Noughties band signs up to star in their own MUSICAL based on tracks from their best-selling albums
ABBA, Tina Turner and Michael Jackson all have musicals based on thier hit tunes and now an unlikely British act is following suit – The Streets.
The group, fronted by Mike Skinner, are known for top tunes including Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes, which don’t exactly scream West End razzmatazz.
But the alternative hip-hop act have been quietly working on a show which will include all the tracks from one of their finest records.
Mike let slip on the Sidetracked podcast: “I’ve got quite a busy summer touring and then I think we might be doing a theatre show after that.
“It’s a musical of one of my old albums.”
He jokingly added: “Jazz hands!”
Somehow, I seriously doubt there will be many of those in there.
He didn’t reveal which album the show would be based on but it is likely to be their first No1 A Grand Don’t Come For Free.
This year marks 20 years since it was released, so it would be the perfect time to celebrate it.
The concept record is all about a man’s relationship with a woman named Simone — along with the disappearance of £1,000 from his home.
That album features Fit But You Know It and Dry Your Eyes, as well as single Blinded By The Lights, so there will be plenty of crowd pleasers for the cast to get their teeth into.
I’ve loved them since the early days, so that’s enough to get me down to the theatre — and I’ll be watching them play the Other stage at Glastonbury on Saturday.
On the bandwagon
The Streets aren’t the only act with a musical in development.
Steps are set to launch their theatre show Here & Now in November, while Shania Twain hinted to Bizarre that a musical set to her back catalogue could happen.
When quizzed about it when she dropped in for an exclusive chat last year, she teased: “There’s all sorts of things coming up but things I probably can’t talk about right now.”
And she added: “I’ve got a very busy few years ahead of me.”
Now I just need my beloved Simply Red to jump on the bandwagon.
Holding Back The Years would go down a storm on the West End.
Santa Durst
HE used to remind me of EastEnders’ Beppe di Marco with his goatee beard.
But Fred Durst is giving Santa Claus a run for his money with this bushy white beard.
The Limp Bizkit frontman showed off his new look at Download Festival over the weekend.
If he keeps growing it he’ll be handing out presents from a sack come December.
Lace is more, Hailey
HAILEY BIEBER went all Keanu Reeves for a night out with husband Justin.
The model wore a coat that looked straight out of Keanu’s Matrix movies and teamed it with a sheer lace bodysuit as she and Justin went for a meal in New York.
But given how chic she is, I wish she’d have a word with whoever is styling Justin – as clunky sandals and white socks works on no man, no matter how famous.
Last month the pair shared photos of them renewing their wedding vows in Hawaii and revealed Hailey is pregnant with their first child.
Since they wed in 2018, she has been his rock, and it’s clear to me they’ve never been happier.
Given Justin’s up and downs with his health, it’s great to see him so settled.
Shania’s woman pride
IT’S a female empowerment anthem that gets everyone up on the dance floor.
But in spite of the lyrics in her Grammy Award-winning song Man! I Feel Like A Woman!, it took Shania Twain a long time to practice what she preached.
She told The Sunday Times magazine: “That song was me saying, ‘I have waited too long to feel good about being a woman’.
“For many years I shielded away from it or wished I wasn’t a woman.
“I was a shy, insecure female – not person. My brain said, ‘I don’t really care what I am’, but my body got in the way, the female got in the way.
“I’ve got curves, so I had to set boundaries and guards very strong.
“I did everything not to bring attention to them. I missed out on the joy of being female.
“S**t, for my whole teens, I never once went to the beach in a bathing suit.
“I knew that boys were going to take advantage of me one way or another.
“But I was tired of acting like I’m not a female with curves, so I wrote [the song].”
It seems Shania wasn’t exactly bowled over by Brad Pitt if the lyrics to her 1999 hit That Don’t Impress Me Much are anything to go by.
But she admits there is one male hunk who has caught her attention.
And she reckons he would make the cut if she were to change the lyrics of her famous song for 2024.
She insists: “HARRY STYLES! He is the new ELVIS.”
Kath gets my vote
THEY may not be showing the Euros regardless of England’s outcome tomorrow, but one thing Glastonbury bosses do care about is the General Election.
Legendary dance area Block 9 has teamed up with fashion designer Katharine Hamnett to encourage revellers to vote on July 4.
Katharine said: “Our vote is our most powerful tool to get the world we want, and every vote is crucial. But democracy is under threat.
“Voter suppression is rife, even in the UK. Elections have been won by one vote: Thomas Jefferson in 1800 was elected president of the United States by one vote. Use it or lose it.”
I couldn’t agree more. You can’t complain if you can’t be bothered to vote.
Being a mum is Jess amazing
JESSIE J is glowing right now – and not because she’s just pulled off a headline set at the Isle of Wight festival.
In an exclusive backstage chat, the Price Tag singer revealed she is also on cloud nine because she’s found maternal bliss following the birth of her adorable son Sky in May last year.
From the massive smile on her face, it’s clear she couldn’t be happier.
“The joy I have since having a baby is endless,” Jessie says.
“I love having that joy to share with people on days like this. It’s been the best challenge I’ve had in my life. I feel like there are days when I’m not confident, but having a baby pushes your roots deeper. I feel loving another human has made me love myself more.”
Is there any part of motherhood she’s finding tough?
“My son eats more than me,” Jessie admits.
“What the f**k do you give them to eat? It’s the relentlessness of it. You want a break but you don’t want anyone else to do it. But just thinking of his face makes me feel like everything is going to be fine.”
Elsewhere at the festival we spotted Jake Shears and Suede’s Brett Anderson having a moment together, with Jake almost losing his cool at getting to meet his music hero.
But the highlight of the weekend was The Prodigy paying tribute to their late, great frontman Keith Flint before they launched into 1996 hit, Firestarter.
Insiders told me the group went all zen backstage too, after they brought their own masseuse to get them limbered up.
Seems their hard-partying days from the Nineties are long gone.
The week in bizness
WEDNESDAY: Rylan Clark will host the Peugeot Attitude Pride Awards in central London, aiming to celebrate LGBTQ+ individuals who demonstrate courage and resilience in their everyday lives.
Will Young will provide the entertainment on the day.
THURSDAY: Glastonbury will kick off with a performance from Frank Turner before a packed line-up for the rest of the weekend featuring Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Shania Twain and more. And of course, I’ll be down there bringing you all the goss.
FRIDAY: Camila Cabello will mark her striking change of direction with the release of her latest album C,XOXO, featuring collaborations with Drake and Lil Nas X.
The following day the busy singer will perform on Glasto’s Other Stage.
SATURDAY: Barclaycard’s BST Hyde Park will properly kick off with a headline set from American R&B star SZA.
Over the next three weeks there will also be performances at the central London venue from Kings of Leon, Kylie Minogue, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Stevie Nicks, Stray Kids and more.