contents the big 6 Ronald Grant “There’s no challenge in that skiddely-eye Irish takes its political correctness and Mandy Bentley, Playmate folk stuff' very seriously indeed, Cannes Heather Kozar and, no doubt, remains the one film festival other young women frequently Dolores O’Riordan lays in to where entertainment, art and seen wearing little more than the Corrs pom happily mb sweaty lipgloss and a staple. For shoulders in the May sunshine.Hefner, the trip will be tinged And, this year, the festival is with nostalgia: he last visited the 14 to welcome back one of its seaside cinefest back in 1959, his “This cast are oldest and dearest friends, first trip outside America. That Hugh M. Hefner, the founder same year, he purchased the astonishing, they have ofPlayboy magazine and the Playboy Mansion, opened the incredible ta le n t” annes would not be Cannesperfect embodiment of that first Playboy Club and began to without the paparazzi- naughty Cannes spirit. Hef willpromote himself as the pyjama- Behind the scenes at the friendly spectacle of rich travel by private jet and stay onwearing king of the swingers. exciting new adaptation of C Cl iekhov’sThree Sisters roues cruising the Croisette a yacht moored in the Vieux Unsurprisingly, Hef s schedule draped in enough bikini-clad Port, just behind the Palais du for next weekend includes the arm candy to open a Cote d’AzurFestivals. His entourage will world premiere of groove-tastic branch of John Menzies. For include constant companions sex comedyAustin Powers 2: The 16 while the rest of the film world Brande Roderick, twins Sandy Spy Who Shagged Me. “I wanted to check out the women and have o Jewel is now the highest- slender volume of verse that was lots of fun” paid poet in the world. Onpublished over here yesterday. Sthe strength of selling a few Ever since Bob Dylan and How Tim Lott’s life did not million records,the 24-year-old Leonard Cohen, every singer- go according to plan warbler has been paid more songwriter who comes up with a for her first collection of poems couple of half-clever rhymes than John Betjeman or Ted seems to think that penning Hughes ever made.More, it is three-minute pop ditties makes 24 said, than even Shelley or Byron,them profound poets. “He’s the Browning or Tennyson earnedskinny one of the two/He "It can’t rain for i from their scribblings (at reminds her of it constantly/ | present-day rates). The He’s a very funny guy that three years in a row” K $2 million sum was paid way/Ha ha as she wobbles-to- Glastonbury or V99? Plan E k in America forA Night walk” goes one of her better your summer music H | Without Armher odes. Steps, eat your hearts out. festivals withm etro's essential gig guide Catatonia, Manic Street Preachers in the charts; Anthony Hopkins on a level with Michael Caine, and Michael Sheen challenging Ralph Fiennes’s also inside COMING SOON! t was all going crown on the stage. EvenNotting swimmingly for the Hill has a Taffia cast member, Your chance to sound off th is w eek Welsh. For so long Rhys Ifans, erstwhile Evans, who about films, music, art, ^ a cultural desert actually changed his name to Win! Win! Win! comedy - or anything else jj£_ (unless you make it more Welsh, acting the H i count cheese grey Y-fronts off the very Englishshort cu ts - in our new letters page. on toast, Tom Hugh Grant. Write to: metro, The Times, wk Jones and love To top it all, this week it was m usic 1 Pennington Street K: spoons), Wales announced that Catherine Zeta London El 9XN books ; has undergoneJones (left), dark-haired siren e-mail: [email protected] ^ an image from Swansea, now commands the vulture make-over $5 million per picture. And worthy of that is where the rot sets in. Cover: Paul Rider Changing Remember Scotland? There they Editor: Jayne DowleDeputy Editor:Paul ConnollyAssociate Editor:Sarah VineAssistant Editor: Rooms. were. Trainspotting away, Louise GoudieDesign Editor:Anderida HatchPicture Editor: Helen HealyChief Sub Editor: Liz Wilson Listings Editor:Ray DouglasListings Production Editor:Alastair MoxeyPicture Researcher: Donna when Hollywood got interested RichmondDesigner. Andrew ThompsonResearchers: Amber Cowan and Ed Potton and - bang, Irvine Welsh is about as cool as your dad dancing at a wedding.Let’s hope Catherine’s perfick PLUS full arts lisHngs for pricetag doesn’t kick off anotheryour area start on page 26 Capital kind of Welsh backlash. me I m • music May 8-14 1999 (IF) May 8-14 1999 (IF) music • metro THE BIG INTERVIEW All the ju ice Millionaire, pop idol, wife and mother — not a bad list of achievements for a 27-year-old. So what exactly is eating Dolores O’Riordan? Nigel Williamson gets the lowdown from the Cranberries’ lead singer. Portrait: Paul Rider olores O ’Riordan may be and next door is full of photogra­ started studying the piano at nine; listed as the fifth richest phers, publicists, aides and other as­ at 14 she picked up a guitar and woman in the British Isles sorted hangers-on. O ’Riordan learnt Simon & Garfunkel’s Scar­ D(she is, of course, Irish) looks fantastic, despite having sam­ borough Fair. “I wrote my first with a personal fortune calculated pled Dublin’s nightlife until 6am af­ song on a Yamaha keyboard my at £30 million, but hers is a caution­ ter an appearance on Ireland’s best­ mum bought me. It was a little pop ary tale that proves the old adage loved television programme. The ditty that went ‘La, la, la, I miss that money can’t buy happiness. Late, Late Show. Gone is the waif, y o u ’. It sounded like the Corrs. Three years ago, the Cranberries replaced by a confident young There were loads of them. There were riding high with worldwide woman who has clearly been was another one called Calling. I album sales of 28 million. The band through a lot but has emerged could dig them out and start a had just embarked upon a year- wiser and happier. whole new career.” long world tour that was expected “The best thing I ever did was Since the Cranberries’ last to gross £60 million when they having my baby. Once you have a album, To the Faithful Departed, abruptly cancelled. “I was a nerv­ child it really changes your perspec­ in 1996, the Corrs have arguably ous wreck. I had lost so much tive,” she says. “You look at this overtaken them as the biggest band weight and I hadn’t slept for weeks. little thing, and the most important out of Ireland since U2. It appears I was really depressed and the vibe thing to you is that he is healthy to rankle with O ’Riordan and she in the band was crap. I didn’t want and happy. When you walk in the recently predicted that they would to be there,” recalls O ’Riordan, 27. door you know that whatever hap­ never crack America. “I shouldn’t “People were saying I had anor­ pens out there, this is what matters say anything more because I got exia but it seemed the only thing — life, love, family. It straightens into trouble for criticising them last anyone cared about was the money. your head out totally,” time,” she says. “But th e re’s no chal­ ‘Screw her — she might be six-and- Her mother, Eileen, is looking lenge in that skiddely-eye Irish folk a-half stone and she might be after Taylor back in Limerick and stuff. I could pick up a tin whistle dying, but what about the tour?’ I O ’Riordan has just called home. and play really good skiddely-eye. felt I was a product, and nobody “My mum was taking him out for a But for me that is for the pub. When gave a toss. T ie tabloids were say­ walk. H e ’s starting to get interested you put it in r o c k ’n’ro ll it sounds ing I was a bitch and an asshole in the big bad world out there but really cheesy.” and I had ceased to feel like a I’m going to be very careful about Yet she admits she was singing human being.” protecting him. I d o n ’t want him to Runaway in the shower that morn­ Her chilling experiences form a be around the band. I want to give ing and Hogan confesses to owning RENAISSANCE WOMAN : O’Riordan at the Shephenls Bush Empire in April Rex salutary tale for pop wannabes. him a normal childhood and I’d be the Corrs’ Talk on Corners album. “Why do rock stars go for cocaine She accuses him of fancying the and drugs and die? Because they girls. “I love them all,” he says and feel there is no escape. I said to “Whatever I said, I’m she laughs awkwardly. myself, I don’t want to die. And O ’Rio rd a n joined the Cranber­ then I thought, maybe I do. You not into the death ries — made up of Noel Hogan, 27, wonder if you can ever redeem your­ and his brother Mike, 26, on bass self and get back to the real world,” penalty. I t ’s a dodgy and Fergal Lawler, 28, on drums — she continues. at 18. “Before that I had sung Fortunately, O ’Riordan found issue but I d o n ’t like mostly in church,” she says.