Rosen Gripes About iPod, iTMS

Hilary Rosen Gripes About iPod, iTMS: "'Hilary Rosen, the former RIAA CEO and chairwoman, has spoken out against Apple's 'lock-in' with iPod and the iTunes Music Store.' From the article: 'The problem is that the iPod only works with either songs that you buy from the on-line Apple iTunes store or songs that you rip from your own CD's.' Ironically, she appeals to consumer rights and anti-monopoly tactics.'"

glad she' s got my back!!!

Google Acquires Dodgeball

Google Acquires Dodgeball: "'Dodgeball.com, a service that uses mobile phones to help people meet up with friends who are in the same location, said on its website on Wednesday that it has been bought by Web search leader Google Inc. Also available on the official site is a Q&A about the deal.' From the article: 'As a two-person team, Alex and I have taken dodgeball about a far as we can alone. Since we finished grad school, we've been trying to figure out how to grow dodgeball and make it a better service along the way. We talked to a lot of different angel investors and venture capitalists, but no one really 'got' what we were doing - that is until we met Google.'"

fuk yeah! dodgeball is one of the coolest things i have heard about in a while, superfuture!!!

Self-Replicating Robots

Self-Replicating Robots: "ABC News is running a story that self-replicating robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Scientists at Cornell University have created small robots that can build copies of themselves. Here is a movie demonstrating the self-replication process. And the paper that will be published in Thursdays issue of Nature."

no joke here we go!!!

Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0

Real-ID Passes U.S. Senate 100-0: "'The U.S. Senate has passed the $82 billion Iraq Supplemental Spending Bill (approved by the House last week), which includes the Real ID act driver's license reform (previously reported here.) The National Governors Association has indicated at the possibility of a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the Real ID provisions, which would create national driver's license standards, and a federal database of information from all 50 states."

don't look now but here comes your big bro!!!

Court Nixes 'Broadcast Flag'

Court Nixes 'Broadcast Flag': "In a blow to the entertainment industry, a federal appeals court on Friday found that federal regulators overstepped their authority by requiring consumer-electronics manufacturers to help restrict digital home recording."

Soderbergh, Cuban, Wagner's 2929: Break all the windows.

Soderbergh, Cuban, Wagner's 2929: Break all the windows.: "When I interviewed Mark Cuban earlier this year for a Wired Magazine feature on digital cinema (link), he mentioned plans to change the way movies are released. Here's how it works in Hollywood now: new releases are made available on DVD and pay-TV some time after they've left theaters. That 'window' of time has been shrinking in recent decades. Cuban said that his distribution company 2929 Entertainment, which he runs with business partner Todd Wagner, saw no point in this delay. 'Let's release everything all at once, and let the consumer decide,' their argument goes. Several months later, they're making good on those plans. Earlier this week, news broke that 2929 is doing just that, with Steven Soderbergh. The director will release six films through 2929 so that theater release, DVD and pay-TV all occur on the same day."

i've been saying this for years now. had some interesting conversations about it to, but looks like its gona get a go! can't wait to see if it works! i'm a believer!!!

Orphan Works

Orphan Works: "The US Copyright Office recently asked for public comment on the 'orphan works' problem."

please comment by may 9th, its important!!!

List of Good Wireless Internet Sites

List of Good Wireless Internet Sites: "No more waiting for a complex site to load up while you get bombarded with charges by your carrier! Use a portal made for you mobile device. These portals collect sites, which are made to be used on small screens. They keep a controlled amount of images in order to have the site load quickly on your personal device. After looking over a bunch of sites I found Web On Your Cell to be the most useful. It combines the needs of users and displays it in a usable format. This site loads extremely fast and has the best sites available for mobile devices. Through this site you have fast easy access to email, sports scores, news, TV guide, movie times, yellow pages, and much more."

Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps

Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps: more google map craziness this time combining traffic info from yahoo!!!

Indy.TV

Indy.TV: "Indy is a music discovery program that learns what you like, and plays more of it. And it's free. Indy makes it easy for you to find great new independent music. Just download Indy and double-click: as it plays songs, you rate what you hear. Indy quickly learns what you like and gets really smart about sending you more music you'll like. Let Indy help you find your place in the collective conciousness as you help other people find theirs."

from ian clarke and downhill battle, nice!!! review to come....

Austin City Limits - 2005 Festival

Austin City Limits - 2005 Festival: "the 2005 Festival bill. Coldplay
Widespread Panic
Oasis
The Black Crowes
Wilco
Jet
Thievery Corporation
Arcade Fire
Death Cab for Cutie
Bob Mould
Built to Spill
Bloc Party
Franz Ferdinand
Sleater-Kinney
Kasabian
The Doves
The Walkmen
Rilo Kiley
The Secret Machines
The Decemberists
The Bravery
Mates of State"

and about a gazillion others!!! hope its on the show!!!

PSP UMD Game Format Cracked

PSP UMD Game Format Cracked: "Well, the hits just keep on coming. Paradox has released ISO files of several PSP games.
So far, the following titles are reported to have been ripped:Vampire_Chronicle_The_Chaos_Tower_JAP_PSP-PARADOX [407.4MB in 29 files].
Wipeout_Pure_USA_PSP-PARADOX [132.9MB in 10 files].
Ridge_Racers_JAP_PSP-PARADOX [491.4MB in 35 files]."

seems umd is not as secure as its claimed to be. bummer. could have save sony r&d and everyone elses' hassle by just using cd!!!

Nike and Bausch & Lomb’s MaxSight performance-enhancing lenses

Nike and Bausch & Lomb's MaxSight performance-enhancing lenses: "Ok, performance enhancing drugs, bad; but once we start getting into the realm of installable body mods things get a little sticky. We’ve got a feeling the jury’s still out on MaxSight lenses though; codeveloped by Nike (who else?) and Bausch & Lomb and just about ready to market, they’re designed to help players better track the objects and movement, increase contrast, and reduce glare (we're trying to avoid the obvious 28 Days Later/zombie jokes here). And they’re apparently already making their way into MLB by way of the Orioles' second baseman Brian Roberts. But you know, it's all fun and games until somebody’s down in the outfield on all fours screaming, 'My contact, my contact!'"

for thoes who don't no me well, i am not the sports guy (other than, transition, mountains and waves). but i am very interested in the idea of performance enhancement in sport. it became quite a hot topic for me over the summer when at cambridge i butted heads with almost everyone in my class over the idea.

anyway one of my arguments was that drugs are not the only methods of performance enhancement. here is just another in a long list!!! (i may come back and get cites for a few of the other examples, or fee free to google: "plato drugs and sports easy jet magazine", "nike golf balls", "nike house runners presurized wired magazine", "arm ligament surgery pitchers wired magazine") and a big up to all cambridge crew that made me think hard about the issue!!!

iPod shuffle share jumps to 58 percent

iPod shuffle share jumps to 58 percent: "Apple's share of the US flash-player MP3 market grew from 43 percent in February to 58 percent in March, according to research firm NPD. Apple's share of the US hard-disk player market was also at 90 percent, while the iTunes Music Store marketshare was above 70 percent in April."

i'm sorry 90% of the hard-disk market! and 58% of flash in 3 months! thats insane! if the products weren't so good i'd worry about monopoly issues!!!

Azureus Decentralizes Bittorrent

Azureus Decentralizes Bittorrent: "'While the eXeem project to decentralize Bittorrent remains in open beta, the Azureus Java Bittorrent project has recently released a major update that, among other things offers 'a distributed, decentralised database that can be used to track decentralised torrents. This permits both 'trackerless' torrents and the maintenance of swarms where the tracker has become unavailable or where the torrent was removed from the tracker.' It doesn't contain the search functionality of eXeem, but it's also not a beta product and is licensed under the GPL. Could this and compatible clients be the replacement to SuprNova and Lokitorrents, or does the lack of search negate its effectiveness?'"

this one could be the perfect p2p to avoid closure!!! this is gona be interesting!!!

Near Perfect "Einstein Ring" Discovered

Near Perfect "Einstein Ring" Discovered: "Gravitational lensing happens when the gravity of a relatively close galaxy acts as a telescope lens to focus the light from a more distant galaxy. It allows astronomers to see distant objects they could never have a hope of observing with current instruments, essentially looking back to moments after the Big Bang (cosmically speaking). The galaxies are never perfectly lined up, though, and the 'natural telescope' is a bit blurry. But now astronomer Remi Cabanac has found one of the most complete lenses ever discovered: a near perfect Einstein Ring, magnifying a distant galaxy with incredible clarity."

Comic Art Effect

Comic Art Effect: "Use this baby to convert your digital pictures and scans into comic book style illustrations."

Tim Burgess fronts Starsailor

Tim Burgess fronts Starsailor: "TIM BURGESS celebrated the US release of his solo album in LOS ANGELES last night by performing a gig with members of STARSAILOR as his band. Burgess' set at the Viper Room club drew an all-star crowd that included Robbie Williams as well as Queens Of The Stone Age guitarist Troy Van Leeuwan and Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody. Performing for almost an hour, Burgess used members of Starsailor, who are in LA recording their third album, as his backing band. The tiny club was jam packed with fans from the UK and the US, in town for this weekend's Coachella music festival. 'I think of this as a pre-Coachella gig, with me at the top of the bill,' the singer joked during his set. In addition to performing tracks "Oh My Corazon" and "I Believe in the Sprit" off his new record, Burgess performed three Charlatans tunes including "North Country Boy", which he dedicated to his bandmates in Britain."

i kind of thought something was going on...just didn't know what! but wow robbie williams!!! crazy!!!