No Rock And Roll Fun

ROCKING ALL OVER THE WORLD: You can't help but feel that British music has lost its edge when "sugababes make a botched attempt to smash equipment, thow it down, pout off" is seen as being a bit edgy. It's a lot edgier elsewhere, you know.

In Bahrain, a massive riot kicked off outside a gig by Nancy Ajram. Hundreds of Muslims had gathered to protest at the un-islamic acts due to take place inside the Conference Centre, and it spilled over into a smash and crash and burn during the course of which things were burned, police cars smashed and masked youths threatened people to make them turn back from going to the concert. Rumours that the organisers could be seen shouting "No, we said she was Lebanese, not a Lesbian..." remain unconfirmed. So, what does Nancy do that caused this outbreak of bother? Well, she's raunchy, isn't she? As Al Bawaba reports "She is best-known for a clip that shows her swaying her hips and shaking her shoulders while serving customers at an all-male cafe." Let's hope Bahrain never gets to see episodes of Corrie from the period when Hayley was serving at Roy's Rolls. Their country might not be left standing.

Over in Cambodia - a country which has never quite recovered from the impact of the Kim Wilde song of the same name - Touch Sunnich has been shot in the face by four motorcyclists and is, not surprisingly, in a bit of a bad way in hospital. It's thought the shooting was a punishment for her playing a gig for the nation's rulers - you know, like Atomic Kitten and Ozzy Osbourne did during the Jubilee (not that we'd want to put ideas in your head) - and might give the So Solids something to think about the next time they try to jusitfy why they took to carrying guns round with them.

Crossing to the Punjab, and Daler Mehndi is up in court facing allegations that he's been using his enormously successful musical career as a front for running a people smuggling operation. During the course of the trial, it's turned out that he's big chums with underworld don Abu Salem. Which makes Cheryl Tweedy's troubles look very minor league in comparison.

Even bloody Chico Debarge manages to take time out of starring a gospel musical to get himself stabbed by the splendidly named John "Johnny Gongs" Casasanto. And what do we get? The most outrageous thing to happen in music in the British Isles this week was Stepehn gateley and his husband having a bit of a tiff in the street. Our music isn't just dull, it's lost its scale.