Mojo - The Music Magazine

The Specials' Jerry Dammers has hit out at the band's plans for a reunion tour.

The founding member issued a statement yesterday describing next year's 30th anniversary shows as "a takeover rather than a proper reunion". Claiming that he was "driven out" of the group's plans, Dammers maintains that he "persevered for over a year" to rejoin the band only to find that "every conceivable obstacle was put in the way" of him attending or organising rehearsals.

Dammers also refuted singer Terry Hall's claim that "the door remains open" to his band mate and that relations between the two parties are still strong. In contrast, the keyboardist said that he had dreamed of a reunion for over 25 years and was "deeply shocked" to receive "lawyers" letters stating that former members have resolved to go ahead without him, and that Jerry is not to speak to any of them". "The prodigal sons came home, kicked me out, and have left the door open, great," he said.

The statement went on: "Attempts to imply that any proposed tour has Jerry's 'blessing', at this stage, are also highly misleading. These seem to be part of a wider attempt to rewrite the whole history of the band, in order to try and justify what is currently going on."

The Specials are due to perform a run of dates in April and May. Tickets are on sale now.

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PJ Harvey has announced details of a new album with long-time collaborator John Parish.

Mixed by Flood and recorded in Bristol and Dorset, A Woman A Man Walked By is being billed as a follow-up to the pair's previous joint-effort Dance Hall at Louse Point

The album will be released through Island Records on March 30.

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Coldplay have issued a statement in response to Joe Satriani's copyright lawsuit over their hit song Viva La Vida, which he claims contains "substantial" portions of his 2004 track If I Could Fly. "If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him," the band said. "Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song Viva La Vida. We respectfully ask him to accept our assurances of this and wish him well with all future endeavors."

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Trent Reznor has announced that next year's Nine Inch Nails concerts will be the last "for the foreseeable future".

Writing on the band's official website, the frontman said that he is interested in a "completely different approach" to performing live.

The band's six date tour of Australia and New Zealand begins in Auckland on February 17, 2009.

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Elmer Valentine, the founder of iconic LA venues the Whisky A Go-Go and the Roxy Theatre, has died as a result of heart failure.

The 85-year-old, who opened the Whisky in 1964, passed away last Wednesday after four years of ill health. Throughout the last four decades, the venue has played host to such acts as Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, The Police, Nirvana and Oasis.

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John Fogerty is set to release a new album and DVD in 2009. The Creedence Clearwater Revival star is close to completing work on John Fogerty: The Return of the Blue Ridge Rangers as well as a retrospective DVD entitled John Fogerty - Comin' Down the Road, which will include his first concert at London's Royal Albert Hall earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of Simon Fernandez