Neil Diamond, Sydney Superdome, March 11 In 1973 there were two sorts of party people: those who pondered Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon through a haze of smoke, and those who danced and drank to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night. Diamond's fans still amass whenever their man returns, his songs transporting greying minds back to early loves and lost optimism. This was an audience determined to enjoy itself, and the sound mix be damned. I couldn't understand a word Diamond sang early on, so it was useful the radio had once burned his songs into my teenage brain. Otherwise, there would have been only his spangly shirt to wonder at...

Diamond lustre Singing superstar Neil Diamond has a special place in his heart for Australian fans, and tells Cameron Adams why he is content to let his music do the talking. 12mar05 THE music industry has a theory that the more records you sell, the more licence you have to indulge in rock-star behaviour, such as tantrums and diva demands. Neil Diamond proves that theory wrong. He's sold more records than J-Lo could ever imagine: 115 million at last count. Yet no one has a bad word to say about him, especially those who work with him. "I try to let the music do the talking," Diamond says. "Otherwise I just keep my mouth sh...

The Sixties were a transitional time in popular music: hitmaking machines like Motown were running stronger than ever, but the advent of rock and roll was finally threatening the very engine of the music business for the last half-century: songwriters. New artists increasingly wrote their own songs, and while certain geniuses were good enough to maintain a lucrative career at it (Carole King, Jerry Goffin, and Ellie Greenwich), the writing was on the wall: the market was about to get considerably smaller. No one met those changes with as much resiliency and determination as Neil Diamond. A songwriter in the classic sense who penned many...

Diamond's for ever for fans 08 March 2005 REVIEW Neil Diamond live at the Westpac Centre. March 7. Reviewed by David King. It's cards on the table time. I was born after most of Neil Diamond's biggest hits were written. I have loved Neil since the late 1970s, when family friends inflicted him on me on an interminably long drive sitting on the plush vinyl seats of a brown Ford Cortina stationwagon. I asked to review last night's concert months back, but was beaten to the punch by an even bigger fan. When she had a prior engagement I was called up, second string, but raring to go, a fan who had never seen his man. Neil...

Diamond Fans May Seek Refund 07/03/2005 NewstalkZB People who walked out of the Neil Diamond concert in Wellington at the weekend have a good case if they want their money back, according to the Consumers Institute. Some of those on the pitch at Westpac Trust Stadium were unable to hear the veteran rocker during Saturday night's concert. Consumer's Institute chief David Russell says anyone who could not hear the singer should ask for a refund. He says when you buy tickets to go to a show you expect reasonable quality of performance. David Russell says regardless of the fine print on the back of the ticket, consumers ...

Concert review: Neil Diamond 07 March 2005 By LINDSAY DAVIS With a stage setting more closely resembling a George Lucas set than a rock concert, Neil Diamond's 14-piece band took their places and warmed up the sold-out stadium crowd before the man himself descended a central staircase to rapturous applause. Dressed in black with a stunning red and gold-sequinned top, he welcomed the crowd with a simple "hello, Aotearoa" and then he was off. For just over two hours, there wasn't a touch of The Beatles' classic When I'm 64; instead, Diamond laughed and charmed his way through a greatest-hits set. At the end, you understood per...

Songs sung blue, say angry fans 07 March 2005 By ROBYN MCLEAN Neil Diamond's Wellington concert was described as a sound disaster after some angry fans walked out and demanded refunds because of a bad echo. Many of the 33,000 concertgoers -- who had paid $60 to $100 a ticket -- were forced to move, while others left Westpac Stadium early into the two-hour show on Saturday saying they would be asking for their money back. The echo, worse in the middle section toward the back, made Diamond impossible to understand and the first few songs virtually unrecognisable, said one fan who was forced to change seats. "We're so mad....

Neil Diamond to perform in New Zealand By United Press International Saturday, March 5, 2005 U.S. singer Neil Diamond says despite a career that has spanned four decades, he still looks forward to performing on stage. Diamond, who has sold 120 million albums during his career, was in New Zealand for a Saturday show at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, singing many of his hits, including "Sweet Caroline," "Cherry Cherry" and "September Morn." "I'm hooked, I've been hooked since the 60s," he told the Wellington Dominion Post in an interview. "I love (performing), and I consider myself very lucky to have the chance t...

Diamond sparkler 05 March 2005 Neil Diamond promised a sparkling performance when he visited the Westpac Stadium yesterday before his world tour which kicks off there tonight. The American singer, who has sold more than 120 million albums, said in an exclusive interview with The Dominion Post he was looking forward to getting back on stage. "I'm hooked, I've been hooked since the 60s. I love (performing), and I consider myself very lucky to have the chance to do it and have an appreciative audience out there." With a career spanning more than four decades, Diamond – who last performed in New Zealand in 1999 – says there will...

Dazzling date with superstars' music Mar 4 2005 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner MANHATTAN Nights is a celebration of the songs and music of dynamic superstars Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond. It's a dazzling concert spectacular by a cast of 17 West End stars and musicians, with Shona White and Mark O'Malley featuring as the two legends. Now in its fourth year it has wowed not only audiences but even the official fan clubs of the two great artistes. The current tour brings it to Halifax's Victoria Theatre at 7.30pm on Sunday, April 10 - and the great news is that we have four pairs of tickets to give away! Barbra...

Hot August man set to make March night sizzle 05 March 2005 By ROBYN MCLEAN Life couldn't be better, Neil Diamond says as he gets ready to kick off his world tour in Wellington tonight. Wearing an All Blacks cap, a relaxed-looking Diamond spent Thursday afternoon checking out the set-up at Westpac Stadium and doing a sound check in the lead-up to his sellout concert. Being on stage gave him a boost, which he joked was "a lot cheaper than a psychiatrist". "Life couldn't be better," he said. "I feel great, we've worked hard on this show and I think we have a really good show and I'm proud to present it." Sitting among...

Diamond in the rough March 2, 2005 - 11:59AM Neil Diamond has promised Australian concert-goers there could be some sequined bodysuits left in his wardrobe. The US singer, who has sold more than 115 million records, will next week embark on a 12-show tour of Australia. Diamond - best known for his 1976 album Hot August Night - last visited in 1999. Now 64, he says he's just as wild. "I reserve the right to wear anything I want to," Diamond joked at a press conference today, referring to the sparkly bodysuits for which he's known. "I'm a pretty conservative guy except when I'm on stage. That's just the way it is. I like...

NATIONAL NEWS Wed, Mar 02, 2005 Diamond still shines NEIL Diamond has promised Australian concert-goers there could be some sequined bodysuits left in his wardrobe. The U.S. singer will next week embark on a 12-show tour of Australia. Diamond best known for his 1976 album Hot August Night last visited in 1999. Now 64, he says hes just as wild. "I reserve the right to wear anything I want to," Diamond joked at a press conference yesterday, referring to the sparkly bodysuits for which hes known.

Diamond glitters in sequins 02mar05 NEIL Diamond has promised Australian fans there could be some sequined bodysuits left in his wardrobe. The US singer, who has sold more than 115 million records, will embark on a 12-show tour of Australia next week. He is known for 1976 album Hot August Night and last visited in 1999. Now 64, he says he's just as wild. "I reserve the right to wear anything I want to," he joked at a Sydney press conference. "I'm a pretty conservative guy except when I'm on stage." Diamond's first three Melbourne shows (March 22, 23 and 24) at Rod Laver Arena have sold out. Tickets are still available fo...

Some days aren't all Diamond's By Bernard Zuel March 2, 2005 It's the details that mark out your average press conference from your top-drawer one. Such as Neil Diamond's record company handing out copies of his new triple-disc best-of album to everyone in attendance. Payola? Well, maybe. At the very least, it's hard to throw darts when your hands are full of CD, official tour program and a free sticky pastry. Not that darts were in evidence for a pretension-free and amiable Diamond, who, at the start of his Australian tour, had to cope with some of those hard-hitting questions for which the entertainment media pack are justif...

Hot March nights March 2, 2005 Neil Diamond has promised Australian concertgoers there could be some sequined bodysuits left in his wardrobe. The US singer, who has sold more than 115 million records, will next week embark on a 12-show tour of Australia. Diamond - best known for his 1976 album Hot August Night - last visited in 1999. Now 64, he says he's just as wild. "I reserve the right to wear anything I want to," Diamond joked at a press conference yesterday, referring to the sparkly bodysuits for which he's known. "I'm a pretty conservative guy except when I'm on stage. That's just the way it is. I like to have fu...

It's estimated one in eight Australians owns a copy of Hot August Night - now, 33 years after he released that album, veteran rocker Neil Diamond is back in Sydney. Already 200,000 tickets have been sold for the Australian leg of his world tour, with Diamond demanding ticket prices stay below $100. While other performers of his generation have faded, Diamond's appeal is phenomenal. "It's great to have an audience," he told a press conference at Circular Quay today. "I guess if no one showed up I'd stop doing it. "People keep showing up so I'm going to keep doing it." While his stamina on stage is in no doubt, age caught up w...

Diamond down under By Amalie Finlayson March 2, 2005 1. Neil Diamond has had 19 Top 40 hits from 46 albums released in Australia - his career has spanned four decades. 2. His first down under hit was the song Cherry Cherry in 1966. Other top-rated songs include Holly Holy, Cracklin' Rosie, Song Sung Blue, You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Solitary Man, Sweet Caroline, Love on the Rocks, Desiree, Shilo, September Morn, Heartlight and Longfellow Serenade. 3. His highest-selling album in Australia is Hot August Night - it is estimated that one in eight of us owns a copy of it, and that it can be found in one in three Australian househo...

Three case studies: How the region's other arenas have fared, The E Center By Lya Wodraska The Salt Lake Tribune WEST VALLEY CITY - Managers and restaurant owners love it when Neil Diamond plays at the E Center. "I can't tell you the number of women who show up for his show; they turn out in droves," says Debbie Brown, director of sales for the neighboring Country Inn & Suites. "They stay the night, they go to dinner and they go to the show. It's the perfect demographic for us." Granted, crooners don't serenade sold-out throngs every night at the E Center, but that doesn't stop West Valley City business leaders from sing...

Countdown to kickoff Web-posted Feb 6, 2005 Detroit is on deck for the Super Bowl By CAROL HOPKINS Of The Daily Oakland Press As the last fan trails out of Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville tonight after Super Bowl XXXIX, residents in southeast Michigan can begin the serious countdown to Super Bowl XL, coming to Detroit's Ford Field on Feb. 5, 2006. Football's ultimate spectacle will arrive in the wake of the NBA Finals last summer, Ryder Cup golf matches last fall and Major League Baseball's All-Star game this summer. The Detroit-based Super Bowl XL Host Committee anticipates that an estimated 100,000 visitors - inclu...

Lucky 13 (2005) Directed by Scott Marshall Writing credits (WGA) Mark Zakarin (written by) Genre: Comedy Plot Outline: Lucky is the story of a 13-year-old boy who uses his upcoming bar mitzvah to reconcile the strained relationship between his father and grandfather. User Rating: awaiting 5 votes. Cast (in credits order) Jami Gertz .... Joanne Fiedler Daryl Hannah .... Sandy Garry Marshall .... Irwin Fiedler Jeremy Piven .... Adam Fiedler Doris Roberts .... Rose Fiedler Daryl Sabara .... Benjamin Fiedler Cheryl Hines .... Casey Nudleman Carter Jenkins .... Zachary Stein Marc John Jefferie...

Most crucial albums have been released on CD, so these days, rare CDs, not LPs, are going for big bucks Joel Selvin, Chronicle Senior Pop Music Critic Monday, January 31, 2005 With compact discs about 20 years old now, most of the great albums from the LP era have been reissued in the digital domain. No really crucial albums remain to be rereleased, although every collector has a couple of favorites yet to appear on CD -- some fondly recalled act that opened a show at the Fillmore once, its obscurity undisturbed by CD reissues; some little known soul group that came and went with one minor masterpiece that nobody else noticed; some ...

ITFC auction for Tsunami victims January 27, 2005 22:59 EVER fancied being Ipswich Town's mascot – or watching a match from the comfort of the directors' box? These are just two of the goodies on offer in a fundraising online auction for the British Red Cross tsunami appeal. Ipswich Town FC has set up the auction to raise much-needed funds for the British Red Cross and the Asia Tsunami Appeal. Also under the hammer are some Ipswich Town experiences that money can't buy. They include the chance for up to four people to watch the players train, the ultimate hospitality package to watch Neil Diamond at Portman Road this s...

'Son of the Mask' Soundtrack Features New Music From Ryan Cabrera, Dr. John, and Neil Diamond Among Others Tuesday January 25, 6:21 pm ET New Line Records' Soundtrack to Be Released on Feb. 8 LOS ANGELES, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The original motion picture soundtrack to New Line Cinema's upcoming family comedy "Son of the Mask" will be released on Feb. 8 from New Line Records. The soundtrack features an eclectic lineup of tracks highlighted by exclusive songs from Ryan Cabrera, Dr. John and Marissa Jaret Winokur. The collection also features classics from Neil Diamond, Chubby Checker and Paul Anka among others. The film will debu...

Kendra Meinert column: Resch eyes ringers for '05 slate With three shows already sold clean in the tough concert months of January and February, the Resch Center has a good feeling about the new year. "I anticipate 2005 being another strong year concert wise," said PMI president Ken Wachter. The double bill of Toby Keith and Ted Nugent sold out back-to-back shows Jan. 27 and 28 in minutes, and Josh Groban's first area visit for a Feb. 22 show was also an easy sellout. An April 5 concert by the newly reunited Motley Crue is expected to do well when it goes on sale Saturday. That gives PMI momentum and a nice shot of confidence hea...