In Wembley Arena Mystery over rumours of a right-wing protest

Mystery surrounds a rumour that a controversial organisation are to hold a protest in the borough next Saturday (26). According to anti fascism campaigners, the (EDL) English Defence League are planning to demonstrate outside Wembley Arena while a peace conference organised by Al Khair Foundation, a Muslim charity, takes place. But, the EDL are staying tight lipped over the claims and their website has no announcement. The EDL are a far right organisation who campaign against Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England. Since they were established last year they have been involved in a number of protests that have culminated in clashes between its members and its critics. If a rally by EDF does go ahead, Brent and Harrow United Against Fascism (BHUAF) are planning a counter protest at the same time. The borough's 40 Labour councillors, the Bishop of Willesden and the President and Secretary of Brent Trades Union Council have come out in support of BHUAF's plans.Cllr Ann John, leader of Brent Council, said: "Brent is Britain's most diverse multi cultural and multi faith borough and our diversity is our strength. "The planned demonstration is a deliberate provocation aimed at creating fear amongst the Muslim community and undermining community relations."

Badminton England start preparations for World Championships after Wembley nod

Badminton England, the national governing body, will meet world badminton officials in the next three weeks to begin preparations for the World Championships after an agreement was reached last week to host the sport at Wembley Arena in 2012. The 2011 World Championships, to be held in August, will be a test event for the London 2012 Olympics and negotiations will take place with the Badminton World Federation to fathom expectations for the event.

Locog, London 2012's organisers, finally reached an agreement last week for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics to be staged at Wembley Arena after months of prolonged negotiations.

The sports had initially resisted the change to base them in north Greenwich, the original plan, due to the increased travel times from the Olympic Village to north London.

Adrian Christy, Badminton England's chief executive, said: "It has been well known for some time that there have been issues and we have been sympathetic to that with the economic climate in mind.

"The logistical problem has been how to transport the players in a sensible time. No one expected it to last this long but the complexity of the athletes hotel and the training facilities have been a factor."

Badminton's training facility will be at Redbridge Sports Centre in Barkingside, Essex and will herald the sport's Olympic legacy after the Games.

Redbridge is currently completing a £6.3 million redevelopment and the 12-court facility will also host the other competing teams as an Olympic training venue.

Ricky Gervais at Wembley Arena

Forget Cleggy and co for a second - it’s a big week for comedy. In Manchester - at the MEN Arena, where he once worked as a steward - Peter Kay is unveiling his first stand-up show in seven years. In London, Ricky Gervais is back at Wembley Arena . Politicians can but dream of holding rallies of this size, night after night.
It’s hard not to think about all the money flowing into the stars’ bank accounts without going green with envy. And yet one of the main reasons, surely, why people flock to gigs of this magnitude, is tobask in all that unobtainable affluence. There’s something so incongruous about a bloke standing on stage in front of thousands - a blurred speck were it not for the giant screens relaying every move -that the scale of the achievement is as much a part of the experience as the comedy. And few make more of this than Gervais.

The London leg of his Science tour finds the braggart creator of TheOffice and Extras etc, etc largely replicating the show he firstpresented in Edinburgh last August, with the odd tweak and insertion.
Once again, though, he appears content to coast on his reputation, andeven abuse the power that comes with celebrity, rather than push histalents in new directions.
Lookingly weirdly like George Michael, thanks to an unfetching moustache, and dosed up on pain-killers as a result of golfing-related back-strain, Gervais displays characteristic chutzpah by opening with a confession that he’s not bothered about playing Wembley: “I’ve got better things to do than this,” he says, eyeing his watch - this, we’re told, is “a warm-up for Madison Square Garden”.
I laughed at that, but we’re soon enough cast into the re-heated slurry of minor provocation and knowing obnoxiousness. There are over-generous helpings of material about fat people, rounded off with a bilious description of a Ken Dodd fan: “I’m trying to avoid saying 'fat mental bird’,” he tells us, all smirking disingenuousness.
There are playground barbs about Amanda Holden and Susan Boyle - who looks “like a mong” - and contemptuous reflections on repellent autograph-hunters. For the atheists, there’s a caustic deconstruction of a children’s picture-book about Noah. For the bawdy-minded, there are numerous knob-gags.
Gervais has a style that’s at once plaintive and relaxed, which works well, but the substance is missing. The woman in front of me spent the entire show with her head on her partner’s shoulder with a “wake me up when it’s over” look about her. At least she’ll be able to say she was there, though.

Wembley Stadium Twin Towers 'model' for 1.2 billion dollar Dallas Cowboys arena

Jerry Jones, whose Dallas Cowboys Stadium will host the World Boxing Organisation welterweight battle between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey here on Saturday night, revealed to The Daily Telegraph that aspects of the stadium were modelled on the design of Wembley Stadium.

“I visited Wembley three times while it was being built,” said Jones, who added that he had never contemplated buying an English Premiership club. Instead, he invested 1.2 billion US dollars to build a new Cowboys Stadium which is a breathtaking monolith to sporting indulgence.

Jones revealed to The Daily Telegraph: “Our plazas at either end sees around 60 per cent of our fans coming in, and the glass doors completely go away. It opens straight in, with huge alleyways of greenery. The idea of having people entering the stadium that way came from the train that stops at Wembley. We took that land, beachfront property and made it into an entrance like Wembley.”

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/100005967/wembley-stadium-twin-towers-model-for-1-2-billion-dollar-dallas-cowboys-arena/

John Mayer close to British breakthrough

Guitarist John Mayer is making belated progress in his bid to be known in this country beyond American expats and Heat readers more interested in which starlet he is currently squiring.
As he played a sizeable theatre show last night having just announced a May gig at Wembley Arena, the fact that the 32-year-old still shows no sign of having a hit over here is starting to seem less relevant.

"Thank you for robbing me of my freaky anonymity in the UK," he beamed to a crowd who seemed to know all the words. "We can mark off another country where I cannot visit adult bookstores."

What is it about Mayer's soulful contemporary rock that is taking so long to translate?
On recent fourth album Battle Studies he's not singing about baseball or fannypacks but about the joys of singledom (Perfectly Lonely) and marijuana (Who Says).
Singing with a slight Bryan Adams rasp that rose to a crisp falsetto during a surprise cover of the Jackson Five's I Want You Back, his own full back catalogue proved that delayed fame makes for a better setlist.

There was a shimmer worthy of U2's Edge on his guitar lines on Heartbreak Warfare, while he also handled loose funk on Vultures and acoustic pop on early track Why Georgia.
The solos rained down as the night wore on, especially during an epic Gravity.
Mayer displayed an affinity with his instrument that made it clear why he counts Eric Clapton among his jamming buddies.

But despite an armful of tattoos that hinted at a rock 'n' roll heart, he never really let himself go.
With boy band looks and real technical ability, on paper and over the pond Mayer has got it all.
It seems Britain is coming closer to deciding that we want it too.

Wembley Arena with ZZ Top's electric guitar player

In the London on the tube Wembley Arena with ZZ Top's electric guitar player surprised fans of the rock group last week by travelling to a gig.

At Wembley Arena the rock group were gearing up for a gig when Billy Gibbons decided to purchase a ticket for the London Underground.
Speaking to BBC News, he revealed that he did feel a "little edgy" at first on the train, as one man on the route was "checking me out".
"And then I realised that he was looking at a ZZ Top concert ticket," Gibbons commented.
The bearded musician added that he may keep taking public transport to gigs, as he arrived at the venue before his bandmates.
This is despite the fact that the Circle Line broke down only minutes after he purchased his train ticket.
ZZ Top formed in the 1960s and have since notched up numerous worldwide hits such as Sharp Dressed Man, La Grange, Viva Las Vegas and Legs.

London show Foxboro Hot Tubs announce

Green Day side project Foxboro Hot Tubs have announced a particular midnight gig at London's Garage on November 1.
UK tour with a gig at Wembley Arena earlier that evening the Berkeley trio conclude their mammoth.
Tickets are available from the venue, but may well have sold out by the time you read this.

Cancels arena concert to Sir Elton

A major concert Sir Elton John has cancelled at short notice after being diagnosed with flu.
The star scrapped Friday evening's gig at Sheffield Arena after doctors told him he needed time to rest.
A spokesperson said the star was "terribly disappointed" to cancel the Red Piano show.
Promoters said other dates he is due to play this month - including one at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena on Saturday - will be unaffected.
Reaction
Sir Elton's spokesman said: "Elton is terribly disappointed that he is unable to perform tonight's Red Piano show for the people of Sheffield.
"He has always enjoyed a tremendous reaction from the audiences every time he has performed at the Arena."
Ticket holders for the Sheffield show have been told to retain their tickets, and a further announcement will be made on Monday.
Sir Elton is also due to perform at London's Wembley Arena on Tuesday, and at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Wednesday.

Rescheduled to London Wembley Stadium for Michael Jackson Tribute Show

The Michael Jackson tribute show, originally scheduled for 26 September in Vienna has been moved to London's Wembley Arena.A year later than planned, London will feature a tour dedicated to the King of Pop Michael Jackson. Although the late and great Michael Jackson himself won't be gracing our stages, a London tribute concert, which has been a subject of discussion since just hours after his death, has finally been planned for next June, 2010.The news comes after the announcement of a Michael Jackson Tribute Show in Vienna set to feature a star studded cast of music names. However Jermaine Jackson and the concert promoter George Kindel reconsidered the date and location when top performers Mary J Bilge, Natalie Cole and Chris Brown pulled out claiming scheduling conflicts.Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest on 4 September and the announcement of the Vienna tribute concert came the following week. The eight week lead time before the show, however, proved too challenging the short notice saw numerous stars unable to attend. The new date and venue offer eight months for the promoter, Jackson family and music guests to organise the event."Instead of eight weeks we now have eight months to prepare," Jermaine Jackson told press. "Some of the stars who were not able to participate in the Vienna concert, but expressed their wish to participate in this event, will be able to perform at Wembley Stadium in London in June 2010."We can expect to see many of the big names in music who were expected to be missing from the Vienna event in London next June. Details of the lineup and exact date will be available soon.

Wembley Arena to play Brand New

Brand New have announced they are to play London's Wembley Arena next January.The show, which takes place on January 23, will be the Long Island band's largest UK headline show to date.Tickets for the Wembley Arena show go onsale this Friday (September 4) at 9am (BST).To check the accessibility of Brand New tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0871 230 1094.Brand New release their new album 'Daisy' on September 21.
Look Brand New play at an O2 Venue. Remember if you're on O2 you can acquire Priority Tickets to The O2 and O2 Academy venues up to 48 hours before they go on general release. Register at o2.co.uk/priority. Terms apply.