To follow up on our story on Thursday about the Spanish publication, This Is Rock, Roger Waters also crops up in Italian monthly magazine "Jam". Their February 2011 issue (number 178) devotes its cover and 12 pages to a nice, long feature on Roger's The Wall Live European tour. The magazine is now on sale through normal outlets, and costs €5. Our thanks to Alberto from Heyou for the info.

In the UK, the latest issue of well respected magazine The Word (cover date March 2011, issue 97) includes a large and fascinating interview with Elton John. Within the interview, he talks about how tough it is being part of a band. "Look at Pink Floyd - that is an absolute tragedy that they can't play together. Their lovely drummer - Nick Mason - I was with him at Elizabeth Hurley's wedding and he was talking about the gig they were going to play in Hyde Park and as he told me about it he cried. He said he'd been waiting for that day for so long. Because of two people within the band they can't work and that is monstrous. They are one of the greatest bands of all time."

The magazine is in stores now, and available in selected outlets worldwide as an import.

The Sunday Express newspaper today reports that David Gilmour is helping with the psychiatric care bills of Gary McKinnon, following the withdrawl of treatment due to NHS cutbacks.

McKinnon's family is fighting his extradition to the US, where he faces up to 60 years in jail for hacking into Pentagon and Nasa computers in 2001 and 2002 for information on UFOs. They are after a trial in Britain, which they believe will be fairer.

The Express reports his mother, Janis, as saying: "When I heard about the funding for Gary's psychiatrist suddenly being refused I was incredibly worried. What will happen to other people with psychiatric problems if their funding is cut off? David and his wife Polly and Polly's brother Joe are really good people. They never publicise the good things they do behind the scenes. They just do it and we're so grateful for that." Read the full story here.

For more information on the campaign, and to help, visit freegary.org.uk. You can also still purchase (as a download) "Chicago/Change The World", the Chicago cover version fundraiser performed by David, Gary, Chrissie Hynde, and Bob Geldof, through iTunes and Amazon.co.uk.

Those of you in Spain should take a visit to your local news kiosk or store, as the new issue (cover date February 2011) of This Is Rock (considered by many the best music magazine in the country) is devoted to the European leg of the Roger Waters Wall Live Tour.

With an eye-catching cover shot, the magazine gives coverage over some 14 pages, with articles written by journalists Cole Moreton and Mark Blake (Floyd fan, author of the excellent book "Pigs Might Fly" and editor of various UK publications). Perfect timing with the tour resuming in five and a half weeks, with shows in Portugal and Spain.

The magazine is available now, and is priced at 5 euros. Our thanks to José Abellán for the info. You can get a taste of the magazine, and more info including how to order this issue for worldwide delivery, at www.ThisIsRock.net.

The 22nd annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards took place at LA's Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Saturday night (February 5th), which are voted for by those who work in the realm of concert production and staging.

Amongst those who won awards was Roger Waters, who triumphed in two of the major categories: Major Tour of the Year, and Most Creative Stage Production. Our congratulations to Roger and all the team responsible for bringing this astonishing show to people across North America last year, and to people across Europe (and possibly other countries) this year.

For an in-depth look at the technicalities behind the tour, it's worth popping over to the Live Design Online website, which has the first, fascinating part of an exhaustive look at the production.

Read the thoughts of production designer Mark Fisher and creative director Sean Evans, take a look at the schematics for the staging, and see pictures of the tour, in the first part of Live Design's coverage - the January-February issue of Live Design has the full story, and this will be available soon...