News about Franz Ferdinand

Scotland's beleaguered arts quango is set to be axed after the Mail revealed serious allegations of mismanagement. Culture Secretary Angus Robertson announced a 'review' of Creative Scotland to 'ensure its operations and structure are optimal to the needs of the culture sector'. The Mail understands the controversial £96million organisation faces being scrapped after a series of controversies including a decision to fund a sex show. In another development, funding which had been cut for artists was reinstated yesterday, following a backlash by artists who had warned of a looming 'crisis' for the sector.

As a self-styled witch, Dr Alice Tarbuck offers online Tarot card readings for £50 an hour and courses in how to embrace the 'magic' in everyday life. Her freelance lessons run throughout the year and are described as 'perfect for anyone with an interest in the history, ethics and practice of witchcraft'. But the rest of the time the author and poet has another role - as a 'literature officer' for controversial arts quango Creative Scotland, currently at the centre of a political firestorm. It is supposed to support artists by doling out large sums of public money but recently closed a vital fund, sparking a backlash from the artistic community - outraged at what they saw as their betrayal by fat-cat bureaucrats on six-figure salaries. Whether Dr Tarbuck, with her Tarot and witchcraft skills, saw this row coming is unknown - but we can reveal that she was disciplined by her well-remunerated superiors for using some dark arts of her own.

Scotland's controversial arts quango has been condemned as 'secretive' and 'ideologically driven' in a series of scathing attacks. Creative Scotland - which has cut funding intended to support artists - was also accused of being undemocratic and 'elitist'. Writers lined up to criticise the public body for being 'opaque' and 'over-bureaucratic', as calls grew for radical reform of arts funding. The broadsides by leading artistic figures comes as a Mail investigation raises serious questions over alleged mismanagement at Creative Scotland. It reveals an employee tasked with helping authors was the subject of a complaint after trying to prevent a bookshop from stocking a book which she deemed to be transphobic.

Scots are being warned to expect 'painful cuts across the board' when Shona Robison sets out her plan to address a £1billion budget black hole next week. The SNP Finance Secretary is due to give a brutal 'fiscal update' at Holyrood on Tuesday as soon as MSPs return to parliament after the summer break. A Scottish Government insider told the Mail that 'really tough' and unpopular decisions were imminent as the public finances 'currently don't add up'. Mr Robison recently imposed emergency spending controls for the 2024/25 financial year, only authorising extra money for 'legal obligations' or to cope with or avert a disaster. There is now a hiring freeze on all but 'essential front posts', such as 'blue light' services

Some of Scotland's biggest selling musicians have demanded John Swinney takes action to avert a 'cultural catastrophe'. The Proclaimers, Paolo Nutini , Biffy Clyro and Franz Ferdinand are among more than 170 artists and organisations to warn the First Minister he is overseeing the 'worst crisis that Scotland's music and wider arts sector has ever faced'. Their desperate plea to reverse cuts to arts funding comes as Creative Scotland is set to shut a key fund for creatives this week and has delayed opening another two as Mr Swinney's government has been 'unable to confirm release' of vital funds. The open letter, which is to be sent to Mr Swinney tomorrow (FRI), comes as Holyrood's finance watchdog told the SNP government its policies have left it 'facing a challenge in balancing its budget' and there would be 'persistent' problems' doing do for years to come.

On Sunday, Wet Leg received their third Grammy Award at the 2024 Los Angeles conference. For their track Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix), the Isle of White band received the Best Remixed Recording Award (Wet Leg Remix). Joshua Omead Mobaraki, Hester Chambers, Rhian Teasdale, Henry Holmes, and Ellis Durand were among the Honorees to receive the award.

John Gimlette and his family explore Sarajevo before heading into the nearby mountains to Bjelasnica's ski resort. 'It was here that the 1984 Winter Olympics were fought, and the five main slopes are spectacularly steep,' He writes. You'd spend a fortune on this kind of madness. But, here's the deal: a day of skiing (skis and passes) will cost less than £20.'

Experts at Toolbox by Admiral have searched UK Spotify to find the music featured in 14 trades' most popular playlists, from bricklayers and carpenters to gardeners and electricians. It comes just weeks before music enthusiasts get their hands on their yearly Spotify Wrapped, revealing their most listened to artists, albums, and songs.

This is the third time I've seen one of my Facebook 'best of' music lists published outside of Facebook's social media page, which is exciting for me. My run is a little late this year, but I don't want to disappoint my readers here at the Daily Mail. One of the bands reached out to me after a slew of reader comments from last year's list, which was...cool. I've decided to imbue this piece with a 2023 feel and give you all a look ahead in the world of music this year.

Skiing is notoriously costly. It's all those add-ons: the equipment, ski passes, and lunches on the mountain... Then again, there's the crisp air, the sense of adventure, and the exercise. Don't let the cost of living crisis put an end to your ski holiday. This winter, Bargains will be enjoyed across the Alps and even further afield as Canada. Here's our pick of the bunch…

Mastodon, named after the extinct elephant-like mammal, is a free, open-source social media network that supports Android, iOS, and desktop. It was launched in March 2016 by German software developer Eugen Rochko (bottom left), who wanted to give customers more autonomy over what they see and how content is moderated. Mastodon is similar to Twitter, but it describes itself as a "decentralized" alternative that doesn't have "one company monopolizing communications." According to Mastodon, the site now has more than 65,000 users, two30,000 of whom have joined in the last week. MailOnline explores how Mastodon works and what setting up an account really does.