The Bulletin: Arts & Culture News | 12 December

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE ANNOUNCE SUMMER 2013 TOUR
Rock legend Neil Young returned to the fray with his band Crazy Horse this year with the album Psychedelic Pill. It's the first time in over ten years that Young has reunited with original Crazy Horses Frank 'Poncho' Sampredo, Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina, and this forthcoming round of dates will be his first in the UK since 2009. The band play Glasgow's SECC on 13 Jun, and tickets go on sale from 9am on Friday. Here's the opening track from the album, a spaced-out 27-minute philosophical epic where Young addresses the message and meaning of the lives of Jesus, Picasso, and himself.

PAUL MCCARTNEY TO 'REPLACE' KURT COBAIN AT NIRVANA REUNION GIG
In shock news that has Nirvana fans reeling, it has emerged today that Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and latter-day touring guitarist Pat Smear will allegedly perform with Sir Paul McCartney, tonight at a Hurricane Sandy benefit gig in New York. According to a report in The Guardian, Macca initially thought he was playing with Dave Grohl "and some mates," even in rehearsal, with little awareness of who Nirvana's constituent members actually were. The story goes on to suggest that the quartet have been in the studio to record a new song for the event, although it is not known at this point whether McCartney will be attempting to reproduce Kurt Cobain's trademark howl on versions of popular Nirvana tracks like Rape Me, Very Ape and Tourettes. It's a move that Kurt himself may have approved of - he was a huge fan of The Beatles, once naming Rubber Soul as his favourite album of all time. And yet, after Macca's singularly lame performance at the Olympic opening ceremony, and given the fact he hasn't written a decent tune since Live And Let Die in 1973, this doesn't seem like a team-up that Nirvana fans will get too excited about.

ATTENBOROUGH, PACKHAM & BADGERS FOR XMAS NUMBER ONE!
It's been called the 'rage factor' – and no, we're not talking about monkeys infected with a deadly zombie virus. It's the tradition, established in 2009, of attempting to steal the hallowed Xmas number one spot from whatever karaoke clothes-horse is being trotted out by the X Factor that year. Rage Against The Machine's seminal rap-metal anthem from 1992 beat Joe McElderry (remember him?) to the top spot in '09, although the X Factor was back on top in 2010 with Matt Cardle. 2011's frankly bizarre winner was the Military Wives choir featuring Gareth Malone.

Who is tipped for the top in 2012? The X Factor candidate is (surprise surprise) a cover version, Impossible, by moon-faced private schoolboy James Arthur. Despite having an enormous face, his single has thus far been the fastest-selling cover version to be released by an X factor "artist" since the show began. So who can we all get behind to ensure that Arthur's giant features do not eclipse the festive musical landscape? We're putting our money on a charity single featuring two well-known wildlife television presenters: blonde bombshell Chris Packham and living legend Sir David Attenborough. Their (quite frankly atrocious) single The Present of Life, which features cheesy sleighbell noises and a cringeworthy hair-metal guitar intro, will donate all of the proceeds generated from sales to a cause which is very close to our hearts – The Badger Trust! It may not be good music, but it certainly is for a good cause. Download the single here, and tell your friends – together, we can defeat James Arthur's disproportionately huge fizzog!

THIS WEEKEND: TINDERBOX FESTIVAL
This Saturday, get yourself along to Edinburgh's Summerhall for Tinderbox Festival, a one-day event featuring music, art and performances from Scottish artists including Broken Records, North Atlantic Oscillation, Black Diamond Express, Foxgang and a whole host of others. There are also workshops on poster making, graffiti and samba drumming, not to mention stalls selling locally-produced goods, just in time for you to do some Xmas shopping. Tinderbox festival kicks off at midday and runs until 11pm, and tickets are £12 (£10 for students). Check the full lineup here.

EDINBURGH'S CAMEO CINEMA BOUGHT BY CINEWORLD CHAIN
In news that may well fill independent cinema-goers with a sense of foreboding, it was announced last week that corporate chain Cineworld have bought the parent company which owns Edinburgh's best-loved indie cinema, The Cameo. The Cameo is a cornerstone of Edinburgh's film culture, approaching its centenary as a cinema – it opened in 1914. It's even been immortalized on film itself, having appeared in 2010 animated film The Ilusionist. Cineworld acquired Picturehouse, the chain which owns The Cameo, and also Aberdeen's Belmont, for £47.3 million. In an article on The Scotsman's site, Picturehouse managing director Lyn Goleby reassured Cameo patrons: "The unique character of Picturehouse cinemas will remain and our team will continue to bring the widest range of film to customers." Picturehouse will continue to operate independently of the Cineworld chain. 

TATE MEMBERS PROTEST 'ABHORRENT' BP SPONSORSHIP
Members of the Tate Gallery's members Council have spoken out in an open letter about their disapporval of the Tate's acceptance of sponsorship money from disgraced petroleum giants BP. Having just been given the biggest criminal fine in US history for their handling of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP are seen as an extremely controversial choice for the tate to accept sponsorship from. Tate member James kelsey-Fry commented: "I find it increasingly abhorrent that the celebration of human culture is tainted by a source of sponsorship in the form of BP, that is condemning humanity to a future devastated by climate change. Now, it is tainted further by hypocrisy, in that the Tate's Ethics Policy states it 'will not accept funds tainted through criminal conduct.'" Last year, BP pledged £10m in funds to the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Roytal Opera House and the Tate. The 15 signatories of the letter raised their concerns at the tate's AGM last week – the Tate has yet to make an official statement in response to their concerns.

STAR TREK 2: THE WRATH OF SHERLOCK - WATCH THE TRAILER!
Details of the plot of JJ Abrams' much-anticipated sequel to the Trek reboot have been a closely-guarded secret in the run-up to its release – now, with the official trailer unveiled, we can make a few educated guesses as to its themes and storyline. Khan-alike Benedict Cumberbatch is out to tear the Federation a new one, as he brings death and destruction on an epic scale to their home system. The official title Star Trek: Into Darkness hints that this could be Abrams' Empire Strikes Back / Dark Knight moment in the Trek universe, with the crew of the Enterprise facing almost certain destruction. Cumberbatch's performance has been much-touted, and the entire ensemble cast from the first movie return as well, meaning the only potential hurdle for the film is the sucking black hole of anti-charisma personified by decidedly underwhelming Shatner stand-in Chris Pine. Watch the trailer below!