UK's Goldfrapp ambivalent about hip-hop, Madonna

NEW YORK (Reuters) - They are credited with influencing the fashion style of Madonna but British electronica band Goldfrapp don't have much time for the pop diva or other big acts they will be playing with this summer.


Grammy-nominated Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, whose fourth album "Seventh Tree" hit No. 2 in Britain in February, will share the big stages at two outdoor British music festivals with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and Madonna.


"I think her fearlessness is amazing but I don't have particularly any admiration for her work," Goldfrapp, dressed in tight blue jeans, a shirt and sunglasses that were never removed, told Reuters in a recent interview.


On Sunday, the group -- acclaimed for their breadth of musical styles that canvas anything from pop to dance to glam rock -- kick off a tour of European concerts and summer festivals starting at BBC's Radio 1 music festival, where Madonna is also performing.


The straight-talking Goldfrapp will also be mixing with Jay-Z at Glastonbury, which has been criticized for straying from its roots by featuring the rapper as one of its top acts.


"People don't want it to become Americanized or kind of different, where you can't just wander around any more sort of half-naked with mud over you. I can see, understand that," Goldfrapp said about world's biggest open-air music and arts festival, which she dubbed "an English institution."


"I understand why people might start getting nervous that it will slowly wipe out the eccentric hippies ... Hip-hop is really conventional, I think," she said. "It's quite flashy, it's a lot about money, money."


Gregory, who hails from Bristol, England -- famed for breeding other electronic groups such as Massive Attack and Portishead -- said hip-hop was "about being wealthy, wearing a lot of jewelry" and was likely taken on due to Glastonbury's ever-growing reach. 

Blanchett delivers eulogy at Ledger funeral

Blanchett delivers eulogy at Ledger funeral

Actress Cate Blanchett delivered a moving eulogy at a monument table service in Perth, Australia for Heath Ledger on Sat.
Over 600 crime syndicate members, friends and fans gathered to conjure farewell to the 28-year-old principal, as Blanchett - wHO starred in 'I'm Not There' with Ledger - gave a touch eulogium about their time spent together.
Ledger's ex-partner Michelle Williams was besides in attending, just she did not bring the former couple's two-year-old horse daughter Matilda to the service at Penrhos College, a common soldier girls' school.
After the service, 10 family members attended a common soldier funeral at Fremantle Burying ground, where the body was cremated.
Mourners then gathered at a eating place overlooking Perth's Cottesloe beach, one of Ledger's favourite musca volitans, for a sunset wake.
Loads of family and friends then threw off close to of their dress and ran into the water, where they hugged and cheered to celebrate Ledger's life, according to various reports.
Earlier Ledger's don Kim asked the media for seclusion. He said to reporters: "It's a fairly sad time and we're determination it difficult to cope by ourselves, let solely cope with everybody around the world."
He continued: "Having said that we do really prize the barrage and the emotional documentation from whole all over the globe, which, serve to say, we're luckier than most families, most families that are in our perspective, our grieving placement, don't receive that form of support. So give thanks you wholly very much. That's entirely I've got to say.''
Daybook was launch dead at his New York apartment on 22 January. Toxicology results released last week revealed he was killed by an accidental overdose of prescription medication.




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