Blue bill

On Monday night, I went to the launch of the 2007 Reading Festival – or the Carling Weekend: Reading And Leeds Festivals, as the dual event is now called – which, as you’ll probably know is headlined this year by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins and Razorlight, with Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon and Nine Inch Nails featuring prominently among the supporting line-up.

As promised, I have a guest blogger at Wild Mercury Sound today. Luke Torn is Uncut's man in Austin, Texas, and here is his report on last week's South By Southwest shenanigans - the 21st SXSW he's attended. Luke didn't get to see Psychedelic Horseshit, sadly, but at least he saw Holy Shit...

HAPPENINGS TEN YEARS TIME AGO March 19-25 The Eagles' 1976 compilation, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, reaches sales of 24 million, equalling those of the previous all-time best seller, Michael Jackson's Thriller.

Walter Becker and Donald Fagen to play first UK show in years

The cat’s whiskers! Master craftsman returns to traditional Americana on politicised concept album

HAPPENINGS TEN YEARS TIME AGO February 26 to March 4, 1997 On the eve of the release of their album Pop, U2 announce details of their forthcoming PopMart tour, from a makeshift stage in the lingerie section of a K-Mart department store in downtown Manhattan. "We believe in trash, we believe in kitsch," The Edge tells reporters. "That's what we're all about at the moment."

More on Joe Strummer and The 101’ers Following my somewhat nostalgic post about calling in at the Elgin and being reminded of many great nights there watching Joe Strummer and The 101’ers in their short-lived scruffy pomp, I’ve received the following email from reader Peter Cabret.

The long-awaited return of Americana’s First Lady

Tom’s audio curiosity shop: three CDs, 54 tracks – 30 of them brand new

A 1970 classic from the archives, featuring Crazy Horse at full-strength