Should musicians engage in other artforms ?

Britney's novel should be ace.

Did Eno actually make any perfumes? I'll bet he didn't. I went to his lecture on perfume in 1992 and it turned into a huge slideshow about David Bowie's wedding. How come Brian Eno doesn't have a blog?

Remember that Naomi Campbell single and "novel"? as I recall, her people were quite open that the novel was entirely ghost written and she had had very little to do with the single.

It was marketing pure celebrity with music and literature as no more than background props. Which could possibly bring us back to po-mo, the end of music, the end of literature subsumed by the all devouring image. But, er, let's hope not. Because the thing was her sales were so disastrous the whole thing qualified as no more part of the pop culture mainstream than a Nazi tract hand-distributed by Skrewdriver would be.

I thought the Naomi thing was interesting because whoever planned it was already kind of fetishising the inter disciplinary act of going from modelling to music to books, as if it was already a cliche. And maybe it is nowadays?

I don't see anything wrong with musicians doing other stuff, although often they don't do it as well. Pete Townshends book is crap. Nick Cave's is OK, Bruce Dickinson's... yawn

i'd like to see Syd Barrett's paintings... oh, hang on, isn't that a TVP's song?

I'm gonna wait for Beyonce's hip-hopera to air before I answer this.

No. Absolutely not.

Next question...

I'm not sure...I mean they should be allowed to...but I sort of get the idea that if Thom Yorke started painting all the Radiohead fans would say they are great regardless of their actual quality. It's like we get exhibitions of celebrities painting pictures of celebrities, and other non-celebrities don't get a look in. It could turn into a cultural monoploy. I hope Damon Albran doesn't get any paint brushes for his birthday.

I think that TVP song concerns the location of Syd Barrett's estate although it may also mention his paintings.

Thanks Steven, but I was joking :-)

Zounds! Joking about Barrett will get you nothing but trouble etc etc

Argh! James! Damon Albarn is case in point- he's a pretty good songwriter, but as an ACTOR, he's Utter Rubbish. I rest my case.

He's been acting like he's a rock star this whole time now, I should note. AND FAILING.

Country & Western singer Kenny Rodgers is also a photographer. He's good at it too. He does some nice studio portraits.

Bryan Adams does celebrity portraits if anyone's interested...

kenny also makes some nice roasted chicken.

I will be hurt by certain un-named persons if I do not point out the astounding contribution David Bowie has made to the dramatic arts, especially in Labyrinth.

I've had Kenny Rogers roasted chicken and liked it. A tad salty though.