The Donnas never lip synch

Members of the rock band The Donnas were kind of glad when Ashlee Simpson was caught lip synching. They were hoping it would show the world the difference between acts like them who never use backing tracks and acts who are style over substance. But they were disappointed. “We thought, ‘Finally she got caught and she’s going to get punished an everyone’s going to figure it out and everyone would return her CDs,’” said guitarist Allison Robertson. Sales of Simpson’s album ‘Autobiography’ dipped for a week but rose again, outselling The Donnas’ ‘Gold Medal’. — Agencies

Big B strikes gold

Here’s an addition on the ever-growing endorsement list of Amitabh Bachchan. And this time he is not just promoting a product but an entire festival — the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), to be precise. Big B is the brand ambassador for the 10th DSF that starts on January 12. Big B will announce the launch of a gold coin, which is a prime attraction of the festival.

About choosing Bachchan for the DSF, the chairman of Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group, Tawhid Abdullah says, “His understanding of business and of media as well as world comprehension is remarkable. He is a world superstar.” — Agencies