Stamford Land Corporation, the owner and operator of luxury hotels and developer of top-tier residential and commercial properties, says profit after tax increased by 113% to $16.8 million for the third quarter 2009/10 due from $7.9 million a year ago due to the absence of unrealised losses in current investments and lower finance costs.
Revenue edged up 1.3% to $182.4 million from $180.2 million as its hotels in Auckland and Adelaide continued to perform strongly.
THEM CROOKED VULTURES WILL PLAY SNL FEBRUARY 6
 Them Crooked Vultures |
Them Crooked Vultures, the super group comprised of music icons Joshua Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones, are set to rock the soundstage of another iconic institution, Saturday Night Live.
The band will take the stage live in front of the raucous SNL crowd on February 6 with the show being hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Following their stint on late night television TCV will bring the rock to a handful of cities along the East Coast before heading to the California desert to play Coachella on April 16.
Them Crooked Vultures released their self-titled debut album in November 2009 to a slew of critical acclaim, and in just a few short months saw additional accolades including “Best of 2009″ lists from Spin, JamBase, MySpace and Time Out.
Them Crooked Vultures Tour Dates
01/22/10 Fri Festival Hall Melbourne, AU
01/23/10 Sat Festival Hall Melbourne, AU
01/25/10 Mon River Stage Brisbane, AU
01/26/10 Tue Hordern Pavilion Sydney, AU
01/27/10 Wed Hordern Pavilion Sydney, AU
01/29/10 Fri TSB Arena Wellington, NZ
01/30/10 Sat Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
02/06/10 Sat Austin City Limits TV Show Austin, TX
04/16/10 Fri Coachella Music Festival (Empire Polo Grounds) Indio, CA
JAMES TAYLOR AND CAROLE KING NORTH AMERICAN TROUBADOUR REUNION DATES SET
 King & Taylor byKevin Estrada |
Iconic recording artists Carole King and James Taylor unveiled North American dates for the Troubadour Reunion tour. This once-in-a-lifetime event marks a rare concert experience bringing two of the most beloved singer-songwriters on tour together – intimate and in the round – for the first time in four decades.
North American dates begin on May 7 in Portland, OR, and extend through June 19 in Boston, MA. The tour will travel to over 20 major venues and cities nationwide including Madison Square Garden in New York and a three-night stand at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Tickets for the North American leg of Troubadour Reunion go on sale January 23 (unless otherwise noted). King and Taylor will also perform together on The Today Show and The Late Show with David Letterman on January 20.
The idea for the tour was conceived after a series of six performances Taylor and King gave at the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 2007 to celebrate the famed venue’s 50th Anniversary. The shows sold out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike.
Joining King and Taylor on tour will be their original band mates; guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel and bassist Lee Sklar, famous in their own right as The Section. Also joining The Section will be Rudy Guess, Robbie Kondor, Arnold McCuller, Kate Markowitz, and Andrea Zonn.
James Taylor and Carole King Tour Dates
01/20/10 Wed Late Show with David Letterman New York, NY
01/20/10 Wed The Today Show New York, NY
03/26/10 Fri Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AU
03/27/10 Sat Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AU
03/29/10 Mon Adelaide Entertainment Centre Adelaide, AU
03/31/10 Wed Brisbane Entertainment Centre Brisbane, AU
04/01/10 Thu Brisbane Entertainment Centre Brisbane, AU
04/03/10 Sat Hope Estate Winery Hunter Valley, AU
04/06/10 Tue Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney, AU
04/10/10 Sat Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
04/14/10 Wed Budokan Hall Tokyo, JP
04/16/10 Fri Budokan Hall Tokyo, JP
05/07/10 Fri Rose Garden Arena Portland, OR
05/09/10 Sun Key Arena Seattle, WA
05/11/10 Tue HP Pavilion San Jose, CA
05/13/10 Thu Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
05/14/10 Fri Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
05/15/10 Sat Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
05/19/10 Wed Jobing.com Arena Glendale, AZ
05/21/10 Fri Sprint Center Kansas City, MO
05/22/10 Sat Sommet Center Nashville, TN
05/24/10 Mon Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL
05/25/10 Tue Xcel Energy Center Saint Paul, MN
05/27/10 Thu The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI
05/28/10 Fri Air Canada Centre Toronto, ON
05/30/10 Sun Value City Arena (Schottenstein Center) Columbus, OH
06/02/10 Wed Time Warner Cable Arena Charlotte, NC
06/03/10 Thu Gwinnett Civic & Cultural Center Duluth, GA
06/05/10 Sat BankAtlantic Center Sunrise, FL
06/06/10 Sun St. Pete Times Forum Tampa, FL
06/08/10 Tue Verizon Center Washington, DC
06/10/10 Thu Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA
06/12/10 Sat Mohegan Sun Casino Uncasville, CT
06/15/10 Tue Madison Square Garden New York, NY
06/19/10 Sat TD BankNorth Garden Boston, MA
07/03/10 Sat Tanglewood Lenox, MA
07/04/10 Sun Tanglewood Lenox, MA
PASSION PIT ANNOUNCE SPRING TOUR DATES
 Passion Pit |
2009 was a whirlwind year for Boston’s Passion Pit. They were nominated for an MTV VMA for their video “The Reeling”, won Best Album from Boston’s WXPN, and topped Pitchfork, Stereogum, NY Post, NPR, Paste Magazine, Boston Music Award, Popmatters and many more end of year lists in 2009.
After amazing stops at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Monolith, Treasure Island, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Passion Pit kicks off 2010 with three of the fastest moving sold out shows at NYC’s Terminal 5 and a Spring Tour.
Passion Pit Tour Dates
01/15/10 Fri Mt. Smart Stadium Auckland, NZ
01/17/10 Sun Parklands Gold Coast, AU
01/20/10 Wed Metro Theatre Sydney, AU
01/22/10 Fri Olympic Park Showgrounds Sydney, AU
01/23/10 Sat Olympic Park Showgrounds Sydney, AU
01/25/10 Mon Corner Hotel Melbourne, AU
01/26/10 Tue Flemington Racecourse Melbourne, AU
01/29/10 Fri RA&HS Showgrounds Adelaide, AU
01/31/10 Sun Claremont Showgrounds Perth, AU
02/04/10 Thu Club Quattro Osaka, JP
02/05/10 Fri Duo Music Exchange Tokyo, JP
02/06/10 Sat Harajuku Astro Hall Tokyo, JP
03/01/10 Mon Le Botanique Brussels, BEL
03/03/10 Wed Bristol Academy Bristol, GB
03/04/10 Thu Leeds Metropolitan University Leeds, GB
03/05/10 Fri Manchester Academy Manchester, GB
03/06/10 Sat ABC Glasgow, GB
03/08/10 Mon University of East Anglia (UEA) Norwich, GB
03/09/10 Tue Nottingham Rock City Nottingham, GB
03/11/10 Thu HMV Forum London, GB
03/13/10 Sat Olympia Theatre Dublin, IR
03/26/10 Fri Ultra Music Festival Miami Beach, FL
03/28/10 Sun The Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
03/29/10 Mon Pullo Center York, PA
03/30/10 Tue House Of Blues Cleveland, OH
03/31/10 Wed Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH
04/02/10 Fri Congress Theater Chicago, IL
04/03/10 Sat Turner Hall Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
04/04/10 Sun First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
04/05/10 Mon Beaumont Club Kansas City, MO
04/07/10 Wed Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
04/08/10 Thu In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT
04/10/10 Sat McDonald Theatre Eugene, OR
04/11/10 Sun Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
04/12/10 Mon Roseland Theater Portland, OR
04/14/10 Wed Freeborn Hall Davis, CA
04/15/10 Thu The Warfield San Francisco, CA
04/24/10 Sat Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
04/30/10 Fri World’s Fair Park Knoxville, TN
05/01/10 Sat Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
The Auckland Tennis centre was evacuated on Tuesday after a security scare over an unattended bag, although it was not linked to a protest against the presence of Israeli player Shahar Peer, police said. The central Auckland venue is hosting the WTA Tour’s Auckland Classic and a small
WILCO ADD MARCH/APRIL U.S. DATES
 Wilco |
Wilco will play a run of 16 concerts in Eastern U.S. cities beginning in Miami, FL on March 22 and culminating in Pittsburgh, PA on April 11. The concerts are presented as
“An Evening with Wilco” and will feature extended, varied sets exploring material from each of the accomplished Chicago sextet’s seven studio albums.
The tour includes concerts in
Clearwater, Savannah, Atlanta, Durham, Richmond, Bethesda, Montclair, Providence, Boston,
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and features Wilco’s first concert appearances in the cities of Scranton, PA, Concord, NH and Hartford, CT.
Ticket presales for these new dates are set for Wednesday, January 6 at 10 a.m. EST via the band’s official website.
All other tickets go on sale Friday, January 8 and Saturday, January 9. Please check Wilcoworld.net or individual venue websites for exact on sale dates and times.
These tour dates continue what is already promising to be a busy start to the New Year for Wilco. In late January the band heads to Los Angeles to perform as part of the 2010 MusicCares Person of the Year concert honoring Neil Young and they make their debut performance on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on January 28. In February they embark on a previously announced tour that includes concerts in the Pacific Northwest, the upper Midwest and their most extensive Canadian tour in their 15-year history. Previously announced tour dates in Japan, New Zealand and Australia follow in April and May. Complete tour dates below.
Wilco’s latest studio album, the Grammy-nominated Wilco (The Album) has landed on many critic’s year end polls as one of the best albums of 2009, and Rolling Stone magazine recently cited Wilco’s 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as the third best album of the decade.
Wilco Tour Dates
02/07/10 Sun Adams Event Center Missoula, MT
02/09/10 Tue Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
02/10/10 Wed Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
02/12/10 Fri The Royal Theatre Victoria, BC
02/13/10 Sat David Lam Park Vancouver, BC
02/15/10 Mon Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Edmonton, AB
02/16/10 Tue Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Calgary, AB
02/17/10 Wed TCU Place Saskatoon, SK
02/19/10 Fri DECC Auditorium Duluth, MN
02/20/10 Sat Overture Center for Arts Madison, WI
02/21/10 Sun Wharton Center For The Arts East Lansing, MI
02/23/10 Tue Hamilton Place Theatre Hamilton, ON
02/24/10 Wed Centennial Hall London, ON
02/26/10 Fri Imperial Quebec City, QC
02/27/10 Sat L’ Olympia Theatre Montreal, QC
03/01/10 Mon National Arts Centre Ottawa, ON
03/03/10 Wed Halifax Metro Centre Halifax, NS
03/22/10 Mon The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater Miami Beach, FL
03/23/10 Tue Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL
03/25/10 Thu Johnny Mercer Theater Savannah, GA
03/26/10 Fri Fox Theatre Atlanta, GA
03/27/10 Sat Durham Performing Arts Center Durham, NC
03/29/10 Mon The National Richmond, VA
03/30/10 Tue Strathmore North Bethesda, MD
03/31/10 Wed Scranton Cultural Center Scranton, PA
04/02/10 Fri The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ
04/03/10 Sat The Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ
04/04/10 Sun Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RI
04/06/10 Tue Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA
04/07/10 Wed Capitol Center for the Arts Concord, NH
04/09/10 Fri The Bushnell Center For The Performing Arts Hartford, CT
04/10/10 Sat Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA
04/11/10 Sun Carnegie Music Hall Pittsburgh, PA
04/22/10 Thu Big Cat Osaka, JP
04/23/10 Fri Zepp Tokyo Tokyo, JP
04/27/10 Tue Civic Theatre Auckland, NZ
04/28/10 Wed Town Hall Wellington, NZ
04/30/10 Fri Tivoli Theatre Brisbane, AU
05/01/10 Sat The State Theatre Sydney, AU
05/02/10 Sun Factory Theatre Sydney, AU
05/05/10 Wed The Forum Theatre Melbourne, AU
05/06/10 Thu The Forum Theatre Melbourne, AU
05/28/10 Fri Primavera Barcelona, ES
09/12/10 Sun End of the Road Festival Wiltshire, GB
Former model Tyra Banks says she finds Kiwi girls genuinely friendly.
‘America’’s Next Top Model’ host, who was on a trip to Auckland for the launch of a new beauty campaign, feels New Zealand girls stand out.
“I find that the girls are so like, beyond warm and polite. I don”t know, do you guys have haters? [...]
Reality television host Tyra Banks is said to have broken down in tears in front of a star-studded crowd during the launch of a new beauty campaign at an Auckland waterfront restaurant.
Banks, 36, gave a speech about her stay in New Zealand and discussed the importance of embracing all kinds of beauty, encouraging young women [...]
CAROLE KING AND JAMES TAYLOR ANNOUNCE TROUBADOUR REUNION WORLD TOUR
Hollywood Bowl Tickets Go On Sale November 23 With N. American and European Dates To Be Announced Soon
 James Taylor |
Iconic musicians Carole King and James Taylor announced today that they will embark on a Troubadour Reunion world tour. The world tour will kick off in Melbourne, Australia on March 27 and will then travel to New Zealand and Japan before coming to North America and Europe. This once-in-a-lifetime event brings together two of the most beloved singer/songwriters for a rare concert experience. The set list will include a breadth of material including songs King and Taylor performed during their 1970 debut show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, which helped propel them both to the world stage. Tickets for dates in Australia, New Zealand, and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles go on-sale November 23. Tickets for dates in Japan go on sale December 12. Additional dates in North America and Europe will be announced soon.
The idea for the Troubadour Reunion tour came together in 2007 after Taylor and King performed at the famed Los Angeles venue for the first time since 1970 to celebrate the Troubadour’s 50th Anniversary. The shows sold out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The Los Angeles Times noted “the sense of occasion [and] weight of history in the evening” and Variety said “Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of song, that the artistically-rich and commercially-viable are not mutually exclusive and how one tiny club continues to be a birthing room for some of this city’s most memorable music.”
Now fans outside of Los Angeles will be able to experience what was created on that magical evening in 2007. Nearly four decades after helping define the singer-songwriter movement, King and Taylor will tour together with their original band mates: guitarist Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, drummer Russ Kunkel, and bassist Lee Sklar, famous in their own right as The Section.
“When James and I first played together in the early seventies, we connected immediately, both musically and personally, with an effortless, comfortable familiarity,” says Carole King. “After we reunited in 2007 with Danny Kortchmar, Lee Sklar, and Russ Kunkel, the original band from our early Troubadour shows, none of us wanted the fun to stop. We can’t wait to bring our Troubadour Reunion tour to Australia.”
“This tour, our Troubadour Reunion, has been waiting to happen for a long time and the years seem to have vanished, where does the time go?” asks Taylor. “When we reunited for the Troubadour’s 50th Anniversary celebration, it felt like yesterday. It was and still is all about the music and the songs that we get to perform together.”
James Taylor and Carole King Tour Dates
03/14/10 Sun Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles, CA
03/27/10 Sat Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AU
03/31/10 Wed Brisbane Entertainment Centre Brisbane, AU
04/03/10 Sat Hope Estate Winery Hunter Valley, AU
04/06/10 Tue Sydney Entertainment Centre Sydney, AU
04/10/10 Sat Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
04/14/10 Wed Budokan Hall Tokyo, JP
04/16/10 Fri Budokan Hall Tokyo, JP
Carole King performed with James Taylor at the Troubadour in November 1970. This historic show marked King’s debut as a solo artist after penning 22 Top 40 hits for artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to The Monkees, while Taylor was supporting his self-titled Apple Records release featuring classics such as “Carolina In My Mind” and “Something In The Way She Moves.” Both have since become multi-platinum-selling artists, Grammy winners, and members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 1971, King gave us the landmark Tapestry. The album received a Diamond Award from the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million units in the U.S., with more than 25 million units sold worldwide. King was the first woman to win four Grammy Awards in one year (Best Album, Best Song, Best Record, and Best Vocal Performance in 1972), a feat unsurpassed for more than 25 years, and was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1973. In 1987, King and Gerry Goffin were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988. Goffin and King were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and were honored by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004 with the Grammy Trustees’ Award. To date, more than 400 Carole King compositions have been recorded by more than 1000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles – many reaching #1. She is arguably the most successful and revered female songwriters in pop music history. Carole King has released 25 solo albums, the most recent being The Living Room Tour double-live CD on her own Rockingale Records label. The companion DVD, entitled Welcome to My Living Room, is now available.
Over the course of his career, James Taylor has sold more than 40 million albums, and won more than 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards as well as five Grammy Awards. Taylor’s first Greatest Hits album also earned him the RIAA’s elite Diamond Award. In 2000, Taylor was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In February 2006, The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences named Taylor its MUSICARES Person of the Year. Taylor’s 2007 CD/DVD One Man Band was nominated for an Emmy and his most recent album, Covers, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2008. He most recently released Other Covers in April 2009.
THEM CROOKED VULTURES FULL ALBUM STREAMING NOW ON YOUTUBE, ALBUM OUT NOVEMBER 17
| Them Crooked Vultures |
In response to the leak of Them Crooked Vultures‘ self-titled, debut album, the band has made the unprecedented decision to stream the record in its entirety, beginning with first track “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I.”
Them Crooked Vultures is due out November 17 in the United States and Canada on DGC/Interscope Records and can be pre-ordered here. Its release has been preceded by first single “New Fang,” currently streaming on MySpace, and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser,” now available as a free iTunes download.
Them Crooked Vultures recently announced its first ever shows in California and the Pacific Northwest (listed below). The dates expand an itinerary that already includes a December tour of the UK and Europe, and January dates in Australia and New Zealand.
Them Crooked Vultures Tour Dates
11/17/09 Tue The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
11/19/09 Thu Fox Theater Oakland, CA
11/21/09 Sat Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA
11/22/09 Sun Roseland Theater Portland, OR
12/06/09 Sun Zenith Munich, GER
12/07/09 Mon Columbiahalle Berlin, GER
12/08/09 Tue Palladium Cologne, GER
12/10/09 Thu Plymouth Pavilion Plymouth, GB
12/11/09 Fri Portsmouth Guildhall Portsmouth, GB
12/13/09 Sun Empress Ballroom Blackpool, GB
12/14/09 Mon Birmingham Academy Birmingham, GB
12/15/09 Tue Edinburgh Academy Edinburgh, GB
12/17/09 Thu Hammersmith Apollo London, GB
12/18/09 Fri Hammersmith Apollo London, GB
01/19/10 Tue Challenge Stadium Perth, AU
01/22/10 Fri Festival Hall Melbourne, AU
01/25/10 Mon River Stage Brisbane, AU
01/26/10 Tue Hordern Pavilion Sydney, AU
01/29/10 Fri TSB Arena Wellington, NZ
01/30/10 Sat Vector Arena Auckland, NZ
02/06/10 Sat Austin City Limits TV Show Austin, TX
Stream Them Crooked Vultures here.
Pre-order the album here.
“Mind Eraser, No Chaser” available on iTunes here.
Pakistan skipper Younus Khan is unlikely to be persuaded to change his retirement plan for the Twenty 20 format of the game.
“He is a blue-eyed boy of the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt, who is also likely to be here for the final ODI against New Zealand on Monday, but will not persuade the captain to [...]
PLANS FOR SOUTH AMERICA IN WINTER-SPRING AND A RETURN TO U.S. IN SPRING
 Dream Theater |
2009 continues to be a watermark year for Dream Theater. Having achieved a #1 debut on the Billboard European chart and 12 Top Ten album chart debuts around the world including the U.S. with their 10th studio release, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (JamBase review), the progressive metal masters are currently finishing up their second European tour this year before they head down under to Australia and New Zealand.
The band recently launched the overseas leg of their “Progressive Nation” tour – hitting 15 countries – with a run of shows in Scandanavia, where audiences exceeded 5000 per venue (see the JamBase review of this year’s U.S. Progressive Nation tour here). While on tour, the band is shooting footage for their upcoming video for “Wither,” an epic power ballad from the new album. A special EP of multiple versions of “Wither” is now available via online retailers.
Dream Theater – James LaBrie (vocals), John Myung (bass), John Petrucci (guitar, vocals), Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards, Continuum) – will wrap their European leg on Halloween in Ljubljana, Slovenia, after which they’ll take a month break before launching their Down Under trek December 1, with special guests TBA. This will encompass seven shows in New Zealand and Australia, wrapping December 12 in Perth.
Look for the band to head to South America in the winter-spring, followed by another U.S. leg also in the spring.
Dream Theater New Zealand/Australia Tour Dates
Tue – 12/1 – Auckland – Civic Theatre
Thur – 12/3 – Brisbane – Convention Centre
Sat – 12/5 – Sydney – Hordern Pavilion
Mon – 12/7 – Melbourne – Palais Theatre
Tues – 12/8 – Melbourne – Palais Theatre
Wed – 12/9 – Adelaide – Thebarton Theatre
Sat – 12/12 – Perth – Metro City
 |
Pearl Jam recently announced that they will add five additional shows to their previously announced North American tour. The band is now scheduled to perform in Vancouver, BC, Portland, OR and Salt Lake City, UT. The band will also add two additional dates to their run as the last band to perform at Philadelphia’s historic Wachovia Spectrum before it is demolished. Pearl Jam’s tour is support of their ninth studio album, Backspacer. Scheduled for release on Sunday, September 20, 2009, the album will be released in the U.S. through the retailer Target, in addition to Pearl Jam’s own Ten Club and independent retailers, as well as iTunes. Internationally, the album will be available beginning on September 21, 2009 via Universal/Island Records. The first single, “The Fixer,” was released through radio on July 20, 2009. On August 24, the track will be available as a 7-inch white vinyl at Ten Club, independent music retailers and select Target stores. “The Fixer” will also be available for purchase digitally on the same date.
Ben Harper and Relentless7 will open all dates except for the Philadelphia shows. Public tickets for Pearl Jam’s added Philadelphia Spectrum shows will go on-sale Friday, August 14 at 10:00 a.m. EST through ComcastTIX at comcasttix.com, in person at the Wachovia Complex box office and at www.livenation.com. Public tickets for the Portland and Vancouver shows will also go on-sale Friday, August 14 at 10:00 am PDT through ticketmaster.com. The remaining newly announced North American dates will go on-sale Saturday, August 15th through ticketmaster.com.
Tour Dates:
08/11/09 Tue Shepherd’s Bush Empire London, GB
08/13/09 Thu Ahoy Hall Rotterdam, NL
08/15/09 Sat Wulheide Berlin, GER
08/17/09 Mon Manchester Evening News Arena (MEN) Manchester, GB
08/18/09 Tue O2 Arena London, GB
08/21/09 Fri Molson Amphitheatre Toronto, ON
08/23/09 Sun United Center Chicago, IL
08/24/09 Mon United Center Chicago, IL
08/28/09 Fri Outside Lands Festival San Francisco, CA
09/21/09 Mon Key Arena Seattle, WA
09/22/09 Tue Key Arena Seattle, WA
09/30/09 Wed Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA
10/01/09 Thu Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA
10/04/09 Sun Zilker Park Austin, TX
10/06/09 Tue Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA
10/07/09 Wed Gibson Amphitheatre Universal City, CA
10/09/09 Fri Viejas Arena (Formerly Cox Arena) San Diego, CA
10/27/09 Tue Wachovia Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
10/28/09 Wed Wachovia Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
10/30/09 Fri Wachovia Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
10/31/09 Sat Wachovia Spectrum Philadelphia, PA
11/14/09 Sat Members Equity Stadium Perth, AU
11/17/09 Tue Adelaide Oval Adelaide, AU
11/20/09 Fri Etihad Stadium Melbourne, AU
11/22/09 Sun Sydney Football Stadium Sydney, AU
11/25/09 Wed Queensland Sport & Athletics Centre Brisbane, AU
11/27/09 Fri Mt. Smart Stadium Auckland, NZ
11/29/09 Sun AMI Stadium Christchurch, NZ
Surrey batsman Mark Ramprakash is being backed for a remarkable England recall for the decisive fifth Ashes Test – seven years since he was last capped.
Australia crushed England to level the series going into the final match at The Oval, Ramprakash’s home ground.
He turns 40 in September and has not played for England since 2002 but has been in prolific form for his county.
"If I was an England selector picking my best side, he’d be in it," said Surrey cricket manager Chris Adams.
"He is playing the best cricket of his life," Adams, who briefly played for England, both at Test and one-day international cricket, told BBC Radio 5 live.
"He’s a fine player, whether it’s the right time to bring him back into a Test match is a different story"
Australia captain Ricky Ponting
"He has done so for three years. I believe strongly he has been the best batsman available for England for those three years.
"I know Kevin Pietersen would have something to say about that but from what I’ve seen from Mark this year he is an exceptional batsman, a batsman at the top of his game."
Adams echoed comments made by former England captain Alec Stewart, also a Surrey stalwart, who suggested a one-off return for Ramprakash might be the best option for a side enduring a middle-order crisis.
Only one England batsman, skipper Andrew Strauss, has scored a century in the series so far, compared to Australia’s return of seven.
Ravi Bopara, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, who replaced the injured Pietersen, have all disappointed.
606: DEBATEThe Ashes England
Between them, Bopara, Collingwood and Bell contributed a total of just 16 runs during the fourth Test at Headingley and England coach Andy Flower has suggested the batting line-up might be altered following his side’s innings and 80-run defeat.
Earlier in the summer Essex batsman Bopara cemented his place at number three with three consecutive centuries against West Indies but the 24-year-old has struggled against Australia, scoring 105 runs in seven innings at an average of 15.
England named Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott in their squad for the fourth Test and he is another being touted to replace Bopara for The Oval Test, which starts on 20 August.
Kent captain Rob Key’s name is also being bandied around, with former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott and BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew backing his inclusion.
Meanwhile England are again waiting on the fitness of all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
He was seeing knee specialist Andy Williams on Monday with England captain Andrew Strauss keen for an early decision.
England waited until the morning of the fourth Test to rule Flintoff out.
The Lancastrian had said he was fit enough to play but was overruled by Strauss and Flower.
Strauss said: "Hopefully we’ll know two or three days out from the Test match whether he’s fit enough to play.
"He’s still desperate to play in that final Test but he realises he’s got to be fit enough."
TOM FORDYCE BLOG
But it is Ramprakash, who won the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing show in 2006, whose name is causing the biggest stir.
The right-hander has played 52 Tests, scoring 2350 runs at an average of 27.32 with 12 half-centuries and two tons.
In 12 Tests against Australia he has notched 933 runs at an average of 42.40 with one century, coming at The Oval in 2001.
He was dropped after scores of nine and two against New Zealand in Auckland seven years ago but has since moved from Middlesex to Surrey and continued to dominate opposition bowling attacks at county level.
In 2008 he became only the 25th player to score 100 first-class centuries with a ton against Yorkshire at Headingley, and on Sunday he showed he was still going strong with 134 not out against Derbyshire.
It was the 108th first-class century of his career and moved him level with Pakistan’s Zaheer Abbas in 16th place on the all-time list.
"He’s a fine player, whether it’s the right time to bring him back into a Test match is a different story," said Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
"It’s amazing how quickly things change either the way the media sees the team or even the way the team looks upon itself."
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – A New Zealand taekwondo athlete has opened a brothel to help fund his bid to compete at the 2012 London Olympics, local media reported Sunday.
Logan Campbell, 23, told the Sunday Star-Times newspaper he hoped hi…
The Singapore netball team went down 45-43 to world No 11 Cook Islands
yesterday at the Netball World Championships in Auckland.
The Singapore women led 32-31 after the third quarter and the lead swung
back and forth in the final period, with the Cook Islands side just edging
it in the end.
With the top two from each pool (four pools of four) advancing to the
last eight, Singapore are already out of the running, having lost two
matches.
Singapore go into today’s final Pool C match (11.10am, Singapore time)
against world No 3 Jamaica with only the battle for minor placings in the
tournament (positions 9 to 16) to aim for. – Low Lin Fhoong
