Lady Gaga's News

It's a bad romance between Gaga and the City of Austin

Michael Stewart / WireImage via Getty Images

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Lady Gaga fans are in for some disappointment: they won't be seeing Mother Monster perform in a giant Doritos vending machine at SXSW this year.

The City of Austin has denied the necessary permits for Gaga to play the Doritos Stage, an outdoor venue set up in the parking lot of an Italian restaurant and designed to look like a Doritos vending machine, Austin 360 reports.

While the city tends to allow a lot of leeway for events during the ever-expanding festival that takes over the city each March, an invasion of Gaga's Little Monsters fanbase was too much for the city to safely allow.

"Our conclusion was based primarily on public safety concerns," said Don Pitts, manager of the City of Austin Music & Entertainment division, whose office is in charge of permits for SXSW events, speaking to Austin 360. "We look at the size and capacity of the location covered by the permit being sought and how it fits with the anticipated attendance, based on event capacity and promotion. At the end of the day, it's a parking lot."

Don't give up hope of standing in line for hours for a chance to see Lady Gaga erupt from a giant bag of Doritos, though. Pitts told Austin 360, "We informed the applicant that we would support relocation to an established venue with the necessary permanent infrastructure."

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By Hanna Flint

PUBLISHED: 09:21 EST, 26 February 2014 | UPDATED: 10:32 EST, 26 February 2014

How much Jay-Z and Lady Gaga pay to their record labels could be made public thanks to an ongoing child support battle between a Def Jam record executive and his ex.

Abou Thiam, 34 - brother of Akon - has been given notice by Ariel Hakim to produce 'all documents of any participation of employment with Rihanna, Young Jeezy, JayZ, Kanye West, Chris Brown and Lady Gaga', which includes records of 'salary paid, commissions, bonuses, expenses, business tax returns, documents of business deals, evidence of gifts or loans and other compensations.'

Hakim is hoping to get a clearer picture of her ex-husband's finances so the courts will make him pay more child support towards their daughter's care.

In court documents obtained by RadarOnline, Hakim demands from Thiam all financial information of his income and investments from when they split up in May 2010 to the date of the custody trial.

But despite her request for a complete overview of his financial situation, so far he has only admitted to earning more than $30,000 per month.

Hakim believes Thiam's earnings have increased significantly since the first child support agreement was drawn by the court.

Her attorneys have scoffed at his refusals to cooperate, because they say his 'financial situation encompasses more than his income'.

The case is set to go to trial on April 7, 2014, in Georgia.

Abou got into the music industry by managing the A&R for his brother Akon's Trouble album on Konvict Muzik/Konvict Entertainment.

He signed T-Pain in 2005, and later set up Interscope-affiliated Kon Live Distribution, who brought on Lady Gaga.

Thiam oversaw the A&R for Rihanna's hit album Loud and the collaborative record from Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne, and is now vice-president of A&R at DEF JAM records.

Two years ago, one of the greatest, weirdest landmarks in downtown Austin during SXSW was the Doritos Stage, a gigantic monstrosity made up to look like an actual vending machine, with giant Doritos bags up front and people performing down where, on a regular-sized vending machine, the food would fall out. (Last year, the stage was still there, but they sold out by replacing the giant Doritos bag with a video screen.) If you were looking for a symbol of the ways corporate money has changed SXSW, you couldn't do much better. And this year, the big vending machine could've been an even more potent symbol, and a locus for some considerable crowd insanity. But that won't happen because the city of Austin has prevented Lady Gaga from performing there.

As Austin 360 reports, the Austin's Music And Entertainment division, who deserve props for letting so much happen during SXSW, have made the exceedingly sane decision that one of the world's biggest pop stars probably shouldn't perform on a small open-air parking lot in a major downtown area. Don Pitts, the division's manager, says, "Our conclusion was based primarily on public safety concerns... We look at the size and capacity of the location covered by the permit being sought and how it fits with the anticipated attendance, based on event capacity and promotion. At the end of the day, it's a parking lot." Gaga may still perform at SXSW, but she's going to need to find a more sane location, one with "the necessary permanent infrastructure."

In related news, Universal Music had a rough year last year, and Gaga is a big part of the reason why. The New York Post reports that the label conglomerate's fourth-quarter earnings were down 9.3%. Much of the blame goes to the hugely expensive rollout and disappointing sales of ARTPOP, the generally unimpressive album that Gaga released during the period. A few more albums like that, and Gaga really will be small-time enough to play the Doritos stage safely.

Everybody's a critic. How else to explain the state's disjointed nose over a State Parks employee's decision to allow Lady Gaga to use Hearst Castle to film a recent video shoot?

Nick Franco, district director of the coastal area that includes the famed former home of William Randolph Hearst, was placed on administrative leave shortly after Gaga's video project wrapped up. State Parks won't confirm that Franco's discipline was related to the Gaga shoot, and it's possible – maybe – that it's for reasons unrelated to the project. But the timing and refusal to explain invite speculation.

Gaga's request for permission to film at the castle's iconic Neptune Pool created some ripples, since a decision had recently been made to drain the leaky pool. That process had already begun.

When Gaga asked that the pool be refilled, State Parks administrators reportedly balked; they didn't want to appear like they were wasting water in a drought. That's when Stephen Hearst, vice president and general manager of the Hearst Corp. western properties, stepped in. He said water to refill the pool could come from a Hearst Ranch reservoir, and when the shoot was done it could be used to water landscaping at the castle.

Gaga also agreed to make a donation of nearly $300,000 to the castle – some of which would go to repair of the leaky pool – and to film a water conservation video for the state. And face it, Gaga's video is likely to reach an entirely different audience than anything done in other forms.

The video was shot Feb. 11-13, and was considered a success. Gaga even got a laudatory thank-you note from Gov. Jerry Brown. Nice.

Hearst was a complex man. But on one thing, nearly everyone can agree: He thought big. He knew how to create publicity, using every facet of his media empire, the greatest of his era, from newspapers to magazines to movie studios to radio stations. Gaga is a lot like him, a master promoter. Showcasing Hearst Castle in a music video is priceless publicity that's sure to boost attendance but also draw attention to California's beauty.

Why, then, was Franco – a popular district director who's helped raise the profile of the castle – suspended?

Perhaps State Parks has thrown Franco under the bus, making him a fall guy for anyone who would criticize the filling of a leaky swimming pool during a drought. But such critics don't have the whole story, and frankly they lack imagination. State Parks isn't saying why it put Franco on leave.

We believe that Hearst would have wholly approved her use of his beloved home and given it rave reviews. And he would have likely thanked Franco for his role in making it possible.

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I'll never forget where I was the day I heard Lady Gaga crow for the first time. Not the singer, but my chicken, a particularly beautiful little guy with flashy feathers and a gorgeous, larger-than-life swagger.

To backtrack: I never asked for Lady Gaga the day we ordered 50 baby chicks from our local feed mill. In fact, I never order roosters for our farm's small pastured-egg operation (but inevitably always get a few).

Still, I recognized something so dainty and feminine in Lady Gaga as I watched the chicken grow. Unlike most other hens on our farm, this one featured poofy feathers that flowed like a reverse waterfall atop its head. With long, showy feathers covering "her" toes and such ornate plumage, this chicken looked like it was wearing a wild, flamboyant costume--hence the name, Lady Gaga.

We weren't even thinking gender when we named Gaga. This chicken was so pretty, there's no way it was a guy! Except one morning, as we were out in the field gathering vegetables for our CSA customers at Potter's Farm, we heard the most awful, pathetic, screeching noise near the chicken coop.

It made us cringe. It was like nails scraping down a chalkboard. It was...it was Lady Gaga crowing?!?!

From that moment on, Gaga's demeanor changed. Although a tiny bantam-type rooster--quite literally a featherweight, perhaps some sort of cross between Polish and Silkie breeds--he took his role as rooster, protector of his hens, very seriously. Although we had several other, much larger roosters in the flock, Gaga always seemed the most stoic.

He was the one who ventured to the outer perimeters of the pasture to keep watch. If he saw a hovering red-tailed hawk or sensed a predator in the area, he'd reach into his toolbox of rooster sounds, alerting the ladies to take shelter while he continued to hold watch by the edge of the fence.

He was brave.

He was entertaining.

He became a rising star on the farm and accompanied children on the hay wagon during our fall "Happy Hayrides." They'd pass him around, and he'd patiently allow it as I taught the children about chickens and organic farming. They all would laugh when I'd tell the story about how Lady Gaga got the name--and our surprise when we learned months later "she" was a "he." Some of the kids even started calling him "Papa Gaga."

Gaga was very intelligent, too. Whatever he lacked in stature, he made it up with smarts. That was never more evident than the Christmas morning my husband and I looked out the window to admire the fresh snow, only to see Lady Gaga riding the perimeter of the chicken coop...atop our goat, Stanley! He knew how to police the area, protect his ladies, and stay warm.

During the last polar vortex, I'd open the coop in the morning and see him watching over his flock, sometimes sandwiched between hay bales to stay warm. I'd tend to the chores with the little guy in my sweatshirt, feeling much like a mom walking around with a baby sling. He seemed to appreciate the few minutes of extra warmth, but was always eager to hop out to keep an eye on his girls.

As our frigid, snowy Pennsylvania winter raged on, the snow and ice had accumulated so high it nearly reached the top of our portable fence. The electric zaps that usually pulsed through the fencing were failing, but we hadn't had predator problems in the five years I'd been raising chickens, so I opted to still let the chickens outside for fresh air. They were used to it--being "cooped up" wasn't something our chickens enjoy. Besides, it was a rare gorgeous day during this tough, freezing winter, and I wanted them to be happy outside.

As I approached the coop at sunset to close the door and secure them all in for the night, I knew something was off. To the right of the coop I spotted a pile of feathers, a leghorn that was the unlucky target of our first fox attack. To the right, I spotted another victim, but it was getting dark quickly and I couldn't ID the second perished chicken.

I scanned the inside of the coop, looking for Lady Gaga's usual spot. He was nowhere to be found. I felt a pang in my gut. Of course, I love all of my chickens, but Gaga was special. And he brought so much happiness to so many Potter's Farm visitors.

I went back to the crime scene and hunched down to investigate. The victim had five toes, a characteristic of silkies and a few other breeds. It was Lady Gaga.

I'm no forensics expert, but if I had to reenact the crime scene, I'd say Lady Gaga jumped out of the coop as the hen was being attacked, trying desperately to save her, but probably well aware he was no match for a fox. The fox quickly, and probably pretty painlessly, killed Lady Gaga, who likely interrupted his feeding on the hen.

The hen and Gaga's bodies lay motionless less than two feet apart. In the morning, I buried him in the snow about 50 yards from the coop, under a fallen tree, beside his fallen hen. I thanked Gaga and the hen for all of their hard work over the last two years. I wished they could have made it to feel the warm spring sun on their backs after such a long, hard winter.

Rest in peace, Lady Gaga.

Additional Note: One of the reasons I've always allowed roosters to live on the farm involves the way they are generally treated in industrial farming. According to animal welfare investigations, many roosters are born into this world and die on the same day--they aren't seen as valuable because they don't lay eggs and take too long to grow fat enough to sell for meat. Hours-old baby chick roosters are often cruelly ground up alive, tossed into a grating machine, because they don't fit into the factory farm system's plan for profit.

But roosters do serve many purposes. They play an important social role in the flock hierarchy, according to My Pet Chicken Handbook. And, as we saw in the case of Lady Gaga, they help protect the flock, and will often go down fighting, sometimes even sacrificing themselves for their hens.

I've been told by more than a few people that I'm "not tough enough to farm" because I develop real relationships and love for my animals. I take death harder than others, but also know that, despite our mistakes, we give our chickens the best lives we can. And they give us a lot, too. Many laughs, free security for the flock, and perhaps the best lessons of all--the reminder that every day is a gift, and even when it comes too soon, death is part of the package deal--something not you, I, or even the bravest rooster in the world can escape.

And the singer has taken her reputation quite literally on the cover of the fashion magazine appearing almost topless in a cut out top that left little to the imagination.

The 'Born This Way' songstress is set to sing outside of the Earth's atmosphere next year following the launch of Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic flights - which will cost $250,000 per seat - and she is looking forward to using the opportunity to spread a "message of love".

She said: "I honestly can't wait (to perform in space). I can't wait to design the performance.

"I'm auctioning off my second seat [on a Virgin Galactic flight] to raise money for the Born This Way Foundation. I want to make a moment that is about much more than me.

"Performing in space is such an honour. I want to challenge myself to come up with something that will not only bring everyone together but will also have a message of love that blasts into the beyond."

Because of her hectic schedule, the 27-year-old singer - who is in a relationship with actor Taylor Kinney - says she doesn't have a permanent home and mostly uses her New York apartment to keep her expensive possessions.

The singer told Harper's Bazaar: "My "home" is a controversial topic. I don't exactly have one. I live all over the world. I keep a small rental in New York, where I hang many of my hats when I come to see my parents and New York pals.

"It's like a tiny jewel box, covered in rose-gold mirrors, with an oversize pink couch, an expensive vase, a white Marilyn piano, and a boudoir.

"I do not keep a lot of clothes here - mostly punk wear. And the three most expensive items I've ever purchased, including an actual house: my sable, a strand of diamonds, and my Mikimoto pearls."

Meanwhile, some of the pieces worn by Gaga in the shoot - including Atelier Versace, Carolina Herrera and Emilio Pucci - are available to fans to auction for on eBay.

Posted by February 24, 2014, 11:30 am * Matt Russoniello * 1 comments

The thing about living in New York City is that you just never know what's going to happen when you walk down the street. Will you step in dog poo? Trip over garbage? Fall into one of those terrifying open cellar doors? Run into Lady Gaga dressed up like some kind of horse ghost bride? You just never know. That's the fun of living in New York. The fun and the horror. Today's winning captions are just fun, not horrific. Promise.

"Butt Romance" - Pi

"Can't tell if that's her poker face or her fart face lol" - Jissel

"Bend and snap" - Rachel

"Do what you want with my booty" - Favour

"Drop it like a Squat!" - Donna

"Look everybody I fart glitter!" - Elaina

"This is what doing squats will make ur ass look like! Take note. Twerkin will NEVER give you a beautiful bottom like this!" - Allie

Congrats to our winners! Visit our Facebook Page for a new Caption Contest each and every weekday. It's never too late to add a caption, so do so in the comments!

7 hours 8 minutes ago

Lady Gaga prompted tens of thousands of social media postings when she paid a visit to the Central Coast recently to shoot a music video at Hearst Castle. Her visit also may have landed one state employee at the castle in some hot water.

Multiple sources tell KSBY Nick Franco, the State Parks District Superintendent who approved the Lady Gaga visit and video shoot at the Castle, was put on paid administrative leave the final day of the shoot. KSBY sources say the suspension is "until further notice." Contacted at home, Franco referred all questions to the Public Affairs Office in Sacramento. Spokesperson Vicki Waters declined to comment, saying because it was "a pending and ongoing personnel situation," she couldn't.

Lady Gaga's shoot involved re-filling the iconic Neptune pool. Just a week before, state crews were beginning the process of draining it because it was leaking and wasting thousands of gallons of water in the middle of a drought. It was down about 5 or 6 inches according to staff on the hill, who say Lady Gaga worked out a deal with Steve Hearst and the state to pump water from irrigation reservoirs to fill the pool for three days, after which it would be returned to the reservoirs.

Lady Gaga donated $250,000 to the Hearst Castle Preservation Board, paid about $22,000 in state permit fees, all state costs associated with the shoot, and donated $25,000 to the Cambria Community Services District for water sources exploration in San Simeon. She also committed to do public service announcements regarding California's drought and to promote Hearst Castle through separate video projects.

While no one has confirmed Franco's leave is because of the Gaga shoot, the timing has left people connecting the dots. "I don't know first-hand anything about this action," said Steve Hearst. "It is sure spreading like wildfire, though, and it seems as if it's being tied to something very good for the castle and the community." Hearst said he has worked with Franco a lot over the last dozen or so years and seen him as "a very dedicated state employee who had continually made good decisions that are in the best interest of the Castle and that's what he did in this case."

Hearst said if it was tied to the Gaga project, it would be unfortunate. "While Nick filled out the paperwork, the Hearst Corporation could be the only one to approve this project," Hearst said. "Specifically me." Hearst said the agreement with Lady Gaga allowed a generous donation that will allow preservation of the castle, and didn't involve any net loss of water. "I told them if there was, I would donate it," said Hearst.

During the shoot, Gov. Jerry Brown wrote a letter to Gaga thanking her for the financial assistance and the exposure she would be providing to the water woes in our state. "I want to personally thank you for the aide and assistance you are providing to Hearst Castle, the communities surrounding San Simeon and the state as a whole," said the Governor in the letter delivered to the superstar while she was shooting in San Simeon last week. "The state is experiencing an historic drought which threatens our farms, our communities and increases fire danger in both urban and rural areas. I've called on all Californians to conserve water in every way possible and the assistance you are providing will aide in that effort."

State Parks sector Superintendent Brooke Gutierrez is serving as Acting Superintendent for the entire coastal district in Franco's absence.

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 02:18 EST, 21 February 2014 | UPDATED: 02:18 EST, 21 February 2014

You'd have to wonder whether the 27-year-old's wardrobe choice was intended to send a subliminal message to her actor boyfriend Taylor Kinney... especially considering the loved-up public tweet she sent him just hours later.

As she usually does, the Applause singer elevated herself many, many extra inches off the ground with absurd platform shoes which were also obviously white to match the rest of her getup.

The Do What U Want songstress then went ahead and simulated an actual wedding scenario, whereby she stood with her back to her fans and threw the floral arrangement over her shoulder with glee.

The singer and the Chicago Fire star engaged in a romantic and intimate Twitter interchange just hours after the throwing of the bouquet on Thursday, which began as Taylor put out an important request to his 191K followers: 'Can someone write a poem quick? Something good, please.'

The actor and the singer then proceeded to tweet a series of poems back and forth to one another which were either adorable in-jokes or just so profoundly arty it was impossible to interpret them.

And it must be love, because Gaga even went so far as to put aside her own showwomanship to let Taylor have his own glory as she accompanied him to the Golden Globes in Los Angeles in January.

By Emily Sheridan

PUBLISHED: 13:31 EST, 20 February 2014 | UPDATED: 18:42 EST, 20 February 2014

She's famous for her wacky wardrobe and extensive wig collection.

So it was quite a surprise to see Lady Gaga stepping out in New York on Thursday with her natural hair for once.

Although she had decided to give her head a breather from itchy and sweaty wigs, it appeared the star wasn't quite ready for the world to see her natural locks and hid them under a black hat.

While her outfit was rather more low-key than some we're used to seeing, Gaga still gave it a flamboyant edge thanks the the long train on her black fur coat.

Under the coat, the 27-year-old was wearing what appeared to be a pair of leather dungarees and a black blouse with black opaque tights keeping out the New York chill.

Earlier this week, Lady Gaga helped Jimmy Fallon settle into his new job as host of The Tonight Show by performing live.

Gaga's latest appearance in New York comes as she announced new tour dates in Australia.

Her Artpop tour will come Down Under for four dates in August, starting Perth, WA, and ending in Sydney.

Her new world tour is scheduled to kick off in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 4.

Meanwhile, the singer has reportedly invited the stars of Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills to star in her new music video, according to Us Weekly.

Lady Gaga is said to have enlisted the help of current stars Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Brandi Glanville, Yolanda Foster, Joyce Giraud de Ohoven and Carlton Gebbia in her special project, which has already been filmed.

The song is apparently the star's third single Gypsy from her latest album ARTPOP.

Meanw hile, Donatella Versace has expressed her affection for Lady Gaga in an interview with d V Magazine, u ring which she told the publication that her 'ringtone is Applause'.

Pierre Suu/Getty Images

Has Donatella Versace fond her soulmate in Mother Monster?

The famed designer shared her admiration for her dear friend and current campaign star, , in the upcoming Spring Music Issue for V Magazine.

"The first time I met Lady Gaga was when she borrowed pieces from the Versace archive for 'The Edge of Glory' video. Of course I knew all about her, and I was curious to meet her, " says the designer. "The way that we met immediately told me she was someone different; she wanted to get to know the heart of the brand, almost like a student coming to do research. The way she wore Versace in that video showed young people around the world the energy and attitude of Versace."

Twitter/Versace

Donatella also admits the singer is her muse. "For me, the Spring/Summer 2014 collection was about 21st-century Versace. It was about the way that women today wear Versace, women like Lady Gaga. She can be wearing the most glamorous gown, the provocative Medusa harness, or one of our rock tour T-shirts."

Going one step further the designer says the pop star also reminds her a little of her younger self. "It means so much that she finds strength and character through dressing in the Versace way. It's interesting because this is how I've always looked, since I was a teenager. I've never experimented with different personas in the way that she has. It makes me admire her even more, and makes me even more grateful that she wanted to experiment with the Versace look."

Lady Gaga's love for the designer is mutual, she wrote "Donatella" as a single on her latest album ARTPOP. And what did Donatella think of the song? "Of course hearing it for the first time was one of the most incredible moments of last year. It was such an honor that she would even think to write it. She played it for me for the first time at a dinner for my birthday, in her parents' restaurant, in New York. We listened to it over and over; it was the most special birthday present. I wouldn't be able to express what I feel about Lady Gaga in lyrics."

And the cherry on top of this fierce friendship, Donatella has nothing but great words about Mother Monster. "It has been one of the great privileges of my life to be surrounded by some of the most creative people on the planet. I love Lady Gaga for her individuality, her bravery, her extraordinary talent, her style, her humor, her loyalty, and her intelligence. I love Lady Gaga as a true friend. Our conversations are private, but I can tell you that the ringtone on my iPhone is "Applause." That should let you know how often we speak!"

The tour, which kicks off on May 4 in the US, will visit our shores in August.

The tour news will be welcome relief for Gaga fans following a frustratingly quiet few months for the pop star after the release of her fourth album, ARTPOP, last November.

There was no video released for the album's second single, Do What U Want, despite Gaga teasing fans with hints that she'd been working on a Terry Richardson-directed spectacular.

Since that single's release last October, there's been barely a peep about any future releases from the album. In Gaga's few communications with fans, she's spoken of being 'gravely mismanaged' and expressed a desire to start the ARTPOP album campaign again from scratch.

Can the ARTPOP Ball reignite interest in its parent album, which currently sits outside the top 100 in our charts? There's no question Gaga's in her element on stage - just check out her performance of the album's title track on The Tonight Show this week.

Pre-sales for the tour kick off tomorrow - for full details, visit Livenation.

The lady is a vamp ... Gaga has announced her Australian tour. Photo: AP

Late 2014 could yet rival last year's extraordinary run of big gigs with the news today that two of the world's biggest pop stars - Lady Gaga and Robbie Williams - will tour Australia within a few weeks of each other.

Gaga - known to fans as the "Mother Monster" - is set to tour in August, while the revitalised Williams will play in September.

Both artists are at this point set to play the same indoor venues: Perth Arena, Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena, Brisbane's Entertainment Centre and Sydney's Allphones Arena.

Swing set ... Williams will bring his big band sound to Australia.

Last year pop megastars Pink, Rihanna, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber amongst others toured Australia. Gaga and Williams will join an already remarkable roster of pop talent playing here this year: Eminem (February), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (March), Pharrell Williams (March), Kanye West (May), John Mayer (April) and Avicii (January). Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Lorde are also expected to announce solo headline tours soon for late 2014.

Gaga, 27, who was in the news this week after being bitten by a slow loris while filming a music video, starts her Artpop Ball tour in Perth on August 20, while Williams kicks off his Swing Tour in the west on September 11.

Despite mixed reviews and solid but not spectacular sales of her 2013 album, Artpop, Gaga remains one of the pop world's most creative and intriguing performers and should quickly sell out the announced shows. The schedule leaves plenty of scope for extra dates to be added.

Gaga - real name Stefanie Germanotta - is known not only for her music but also for her off-the-wall costumes and performance art roots and is one of music's most influential artists and one of its highest earners. She has sold an estimated 24 million albums but is best known for singles including Poker Face, Telephone and Born This Way. She's sold an estimated 125 million singles, mostly online.

Her huge army of passionate fans are known as Little Monsters and she's the fourth most popular person on Twitter, with more than 41 million followers. She last toured Australia in 2012, playing five shows in Melbourne and four in Sydney.

Williams, who just turned 40, re-formed the hugely successful boy band Take That in 2010. The band played at the London Olympics closing ceremony.

Williams' own enormously successful solo career has yielded 55 million album sales. In 2013 he released his 10th studio album, Swings Both Ways, featuring duets with Lily Allen, Olly Murs, Rufus Wainwright and Michael Buble.

He last toured Australia during his huge 2006 world tour, playing stadium gigs.

Perth Arena: Wednesday August 20

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne: Saturday August 23

Brisbane Entertainment Centre: Tuesday August 26

Allphones Arena, Sydney: Saturday, August 30

Lady Gaga ticket information

Members of littlemonsters.com and American Express members can buy tickets tomorrow from midday, while Live Nation pre-sales start at 2pm on Monday and general sales begin on Tuesday, Febuary 25. For more information visit livenation.com.au

Perth Arena: Thursday September 11

Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne: Tuesday September 16

Brisbane Entertainment Centre: Monday September 22

Allphones Arena, Sydney: Saturday September 27

Robbie Williams ticket information

Visa cardholders can buy pre-sale tickets from 9am on February 26 from visaentertainment.com.au General sales begin on March 4 at 10am via ticketek.com.au

Lady Gaga unveiled a rare live performance of ARTPOP's title track for the second episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (February 19). The performance marked Gaga's return to the spotlight after a couple months spent opening up about betrayal and depression, and working on more ARTPOP material.

No surprise, it was like she never left. Mother Monster began on a modern grand piano for a quiet rendition of the first verse. Then that trance beat kicks in and by the end she was down on the stage doing her faraway-look art freakout dance. I don't know about you, but the live take gave me a new appreciation for the track.

Check it out up top.

A-List celebrities welcome show back to New York

If you said Jimmy Fallon would never get to host The Tonight Show, you owe him a hundred bucks-and you're not the only one.

Stars including Lady Gaga, Sarah Jessica Parker, Stephen Colbert, Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, Tina Fey, Robert DeNiro and former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani lined up during Fallon's first show as host on Monday to pay up for doubting he'd ever take over Jay Leno's desk. Carey pulled her cash out of her bra, Parker pulled hers out of her shoe, and Colbert dumped a bucket of change on Fallon's desk, then demanded a selfie.

Fallon also danced with Will Smith, and musical guest U2 performed on the roof in front of the New York skyline.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Fourteen celebrities paid the piper when Jimmy Fallon made his Tonight Show debut on Monday.

"To my buddy who said that I'd never be the host of The Tonight Show, and you know who you are, you owe me a hundred bucks," the new host joked. Moments later, Robert De Niro came out and handed Fallon a $100 dollar bill, followed by , Joe Namath, Rudy Giuliani, Mariah Carey, Joan Rivers, Kim Kardashian, Seth Rogen, , , Lindsay Lohan, Tracy Morgan and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Stephen Colbert walked out last and dumped a bucket of pennies onto both Fallon and his desk. After snapping a selfie with the former Late Night, Colbert shouted, "Welcome to 11:30, bitch!" Fallon, 39, then joked, "Thanks for believing in me, guys!" before cuing up the first commercial break.

"I just want to do well," Fallon told the audience during his opening monologue. "If you guys let me stick around long enough, maybe I'll get the hang of it." Will Smith served as his first guest.

Gaga, meanwhile, will return to The Tonight Show Tuesday as the featured musical guest; celebrity guests Ben Stiller and Kristen Wiig are also slated to appear on Fallon's late-night talk show that night.

(E! and The Tonight Show are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

As if Jimmy Fallon's too-close-for-comfort impressions of Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young on Late Night didn't reveal the talk-show host's undying love of music, the new Tonight Show host kicked off his run with a typically loud hour of rocking and mocking. It was the first Tonight Show to be taped in New York City in more than four decades and featured, in addition to Fallon's in-house band the Roots, an interview with Will Smith, a performance by U2 and a parade of celebrities including Robert De Niro, Stephen Colbert, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. Over the course of an hour, Fallon's love of music imbued the whole program. Here are the six best musical moments from the fist-ever Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

In the evening's final segment, Fallon convinced U2 to perform an "impromptu" acoustic rendition of "Ordinary Love," the group's Golden Globe-winning track currently up for an Oscar, that included Fallon lending the Edge his "personal" guitar and Bono giving Fallon a (RED) guitar. Near the end of the jam, Bono requested a little accompaniment from the Roots who naturally fell into the groove. Feeling impassioned, the singer singled out one of the Roots in particular with some subbed lyrics: "We cannot reach any higher, if we can't deal with . . . Questlove." Bono said the drummer/bandleader's name several times and Quest just smiled. Toward the end of the broadcast, Questlove, who claimed to have gotten 110,000 new followers on Twitter in the first half-hour of the show, summed up his shout-out as "the most magical moment EVER."

In U2's show-closing segment, Fallon played off the Mandela connection to "Ordinary Love," and coaxed Bono into giving a speech about his coffee cup. "I can only give speeches about things I believe in," said Bono at first. "But I believe in this cup. And it's not a cup, really. It's a container. It demands to be filled. It could be filled by love or bad thoughts and in fact this cup was held in the hand of Nelson Mandela." Fallon interjected, "Now you're making it up." Guest Will Smith just laughed. Nevertheless, Bono continued to ham it up for hilarity: "This is when he gave his famous speech, yes he did, he said, 'She's a bad girl." The singer just smiled as Fallon laughed.

In one of the show's early skits, Fallon and Smith donned pale overalls with one arm clasp undone to demonstrate dances like "The Robot," the "Humpty Dance" and a callback to Smith's past on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, "The Carlton."

Midway through the episode, Fallon took the show to the roof of Rockefeller Center to show off New York City and U2. The group played their recent single "Invisible," with a little help from the Rutgers University drumline on either side of drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. Bono came from the wings and pounded his fist into his hand, feeling pumped up to be playing for the intimate crowd. The aerial shots of the crowd jumping in such a small space made for one of the most dramatic U2 visuals since they played on a roof for " Where the Streets Have No Name."

Two minutes into his interview with Will Smith, Fallon told the actor, "I've got something for you," and he pulled out a T-shirt repping Morrissey and the Smiths. "This was a very emo band, but it's a pretty cool shirt," Fallon said as Smith laughed. "You can get it at Hot Topic." But then he pulled out a shirt that isn't so readily available, with the same typeface and even the same band logo, "The Smiths." The photo, of course, was of Will and his wife and kids. Smith just laughed and said thank you as Fallon gave him shirts for the whole family.

As part of the show's intro, Fallon said his buddy had bet him $100 he'd never be the host of The Tonight Show. A parade of celebrities subsequently brought out brand-new Benjamins (or in the case of Stephen Colbert a bucket of shiny copper Abrahams). Among celebs like De Niro, Tina Fey and Kim Kardashian, a single-gloved Mariah Carey received big cheers during her appearance, as did Lady Gaga, who wore pitch-black sunglasses, fishnet body suit and five-foot hair extensions. She whispered something in Fallon's ear that made him smile and sauntered off into Gagaland.

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"The slow loris is the cutest creature on the planet, and Lady Gaga wanted to use it in one scene, but it nipped her," a source told the New York Post. "They put it back in its box and took it away in disgrace."

Gaga wasn't too offended by this little monster's actions.

"She just laughed about it," the source said. "She was a good sport."

The animal trainer who brought the creature also had a baby kangaroo and an exotic goat on set, although an official for the California State Parks Department put the kibosh on using any of the other animals in the music video for the song off of Gaga's ArtPop album.

"The State Parks guy said, 'Absolutely not!'" the source said.

An equally exotic group of creatures filled in for the wild animals in the video: the cast from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Gaga invited Kim and Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Yolanda Foster and Carlton Gebbia to join her on screen.

The Applause singer better watch out for more than accidental biting between that cast of characters.

The backdrop for Lady Gaga and the Housewives was the Hearst Castle, built by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst in 1947. The singer graciously donated $250,000 to Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation.

Hearst's granddaughter Anne Hearst admired Gaga's appreciation for the art featured in the castle as well as the artist's work ethic.

"It's amazing how much this woman does. She's involved with everything," Anne said.

Gaga does it all, and will even take one for the team with those pesky animals.

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The older I get the less genuine enthusiasm I can muster for publicist-orchestrated tabloid melodrama, but sometimes-sometimes!!!-a celebrity generates a headline that makes it all worth it. Case in point: Lady Gaga had an endangered slow loris shipped in for her video shoot at Hearst Castle (along with a kangaroo and an "exotic goat"), and while she was grinding on it or whatever, it reportedly bit the fuck out of her. (And now LADY GAGA IS A SLOW LORIS.) The rampaging slow loris was then banished from the castle "in disgrace." CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP.

The NY Post writes that during the three day shoot for her 'G.U.Y. (Girl Under You)' video at Hearst Castle in California, the singer was "nipped" by a slow loris which was present for the shoot. A baby kangaroo and an 'exotic' goat had also been brought along for the video by an animal trainer, but none of the creatures made the final cut. A source told the NY Post: "The slow loris is the cutest creature on the planet, and Lady Gaga wanted to use it in one scene, but it nipped her. They put it back in its box and took it away in disgrace." They added that Gaga "just laughed about it. She was a good sport."

Fun fact: Slow loris bites are toxic. Also, animals are not toys. [ NME]

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Woody Allen went to the theater and got heckled.

PageSix reports that Woody received the heckles as he arrived at a matinee performance of After Midnight at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre with his wife Soon-Yi and their daughters Bechet and Manzie.

According to the report, one audience member was heard saying, 'I think he did it!'.

It was also reported that when the audience gave the cast a standing ovation, Woody and his family immediately made a hasty exit.

An eye witness told PageSix: 'A 60-something woman loudly exclaimed to her friend, 'I think he did it!' as Woody and his family scooted out. A protective Soon-Yi shot her a dirty look. Woody seemed unfazed.'

I'm calling it now. The 2014 Greatest Black Person Not Amused by White People Award goes to this guy. [ DailyMail]

In case this didn't make it on the site last week (I can't find it), slam poetry pioneer and '90s icon Maggie Estep passed away at age 50.

Ms. Estep's poetry was characterized by gritty honesty, black humor and a post-punk brand of feminism. She became one of the form's breakout stars, performing in showcases like MTV's "Unplugged," the "Free Your Mind" spoken-word tour in 1993 and, in 1994, the music festivals Lollapalooza and Woodstock '94.

Her poems, which she delivered relentlessly, were a cascade of images, often tinged with absurdity, violence and innuendo. She performed one scathingly sarcastic poem, " Happy," on the HBO show "Russell Simmons's Def Poetry Jam":

To hell with sticking my head in the oven

I'm happy

I'm ridiculously, vengefully happy

I'm ripped apart by sunshine

I'm ecstatic

I'm leaping

I'm cutting off all my limbs

I'm doing circus tricks with forks

RIP. [ NYTimes]

By George Stark

PUBLISHED: 12:31 EST, 18 February 2014 | UPDATED: 12:32 EST, 18 February 2014

She is known to be at the cutting edge of fashion in the pop world.

But Lady Gaga has taken her reputation quite literally on the cover of this month's Harper's Bazaar appearing almost topless in a cut out top that left little to the imagination.

The shoot also has a space theme, perhaps in preparation for the singer's much-anticipated performance on Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic first commercial space flight next year.

The Born this Way hitmaker is set to sing outside of the Earth's atmosphere next year following the launch of the flights - which will cost $250,000 per seat - and she is looking forward to using the opportunity to spread a 'message of love'.

She said: 'I honestly can't wait [to perform in space]. I can't wait to design the performance.'

'I'm auctioning off my second seat [on a Virgin Galactic flight] to raise money for the Born This Way Foundation. I want to make a moment that is about much more than me.'

'Performing in space is such an honour. I want to challenge myself to come up with something that will not only bring everyone together but will also have a message of love that blasts into the beyond.

Because of her hectic schedule, the 27-year-old singer - who is in a relationship with actor Taylor Kinney - says she doesn't have a permanent home and mostly uses her New York apartment to keep her expensive belongings.

Asked where she calls home, she told Harper's Bazaar magazine: 'My "home" is a controversial topic. I don't exactly have one. I live all over the world. I keep a small rental in New York, where I hang many of my hats when I come to see my parents and New York pals.'

'It's like a tiny jewel box, covered in rose-gold mirrors, with an oversize pink couch, an expensive vase, a white Marilyn piano, and a boudoir.

'I do not keep a lot of clothes here - mostly punk wear. And the three most expensive items I've ever purchased, including an actual house: my sable, a strand of diamonds, and my Mikimoto pearls.'

Meanwhile some of the pieces worn by GaGa in the shoot - including Atelier Versace, Carolina Herrera, Emilio Pucci and Gareth Pugh - are available to fans to auction for on eBay.

Harper's BAZAAR in partnership with eBay is offering a selection of Lady Gaga's looks and accessories from the March issue cover shoot, to benefit her charity, the youth-empowering Born This Way Foundation.

Starting today at 9pm EST, you can bid to win pieces of fashion history by visiting http://ift.tt/1nKN75U.

Anderson Cooper apparently cannot handle his liquor!

The famous journalist revealed during a guest appearance on Watch What Happens Live that he got tipsy during an interview with Lady Gaga.

"I did an interview with for 60 Minutes, a profile of her," he admitted to .

"And she insisted that we do the interview at a bar and drink Jameson. I don't drink, so I drank this glass of Jameson, which I had never had before, and I had to stop the interview like midway through because I was drunk. I mean, I had no idea what I was asking her!"

And unfortunately for us, their 2010 interview didn't show any candid moments of Cooper straying from his usual professional (and sober) self.

So are there any other stars that have rattled Cooper's signature cool?

Not so much, he confessed, with the exception of the Queen of Pop.

"[Celebrities are] generally less impressive in real life than you think they're going to be...but like, Madonna is a hard interview because she's been interviewed so many times," he explained.

"You're trying to do stuff that won't bore her and she'll tell you when you're boring her, she'll be like, 'OK, that was a really stupid question.'"

Yikes!

We gotta be honest though, we kind of love that both Madge and Mother Monster have put Cooper in the hot seat in their own special way.

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 01:47 EST, 18 February 2014 | UPDATED: 01:48 EST, 18 February 2014

She is known for her outrageous custom made ensembles.

But despite donning a revealing outfit in the freezing weather, it still did not appear to capture the same attention that her icy, virtually floor-length locks received.

The 27-year-old singer was seen while scantily clad in the cold New York City weather on Monday.

The Do What U Want singer appeared to be wearing an ultra-platinum blonde wig that reached all the way to her ankles on the outing.

Gaga's off-white wig seemed to capture the attention of those on the sidewalks of the Big Apple as the pop star even signed an autograph while on the stroll.

Her ridiculously long mane was not the only bizarre thing about the Poker Face singer's ensemble as she donned an eye-popping black fishnet bodysuit that showed off her fit frame.

She completed the head-turning look with a pair of black sunglasses and black patent leather platform heels.

Gaga's make-up was surprisingly subtle on the outing as it was highlighted by pink lipstick.

The outfit is not the only interesting choice that the Bad Romance singer has made recently as she reportedly has enlisted help from the cast of The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills for an upcoming video.

The hitmaker is said to have called upon the ladies for a secret project, according to UsWeekly.

Current stars Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Kim Richards, Brandi Glanville, Yolanda Foster, Joyce Giraud de Ohoven, and Carlton Gebbia are all said to feature in the video, which has already been filmed.

It was recently rumoured that the third single to be lifted of Gaga's album ARTPOP is the track Gypsy.

Lorises have a toxic bite actually so actually quite serious actually

Lady Gaga has been bitten by a slow loris, which, if you think about it, is akin to the JFK shooting or the moon landing on the scale of 'important, historic events'. You'll always remember where you were when you heard this news, heat reader. Imagine yourself, forty years into the future. "I'll always remember where I was," you'll tell your grandkids, busily ignoring you on their hoverboards. You are misty-eyed and happy. You are sat in a rocking chair made of holograms and lasers. "I was sat in front of my computer," you'll say. "Trying really hard to avoid doing any real work."

Anyway, yes: Lady Gaga has been bitten by a slow loris, on set at Hearst Castle in California, while filming a video for upcoming single G.U.Y. (Guy Under You).

How do you go about getting bitten by a slow loris? If you are Lady Gaga, like this: you invite an (apparently not very 'on it') animal trainer to bring a goat, a slow loris and a baby kangaroo to add to the troupe of synchronized dancers you are already filming with, then let the aforementioned slow loris get loose and bite you on the back of the ankle. That's how.

Apparently Gaga laughed the incident off, but the loris in question was taken to the loris equivalent of the naughty step.

"The slow loris is the cutest creature on the planet, and Lady Gaga wanted to use it in one scene, but it nipped her," a source told the New York Post. "They put it back in its box and took it away in disgrace." ¬THAT'S WHAT YOU GET, SLOW LORIS. Now go to your room.

This is not the first time the combination of cute slow loris + A-list star has made headlines in the past few months - in September, a selfie Rihanna took in Thailand of her posing with a loris kept illegally as a pet led to the arrest of two men.

Anyway, before you worry about what is going to happen about the video now Lady Gaga's slow loris has been put away, don't worry: the loris was replaced with cameo appearances from Real Housewives of Beverley Hills housewives Kim and Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump, Yolda Foster and Carlton Gebbia. Mind-boggling.