Shady Promoter Prompts Cranberries to Re-Think Luxembourg Show

April 28, 2003  |  Comments Off on Shady Promoter Prompts Cranberries to Re-Think Luxembourg Show  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

Say what you do; and do what you say. It sounds simple enough. And it’s what The Cranberries expect from promoters responsible for booking the band for live performances. But unfortunately, the promoters in charge of scheduling The Cranberries for the June 12th show in Luxembourg, reportedly had a little trouble in abiding by that golden rule of good business.

According to The Cranberries Official Site, after promoters failed to follow through on certain undisclosed details within the commitment between the promoters and The Cranberries’ management, Timeless Music Management, The Cranberries have decided to postpone the previously scheduled show in Luxembourg. The Cranberries offer their sincere apologies to fans who have been awaiting this show, but wish to re-assure fans that The Cranberries do plan on scheduling a live performance in the city of Luxembourg next year.

Source: Cranberries Official Site

Sony Fixes BTS DVD Incompatibility Glitch

April 28, 2003  |  Comments Off on Sony Fixes BTS DVD Incompatibility Glitch  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

In a new update via their DVD drivers CD, Sony has corrected a glitch in their initial batches of PlayStation 2 systems which prevented the viewing of the original release of “Beneath the Skin,” among other DVD titles.

Initially, the original release of “Beneath the Skin” simply wouldn’t play on the DVD-compatible videogame system, creating an error message on screen which read, “Unable to read disc.” Similar widespread loading errors, especially with older DVD players, prompted The Cranberries to discontinue the DVD only months after its release in 2001 and to replace it with “Beneath the Skin: Version 2” in October of last year. The first version contains extra band and crew interviews that Version 2 does not contain, and vice versa, Version 2 contains the “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” documentary that the original did not include.

For those with an older PlayStation 2 system, the newest drivers (Ver. 2.12) can currently only be obtained by purchasing the official PlayStation 2 DVD remote (MSRP $14.99), which includes a CD of updated DVD drivers which can be installed onto your memory card. If you don’t want to shell out the cash for the remote and CD, you may want to try tracking down a friend who has the remote, since the update only requires a one-time installation.

New PlayStation 2 systems should also be shipping with the new drivers pre- installed.

Certainly good news for people (like myself) who use their PlayStation 2 as their primary DVD player!

Sources: Exclusive

“Dreams” Showcased at Apple iTunes Press Conference

April 28, 2003  |  Comments Off on “Dreams” Showcased at Apple iTunes Press Conference  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

This morning in San Francisco, CA, Apple CEO Steve Jobs kicked off the company’s new online music service, the iTunes Music Store. The service, which works in conjunction with Apple’s iTunes Player allows for Mac users to download music with one click, from a selection of over 200,000 songs, each at the low price of 99 cents. The service has gained the support of all five major music companies — Universal, Warner, EMI, Sony, and BMG — as well as support from individual artists like U2, who have previously not participated in any legal online music services.

During this morning’s press conference, while demonstrating the new iTunes service, Steve Jobs picked out The Cranberries’ track “Dreams” and used it twice for a demonstration to the audience.

In the first instance, “Dreams” was displayed as Jobs demonstrated the ease of one-click purchases. Later in the demo, he used the song along with the application iPhoto. Jobs then showed how you can take music purchased from the website and add it to a slideshow presentation — again choosing “Dreams” to go along with the slideshow.

This morning’s conference attracted names like Seal and Josh Groban to attend, and has additionally received much public support from Sheryl Crow.

The news is making big technology headlines today, so you can find plenty more about the new service from places like Fortune and Reuters.

Thanks to Luc for the news!

Sources: Fortune, Reuters, AP

New Record Label: Timeless Music?

April 19, 2003  |  Comments Off on New Record Label: Timeless Music?  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

For those who have followed The Cranberries closely, the name Timeless Music should sound very familiar. It’s the name of the band’s self-owned management company, founded just prior to the release of “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee” by Dolores O’Riordan and husband Don Burton. Since the release of “Wake Up,” the agency has taken on an ever-increasing role in the band’s promotion, culminating in Timless Music’s press release in January that The Cranberries were parting ways with Universal Music.

A recent stealthy update on the contact page on The Cranberries Official Website shows that The Cranberries may be planning to create a new record label under the same name, Timeless Music.

As you’ll recall, Dolores said in a phone interview with RTE’s Radio One on the day following the press release that “What we’d like to do now really is to be independent and start our own label, I mean, we’ll go off and look for distribution deals.” Days later, the band’s official site stated that other labels were interested in signing the newly-released artists.

But the new listing clearly states: “RECORD COMPANY: … Timeless Music: Future Albums.” The link goes to an empty website with the Timeless Music logo, the same that has remained at that site since before the release of “Stars.”

A second very interesting newly-added tidbit can be found on the band’s “Contact” page. The publisher for the new songs “Stars” and “New New York” are listed as “To Be Confirmed.” Upon reading this, we lunged for our “Stars” liner notes to see if we could find any more evidence of this, and sure enough…

“Administered by Copyright Control”

Additionally, a look at the Stars section on the band’s official site also refers to “Copyright Control, Ltd.” The exact importance of this is yet unknown. Could “Stars” and “New New York” be the first songs officially on a Timeless Music label?

Are The Cranberries one step closer to forming their own label, under the title of Timeless Music? Keep in mind we should remember that details on the publishing and distribution of the band’s next album are nowhere near final at this point, and are probably in fact still in the developing stages. Consider this speculation at the moment, although all of the above has come from official sources.

While we await more official word on this issue, Zombieguide will keep an eye on this matter and of course, anything even remotely to do with the band’s sixth studio album.

Big thanks to Celtic Yodels for the tip.

Source: The Cranberries Official Website

Cranberries on Jameson Irish Whiskey Sampler

April 19, 2003  |  Comments Off on Cranberries on Jameson Irish Whiskey Sampler  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

The Cranberries are included as part of an all-Irish selection of tracks on the “Rush Hour Jam CD”, a new promotional release put out by Jameson Irish Whiskey.

“Free to Decide” is the first track on the CD, which includes both newcomers and veterans of Irish music, ranging from Rubyhorse to Thin Lizzy. The CD was released last month by Universal Music Special Markets in order to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. Tracks are:

1. “Free to Decide” by The Cranberries
2. “Into the Lavender” by Rubyhorse
3. “Whiskey in the Jar” by Thin Lizzy
4. “The Last Song I’ll Ever Sing” by Gavin Friday
5. “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners
6. “The Big Beat” by Blue in Heaven
7. “Big Decision” by That Petrol Emotion
8. “What’s Going On” by Taste feat. Rory Gallagher

The version of “Free to Decide” included is the original album version, as opposed to the edited version of the “Alternate Mix” found on “Stars.”

If you come across any other recent compilations featuring The Cranberries, be sure to give us a heads-up here at Zombieguide!

Source: Exclusive

Fergal Interview in “Eres”

April 18, 2003  |  Comments Off on Fergal Interview in “Eres”  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

The February 16th issue of the USA edtion of “Eres,” a magazine in Spanish, includes a two-page interview with Fergal Lawler, “direct from Ireland.”

The interview looks to be taken during the “Stars” tour, however since Fergal was in Ireland at the time he gave the interview, it could easily be more recent, although “Stars” and touring take up a good portion of the interview.

Fergal gives some brief commentary on the band’s current and future projects. “We want to work in a way that’s different to what we’ve done before. What normally happens is that we arrive at the studio with the finished songs, record them, and start to add the lyrics. Now what we’re doing in the studio is to compose it there and see how things develop.” More interestingly, when asked about producers, Fergal reveals that the band is very open to working with new producers in the future, despite their penchant for Stephen Street. “I believe that, for everyone, Stephen Street [has influenced us the most]. To work with the others has been an interesting experience, [and] in the future we will continue doing it with different producers.

Another interesting thing said in the interivew was that “Before we had kids, there was nothing to worry about, while when you have them, they bring responsibility with them, you worry about them.” We only recently learned that Fergal’s youngest son, Nathan has been suffering with glaucoma in both eyes, which is certainly reason enough for him to be worrying. Thankfully, Nathan is reportedly well on the way to a full recovery.

Below is the fully translated interview. High-resolution scans can be found at the bottom of the page and will be added to the Magazines Gallery along with the rest of the recent print articles.

The Cranberries

Five-Star Fruit

Everyone remembers Salvation, Zombie, Linger, and Dreams, successful songs that have made The Cranberries today considered one of the most important groups from Ireland. Now they close an important chapter in their history with Stars, a compilation disc. Fergal Lawler (drummer) tells us about it.

By Alain Sefchovich

The past… is past

It’s already been 10 years since your first disc was released. What are the best experiences that you’ve had?
There’s been plenty. We’ve been through good and bad moments in those ten years, but definitely, we have been through a lot more good times than disasters.

Is it difficult to belong to a band with two brothers?
No, it’s been very easy, because they have an uncommon relationship as brothers. Above all they’re friends, they get along well, not like Oasis.

Why do you believe that a lot of groups that have a style similar to yours and started about the same time have separated, and you continue?
When we started, our goal was always not to change into something trendy. It was always “imagine recording five or six discs” or “to be together as a group for more than ten years.” It’s really like a marriage, you’re working with other people and you’re very close to them, and at times it can be very difficult, so for that we give each other a lot of space. Everything seems to have worked out well.

After the success that you’ve had, is it hard to keep your feet on the ground?
Not really, we continue living in Limerick, which is the city where we grew up. Every time we return, we separate ourselves completely and start to be treated like normal people, you don’t have admirerers following us, or anything like that.

I noticed on your official site that you’re the one that gets the most involved with the fans.
It’s something that I just started to do with my free time in 1997. I was surprised with the internet and the official pages of some groups, so we decided to make our own and start to write a diary or something like that, which interested me more than anybody, and its something that I continue doing.

On the compilation you included Daffodil Lament, which was voted by the fans as their favorite non-single. What’s yours?
There’s a song on the second disc called Disappointment, that’s one of my favorites. I don’t know why but it has something that I really like.

Why were the singles Hollywood and You and Me only released in certain countries?
In some places, the discs that included those songs, To the Faithful Departed and Bury the Hatchet, had a longer lifetime, so the record company asked us for more singles and we told them yes, so those were the ones that we chose.

Of the producers that you’ve worked with, which has influenced you the most?
I believe that, for everyone, Stephen Street. To work with the others has been an interesting experience, but in the future we will continue doing it with different producers.

Has there been jealousy that all the attention is given to Dolores?
No, never, and that’s how it’s been since we formed. It doesn’t matter what band you mention, it’s always the singer who receives the biggest amount of attention, and this is fine for us, we still enjoy playing.

All in the Family

How has the relationship among you changed since everyone has started their own family?
It’s a brilliant thing, that we’re already entering another period in our lives. Since we have kids, we relate to each other in a totally distinct form.

How has this situation affected the way you write songs?
When you become a parent, you become more more optimistic in how [you look] at life. Before we had kids, there was nothing to worry about, while when you have them, they bring responsibility with them, you worry about them.

Is it hard to be a parent and spend time on tour?
At first it was very difficult. Now we’re on tour for two to three weeks, and we return home for a week, after which we go back on tour another two or three weeks. We’ve done it that way to be with our family just when you start to feel lonely and tired, so we go home.

When you go home, what’s the most important thing for you: to rest or to spend time with your family?
Both, you just have to separate yourself and not think about the tour [or] the group, and make yourself a parent, a different person. You go out, do your shopping, take a walk, forget about the group.

Unknown Future

Why have you decided to work differently on the new material?
We want to work in a way that’s different to what we’ve done before. What normally happens is that we arrive at the studio with the finished songs, record them, and start to add the lyrics. Now what we’re doing in the studio is to compose it there and see how things develop.

Source: Exclusive

Planet Rock Profile to Air in the US in May

April 16, 2003  |  Comments Off on Planet Rock Profile to Air in the US in May  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

The Cranberries’ Planet Rock Profile special, originally recorded in 1995, will finally be aired for the first time in the United States next month on “premium” channel Showtime Next.

The interview was conducted by legendary Irish DJ Dave Fanning, whose name should sound familiar to diehard Cranberries fans. In 1992, The Cranberries recorded a set of demo tracks for the Dave Fanning Radio Show, which resulted in the only known studio recordings of “False” and “Like You Used To,” along with demo versions of “Put Me Down” and “The Icicle Melts,” among others. Dave Fanning is often given the extraordinary credit of bringing budding “garage bands” like The Cranberries and U2 to the limelight in their home country of Ireland, long before the groups gained international stardom.

The Cranberries’ episode was recorded in 1995 by EMI Productions for the Euro channel ARC. However, the US-based Showtime network recently picked up the rights on the series and is running a different episode every week. Here are the showtimes for the ‘Berries half-hour episode:

The band discusses topics like their early days with singer Niall Quinn, male chauvinism in the music industry, tacky tabloids, and that horrendous “Zombie” dance remix by A.D.A.M. For those that won’t get to see the interivew, or for those that just want a sneak peek, check out the screen grabs below from the interview.

Showtime Next is part of the Showtime Unlimited extra-cost premium cable package, although “Next” is not available in all areas. Contact your cable or satellite provider to see if the channel is available.

Source: Rock on TV

Ireland’s Minister for Arts “Delighted” at SummerFest Lineup

April 15, 2003  |  Comments Off on Ireland’s Minister for Arts “Delighted” at SummerFest Lineup  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

Ireland’s Minister of Arts, Sport, and Tourism, John O’Donoghue, went on record weeks ago to say that he was “delighted” at the trio of The Cranberries, Counting Crows, and David Gray, all who will be performing at this year’s SummerFest in Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland. The Cranberries perform with The Counting Crows on June 27th.

“I am therefore delighted to see that such an exciting programme has been planned for this year,” he said at a press conference three weeks ago at Muckross House in Killarney, where the three headlining acts were announced.

“I am confident that many people will decide to holiday in Killarney for the duration of the festival.”

Organizers report that “another major name on the worldwide entertainment stage” may also be added to the list of confirmed acts, as negotions are currently underway to add another rock singer to the festival’s itinerary.

Last year, nearly 100,000 people attended the weeklong festival, raising nearly €7 million in revenue for the town. This year’s festival will cost an estimated €350,000 ($375,000 US), and will be funded by the Bord Fáilte Festivals and Cultural Events Initiative.

Source: The Kingdom

Noel a No-Show at London Marathon

April 15, 2003  |  Comments Off on Noel a No-Show at London Marathon  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

Late last year, guitarist Noel Hogan told the Irish newspaper The Sunday Independent that he had planned to run in this year’s Flora London Marathon. He told the paper that he runs 15 miles every second day to stay fit.

However, a search of the official race results from the marathon, which took place this past Saturday, shows that Noel was not among the 36,000 runners that finished in this year’s event. (There is a match for “Mike Hogan,” although it is not the Cranberries’ bassist.)

The Cranberries are currently rehearsing new material at home, which may have prevented Noel from entering the marathon, though no official word has been given.

Source: Flora London Marathon

Cranberries Recording at Olympic Studios in London

April 7, 2003  |  Comments Off on Cranberries Recording at Olympic Studios in London  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

The Official Cranberries Website noted weeks ago that the band has been recording new material in London with longtime producer Stephen Street. Zombieguide has now learned that the site of these recordings is the lavish Olympic Studios in the Barnes district of London.

The tidbit comes out of a short press release by Aiken Promotions, who are promoting the band’s upcoming May 29th gig in Belfast. This marks the first time that The Cranberries have recorded at Olympic Studios.

The Olympic Studios website has also been recently updated, listing The Cranberries as one of the studio’s recent clients. The listing also shows that The Cranberries have been using Studio 2. According to the site, the Studio 2 room is “the perfect studio for a band… The acoustic of the room can be altered to suit the session by means of variable wall panels. Isolation booths also add flexibility and further options to session layouts. A Classic Bosendorfer Grand Piano is available for use in the studio.” The lavish studios are additonally outfitted with a separate lounge, restaurant, garden, tennis court, and soccer field. Photos of the studio are available on theOlympic Studios website.

When approached, an Olympic Studios representative declined to comment, telling Zombieguide, “We do not give out information on any clients that use our facilities apart from which room they worked in.”

But this isn’t the first time The Cranberries have had a relationship with the studio. “Bury the Hatchet” was mixed at Olympic Studios (and also at Sarm West) in late 1998 by Mike Plotnikoff.

In related news, the short press release by Aiken Promotions quotes Noel Hogan on the upcoming Belfast gig as saying, “After many years away, the band is looking forward to returning to a place we all love. We have had some great shows in Belfast in the past.”

Source: Aiken Promotions

Zombieguide Just Got a Whole Lot Bigger

April 6, 2003  |  Comments Off on Zombieguide Just Got a Whole Lot Bigger  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

Something incredible happened today. Ever since our original hosting serverwent offline in mid-March, we’ve been looking around for options as to how we could get Zombieguide as close to “normal” as possible. One of the people that approached us with an idea was Diego, who you may know as the webmaster of ChocolateBrown.com.

In case you’ve wondered how Diego has managed to host gigs of downloadable Cranberries media at his site, it’s because he co-founded his own hosting company in Spain (called Metropoliglobal). Diego offered us some hosting space for Zombieguide, and since the site is bigger than our current server’s capacity, we accepted.

Anyone who’s made a serious attept at hosting a full-fledged website will know that things like server size and bandwidth can be a restraint on how much content you can have. For example, a year ago when we first put up the Watercircle MP3’s, our bandwidth spiked up quickly, and we were stuck with a $350 bill from our server company for the excess.

Now here comes the fun part. The new media server (separate from the one that hosts the actual site) now gives us unlimited space and unlimited bandwidth! This means that we no longer have to be stingy with our downloadable media — videos, MP3s, scans. We can host downloads without fear of overusing any quotas. What does this mean for you? Bigger scans, more videos, and lots more audio here on Zombieguide!

As you can see, Diego has made a major contribution to the site, one which gives Zombieguide quite alot of room for growth for the future, both immediate and distant. He definitely deserves our thanks — you can drop Diego an email here.

The first fruits of this space will be getting resource-consuming sections like the Magazines Gallery and the Complete Discography (still in progress!) back online. Other parts of the site should follow within the coming days.

Requests for downloads to be posted on Zombieguide (new or old) can be made in the Zombieguide Forums. With all this space, a genuine Media section of the site would be the natural course of action, although how soon that will come is hard to say. Now, instead of having an MP3 of the Week, we could have a Full Bootleg of the Week. The possibilities are almost endless at this point.

This is definitely an enormous gain for the site, and one that we will try our best to optimize in the near future. Thanks Diego!!

More “Blue Jean” Cranberries Booklet Scans

April 3, 2003  |  Comments Off on More “Blue Jean” Cranberries Booklet Scans  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

Zombieguide reported weeks ago that the March issue of the Turkish magazine “Blue Jean” contains a bonus Cranberries booklet, which includes a biography, lyrics, photos, and bonus Cranny stickers.

We now have yet more scans of the oddly-timed bonus. Included in today’s scans is a year-by-year biography (in Turkish) plus several photographs. Among these are the delectable Andy Earl Bury the Hatchet-era photographs of the band against a pale blue background, one of which is Zombieguide’s Picture for the Moment (right menu bar). Also included is a rare live shot of Dolores with fruit-punch-red hair, circa 1995. Another rare one shows Dolores and Fergal backstage at the MTV Europe Awards in November 1998, the two’s first public appearance in over two years.

Many thanks to Haluk for the scans!

In related news, Zombieguide’s Magazines Gallery, Discography, Biography, etc., will be back online as soon as we can get them back up, as we continue moving to our new server.

Source: Exclusive

New Songs Have Fergal “Over The Moon”

April 2, 2003  |  Comments Off on New Songs Have Fergal “Over The Moon”  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

After just two weeks of recording, Fergal is thrilled with the progression of The Cranberries’ new studio material. On March 14th, Fergal posted a note to fans on The Cranberries Official Web Site stating that the band has nearly finished seven new songs for The Cranberries’ upcoming sixth album.

Fearing that the breaking point was approaching, Fergal announced that the band has decided to put further touring plans on hold (after the completion of the already confirmed tour dates throughout Europe in support of The Rolling Stones) to concentrate on their work in the studio. As the small tour progresses, The Cranberries plan to continue writing and recording new material. Fergal revealed that thus far, the new material is quite “impressive”, describing it as “different from anything [they’ve] done before; but still recognizable as The Cranberries.”

On a saddening personal note, Fergal announced that his youngest son has been battling complications with glaucoma and has undergone several surgeries on both eyes. Fergal says that he’s now hopeful that his son is near a full recovery and that time on the road and in the studio has helped him cope with his worries and concerns at home.

Fergal’s note to fans concludes optimistically as he states that the band is in positive spirits and that he, personally, is “looking at the glass as half full.”

Source: Cranberries Official Site

AC/DC to Open Alongside Cranberries at Oberhausen Rolling Stones Gig

April 2, 2003  |  Comments Off on AC/DC to Open Alongside Cranberries at Oberhausen Rolling Stones Gig  |  by Zombieguide Archives  |  The Cranberries

It was announced yesterday that ’80s big-haired rockers AC/DC will be added to the list of opening bands for the Rolling Stones’ European leg of the Forty Licks World Tour this summer. The first of the three dates where AC/DC will play is O-Vision Park in Oberhausen, Germany on June 13th, where they will be playing alongside The Cranberries as the opening acts.

The addition of AC/DC to the billing was said to have been done in order to “boost ticket sales.” As a result, the time table for the Oberhausen concert had to be modified, with The Stones’ concert now starting later in the evening. Tickets for the Oberhausen show are still available from online box offices like Getgo.

Thanks to Norbert of Zombieguide Europe for the tip.

Sources: Getgo, It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll

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