But what about the Electric Picnic? Are there going to be any bands left by September? At the moment Bjork is the biggest name linked to play the festival, along with the Chemical Brothers. As well as benefiting from economies of scale (in particular the twinning of the festival with Scotland's T In The Park), the fact that Oxegen is in the middle of the summer gives MCD a clear edge in attracting the best bands. But when the Arctic Monkeys announced last week that they would be playing Malahide Castle (promoted by Vicar Street owners Aiken) it became fair to assume they might be in the running for Stradbally. Ditto Patti Smith, who is due to play Vicar Street in May.

Mind you, in the lucrative world of live music nothing can be taken for granted . . . Cold War Kids, who played just this month in Picnic promoter John Reynolds' TriPod venue, have been poached by rivals MCD, coming back to play MCD venue the Ambassador in April. So maybe we should rule them out for the Picnic. But then again. . .

Reunion of the week

NO, NOT The Jam's mooted (and ridiculous) reformation without Paul Weller. This week's award goes to The Darkness, who are recording an album without cocaine-addled, Priory-visiting frontman Justin Hawkins. The band announced that bassist Richie Edwards will assume screeching duties which sounds a bit like John Deacon taking Freddie Mercury's place to record a new Queen album.

Worrisome. . .

Single of the week

Ham Sandwich: 'Click Click Boom'

A CRACKING bassline and PJ Harvey-style vocals from Niamh Farrell make this promising Dublin fivepiece one to watch.

Paint a vulgar picture

MORRISSEY last week pulled out of Britain's Eurovision race after reportedly being put off by having to face a public vote alongside five or six other candidates.

The indefinite article

WE CAME across a flier blowing in the wind last week advertising Director's platinum-selling debut album We Thrive On Big Cities as 'A Choice Music Prize Album Of The Year'. Given the band is shortlisted for THE Choice Music Prize, the flier, while not technically incorrect, is a cheap piece of marketing and one that we'd be surprised the band approved.

Losing the plot

WHILE the legal to-ing and froing over the body of Anna Nicole Smith continues, the late James Brown will finally be laid to rest . . .albeit in a secret location. Tomi Rae Hynie, Brown's partner and mother of his young son, settled a first round of litigation with lawyers last week over the burial of the Godfather of Soul, who died on Christmas day. Brown's estate is still being disputed by his six grown-up children and Hynie, who sang backing vocals with Brown, now plans to release a tribute album as well as other merchandise.