"It's never been better here and it's great to be part of all this," he says.

"There are so many good bands around at the moment, like Mojo Fury and In Case of Fire, and I wish I was able to get to see more of them.

"But we've been away from home so much recently that we never seem to get out to see local bands as much as we'd like to."

Oppenheimer, whose track This Is Not A Test, was featured in a double episode of Ugly Betty last night, next play Belfast on June 30 as part of BBC Blast.

They're also lined up to play a number of festivals this summer, including Electric Picnic and Bestival and are also starting work soon on their second album.

Load of 'tap'

There was a Spinal Tap moment at the Spring and Airbrake during the week when metallers Saxon turned up to play - complete with a road crew of 25, a support band of six, two full sized tour buses and an articulated lorry of sound gear. The rock band, fresh from their appearance on Channel 4's Get Your Act Together with Harvey Goldsmith, played to a crowd of about 500 in the venue. One of my spies tells me: "Most of the bands who play here turn up with a pretty small crew but these guys had around 30 people in total with them and a huge articulated lorry full of sound gear." But there was no mention of how many groupies there were!

Gavin grows on songstress

Celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin has grown on singer Moya Brennan.

The Celtic songstress met the green-fingered Irish man recently and was so impressed by him, she decided to pen a song for him.

"I wrote a song about one of his gardens and sang it for him," she says.

Maybe she'll sing it again when she attends the Big Buzz/Naked Sun Irish Entertainment Awards at the Whitla Hall, in Belfast, on June 14.

Mental attitude

Basement Jaxx star Felix Buxton is looking forward to checking out local act Alloy Mental (above) when they both play the Beach party at Portrush next month. Buxton and fellow Brixton DJ/producer Simon Ratcliffe bring their massive party to East Strand on June 30 and are supported by, among others, Belfast dance outfit Alloy Mental.

Felix says: "I have heard of Alloy Mental, though I haven't heard their stuff yet, so I'm looking forward to their show. We can't wait to come to Portrush. Irish crowds are always a bit mad."

Rock legends dublin-bound

R.E.M. are to borrow the man credited with working his magic on Snow Patrol to help them with their new album.

Renowned producer Jacknife Lee, who has also worked with Bloc Party, breathed new life into Snow Patrol's music, resulting in the award-nominated album Final Straw and the chart-topping follow-up Eyes Open.

Now R.E.M. are hoping the man with the Midas touch can do the same for them.

And the band are heading to Dublin to record a new album. First, they'll hit the studio in Vancouver, Canada, for several weeks, before jetting over to the Irish capital to play five dates at the Olympia and to do some further recording.

Frontman Michael Stipe says: "Returning to Dublin for our live rehearsal this summer provides the great start we need for our next albums work. I intend to hit the ground running."

Bassist Mike Mills adds: "I've see so many great shows at the Olympia from the Waterboys to Lou Reed and am thrilled to play at this wonderful venue and in front of some of the best fans in the world too."

It is understood the new album will be released later this year.

Home thoughts

Sinead Quinn may mix in celebrity circles now and count Sophie Ellis Bextor as one of her best friends, but she still loves to catch up with her old pals from Fame Academy.

"I still keep in touch with Malachi (Cush) and speak to him quite a bit, " she says. "I think he really should have won Ireland's bid for Eurovision. He did really well and it was a great song.

"He's getting married next year, so hopefully I'll be over for that."

But Sinead remained coy about her own future plans with boyfriend Paul Stewart, drummer with The Feeling.

"We've just bought a house together and everything's good," she says. "I don't look that far ahead, I just take it one day at a time."

Showbiz Gossip

UK: seems one wasn't quite enough for wildchild amy winehouse. the singer is to head back down the aisle to have a second wedding to new husband blake fielder-civil. it's reported amy wants to keep her family happy after her whirlwind decision to tie the knot last week in Miami. She said: "I'm going to have another bash - I've just got to. This is the first time I've been home since the wedding but I've married the best man in the world. We did it for ourselves. It was for us but we'll do another service for everyone else."

NY: The First Wives Club is the latest film to get the Broadway musical treatment. The musical version of the 1996 comedy, which starred GOLDIE HAWN, BETTE MIDLER and DIANE KEATON as three divorced women who decide to get back at their ex-husbands, is expected to hit the New York stage early next year. A host of A-list actresses are already being approached. Names in the hat so far include OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, STOCKARD CHANNING, MEGAN MULLALLY and QUEEN LATIFAH. Motown songwriters and producers Eddie and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier will reunite to work on the musical adaptation.

UK: Looks like LILY ALLEN isn't flavour of the month amongst the celeb pack. First CHERYL COLE, now NAOMI CAMPBELL has taken a pop at the singer. Speaking at a party in Cannes, Naomi said: "Lily who? People are always trying to compare themselves to Kate, but none measure up. There's only one Kate Moss." The comparisons with Kate were made by others when both ladies launched their own High Street clothing ranges earlier this month. Naomi also made it clear she would be sporting Kate's Topshop line, saying: " I've bought loads of pieces already."

UK: Those pirate battles must have given KEIRA KNIGHTLEY some fighting spirit! The actress has taken on the Press - and won. She has accepted High Court libel damages over a Daily Mail article suggesting that she had an eating disorder. The Pirates Of The Caribbean star was also distressed by the article's suggestion that she was responsible for the death of a teenage girl who had been suffering from anorexia. The article, published in January, was headed: "If pictures like this one of Keira carried a health warning, my darling daughter might have lived". Keira has pledged to donate her £3,000 damages to Beat, an eating disorder charity.