NEWS DIGEST: Monday, April 14

9:34 AM GMT 14/04/2008

Post-punk visionaries Wire will release their 11th studio album, Object 47, later this year. Stay tuned for release date confirmation. The band are scheduled to play 11 dates throughout Europe between April and July, including a number of festivals. A posting from the band on pinkflag.com reads: “Those so far announced are just the initial dates showcasing a rejuvenated Wire, fired-up after its lengthy hiatus from touring. Expect more gigs during 2008 to be announced in the coming weeks, not only in Europe (including London), but also in the USA.”

Noel Gallagher has given his views on the state of this year's Glastonbury Festival. The Oasis chief told BBC News: “If it ain't broke don't fix it. If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go Kylie Minogue? I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."

Gallagher also admitted that Oasis will never play London’s 02 Arena. After watching Led Zeppelin play their reunion show there last December, he decided: “It was the most soul destroying venue I've ever been to.”

Supergrass will support Foo Fighters on their US tour in July. Their new album, Diamond Hoo Ha, will hit American shelves on June 10. Meanwhile, The 'Grass play:

Birmingham, England - Carling Academy (April 11)
Newcastle, England - Northumbria University13
Nottingham, England - Rock City 15
Leeds, England - Leeds Metropolitan University16
Lincoln, England - Engine Shed 17
Manchester, England - Manchester University 18
Bristol, England - Carling Academy 20
Norwich, England - U.E.A. 21
London, England – Astoria 22
London, England – Astoria 23
Salisbury, England - City Hall (June 03)
Exeter, England - Exeter University (05)
Coventry, England – Casbah (06)

The Guardian have published an extract from Mark E. Smith's forthcoming autobiography. You can read it HERE.

And finally...Happy Birthday Ritchie Blackmore! Here is the medieval riffmaster with Rainbow in 1977...