Thomas Brooman CBE

We'd like to offer our warmest congratulation to Thomas Brooman - co-founder and for 28 years, from 1980 to 2008, Artistic Director of WOMAD, who was awarded the CBE (Commander of The British Empire) in The Queen's Birthday Honors List, "for services to Music and to Charity".

"Pure enthusiasm for music from around the world led us to the idea of WOMAD in 1980 and thus to the first WOMAD festival in 1982. The festivals have always been wonderful and unique occasions and have succeeded in introducing an international audience to many talented artists…. Equally important, the festivals have also allowed many different audiences to gain an insight into cultures other than their own through the enjoyment of music. Music is a universal language, it draws people together and proves, as well as anything, the stupidity of racism."… Peter Gabriel

• The Queen's Birthday Honours list 2008
• more about WOMAD

Server Update

Systems are gradually coming back to life following the theft of our servers last weekend - we now have womadshop.com, petergabriel.com, realworldremixed.com and realworld.co.uk at least partially back to life. Real World Records and WOMAD area little more troublesome to restore, but we're working on it.

We've taken the 'opportunity' to move our servers to a new facility and so now have "On-site armed security is around-the-clock. They monitor the alarm system and security cameras that are on all perimeter points of ingress/egress to the building. Bulletproof security station and shipping/receiving areas with a Biometric security system are also in place. Our personnel require authorized escorted visitations." And if the power goes off our new providers have 50,000 gallons of fuel for the generators on site, so we hope to be available and pretty resilient to outside forces from here on.

• www.petergabriel.com
• www.womadshop.com

We'll be back soon - apologies for the lack of service

The majority of Real World, Peter Gabriel and WOMAD web services are currently off-line. Our servers were stolen from our ISP's data centre on Sunday night - Monday morning. We are working to restore normal service as soon as possible.

Our first move has been to get our store up and running, so if you want WOMAD Charlton Park tickets or Music from Real World Records, we are back in business.

• WOMAD Charlton Park Tickets
• Real World Records in our store

Michael Eavis and Real World Studios Search For New Unsigned Live Talent

Supported by Glastonbury's founder, Michael Eavis, Real World Studios, and the music industry's hottest new band Scouting for Girls, RockStar 08 aims to find the next biggest UK rock band.

This year, RockStar 08 will offer an opportunity for the best new talent in the UK to pit themselves against each other and impress some of the most influential people in the music industry in the hopes of winning an enviable prize.

The winner of this coveted title will receive an amazing prize, including a two day recording session at Real World studios, an amazing set at Michael Eavis' Autumn Equinox party on 23rd September 2008, where over 4000 dedicated music fans party the night away at his home, Worthy Farm and the winning band will get a chance to play a live set at next year's Glastonbury Festival.

Michael Eavis said of the competition, "This competition will allow us to gather some of the UK's new talent and ultimately find one of the next big things in the world of music. Glastonbury is all about amazing talent we hope RockStar 08 will find a Glastonbury headliner of the future."

A spokesperson for Real World studios added, "We are eager to hear and see some of the undiscovered live rock talent the UK has to offer at the moment through this competition. We were thrilled to be asked to be involved and look forward to being part of discovering the next Stadium filler!"

The competition is open to all, bands, solo artists, young, and old, the only criteria is to be unsigned. The judges are looking for undiscovered live rock talent who will become the next big thing.

Entries must be in before the closing date of 27th May 2008.

• More information and entry form at www.rockstarbands.co.uk

The Big Room in Music Mode

The new Exigy custom monitors in The Big Room's 'Music Mode'