TRICKY, TEXAS, CATATONIA (pictured l to r), Faithless, Elbow, Neil Finn, Cold Chisel feat. Jimmy Barnes, Future Pilot AKA and The Walls are the latest acts to be confirmed for Witnness, which takes place at Fairyhouse on August 4th and 5th.

Prior to that comes the June 25th release of the Bristolians’ new album, Blowback. While unlikely to give S Club 7 and Hear’Say any sleepless nights, it’s arguably the most commercial collection of songs he’s assembled yet. Adding to its box-office potential are contributions from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Cyndi Lauper and Alanis Morissette who’s become a close chum.

“All my other albums since Maxinquaye were saying, ‘Fuck you’,” Tricky reflects. “I was making records deliberately so they wouldn’t get on the radio. It was fuck everything – whatever you like I’m going to make the opposite.”

The other good news is that he’s managed to shrug off the dietary problems, which kept him out of commission for much of 2000.

“My life’s changed for the better,” he enthuses. “The paranoia has gone. I’ve got my energy back and this album is about opening up and communicating with people again. It’s astonishing how dark your life can get without even noticing.”

Meanwhile, Catatonia have denied asking the man who threw an egg at John Prescott to appear in their new video.

“It’s a great story,” says a spokesperson, “but sadly not true.”

What is definite is that the quartet have finished recording their new album, Paper Scissors Stone, which is set to emerge in mid-July.