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Pick at the pops: 31 December 2007

E.T. and Kasabian's Tom Meighan

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Our weekly round-up of the weird and wonderful world of pop music...

Christmas week is traditionally a quiet one for music news, as the No.1 furore dies down and we look forward to a new year free of Mariah Carey and scuttle to the shops to take back all those Leona Lewis albums. Some ludicrous things have managed to happen nonetheless. Take the tale of Kasabian’s hard-rocking frontman Tom Meighan: it’s emerged that übergeek Tom has commissioned lifesize replicas of Star Wars robots C3PO and R2-D2 – a snip at eight grand – and spent another 10 grand on the “genuine” BMX from E.T. Tom, there were LOADS of BMXs in E.T. – what if you got the one ridden by the rubbish kid? He comforts himself with another lifesize model, this time E.T. himself. A friend commented, “He’s living the dream,” and who can argue with that?

Living the nightmare is car-crash favourite Amy Winehouse, now not only fighting a drugs charge with the Norwegians but also barred from touching sweet-natured husband Blake Fielder-Civil when she visits him in chokey. Sounds like a blessing, Ames – now get back to the music.

We almost get back to the music with word from the Coldplay camp: “We love Christmas songs,” says Chris Martin, “but every time we try and write one it’s awful.” This sad fact presumably lies behind their festive covers of Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' and The Pretenders' '2000 Miles', recently posted on the band's website. If you can't beat 'em... reappropriate 'em.

Coldplay’s heroes Radiohead have denied claims that the real reason they split with EMI is because their erstwhile label refused to give them £10m to re-sign. The band’s manager Bryce Edge gave their side: “Guy Hands [new EMI big cheese] irrevocably refused to discuss the catalogue in any meaningful way.” Following the unprecedented success of album In Rainbows, the word, Guy, is “D’oh!”

Normally, a column should end the year with a few awards, but none can overshadow the gong handed to minuscule minx Kylie Minogue this week. Dame Kylie, as she shall henceforth be known, will snaffle an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List for, erm, services to music. But let’s not split hairs. Well done, Kyles.

Matthew Horton

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