Broods at top of charts


Nelson brother-sister duo Broods is dominating the official NZ music charts this week.

The indie pop duo, who have worked closely with Lorde’s producer Joel Little, take out the top spot on both the albums and the Kiwi artist albums charts with their first full-length debut album, Evergreen.

It is the second album chart entry for Broods, made up of Georgia and Caleb Nott, whose self-titled debut EP peaked at number 2 earlier this year.

Evergreen features new single Mother & Father, which is also number 1 on the Kiwi singles chart and number 13 on the NZ Top 40 chart.

Catapulting into number 1 on the NZ Top 40 chart is American pop darling Taylor Swift, with her new song Shake It Off.

The anthem about ignoring your haters was released last week, and is the lead single from Swift’s upcoming album, 1989.

Swift performed Shake It Off live for the first time at the MTV Video Music Awards this week, receiving rave reviews.

Highest new entrant on the Singles chart is Guts Over Fear, by Eminem and featuring Australian Sia, who also assisted on his last hit Beautiful Pain.

The track, which debuted at number 22, is Eminem’s 32nd hit in New Zealand.

Highest new entrant on the singles chart is Bloodstream by Christchurch drum and bass band Shapeshifter and Wellington duo The Upbeats.

The local dance acts worked together on Shapeshifter’s fifth studio album, Delta, released last year.

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Jimmy Barnes has the 30/30 Hindsight


On the release of his album marking the 30th anniversary of his solo career, Vicki Anderson talks to Jimmy Barnes about singing with Shihad and his life as a granddad.

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Beckham’s struggle with hammocks and tarantulas


What do you do when you hang up your boots after 22 years spent playing for the world’s greatest football teams If you are David Beckham you join forces with three friends for a motorbike trip into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

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TV Guide: How did this programme come about

Beckham: The film is something I’ve never been able to do before now. When Anthony (Anthony Mandler, the director) and I first started talking about it we wanted to go to a place where I had actually been before but in a different direction and this was how we came up with going to the Amazon. I’m a big motorbike rider and so are two of my three friends that came with me on this trip, so it was the kind of journey that had no schedule. My whole life, my whole career has been about having a particular schedule that I’ve always kept to, so we just wanted to be able to jump on the bikes and do what we wanted wherever we wanted. It was important to also find somewhere where I was unrecognisable and we found that. It was a really special journey. We met some incredible people along the way, saw some amazing things, all in a country that is the home of football.

How much did you know about the plan before you set off

Anthony was totally clued up about the whole plan. He just didn’t brief us very well, especially Derek who came with a suitcase of ‘going out’ shirts. He wasn’t expecting to camp, he wasn’t expecting to go into the jungle. Dave and I were better prepared but Anthony still didn’t tell us much which is what I wanted. Obviously he briefed us slightly, but things like staying in hammocks every night, sleeping in the jungle,
things we were going to see, people we were going to meet, that was a total surprise.

What were the main challenges of the trip

How long have you got The first challenge for me was getting comfortable in a hammock. I’ve been in a hammock before with the kids or with Victoria, but sleeping in a hammock that was going to be your bed for 12 days, that was a whole different thing. I can’t lie. My first night’s sleep in the hammock was terrible. I had about 30-minutes sleep. About two days later someone decided to explain how best to sleep in a hammock and after that it was great. Not showering or washing – I’m a clean person so that was pretty tough for me. And then riding the bikes. I’m used to riding bikes, but not in that terrain or in that kind of weather, so that was difficult. Being away from the family was hard too.

Was the experience everythingthat you had hoped for

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It ended up being everything that I’d hoped for and more. It’s an experience that I’d definitely do again because it involved being away with friends, on motorbikes and being in a place like Brazil.

Were there any particularly scary or funny moments that took place that are maybe not in the documentary

There are hours and hours of scary, funny moments that definitely could not be broadcast. Some of the language was slightly colourful – not from myself of course, I don’t swear too much – but from the other guys it was. The moment we stepped off our bikes and set foot in the jungle stands out. We were literally three metres into the jungle when we came across a tarantula and that was like “OK, we’re in it now”. And there’s a moment when we start walking into the jungle and you can see the atmosphere change within me, Derek, Dave and Anthony. You can see our faces change, our eyes change. All of a sudden we’re hearing monkeys and our guides are telling us about the jaguars and that started worrying us a little bit. It was starting to get dark as well so we literally had to set up camp, put hammocks up, get a fire going. That was when we all realised we were in it for real.

Can you tell us about

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Blake Lively attacked by swarm of bees


Gossip Girl star and new lifestyle blogger Blake Lively has had a terrifying encounter with a swarm of bees.

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Joan Rivers ‘resting comfortably’ in hospital


Joan Rivers is resting comfortably in hospital with family by her side, says the comedian’s daughter.

Rivers was rushed to The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York from a doctor’s office on Thursday after going into cardiac arrest.

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In a statement, Melissa Rivers said her mother was “resting comfortably” with family. She did not elaborate on the 81-year-old comedian’s condition.

“We ask that you continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers,” Melissa Rivers said. She offered thanks for the “overwhelming love and support for my mother.”

Earlier, The Mount Sinai Hospital spokesman Sid Dinsay confirmed that Rivers had been brought there.
New York City police officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to publicly name Rivers, said she was taken to the hospital just after 9.30am local time on Thursday. It was unclear why she was visiting the doctor’s office.

Rivers’ representatives didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The entertainer has logged a half-century in show business and gave rise to red carpet commentary – and the snarky criticism that often accompanies it. Her signature red carpet query: “Who are you wearing”

She continues to maintain a busy schedule, and was to perform a show on Friday at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey. That show has now been postponed.

Rivers spoke at an employee event at Time Inc. in New York on Wednesday night and appeared healthy, practically jogging when she walked in to take her seat, said Shira Blum, an online project manager.

“She seemed totally healthy,” Blum said. “She was very energetic, hilarious, funny. And it was such a shock, a surprise to hear the news this morning.”

Rivers took questions and said she wakes up every morning and “is thankful that everything works.

The host of Fashion Police on E! network, Rivers also presides over an online talk show, In Bed With Joan and co-stars with her daughter on the WEtv reality show, Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best

Her latest book, Diary of a Mad Diva, was released this year.

In 2009, Rivers emerged as the winner of The Celebrity Apprentice. A documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, premiered in theatres in 2010.

A native of New York, Rivers originally entered show business with the dream of a theatrical career, but comedy became a way to pay the bills while she auditioned for acting roles.

After proving herself in comedy clubs, Rivers was a smash on her first booking on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965.

“God, you’re funny,” Carson told her.

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– AP

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Prince Harry holidaying with new squeeze


Prince Harry is once again off the market.

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Kimbra announces Auckland show


Kimbra will be returning home to play a show in Auckland this November.

The concert will be promoting her new album, The Golden Echo, which features songs 90s Music and Miracle.

The album was co-produced by Kimbra and Rich Costey, with collaborations from members of the Mars Volta, Muse and Foster the People.

What: Kimbra
When: Tuesday, November 18
Where: The Powerstation, Auckland
Tickets:

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TVNZ to require registration for OnDemand services


Television viewers are likely to need to sign in with a username and password to watch TVNZ OnDemand and One News online from later this year.

Chief executive Kevin Kenrick said the registration requirement would let Television New Zealand provide a more “personalised” service for viewers, but acknowledged it could also be a money-spinner.

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It would help TVNZ better target more relevant advertisements to viewers and could pave the way for it to introduce online programming that viewers would need to pay a subscription fee to watch, he said.

Coalition for Better Broadcasting chief executive Myles Thomas described the plan as a bolt from the blue and said the lobby group believed it was a sign TVNZ might be readying itself for privatisation after the election.

“Setting up a log-in is clearly a step in the direction of becoming more commercial, and the problem with it is they are just creating another barrier for New Zealanders to access our content,” he said.

Kenrick said the registration requirement would have spin-offs for viewers.

It would mean they would be able to stop watching a show on one device and resume viewing it at the same point on another.

It would also let TVNZ create personalised watchlists, viewing recommendations and alerts, he said.

Making usernames and passwords mandatory was probably the “cleanest” approach.

“If you have got too many options you make it too confusing,” he said.

“Whether it is music streaming services or video services, a rudimentary form of registration is pretty common these days.”

TVNZ said more than a million programmes a week were being viewed online through TVNZ OnDemand, up 78 per cent on a year ago, with online advertising revenue up 30 per cent.

“Online revenue is currently a modest component of total revenue, but it’s a major driver of future growth,” Kenrick said.

The broadcaster today reported a 25 per cent increase in its net profit to $18 million, which was achieved despite a 0.4 per cent drop in revenues to $361m, thanks to belt-tightening and asset sales.

Sky Television last week reported a 22 per cent jump in its annual profit to $161m, thanks largely to lower programming costs, price rises and a 1.1 per cent rise in subscriber numbers which grew at a slightly slower pace than New Zealand’s population.

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– Stuff

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From Tony Soprano to Hello Kitty


Over at Vox, my friend Todd VanDerWerff has

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Ariana Grande’s Twitter Q&A turns feral


Twitter Q&As always seem like a such good idea on a whiteboard at a marketing meeting. Italian-American tweenie pop princess Ariana Grande is the latest celebrity to cop a roasting during a Twitter Q&A, which trended worldwide on the social media network on Friday morning (NZ time).

Grande, who opened the MTV VIdeo Music Awards on Monday and has had three big hits in recent weeks (Problem,

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