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Panic! At The Disco reunite for When We Were Young 2025 with Blink-182, Weezer, Avril Lavigne and more

The line-up for When We Were Young 2025 has been released – and, among them, the swift reunion of Panic! At The Disco, which disbanded in 2023.

Today (October 29), the festival shared its 2025 poster with a bevy of top-tier names, which include Panic! alongside Blink-182, Weezer, Avril Lavigne, The Offspring, Knocked Loose, and more.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Panic! At The Disco will perform their debut album ‘A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out’ in its entirety, along “with some of your other favorite Panic! At The Disco songs”, the band announces in an Instagram post.

The reformation of Panic! isn’t the only reunion at the festival next year: post-hardcore band letlive. have been added to its line-up as part of a “proper” farewell tour – as lead singer Jason Aalon Butler revealed earlier this year – along with Never Shout Never, Jack’s Mannequin, and The Cab. The Gaslight Anthem are also performing at the festival after reuniting in 2022.

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Meanwhile, a wide spectrum of pop-punk acts are scheduled for When We Were Young, including All Time Low, Yellowcard, The Used, Simple Plan, Taking Back Sunday, Mayday Parade and The Story So Far. On the heavier side of things, there’s Alexisonfire, Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Kublai Khan TX, Bad Religion, Beartooth, and Loathe.

Pre-sales begin this Friday (November 1) at 10am PT – sign up here to receive an access code in order to join. See the full line-up below.

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This year’s When We Were Young saw a unique approach to its curation – most of its line-up performed an album from their respective discographies in full over two days.

Among the classic albums performed live were My Chemical Romance‘s classic 2006 album ‘The Black Parade’, Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Bleed American’, A Day To Remember‘s ‘Homesick’ and Dashboard Confessional‘s ‘Dusk And Summer’.

The festival’s official merch t-shirt also went viral after fans discovered several band names were misspelt on its print. This included The All-Amercian Rejects (The All-American Rejects), New And Glory (New Found Glory) and We Are In The Crowd (We Are The In Crowd).

When We Were Young 2025
Ryan Ross, Brendon Urie, Jon Walker, Spencer Smith of Panic! at the Disco in 2006. CREDIT: Jo Hale/Getty Images
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Panic! singer Brandon Urie announced in January 2023 that he was ending the band after almost 20 years. He revealed that he and his wife Sarah Orzechowski were expecting their first child together, and said that he wanted to focus on his family.

Taking to Instagram after bringing the band’s ‘Viva Las Vengeance‘ tour to a close at the AO Arena, Urie wrote: “I’m overcome with gratitude. I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. For the last 18 years, it’s truly been an experience that I’ll always be grateful for.”

Fall Out Boy‘s Pete Wentz discussed the band’s break-up with NME, saying he had “a lot of respect” for Urie making the call. “I think that as far as Brendon wanting to live a more private life and be a dad, in that regard a new chapter for him has started, which I can really appreciate being a dad [myself],” Wentz said.

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Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus announces memoir: ‘Fahrenheit 182’

Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 has announced his memoir, titled Fahrenheit 182, which is set for release on April 8 2025.

The book is set to detail how Hoppus created one of the “greatest bands” of his generation, Blink-182’s break up, his struggles with anxiety and suicide ideation, and his cancer diagnosis. 

“This shit gets dark,” he said in a promotional video for the upcoming book posted on his social media accounts.

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A blurb from the book’s publisher HarperCollins reads: “A memoir that paints a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up in the 1980s as a latchkey kid hooked on punk rock, skateboards, and MTV; Mark Hoppus shares how he came of age and forms one of the biggest bands of his generation.

“Threaded through with the very human story of a constant battle with anxiety and Mark’s public battle and triumph over cancer, Fahrenheit-182 is a delight for fans and also a funny, smart, and relatable memoir for anyone who has wanted to quit but kept going.”

The Blink-182 vocalist announced he was writing a book in 2022, at the time he told The Hollywood Reporter that the project is “a combo of music memoir meets medical journey”.

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“I’m excited to tell my story,” he said. “I didn’t say anything about being sick for the longest time because I was so scared and overwhelmed by the whole thing.”

In July 2021, Hoppus that he had been diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma – the same type of cancer his mother had (and eventually recovered from). He told fans in September 2021 that he was cancer-free.

Previously Hoppus has revealed the struggles he faced with getting back into music following chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music in 2023, he spoke about his now-squashed bad blood with Tom DeLonge, once claiming he’d “never” share a stage with him again, and that he had to re-learn how to play bass and get a vocal coach.

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“The chemotherapy wrecked my vocal cords. I had to go to work with a vocal coach. I had to rebuild my throat,” he said.

In 2020, Blink-182 spoke with NME about their relationship with Tom DeLonge and getting older.

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In other Blink-182-related news, the band has been on tour in North America and playing festivals globally.

Their headlining set at this year’s edition of Reading Festival earned a four-star review by NME. Commending their humour and spirit, Liberty Dunworth noted: “This set marks a long-awaited return for the pop-punk pioneers, and as far as Blink-182 shows go, it is adamantly clear that the members have no intention of letting go of the charm that helped get them to headliner status in the first place.

“Yet, given what they’ve overcome in recent years, their dynamic in 2024 feels more nuanced than ever, and the effortless showmanship on display pushes them beyond the realm of nostalgia into something that will stand the test of time.”

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Blink-182 fan goes viral for disastrous attempt at singing ‘First Date’ on stage with band

Blink-182 brought up a fan to sing ‘First Date’ at a recent show and her disastrous attempt on vocals has ended up going viral.

From video footage captured of the performance, it appears the fan got mixed up between songs and seems to be attempting ‘All The Small Things’ instead of ‘First Date’. She ended up going silent after a few seconds of singing.

Nonetheless, the band carried on, with Mark Hoppus leading the crowd in a group singalong. Tom DeLonge, meanwhile, was spotted at the side of the stage trying not to laugh.

Check it out below:

@blink182italia

Some days are f*cked and cannot be unf*cked, but props to this girl for even having the guts to get on stage in front of 17,000 people. I could never! And props to Mark, Tom, and Travis for handling this so gracefully! 🙏 🎥: Visual_Strategy7737 / @Kim / whatblock

♬ suono originale – blink182italia

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Last week, DeLonge made light of a harsh review of Blink-182’s headline set at Lollapalooza, in which local outlet The Daily Illini called the band “cringeworthy”.

“Why are two older men, aged 52 and 48, respectively, who have wives and children, making jokes about sleeping with the other’s mother?” a section read. “The crude humour may have landed with some, but to continue throughout the hour-and-fifteen-minute long set was a bit much.”

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Sharing a screenshot of the title, which read: “Blink-182’s performance distastefully closes Lollapalooza”, he quoted another snippet of the review in his caption, before adding his own take.

“Why are two men who have wives and kids making jokes about sleeping with each other’s mothers?… oh my god, I’m dying hahaha fuck, I love this band.”

Elsewhere during the Lolla set, Blink turned heads when they unexpectedly broke out a cover of Chappell Roan‘s ‘Pink Pony Club’.

Vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus interpolated ‘Pink Pony Club’ into their performance of ‘Dammit’, singing the chorus before smoothly swinging back into their own song on the line “Well I guess this is growing up”.

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Blink-182 will headline Reading & Leeds festival later this month, alongside Liam GallagherLana Del ReyFred Again..Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen. The festival is predicted to sell out shortly – visit here for remaining tickets.

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Blink-182 cancel Mexico shows due to illness

Blink-182 have been forced to cancel three shows in Mexico this week following the illness of the band’s bassist, Mark Hoppus.

The trio, also comprising of Tom DeLonge (vocals and guitar) and Travis Barker (drums) had already cancelled one show before the two remaining dates were also pulled.

“Dear fans, sadly, Blink-182 shows on April 5 and 6 at Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City have been cancelled due to illness,” said promoter Ocesa in a statement on Friday (April 5).

While Hoppus wrote on his Discord account: “We don’t take cancelling lightly. We know people booked flights, hotels, made plans, got babysitters…We had multiple lengthy discussions all morning within the band, with promoters, managers. We tried moving the date, tried every possible solution, but this is the reality. We appreciate your understanding and support.”

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He continued: “For me and my illness, I have seen a doctor here and talked to my doctor back home. I am on multiple medications and have been in bed the past three days except to go to the show, and yesterday I was hoping it was just allergies… Saw docs, was told I had an acute infection in my throat and severe bronchitis. Got on meds immediately with the kind help of the local promoters and have been on treatment,” added the bassist, who fought a battle with cancer in 2021.

Promoter Ocesa said in a statement yesterday (April 5) that refunds will be issued to ticket-holders of the cancelled shows. Those who bought online would receive an automatica refund while those who purchased via box office or Ticketmaster centres need to request a refund starting Monday (April 8) at the place of purchase.

Their last planned tour of Mexico and South America was previously hit with issues  after Barker injured his finger.

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The band are also due in the UK for a summer tour, having rescheduled after Barker cancelled over an “urgent family matter”. The band will additionally headline Reading & Leeds festival this year alongside Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen. See dates below and get your tickets here:

AUGUST
26 – Belfast, SSE Arena
27 – Dublin, Royal Hospital Kilmainham
29 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
30 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro

The band released their latest record ‘One More Time…’ last year, which NME gave three stars. “Towards the end of the album, DeLonge asks a question many listeners will have in their minds as they hit play – ‘2023, who the fuck are we?’”

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“They aren’t all that far away from who they’ve always been – three friends wanting to make some noise and have a riot of a time doing it. Although they’re not exactly revolutionising pop punk, this was likely never the goal. Chances are, the fans just want the old Blink back anyway, and in 2023, they’re just as fun as ever.”

In other news, DeLonge is reportedly releasing a sci-fi novel on June 11.

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Blink’s “Leave This Club”: A Vivid Rendezvous of Rhythm and Revelry

Florida’s own Blink, a magnetic force in the music scene, has dropped his latest single, “Leave This Club,” accompanied by a visually stunning music video that matches the track’s vibrant essence. Known for his fusion of old-school rhythms and contemporary flair, Blink’s new release is more than just a song—it’s an experience.

Leave This Club” is an electrifying expression of Blink‘s unique style. The hook, “Now I don’t really know what it is, but tonight I think I’m having me some kids, I just got done showing some love, now these women won’t let me leave this club,” is catchy and embodies the high-energy, carefree spirit of a memorable night out. The verses add depth to this lively picture, with lines like “Yeah I just got done showing love, now these fine women won’t let me leave this club,” showcasing Blink’s knack for blending storytelling with a pulsating beat.

This song is not just about the allure of the nightlife but also reflects Blink‘s journey from a college athlete and academic achiever to a music sensation. Raised in Florida, his musical roots were nourished by his parents’ eclectic taste, leading to a rich blend of classical and modern influences in his work. “Leave This Club” is a testament to this heritage, offering a sound that uplifts and entertains.

Blink “Leave This Club”

The accompanying music video adds another layer to the narrative. It begins with Blink at a piano, a scene symbolic of his introspective side, before transitioning to the exuberant atmosphere of a live performance. This interplay of solitude and public persona encapsulates the essence of Blink’s artistry. The video, with its dynamic transitions between stage performances and intimate moments, reflects Blink’s multifaceted nature as both a contemplative songwriter and an energetic performer.

Directed with an artistic flair, the music video for “Leave This Club” is more than just a visual accompaniment; it’s a journey through Blink’s creative world. It celebrates the connections formed through music, whether on stage or in the camaraderie of fans. This release is poised to elevate Blink’s status in the music industry, showcasing his ability to blend captivating visuals with a distinct sonic style.

Blink, a proud alumnus of the University of Florida with degrees in Geography and Accounting, has consistently proven his musical prowess. His previous hits, like “Wanny Party,” and influences from legends like Usher and Prince, have shaped his music into a source of positive energy and authenticity.

“Leave This Club” is more than just a track; it’s an invitation into Blink’s world. It’s where music is not only heard but seen and felt, a world that echoes his growth as an artist and his talent for connecting with audiences on multiple levels. This latest release signifies Blink’s evolving artistry and his commitment to bringing fresh vibes to the music scene.

Discover the rhythm, storytelling, and visual artistry of Blink in the new music video for “Leave This Club,” and witness a vibrant fusion of sounds that define him as an artist. For more on Blink and his music, follow him across social media and streaming platforms.

Watch the music video below:

Listen to “Leave This Club” here:

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Watch Blink-182 give ‘Dance With Me’ its live debut in Italy

Blink-182 played their new song ‘Dance With Me’ for the first time in Bologna, Italy last night (October 6) – check it out below.

The track was released earlier this week as the fourth single to be taken from their upcoming LP ‘One More Time…‘ which is set to land on October 20. It follows ‘Edging‘, ‘One More Time’ and ‘More Than You Know’.

The pop-punk trio are currently on tour in Europe and have now added the song to the setlist, which was met with loud singalongs despite the song coming out less than 48 hours beforehand.

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After they played it,  Mark Hoppus jokingly revealed that Tom DeLonge was so scared to play that song.”

Check out fan-filmed footage of the live debut of ‘Dance With Me’ below:

The band are set to play the first UK dates of their tour next week. They will be making stops in London. Birmingham and Manchester. Visit here for any remaining tickets and check out the dates below.

Blink-182 UK tour dates are: 

OCTOBER

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11– London,The 02
12 – London,The 02
14 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
15 – Manchester, AO Arena
16 – Manchester, AO Arena

Last month, Blink-182 had to postpone their shows in Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast after drummer Travis Barker had to return home for an “urgent family matter” which turned out to be his wife Kourtney Kardashian having “life-threatening emergency surgery” for their unborn baby. The rescheduled dates have not yet been announced.

In other Blink news, Barker recently revealed that he recently had an episode of trigeminal neuralgia, as well as a COVID infection and root canal treatment.

The drummer has been plagued by health issues in the last few weeks, joking to fans that it means he “can pretty much handle anything god throws at me”.

Trigeminal neuralgia is described by the NHS as being “severely” painful. It’s caused by the compression of the trigeminal nerve and leads to facial pain so bad that it feels like “having an electric shock in the jaw”.

Last month Barker revealed that he’d tested positive for COVID ahead of the band’s European tour dates.

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Blink-182 announce new album ‘One More Time…’ with classic line-up

Blink-182 have announced the release date for their highly-anticipated new album ‘One More Time…’

The record will mark the first time the classic line-up – consisting of vocalist and bassist, Mark Hoppus, guitarist Tom DeLonge and drummer Travis Barker – have released a new album together since 2011’s ‘Neighborhoods‘, following on from last year’s single ‘Edging‘.

To announce the album, the trio released a trailer featuring clips from their upcoming interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe and archival clips from the band’s extensive career. The trailer also teased three new tracks from the album such as ‘Anthem Part 3’, ‘You Don’t Know What You’ve Got’ and the title track ‘One More Time’ – which is set for release on Thursday September 21.

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In the trailer, the band open up about Hoppus’ lymphoma cancer diagnosis and explain that it is what inspired DeLonge to rejoin the band. “I remember telling my wife, ‘I don’t think I’m ever going to play music again, I don’t think I’m ever gonna tour again,’” DeLonge said. “Until Mark told me he was sick, and then I was like, that’s the only thing I wanted to do.”

DeLonge departed Blink back in 2015 to focus on extraterrestrial research and his other band, Angels & Airwaves. During that time, Hoppus and Barker released 2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine‘ with guitarist Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio. DeLonge rejoined the band in 2022.

‘One More Time…’ is set for release on October 20 via Colombia Records. Pre-order and pre-save the album here.

The LP was recorded in the midst of their blockbuster reunion tour. The LP features 17 songs and was entirely produced by drummer Travis Barker . According to a press release, the tracks “capture the band at the top of their game, layering in themes of tragedy, triumph, and most importantly, brotherhood.”

DeLonge previously teased that the as-yet-unannounced record could be the group’s “best” and “most progressive”.

The ‘One More Time…’ track list is: 

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1.’Anthem Part 3′
2. ‘Dance With Me’
3. ‘Fell In Love’
4. ‘Terrified’
5. ‘One More Time’
6. ‘More Than You Know’
7. ‘Turn This Off!’
8. ‘When We Were Young’
9. ‘Edging’
10. ‘You Don’t Know What You’ve Got’
11. ‘Blink Wave’
12. ‘Bad News’
13. ‘Hurt (Interlude)’
14. ‘Turpentine’
15. ‘Fuck Face’
16. ‘Other Side’
17. ‘Childhood’

Blink 182 will be touring the UK next month with shows at London’s O2 Arena, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and Manchester’s AO Arena. Check out the full dates below and visit here for tickets.

Blink-182’s UK tour dates are: 

OCTOBER
11 – London – The 02
12 – London – The 02
14 – Birmingham – Utilita Arena
15 – Manchester – AO Arena
16 – Manchester – AO Arena

Last month, Blink-182 were forced to postpone headline shows in Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin due to “an urgent family matter”. Barker later said that his wife Kourtney Kardashian had undergone “life-threatening emergency surgery” for their unborn baby.

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Watch Avril Lavigne and All Time Low cover Blink-182’s ‘All The Small Things’

Avril Lavigne was joined by All Time Low for a cover of Blink-182‘s ‘All The Small Things’ at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas last night (October 23).

The singer teamed up with frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat towards the end of her set for a raucous rendition of the classic track. You can view footage below.

Lavigne’s set also saw her perform a host of her famous hits including ‘Complicated’ and ‘Sk8er Boi’

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It came after the original Blink-182 line-up with Tom DeLonge, recently announced that they will headline the Las Vegas bash next year along with Green Day.

 

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

It got off to a difficult start over the weekend after the first day was cancelled due to weather warnings and resulting safety fears.

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But day two of the bash went ahead without a hitch with both Paramore and My Chemical Romance performing triumphant sets.

The former gave 2009 track ‘All I Wanted’ its live debut as well as performing ‘Here We Go Again’ from their 2005 debut ‘All I Know Is Falling’ and ‘Paramore’ track ‘Last Hope’, both for the first time in four years.

MCR meanwhile, wore ‘old’ style make-up at the festival in an apparent nod to their legacy as emo elders.

When We Were Young Festival continues next weekend, with Paramore, My Chemical Romance and more set to return on October 29. The festival will then return to Las Vegas next October 21, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day alongside 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte, Rise Against.

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Matt Skiba is “truly happy” for Blink-182’s reunion with Tom DeLonge

Matt Skiba has responded to Tom DeLonge’s note thanking him for keeping Blink-182 “thriving”, after the band returned to its original line-up, making Skiba “truly happy”.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for DeLonge who left “to change the world for my kids”. DeLonge also left Blink in 2005 to focus on his other band, Angels & Airwaves, which was an additional project to his 2001-formed side group Box Car Racer.

Earlier this week, Blink announced that DeLonge was back in the group, confirmed a world tour and released comeback single called ‘Edging‘.

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Now, Skiba, who has played in Blink for the past seven years, has congratulated the trio on its reformation.

He wrote in a message posted to Instagram yesterday (October 15): “I’m sure there’s a joke in here about releases and happy endings I’m missing but I am truly grateful for my time with blink and I am truly happy you guys are a band and a family again. ?”

You can see his statement in full below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Skiba, Matthew T. (@matttskiba)

Blink-182 were formed in California in 1992 by co-vocalist/bassist Mark Hoppus and co-vocalist/guitarist DeLonge.

Technically, the original line-up consisted of Hoppus and DeLonge with drummer Scott Raynor who left the band between 1997 and 1998. Longtime drummer Travis Barker has played in the group since 1998 and the release of their third album ‘Enema Of The State‘.

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DeLonge wrote in his letter to Skiba after news of Blink’s reformation broke: “Hi Matt, Tom DeLonge here. I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band thriving in my absence. I think you are enormously talented (I still love and listen to your band to this day).”

He continued: “You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day.”

Blink-182
Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Matt Skiba. Credit: Getty Images for Spotify

Meanwhile, DeLonge has said that Blink-182‘s forthcoming album contains some of the “most progressive” music of their career so far.

The musician wrote on Twitter yesterday (October 15) that the new record has some of the band’s most “elevated” songs.

“The new @blink182 album has some of the most progressive, and elevated music we‘be ever had. In honesty, I am holding my breath for you to hear these other songs. Edging is fun, and a perfect way to remind u of the fun again. But just u fucking wait,” he wrote.

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Tom DeLonge says new Blink-182 album is their “most progressive”

Tom DeLonge has said that Blink-182‘s forthcoming album contains some of the “most progressive” music of their career so far.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The co-vocalist and guitarist, who recently rejoined the pop-punk band after seven years, added on Twitter today (October 15) that the new record has some of the band’s most “elevated” songs.

He wrote: “The new @blink182 album has some of the most progressive, and elevated music we‘be ever had. In honesty, I am holding my breath for you to hear these other songs. Edging is fun, and a perfect way to remind u of the fun again. But just u fucking wait. ?”

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DeLonge and his bandmates – co-vocalist and bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker – returned yesterday (October 14) with new song ‘Edging’.

After months of teasing, on Tuesday (October 11) the band confirmed the return of DeLonge, who formed Blink with Mark Hoppus in 1992 but left in 2015 “to change the world for my kids”.

The musician also left the band in 2005 to focus on his other band, Angels & Airwaves, which was an additional project to his 2001-formed side group Box Car Racer.

In July, Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba, who joined Blink-182 in 2015 as a replacement for DeLonge, claimed that he didn’t know if he was still a part of Blink-182. DeLonge then hinted that he’d rejoined the group before Hoppus said the original trio were in “a really great place”.

Since news of DeLonge’s return broke and the band shared details of their world tour, Blink have now added an extra London show to their 2023 UK and Ireland tour (tickets will be available here).

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Meanwhile, DeLonge has expressed his appreciation for Blink-182’s departing guitarist Matt Skiba.

“I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band thriving in my absence,” he wrote. “I think you are enormously talented (I still love and listen to your band to this day).

“You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day.”

DeLonge concluded: “So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

Blink-182 2022 press image
Blink-182. Credit: Press

He previously teased that Blink-182’s forthcoming record is “the best album of our career”. There have been no details shared of a title nor release date.

Blink-182’s most recent studio album ‘Nine’, was released in 2019. It was the second record to feature Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’.

Prior to ‘Edging’, DeLonge hadn’t contributed to a Blink project since 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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Blink-182 add second London show to 2023 UK and Ireland tour

Blink-182 have added an extra London show to their 2023 UK and Ireland tour – tickets will be available here.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

On Tuesday (October 11), it was revealed that the band had reunited with Tom DeLonge to release new music and embark on a huge world tour. The trio released the single ‘Edging’ yesterday (October 14), with a full album also in the works.

Next September, Blink-182 will hit the road in the UK/Ireland and Europe with The Story So Far appearing as their support act. The UK and Ireland run includes concerts in Glasgow (September 2), Belfast (4), Dublin (5), London (October 11), Birmingham (14) and Manchester (15).

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It’s now been announced that Blink will play a second date at The O2 in London on October 12, 2023. Tickets for all shows go on general sale at 10am BST on Monday (October 17) – buy yours here.

Additionally, Blink-182 are scheduled to visit North America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as performing their first-ever shows in Latin America. You can find the full live itinerary here.

Meanwhile, DeLonge has expressed his appreciation for Blink-182’s departing guitarist Matt Skiba – who replaced him in the band in 2015 – in a post on social media.

“I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band thriving in my absence,” he wrote. “I think you are enormously talented (I still love and listen to your band to this day).

“You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day.”

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DeLonge concluded: “So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

Tom DeLonge has teased that Blink-182’s forthcoming record is “the best album of our career”.

The group’s most recent studio album, ‘Nine’, came out in 2019. It was the second record to feature Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’. Prior to ‘Edging’, DeLonge hadn’t contributed to a Blink project since 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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Tom DeLonge to departing Blink-182 guitarist Matt Skiba: “thank you for all you have done”

Tom DeLonge has shared a personal message to Blink-182’s departing guitarist, Matt Skiba, thanking him for his work with the band. Read his statement below.

The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for DeLonge who left “to change the world for my kids”. Now that DeLonge has returned to Blink-182 amid announcements of new music and a global tour, he has penned an open letter to Skiba.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

“Hi Matt, Tom DeLonge here,” he wrote. “I wanted to take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band thriving in my absence. I think you are enormously talented (I still love and listen to your band to this day).”

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DeLonge continued: “You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day.”

He ended the message, “from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Official Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge)

Captioning the post, the founding Blink-182 guitarist wrote, “I sent this to Matt personally, but it’s important for the world to know that I honour him. Thank you, Matt Skiba.”

Back in July, Skiba said he didn’t know if he was still a part of Blink-182. Shortly after, DeLonge hinted that he’d rejoined the group this summer, before Mark Hoppus said the original trio were in “a really great place right now”. DeLonge and bandmate Travis Barker had met up with Hoppus prior to him beginning chemotherapy treatment in 2021.

“It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in like five years,” the bassist recalled of that reunion. He was diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma last year. He told fans in September 2021 that he was cancer-free.

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“It’s actually better than it used to be,” Hoppus said of Blink’s relationship in August. “There was no agenda [when they met up]. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room.”

He added: “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is. I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

Blink 182’s most recent album, ‘Nine’, came out in 2019. It was the second record to feature Matt Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’. The last Blink project to include contributions from Tom DeLonge was the 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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Famous fans react to return of Blink-182

Numerous musicians and other famous fans have shared their excitement at the news that Blink-182 are reuniting for a huge world tour and new music.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The news, announced earlier today (October 11), was shared via a tongue-in-cheek video which confirmed that the band would be back with the classic line-up of DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker.

Taking to his Instagram stories, The 1975‘s Matty Healy shared a screenshot of a conversation, which read: “Fuck blink 182 is original line up!! They’ve reformed!!! So we’re actually opening for Blink 182!!! Tom is back!! We made it!!!”

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The 1975 are due to open for the band at Lollapalooza’s trio of South America festivals in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil in 2023.

Turnstile shared via their Instagram stories: “Excited for these shows next year. Thank you @blink182 for the opportunity”. Rise Against also posted on their Instagram: “Looking forward to all the great shows ahead!”

See more reactions below.

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A post shared by Rise Against (@riseagainst)

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Taking to his Instagram after the announcement, DeLonge wrote: “What if I was to tell you we just made the best album of our career,” accompanied by a photo from the band’s earlier years.

Blink-182’s new single ‘Edging’ is set to arrive on Friday (October 14), and it marks the first time in a decade that the trio have been in a studio together (pre-save/pre-add here). A new full-length studio album is also in the works, though full details are yet to be revealed.

In addition to the music news, the band have announced their biggest tour to date, with concerts confirmed in the UK, Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand as well as their first-ever shows in Latin America.

Tickets go on sale at 10am local time next Monday (October 17). You’ll be able to purchase yours here (UK) and here (North America).

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When We Were Young festival announces 2023 line-up with Blink-182, Green Day and more

When We Were Young Festival has announced its 2023 line-up, which includes Blink-182 and Green Day as headliners.

  • READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Green Day: “We live our lives as if we have nothing’

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

It was the first new Paramore show to be announced since the group went on a hiatus in 2018. The 2022 festival is due to take place later this month in Las Vegas (October 22, 23 and 29), with Bring Me The Horizon, Bright Eyes, The Used and more also on the bill.

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Though this year’s festival is still to take place, the line-up for 2023 has already been unveiled, with the likes of 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte, Rise Against on the bill for October 21.

Elsewhere on the line-up are a reunited Something Corporate, 5 Seconds Of Summer, Gym Class Heroes, Sum 41, Yellowcard, Simple Plan and many more.

Presales for the 2023 festival start this Friday, October 14 at 10am PT and you can sign up here.

The news comes on the back on the announcement that Blink-182 have reunited with Tom DeLonge for a huge world tour, and are due to release a new single this week.

The song ‘Edging’ is set to arrive on Friday (October 14), and it marked the first time in a decade that DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker had been in a studio together (pre-save/pre-add here).

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A new full-length studio album is also in the works, though full details are yet to be revealed. However, DeLonge shared a photo of the band on his Instagram earlier today (October 11), accompanied by the caption: “What if I was to tell you we just made the best album of our career.”

In other news, When We Were Young festival announced a series of sideshows in August in addition to the main event. As Rock Sound reported, three separate special concerts will now also take place on Friday, October 21.

A Day To Remember are due to play the Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort in Vegas with support coming from The Used, Movements and Magnolia Park.

Sin City venue Brooklyn Bowl, meanwhile, is hosting gigs from Story Of The Year, Sleeping With Sirens and The Summer Set. Those groups will perform alongside Strange 90’s, a supergroup comprising revolving members of Goldfinger, Bowling For Soup, Anberlin, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, The Early November and more.

Additionally, the House Of Blues is scheduled to stage an ‘Indie Rock Dance Party’ courtesy of Electric Feels. You can find ticket information here.

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Tom DeLonge teases new Blink-182 as “the best album of our career”

Tom DeLonge has shared his reaction to the news of Blink-182 reuniting for a huge world tour and new music.

The news, announced earlier today (October 11), was shared via a tongue-in-cheek video which confirmed that the band would be back with the classic line-up of DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker.

Taking to his Instagram, DeLonge wrote: “What if I was to tell you we just made the best album of our career,” accompanied by a photo from the band’s earlier years.

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Blink-182’s new single ‘Edging’ is set to arrive on Friday (October 14), and it marks the first time in a decade that the trio have been in a studio together (pre-save/pre-add here). A new full-length studio album is also in the works, though full details are yet to be revealed.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Official Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge)

DeLonge and Hoppus started Blink-182 in 1992, eventually announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2005. In 2011, they reunited to release ‘Neighborhoods’ and continued to tour, before DeLonge departed the band in early 2015.

Back in July, Matt Skiba said that he didn’t know if he was still a part of Blink-182. The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for DeLonge who left “to change the world for my kids”.

DeLonge then hinted that he’d rejoined the group later this summer, before Hoppus said the original trio were in “a really great place right now”.

Blink 182’s most recent album, ‘Nine’, came out in 2019. It was the second record to feature Matt Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’. The last Blink project to include contributions from Tom DeLonge was the 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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In addition to the music news, the band have announced their biggest tour to date, with concerts confirmed in the UK, Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand as well as their first-ever shows in Latin America.

Tickets go on sale at 10am local time next Monday (October 17). You’ll be able to purchase yours here (UK) and here (North America).

Blink 182’s most recent album, ‘Nine’, came out in 2019. It was the second record to feature Matt Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’. The last Blink project to include contributions from Tom DeLonge was the 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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Blink-182 reunite with Tom DeLonge, announce new music and world tour

Blink-182 have reunited with Tom DeLonge for a huge world tour, and are due to release a new single this week.

The song ‘Edging’ is set to arrive on Friday (October 14), and it marked the first time in a decade that DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker had been in a studio together (pre-save/pre-add here).

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

A new full-length studio album is also in the works, details of which are yet to be revealed.

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Additionally, the trio have announced their biggest tour to date, with concerts confirmed in the UK, Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand as well as their first-ever shows in Latin America.

The mammoth stint will kick off next March and conclude in February 2024. For the UK leg, Blink-182 will visit Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester in September and October 2023.

Tickets go on sale at 10am local time next Monday (October 17). You’ll be able to purchase yours here (UK) and here (North America).

Blink-182’s 2023/2024 tour dates are as follows:

LATIN AMERICA
+With Support from Wallows
March 11 – Tijuana, MX – Imperial GNP (Festival)
March 14 – Lima, Peru – Estadio San Marcos+
March 17-19 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Lollapalooza Argentina (Festival)
March 17-19 – Santiago, Chile – Lollapalooza Chile (Festival)
March 21-22 – Asuncion, Paraguay – Venue TBA
March 23-26 – Bogotá, Colombia – Estereo Picnic (Festival)
March 24-26 – São Paulo, Brazil – Lollapalooza Brasil (Festival)
March 28 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes+
April 1-2 – Monterrey, MX – Venue TBA

NORTH AMERICA
*With Support from Turnstile
May 4 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center*
May 6 – Chicago, IL – United Center*
May 9 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena*
May 11 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena*
May 12 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre*
May 16 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse*
May 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena*
May 19 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden*
May 20 – Belmont Park, NY – UBS Arena*
May 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden*
May 23 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena*
May 24 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center*
May 26 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Arena*
May 27 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium*
May 28 – Atlantic City, NJ – Adjacent Music Festival
Jun 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center*
Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Bank of California Stadium*
Jun 20 – San Diego, CA – Pechanga Arena*
Jun 22 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center*
Jun 23 – Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center*
Jun 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena*
Jun 27 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena*
Jun 39 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place*
Jun 30 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome*
Jul 3 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena*
Jul 5 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center*
Jul 7 – Austin, TX – Moody Center*
Jul 8 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center*
Jul 10 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena*
Jul 11 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – FLA Live Arena*
Jul 13 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena*
Jul 14 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center*
Jul 16 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena*

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UK/Europe  
^With Support from The Story So Far
Sep 2 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro^
Sep 4 – Belfast, UK – SSE Arena^
Sep 5 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena^
Sep 8 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis^
Sep 9 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena^
Sep 12 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena^
Sep 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena^
Sep 14 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum^
Sep 16 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena^
Sep 17 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena^
Sep 19 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena^
Sep 20 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle^
Oct 2– Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena^
Oct 3 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Centre^
Oct 4 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi^
Oct 6 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena^
Oct 8 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome^
Oct 9 – Paris, France – Accor Arena^
Oct 11 – London, UK – The O2^
Oct 14 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena^
Oct 15 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena^

Oct 21 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND (2024)
!With Support from Rise Against
Feb 9 – Perth, Western Australia – RAC Arena!
Feb 11 – Adelaide, South Australia – Entertainment Centre!
Feb 13 – Melbourne, Victoria – Rod Laver Arena!
Feb 16 – Sydney, New South Wales – Qudos Bank Arena!
Feb 19 – Brisbane, Queensland – Entertainment Centre!
Feb 23 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena!
Feb 26 – Christchurch, NZ – Christchurch Arena!

Back in July, Matt Skiba said that he didn’t know if he was still a part of Blink-182. The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for DeLonge who left “to change the world for my kids”.

DeLonge then hinted that he’d rejoined the group later this summer, before Hoppus said the original trio were in “a really great place right now”.

The three members met up prior to Hoppus beginning chemotherapy treatment in 2021. “It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in like five years,” the bassist recalled of that reunion.

Hoppus was diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma last year. He told fans in September 2021 that he was cancer-free.

“It’s actually better than it used to be,” Hoppus said of Blink’s relationship in August. “There was no agenda [when they met up]. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room.”

He added: “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is. I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

Blink 182’s most recent album, ‘Nine’, came out in 2019. It was the second record to feature Matt Skiba, following on from 2016’s ‘California’. The last Blink project to include contributions from Tom DeLonge was the 2012’s ‘Dogs Eating Dogs’ EP.

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Blink-182 wipe Instagram as mysterious posters appear

Blink-182 fans are convinced the band are set to announce something in the very near future after they wiped their official Instagram page.

The official Blink-182 website is currently down, displaying a message saying that it’s “under construction” and to “check back soon” while the band’s Instagram page is completely blank.

It comes as the band’s official Twitter account has liked a series of tweets from 2013, talking about Blink-182 in 2023 while across their social media profiles, all the bios have been changed to read “Crappy Punk Rock since 1992”.

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The recent likes of Blink 182’s Twitter account

A new logo has also been seen on an electronic billboard in Peru and and one fan has spotted a series of posters in Manhattan advertising something called “182 Industries” that promises “your future is cumming…in the blink of an eye”. The posters also link to the website onehundredeightytwo.com which redirects to Blink-182’s official site.

Earlier this year, Matt Skiba revealed he didn’t know if he was still a part of Blink-182. The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for guitarist Tom DeLonge who left to “to change the world for my kids”.

Shortly afterwards, DeLonge hinted that he had rejoined the band with Mark Hoppus telling fans there was “no news to share. ​​ If and when Blink has any announcement about anything, you will hear it from the official Blink outlets. Not teased on a radio station like ‘tune in for a major announcement…Tom tagged Mark in a photo from two decades ago.’”

A few weeks later though, Hoppus confirmed he met up with DeLonge and Travis Barker while he was receiving treatment for cancer. “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is,” Hoppus told People. “I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

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Mark Hoppus says Blink-182 reunion with Tom DeLonge isn’t off the cards: “I’m open to whatever”

Mark Hoppus has opened up about his newly rekindled friendship with Tom DeLonge, saying that as far as he’s concerned with the potential of a late-‘90s era Blink-182 reunion, nothing is off the table.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

For years, rumours have swirled that DeLonge would eventually return to the iconic pop-punk outfit. Those rumours heated up last month when the former guitarist and co-vocalist – who left Blink in 2015 “to change the world for my kids” – hinted that he’d finally linked back up with Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker. Adding to the conversation was Alkaline Trio‘s Matt Skiba (who replaced DeLonge upon his exit) admitting he didn’t know whether he was still a member of Blink.

Hoppus quashed those rumours earlier in August, assuring fans that the band had “no news to share” on the matter. Writing in a Discord chat, he also ribbed the media for using DeLonge’s reunion tease as an opportunity to farm traffic: “If and when blink has any announcement about anything, you will hear it from the official blink-182 outlets. Not teased on a radio station like ‘tune in for a major announcement…Tom tagged Mark in a photo from two decades ago.’”

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Speaking to People earlier this week, Hoppus clarified that while Blink have not reunited with DeLonge, he and Barker did meet while Hoppus was receiving treatment for his recent battle with cancer, and a reunion is not explicitly off the cards (as he’d said it was in previous years). “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is,” he told the publication. “I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

Hoppus explained that shortly after Barker and DeLonge had learned of his diagnosis – the singer/bassist revealed his battle with cancer (stage 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) publicly last June – the pair made a group visit to him. “It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in like five years,” he told People, noting that despite the heavy topic at hand, the meeting with his current and former bandmate was “actually better than it used to be”.

He continued: “There was no agenda. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room.” Reconnecting with DeLonge, Hoppus said, offered him a “panacea” during what he described a “brutal” chemotherapy sessions. As for the current state of their friendship as a trio, Hoppus assured People that “everybody’s in a really great place right now”.

Hoppus was declared cancer-free last September, and a few months later, said he would be open to making a comeback with Blink, in whatever form that would be. Back in April, he teased that he’d been working on new music, saying in an interview that he’d been itching to “get back into the studio” after beating cancer.

Last September also saw DeLonge open up about his reconnection with Hoppus, telling Apple Radio 1’s Zane Lowe: “The way the universe works is strange because I reached out to Mark because I needed him to sign this piece of paper that had to do with my divorce. Only because of that call did I learn he had cancer. And he told me on the phone. I was like, ‘Wait, what?’ And we weren’t really talking much at all, maybe once every couple of months, a little text here and there.”

The trio of Hoppus, Barker and Skiba recorded two albums together – 2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine’ – and have toured extensively. Their last show together went down in the early months of 2020. Blink performed last October as part of Barker’s ‘House Of Horrors’ broadcast, however Skiba was not present – Kevin Gruft (of Escape The Fate) performed with the band in his place.

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Meanwhile, DeLonge is gearing up to release his directorial debut, Monsters Of California, later this year. The first trailer for the film arrived in May – check it out here.

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Mark Hoppus hints Tom DeLonge could be set to rejoin Blink-182 after reconciliation

Mark Hoppus has hinted that Tom DeLonge could rejoin Blink-182 after the pair recently reconciled.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

It comes after the bassist opened up about a home visit with DeLonge and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker that has left the trio in “a really great place right now.”

“It was the first time that all three of us were in the same room in like five years,” Hoppus recalled to People magazine of the informal meeting, which took place before he began chemotherapy in 2021.

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“It’s actually better than it used to be. There was no agenda. There were no lingering grudges. It felt very back to what it should be: three friends sitting in a room.”

He added: “I keep writing music, and I’m open to whatever the next phase of Blink is. I’m hopeful for the future. I’m just damn glad to be here.”

The bassist was diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma last year, before revealing to fans in September that he was cancer-free.

1999 archive photo of Blink-182 (from left to right: Travis Barker, Tom DeLonge; Mark Hoppus). CREDIT: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)

It comes after he recently said there’s “no news to share”, amidst recent rumours that DeLonge was rejoining Blink-182. That was prompted by their former co-frontman sharing an Instagram profile with a classic photo of Blink in the ‘90s captioned with the band’s handle.

He also updated his Instagram bio to include Blink alongside Angels & Airwaves in the mention of his musical endeavours.

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DeLonge left the band in 2015 “to change the world for my kids”. The Blink-182 trio of Hoppus, Barker and Alkaline Trio‘s Matt Skiba went on to record two albums together – 2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine’ – and have toured extensively. Their last show together was in the early months of 2020.

However, last month Skiba revealed that he wasn’t sure if he was a member of Blink.

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Matt Skiba doesn’t know if he’s still a member of Blink-182

Matt Skiba has revealed he doesn’t know if he’s still a part of Blink-182.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The Alkaline Trio vocalist joined the band in 2015 as a replacement for guitarist Tom DeLonge who left to “to change the world for my kids”.

The trio of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Skiba then recorded two albums together – 2016’s ‘California’ and 2019’s ‘Nine’ – and toured extensively.

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However, one fan asked if Skiba was still a member of the pop-punk legends since there’s “no Blink content” on his Instagram and “the Blink guys don’t post pictures with Matt”.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” replied Skiba. “Regardless, I am very proud of and thankful for my time with Blink 182. We shall see…”

Matt Skiba, Blink 182
Mat Skiba responds to a fan on Instagram about his status in Blink-182. CREDIT: Instagram

Speaking to NME about joining Blink-182, Skiba said: “The overwhelming amount of support and graciousness the fans have shown me overpowers any hate or shit-talking. It feels like our band – Mark, Travis, me and the fans. It’s not the same band without Tom but it has the same name, and I think there’s a good reason for that.”

Late last year, Hoppus said he was open to the idea of Tom DeLonge returning to the band.

“We haven’t really talked about that, but I’m open to anything in the future,” Hoppus told GQ. ​“I don’t know how that would work if it’s all four of us. Like, we’re all going to live in the same house again?”

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It comes after the pair made up following Hoppus’ cancer diagnosis.

“The way the universe works is strange because I reached out to Mark because I needed him to sign this piece of paper that had to do with my divorce,” DeLonge said at the time. “Only because of that call did I learn he had cancer.”

DeLonge went on to say that before, him and Hoppus “weren’t really talking much at all, maybe once every couple of months, a little text here and there. But now, we talk multiple times a day. So it’s like we’ve been able to completely repair that friendship and really cut to the depth of who we are as people and what this is all about.”

DeLonge previously told NME that him and Barker have spoken about playing live together again as Box Car Racer and back in 2019, the guitarist said he had plans to reunite with the band in the future, promising fans “I will play with Blink again.”

“That’s the whole plan,” DeLonge continued. “I talk to Travis all the time and I talked to Mark just the other day. We’re always discussing what makes sense and when.”

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A fan has recreated Blink-182’s ‘All The Small Things’ video as a LEGO set

A fan of Blink-182 has created a custom Blink-182 LEGO set based on the band’s video for their 2000 single ‘All The Small Things’.

  • READ MORE: Tom DeLonge on his directorial debut: “A coming of age film with dick jokes”

You can see pictures of the set below, which was created by a fan via the LEGO ideas page. Fans are able to vote for the design to potentially be turned into an actual product by the company.

It features the band, a jet plane and a number of other characters from the original video recreated in LEGO form.

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LEGO Blink 182
CREDIT: LEGO

CREDIT: LEGO

The original video was filmed at the Van Nuys Airport and at Santa Monica State Beach, and featured parodies of the era’s biggest pop artists including Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera among others.

It’s not the first music to receive a LEGO makeover on the site. Last year, Rammstein endorsed a fan’s replica of their famously ambitious live shows.

“The scenes can be modulated according to your taste and there is a functional elevator to say goodbye to the public at the end of the concert. I create them to remind me of the good times spent at the concert when we didn’t have this disease hanging around hoping that soon all this will be behind us,” wrote the set’s creator.

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Last week, meanwhile, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker teamed up with Avril Lavigne as she performed her recent single ‘Love It When You Hate Me’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The Blackbear-featuring track appears on Lavigne’s seventh studio album, ‘Love Sux’, which was released last Friday (February 25) via Barker‘s label DTA Records. Barker also co-produced the song, among other cuts on the LP.

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Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus joins A Day To Remember on new version of ‘Re-Entry’

A Day To Remember have released a new version of their single ‘Re-Entry’ featuring Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus.

  • READ MORE: Five things we learned from our ‘In Conversation’ video chat with A Day To Remember

The release marks another major return to recording music for Hoppus since breaking the news that he was cancer-free last September. The singer and bassist had previously been diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

On re-recording the song with Hoppus, A Day To Remember vocalist Jeremy McKinnon said: “When this song originally took shape it was without a doubt massively influenced by Blink-182, so when the idea came up to do a remix of sorts for it, Mark was immediately who we pictured.

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“We sent him the track with no second verse and said to do whatever he was inspired to do and what he sent back genuinely makes the song for me. My younger self still can’t believe it exists.”

You can hear the new version of ‘Re-Entry’ below:

Earlier today (January 20), Avril Lavigne spoke about the “huge honour” of collaborating with Hoppus on her forthcoming new album.

As announced last week, Lavigne’s seventh studio record ‘Love Sux’ – set to be released on February 25 – will contain a track called ‘All I Wanted’, which features the Blink-182 star.

During a recent conversation on the bassist’s Apple Music Hits show, After School Radio, the Canadian singer-songwriter said: “I was really excited to work with you. I mean, to be honest, you’re one of my favourite artists.”

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Back in November, Hoppus also gave an update on Blink-182, saying the band are open to the return of former frontman Tom DeLonge.

“We haven’t really talked about that, but I’m open to anything in the future,” Hoppus told GQ. ​“I don’t know how that would work if it’s all four of us. Like, we’re all going to live in the same house again?”

The pair recently made up after DeLonge learned of Hoppus’ diagnosis.

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Avril Lavigne says it was a “huge honour” to work with Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus

Avril Lavigne has spoken about the “huge honour” of collaborating with Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus on her forthcoming new album.

As announced last week, Lavigne’s seventh studio record ‘Love Sux’ – released on February 25 – will contain a track called ‘All I Wanted’, which features Hoppus.

  • READ MORE: Avril Lavigne – ‘Head Above Water’ review

During a recent conversation on the bassist’s Apple Music Hits show, After School Radio, the Canadian singer-songwriter said: “I was really excited to work with you. I mean, to be honest, you’re one of my favourite artists.”

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Lavigne continued: “[1997 Blink album] ‘Dude Ranch’ and ‘Enema Of The State’ [1999] … those were the records I was listening to in high school, and as a teenager and I feel like they were really impactful on me as I was coming into my own musical identity.

The ‘Sk8er Boi’ artist went on to say that the pair worked on ‘All I Wanted’ together remotely “over Zoom, which was different”.

“I mean, I was so excited and I was really impressed with how efficient you are in the studio,” she recalled. “You write, you record yourself, you can engineer, you sing, you’re playing.

“And so having you on the album is a huge honour for me. So I’m really excited about our collaboration.”

Set for release via Travis Barker‘s label DTA Records, ‘Love Sux’ will see Lavigne return to her pop-punk roots. The record also features contributions from Machine Gun Kelly (on ‘Bois Lie’) and Blackbear (‘Love It When You Hate Me’).

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Elsewhere in her chat with Hoppus, the musician said it’s “a type of album I’ve wanted to make for a long time” as well as being her “most alternative record sonically”.

“My last album [2019’s ‘Head Above Water’] was very introspective and deep and this one is just rocking all the way through,” Lavigne explained. “And I’m really excited to take this out and play these songs live.”

Avril Lavigne will showcase ‘Love Sux’ during a trio of UK headline shows in March. The dates come as part of a wider European tour, which kicks off next month. You can see the full UK schedule below.

MARCH 2022
25 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
27 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
28 – London, O2 Academy Brixton
29 – London, O2 Academy Brixton

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Grandma covers Blink-182 and challenges Travis Barker to drum battle

Drumming grandma Dorothea Taylor has shared her latest cover and challenged Travis Barker to a drum battle.

  • READ MORE: jxdn  – “Working with Travis Barker is like winning the lottery”

Taylor, a private drum instructor who’s been playing for 58 years, has covered Blink-182‘s 1999 single ‘What’s My Age Again?’, taking on Barker’s incorporation of drum “rudiments” in pop-punk music.

“You’re never too old, and you’re never too young, to start playing drums,” Taylor says at the end of her performance in a recorded clip, which you can watch below.

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“You probably never would have expected someone like me to play along to Blink. I’ve learned my rudiments over the years and was able to incorporate and understand what Travis was playing.

“So, Travis Barker, are you watching? How about a drum battle?!”

Taylor, who’s nicknamed “The Godmother of Drumming”, made headlines last year for going viral on TikTok with 21 million views clocked at the time for a lesson on how to play doubles.

She first enjoyed viral fame in January 2020 with a drum cover of Disturbed‘s classic track ‘Down With The Sickness’, which has now registered over 15million hits on YouTube. Taylor’s popularity grew further when she shared a rendition of Paramore’s ‘Ain’t It Fun’.

Retweeting the latter cover in approval, frontwoman Hayley Williams wrote: “Love her, she’s a badass.”

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Meanwhile, in Barker news, the Blink-182 drummer recently covered of Adele’s hit single ‘Easy On Me’. In a video posted to his Instagram page, Barker drummed along to the track, adding complex fills and a rock edge to it. Surging guitars can also be heard on the new version.

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Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge on their favourite Blink-182 albums

Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge have spoken about their favourite Blink-182 albums, while revealing that their friendship is based on a shared appreciation of “dick jokes”.

The former bandmates appeared together on the latest episode of Hoppus’ Apple Music 1 show After School Radio, which was dubbed The Mark And Tom Show.

  • READ MORE: NSFW! Blink-182’s rudest ever lyrics

At one point in the conversation Hoppus asked DeLonge to name his favourite Blink record. “That’s a really good question. God, there’s so many great things about all of them,” he replied.

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“I really like, obviously the ‘Untitled’ album [2003] in the sense of the exploration musically that we did there. But I also got to say, when we did ‘Enema [Of The State’, 1999], it was like, I knew that we were doing something in the moment that hasn’t been done before.”

He continued: “But I also feel like, you go back to when you wrote [1997 single] ‘Dammit’ I remember I felt I went through a college course on songwriting. I never really thought of a song as such a simple structure, and it really informed a lot of decisions made later.”

Hoppus went on to ask DeLonge about their longstanding friendship, and why they are able to “pick up like nothing ever happened” after not speaking for long periods.

“Because we appreciate dick jokes in a way that no one else does,” DeLonge replied. “It boils down to only that, there is nothing else. It’s that, in my opinion.”

Hoppus responded: “I think so, because the first time that we met, I think it was dick jokes from the beginning in your garage.”

Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge back in 2010. CREDIT: Getty
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DeLonge explained that this form of humour was their “dialogue” and “language”. Hoppus replied: “It’s a shorthand. It’s a shorthand we have with each other.”

The conversation comes after DeLonge recently provided an update on Hoppus’ health, with the bassist announcing in June that he was undergoing treatment for cancer. (He was diagnosed with 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the same form of cancer his mother recovered from).

Sharing a throwback image of the pair on Instagram last week, the Angels & Airwaves frontman said Hoppus was currently “doing well” and that the cancer was “disappearing”.

“But, he still has more chemo to do,” he added. “As tough as it is, IT IS working! Mark is a real life superhero.”

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Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus gives health update: “The chemo is working!”

Mark Hoppus has provided fans with a promising update about his health.

Last Sunday (July 11) the Blink-182 bassist/vocalist, who revealed his cancer diagnosis last month, said he was about to take a test “that may very well determine if I live or die“.

Today (July 19) he gave fans the good news that chemotherapy for his 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma seems to be working.

“Scans indicate that the chemo is working! I still have months of treatment ahead, but it’s the best possible news. I’m so grateful and confused and also sick from last week’s chemo. But the poison the doctors pump into me and the kind thoughts and wishes of people around me are destroying this cancer,” he wrote online.

As Consequence Of Sound notes, the cancer he has is the same type that his mother recovered from.

“I’m going to beat this through chemotherapy or through bone marrow transplants, but either way I’m determined to kick cancer’s ass directly in the nuts. Love to you all. Let’s. Heckin. Go,” he wrote in a separate message shared earlier in July.

Fellow musicians including his Simple Creatures bandmate Alex Gaskarth (also of All Time Low) and members of A Day To Remember, Of Mice & Men and Good Charlotte have voiced their support. Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge have also made statements issuing their support for their Blink-182 bandmate.

Meanwhile, Barker recently confirmed that Blink are likely to release a new album at some point in 2021, with the follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed ‘Nine‘ set to feature Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell.

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Jxdn reveals he was going to sample a different Blink-182 song on ‘A Wasted Year’

Jxdn has revealed he was originally going to sample a different Blink-182 song on his recent track ‘A Wasted Year’.

  • READ MORE: Five things we learned from our ‘In Conversation’ video chat with Jxdn

Taken from the TikTok star’s debut LP, ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’, which was released last Friday (July 2), the new song is produced by Blink drummer Travis Barker and features a sample of the band’s 2003 track ‘Feeling This’.

Speaking in a new interview, Jxdn discussed the creation of ‘A Wasted Year’ and how it was Barker who came to him with the idea to reinterpret the pop-punk classic.

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Jxdn told the Zach Sang Show: “It’s my favourite song on the album, besides ‘Wanna Be’ and ‘Tell Me About Tomorrow’ – those two really stick to me really deep down; one makes me cry, and the other one just is such an honour because I’m with Kells [Machine Gun Kelly].

“‘A Wasted Year’ is my favourite song. The funny thing about that song is it was gonna be an ​‘interpretation’ of a different song of [Blink’s], and we did it, and it ended up not working out, so we put it on that one and it was much better. I love it; it’s so funny!”

He added: “Travis and them came to me and was like, ​’Yo, we should make this.’ I didn’t write that chorus or anything.”

Asked whether he quizzed Barker on why he wanted him to sample a Blink track, Jxdn joked: “When he explains things… I wish I could do it like him, but no-one really can! He’s just so charming and convincing about it.”

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He continued: “I don’t even know how he brought it to me. He was just like, ​’You wanna do this?’ and I was like, ​’Yeah, of course.’ You know what I mean? It seemed like the craziest thing – and it was. He was right. That’s why I always trust him. He could say anything and I’d do it, pretty much!”

You can watch the interview below:

Meanwhile, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus has shared with fans news of his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

The bassist made the announcement on Twitter last month (June 23), saying: “For the past three months I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.”

“It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and friends to get me through this,” Hoppus continued in his tweet.

“I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive. Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the near future. Love to you all.”

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Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus confirms cancer diagnosis: “I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive”

Mark Hoppus, best known as the bassist and vocalist of Blink-182, has shared with fans news of his cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.

He made the announcement on Twitter this afternoon (June 23), saying: “For the past three months I’ve been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.”

At the time of writing, Hoppus, age 49, has not confirmed which type of cancer he has been diagnosed with, nor at which stage he was diagnosed.

“It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and friends to get me through this,” Hoppus continued in his tweet.

“I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive. Can’t wait to be cancer free and see you all at a concert in the near future. Love to you all.”

Many of Hoppus’ friends and fans have shared support for his recovery, including his Simple Creatures bandmate Alex Gaskarth (also of All Time Low) and members of A Day To Remember, Of Mice & Men and Good Charlotte.

The news comes after Hoppus initially appeared to reveal his diagnosis via Instagram. The musician posted a photo of himself in what appears to be a doctor’s office surrounded by medical equipment, captioned: “Yes hello. One cancer treatment, please.”

Hoppus has since deleted the post, but you can see a screenshot of it shared by a concerned fan below.

Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker recently confirmed that the band are likely to release a new album at some point in 2021, with the follow-up to 2019’s acclaimed ‘Nine‘ set to feature Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell.

Hoppus released the ‘Strange Love’ and ‘Everything Opposite’ EPs with Simple Creatures back in 2019, while Gaskarth revealed last year that he and Hoppus had been working on more new material together throughout lockdown.

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Blink-182’s Travis Barker says 2008 plane crash made him quit prescription drugs: “It was my rehab”

Blink-182‘s Travis Barker has opened up on the emotional impact of the plane crash which nearly claimed his life in 2008, including how it led him to quit taking prescription drugs.

The drummer and close friend DJ AM were travelling back from a performance in South Carolina when their plane’s tires blew during takeoff.

The plane was engulfed by flames after skidding across a highway, killing the two pilots, Barker’s assistant Chris Baker and security guard Chris ‘Che’ Still.

Barker suffered third degree burns on 65% of his body and spent three months in hospital for 26 surgeries, while DJ AM died from a drug overdose a year after the accident.

Discussing the lasting emotional toll of the incident, he told Men’s Health: “I was dark. I couldn’t walk down the street. If I saw a plane [in the sky], I was determined it was going to crash, and I just didn’t want to see it.

Prior to the crash, Barker explained, he used to smoke an “excessive amount of weed” and was addicted to painkillers, to the extent where he developed osteoporosis.

Blink-182
Blink-182’s new EP should be out by the end of the summer, says Travis Barker. CREDIT: Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

When he left hospital after the crash, he immediately flushed the drugs down the toilet.

“People are always like, ‘Did you go to rehab?’ And I [say], ‘No, I was in a plane crash.’ That was my rehab,” said Barker.

“Lose three of your friends and almost die? That was my wake-up call. If I wasn’t in a crash, I would have probably never quit.”

Opening up on the lasting emotional toll of the incident, he added: ” The closer I was to it, it felt like I was closer to the bad stuff than I am to the good stuff. I felt closer to the experience of trying to escape, [to] being in an accident and being burned, trying to grab my friends from a burning plane. That haunted me for a long time.”

In the 12 years since the crash, Barker has never boarded a plane again, but still hopes he will overcome his fears.

“If I do it, and the angels above help me in my travels and keep me safe, I would like to come back and [tell my kids], ‘Hey, I just flew here, and then I flew home. And everything was fine’”,”

“I have to tell them, because I almost left them. That’s a perfect day.”

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Florida Rapper Blink Announces Post Covid-19 Clubbing Plans With “Wanna Party”(Official Music Video)

American rapper-songwriter Blink just dropped a debut Hip-Hop song, “Wanna Party,” alongside a groovy music video. His soothing vocal flow and partying-vibe come together with swag for an outstanding sonic result. Known for his quick abilities as a Football player in University, Blink is much more on the slow and flowing side in his music. 

The Orlando, Florida rapper’s specialty; that chilling, steezy, player type of music vibes. With all the social distancing rules taking over everybody’s lives, “Wanna Party” is a refreshing hit preparing the post-covid-19 partying mode. Encouraging everyone to be themselves while making sure to live life to its fullest, Blink’s empowering message is everything we need this year, while we keep him on our radar to catch his next drop. 

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Tom DeLonge’s Boomer character from Blink-182’s ‘First Date’ video is getting its own doll

Tom DeLonge has announced that he’s releasing a talking doll based on his Boomer character from Blink-182’s ‘First Date’ video.

  • Read more: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The band’s former frontman took to Instagram yesterday (March 4) to share a clip of the limited-edition doll which will be released by DeLonge’s own To The Stars company. It is described as “10 inches of pure Cali vibes” and comes with “detachable beer and skate accessories”.

“Squeeze his beer belly for a variety of dumb audio clips that could only come from the premiere idiot savant,” the plushie doll’s description reads. ​”Made from recycled stuffing. Available for advanced pre-order only. We will only produce the amount for pre-orders placed by March 18.”

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Boomer will be shipped in ​”mid-late June”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Official Tom DeLonge (@tomdelonge)

Last year, DeLonge, now the frontman of Angels & Airwaves, talked to 91X San Diego’s Marty and Danielle about the famous Boomer ​’what the fuck’ GIF that has become a popular meme in recent years.

“It’s the best thing ever! I love it,” he said. “There’s that one where they merged it with The Simpsons guy where he disappears into the hedge, they have one where they put the glasses on and it looks like The Matrix… I think it’s so funny.

“[The ‘First Date] video] came from watching a documentary on the Bee Gees. I called up Mark [Hoppus, bass], like, ​’Dude, you’ve gotta watch this shit! These dudes are on top of a mountain with full hair, singing face to face with the sunset behind them.'”

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Meanwhile, DeLonge has been teasing a new Angels and Airwaves album via his Instagram account.

Having released a string of singles – ‘All That’s Left Is Love’, Rebel Girl’ and ‘Kiss & Tell’ – DeLonge revealed last month (February 1) that the band were back in the studio working on their long-awaited sixth LP.

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Blink-182’s new album to feature Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell

Blink-182 are “slowly finishing up” their new album, which will feature Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell.

  • READ MORE: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

According to drummer Travis Barker, the follow-up to the band’s 2019 album ‘NINE’ features those acts anf is “60 per cent done,” after he confirmed last month that the album would arrive in 2021.

“There’s a lot of cool stuff,” Barker said of the new album while appearing alongside Trippie Redd on the Rock This podcast with Allison Hagendorf.

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Earlier this month, Barker executive produced Trippie Redd’s new rock-influenced album ‘Neon Shark vs. Pegasus’.

​Going on to discuss the album’s collaborations, he said: “There’s like a song with Grimes right now that’s really, really cool that I love. There’s a song with Uzi that’s really, really cool that we did with Pharrell.”

Expanding on the sound of the new album, Barker said: “I mean, it’s not like Blink’s making a rap song or anything. It’s like bringing Uzi over to our world. So it’s more of a punk kind of like reggae feeling song.

“I don’t think Blink will ever be anything but a pop-punk band,” he continues. ​“I mean, that’s who we are. And I feel like our fans have kind of journeyed with us when we’ve done songs like ‘Miss You’ or ballads like ‘Adam’s Song’.

“But, like, we’re never going to veer too far off from what we are – like, I’m like a punk kid at heart, you know what I mean?

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“Whether it’s like pop-punk with Blink or whatever with [Machine Gun Kelly] or whatever with Trippie, that’s where my heart’s at. Like, I was raised on rap music and punk rock music. It’s kind of all I know…”

As well as appearing on the forthcoming Blink album, Grimes and Lil Uzi Vert said this month that they are “making hits” together. Back in late 2019, Grimes revealed that she had produced an EP for the rapper but he “never downloaded” the WeTransfer file.

Among the pair’s other moves is an outlandish plan to get “brain chips” together. The bizarre pledge came about over the weekend when Lil Uzi tweeted “Neuralink” – a reference to Elon Musk’s start-up firm that aims to develop implant a computer interface in the human brain to provide long-term treatment for neurological conditions such as dementia.

“Let’s get brain chips,” Grimes replied, prompting Lil Uzi to agree: “I’m ready when we doing it?”

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Travis Barker confirms new Blink-182 album is on the way in 2021

Travis Barker appears to have confirmed that Blink-182 are planning on releasing a new album in 2021.

The band’s last album, ‘Nine’, arrived in September 2019, three years on from July 2016’s ‘California’. The trio also released the stand-alone single ‘Quarantine’ last year.

  • Read more: Watch Blink’s Mark Hoppus and All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth – collectively Simple Creatures – go head-to-head on camera

New Blink music was promised back in July as their producer John Feldmann revealed that the band were “getting in touch with their roots” and working on songs which “have been super classic Blink – and I can’t be more excited”.

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As Kerrang! notes, one commenter on a photo that Barker uploaded to Instagram earlier this week (see below) asked the Blink drummer if there are ​“any new Blink-182 albums dropping this year”.

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A post shared by travisbarker (@travisbarker)

Barker simply replied “YES” to the fan question.

In other Blink news, a brewery in Reading has created two Blink-182-inspired beers.

The independent Phantom Brewery Co. have made ‘Feeling This’, a pale ale using Columbus and Cascade hops which is dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic, and ‘Online Songs’, which is described as a “soft, modern, hop-forward IPA” boasting tropical fruit and blood orange notes.

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Meanwhile, Barker is also working on new music with Machine Gun Kelly.

The drummer has teamed up with the Ohio rapper on a number of occasions in the past, and contributed to and executively produced MGK’s recent “pop-punk” album ‘Tickets To My Downfall’.

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KennyHoopla and Blink-182’s Travis Barker team up for new song ‘ESTELLA//’

KennyHoopla and Travis Barker have collaborated on a new track called ‘ESTELLA//’.

  • Read more: Meet KennyHoopla, the Wisconsin shape-shifter repurposing indie bangers for the 2020s

The punchy pop-punk song, featuring Barker as ever behind the kit, clocks in at under two minutes.

KennyHoopla, whose real name is Kenneth La’ron, released his EP ‘how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?’ earlier this year.

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The new song is Barker’s latest collaboration in a busy 2020 for the Blink-182 drummer. Back in August, he teamed up with regular collaborator Machine Gun Kelly on new song ‘Concert For Aliens’, going on to perform with Kelly and rapper Blackbear for a performance at the MTV VMAs.

Travis Barker of Blink 182 performs during the Live 105 BFD at Concord Pavilion on May 13, 2018 in Concord, California

He also joined Machine Gun Kelly for two livestreamed shows at famed Los Angeles venue the Roxy in October, having served as executive producer on Kelly’s recent album ‘Tickets To My Downfall’.

NME interviewed KennyHoopla back in April. The Wisconsin-based artist said of ‘how will i rest in peace if i’m buried by a highway?’: “I wanted to make an introduction to myself. I’m sure I’m all over the place and people won’t understand it for a long time, but it’s an introduction to my world. It makes me able to manoeuvre like that in the future. I wanted to set that foreground.

“Sorry, I might sound dumb but I’m trying to capture the feeling of being in love for the first time. It’s a nostalgia in itself. It’s not necessarily me trying to go back, but instead making a new [nostalgia], which is living in the moment. I’m not trying to redefine a genre or a sound – I’m trying to redefine myself through the music. And that’s what creates nostalgia, having a new story and a new mind.”

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A brewery in Reading has made two Blink-182-inspired beers

A brewery in Reading has made two beers inspired by a pair of Blink-182’s classic songs.

The independent Phantom Brewery Co also took inspiration from the band’s past albums for the cans housing the alcohol.

  • Read more: Blink-182 – ‘Nine’ review: the spiritual follow-up to the classic ‘Untitled’

The two beers include ‘Feeling This’, which is a pale ale using Columbus and Cascade hops, and dry hopped with Citra and Mosaic. The can is designed in turquoise, white and pink to mirror the artwork of the group’s 2003 ‘Untitled’ album.

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‘Online Songs’, meanwhile, is described as a “soft, modern, hop-forward IPA”, boasting tropical fruit and blood orange notes. Its can is inspired by the artwork for the classic 2001 album ‘Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’. See the cans below now.

Last month, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus confirmed the inspiration behind the opening riff to their hit song ‘What’s My Age Again?’.

Speaking to Less Than Jake’s Chris Demakes on his podcast, Hoppus said: “There’s a Green Day song called ‘J.A.R.’ on the [1995 film] Angus soundtrack, and it starts off with this bass intro that’s really rad,” Hoppus said. “I was messing around on the guitar trying to learn that. I kinda messed up the progression and I played it incorrectly, and I was like: ‘Oh, that’s kinda cool…’”

Hoppus was among a number of stars to be given their own Apple Music radio shows in summer. He joined the likes of Snoop Dogg, Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain and more in joining the global digital station.

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Father John Misty Mahashmashana

Is this the end for our plucky hero Josh Tillman? Since Father John Misty’s era-skewering classic Pure Comedy, Tillman has trampolined between stripped-back (God’s Favorite Customer) and lush orchestration (Chloë And The Next 20th Century), without quite nailing the landing either time. Both were good, often great, albums, but ones that seemed a little too in thrall to concept – concepts that Tillman didn’t explain to anybody as he has largely refrained from doing interviews for the past six years.

THE REVIEW OF 2024, NICK CAVE, ALICE COLTRANE, ELVIS COSTELLO, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, CASSANDRA JENKINS AND MORE STAR IN THE NEW UNCUT – ORDER A COPY HERE!

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That’s a shame, as Tillman is smart, engaging and funny, more than capable of articulating his position and exploring the vulnerabilities he hides behind black humour. But it meant that nobody could really get a handle on the over-arching conceit of Chloea series of hallucinations that acted as sardonic commentary on the role of the love song in late-stage capitalism, set against a musical backdrop of ’50s Hollywood orchestration. That’s a very Father John Misty concept, one that only Josh Tillman could have come up with.

And what of Mahashmashana? This is another set of brilliant, beautiful, occasionally frustrating songs themed around ideas of ending and death. In Hindu tradition, a “shmashana” is where a body is brought for last rites and cremation. Maha means great in Sanskrit, making a mahashmashanaa large burial ground. In some terse notes for the album, we are told, via Dylan, that “after a decade being born, Josh Tillman is finally busy dying”. Is Tillman burying Father John Misty, or at least aspects of his music?

That seems unlikely, but it’s fun to explore. “It’s always the darkest right before the end”, Tillman sings on “Screamland”, a song that’s very dark indeed. It has classic Father John Misty themes of love, identity, faith and deception but a very different sound, with droning verses that give way to huge, heavily produced and compressed choruses. A more typical approach to the epic can be heard on the opening number, the title trick, a rich, languorous masterpiece that draws on early Scott Walker and Harry Nilsson without ever stepping into parody.

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If there’s a musical theme to Mahashmashana, it’s as if Tillman was collating the best aspects of his previous albums in one place, piecing them together like an anthology or portmanteau or even a sort of sonic eulogy. “Mental Health” is a throwback to the Hollywood glamour of Chloë And The Next 20th Century. That means melodramatic strings that provide a deliberately absurd juxtaposition for the chorus of “mental health, mental health”. The song features one of the album’s many great couplets, a shot across the bows of detractors – “the one regret that’s really tough/Is knowing that I didn’t go far enough”.

On “Josh Tillman And The Accidental Dose”, he’s back to the self-referential wit of Pure Comedy and I Love You, Honeybear. The song is a dark and queasy romp with a classic opening line “She put on Astral Weeks/Said ‘I love jazz’ and winked at me”. There are fascists and publicists – as there often are in Tillman songs – and it ends with a sad ice cream. Musical flourishes emphasise the punchlines.

Being You”, one of Tillman’s many songs about acting, has some of the sparse quality of God’s Favorite Customer, albeit with an electronic backdrop. The outstanding “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All” – which originally appeared on 2024 compilation, Greatish Hits – is rambling Dylanesque that recalls Fear Fun’s freewheeling dark humour. Then there’s “Cleaning Up”, a taut funk-blues with Tillman rapping rather than crooning. “I know just how this thing ends”, he sings with nods to Scarlett Johansen in Under The Skin, Leonard Cohen and much else besides. Amusingly, The Viagra Boys get a co-writing credit. There’s another blink-and-miss-it reference to Under The Skin on “Being You”, and it can occasionally feel as if you are trapped in the sonic equivalent of a movie by Quentin Tarantino or the Coen Brothers, a hyperreal world built from original borrowings and head-spinning allusions. That can make it seem a bit like homework, a set of clever traps designed to trip the guileless.

But boy, can he sing. Tillman is an outstanding vocalist, a master of phrasing and inflection, whether he’s holding together the dramatic final bars of “Mahashmashana” against a backdrop of atomic sax, spitting bars on “She Cleans Up”, embracing the corn of “Mental Health” or crooning the happy-sad closing number “Summer’s Gone”. Sometimes his skill as a musician gets overshadowed by his lyrical brilliance, which might be why Tillman was eager to perform the songs of Scott Walker with the BBC orchestra at the Barbican in 2023. Before the show, he admitted he was worried that if the concert is release as a live album it will be subsumed by the Father John Misty brand that he has created. So maybe he’s ready for a change?

If he is, there’s no big reveal on Mahashmashana, but it’s interesting that the final track, “Summer’s Gone”, another song about endings, contains several references to “Fun Times In Babylon”, the first song on Fear Fun. That song ended with the immortal war cry “Look out Hollywood, here I come”, and “Summer’s Gone” delivers the sad reality, as the narrator, now “a lecherous old windbag”, drives around a city he no longer recognises and ponders what lies ahead. “Time can’t touch me”, he sings at the close, and you can’t tell that if that is a lament, a promise or a threat.

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Fyre Festival 2 “confirmed” for 2025, has yet to book any artists

Fyre Festival’s return has been confirmed by founder Billy McFarland – see what he had to say for the 2025 event below.

The infamously botched Fyre Festival seems to be moving forward for a second round according to disgraced founder McFarland, who has claimed in a new interview with NBC News that it is locked in to return in April 2025.

According to McFarland, Fyre Festival 2 “is happening April 25, 2025, so we’re seven and a half months away. We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company who’s handling everything from soup to nuts.”

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Billy McFarland did not name the island where the festival is said to be taking place, but noted that his team is “developing and building out the private island for the actual festival festivities.” He also claims to have hired a festival production company to “handle the stages and the bathrooms and all the stuff that I clearly don’t know how to do.”

As for the musical acts set to play at Fyre Festival 2, no talent has been booked yet, per McFarland. The original Fyre Festival in 2017 was reportedly set to include performances from Blink-182, Major Lazer, Disclosure, Migos, Pusha T, Tyga and more.

McFarland also told NBC NewsToday that music won’t be the core focus of Fyre Festival 2. It will also include other forms of “entertainment”: “It’s not going to be just music — for example, karate combat. We’re in talks with them to set up a pit to have, like, live fights at Fyre Festival 2.”

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Billy McFarland
Billy McFarland is seen on July 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California (CREDIT: jfizzy/Star Max/GC Images)

Another focus of the 2025 festival will be off-island experiences: “It’s not about 10,000 people staring at a stage with their hands in the air. It’s about getting on a plane with six people — two might be your friends, three might be people you met that morning — and going and exploring an island or a beach or a reef that you didn’t even know existed until you got in the airplane.”

For Fyre Festival 2, McFarland hopes to draw in 3,000 people for the three-day eventTicket prices will range from USD$1,400 on the low end to $1.1million for the most expensive festival package, which will reportedly include luxury yachts, scuba diving and island hopping.

In August last year, pre-sale tickets to Fyre Festival 2 sold out despite the fact that the festival has no line-up, venue, or dates fixed for the event.

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First developed by McFarland seven years ago, the botched festival Fyre Fest was originally set to run over two weekends on a private beach in the Bahamas but was revealed to be fraudulent once punters arrived on the scene, with inadequate conditions and a lack of food and water. The debacle was then captured in the now-iconic Netflix documentary FYRE.

McFarland was released from prison in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud.

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Pendulum perform ‘Tarantula’ for “the last time” at Reading & Leeds 2024

Pendulum have performed their hit song ‘Tarantula’ for the last time at this year’s Reading & Leeds festival.

The rave-rock icons broke out the track at Reading seemingly for the last time during the third and final day of the festival, when they took to the main stage this afternoon (Sunday August 25).

After opening with new track ‘Napalm’, which they shared earlier this week featuring Joey Valance and Brae, the band ripped through classics and fan favourites ‘Propane Nightmares’, ‘Come Alive’, ‘Nothing For Free’ and more, before introducing the track as the penultimate song of the set.

“This is the last time we’re ever going to play this song,” frontman Rob Swire told the audience before launching into the hit. “We’ve played it for 16 years… it’s time to put it to bed.”

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Elsewhere in the set, Swire and co. also shared their support for Reneé Rapp, who had her set on the main stage cut short due to a technical issue, before ending with a performance of their 2010 hit ‘Watercolour’.

The performance at this year’s Reading & Leeds comes shortly after the band spoke to NME about their latest single, and revealed that they were initially pushed by their label to make a song that centred more on drum’n’bass.

Pendulum perform live ar Reading 2024. CREDIT: Andy Ford for NME
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“The label pretty much came to us saying, ‘Make some more drum’n’bass. As you know, I’ve got a weird relationship with that! We decided to go in and make it as heavy as possible, rather than make something that would fit into DnB sets. We wanted to make it our own way,” Swire said.

Looking forward, he added: “I want to take it much heavier. I know drum ‘n’ bass is having a moment again and we keep getting every Tom, Dick and Harry across our entire work team being like, ‘You guys have to get in on this and start making some DnB that fits in Hedex’s set’, but it’s just the last thing I want to fucking do.

“I feel most comfortable when we’re in between worlds. As soon as it goes too metal or too DnB, then I start to feel weird about it. The middle of that ground is the perfect zone for us. I want to take it much heavier if we can.”

R&L 2024 kicked off on Friday (August 23) and has seen headline sets so far from Blink-182, Lana Del Rey and Fred Again.., with Liam Gallagher set to close the Reading main stage tonight.

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Meanwhile, in Leeds, Storm Lilian brought “extreme weather” conditions to the festival site, forcing the cancellation of multiple sets on the first day of the event. The BBC Radio 1 and Aux stages were deemed too unsafe to be used at all this weekend by the festival’s health and safety team.

Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Reading and Leeds 2024.

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Reading 2024: Here’s what went down at Fred again..’s headline set

Fred again.. headlined Reading Festival tonight (August 24). Check out his full setlist, and a re-cap of his performance below.

The producer, real name Fred Gibson, was the final act to play on the main stage tonight, following Lana Del Rey’s set. He’ll play Leeds tomorrow (August 25) at 9:35pm.

Fred again.. began his set, while hovering over the crowd on a B-stage, playing ‘Turn On the Lights again..’, his 2022 track with Swedish House Mafia and Future. He then ran to the main stage to play ‘Danielle (smile on my face).

Notably, the producer wore a Fontaines D.C. t-shirt for his performance. Earlier in the day he’d shared an Instagram story of him watching their main stage set.

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It was clearly a sentimental occasion for him. “Oh shit, I’m nervous okay,” he said as the first bars of ‘Adore U’ began to play. “I wanna say I know exactly how you’re feeling ’cause this was my first festival when I was 16. I remember this shit so clearly,” he said.

Later, he led the crowd in a sing-a-long of an unreleased track, built around a sample of Nicole Wray’s ‘Piece Of Me’ “I’ll let you take a piece of me / I hope you get the peace you need,” he sang.

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The entire set took place across three stages, and saw him journey through fan favourites like ‘Jungle’, ‘Clara (the night is dark)’ and ”leavemealone’. You can find the full setlist below.

Fred Again..
Fred Again.. – CREDIT: Press

Prior to taking to the stage, Fred had shared a video montage of his time attending Reading as a punter during his teenage years, alongside a new song sampling Jamie T‘s ‘Hippodrome’.

In an Instagram caption, he wrote: “for me and i feel like sooooo many of us this was our first festival experience. like i feel like we ALL know EXACTLY what the feeling of that festival is!!

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“ive been looking through some photos wit friends and i remember sitting in our campsite with warm tinnies at the end of one of the nights listening to jamie t. fuck hes so good innit.”

However, he made it clear the song isn’t for his upcoming album ‘Ten Days’, announced earlier this month and due for release September 6, writing: “no idea what its for cos it sounds nothing like my album but it sounds like how i feel right now.”

Fred again..’s Reading Festival 2024 setlist was:

‘Turn On the Lights again..’
‘Danielle (smile on my face)’
‘Adore u’
‘places to be’
‘Sabrina (i am a party)’
‘leavemealone’
‘Piece of me / Peace you need’ (Unreleased song)
‘Berwyn (all that i got is you)’
‘Jungle’
‘Rumble’
‘Angie (i’ve been lost)’
‘Clara (the night is dark)’
‘Marea (we’ve lost dancing)’
‘Billie (loving arms)’
‘Delilah (pull me out of this)’

Fred announced a new album, ‘Ten Days’ earlier this month, and it’s set to arrive on September 6. Comprising 10 tracks, it will include ‘Adore You’ with Obongjayar‘Ten’ with Jozzy and Jim Legxacy, and ‘Places To Be’ with Anderson .Paak and CHIKA.

Reading & Leeds Festivals 2024 kicked off yesterday (August 23) at their usual sites of Richfield Avenue (Reading) and Bramham Park (Leeds) – see here for how you can follow along at home on BBC iPlayer and elsewhere if you were not able to secure a ticket.

The festival boasts Fred Again..Lana Del ReyLiam GallagherCatfish And The BottlemenBlink-182 and Gerry Cinnamon as its six headliners this year.

Raye, Spiritbox, Fontaines D.C.Reneé RappPendulumDenzel CurryKenny BeatsNia ArchivesTwo Door Cinema ClubNeck DeepThe WombatsRachel ChinouririHak BakerThe Last Dinner Party and more are also expected to play.

Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Reading and Leeds 2024.

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Teddy Swims tells us about the life-changing ‘Lose Control’ and “healed” new music at Reading Festival 2024

Each year at Reading, there’s at least one act that draws a crowd far beyond the capacity of the stage they’ve been assigned. Friday’s (August 23) Teddy Swims’ performance becomes the first of this year’s festival, a mammoth crowd turning up to the BBC Radio 1 Stage to catch the Atlanta singer-songwriter with thatNM booming, golden voice.

Shortly after finishing his set, Swims invites NME into his dressing room, handing out shots of Don Julio and sharing his excitement to catch some of Blink-182’s headlining set later. “I’m freaking out, man,” he grins. “I’m having a blast, I’m having the time of my life. We just did a little shooter and we’re ready to go, baby.”

He has plenty to be freaking out about, giving his astonishing ascent since releasing ‘Lose Control’ last year. The track gave Swims (real name Jaten Dimsdale) his big breakthrough moment – and has refused to stop growing since. Read on for NME’s chat with the star about that life-changing song, his surprise Reading train station performance, and an update on his “healed” new music.

NME: You drew a huge crowd today. How was the performance?

Teddy Swims: “That was beautiful, man. It was beautiful. This crowd is so beautiful. As far as I’ve been hearing, there’s a lot of kids get their exam things, and they come out here. You can see it – kids having their first liberating moments and stuff. It was a really beautiful thing to be a part of. And we’re done by, what, 6:15pm right now. So I mean, it’s also great – I get to spend the rest of the time just being a part of the culture. I’m really excited.”

It’s your first time at Reading, what does it mean to you to be performing here?

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“It means a lot, man, and Leeds tomorrow. It just means a lot. This is something that when we started the project, Teddy Swims, five years ago,  this meant a lot for us to come and and do this. This is a legendary, legendary place to be and legendary showcase to be in, and I’m super grateful.”

You got your weekend started early yesterday with a performance at Reading train station…

“It went really well. So I teamed up with Rockstar Energy, and they wanted to put a little situation at Reading train station. A lot of times we go and we do these shows, [but] we don’t get to really leave the venue and go experience a lot. So we always try to prioritise those tiny little things where there’s a piano in a local area. We just try to go over there and try to meet whoever we can and play for whoever we can and just see whoever is willing to listen to us. So that was a really, really cool thing to just have fun and hug on some necks and take some pictures. It was a really cool thing.”

Is it quite liberating to turn up to a performance like that, where people aren’t expecting to see Teddy Swims?

“It’s really cool to just see how many people are, either if they know me or not, just struck by the voice and look up. There’s always a thing that about when you do this for long enough, you sometimes forget about what you do to people when you speak honestly and you just sing well. I love to know that if I’m walking around a train station and I open my mouth, that people are still willing to be like, ‘Where the is that voice coming from?’

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“It’s always such a wonderful thing to see that people are moved by something that commands attention and to know that I have a thing that commands attention is always such a special thing to know and to reassure myself that I have. I’m grateful to hear my voice in that light and see people want to be like, ‘Oh my god, I know that voice’, or ‘that voice is moving me in a way – I gotta walk away from where I am, and I got to show up right there and see that voice’. It’s such a special power. It’s a superpower in a way that I forget sometimes.”

Teddy Swims
Teddy Swims CREDIT: Joseph Okpako/Wireimage

You’ve been commanding attention with your recent singles, including ‘Funeral’ from the Bose x NME C24 mixtape. You’ve described that song as both joyful and heartbreaking – why do you like mixing those two emotions in your music?

“Shout out to freaking Mikky Ekko, the greatest of all time of doing this and my best friend, my mentor, my hero, my uncle, my brother. When you’re going through trauma, and you’re going through trying to recreate and reprioritise in your brain what trauma means to you, it’s so wonderful to take something that really hurts you and turn it into something that is a celebration. I think a lot of people get to feel less alone and I get to feel less alone, and we all get to come together and find each other through celebrating some trauma that only we have together.

“It’s almost like an inside joke amongst friends. It might be about pain, but it’s like if we wouldn’t have gone through this, we wouldn’t have had this together. And so I get this lucky space to change some trauma I went through into being a success and into being a celebration. And isn’t that what you would want your trauma to resemble in your brain and to turn it around? It’s such a beautiful opportunity, and to make that a career is incredible.”

It’s been a little while since you released the album, ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’. You’ve been releasing new songs and had the extended edition, too. Is there more new music in the pipeline?

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“‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) is done. We have to button up some loose ends. I think it’s just about figuring out what songs there are and the configuration of where they go and where they belong. I think it’s going to be a whole lot more of me on the journey of my healing versus me just being in turmoil. So I think it’s gonna be a beautiful thing.”

Where’s the sound heading on these songs?

“It’s a little bit more all over the place than the last one was. But I do believe it’s a little bit more healed. It’s coming from more of a healed spot. So, you know, who cares what it sounds like? It sounds more healed.”

One song that’s worked for you is ‘Lose Control’. You said when you were writing that you knew it was going to change your life. What was it about the song that gave you that sense?

“The thing was, after we got it done, we knew it was going to change my life. I didn’t know it was going to change it like this. I didn’t know it was going to be this, but I knew it was going to work. But I think it was the first time that I felt honest. I was in a relationship at the time with somebody that I was running away from to be at that camp for a week. I was talking to [my collaborators] about stuff and they were trying to tell me to get out of this situation that was really rough for me.

“I knew it was something I needed to listen to from my own heart. Sometimes, your heart’s trying to tell you something, and then you’re not quite there for yourself. Every day, still, that song shows up and I play it, and the further I go into that song, the more I’m like, ‘I’ve been there for myself the whole time, but I just wasn’t there for myself’.

“[It’s so easy] to tell somebody the advice they need to hear, but also you suck at giving yourself that advice. That song was something I just listened to myself on after I got out of that. The more I listened to it, the more I was like, ‘Man, I really need to trust my gut and the people around me that are helping me write this’.”

‘Lose Control’ is nominated for a few VMAs, including Song Of The Year. What would it mean to you to win such a big award for a song that’s so honest and meaningful?

“It would mean a lot to win. But personally, I’ve gotten what I needed out of it. I think currently, right now, as VMAs go, I mean, [in the Best New Artist category with me], there’s [Sha]boozey, there’s Chappel Roan, there’s the sweetest love of my life, Benson Boone. I’d rather them take it home because it’s way better for life in general. They’re so beautiful to me, and I’m such a big fan. I’ve got what I wanted from it.

“This is a huge year for music. This is a massive year for music, man. This is a huge year for artists coming up and just to be one of the rookies amongst some of these huge rookies that are coming up, I’m OK. We got Tyla, we got Sexyy Red. There’s so many amazing artists coming up. I’m the back burner of that, but just to be mentioned, I’m OK. I don’t need anything from that. I’m just grateful to be here.”

Follow all of the action as it happens on the NME Reading & Leeds liveblog here.

Check back here for the latest news, reviews, photos, interview and more from Reading 2024.

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Tom Verlaine Warm And Cool / Songs And Other Things / Around

By the time Tom Verlaine stepped into the studio to record his first instrumental album, Warm And Cool [1992], he’d pretty much burned out on the endless cycle of record-release-tour dynamics that goes with life on a major label. Having played the game long enough, Verlaine had taken stock, and was keen to redraw the parameters of both his artistic and his everyday life. He’d long entertained a desire to record an instrumental collection, and there did seem to be something particularly appropriate about one of the most idiosyncratic and individual of guitar players going the instrumental route. For anyone who’d listened to the ecstatic flight of Verlaine’s bird-like guitar over the preceding two decades, Warm And Cool was no surprise; it was simply good to hear Verlaine in this new setting, one that so neatly suited his aesthetic.

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There were other things going on, of course. Warm And Cool was released in the same year as Television’s third, ‘comeback’ album. This self-titled set was received curiously; like everything Verlaine had done to this point, it suffered from living under the shadow of the band’s debut album, 1977’s Marquee Moon, by any measure an extraordinary rock album, and one that was already considered an iconic statement by critical and cultural consensus alike. Listening back, that third Television album works differently to what came before – as you’d expect, given the 14-year gap between it and its predecessor, Adventure – but it’s an album that doesn’t compromise, that doesn’t stint on great songs and playing, and that stands proud alongside Marquee Moon. It’s neither better nor worse, just different.

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Television gave listeners their fill of Verlaine in songwriting mode, and in that respect, it also felt an extension of his run of superlative solo albums through the ’80s. Warm And Cool was its other side. It also set Verlaine on a new path, one where his music could nestle tidily within numerous different contexts. While the most obvious line you can sketch from Warm And Cool is to its instrumental 2006 successor, Around, it also points toward Verlaine’s work in soundtracking, and his improvisatory guitar duos with the likes of Jimmy Rip, including their performances playing alongside screenings of early 20th-century experimental film. Warm And Cool opened doors to experiences that Verlaine would chase for decades to come, all while letting the Television machine play out in slow motion – the odd tour here and there; some inconclusive recording sessions for a fabled, and never released, fourth album.

For anyone who thinks Warm And Cool would be an ambient drift, a collection of meanders and longueurs, though, listening back, it’s surprising how spiky it is at times. Recorded across two sessions, taking two days altogether to track – though mostly done on one night – Warm And Cool is a masterpiece in threading, where Verlaine seems to be grabbing hold of a simple melody, or cluster of chords and notes, throwing them to his fellow musicians to see what they make of them, and then capturing the wild, sometimes flustered ride of the moment. It helps, of course, that those fellow musicians are excellent players – on almost the whole album, it’s Patrick Derivaz on bass and Television’s Billy Ficca on drums. A song like “Ore” sparks with incandescence, Verlaine’s guitar shard-like as Ficca accents Verlaine’s playing with rumbling, clattering drums, Derivaz leaving notes hanging.

It’s also a welcome reminder that Verlaine wasn’t influenced by guitarists so much as he was free jazz saxophonists – John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and suchlike – and it’s that logic he pursues across much of Warm And Cool (the only guitarist that really seems a considered influence on Verlaine might be Mike Bloomfield). Sometimes things get subdued – the following “Depot (1958)”, or the spiralling, flinty “Saucer Crash” – and occasionally Verlaine’s guitar threads notes, like hints, across analogue silence, laying a trail of blinking lights through a darkened studio. The gently swinging “Harley Quinn” sits outside the general mood of Warm And Cool – satellited in from another session, it features Fred Smith of Television on bass, and Jay Dee Daugherty from Patti Smith’s band on drums.

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It took Verlaine another 12 years to release Warm And Cool’s instrumental sequel, Around; on the same day in 2006, he also released Songs And Other Things, an album predominantly of vocal songs. Around seems lighter in the air than Warm And Cool, made up of a string of fleeting impressions, slippery statements for guitar. It’s rare for Verlaine’s music to sound like anyone else’s, but moments on Around recall the dustbowl laments of Neil Young’s Dead Man soundtrack, or the more stripped-back moments on Roy Montgomery’s albums – a similar psychic space is being explored here, perhaps.

Around was recorded across two days in December 1996, but Verlaine sat on the recordings for a decade. Ficca and Derivaz are in tow, again, though they are less present than on Warm And Cool – with Around, Verlaine fully embraced a less-is-more aesthetic, and the guitar playing here often shivers in its intimacy, its nakedness. But there’s also playfulness, as on the slow-mo highlife of “Meteor Beach”, where slide guitar and chiming riffs play against string scrape, and one of the most ridiculous muffled wah tones you’ll hear (it sounds like Verlaine was aiming for muted trumpet on the guitar).

Ficca and Derivaz also appear on Songs And Other Things, the album that is perhaps the real revelation of this reissue series. This was Verlaine’s first collection of songs since 1990’s underrated The Wonder; what’s particularly impressive about Songs And Other Things, though, is how convincing it sounds, how Verlaine seems to have reached a new level with his songwriting. The lyrics oscillate between suggestive poetry, evasive asides, chuckling character profiles and excerpts from unfilmed crime series – there’s a gaggle of different Verlaines in here, and they’re all wry and smart.

Most importantly, though, the songs are ecstatic things: from the simple, one-chord mantra of “The Day On You”, to the bleary-eyed, mystical waltz of “Blue Light”, and the elevated, rapturous bliss-out of “The Earth Is In The Sky”, the latter a virtual masterclass in Verlaine guitar playing too – spindly filigrees carved into the finely rendered sides of a glorious chord change that’s heaven-sent – Verlaine’s songs here are never less than lovely, and often mesmerising. The guitar across the album, too, feels particularly inspired, and the intimacy in the playing is so singular you feel you can hear Verlaine’s hands, fingers, nails, sinew, the blood pumping through veins: a masterclass in touch, a haptic listening experience.

In her liner notes to Sonic Youth’s 1993 reissue of Daydream Nation, artist and writer Jutta Koether quotes Verlaine, her life partner: “There are moments, rare on any record, where the wild searchings of the guitarists collide in what might be described as a ‘radiance’. It’s like being caught in the rapids, bumping off rocks, then going over the waterfall – and really liking it.” It’s a beautiful quote that sums up much of what made Verlaine’s guitar playing, both in interplay with Richard Lloyd and Jimmy Rip, and solo, so glorious and unpredictable. On these final three albums, Verlaine captured that radiance to its fullest, and unassumingly reached heightened states through the seemingly simple interface of one man and his guitar. It’s hallucinatory in effect – and revelatory.

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Margo Guryan Words And Music

During the last 10 or so years of her life, while Margo Guryan was working as a piano teacher, she was given several opportunities to reflect on a career in which her brilliance went unnoticed. There was no bitterness in Guryan’s responses; if anything, she evinced a sense of mild amusement that her demo recordings were being excavated decades after the release of her 1968 album, Take A Picture (once obscure, now hailed as a baroque masterpiece).

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If there was any blame to be attributed, it was Bob Dylan’s fault. Well, not Bob exactly, but his success. After Dylan, Guryan told one interviewer, the music industry changed from a model in which good singers could employ talented songwriters, to the situation in which the songwriter was supposed to be the singer too. This led to a glut of good singers with bad songs, and bad singers with good songs. For Guryan, a brilliant songwriter with limited confidence in the power of her voice, it was a recipe for obscurity.

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Guryan’s telling of her own story allows for one moment of ironic disappointment. She always imagined that if she could produce one hit single, everything would change. And there was a hit. Guryan’s song “Sunday Mornin’” was taken to number 30 in the US charts by sunshine pop act Spanky And Our Gang, and was also covered by Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell. “Spanky” McFarlane and her gang make a decent stab at it, bringing cool orchestration and glassy harmonies to Guryan’s ode to suburban romance. Gentry and Campbell’s attempt is more restrained; Campbell can’t match the sultriness of Gentry’s vocal. Guryan’s version sounds tribal by comparison. It has funky drums, and – just below the surface – explosive guitar. Then there’s Guryan herself. That voice, halfway between a whisper and a sigh; shy, reluctant, dominant, forever flirting with contradiction.

It sounds smooth, but Guryan’s career had two distinct phases. There was before Brian Wilson, and after. The afterlife begins when Guryan hears “God Only Knows”. After Brian, she starts to understand how to write pop. “I had finally figured out how to connect with a larger world,” she said.

But before? Before pop became interesting, Guryan was a creature of jazz. Not in a trivial way. A fan of Bach, she studied composition at Boston University where she fell under the influence of George Wein, who ran the Storyville club. This led to her playing intermission music at a concert by the Miles Davis Quintet (“Yeah, baby!” was Miles’s instant review). While at college she auditioned for Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records, and was signed as a writer and performer. She was encouraged to “sing out”, an instruction she was ill-equipped to obey. The main fruit of this liaison was the 1958 song “Moon Ride”, Guryan’s first commercial release, as recorded by Chris Connor. It’s an extraordinary song, a lunar escapade on “uneven cheese-coloured ground”. Guryan’s version has a sultry energy, but also displays her verbal skills, rhyming “law enforcers” with “flying saucers”.

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Guryan attended a three-week summer school under the supervision of Max Roach. She was in an ensemble with Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. From there, a career as a writer blossomed. The jazz influence on Guryan’s work isn’t hidden. It’s evident in the skittish drumming on “You Promised”, a song which pulls between Guryan’s playful piano and the understated vamping of her vocal. “The Morning After”, a bittersweet reflection on the moonbeams and daydreams of a mis-spent evening, goes further. The guilty footsteps of the tune clatter along; Guryan rhymes “sorrow” with “tomorrow”. But the power of Guryan’s recording comes from the absence of polish. Self-consciousness about the high notes, Guryan’s reluctance to sing out, adds uncertainty. This blue highway runs past Julie London towards Carole King, with the red taillights of Jane Birkin blinking mistily on the horizon.

As a songwriter, Guryan hoped that others would add their own seltzer. Jackie De Shannon’s playfully orchestrated version of “Think Of Rain” was her favourite, “because it was different”. The song was prompted by Guryan’s exposure to “God Only Knows” but the brilliance of her own version is its playful arrangement, a double-tracked vocal, and a lyric which exists in several different tenses at the same time. It’s a short song, a long sigh. Is it menacing, tender or guilty? All of that.

There is, over the course of these three LPs capturing Guryan’s entire career (including 16 previously unreleased demos), a hint of something you might call a formula. Guryan’s songs have jazz manners, riffing on romantic uncertainty. They flit between promise and regret, compliance and betrayal. Sunday mornings follow Saturday nights. She is a writer for all weathers. There is sunshine. There is rain. Is there menace in there too? Naturally. It is the peril of romance, the fear that follows hope, the verses that stalk vice. Listen to Margo Guryan on “It’s Alright Now” singing “everything will be OK tomorrow, when love is gone.” What sounds like a slow dance is actually a cobra hug of passive aggression. She means it, darling, but what does she mean?

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Read Bob Dylan’s set list for the Outlaw Festival

Bob Dylan opened his run of shows as part of this year’s Outlaw Festival last night (June 21) at the Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, in Alpharetta, Georgia.

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Dylan played a totally different set to the Rough And Rowdy Ways Tour. Jim Keltner joined the band on drums.

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Meanwhile, Willie Nelson will miss the first three dates of the touring festival on doctor’s orders. His son Lukas Nelson and the Family Band will perform a special set featuring some of his songs.

Here’s the set-list for Dylan, courtesy of Boblinks.

Alpharetta, Georgia
Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, June 21, 2024
1.My Babe (Bob on piano) (song by Little Walter)
2.Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ (Bob on piano)
3.Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on piano)
4.Little Queenie (Bob on piano) (song by Chuck Berry)
5.Mr. Blue (Bob on piano) (song written by DeWayne Blackwell)
6.Pay In Blood (Bob on piano)
7.Cold Cold Heart (Bob on piano) (song written by Hank Williams)
8.Early Roman Kings (Bob on piano)
9.Under The Red Sky (Bob on piano)
10.Things Have Changed (Bob on piano)
11.The Fool (Bob on piano) (song written by Naomi Ford and Lee Hazlewood)
12.Scarlet Town (Bob on piano)
13.Long and Wasted Years (Bob on piano)
Band Members
Bob Dylan – piano
Tony Garnier – electric and standup bass
Jim Keltner – drums
Bob Britt – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Doug Lancio – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
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Michael Lindsay-Hogg interviewed: “Let It Be was misunderstood”

With The Beatles’ Let It Be back on our screens – at last! after an absence of over 50 years, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg talks to Uncut about his memories of the original shoot, earlier attempts to bring it back into circulation and it’s relationship to Peter Jackson’s Get Back…

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“I feel so pleased it is coming out again. It has been 50 years and thank God some of the principles are still alive, including me. Peter Jackson’s Get Back was very influential in getting Let It Be reissued because Peter always saw Let It Be as the cherry on top of the cake. He thought it needed to be seen to complete the Beatles experience of that particular time.

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“When the film originally came out, it was collateral damage from the Beatles breaking up. When we shot the movie, edited the movie, made the rough cut and the final cut, there were four Beatles. We screened the movie to the band, and then we all went for a fancy dinner. There was a discotheque and we all went down and danced. This was November 1969 and everybody was very happy. But then, unbeknownst to everybody, a little earthquake went off at Apple. Let It Be was the next project, it was ready to go, but then it sat on the shelf as they were breaking up.

“When it was eventually released to fulfil the United Artist contact it came out a month after they broke up. None of them went to the London premiere or supported the film, and everybody who went to see it assumed it had been made as they were breaking up rather than more than a year before. That simply wasn’t true. It was minimised as a movie because of that whole experience.

“It played in cinemas in 1970, appeared on the BBC a couple of times and then Apple put it on VHS, but that quickly got pulled because of an issue around music licensing. The movie was withdrawn. When I asked Apple why it wasn’t re-released after that issue was settled, they told me it was because of the state of play in the Beatles. There was no appetite to release Let It Be.

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“This meant that the only way people could see it was bootlegs from the few BBC broadcasts, which tended to have very poor sound quality and really dark visuals. Not only was Let It Be misunderstood when it came out, when people did get the chance to see it, it looked shitty. Over the years that followed, I made videos with Wings and every so often I’d ask Paul about Let It Be. Paul would always say he’d like to see it come out, but nothing ever happened. Then after a while, every time he saw me there’d be a panicky look in his eyes.

“In the late 90s after Anthology, Apple made some in-house documentaries about the making of Let It Be. They wanted to do something but weren’t sure what. I was interviewed by Mark Lewisohn and it was so long ago I still had gelled hair. But the Beatles were all doing their own things and it never happened.

“Then Peter Jackson got involved. Apple said that Peter Jackson wanted to take a whack at re-editing the original footage and making a longer version of the movie. They were interested in how I’d feel about that, and worried I might throw a wobbly but I was thrilled. I had made this in 1969 and didn’t really want to go and look at it all myself. Peter and I had completely different briefs. When I made the film, I was planning to shoot a concert – the rehearsal footage was really meant to be a sort of trailer for the concert. Then when George left, part of his proviso when he came back was there should be no more talk about a TV special. He just wated to make an album. It suddenly became a different thing. We could have stopped filming after the concert idea was dropped but we kept going because I needed to figure out an ending for the movie and create something that could play in theatres. We eventually compromised with the rooftop concert.

“Peter had all this footage and spent three years working on it. He lost a year through Covid but that allowed him to make it for streaming rather than the cinema – so he made an eight-hour movie over three episodes. This was twice as long as Gone With The Wind. Get Back was amazing and won an Emmy but it was a different thing.

“While Peter was working on Get Back he was looking at the Let It Be footage and he was always very respectful. He’d ask questions, he’d send me clips and he’d ask about technical stuff and we’d talk about things I couldn’t do at the time. One example is the conversation between Paul and John about George round the table in the canteen. Back in 1969, there was tension brewing and Paul, John and I had lunch. I had a feeling something might come up so I put a mic in the flower pot. I left them and they had this conversation about George, but when I played it back later all I could hear was cutlery and plates clanging.

“Peter was able to isolate the conversation using his technology. He could also separate guitar and voice, which was really useful because guitar players are always strumming when they talk so you can’t hear anything. Pete sent me the audio clips of the Beatles talking without any of the other noises. He had developed this technology where we could hear these conversations for the first time.

“Peter has always liked Let It Be and seen it for what it is. He understands that Get Back and Let It Be are completely different movies, made for completely different reasons with different technology at different times for a different audience. He has been very effective at putting the idea of Let It Be out there. Paul and Ringo and the families of John and George were very happy with Get Back but Peter kept telling Apple that they needed to also release Let It Be.

“They figured they could restore the print. They were originally working off an old print but we wanted a more filmic look, so they worked on that while also working on Get It Back and helped to restore the print. Peter didn’t run off with my baby the way other directors with more ego might have done. He really was a collaborator. Peter and the Apple team have been very helpful. It looks and sounds great and now you can look at without the cloud that hung over the movie when it first came out.

“The film is about four men who loved each other but were no longer the Fab Four. They hadn’t performed for three years and were nearly in their 30s. They were looking at life differently to those glorious years when they changed the world. They were trying to work out what their expectations were. It was about four men growing up. That’s how I cut it. You see great affection, but you also see them staking out their own turf. It was a frustrating time for George in particular. He knew he was a great songwriter and was trying to figure out how to get his work looked at with more attention by John and Paul.

“The relationship between Get Back and Let It Be is unparalleled. There’s no equivalent to compare it with. And you can’t compare Let It Be with Get It Back. This is a film that hasn’t been seen by most people for 50 years so it’s totally out of a time capsule, while Peter could make Get It Back with 50 years of hindsight.

“Was it tempting to make a different edit? No, although I did think about it. But I felt I didn’t need to as Peter’s film covered a lot. I thought Let it Be should be seen for what it was when I made it. I wanted to just let it be.

“We originally had one edit that was 30 minutes longer that we screened for them on the day Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. I knew that was too long. There was repetition, longueurs. A lot of it was just footage of them rehearsing which is great but after a while it got a bit boring. I had to show them collaborating more. Because the Beatles weren’t on the road together, they weren’t writing together. You could see that when Paul is recording ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ and he just gave them the chords.

“In the first rough cut I had some of George leaving. We had Paul, John and Ringo talking without George. The Beatles themselves did not offer a lot of input during the edit but sometimes you would hear from another person what might work better, just occasionally. On this occasion, Neil Aspinall suggested we didn’t need the stuff without George as it was confusing for the viewer. They saw that The Beatles were very powerful as an entity and didn’t want to go into the stuff about George. That meant that in Let It Be there were always four Beatles. You have to realise that at the time, there was no real sense they were actually going to break up. We felt they might go and do solo projects – they were already starting to do that – but they would always come back as the Beatles, as it was such a powerful force.

“We showed the first cut and that evening I had dinner with Paul and Linda, John and Yoko and Pete Brown from Apple. We didn’t talk about the movie so my understanding was that they were very happy. We had a lovely evening, very civilised, then Pete Brown called a couple of days later and said he was wondering if there was too much John and Yoko in the film. I didn’t think there was – I had tried to keep John and Yoko in most of the shots as that was what it was like in the room. Pete said, “Let me put it like this, I have had three phone calls this morning from three different people all suggesting there is too much Yoko.” I knew what that meant. So I made the change.

“Generally, they interfered very little and when they did, I understand exactly why they wanted what they wanted. It always made sense and I was okay with it. The sequence of George and Paul arguing, which everybody thought was controversial, they never even blinked at – this was, for them, regular talk between musicians about a song. It happens. It’s a conversation about creativity. People took it for a sign that something was rotten but at the time, it didn’t seem that way.

“I am very proud of the concert footage. Coming up with the idea and then pulling it off. They were thrilled when they did it. They were so happy on that roof, even though it was so cold and windy. They were so happy to be playing together for an audience even though they couldn’t actually see them. And then you get the blue meanies coming up to stop the concert right at the end – what could be better?

“What is the right order to watch it in – Get Back or Let It Be? I have no idea. I was fascinated by the story that Peter was telling and had a lot of fond memories of some of the shots as I had taken them myself. He was able to explore the story about George that I had taken out. I was very touched by the way Peter always talked about Let It Be. He said it was a wonderful movie that had a bad rep and needed to be seen again. We weren’t in cahoots, he’s just been an advocate and he believes the two need to be seen together.

“Peter was dealing with different Beatles to me. I had all four of them at a difficult time in their lives, while he was working with Paul and Ringo, both around 80 with very different views of things back then. Now, Paul and Ringo were very excited about seeing all that old footage that Peter was able to use. They weren’t interested in that at all in 1969 and they might not even have watched Let It Be since it came out.

“Will they enjoy it? I think it’s a very valuable picture and I was always sad that it came off the market. People were always asking about it but lot of people who asked that question are now dead. This is a completely new audience. It does look pretty good now, and that will make a difference – it looks and it sounds great. I am fascinated to see how people receive it.”

Let It Be launches exclusively on Disney+ on May 8

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AC/DC reissues

Where would we be without AC/DC? Their libidinous bar-room blues might seem – at the very least – anachronistic in sanitised, gender-neutral 2024, but the thirst for their primal boogie remains unquenchable: 2020’s Power Up debuted at number one in 21 countries.

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The touring lineup for their latest stadium jaunt may boast only the indefatigable Angus – 68 years, erm, Young – from the lineup for their first-ever gig at Sydney’s Chequers nightclub on December 31, 1973, but 200 million album sales later, their gonzo appeal is if anything stronger than ever – a red-blooded, two-fingered raspberry in the face of an unblinking AI.

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Accordingly, while not all of these gold vinyl reissues can be described as essential – only completists, you imagine, will be rushing to revisit Who Made Who, the soundtrack for Stephen King’s flop 1986 horror movie Maximum Overdrive – as a whole they provide a fascinating insight into the working practices of a band whose gristle-free formula and ego-free approach have seen them negotiate everything from punk to pandemics en route to global domination.

Many might scoff at a 50-year back catalogue where continual reworkings of the same three-chord trick come allied to lyrics which, as Angus once described, rarely move beyond the (un)holy trinity of “cars, girls and party time”. Yet, much like the Stones, by continually honing this base metal formula, AC/DC have achieved sonic gold: a sound uniquely their own.

The earliest experiments are invariably the most thrilling. High Voltage is the aural equivalent of being wired into the mains, the band’s tough-as-tungsten mindset spelt out in defiant opener “It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock ’n’ Roll)”, Bon Scott bawling, “Gettin’ old/Gettin’ grey/Gettin’ ripped off/Underpaid” amid the howl of screaming bagpipes.

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If the following year’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap — the title an homage to a character in kids’ cartoon show Beany And Cecil — practically invents Beavis And Butt-Head, it’s 1978’s Powerage which best exemplifies their less-is-more approach. The purist’s ’DC album of choice, and tellingly Keith Richards’ favourite, it’s stripped to the bone sonically, Cliff Williams’ pump-action basslines the springboard for a tripwire-taut 40 minutes featuring some of their funkiest, and grimiest, grooves. If the hardwire-riffing is every bit as thrilling as the Chuck Berry records which inspired the Young brothers in the first place, Scott’s low-life snapshots of the drug-addicted and debt-ridden are as spiky as anything by the Sex Pistols or The Stranglers.

Stirred the coffee with the same spoon,” laments the singer with a world-weary shrug on “Gone Shootin’”, the tale of a hopelessly drug-addicted girlfriend, while a brooding “Sin City” finds the singer using Las Vegas as a metaphor for the miserable lot of the working man in a world where the loaded dice of life are always rigged against him, dreams of “Lamborghinis, caviar, dry martinis” eternally out of reach.

It’s also on Powerage where the difference between ’DC and (most of) their late ’70s peers is most stark, their musical know-how never more evident than on “Riff Raff”. The song’s lyrical message (“Ain’t done nothin’ wrong/I’m just having fun”) might mirror, say, Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69’s happy-go-lucky worldview, but musically it’s in a different league, Scott’s sandpaper drawl set against an electrifying, five-minute fusion of prog-rock dexterity and punk fury, Angus’ molten solos a reminder that a scorched-earth policy always works best when you’re wearing devil’s horns.

These musical chops were, of course, utilised to their full potential on 1979’s imperious Highway To Hell. Scott would be dead just eight months after its release (official cause: acute alcohol poisoning after a visit to Camden club The Music Machine, now Koko), and 45 years on, its cheerful celebration of deviance, immorality and plain bad behaviour sounds as exhilarating as ever thanks to Mutt Lange’s super-slick production.

For most bands, the loss of a charismatic frontman invariably sounds the death-knell for their career. But by doubling down on their core values and recruiting affable former Geordie frontman Brian Johnson, the ultimate team player, for 1980’s epochal Back In Black, ’DC defied the odds once more, channelling their grief into the biggest-selling hard-rock album of all time.

Recorded sightings of this diabolic alchemy at full power have been all too rare since the brutalist bombast of 1981’s For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) – their third, and last, collaboration with Lange – and it doesn’t feel coincidental that these reissues skip over the creative trough beginning with 1983’s self-produced Flick Of The Switch and including 1985’s Fly On The Wall and 1988’s Blow Up Your Video.

It was by getting back to basics and allowing über-producer Brice Fairburn to helm 1990’s The Razor’s Edge that ’DC struck gold once more, the numbskull nirvana of “Thunderstruck” re-establishing them as global big-hitters, as illustrated on the following year’s Live double album, recorded at shows in the UK, Canada and Russia.

Rock’n’roll damnation? Far from it. Almost 25 years on, the same songs remain the bedrock of their live performances, and these albums the gold standard for all those who dare follow them.

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Watch the action-packed ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ trailer

The full trailer for Marvel‘s Deadpool & Wolverine has finally arrived – watch it below.

Released last night (April 22), Marvel – and Ryan Reynolds – has at long last released a full trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine that finally showcases Hugh Jackman‘s Wolverine. In the action-packed trailer, we’re introduced to Logan/Wolverine as he sits in a bar before being propositioned by Deadpool to join him on a world-saving mission.

The pair don’t seem to get along, trading blows before finally uniting to save Deadpool’s world. Throughout the rest of the trailer – soundtracked by Madonna‘s ‘Like A Prayer’ – we get blink-and-you’ll-miss-it glimpses of other mutants, such as Lady Deathstrike, Azazel and event Ant-Man… sort of.

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Deadpool & Wolverine will feature elements of multi-verse traversal, with a closing shot of the trailer showing the pair jumping through a portal commonly used by Doctor Strange and his fellow sorcerers.

Additionally, we see Paradox (Succession‘s Matthew MacFayden) tell Deadpool that the Wolverine he’s dealing with “let down his entire world.” Elsewhere in the trailer, Deadpool remarks that he’s familiar with older versions of Wolverine having trouble getting their claws out.

Deadpool & Wolverine is due for release on July 26 in cinemas.

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It will mark the third Deadpool movie, as well as Hugh Jackman’s ninth outing as Wolverine after previously saying he’d retire from the role following 2017’s Logan. Reynolds and Jackman’s upcoming film will mark their on-screen reunion for the first time since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Deadpool 2 scored a four-star review from NME‘s Nick Reilly upon its release in 2018. Reilly wrote: “Deadpool 2 is the near perfect package, creating a second chapter that maintains the anarchic spirit of the original while offering some surprisingly successful lamentations on the nature of love, loss and vulnerability. A third installment, you sense, makes perfect sense.”

Hugh Jackman Ryan Reynolds
Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds CREDIT: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Earlier this month, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy addressed rumours that Taylor Swift could appear in the film. The singer has been at the centre of speculation over a potential surprise appearance in the upcoming Marvel film as superhero Dazzler.

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However, when asked by Entertainment Tonight about the rumours, Levy replied: “That is hardly confirmed nor denied in this interview. I’m going to literally walk out of the frame and save myself, otherwise Ryan [Reynolds]’s taking a hit [out] on me.”

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Ride Interplay

Bliss it was to be alive in 1990, but to be young was very heaven. When Ride first stormed out of the gates in that shoegaze spring, they had an irresistible coltish energy to them. The presiding eminences of the time (My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, House Of Love and The Stone Roses) had all already been around the block a few times, and made their youthful missteps away from the public eye. But the Oxford four-piece emerged blinking into the immediate glare of public acclaim, knocking out immaculate EP after EP like a teenage Robbie Fowler racking up the hat-tricks. No second thoughts, no calculation, just the sheer thrill of a moment they seized quite brilliantly.

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Did the immediacy of the rise overwhelm them? In retrospect they seem like a classic case of a band that stalled on The Difficult Third Album. They were keen to move on from the movement that threatened to define them (driving “Leave Them All Behind” into the Top 10 was a swaggering statement of intent), uncertain of exactly where to chart their course, and swept up in the gathering Oasis storm that briefly raised and then capsized their label.

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Thirty years later, Ride are undoubtedly on a more even keel. Since the reunion in 2014 they’ve successfully launched two well-received albums, reconnected with a burgeoning audience and stylishly updated their signature sound without pandering to the whims of TikTok. But is a third album any easier the second time around? Is the point of the band – nostalgia fix for the festival circuit, or more urgent, ongoing artistic concern – still at stake?

What’s clear is that, in contrast to 1994’s Carnival Of Light, Ride are very much on the same page. From its title on, Interplay reminds us that they were always a terrific, a four-piece without any dead wood. Not only did they have fringes, tunes and chops of Mark Gardener and Andy Bell (Andy serving time as the bassist in Oasis, although presumably welcomed by his bank manager, still feels like something of a musical indignity, like a Grand National winner giving rides to kids on Skegness beach). But in Steve Queralt and Loz Colbert they had a genuinely useful rhythm section. You can count the number of distinctive British indie drummers on the fingers of one hand, but from the moment they released “Dreams Burn Down” it was clear that Loz was in that company.

It kicks off with “Peace Sign”, quite shamelessly aimed at the festival moshpits. Just as The Byrds were able to make Dylan palatable for Top 40 radio, Ride were somehow able to translate the sublime roar of My Bloody Valentine into toothsome pop songs (they can still pull it off as they show on the delicious “Portland Rocks”). Here it feels like they’ve perfected the same trick for The War On Drugs. It’s quite a trick, somehow distilling all the epic yearning of an Adam Granduciel album into a pealing, effervescent four-minute anthem.

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For the rest of Interplay, Ride are very much searching for The Big Sound, a kind of widescreen ’80s ambition they were too indie cool to acknowledge back when they started out. They’ve talked about the example of Tears For Fears and the U2 of The Unforgettable Fire. But there’s a hefty amount of New Order (the touching, twangling “Last Frontier”) and Depeche Mode (on the hurtling “I Came To See The Wreck”) in there too, as though Ride are deliberately drawing upon bands who’ve shown how it’s possible to mature and thrive into their fourth and even fifth decades together.

The heart of the record, sequenced as though to open Side Two of a vinyl album, is “Last Night I Went Somewhere To Dream”. It’s a tune that began as an almost throwaway Loz riff, but grew into what feels like a manifesto for the reborn band, a twangling wide-eyed psychedelic reel. The lyrics – always, to be fair, the band’s Achilles’ heel – talk of “the wheel of suffering” turning “with diminishing returns”, but there’s such an unaffected earnest joy in the singing and playing, its reminiscent of The Byrds’ “Going Back”, a heartfelt invocation of uncontrived innocence.

The album closes with “Yesterday Is Only A Song”, a kind of soft and dreamy Pink Floyd coda, except with all the quiet desperation and bitterness replaced with a hard-won acceptance and even optimism. Here and on the best tunes of Interplay, Ride feel wonderfully, unexpectedly, younger than yesterday.

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BRIT Awards 2024: Check out the full rolling winners list

The BRIT Awards 2024 are taking place tonight (March 2) in London. Check back here for rolling updates on all of the night’s winners.

The ceremony is taking place at The O2 in London, with the show being presented by a trio of hosts – Maya Jama, Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp. The event will be available to watch on ITV1 and ITVX.

Raye leads the nominations with a record-breaking seven in total, including Artist Of The Year, Mastercard Album Of The Year (‘My 21st Century Blues’) and Best New Artist.

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Dua Lipa will be performing live to open the show, with further performances coming from RayeTate McRaeJungle, Rema, Becky Hill and Chase & Status, and Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding.

Kylie Minogue, who is picking up this year’s BRITs Global Icon Award, will also close the show with her own live performance.

Additionally, presenters of the awards will include Charli XCX, Green Day and St. Vincent.

Check back at NME for all the winners, interviews, news and more from the BRIT Awards 2024.

The full list of winners for the BRIT Awards 2024 is as follows (highlighted in bold):

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Album Of The Year
Blur – ‘The Ballad Of Darren’
J Hus – ‘Beautiful And Brutal Yard’
Little Simz – ‘No Thank You’
Raye – ‘My 21st Century Blues’
Young Fathers – ‘Heavy Heavy’

Song Of The Year
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding – ‘Miracle’
Cassö, Raye and D-Block Europe – ‘Prada’
Central Cee – ‘Let Go’
Dave and Central Cee – ‘Sprinter’
Dua Lipa – ‘Dance The Night’
Ed Sheeran – ‘Eyes Closed’
J Hus and Drake – ‘Who Told You’
Kenya Grace – ‘Strangers’
Lewis Capaldi – ‘Wish You The Best’
PinkPantheress – ‘Boy’s A Liar’
Raye and 070 Shake – ‘Escapism’
Rudimental, Charlotte Plank and Vibe Chemistry – ‘Dancing Is Healing’
Stormzy and Debbie – ‘Firebabe’
Switch Disco and Ella Henderson – ‘React’
Venbee and Goddard – ‘Messy In Heaven’

Artist Of The Year
Arlo Parks
Central Cee
Dave
Dua Lipa
Fred Again..
J Hus
Jessie Ware
Little Simz
Olivia Dean
Raye

Group Of The Year
Blur
Chase & Status
Headie One & K-Trap
Jungle
Young Fathers

Pop Act
Calvin Harris
Charli XCX
Dua Lipa
Olivia Dean
Raye

Alternative/Rock Act
Blur
Bring Me The Horizon
The Rolling Stones
Young Fathers
Yussef Dayes

Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act
Casisdead
Central Cee
Dave
J Hus
Little Simz

R&B Act
Cleo Sol
Jorja Smith
Mahalia
Raye
Sault

Dance Act
Barry Can’t Swim
Becky Hill
Calvin Harris
Fred Again..
Romy

Best New Artist
Mahalia
Olivia Dean
PinkPantheress
Raye
Yussef Dayes

International Song Of The Year
Billie Eilish – ‘What Was I Made For?’
David Kushner – ‘Daylight’
Doja Cat – ‘Paint The Town Red’
Jazzy – ‘Giving Me’
Libianca – ‘People’
Meghan Trainor – ‘Made You Look’
Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’
Noah Kahan – ‘Stick Season’
Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz – ‘Miss You’
Olivia Rodrigo – ‘Vampire’
Peggy Gou – ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’
Rema – ‘Calm Down’
SZA – ‘Kill Bill’
Tate McRae – ‘Greedy’
Tyla – ‘Water’

International Artist Of The Year
Asake
Burna Boy
Caroline Polachek
CMAT
Kylie Minogue
Lana Del Rey
Miley Cyrus
Olivia Rodrigo
SZA
Taylor Swift

International Group Of The Year
Blink-182
Boygenius
Foo Fighters
Gabriels
Paramore

Brits Rising Star
The Last Dinner Party – Winner

Producer Of The Year
Chase & Status – Winner

Songwriter Of The Year
Raye – Winner

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Catfish & The Bottlemen share comeback single ‘Showtime’ and announce more UK headline shows

Catfish & The Bottlemen have shared their comeback single ‘Showtime’ and have announced new UK headlining dates.

‘Showtime’ marks Van McCann and co’s first new music in five years, following their last full-length effort, 2019’s ‘The Balance‘. Written and recorded by McCann alongside multi-Grammy-winning producer Dave Sardy (Oasis, LCD Soundsystem, The Rolling Stones), the track sees the frontman sing about their return to music.

“Get on this/ Sometimes when the thing you love is right in front of your eyes / Don’t blink or you’ll miss/ Showtime/ Before you know it’s going gone and that’s life,” sings McCann in the chorus of the anthemic track along a booming medley of percussion and jangly guitars. Check out the song and its full lyrics below.

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Catfish & The Bottlemen ‘Showtime’ lyric Sheet. CREDIT: PRESS

‘Showtime’ is the first song to be released from Catfish & the Bottlemen’s soon to be announced fourth studio album.

The band previously teased their first new music in five years this past weekend (February 17) by posting a six-second snippet of the track on their social media channels. The band also released a pre-order of ‘Showtime’ on a white 7″ vinyl pressing along with new merchandise.

Along with the release of the track, Catfish & The Bottlemen are also set to embark on a handful of live dates in the UK this summer. Announced exactly 900 days since the band last played in front of a live crowd, they will perform a headline show at Cardiff Castle on July 19, and Edinburgh Summer Sessions on August 24.

Ticket pre-sale for the gigs will be available for fans who sign up to the band’s official mailing list and is set to commence on Tuesday, February 27 at 10am local time. General ticket sale will commence on Friday, March 1 at 10am local time. Buy tickets here.

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The newly announced shows will occur days before their headlining set Reading and Leeds this year, where they will be performing on the Friday at Leeds and the Sunday at Reading.

The band have not played a show together since 2021, following their headline slots at Reading & Leeds and a pair of outdoor gigs at Singleton Park in Swansea and Neighbourhood Weekender in Warrington. By that time, rumours of the group splitting up had already been swirling.

In a three-star review of their 2021 Reading Festival headlining performance, NME shared: “’One of our longshots paid off,’ sings frontman Van McCann on opener ‘Longshot’ from 2019’s ‘The Balance’ – a heartening notion for most bands who dream of headlining the hallowed stage of Reading. As he later pines on 2016’s ‘Soundcheck’ from ‘The Ride’: ‘Because you grew up in a small town / You’ll appreciate it more’.

Catfish & The Bottlemen 'Showtime Single artwork. Credit: PRESS
Catfish & The Bottlemen ‘Showtime Single artwork. Credit: PRESS

“Circle pits swirl and the vast crowd grows a little more feral, and it’s easy to see how Catfish became one of Britain’s biggest guitar bands. They’re slick as fuck; a well-oiled machine of indie proficiency. Their songs are at times invigorating, rushing through a checklist of stadium rock crowd-pleasing tick boxes.”

The upcoming live shows Catfish and the Bottlemen are expected to announce will be their first since the departure of guitarist Johnny “Bondy” Bond.

In 2022, Bond confirmed he had left the band the year before, alleging that changes in the line-up and the uncertainty about the band’s future had stemmed from “behaviour constantly re-occurring that I found to be intolerable”.

“To put it simply, I feel that both the professional and personal relationships had become entirely dysfunctional,” he added in his statement. Bondy went on to explain that he played four summer shows with the band last year as a session musician “as there was nobody else ready to do so”.

“I have had no contact or affiliation of any sort with the remaining band members since then (Neighbourhood Festival ’21),” he wrote. He added that he “assumed” the group would have informed fans about his departure as well as drummer Bob Hall’s, but that “as far as I’m aware this has not happened yet”.

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Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the return of ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ and watching ‘Saltburn’ with her mum

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has spoken to NME about the resurgent success of her classic single ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ after its feature in Saltburn – as well as the experience of watching the movie with her mother and teenage son.

‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ was first released in 2001 from Ellis-Bextor’s debut album ‘Read My Lips’ – reaching Number Two in the UK singles chart at the time and going on to become a pop cult classic. Now, the song has found a new audience after soundtracking an already infamous nude scene in the 2023 hit film Saltburn, and is currently at Number Eight in the UK as well as breaking into the Billboard 100 in the US for the first time.

Speaking to NME, the singer explained her shock after having “nothing at all” in terms of awareness or success in America until now.

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“That’s what’s been quite extraordinary. To them it’s a new song, and that’s bonkers,” she said. “It didn’t do anything there the first time around, and I’m fine with that. If I’ve learned anything along the way it’s that you’ve got to go where the momentum is.”

She continued: “The glamour of being big in America would have meant a lot of time away, and I’d rather go where there are already things happening. I had an absolute ball with the first record in Latin America, South East Asia and all these places – but if this ends up being something that takes me there now then let’s see what happens.”

Asked if she’s set for a US tour or perhaps a surprise appearance at Coachella 2024, she replied: “Oh golly! I’ve always been quite open to what happens next and love the dot dot dot of whatever I do. Energy and momentum are what you need if you’re a creative to keep things going and things are much harder from a standing start.”

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Ellis-Bextor described how she came to be involved in Saltburn, and was always on board with soundtracking the NSFW finale scene that sees lead Barry Keoghan dancing naked around the titular hour.

“A little while back I was asked for approval for having ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ featured in a film,” she told NME. “I was told very little information apart from the key components, like: Emerald Fennell was the writer/director (and I was already familiar with her and thought she was great), that the film was called Saltburn and that the main character would dance to the whole of the song with nothing on!

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“That was all I knew and it was plenty. I said, ‘Count me in for that! That sounds fun’.”

After months of not thinking about the project, Ellis-Bextor started to hear “murmurs” about how the film was “really special”.

“I went along to a screening with my whole family – including my mum and my eldest – and luckily we all survived and we all loved it,” she said. “I got that feeling that I find really delicious where afterwards you just want to think about the movie and talk about it. There was a whole atmosphere to it and I just wanted to get back into that headspace as quick as I could. It was funny and had so many great songs in there, so it was special to be a small part of that.”

Tom Ackerley, Margot Robbie, Archie Madekwe, Barry Keoghan, Emerald Fennell, Sue Kroll, Paul Rhys, Jennifer Salke, Jacob Elordi, Julie Rapaport, Josey McNamara, Carey Mulligan, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Latasha Gillespie and Anthony Willis at the premiere of
Sophie Ellis-Bextor with the cast and creators of ‘Saltburn’ in Los Angeles, November 2023 (Photo by Alberto Rodriguez/Variety via Getty Images)

The film caused a further stir online as it hit Amazon Prime’s streaming services just before the Christmas period – leading many to watch it over the festive break and take to social media to voice their discomfort at viewing the more NSFW scenes with their parents or elderly relatives.

For Ellis-Bextor however, this was not an issue.

“I wasn’t too worried about my mum!” she admitted. “We don’t have a penchant for watching particularly challenging films together, but it was more about the fact that my teenage son was sat in between his mum and his grandma. I just kept thinking, ‘I hope he’s OK!’ There were definitely a few moments where I had my head in my hands thinking, ‘This is quite a lot!’ But he was completely fine and dealt with it very calmly. He said it was one of the top 10 films he’d ever seen, so he was very happy!”

“I don’t think my dad has got around to watching it yet, but he has seen the bit that’s got my song in it…”

Asked about her part in creating such a memorable Christmas for so many families, Ellis-Bextor replied: “I’ve always been a fan of juxtaposition; it really tickles me. The fact that Saltburn went on Amazon Prime the same weekend that I sang the song from [Channel 4 special] Mog’s Christmas was perfect for me. Those are the two ends of the spectrum. Mog’s was such a sweet and wholesome family affair then you’ve got Saltburn – I like that.

Saltburn
Barry Keoghan plays Oliver Quick. CREDIT: Warner Bros.

After an eventful 2023 – that saw Ellis-Bextor perform at Liverpool’s Eurovision village and deliver a fan-favourite set at Glastonbury as well as releasing her “psychedelic, proggy” seventh album ‘HANA‘ – now she’s focussed on new material for the year ahead.

“I’ve been songwriting with plans for making a new record,” she said. “I did three albums with [acclaimed singer-songwriter and producer] Ed Harcourt and we’d always decided it was going to be a trio. In a weird bit of serendipity, I had plans to go back and work with people from my first album. It’s like I’ve bumped my head and it’s 2002 again. I’ve been working with a lot of top writers that I’m really fond of.”

“I felt so safe writing with Ed and found it really liberating. It was a decade of working together and I’m so grateful as I needed that space to write with complete freedom without second-guessing anything or sending it to a committee of people for their thoughts. Now it’s quite strange to go back out blinking into the light, but I’m feeling really enthusiastic.”

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After a resurgent few years that saw her enjoy a renaissance with the success of her Kitchen Disco lockdown streams and subsequent tours – along with her podcast Spinning Plates – Ellis-Bextor said that she wouldn’t be letting her growing popularity shape what’s to come.

“I don’t know if that’s really how my head works,” she admitted. “When I finished Strictly Come Dancing, they expected that I’d make an album of covers from musicals – but instead I made an Eastern European-inspired folk album with Ed. Then I did the Kitchen Discos then ‘HANA’. I can only do what I feel like doing and not what’s expected, but as luck would have it I was already planning to do a pop-dance record.

“If anything, it feels like having a nice breeze behind me. You have to do what your heart wants.”

She added: “I don’t want to analyse anything; I just want to enjoy things and jump on the momentum and have as much fun as possible.”

Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be embarking on a European headline tour in March, before supporting Nile Rodgers and Chic on a UK and Ireland tour June and July before joining The Human League on the road at the end of the year. Visit here for tickets and more information.

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SZA defends Creed and Nickelback: “Why do y’all hate it so much?”

SZA has expressed her love for the music of two of rock’s most polarising bands, Creed and Nickelback in a new interview.

The ‘Kill Bill’ singer named Creed and Nickelback while speaking to Variety about her favourite music in commemoration of being named the magazine’s ‘Hitmaker of the Year’.

“The other day you know what I pulled up? Creed, Nickelback, Train’s ‘Drops of Jupiter’, just a whole bunch of that,” she said, as the interviewer facepalmed and burst out in laughter. “Wait, you know what’s crazy? Do white people hate Creed and Nickelback? Why? Black people love them! They rock! That shit is bomb!”

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She proceeded to specifically express her admiration for ‘Higher’, the ninth track off Creed’s 1999 sophomore full-length, ‘Human Clay’. “Have you ever felt more inspired and uplifted in your life? I’m in the car and I’m blasting ‘Higher’,” she expressed.

“I feel like it’s a gospel song, the vocals are going crazy and it’s also somehow slightly romantic, it just feels so fun,” SZA added. “Because even if it’s cliche, he’s so fucking dead ass!”

She added that stumbling on Creed’s music in the shower led her to listen to their and Nickelback’s music for the following week, later professing that she will “be a Creed fan forever”.

Earlier in the interview, SZA demonstrated the wide breadth of her listening habits, highlighting her father’s love for jazz as an influence, but also naming Fall Out Boy, Blink-182, Thundercat, Cleo Sol, Hiatus Kaiyote, Little Dragon, Bjork, The Cars, Joni Mitchell among a host of other artists as part of her regular rotations.

SZA has had a big 2023 following the surprise release of her sophomore full-length, ‘SOS’, in late 2022. This month, she was nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ and ‘Best Progressive R&B Album’ at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

In September, she announced a deluxe version of ‘SOS’. Entitled ‘Lana’, the singer said in a live show that the release will contain “7 to 10 songs” and will be “out this fall”. A release date for the album has yet to be announced.

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aespa ring in the holiday season with a remake of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’

K-pop girl group aespa have released their own version of Bobby Helms’ classic holiday song, ‘Jingle Bell Rock’.

Today (November 24), the quartet unveiled a lyric video for their remake of the iconic 1957 Christmas song. aespa’s version of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ features a hip-hop-inspired beat, as well as a brand-new rap verse.

Ring ring ring, jingle bell rock / Play like a spell I won’t tell, jingle bell talk / So giddy up, giddy up / Turn it up fast till we burn up / We ain’t ever gonna stop, jingle bell rock,” Giselle and Winter rap on the second verse.

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SM Entertainment first announced the song via a press release earlier this week, describing it as a “catchy and hip” reinterpretation of the classic track, with the girl group’s “unique vocals and rap” setting it aside from the original ‘Jingle Bell Rock’.

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aespa’s ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ comes just two weeks after they released their fourth mini-album ‘Drama’. The record marked the official release of the songs ‘Hot Air Balloon’, ‘Don’t Blink’ and ‘YOLO’, which the girl group first performed at their ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ concerts in Seoul this February.

Other songs on the record were ‘Trick or Trick’ and ‘You’, as well as their August English-language single ‘Better Things’.

In other aespa news, Netflix has announced that member Karina will be starring in its new original reality series Agents of Mystery alongside Korean celebrities like Girls’ Day’s Lee Hye-ri, actors Kim Do-hoon and Lee Yong-jin, comedian Lee Eun-ji and singer John Park.

SM Entertainment also recently shared its plans for the first quarter of 2024, which will see aespa releasing their first full-English album. Other labelmates set to return during this time include Red Velvet’s Wendy, EXO’s Suho and rookie boyband RIIZE.

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Reading & Leeds 2024: Six headliners revealed as first wave of line-up announced

The six headliners for Reading & Leeds 2024 have been revealed: with Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen set to top the bill.

Returning to Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds for Bank Holiday Weekend over August 21-25, the legendary twin-site festival has announced its first raft of huge names.

Lana Del Rey and Gerry Cinnamon will not only be making their R+L headline debuts, but also performing UK exclusive shows at the weekend. The long-rumoured Blink-182 will be headlining for the first time since 2014, with Liam Gallagher and Catfish & The Bottlemen returning to top the bill again.

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Catfish last headlined in 2021 amidst rumours of a split, before guitarist Johnny “Bondy” Bond confirmed that he had left the band.

Following his huge appearance at Glastonbury last year, Fred Again.. said that “the only UK festival I’m playing next year and is the first festival I ever went to.”

Gallagher meanwhile, who topped the bill at R+L back in 2021 and will next year be touring to celebrate 30 years of Oasis’ seminal ‘Definitely Maybe‘ and potentially releasing his long-rumoured album with Stone Roses legend John Squire, said: “I’m gonna be playing Reading & Leeds – The most RnR festivals we have left in the UK. Be there or be square LG x”

Gerry Cinnamon, who made his R+L debut back in 2021, said: “Reading and Leeds. Last time was absolutely fucking bananas. Was first gig straight out of lockdown, heavy emotional. Headlining now so we’ll take it up another level again. Buzzing to be back. See you there.”

Sam Fender at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford
Sam Fender at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford

Blink-182 will be performing with their recently reunited classic line-up to celebrate their comeback album ‘One More Time’, while Lana Del Rey follows her huge 2023 shows at Glastonbury and Hyde Park with a victory lap for her latest album, ‘Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd’.

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Beyond the headliners, Raye, Skrillex, Spiritbox and Digga D have also been confirmed to perform.

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic said: “We are thrilled to announce the first wave of artists for Reading & Leeds 2024. I am very proud that the biggest artists in the world choose to play Reading & Leeds and to have three incredible UK festival exclusives – the electrifying Fred again.., a true generational talent Lana Del Ray and the legendary Blink-182.

“The iconic Liam Gallagher will return to play an all-time classic album ‘Definitely Maybe’ which will be a special moment indeed. We pride ourselves on nurturing artists from the early stages in their career, so to see acts like Catfish & The Bottlemen rising through the festival to headline for the second time is very rewarding.”

He added: “2023 was a hugely successful year for attendance and sensational audience feedback, and we are eager to build upon this success even further at the UK’s biggest and best music festival.”

The crowd for The 1975 at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford
The crowd for The 1975 at Reading 2023. Credit: Andy Ford

The full line-up for Reading & Leeds 2024 so far is:

FRED AGAIN..  
LANA DEL REY   
LIAM GALLAGHER 
BLINK-182  
CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN  
GERRY CINNAMON  
DIGGA D  
RAYE  
SKRILLEX  
SPIRITBOX  

Tickets to Reading & Leeds 2024 go on sale at 8.30am on Thursday November 30 and will be available here.

Speaking to NME at the end of Reading & Leeds 2023, Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn teased some potential “stage changes” at both sites. “We don’t stand still at Reading & Leeds and like to reflect what’s going on, so there will be a couple of changes,” he said. “There are always changes in the artists, but there will be to the stages as well.”

This year’s event was headlined by The 1975FoalsBillie EilishThe Killers, Sam Fender and Imagine Dragons

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aespa bring the ‘Drama’ in the music video for their new single

K-pop girl group aespa have released the music video for their new single, ‘Drama’.

The music video for ‘Drama’ finds the girl group returning to Kwangya, the virtual world that was first introduced in the girl group’s debut single ‘Black Mamba’. It also features thrilling action sequences and sleek dance scenes.

“I bring Drama-ma-ma-ma / With my girls in the back / Girls in the back (Drama) / Trauma-ma-ma-ma / I break Trauma-ma-ma-ma / With MY WORLD in the back / It starts with me, Drama,” they sing on the song.

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‘Drama’ is the title track of aespa’s fourth mini-album of the same name. The project also inclues new songs such as ‘Trick or Trick’, ‘Don’t Blink’, ‘Hot Air Balloon’ and ‘You’.

Notably, ‘Drama’ also features ‘YOLO’, which aespa performed for the first time at their ‘SYNK: Hyper Line’ concerts in Seoul back in February, as well as recent English-language single ‘Better Things’.

‘Drama’ is the girl group’s second release of 2023, following their third mini-album ‘MY WORLD’ and its title track ‘Spicy’ in May. In a four-star review of ‘MY WORLD’, NME’s Rhain Daly said that the project was an “exciting addition to the aespa canon, showing their versatility and helping the quartet make a bid for main pop girl status”.

Last month, aespa appeared in a Rolling Stone video where the group and American singer Grimes interviewed one another about their music. During the interview, aespa leader Karina commented that while some “other K-pop groups” often fight among themselves, the quartet “work well together”.

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SBS Star later reported that the singer’s comments have received mixed reactions among K-pop fans, with some netizens in Korea saying that she was “wrong to let that out in an interview”, while others said that the singer “must have seen some things. She’s just saying that aespa isn’t like that.”

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Frank Ocean shares snippet of new song

Frank Ocean is once again teasing new music – listen to his latest preview below.

Today (November 9), Frank Ocean took to his Instagram Stories to post a minute-long snippet of a new, unreleased song. The Instagram Story is set to expire by tomorrow (November 10), but has been recorded and shared by Pop Base on X/Twitter – listen to it below.

No other information has been shared by singer, who is known for being reclusive and very rarely puts out new music.

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The snippet is his first since he played unreleased tracks on two episodes of his Apple Music 1 show Blonded Radio in July last year. In December 2021, Ocean shared an almost-nine-minute song on the programme, as part of a Christmas special.

In the seven years since the release of 2016’s lauded ‘Blonde’ LP, Ocean has shared a number of one-off singles including ‘DHL’‘In My Room’‘Cayendo’ and ‘Dear April’. He has also occasionally hinted at a new album but nothing has materialised yet.

Frank Ocean most recently headlined the first weekend of Coachella Festival in April. It was his first live gig since 2017 but the reaction to Ocean’s performance from fans was mixed, with the show starting late and getting abruptly cut short.

After Ocean’s performance it was reported that he had scrapped an onstage ice rink after injuring himself during rehearsals. He was due to appear again at weekend two of Coachella but pulled out days before on “doctor’s advice”. He was replaced by Blink-182 and a closing set from Skrillex, Fred Again.. and Four Tet.

Speaking onstage about new music, Ocean confirmed that he wasn’t headlining Coachella to promote a new album before adding “not that there’s not a new album. But there’s not right now.” Instead, he said that it was in tribute to his late brother whom he used to attend the festival regularly with.

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Mark Hoppus had to learn “how to play bass again” after chemotherapy

Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus has revealed the struggles he faced with getting back into music following chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Speaking to Zane Lowe for Apple Music ahead of the release of Blink-182’s upcoming album ‘One More Time…’, Hoppus spoke of his now-squashed bad blood with Tom DeLonge, who he told Lowe there was “not a chance” that he would share a stage with again.

“I didn’t know that Blink would ever get back together or that I would ever share a stage with Tom. And I told management, I told Travis [Barker], I told everybody, I’m like, ‘I’m not setting foot on stage again with that dude. Not a chance.’ That’s the truth. But I’ve always thought Tom was one of the best songwriters in the world and one of my favourite songwriters, but there was a lot of bad blood and there was a lot of stuff in the press and feelings and all this stuff,” Hoppus said.

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Hoppus was diagnosed with stage 4-A diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in 2021 but was declared cancer-free six months later. When word got out that Hoppus was diagnosed with cancer, he realised that DeLonge was in his corner supporting him: “I got sick… But Tom was always like, ‘We’re going to get you through this'”.

Once Hoppus and DeLonge had mended their relationship, the focus then turned to getting the band’s classic line-up back together, and the challenges that Hoppus faced in getting himself ready to perform music again, including having to learn how to play bass again and working with a vocal coach.

“And healing through the band, once I was clear of the cancer diagnosis and got the all clear, I was still a fucking hollow, just shell. Shitty, weak brain eaten with the chemotherapy and pain and everything else. And then getting back in the studio to make this record was like learning how to play bass again, learning how to… The chemotherapy wrecked my vocal cords. I had to go to work with a vocal coach. I had to rebuild my throat. I had all this stuff had to rebuild to get to the point where we could go and walk on stage at Coachella and have one of the biggest shows of our career and have this album, which touch wood is one of the best albums we’ve ever written.”

Elsewhere in Blink-182’s interview with Zane Lowe, the band spoke of their upcoming album, which they tout as “one of the best albums we’ve ever written”. Since the group’s return at Coachella earlier this year, the trio have played a handful of shows, announced their upcoming album and released several singles from the record.

They most recently released the single ‘You Don’t Know What You’ve Got’, which was written about Hoppus’ battle with cancer. The track is the sixth and final single to be taken from their forthcoming album, which is out on Friday (October 20). It follows the previously released singles ‘Edging’, ‘One More Time’, ‘More Than You Know’, ‘Dance With Me’ and ‘Fell In Love’.

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Reviewing Blink-182 in London this monthNME said the “reunited classic lineup are as puerile and thrilling as they were in their heyday”. The four-star write-up added: “This is a tight, endlessly fun comeback offering a well-needed moment of respite in a rather gloomy climate.”

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Twin Atlantic share ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ and tell us about their “unhinged guitar record”

Twin Atlantic have released new single ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ – the first from an upcoming “unhinged guitar record” – and shared news of an intimate UK tour. Check out ticket details and dates below, alongside our interview with frontman Sam McTrusty.

The first release on their own label Staple Diet, ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ is a return to the big, anthemic rock’n’roll of Twin Atlantic’s early records. “We’ve put our original fans through a bit of a whirlwind, because every record we’ve made almost sounds like a different band,” McTrusty told NME from his home studio in Glasgow.

While 2022’s ‘Transparency’ was a lo-fi electro-rock album and 2020’s ‘Power’ took heavy influence from synth-pop, “with this record, we wanted to make something for the fans, and the kids who first started this band,” said McTrusty. “‘Stuck In A Car With You’ is a no-nonsense, fast-paced rock song that shines a spotlight on the emotion behind it.”

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He continued: “Since we released [2011’s] ‘Free’ and [2009’s] ‘Vivarium’, fans have basically been asking us to make those albums again. We’ve never been that excited by revisiting the past, but enough time has passed that it felt interesting to do.”

McTrusty, who’s also producing and engineering the as-of-yet-untitled album, added: “‘Stuck In A Car With You’ feels like a return but also, we know so much more about crafting songs now that it still feels fresh.”

Taking inspiration from “the joy and energy of Blink-182, the darker, punchy chaos of Nirvana and my favourite Bruce Springsteen lyrics,” ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ explores “hopefulness, yearning and trying to get out of where you’re from.”

“Music has always been a crutch that I’ve leant on to get me through certain things and as soon as I started playing rock songs on guitar again, it conjured up all these old feelings,”  McTrusty admitted. “It’s easy to get wrapped up in life without acknowledging how important the little things are to you, until you’re forced to imagine living without them.”

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Twin Atlantic’s return to emotionally-driven punk rock comes alongside a wider resurgence of the ‘00s pop-punk bands that the band grew up on. Fall Out Boy and Paramore are bigger than ever, while Blink-182 are in the midst of a global reunion tour.

“We did two arena tours with Blink early in our career, we visited Tom DeLonge at his studio in California and supported his Angels & Airwaves band across Europe. They’ve been a huge part of our career, as well as my musical inspiration, so it was nice to respect that with this track,” said McTrusty. Still, rather than chasing trends, Twin Atlantic were “acting on impulse” for their new album, with ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ the most urgent of those new songs.

The band are still in the middle of finishing up their new album, but according to McTrusty, “there are a thousand guitars on the record.”

“It’s an unhinged guitar record but we’re not shying away from the fact we know how to write big pop choruses and we know how to write an emotional, acoustic song that makes sense on a big rock record,” he explained. “We’ve gone back to that big, bold, colourful sound. It’s basically a massive Twin Atlantic album.”

Sam McTrusty of Twin Atlantic performs at the second day of TRNSMT 2021. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Sam McTrusty of Twin Atlantic performs at the second day of TRNSMT 2021. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Writing for the new record began last August, following on from the 10-year anniversary tour for ‘Free’. “It just felt really good playing those songs again,” said McTrusty, with the band taking that energy into the studio.

“It felt like we were unshackled. After an arduous few years [that included not being able to tour two records due to COVID restrictions and the departure of drummer Craig Kneale in 2021] we just wanted to have fun. It’s really hard to be a rock band and it’s been quite an uncool, cheesy thing for the past 15 years, but it’s what we like, so we’ve kept at it.

“That’s why this record feels so joyous. We wanted it to reflect the happiness of us coming out the other side and still being able to make music, but not disregard the darkness we’d been through to get to this point.”

Talking about their desire for reinvention across their career, McTrusty said: “We’re just awkward Glaswegian art kids. Coming from here, we’ve always felt separate from most scenes anyway. We’re a weird band and instead of trying to fit in, we just ran in the other direction with it.”

“We’ve always put ourselves under a lot of pressure because we’ve always wanted to push things creatively,” he continued. “It felt like we had a responsibility to do something different after signing a record deal and finding a fanbase.”

However, their new album sees Twin Atlantic playing to their strengths, rather than trying to learn new ones. “When we started writing ‘Power’ I didn’t have a clue how any of the synths or electronic drums worked. I had to really dive into those genres, discover my own tastes, and experiment with sound. It took so much time and was mentally exhausting.  With this one, I already knew how to make great guitar songs because of all the great producers we’ve worked with before. It just felt really comfortable.”

“It definitely felt carefree,’ added McTrusty “I still have all those old insecurities about ‘what if people don’t like it’ or ‘what if it gets absolutely slated’. I care about what people think but not in a way that stops me from doing whatever we want.”

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When Twin Atlantic first started in 2006 from the ashes of various other local bands, McTrusty already had big plans. Growing up in a tenement flat near to Hampden Park Stadium, he was able to hear gigs from stadium rock groups like AC/DC and Red Hot Chili Peppers from his bedroom window.

“I’ve never been shy about wanting to play stadiums too,” he explained. “My ambition with the band has always been ‘how big can it be? Let’s make it bigger,’ knowing it’s an impossible challenge.”

“I was never going to put a cap on what I thought we could achieve,” he continued. “As soon as we played our first show to 30 people, I wanted more. I just wanted to feel as much as I could through music and that’s never changed.”

Later this year, Twin Atlantic are heading out on an intimate 12-date tour of the UK. “Maybe it’s a pre-midlife crisis where we want to go back to our teens, touring in a van to places we don’t normally go, but we’re really excited,” said McTrusty. “The shows are going to be fucking amazing and we’re going to give fans an unforgettable night. We’ve been doing this for a minute now and we know how to put on a show. We’re just going to come in and absolutely smash it.”

Check out the dates below. Tickets are available here.

 Twin Atlantic play:

November
13 – Milton Keynes, Crauford Arms
14 – Lincoln, Drill Hall
15 – Southend-On-Sea, Chinnerys
17 – Guildford, Boileroom
18 – Ipswich, Baths
19 – Tunbridge Wells, The Forum
21 – Bournemouth, Old Fire Station
22 – Hertford, Corn Exchange
23 – Hull, The Welly
25 – York, The Crescent
26 – Blackpool, Bootleg Social
27 – Chester, Live Rooms

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Paul McCartney announces career-spanning ‘7″ Singles’ vinyl boxset

Paul McCartney has announced a new vinyl boxset called ‘The 7″ Singles’ – find all the details below.

The former Beatle turned solo icon is due to release the special collection on December 2 (pre-order here). Limited to 3000 copies, the product comprises 80 career-spanning 7″ singles personally curated by McCartney.

  • READ MORE: Paul McCartney live at Glastonbury 2022: history-making rock’n’Grohl with The Boss

‘The 7″ Singles’ features 163 tracks overall, totalling 10 hours of music from Macca’s half-century as a solo artist. Additionally, each box contains a randomly selected exclusive test pressing of one of the singles.

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Fans will also get a 148-page book with a personal foreword by McCartney, essay by music journalist Rob Sheffield, extensive chart information, liner notes, and official artwork, per a press release.

As well the planned physical release, ‘The 7″ Singles’ is set to arrive on major streaming platforms on December 2.

To preview the new boxset, Macca has today (November 10) shared the 2022 mono remasters of ‘Uncle Albert’/Admiral Halsey’ and ‘Too Many People’. You can listen to the songs above.

“I hope the songs in this boxset bring back fun memories for you too,” McCartney said in a statement. “They do for me, and there will be more to come…” Check out the preview image below.

a preview image of Paul McCartney's new vinyl boxset, 'The 7" Singles'
Paul McCartney – ‘The 7″ Singles’. CREDIT: Press

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Paul McCartney – ‘The 7” Singles Box’ tracklist:

1971, Sweden
1A: Another Day
1B: Oh Woman, Oh Why
1971, US Mono
Promotional Release
2A: Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey [Mono]
2B: Too Many People [Mono]
1971, UK
3A: The Back Seat of My Car
3B: Heart of the Country
Previously unreleased on 7”
4A: Love Is Strange [Single Edit]
4B: I Am Your Singer
1972, UK
5A: Give Ireland Back to the Irish
5B: Give Ireland Back to the Irish [Version]
1972, UK
6A: Mary Had a Little Lamb
6B: Litt
le Woman Love
1972, Belgium
7A: Hi, Hi, Hi
7AA: C Moon
1973, Israel
8A: My Love
8B: The Mess [Live at The Hague]
1973, Sweden
9A: Live and Let Die
9B: I Lie Around
1973, Spain
10A: Helen Wheels
10B: Country Dreamer
1974, Germany
11A: Jet
11B: Let Me Roll It
1974, Germany
12A: Band on the Run
12B: Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
1974, The Netherlands
13A: Mrs. Vandebilt
13B: Bluebird
1974, Belgium
14A: Junior’s Farm
14B: Sally G
1975, Australia
15A: Listen to What the Man Said
15B: Love in Song
1975, Germany
16A: Letting Go
16B: You Gave Me the Answer
1975, Belgium
17A: Venus and Mars / Rock Show
17B: Magneto and Titanium Man
1976, France
18A: Silly Love Songs
18B: Cook of the House
1976, Germany
19A: Let ‘Em In
19B: Beware My Love
1977, Japan
20A: Maybe I’m Amazed (Live)
20B: Soily (Live)
1977, UK
21A: Mull of Kintyre
21AA: Girls’ School
1978, Germany
22A: With a Little Luck (DJ Edit)
22B: Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link
1978, UK
23A: I’ve Had Enough
23B: Deliver Your Children
1978, The Netherlands
24A: London Town
24B: I’m Carrying
1978, France
25A: Goodnight Tonight
25B: Daytime Nightime Suffering
1979, UK
26A: Ol
d Siam, Sir
26B: Spin It On
1979, UK
27A: Getting Closer
27AA: Baby’s Request
1979, Japan
28A: Arrow Through Me
28B: Old Siam, Sir
1979, UK
29A: Wonderful Christmastime
29B: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae
1980, UK
30A: Coming Up
30B: Coming Up (Live at Glasgow)
30BB : Lunch Box/Odd Sox
1980, UK
31A: Waterfalls
31B: Check My Machine
Previously unreleased on 7”
32A: Temporary Secretary
32B: Secret Friend
[7” Single Edit]
1982, UK
33A: Ebony and Ivory
33B: Raincloud
s
1982, UK
34A: Take It Away
34B: I’ll Give You a Ring
1982, UK
35A: Tug of War
35B: Get It
1983, UK
36A: Say Say Say
36B: Ode to a Koala Bear
1983, UK
37A: Pipes of Peace
37B: So Bad
1984, UK
38A: No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
38B: No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)
1984, UK
39A: We All Stand Together
39B: We All Stand Together (Humming Version)
1985, US

 

40A: Spies Like Us
40B: My Carnival
1986, US
41A: Press [Video Edit]
41B: It’s Not True
1986, Art reformatted from US 12” promotional vinyl
42A: Pretty Little Head (Remix)
42B: Write Away
1986, US
43A: Stranglehold
43B: Angry (Remix)
1986, UK
44A: Only Love Remains
44B: Tough on a Tightrope
1987, UK
45A: Once Upon a Long Ago
45B: Back on My Feet
1989, US
46A: My Brave Face
46B: Flying to My Home
1989, UK
47A: This One
47B: The First Stone
1989, Australia
48A: Figure of Eight [7” Bob Clearmountain Mix]
48B: Où Est le Soleil
1989, UK
49A: Party Party
49B: Artwork etching
1990, UK
50A: Put It There
50B: Mama’s Little Girl
1990, Europe
51A: The Long and Winding Road
51B: C Moon
1990, UK
52A: Birthday
52B: Good Day Sunshine
1990, UK
53A: All My Trials
53B: C Moon
Previously unreleased on 7”
54A: The World You’re Coming Into
54AA: Tres Conejos
54B: Save the Child
54BB: The Drinking Song (Let’s Find Ourselves a Little Hostelry)
1992, Europe
55A: Hope of Deliverance
55B: Long Leather Coat
1993, Germany
56A: C’Mon People
56B: I Can’t Imagine
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
57A: Young Boy
57B: Looking for You
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
58A: The World Tonight
58B: Used to Be Bad
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
59A: Beautiful Night
59B: Love Come Tumbling Down
1999, UK
60A: No Other Baby
60B: Brown Eyed Handsome Man
60BB: Fabulous
2001, Europe
61A: From a Lover to a Friend
61B: Riding into Jaipur
2004, Europe
62A: Tropic Island Hum
62B: We All S
tand Together
2005, Europe
63A: Fine Line
63B: Growing Up Falling Down
2005, Europe
64A: Jenny Wren
64B: Summer of ’59
Previously unreleased on 7”
65A: Dance Tonight
65B: Dance Tonight [Demo]
Previously unreleased on 7”
66A: Nod Your Head
66B: 222
2007, Europe
67A: Ever Present Past
67B: House of Wax (Live)
Previously unreleased on 7”
68A: Sing the Changes
68B: Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight [Radio Edit]
Previously unreleased on 7”
69A: (I Want To) Come
Home
69B: (I Want To) Come Home [Demo]
Previously unreleased on 7”
70A: My Valentine
70B: Get Yourself Another Fool
2012, US
Christmas Kisses
71A: The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
71B: Wonderful Christmastime
Previously unreleased on 7”
72A: New
72B: Early Days
Previously unreleased on 7”
73A: Queenie Eye
73B: Save Us
Previously unreleased on 7”
74A: Hope for the Future
74B: Hope for the Future [Thrash Mix]
Previously unreleased on 7”
75A: In the Blink of an Eye
75B: Walking in the Park with Eloise
2018, Global
76A: I Don’t Know
76AA: Come on to Me
Previously unreleased on 7”
77A: Who Cares
77B: Fuh You
2019, Global
78A: Home Tonight
78AA: In a Hurry
Previously unreleased on 7”
79A: Find My Way
79AA: Winter Bird / When Winter Comes
Previously unreleased on 7”
80A: Women and Wives
80B: Women and Wives (St. Vincent Remix)

McCartney released his 18th solo studio album, ‘McCartney III’, in December 2020. The record completed the trilogy that began with ‘McCartney’ (1970) and ‘McCartney II’ (1980).

In a four-star review of the latest and final entry, NME wrote: “If future archaeologists take this three-album series as a significant marker of his solo half-century, they’ll conclude that Paul McCartney never stopped liberating.”

This summer saw Paul McCartney play a mammoth headline set at Glastonbury 2022. During the Pyramid Stage spectacle, the musician brought on surprise guests Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen, and duetted virtually with the late John Lennon.

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Check out exclusive photos from The 1975’s New York City afterparty

The 1975 brought their ‘At Their Very Best’ tour to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Monday (November 7), and followed their sold-out show with an after-party at The Cutting Room, hosted by The Ion Pack (creative duo Curtis Everett Pawley and KJ Rothweiler).

  • READ MORE: The 1975 live in New York City: a raw and raucous night at the Garden

The evening included DJ sets from Sunflower Bean‘s Julia Cumming, The Dare, a performance from Beach Fossils, and a closing set from The 1975.

Check out exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from Aysia Marotta for NME below.

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Dubbed, ‘The 1975Fionized, an MSG afterparty’, the Manhattan party included dynamic sets from Cumming, live music from Pawley’s project, The Life, electroclash moments from The Dare (aka, DJ Harrison Patrick Smith) and 1975 frontman Matty Healy and drummer George Daniel spinning Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ into Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’.

Julia Cumming
Julia Cumming CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

Julia Cumming
Julia Cumming CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

Julia Cumming
Julia Cumming CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

The Dare
The Dare CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

Beach Fossils
The Life CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

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The 1975
The 1975 CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

The 1975
The 1975 CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

The 1975
The 1975 CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

The 1975
The 1975 CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

The Cutting Room New York City
The Cutting Room New York City CREDIT: Aysia Marotta

Last month, The 1975 released their fifth album, ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’. In a four-star review, NME’s El Hunt said it “feels like the right next step after [The 1975 pushed their] experimental excess to its logical conclusion, and is comparatively lean with just eleven tracks to its name”.

The band are currently on tour in North America with 19 dates on their itinerary between now and mid-December. In the new year, they’ll take ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’ to the UK and Ireland, and then to Australia and New Zealand in April. See more details on the full run here.

In a five-star review of The 1975’s Madison Square Garden show, NME’s Erica Campbell called the evening “the kind of night that only The 1975 could host, the type of evening that leaves you buzzing and remembering why you love live music in the first place, walking home and thinking aloud, as one fan did before heading towards the subway: ‘I didn’t know how much I needed that.'”

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Download Festival boss on gender-balanced festival line-ups: “All festivals need to look at how diverse they are”

Earlier this week, Download announced the 2023 event would be headlined by Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon and Metallica playing two completely different sets on two different nights. The likes of Ghost, Evanescence, The Distillers, Placebo and Architects were also confirmed to be appearing at Donington Park alongside 50 other acts.

  • READ MORE: Download Festival 2022 review: metal’s fearsome energy rages on the smaller stages

Fans were quick to call it the best Download lineup ever and, speaking to NME, festival boss Andy Copping said: “I’m definitely not going to disagree. I’m very happy with the lineup. We’ve been working on it for a couple of years now because we wanted to do something big for the 20th anniversary. We just wanted to deliver a really killer lineup.”

Bring Me The Horizon are set to play the Friday night of Download 2023, headlining the festival for the first time ever and returning for the first time since 2014. “We’ve been talking about them headlining for some time,” said Copping. “But it has never felt right. The band were always keen to do it and there’s been a number of heated discussions about it over the years but I always wanted them to headline when it was absolutely right.”

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“Now, with a number of arena tours under their belt, some big albums and them headlining Reading And Leeds earlier this year, we just knew 2023 was going to be the perfect year for them,” he continued. “With it being our 20th anniversary, I knew it was going to be a big year for us as a festival and I wanted them to be a part of that.”

bring me the horizon reading 2022
Credit: Andy Ford for NME

Copping went on to say that Download is “always susceptible to a certain amount of criticism about who headlines, it doesn’t matter who you book,” but that never puts him off booking new headliners for the festival. “We’ve got to keep pushing bands through. We’ve done it in the past with Biffy Clyro, Slipknot and Avenged Sevenfold and now it’s Bring Me The Horizon’s time.”

Speaking of Slipknot, the Iowa titans are returning to Download for their fourth headline slot at the festival, with that special relationship starting “many years ago,” according to Copping.

“They’d worked their way up the bill and in 2009, I took the plunge and gave them their first festival headline slot anywhere in the world. Now, they’re seen as a headliner wherever they go. They’ve stayed very close to the festival ever since. The fans love them, the band loves Download and having them back for the 20th anniversary, off the back of another Number One album, it’s just perfectly timed.”

Corey Taylor of Slipknot
Corey Taylor of Slipknot performs on stage during the Knotfest at Artukainen Event Park on August 13, 2022 in Turku, Finland. CREDIT: Venla Shalin/Redferns

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With Download expanding to four full days of live music, Metallica are set to headline both Thursday and Saturday night, with two completely different sets. “There’s not many bands that can dig deep into their catalogue and come up with two remarkable setlists, but Metallica are without a doubt one of those bands,” said Copping. “Every time they play, they pull out a couple of rare tracks and fans really crave that. I’m really looking forward to seeing what they’re going to give us each day.”

Despite Metallica’s 40-year career, the inclusion of ‘Enter Sandman’ in Stranger Things earlier this year saw their music suddenly exposed to a whole new audience. Because of that, Copping is sure that there are going to be “swathes of young people coming to Download for the first time, who’ve only recently discovered Metallica”.

And what can those first-timers expect? “One of the things Download has above most music festivals is that community spirit,” says Copping.” Everybody is a huge music lover.”

Download
The main stage at Download Festival 2022. Credit: Joseph Okpako/WireImage.

As well as expanding to four days, Download 2023 will see the festival continue to expand its after-hours entertainment. “In the past, it’s something we’ve just taken for granted but we really focused on it in 2022. Because of that, there was this festival atmosphere throughout the campsite from Wednesday night. We want to keep expanding that because it’s become such a big part of the festival. Download isn’t just about the bands, it’s about everything else that goes on on-site.”

The 2021 event suffered a few last minute cancellations with acts like The Distillers and The Pretty Reckless cancelling their entire European runs, with the latter blaming “unforeseen logistical challenges”. More recently, Poppy has been forced to cancel several European headline shows due to the “current climate of the world” while the likes of Animal Collective, Santigold and SOHN have all been forced to cancel tours in recent months due to to post-pandemic landscape.

Copping hopes the uncertainty will have settled by next summer “but you can never been 100 per cent sure. Bands are coming to us, saying they want to tour and we’re happy to oblige”.

Looking further down the bill, Copping is really excited to have Nova Twins at Download 2023. “The way they’ve exploded over the past 18 months is remarkable,” he said.

The punk duo are one of only five Mercury shortlisted bands to ever play the festival, alongside The Prodigy, Therapy?, Muse and Biffy Clyro. Speaking about what their breakout success means to Download, Copping said: “They’re a great band, they’ve got a great image and a brilliant attitude. They’re obviously pushing diversity boundaries as well and we need to see more of that. I think having a band like Nova Twins on the bill will certainly open things up for similar artists in the future.”

Nova Twins
Nova Twins (Picture: Federica Burelli / Press)

In previous years, Download has been criticised for its male-heavy lineups but the 2023 event features numerous acts with female musicians, with the likes of Evanescence and The Distillers in big slots alongside the likes of Witch Fever, Crawlers, Stand Atlantic, As December Falls and Brutus.

“All festivals need to look at how diverse they are,” said Copping. “It’s something we’ve tried to do over the years, and we’ve still got a long way to go but it’s encouraging there’s so many great, female artists out there. Hopefully we can help give them a platform. We’re a long way down the line from where we were, but there’s still room to improve and we want to do that year on year.”

Download Festival 2023 line-up poster
Download Festival 2023 line-up poster. CREDIT: Press

In recent years, staple Download headliners like KISS and Black Sabbath have retired from touring but, according to Copping, he isn’t worried about where the next generation of headliners will come from.

“Every year we need three headliners and that isn’t easy but there are enough quality bands out there,” he said. “There are plenty of acts that haven’t headlined Download but could: Green Day, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! At The Disco, Royal Blood, Red Hot Chili Peppers or possibly Foo Fighters. We took the plunge a few years ago and had Muse headline, so it’s about widening the net.”

“Then there are the bands that are coming through now. Ghost, Architects, Parkway Drive all have good slots at Download this year but they’ve definitely got the opportunity of taking that next step to headline status. I’d like to see that happen as well. Then you’ve got a band like Enter Shikari who headlined the Download Pilot in 2021, there’s no question that they have the making of a proper Download headliner.”

Copping continued: “You don’t want to rely just on the heritage acts. Download fans are a lot more open to giving newer artists opportunities than they were, say, 10 or 15 years ago. We can’t just sit there and expect the same headliners year in, year out. We’ve got to try and freshen it up a little bit.”

Enter Shikari at Reading 2019. Credit: Andy Ford/NME

After 20 years of Download, the 2023 event is arguably its strongest, most exciting year yet. So what’s the secret? “I wish I knew,” said Copping. “It’s crazy that we’re here 20 years after we started and are quite possibly going to have the biggest Download ever.”

“I think the secret is that you’ve just gotta keep driving to get better. From the very first year, we’ve tried to get better bands, better the layout, better the campsite and better the experience. You can’t rest on your laurels. You don’t want to lose sight of the history of the event, or the history of Donington Park and Monsters Of Rock, but you’ve got to keep moving with the times. You’ve got to make yourself current.”

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Headie One announces collaborative mixtape ‘No Borders’, shares new single ‘Link in the Ends’

Headie One has announced an upcoming mixtape titled ‘No Borders: European Compilation Project’ and shared its latest single, ‘Link in the Ends’.

  • READ MORE: Headie One live in London: a star-studded run through the greatest hits

Set for release on November 11, the collaborative mixtape enlists a suite of contributors from Europe, with German artists Luciano, Pajel, and Kalim among the tracklist’s featured artists. They’re joined on the 12-song mixtape by Italy’s Shiva, French musicians Gazo, Koba LaD, and Nej, as well as Frenna and Chivv of the Netherlands. See the full tracklist below.

New single ‘Link in the Ends’ features Koba LaD, who raps in French on the track’s opening bars, later making way for Headie’s verse atop a drill beat and backing wind instruments. The accompanying video follows the pair as they meander around Paris. Watch that below.

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‘Link in the Ends’ follows a handful of singles released by Headie One this year. Back in May, he shared the standalone track ‘Came In The Scene’, and followed it up later that month with the Gazo-assisted lead single ’22 Carats’. More recently, the rapper shared ‘Illegal’ in August of this year.

When it arrives, ‘No Border’ will mark the latest in a long string of Headie One’s collaborative projects, having recruited Fred Again.. for the 2020 mixtape ‘Gang’. Last year, he released fifth mixtape ‘Too Loyal for My Own Good’, which served as a follow-up to his 2020 studio debut ‘Edna’. The rapper toured that album last year, with his London show last November receiving a four-star review from NME. 

“Once he bows out, the room’s left in a euphoric daze of excitement,” NME wrote, “and the ‘Edna’ Tour feels like a fitting bookend for this chapter of Headie’s journey.”

The tracklist for Headie One’s ‘No Borders: European Compilation Project’ is:

1. ‘22 Carats’ [ft. Gazo]
2. ‘Place’ [ft. Pajel and Dezzie]
3. ‘No Resellers’ [ft. Shiva]
4. ‘Cloud’ [ft. Luciano]
5. ‘Bigger Than Life’ [ft. Frenna]
6. ‘Spaceship’ [ft. Chivv]
7. ‘Shotgxn’ [ft. Kalim]
8. ‘I Got You’ [ft. Hamza]
9. ‘Link in the Ends’ [ft. Koba LaD]
10. ‘Paro’ [ft. Nej]
11. ‘Relationship’ [ft. Nej]
12. ‘Smooth’ [ft. Yasin]

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Avril Lavigne and Yungblud team up on emotional new single, ‘I’m A Mess’

Avril Lavigne has released a new collaborative single with Yungblud – listen to ‘I’m A Mess’ below.

The pair teased the joint track last week by both sharing a video that saw Yungblud (aka Dominic Harrison) cutting Lavigne’s hair in a bathroom. Later, it was confirmed that the collab would be arriving today (November 3).

  • READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Yungblud: “This album is about reclaiming my name and humanising the caricature”

‘I’m A Mess’, a slow-burning guitar ballad, begins with Lavigne singing about an absent loved one: “Staring at the pavement alone/ Wishing that I was on my way home to you/ All the shops in London are closed/ And I don’t know where to go from here/ No, I don’t know where to go from here.”

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The drums kick in later ahead of Yungblud’s verse, which hears the Doncaster artist say his life “hasn’t been the same since that night”. In the chorus, the duo each long for a reunion: “But I know I’m a mess, I’m a mess/ When we’re not together/ Such a wreck, such a wreck/ I hope it’s not forever/ Will I see you again?

‘I’m A Mess’ was written by Lavigne and Harrison alongside Travis Barker of Blink-182 and John Feldmann. The song’s P Tracy-directed official video was filmed in London and Los Angeles – tune in here:

Lavigne released her latest solo album ‘Love Sux’ back in February, while Yungblud dropped his self-titled third studio record in September.

Yungblud recently shared the official trailer for his upcoming short film Mars. The project is based on the Doncaster artist’s 2020 track of the same name, which appeared on his second studio album ‘Weird!’.

Last month, Avril Lavigne performed at the inaugural When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was set to return to the event the following weekend, but pulled out due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

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Green Day side project The Coverups pay tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis

Green Day side project The Coverups have paid tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis during a special gig this weekend.

  • READ MORE: Jerry Lee Lewis, 1935-2022: an original rock’n’roller and the last of the gang to die

The side project, made up of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt, began in 2018 as a covers band. The group also features Green Day touring musician Jason White.

On Friday (October 28), the band performed a gig at Los Angeles’ Moroccan Lounge.

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Of the 36 songs the band played, one included a rendition of “Great Balls Of Fire’ as a tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis, who passed away last week aged 87.

Lewis, the influential rock pioneer known for his songs ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On’ died of natural causes at home in DeSoto County, Mississippi, according to reports.

As well as paying tribute to Lewis, the band also performed covers of songs by The Cure, The Ramones, Nirvana, David Bowie and more.

Check out footage from the gig as well as the full set list below.

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The setlist was:

‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ – Bauhaus cover
‘A Million Miles Away’ – The Plimsouls cover
‘I Wanna Be Sedated’ – Ramones cover
‘Ready Steady Go’ – Generation X cover
‘I Want You to Want Me’ – Cheap Trick cover
‘American Girl’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover
‘Rockaway Beach’ – Ramones cover
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ – Tommy James and the Shondells cover
‘Message of Love’ – Pretenders cover
‘Just Like Heaven’ – The Cure cover
‘Colour Me Impressed’ – The Replacements cover
‘Seether’ – Veruca Salt cover
‘Don’t Change’ – INXS cover
‘Fox On The Run’ – The Sweet cover
‘Ziggy Stardust’ – David Bowie cover
‘Monster Mash’ – Bobby Pickett cover
‘Hybrid Moments’ – Misfits cover
‘Teenagers From Mars’ – Misfits cover
‘Where Eagles Dare’ – Misfits cover
‘I Fought the Law’ – The Crickets/The Clash cover
‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ – The Clash cover
‘Head Over Heels’ – The Go-Go’s cover
‘Dancing With Myself’ – Generation X cover
‘Neat Neat Neat’ – The Damned cover
‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)’ – The Buzzcocks cover
‘Drain You’ – Nirvana cover
‘Born to Lose’ – The Heartbreakers cover
‘Suffragette City’ – David Bowie cover
‘Just Like Heaven’ – The Cure cover
‘All the Young Dudes’ – Mott The Hoople/David Bowie cover
‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ – The Rolling Stones cover
‘Surrender’ – Cheap Tricks cover
‘(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding’ – Brinsley Schwarz cover
‘Rock and Roll All Nite’ – KISS cover
‘Great Balls Of Fire’ – Jerry Lee Lewis cover
‘Where Eagles Dare’ – Misfits cover 

  • READ MORE: The Big Read – Green Day: “We live our lives as if we have nothing”

In other news, Green Day and Eddie Vedder have been announced as the headliners at the baseball-themed Innings Festival in Arizona next February.

The two-day festival is set to take place on February 25-26, 2023, where Green Day will headline on Saturday. Weezer, The Black Crowes, The Offspring, The Pretty Reckless, Paris Jackson and more also feature on the bill.

Eddie Vedder will close out the Sunday, alongside Marcus Mumford, The Revivalists, Mt. Joy, and more.

Green Day have also already been announced on the When We Were Young Festival 2023 line-up, along with Blink-182.

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

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Paramore add extra London date to 2023 UK and Ireland tour

Paramore have added a London date to their spring 2023 UK and Ireland tour.

  • READ MORE: Paramore’s ‘This Is Why’ is a snarling, defiant middle finger to the haters

The tour, which was announced earlier this month, is in support of the band’s sixth album ‘This Is Why’ (released on February 10, 2023).

Kicking off in Dublin on April 13, the tour stops in Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, London and Birmingham, with an extra show at London’s O2 now added for April 23.

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Bloc Party will support the Tennessean trio on their first shows in the UK since 2018.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am tomorrow (October 28) – you’ll be able to purchase them here.

A portion of ticket sales for these shows will be donated to Support + Feed, a charity that “takes action action for a global shift to an equitable, plant-based food system to combat food insecurity and the climate crisis”.

See the full list of Paramore’s UK and Ireland tour dates below:

APRIL 2023
Thursday 13 – Dublin, 3Arena
Saturday 15 – Cardiff, International Arena
Monday 17 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Tuesday 18 – Manchester, AO Arena
Thursday 20 – London, O2 Arena
Saturday 22 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
Sunday 23 – London, O2 Arena *NEW DATE*

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In other news, Paramore opened their headline set at When We Were Young Festival last weekend by giving ‘All I Wanted’ its live debut.

The emotional track featured on Paramore’s third album, 2009’s ‘Brand New Eyes’, but has never been performed live before.

Elsewhere during Paramore’s closing set they played ‘Here We Go Again’ from their 2005 debut ‘All I Know Is Falling’ and ‘Paramore’ track ‘Last Hope’ – both for the first time in four years.

When We Were Young Festival continues this weekend, with Paramore, My Chemical Romance and more set to return on October 29.

The festival will then return to Las Vegas next October, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day.

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How When We Were Young went from “emo fyre-fest” to a euphoric pop-punk party

On Saturday, October 22, as fans from around the world queued outside of the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, outfitted in their best emo-inspired outfits and ready for the first day of the sold-out When We Were Young music festival, bad news started to spread. According to multiple reports, high-speed wind gusts threatened to shut down outdoor events in Sin City, and not long after those reports started to surface, would-be attendees received an alert on their festival app.

“When We Were Young Festival organizers have spent the last several days proactively preparing the festival grounds for a windy Saturday,” a statement read. “The National Weather Service has now upgraded their Saturday forecast to a High Wind Warning, including dangerous 30-40mph sustained winds with potential 60mph gusts.

  • READ MORE: When We Were Young 2022 – all the action from the pop-punk festival in nostalgic photos

“Under advisement of the National Weather Service and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, we have no other choice than to cancel today’s When We Were Young Festival. The safety of our fans, artists and staff will always be our top priority.”

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The statement continued: “This was not a decision that came lightly. We know many of you travelled to the area to have a spectacular day with your favourite bands and have been looking forward to this day for months.  We were equally as excited and are devastated to have to share this news.”

The last-minute cancellation was the latest blow for the festival, which had been dubbed by some as “emo fyre-fest” thanks to its tightly stacked line-up of pop-punk bands, which was set to be repeated for three days (Saturday, October 22, Sunday, October 23, and Saturday, October 29) on only three stages with little time between sets.

Fans at When We Were Young
Fans at When We Were Young CREDIT: WWWY/ Virisa Yong

However, as the acts and fans started chatting about the cancellation on social media, the unfortunate turn of events sparked a new plan. Bands on the bill and representatives from the local Las Vegas music scene stepped up and quickly created alternative experiences for fans.

The All-American Rejects took to the stage at local restaurant Soulbelly BBQ in Vegas’ Arts District. The free show drew a crowd of hundreds to the intimate venue. “I’ve had the best day of my life”, AAR frontman Tyson Ritter said from the stage. “I’m so grateful to be able to show some of these kids where Vegas is, the working class, and the Arts District”. He added, “I feel like Vegas understood the Rejects first. It’s a city that the Rejects feel like we belong in.”

As Soulbelly reached capacity inside, fans hung over the railings surrounding the outdoor patio just to catch a glimpse of the band all singing along to AAR’s hits like ‘Dirty Little Secret’ and ‘Move Along’. Ritter’s new band, Now More Than Ever, also played their new track ‘Don’t Rush, Don’t Wait’ for fans. “Downtown Las Vegas is really the fucking shit,” Ritter said from the stage before walking away from the ecstatic crowd.

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Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects
Tyson Ritter of All-American Rejects CREDIT: Jenn Five

Another gathering of WWWY attendees on Saturday evening took place at the Sand Dollar Lounge in a 300-person capacity room as nearly 1,000 fans waited outside, hoping to get into the Unofficial PBR Party where Senses Fail, Thursday, and Bayside took the stage.

Closer to the Festival Grounds at The Strat, another last-minute show wooed fans. “When we got the call that Saturday’s When We Were Young festival had to be cancelled because of the wind, we were all obviously immediately bummed out”, Ronnie Winter of The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus told NME. “We knew we would have two more days to play, but also we were well aware people flew from all over the world and, in some cases, only had tickets for Saturday.”

Winter continued: “Good thing all the bands on this fest [line-up] come from the DIY punk rock scene. Within hours I was on the phone with many of my friends in bands in Vegas, trying to figure out what we could do to at least play something for the people in town with nothing to do. We announced the show, and within 15 minutes, thousands of people flooded the Strat.”

Fans at When We Were Young Festival
Fans at When We Were Young Festival CREDIT: Luther / WWWYF—

The Vegas hotel had to stop letting fans in at one point, due to quickly hitting capacity. “We played a tiny stage mainly used for lounge bands in a random corner of the casino,” Winter added. “We all played stripped-down sets to try and keep things chill since there were so many people crammed in. We just hope we made at least a little bit of light out of a bummer of a day.”

Bring Me The Horizon also played a last-minute surprise set on Saturday night for fans. Frontman Oli Sykes shared a handwritten poster via Instagram announcing the gig at Pearl Theater, with support from Knocked Loose and Landon Barker (son of Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker).

“Was supposed to go to When We Were Young Festival, but got cancelled but at the end of the day still snagged myself a chance to see BMTH which made my night extremely better,” one fan wrote in the caption of a video from the night’s show.

Bring Me The Horizon
Bring Me The Horizon CREDIT: Jenn Five

By Sunday (October 23) the wind had slowed down, and anticipation for the festival reached a new high as fans made their way back to the festival site. However, despite the extra day to perfect logistics, their were still hiccups on the first day. Attendees noted that wristband pickup points were confusing, there were also long lines, meaning extended wait times for food, drinks, merchandise, and toilets. Despite those issues, the bands and fans took the experience in stride.

“When We Were Young was just as amazing as we hoped it would be,” Ben Jorgensen from Armor For Sleep told NME. “It was an amazing celebration of this music that changed all of our lives, and we couldn’t be more proud to have had our fans right there with us.”

When We Were Young Festival continues this weekend, with Paramore , My Chemical Romance and more set to return on October 29. Earlier this week it was announced that Avril Lavigne will no longer be on the line-up, however, Death Cab for Cutie and Underoath will be added.

The festival will then return to Las Vegas next year on October 21, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day alongside 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte, Rise Against and more.

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Green Day and Eddie Vedder to headline baseball-themed Innings Festival

Green Day and Eddie Vedder have been announced as the headliners at the baseball-themed Innings Festival in Arizona next February.

  • READ MORE: The Big Read – Green Day: “We live our lives as if we have nothing”

The two-day festival is set to take place on February 25-26, 2023, where Green Day will headline on Saturday. Weezer, The Black Crowes, The Offspring, The Pretty Reckless, Paris Jackson and more also feature on the bill.

Eddie Vedder will close out the Sunday, alongside Marcus Mumford, The Revivalists, Mt. Joy, and more.

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This year Foo Fighters and Tame Impala led the 2022 edition of the festival.

Innings Festival Arizona lineup
Innings Festival, Arizona (CREDIT: Innings Festival)

Keeping in line with the baseball theme – described as a “festival for passionate baseball fans to come together and practice some of their own skills among the greats” – the line-up also features former players-turned-musicians including The Bronson Arroyo Band.

An “All Star Baseball Jam” will also feature appearances from players like Randy Johnson, Jake Peavy and Dontrelle Willis.

A Tampa, Florida-based leg of the festival will take place on March 18-19, with the line-up due to be announced on Tuesday (November 1).

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Tickets for the Arizona Innings Festival are on sale now here.

Meanwhile, Green Day recently shared newly unearthed ‘Nimrod’ demo and announced a 25th anniversary edition.

The drop came exactly 25 years since the band released ‘Nimrod’ – the follow-up to 1995’s ‘Insomniac’. It spawned four singles: ‘Hitchin’ A Ride’, ‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’, ‘Redundant’ and ‘Nice Guys Finished Last’.

Green Day have also already been announced on the When We Were Young Festival 2023 line-up, along with Blink-182.

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

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Avril Lavigne and Yungblud announce joint single ‘I’m A Mess’

Avril Lavigne and Yungblud have announced their new joint single, ‘I’m A Mess’.

The pair teased their forthcoming collaboration earlier this week in a video that showed Yungblud giving Lavigne a hair cut in a bathroom.

  • READ MORE: Yungblud: “This album is about reclaiming my name and humanising the caricature”

The two artists have now confirmed that they will release their joint single on November 3 – you can pre-order/pre-save the track here.

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Lavigne shared the black-and-white single artwork for ‘I’m A Mess’, which features an image of the pair handcuffed together, on her social media accounts yesterday (October 26).

Yungblud added that his and Lavigne’s new song “is full-on lookin out the window of your parents car pretendin [sic] you’re in a music video vibes”.

Lavigne released her latest solo album ‘Love Sux’ back in February, while Yungblud released his self-titled third studio album last month.

Last week, Yungblud shared the official trailer for his upcoming short film Mars. The film is based on the Doncaster artist’s 2020 track of the same name, which appeared on his second studio album ‘Weird!’.

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Set in the north of England, the project is described as “a frank and funny short film of teenage self-discovery” and stars Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney as lead character Charlie Acaster.

Elsewhere, Lavigne was joined by All Time Low frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat at last weekend’s When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas to perform a cover of Blink-182‘s ‘All The Small Things’.

The first day of When We Were Young was cancelled due to weather warnings.

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Avril Lavigne drops out of When We Were Young Festival, Death Cab and Underoath join bill

Avril Lavigne will not be performing at this weekend’s When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, as previously advertised.

  • READ MORE: When We Were Young 2022 – all the action from the pop-punk festival in nostalgic photos

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

The event got off to a difficult start over the weekend, after the first day (October 22) was cancelled due to weather warnings and resulting safety fears. But day two of the festival went ahead without a hitch as My Chemical Romance and Paramore both played as planned. Elsewhere, Lavigne was joined by All Time Low for a cover of Blink-182‘s ‘All The Small Things’ towards the end of her set.

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The festival confirmed that Lavigne would not be performing this weekend, writing: “We had the best time on Sun with @AvrilLavigne. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she is unable to join us on Oct 29th of WWWY. We will miss you Avril!”

As well as sharing the updated set times for this Saturday’s event, the festival announced that Death Cab for Cutie and Underoath were being added to the line-up.

When We Were Young Festival continues this weekend, with Paramore, My Chemical Romance and more set to return on October 29.

The festival will then return to Las Vegas next October 21, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day alongside 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte, Rise Against and more.

In other news, Death Cab For Cutie returned to their Live From Home streams last month and shared an R.E.M. cover, as well as debuting a new song.

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Ahead of the release of their 10th studio album, ‘Asphalt Meadows’, the band returned for a special edition of Live From Home where they covered R.E.M.’s ‘Near Wild Heaven’ and shared a version of unreleased ‘Asphalt Meadows’ track ‘Pepper’.

In a four-star review of the record, NME said: “‘Asphalt Meadows’ is as assured and stately as you’d expect and hope for from indie veterans now 10 albums and 25 years into their career, but this beaut is as consistent and satisfying as their early-mid ‘00s career peak. Here are a band still very much in love with what they do.”

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Tyson Fury to release debut solo single to raise money for men’s mental health charity

Tyson Fury has announced he will be releasing his first ever single to raise money for a men’s mental health charity.

The two-time world heavyweight champion is due to officially share a cover of Neil Diamond‘s classic single, ‘Sweet Caroline’, with 100 per cent of the profits going to Talk Club – a charity which offers talking groups, sports groups and other therapy for men.

Fury’s cover will arrive on November 11 ahead of the Fifa World Cup in Qatar which begins on November 20.

“Sweet Caroline is a record I’ve always loved and I’m excited to record and release it,” Fury said. “And thanks to the folks over at Warner Music, they’ve given me the opportunity to do that, and what better time to release it than around the World Cup.”

He added: “If it helps England along the way in the World Cup, well that’s an added bonus.”

The 34-year-old boxer has spoken candidly about his mental health struggles in the past and he hopes that partnering up with Talk Club will encourage more men to seek advice and support.

“Boxing has been a massive platform for me to spread the word on mental health and I have done it to the best of my ability,” he said. “I have been very vocal about my mental health struggle, especially since my comeback.

“It has been widely printed about my highs and lows, ups and downs, so I’ve tried my best to keep talking about it as much as I can and keep trying to smash the stigma.”

Co-founders of Talk Club, Ben Akers and Gavin Thorpe, said: “Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50 in the UK. Tyson Fury is a champion, in and out of the ring to many of those men.

“Men see themselves in Tyson, so when he talks – or sings – they listen.”

Although the cover marks Fury’s solo debut, it won’t be the first time Fury has recorded a song having previously worked with Don McLean on a new version of ‘American Pie’, as well as Robbie Williams on ‘Bad Sharon’.

News of Fury’s latest music venture comes as he gears up for his trilogy fight with Derek Chisora at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3.

FOR HELP AND ADVICE ON MENTAL HEALTH:

  • YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
  • MIND – For mental health support, advice and awareness
  • CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
  • Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
  • The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day
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Watch Avril Lavigne let Yungblud give her a haircut

Avril Lavigne has shared a video on Instagram of Yungblud cutting her hair – watch below.

  • READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Yungblud: “This album is about reclaiming my name and humanising the caricature”

Both musicians posted the video, which shows Lavigne sitting on a toilet with Yungblud behind her. “I need a beer,” Lavigne says at the start of the video as Yungblud grabs a chunk of her hair.

“Are you ready? Are you nervous?” He then asks, before cutting her hair. Though it appears to be her extensions and not her actual hair that he’s cutting, Lavigne exclaims “Oh my god, bro!” as Yungblud continues to chop.

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The accompanying caption “I’m A Mess” suggests that the pair may be hinting at an upcoming collaboration. Lavigne’s fiancée, the musician Mod Sun, commented on the post: “Haircut looks great! U did well @yungblud new song maybe?”

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A post shared by Avril Lavigne (@avrillavigne)

Yungblud released his self-titled third studio album last month. The chart-topping project was previewed by the singles ‘Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today’, ‘Tissues’ and ‘The Funeral’, and was described by NME as Yungblud’s “most confident, cohesive album yet” in a four-star review.

Last week, Yungblud shared the official trailer for his upcoming short film Mars. The film is based on the Doncaster artist’s 2020 track of the same name, which appears on his second studio album ‘Weird!’.

Set in the north of England, the project is described as “a frank and funny short film of teenage self-discovery”, and stars Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney as lead character Charlie Acaster.

Elsewhere, Lavigne was joined by All Time Low for a cover of Blink-182‘s ‘All The Small Things’ at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas on October 23.

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The singer teamed up with frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat towards the end of her set for a raucous rendition of the classic track.

Yungblud released his self-titled third studio album last month. The chart-topping project was previewed by the singles ‘Don’t Feel Like Feeling Sad Today’, ‘Tissues’ and ‘The Funeral’, and was described by NME as Yungblud’s “most confident, cohesive album yet” in a four-star review.

Last week, Yungblud shared the official trailer for his upcoming short film Mars. The film is based on the Doncaster artist’s 2020 track of the same name, which appears on his second studio album ‘Weird!’.

Set in the north of England, the project is described as “a frank and funny short film of teenage self-discovery”, and stars Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney as lead character Charlie Acaster.

Elsewhere, Lavigne was joined by All Time Low for a cover of Blink-182‘s ‘All The Small Things’ at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas on October 23.

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The singer teamed up with frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat towards the end of her set for a raucous rendition of the classic track.

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Lewis Capaldi explains why he changed lyrics written by Ed Sheeran on upcoming album

Lewis Capaldi has updated fans with details about his upcoming album, including why he had to amend lyrics written by Ed Sheeran.

  • READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Lewis Capaldi: “I make jokes because I’m comfortable with who I am”

In a new interview with BBC News, Capaldi opened up on the creative process behind his recently announced LP, ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’, which includes a collaborative effort with Sheeran who is a co-writer on a single titled ‘Pointless’.

Speaking about the song, Capaldi admitted that he had to change lyrics written by Sheeran, which were: “She gives me more than everything, I’ll give her my last name.”
“I was like, ‘Ed, this is 2022,” Capaldi said. “‘No-one has to take anyone’s second name. I’m not singing that!’

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“I don’t even think that Ed’s own wife has got his last name.”

He also revealed he was initially sceptical of collaborating with Sheeran because “every British artist who has a number one record seems to have Ed on it”.

“That’s a testament to how good he is but I was wary of it,” he said. “My ego was going, ‘I don’t want people thinking Ed wrote my song’.

“I actually mentioned that to him and he offered to take up a pseudonym – but at the end of the day, he did help write it so there should be no question.”

Despite his concerns, the pair went forward with the collaborative effort, with Capaldi adding that Sheeran “brought out the softy in me”.’Pointless’ is set to feature on Lewis Capaldi’s second album which is due for release on May 19, 2023 and is available to pre-order here.

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In a recent interview with The Guardian, Capaldi described the LP as being “the same” as what’s come before.

He added: “All in all, the album’s the same. I like making this music; it’s done all right in the past.

“I don’t have this sort of artistic desire to go off and reinvent myself. Not at all. I feel like the same person, so why would I be searching for something new?”

The project will feature the recently released ‘Forget Me’ and will be followed by an extensive UK/European arena tour in 2023 which kicks off in Leeds on January 14, with further dates in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff and Exeter.

Tickets for the shows will go on pre-sale tomorrow (October 26) and go on general sale this Friday (October 28). You will be able to purchase tickets here and here.

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Watch Paramore perform ‘All I Wanted’ for the first time at When We Were Young Festival

Paramore opened their headline set at When We Were Young Festival by giving ‘All I Wanted’ its live debut – check out footage and the complete setlist below.

    • READ MORE: Paramore’s ‘This Is Why’ is a snarling, defiant middle finger to the haters

The emotional track featured on Paramore’s third album, 2009’s ‘Brand New Eyes’ but has never been performed live before.

Elsewhere during Paramore’s closing set at When We Were Young, the band played ‘Here We Go Again’ from their 2005 debut ‘All I Know Is Falling’ and ‘Paramore’ track ‘Last Hope’, both for the first time in four years. Check out footage below:

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When We Were Young Festival – co-headlined by My Chemical Romance and described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades” – debuted in Las Vegas yesterday (October 23). The first event was initially set to go down on Saturday (October 22), but was cancelled an hour before gates opened due to weather warnings.

Ahead of Paramore’s performance at When We Were Young, Hayley Williams shared a heartfelt, handwritten note on her Instagram page, “celebrating the fact that, as a scene, we’ve come a long way – with much further to go”.

Williams went on to celebrate Paramore’s “legend” status in the world of rock and alternative music, noting: “Nearly 20 years later, we find ourselves a pillar of the very scene that threatened to reject us. And me.”

She added: “Fuck the ones who doubted! Hugs to the ones who watched on and even sort of believed. Young girls, queer kids, and anybody of any colour… We have shifted this scene together, messily, angrily, heartbroken, and determined. Tonight, for me at least, is about celebrating all the facets of what punk music actually represents. All the things it wasn’t allowed to be when we were young. Can’t wait to see everyone tonight.”

At the first night of When We Were Young, Paramore played:

‘All I Wanted’
‘That’s What You Get’
‘Still Into You’
‘Brick By Boring Brick’
‘I Caught Myself’
‘Here We Go Again’
‘Ignorance’
‘Ain’t It Fun’
‘Last Hope’
‘Hard Times’
‘This Is Why’
‘Misery Business’

When We Were Young Festival continues next weekend, with Paramore, My Chemical Romance and more set to return on October 29. The festival will then return to Las Vegas next October, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day.

Paramore have also confirmed details of a UK headline tour for next April, following the release of new album ‘This Is Why’. Support for the dates comes from Bloc Party. Check out the full list of dates below with tickets going on sale 10am Friday (October 28) – grab them here.

APRIL 2023
Thursday 13 – Dublin, 3Arena
Saturday 15 – Cardiff, International Arena
Monday 17 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Tuesday 18 – Manchester, AO Arena
Thursday 20 – London, O2 Arena
Saturday 22 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena

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Hayley Williams shares heartfelt letter before Paramore headlines When We Were Young

In the lead-up to Paramore’s second headline set at the inaugural When We Were Young festival, frontwoman Hayley Williams shared a heartfelt letter with her fans and supporters.

  • READ MORE: Paramore’s ‘This Is Why’ is a snarling, defiant middle finger to the haters

The hotly anticipated festival – co-headlined by My Chemical Romance and described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades” – debuted in Las Vegas yesterday (October 22). The first event was initially set to go down on Friday (October 21), but was cancelled an hour before gates opened due to weather warnings.

For all three of its dates, Paramore are closing out the festival’s Pink Stage, performing an hourlong set at 9:40pm. Reflecting on the band’s journey to this point, Williams opened up about the significance of Paramore’s billing in a handwritten letter shared to her Instagram Story. “To grow up in this scene was not a simple thing,” she wrote. “To be celebrating it (and to be celebrated by it) is not a simple thing. Nothing about this life – for you, me, or anyone – is simple.

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“We fell in love with this subset of post-punk and hardcore likely because nothing else moved us. We didn’t fit in other places. To be a young girl in love with this scene was to have the hope that I might find my own way to belong. It took years to find that belonging. It’s taken a lot of unlearning. A lot of untangling knots I didn’t even know were there.

“What I did know was that for every ‘Take off your top!’ or snarky punkzine review… For every dramatic headline pinned on my name, or any season of self-doubt… No one was going to define Paramore but Paramore.”

Williams went on to celebrate Paramore’s “legend” status in the rock and alternative scenes, noting: “Nearly 20 years later, we find ourselves a pillar of the very scene that threatened to reject us. And me.”

She noted that the band “never banked on trends”, “nostalgia” or Williams’ own star power, remaining staunch on their ethos of only following “exactly what we knew was real for us”. She continued to assert that as Paramore geared up to headline a festival appealing to their exact demographic, she’s “celebrating the fact that, as a scene, we’ve come a long way – with much further to go”.

She added: “Fuck the ones who doubted! Hugs to the ones who watched on and even sort of believed. Young girls, queer kids, and anybody of any color… We have shifted this scene together, messily, angrily, heartbroken, and determined. Tonight, for me at least, is about celebrating all the facets of what punk music actually represents. All the things it wasn’t allowed to be when we were young. Can’t wait to see everyone tonight.”

Have a look at Williams’ full letter below:

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Following tonight’s (October 23) edition of When We Were Young, the festival will be held – with the same line-up – again next Saturday (October 29). It’ll then return to Las Vegas next October, with its 2023 bill headlined by Blink-182 and Green Day.

This year’s festival comes amid Paramore’s long-awaited return, with ‘This Is Why’ – their first song in five years – arriving at the end of last month. It’s the title track to their forthcoming sixth album, which is due out on February 10 via Atlantic. In a four-star review, NME’s Ali Shutler called the single “a defiant song struggling with paranoia that champions safe spaces”.

Following the album’s release, Paramore will support ‘This Is Why’ with a lengthy world tour. So far, they’ve announced legs in South America and the UK.

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Bring Me The Horizon play last-minute show after When We Were Young Festival’s opening day cancellation

Bring Me The Horizon played a last-minute, intimate show in Las Vegas after the first day of the inaugural When We Were Young Festival was cancelled due to bad weather.

  • READ MORE: The beginner’s guide to the evolution of emo

Singer Oli Sykes shared a handwritten poster via his Instagram yesterday (October 22) announcing the show at Pearl Theater, with support from Knocked Loose and Landon Barker (son of Blink-182 drummer, Travis Barker). You can see images from the band’s Instagram Stories here, their setlist (according to Setlist.FM, here) and footage and extra images from the gig further below.

The festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced to much fanfare earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill. However, its opening day yesterday was pulled after high winds resulted in safety fears.

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The pop-punk and emo heavy event in Nevada was also set to feature Bring Me The Horizon, Bright Eyes, The Used and more.

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A post shared by Oli Sykes (@olobersykes)

It was originally planned as a two-day event. At the time of writing, the second date is still happening today (October 22) with the same line-up. Check out the stage times here.

Bring Me The Horizon were among a hosts of festival acts who arranged to play replacement shows. See footage and more images below.

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A post shared by Gabrielle Elyse (@gabrielle_elysexo)

Bayside, Senses Fail, Thursday, Anthony Green, Four Year Strong, Horrorpops, Kittie and La Dispute were also said to have played sets yesterday after When We Were Young was cancelled.

NME wasn’t able to immediately verify that all the planned replacement shows went ahead as advertised.

FREE SHOW TONIGHT @anthonygreen666 @sensesfail @bayside @thursdayband

Posted by When We Were Young on Saturday, October 22, 2022

When We Were Young Festival organisers previously announced a third date for next Saturday (October 29) to meet demand as well as a series of sideshow events.

The line-up for next year’s festival has already been unveiled, with Blink-182 and Green Day announced as headliners and acts including 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte and Rise Against booked for October 21, 2023.

The news came on the back of the announcement that Blink-182 have reunited with Tom DeLonge for a huge world tour and new music. New single ‘Edging’ arrived last week (October 14), and it marks the first time in a decade that DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker had been in a studio together.

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When We Were Young Festival 2022 day one cancelled due to weather warning

The first day of the inaugural and hotly-anticipated When We Were Young Festival has been cancelled due to weather warnings and resulting safety fears.

The 2022 festival, described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades”, was announced to much fanfare earlier this year with My Chemical Romance and Paramore topping the bill.

The pop-punk and emo heavy Las Vegas event, which was also set to feature the likes Bring Me The Horizon, Bright Eyes, The Used and more, was due to kick off today (Saturday October 22) – but the opening day has now been scrapped due to high winds.

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“When We Were Young Festival organizers have spent the last several days proactively preparing the festival grounds for a windy Saturday,” a statement read. “The National Weather Service has now upgraded their Saturday forecast to a High Wind Warning, including dangerous 30-40mph sustained winds with potential 60mph gusts.

“Under advisement of the National Weather Service and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, we have no other choice than to cancel today’s When We Were Young Festival. The safety of our fans, artists and staff will always be our top priority.”

They continued: “This was not a decision that came lightly. We know many of you traveled to the area to have a spectacular day with your favorite bands and have been looking forward to this day for months.  We were equally as excited and are devastated to have to share this news.”

Paramore Hayley Williams
Paramore’s Hayley Williams CREDIT: Josh Brasted/WireImage

When We Were Young Festival added: “Ticketholders who purchased their tickets directly through the festival’s ticketing company, Front Gate Tickets, for Saturday October 22’s When We Were Young Festival will receive a refund in as little as 30 days to the original form of payment.

“According to the National Weather Service, Sunday’s weather looks sunny without any wind advisories. When We Were Young’s additional dates including Sunday October 23 and Saturday October 29 are moving forward accordingly.”

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Festival organisers also previously addressed fan safety concerns in a statement  back in January.

As it stands, the event with the same line-up is still due to go ahead tomorrow. Check out the stage times here.

WWWY also previously announced a third date on Saturday October 29 to meet demand, as well as a series of sideshow events.

Though this year’s festival is still to take place, the line-up for 2023 has already been unveiled, with Blink-182 and Green Day announced as headliners and the likes of 30 Seconds To Mars, The Offspring, Good Charlotte and Rise Against on the bill for October 21 2023.

The news came on the back of the announcement that Blink-182 have reunited with Tom DeLonge for a huge world tour and new music. New single ‘Edging’ arrived last week (October 14), and it marks the first time in a decade that DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker had been in a studio together.

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Kanye West allegedly praised “Hitler and the Nazis” in past interview

Kanye West once praised “Hitler and the Nazis” during an interview with TMZ, an ex-staffer at the site has claimed.

Van Lathan, who’s now the host of the Higher Learning podcast, said he wasn’t surprised by West’s recent antisemitic comments while recalling the time TMZ sat down with the rapper in 2018.

  • READ MORE: With his “White Lives Matter” stunt, has Kanye West finally hit the point of no return?

It was in that same conversation that Ye expressed controversial views on slavery, which resulted in a backlash.

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“I’ve already heard him say that [antisemitic] stuff before,” Lathan explained (via the Independent).

“I mean, I was taken aback because that type of antisemitic talk is disgusting. But as far as him, I knew that that was in him because when came to TMZ, he said that stuff and they took it out of the interview.”

The ‘DONDA’ artist allegedly said that he “loved Hitler and the Nazis”, per Hip Hop DX. Lathan claimed that he challenged Ye on his comment, as did a Jewish TMZ producer.

“If you look at what I said at TMZ, it goes from me saying like, ‘Hey Kanye, there’s real-life, real-world implication to everything that you just said there’,” Lathan remembered.

“What I say after that – if I can remember, it’s been a long time – was, ’12million people actually died because of Nazism and Hitler and all of that stuff’, and then I move on to talk about what he said about slavery.”

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He continued: “The reason they took [Lathan’s Holocaust reference] out is because it wouldn’t have made sense unless they kept in Kanye saying he loved Hitler and the Nazis, which he said when he was at TMZ. He said something like, ‘I love Hitler, I love Nazis’. Something to that effect.”

Last Sunday (October 9) West had both his Twitter and Instagram accounts suspended after sharing antisemitic posts on the two platforms. A spokesperson from Twitter told BuzzFeed News that “the account in question [had] been locked due to a violation of Twitter’s policies”.

Ye made further antisemitic comments in newly revealed footage from his recent interview on Fox News.

Responding to West’s recent remarks, Lathan said: “When I saw this, I was like, ‘Oh, I knew that this was eventually coming’. As a matter of fact, I had anticipated it coming, like, way earlier than this.”

Lathan claimed that viewers can see where the alleged part of the TMZ appearance was removed: “If you go back and watch that clip, I say what I say and there’s a cut right there.

“People might think they stitched this together to make me seem more eloquent. But they stitched it together to take out my reference to the Holocaust.”

Many artists, celebrities, politicians and organisations have since publicly condemned West over his comments, including Jack Antonoff, David Schwimmer and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Meanwhile, West has responded after the bank JPMorgan Chase reportedly severed ties with him amid the growing controversy.

“Hey, if you call somebody out for bad business, that means you’re being antisemitic,” he said last night (October 12). “I feel happy to have crossed the line of that idea so we can speak openly about things, like getting cancelled by a bank.”

West added that he was “the richest Black man in American history, that put $140million in JPMorgan”, before ending the interview and saying that he will “speak at a different time”.

Ye faced criticism last week after he wore a shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘White Lives Matter’ at Paris Fashion Week.

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Story Of The Year announce new album ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ and share title track

Story Of The Year have announced details of their new album ‘Tear Me To Pieces’. Check out the title track below.

Taken from the new album due out on March 10, ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ is a hard-hitting and catchy track that guitarist Ryan Phillips described as ‘definitive’ of the band. 

“Perhaps more than any song on the record, ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ checks all of the boxes in regards to what best defines Story Of The Year – anthemic pop choruses balanced with guttural screams, high energy punk rock inspired drums, dark-ish lyrics, and aggressive guitar riffs,” said Phillips. “This one song runs the gamut.”

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‘Tear Me To Pieces’ follows on from previous single ‘Real Life’as a taster of the next record.

“When our fans hear it, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, shit, these dudes are ready to go!’” said Phillips of the album. “This is the sound of a band putting everything into it. If a new band came out with this album, I’d be texting everyone in my band about it.”

The ‘Tear Me To Pieces’ tracklist is: 

1. ‘Tear Me To Pieces’
2. ‘Real Life’
3. ‘Afterglow’
4. ‘Dead And Gone’<
5. ‘War’
6. ‘Can’t Save You’
7. ‘2005’
8. ‘Sorry About Me’
9. ‘Take The Ride’
10. ‘Knives Out’
11. ‘Use Me’

In other news, Story Of The Year are set to perform at this year’s When We Were Young Festival, headed up by My Chemical Romance and Paramore. The Las Vegas festival also just announced their 2023 line-up, including headliners Blink-182 and Green Day and many more.

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Gavin Rossdale on Bush’s new album ‘The Art Of Survival’, cooking with Tom Jones and that ‘Woodstock’ doc

Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale has spoken to NME about the grunge veterans’ post pandemic album ‘The Art Of Survival’ – which shines a light on the “destruction of women’s rights, the planet and the rise of AI”.

  • READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life: Bush’s Gavin Rossdale

Like many musicians who were aghast at the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – which ensured abortion will no longer be protected as a federal right in the US for the first time since 1973 – Rossdale also felt the denial of women’s rights to an abortion “was the fucking weirdest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“To be honest it made me really proud to be English,” he told N

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ME. “It’s just like something no one would ever think of from where I’m from, and a lot of people in America. It’s just pretty horrific.”

After addressing the issue on recent single ‘More Than Machines’, Rossdale said: “It’s so strange because there’s such an emphasis on progress and trying to make things a little better all the time and we’re more accepting of minorities and all that. It blows me away.”

He continued: “It wasn’t like I set out to write song about abortion rights with this album either. It was just like a thorn in my side when I was writing. Instead of saying too much about it, I wrote it from a first person perspective and illuminated the fact that actually it’s within everyone’s control to vote for situations like that.”

With Bush are currently touring the US with Alice In Chains and Breaking Benjamin, NME caught up with Rossdale to discuss their new record, cooking with Tom Jones and that Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99.

NME: Hi Gavin! How does it feel to be back touring again? 

Rossdale: “It’s a weird time isn’t it? During the pandemic I just felt really happy and lucky that I had enough food to eat and my kids were healthy. I never thought about touring or the fact that no one’s applauding me this week. So when we came back into the world and we felt the trouble of the last couple of years, I didn’t quite realise that we are also in the process of rebuilding. That’s why I felt pretty lucky making this record because it is a rebuilding time and everyone’s coming out.”

‘The Art Of Survival’ tackles some big topics like the destruction of the planet. Are we totally fucked when it comes to climate change or is there hope? 

“The reckoning has already begun for us probably as quasi-adults. It’s probably workable, but for our kids and our kids’ kids and on and on… it does make me wonder. We are really resilient and we seem to always find a way, but there is a seismic shift that’s now going on. We’re seeing the dark side of an industrial age which is destroying itself. It’s a dark and scary time but it’s also full of vitality and life. People are great survivors and it’s amazing really. We always find a way.”

The album also focuses on the rise of Artificial Intelligence…

“Yeah, that whole thing about machines vs people. We see it all the time with AI, with virtual reality, with Tesla’s new thing, with the sprinting robot and checkouts in supermarkets. It’s a funny time for that but I mean it’s quite brilliant. A couple of years ago there were reports of computer programs writing a record in the style of PJ Harvey, T

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he Breeders and Green Day mixed in an algorithm along the lines of the things they’d write.

“For me it’s an interesting one because I’ve made guitar music my entire career and yet I’m fully aware at the same time that people are less and less interested in guitar music. With this record, it sounds a terrible word, but there’s a modern style to it. I was really trying to elevate what began with Neanderthal-esque beginnings.”

You worked on two songs with film composer Tyler Bates, who scored Guardians Of The Galaxy. How was that?

“He’s just so good and he’s so quick. I met him through my manager. We had a couple of lunches to test out whether he wanted to be in the studio with me and we just started working together. I went to the studio and he showed me this guitar pedal called the Depressor and he bashed it on and I immediately recorded what he was playing on my phone. He is incredibly musical and a lot of fun to work with.”

Are you a fan of the films he’s scored?

“Nah, I’m a bit more drama/thrilller based. But it’s incredible, the movies he’s scored have made over five billion dollars at the box office. Crazy right?”

Tell us about E.A.T., the cooking show you’ve been making.

“I’ve only shot two episodes and I’m just finalising a deal to go and shoot in November. It’s so simple. I have somebody come over and I’ll make food for them and talk to them. I just shot with Tom Jones and [30 Rock alumni] Jack McBrayer. It was fucking magic with Tom Jones. He’s the magic man. We had a good few drinks and we shot the shit about everything I can think of. When we edit that episode, it’s gonna be beautiful.”

You recently made an appearance in the Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Woodstock 99. You went on to headline after KoRn which you described as like “jumping off a ship into the darkest ocean”. How terrified were you?

“For for us it was incredible. I was really stupid and naïve. I didn’t get the sense of what was going on in terms of the looming toxic masculinity there because I was so obsessed with [Jimi] Hendrix and Janis Joplin and that original Woodstock. When I went there I just thought that we had a chronic responsibility to just reflect what they had set out to do. Obviously I’d been at incredible festivals in Europe, but when we first broke in the ’90s they didn’t have these massive festivals [in America] in the way. So it was brilliant to come on there and sort of feel the weight of responsibility of those incredible musicians that went before us and create a sense of unity. I walked out to over 200,000 people and it was madness and brilliant.”

“I never experienced any that [other stuff that went on] because after the gig we went somewhere else to play. I still can’t get my head around the rapes that happened. There was just a complete lawlessness. At that point, it becomes all about those victims and yet we don’t get to hear enough about their recovery and wellness. They’re the ones that matter. I think the bands like the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers playing ‘Fire’, that wasn’t their fault. They didn’t expect it [fans to set the site on fire]. But yeah what a mess man.”

‘The Art Of Survival’ is out now via BMG. 

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Machine Gun Kelly joined by Skepta and Yungblud at Wembley gig

Machine Gun Kelly played a huge Wembley Arena gig last night (October 1) and was joined by special guests Skepta and Yungblud – see footage below.

  • READ MORE: Machine Gun Kelly – ‘Mainstream Sellout’ review: the one-man pop-punk revival rolls on

The rapper and singer is currently on the European and UK leg of his ‘Mainstream Sellout’ world tour and hit London on Saturday night.

Alongside highlights from his own catalogue, the 28-song set saw Kelly welcome frequent collaborator Yungblud to the stage to perform ‘Acting Like That’ and ‘I Think I’m Okay’.

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Earlier in the set, Skepta was a surprise guest and performed ‘Praise The Lord’ with the rapper-turned-pop-punk star.

See footage of the collaborations below.

Back in August, Kelly pulled out a few tricks for the final show of his North American tour, which took place in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. During the show, the rapper-turned-pop-punk star zip-lined across the entire football field-length of the venue, Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium. Footage shared by MGK on Instagram shows him soaring high above audience member’s heads as he moved from one end of the stadium to the other.

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Elsewhere during the set, MGK – for the second time in as many months – smashed a wine glass against his own face. He later posted a video of himself with blood gushing from his face following the incident, writing: “Oh my God, Cleveland. That was fucking insane.”

During the Cleveland show, Kelly was also joined by Avril Lavigne to perform their collaboration ‘Bois Lie’, taken from Lavigne’s latest album ‘Love Sux’. Travis Barker also played a handful of songs with Kelly later on in the set, having returned to the tour against doctor’s orders following the Blink-182 drummer’s hospitalisation for pancreatitis in June.

Machine Gun Kelly’s UK tour continues on Tuesday (October 4) in Birmingham. See the list of remaining dates below and buy tickets here.

OCTOBER 2022
4 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena’^
6 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena’^
7 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro’^
9 – Dublin, IE – 3Arena’^              
12 – Amsterdam, NL – AFAS Live’^

^With support from iann dior
With support from 44phantom

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Kesha reveals vocal cord was damaged at Taylor Hawkins tribute gig

Kesha has said that she haemorrhaged one of her vocal cords while performing at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles.

  • READ MORE: Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

After celebrating Hawkins’ memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3), ‘The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert’ took over LA’s Kia Forum on Tuesday evening (September 27), with a bounty of special guests.

Kesha took to the stage to perform a rendition of David Bowie‘s ‘Heroes’ with Hawkins’ covers band Chevy Metal. While performing, she suffered a wardrobe malfunction and, in an attempt to cover the mistake by singing loudly, she damaged her vocal cord.

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“So. in the middle of my wardrobe malfunction I decided to distract everyone from my titties falling out by singing rly. Loud. And today I found out I hemorrhaged one of my vocal chords. Soooo. I’m posting all the pics from the fucking moment bc. This was quite a moment,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo from the performance.

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A post shared by Kesha (@iiswhoiis)

A few days after the London concert, Kesha told NME: “It was an overwhelming day for everyone,” adding: “I’ve never played anything like that. I’m sure I seemed like one of the more random choices to take part, but I’ve been friends with the band for ages.”

The line-up for the LA tribute concert also included Alanis Morissette, Miley Cyrus, members of Queen and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Pink, Nandi Bushell, Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins.

The gig started with an acoustic performance of ‘Hallelujah’ by Grohl’s daughter, Violet, featuring Alain Johannes. That was followed by a short set from the surviving Foos, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Joan Jett, who performed two of the latter’s biggest hits from the ‘80s.

During the show, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear formed a new band with Kim Thayil and Matt Cameron for two songs, all fronted by The Pretty Reckless‘ Taylor Momsen.

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During that closing set, Foo Fighters also welcomed Dave Chappelle to the stage to cover Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, which they had previously covered with Hawkins at their huge gig at Madison Square Garden in New York City last summer.

See the full 53-song setlist from the show here.

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Check out the full 53-song setlist from the Los Angeles Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Last night (September 27), Foo Fighters and a host of friends and collaborators celebrated late drummer Taylor Hawkins in Los Angeles with the second of two special tribute concerts – see the mammoth setlist in full below.

After celebrating Hawkins’ memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3), ‘The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert’ took over LA’s Kia Forum on Tuesday evening, with a bounty of special guests.

  • READ MORE: Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

Last night’s tribute gig started with an acoustic performance of ‘Hallelujah’ by Grohl’s daughter, Violet, featuring Alain Johannes. That was followed by a short set from the surviving Foos, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Joan Jett, who performed two of the latter’s biggest hits from the ‘80s.

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Later in the show, Miley Cyrus teamed up with Foo Fighters and Def Leppard for an expansive version of Def Leppard’s 1983 hit ‘Photograph’ while Justin Hawkins took to the stage with late Foo Fighters drummer’s side project, The Coattail Riders, to perform a four-song set.

Elsewhere, Pink joined forces with Foo Fighters and Queen to perform a rousing cover of ‘Somebody To Love’ – the song that Hawkins covered himself over the years. Elsewhere, she sang with Heart‘s Nancy Wilson for their track ‘Barracuda’ before joining Foo Fighters to sing ‘The Pretender’ during their main set at the show’s finale.

During that closing set, Foo Fighters also welcomed Dave Chapelle to the stage to cover Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, which they had previously covered with Hawkins at their huge gig at Madison Square Garden in New York City last summer.

See the massive setlist for the gig in full below

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Gig on the cover of NME
Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert on the cover of NME

See the full Los Angeles Taylor Hawkins tribute concert setlist here:

Violet Grohl with Alain Johannes – ‘Hallelujah’ (Leonard Cohen cover)
Joan Jett and Foo Fighters with Travis Barker – ‘Cherry Bomb’ (The Runaways cover)
Joan Jett and Foo Fighters with Travis Barker – ‘Bad Reputation’
Chevy Metal – ‘Riff Raff’ (AC/DC cover)
Chevy Metal with Jon Davison – ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’ (Yes cover)
Chevy Metal with Kesha – ‘Heroes’ (David Bowie cover)
Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and The Coattail Riders – ‘Range Rover Bitch’ (Taylor Hawkins cover)
Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and The Coattail Riders – ‘It’s Over’ (Taylor Hawkins and The Coattail Riders cover)
Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and The Coattail Riders with Mark King – ‘Something About You’ (Level 42 cover)
Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and The Coattail Riders with Rufus Taylor – ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ (The Darkness cover)
James Gang – ‘Walk Away’
James Gang – ‘The Bomber: Closet Queen / Bolero / Cast Your Fate To The Wind’
James Gang with Dave Grohl – ‘Funk #49’
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt and Dave Grohl – ‘Right Down The Line’ (Gerry Rafferty cover)
Them Crooked Vultures – ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ (Elton John cover)
Them Crooked Vultures – ‘Dead End Friends’
Them Crooked Vultures – ‘Long Slow Goodbye’ (Queens Of The Stone Age cover)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and Dave Grohl – ‘Panama’ (Van Halen cover)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Justin Hawkins, Josh Freese and Dave Grohl – ‘Hot For Teacher’ (Van Halen cover)
Def Leppard, Foo Fighters and Patrick Wilson – ‘Rock Of Ages’
Def Leppard, Foo Fighters and Patrick Wilson with Miley Cyrus – ‘Photograph’
Mötley Crüe and Foo Fighters with Derek Day – ‘Live Wire’
Mötley Crüe and Foo Fighters with Derek Day – ‘Home Sweet Home’
Josh Homme, Foo Fighters and Elliot Easton – ‘Shake It Up’ (The Cars cover)
Josh Homme, Foo Fighters and Elliot Easton – ‘Just What I Needed’ (The Cars cover)
P!nk, Foo Fighters and Nancy Wilson with Jon Theodore – ‘Barracuda’ (Heart cover)
Stewart Copeland and Foo Fighters – ‘Next To You’ (The Police cover)
Stewart Copeland and Foo Fighters with Jon Theodore – ‘Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic’ (The Police cover)
Alanis Morissette and Foo Fighters with Chad Smith – ‘You Oughta Know’
Sebastian Bach, Geezer Butler, Lars Ulrich and Foo Fighters – ‘Supernaut’ (Black Sabbath cover)
Sebastian Bach, Geezer Butler, Lars Ulrich and Foo Fighters – ‘Paranoid’ (Black Sabbath cover)
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with Dave Grohl – ‘2112 Part I: Overture’ (Rush cover)
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with Chad Smith – ‘Working Man’ (Rush cover)
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with Danny Carey – ‘YYZ’ (Rush cover)
Taylor Momsen, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear – ‘The Day I Tried To Live’ (Soundgarden cover)
Taylor Momsen, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear – ‘Black Hole Sun” (Soundgarden cover)
Queen and Foo Fighters with Justin Hawkins – ‘We Will Rock You’
Queen and Foo Fighters – ‘I’m In Love With My Car’
Queen and Foo Fighters with Justin Hawkins – ‘Under Pressure’
Queen and Foo Fighters with P!nk – ‘Somebody To Love’
Foo Fighters with Josh Freese – ‘All My Life’
Foo Fighters with Jon Theodore and P!nk – ‘The Pretender’
Foo Fighters with Travis Barker – ‘Walk’
Foo Fighters with Matt Cameron – ‘Low’
Foo Fighters with Brad Wilk – ‘This Is A Call’
Foo Fighters with Patrick Wilson – ‘The Sky Is A Neighborhood’
Foo Fighters with Dave Chappelle and Patrick Wilson – ‘Creep’ (Radiohead cover)
Foo Fighters with Omar Hakim – ‘Run’
Foo Fighters with Rufus Taylor – ‘Best Of You’
Foo Fighters with Oliver Shane Hawkins – ‘My Hero’
Foo Fighters with Oliver Shane Hawkins – ‘I’ll Stick Around’
Foo Fighters with Chad Smith – ‘Everlong’

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Read NME‘s new cover feature about the London tribute concert here.

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Dave Chappelle covers Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ with Foo Fighters for second time

Foo Fighters once again brought Dave Chappelle on stage for a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ during the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in Los Angeles last night (September 27).

  • READ MORE: Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

After celebrating Hawkins’ memory and music with a special six-hour gig in London earlier this month (September 3), ‘The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert’ took over LA’s Kia Forum on Tuesday evening, with a bounty of special guests.

One of these was Dave Chappelle, who repeated the trick of covering Radiohead’s classic ‘Creep’ with Foo Fighters at their huge gig at Madison Square Garden in New York City last summer.

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Check out last night’s performance of ‘Creep’ below.

Earlier in the show, Miley Cyrus teamed up with Foo Fighters and Def Leppard for an expansive version of Def Leppard’s 1983 hit ‘Photograph’ while Justin Hawkins took to the stage with late Foo Fighters drummer’s side project, The Coattail Riders, to perform a four-song set.

Last night’s tribute gig started with an acoustic performance of ‘Hallelujah’ by Grohl’s daughter, Violet, featuring Alain Johannes. That was followed by a short set from the surviving Foos, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Joan Jett, who performed two of the latter’s biggest hits from the ‘80s.

Elsewhere, Pink joined forces with Foo Fighters and Queen to perform a rousing cover of ‘Somebody To Love’ – the song that Hawkins covered himself over the years. Elsewhere, she sang with Heart‘s Nancy Wilson for their track ‘Barracuda’ before joining Foo Fighters to sing ‘The Pretender’ during their main set at the show’s finale.

Hawkins drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 up until his death in March of this year, aged 50.

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Read NME‘s new cover feature about the London tribute concert here.

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Watch Justin Hawkins perform The Darkness, Van Halen hits at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins took to the stage at tonight’s (September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles, joining the members of the late Foo Fighters drummer’s side project, The Coattail Riders, to perform a four-song set.

  • READ MORE: Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

The band, formed by Hawkins in 2004, released three studio albums – 2006’s self-titled effort, 2010’s ‘Red Light Fever’ and 2019’s ‘Get The Money’.

At the London tribute concert for the late Foo Fighters icon earlier this month, Justin – who bears no relation to Taylor – joined The Coattail Riders to perform ‘Louise’ (from the 2006 album) and ‘It’s Over’ (from ‘Red Light Fever’), as well as ‘Range Rover Bitch’ from Hawkins’ 2016 solo EP, ‘Kota’.

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They played the latter two songs again tonight, but swapped ‘Louise’ out for two covers: ‘Something About You’ by Level 42 – performed with the English jazz-funk outfit’s frontman, Mark King – and The Darkness’ own 2003 hit ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’. While the London show saw them joined by John Lousteau on drums, tonight’s saw them link up with another longtime Foos collaborator, Josh Freese.

Have a look at crowd-shot footage of the performance below:

Later in the show – following performances from James Gang, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, and Them Crooked Vultures – Justin Hawkins and Freese returned to stage, alongside Wolfgang Van Halen and Foos leader Dave Grohl, to perform a pair of Van Halen songs.

Together, they delivered renditions of ‘Panama’ and ‘Hot For Teacher’ (both from their 1984 album ‘1984’). See footage of the supergroup playing the former cut below:

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The performance echoed another moment from the London show, when the same quartet followed The Coattail Riders to perform ‘Hot For Teacher’ alongside an earlier Van Halen favourite, 1978’s ‘On Fire’. Also at that show, Justin Hawkins cameoed during Queen’s set to deliver guest vocals on ‘Under Pressure’, and during the Foos’ set with Lars Ulrich and Brian Johnson to guest on the AC/DC hit ‘Back In Black’.

Justin stirred minor controversy with that latter cameo, as it appeared that he snatched the microphone away from Johnson. He denied claims of that being the case, however, noting on social media that Johnson had personally asked him to come out for the song.

Tonight’s tribute gig began at 7pm at LA’s Kia Forum, starting with an acoustic performance of ‘Hallelujah’ by Grohl’s daughter, Violet, featuring Alain Johannes. That was followed by a short set from the surviving Foos, Blink-182’s Travis Barker and Joan Jett, who performed two of the latter’s biggest hits from the ‘80s.

Thus far, other acts to perform have included Chevy Metal, Kesha, Def Leppard (who were joined by Miley Cyrus), Mötley Crüe (joined by Derek Day) and Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age.

Hawkins drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 up until his death in March of this year, aged 50.

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Watch Joan Jett and Travis Barker join Foo Fighters at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Joan Jett made an early appearance at today’s (September 27) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert in Los Angeles, joining the surviving members of Foo Fighters – with Blink-182’s Travis Barker sitting in for Hawkins on drums – to perform two of her biggest hits from the ‘80s.

  • READ MORE: Inside the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

The one-off supergroup delivered renditions of ‘Cherry Bomb’ (from 1984’s ‘Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth’) and ‘Bad Reputation’ (from Jett’s self-titled 1980 album, reissued a year later as ‘Bad Reputation’). The latter was a particularly special inclusion, given that Jett and the Foos have teamed up several times throughout the years to perform it together.

One notable team-up, in 2011, saw Jett join the Foos to perform ‘Bad Reputation’ on Late Night With David Letterman. Footage of tonight’s performance is yet to emerge – unlike the concert held in London earlier this month, LA’s is not being live-streamed – but in the meantime, you can see crowd-shot footage of the group playing ‘Cherry Bomb’ below:

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Back in May, Jett shared her memories of Hawkins in an interview with NME. She remembered the late drummer as “a fuckin’ wonderful guy”, adding: “[He] would light up a room. Kick-ass drummer.” She also recalled in how she and her band, The Blackhearts, first met the Foos “around 2010”, where they “all really hit it off”.

On the topic of their joint Letterman performance, she said: “Just little things like that, they included me in. It was very, sort of, familial. We’re all sittin’ backstage, runnin’ through songs. I can see [Taylor] now on his drum pad, whacking away. He’s a wonderful guy.”

The interview came after Jett delivered a touching ode to Hawkins on-stage in March, paying tribute to “one of the greatest drummers of our time” at a show just hours after his death on March 25.

Tonight’s tribute gig began at 7pm at LA’s Kia Forum, with Jett’s short set following an acoustic performance of ‘Hallelujah’ by Dave Grohl’s daughter, Violet, featuring Alain Johannes. Thus far, other acts to perform have included Chevy Metal, The Darkness (featuring Rufus Taylor, son of Queen’s Roger Taylor and Hawkins’ godson, on drums), Kesha and Mark Ronson.

The gig will also see Alanis Morissette and Miley Cyrus both performing, plus members of Queen and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic, former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, Pink and Nandi Bushell.

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Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Use Your Illusion I + II’ fully remastered on new “super deluxe” box set

Guns N’Roses have announced the release of a box set edition of ‘Use Your Illusion I + II’.

Set for release on November 11, the “super deluxe” box set features 97 tracks – 63 of which are previously unreleased. It also includes a 100-page book containing unseen photos and images, as well as “a treasure trove of collectibles and archival documents”.

  • READ MORE: Horns up! What’s driving film and TV’s metal revival?

The original studio albums have been remastered in full for the first time ever as part of this box set, which also comprises live versions of many of these tracks alongside older hits such as ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ and ‘Sweet Child O’Mine’. Some of these were recorded at New York’s Ritz Theatre on May 16, 1991, while others are taken from the band’s concert at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on January 25, 1992.

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Listen to the brand new version of “You Could Be Mine” live from New York below

The box set comes in numerous configurations, including CD and BluRay, LP and BluRay, digital download and streaming. All configurations can be seen, pre-ordered and pre-saved here.

Check out the tracklist for the “super deluxe” 7CD and BluRay release below.

CD 1 – ‘Use Your Illusion I’ (original album remastered)

1. ‘Right Next Door To Hell’
2. ‘Dust N’ Bones’
3. ‘Live And Let Die’
4. ‘Don’t Cry’ (original)
5. ‘Perfect Crime’
6. ‘You Ain’t The First’
7. ‘Bad Obsession’
8. ‘Back Off Bitch’
9. ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
10. ‘November Rain’
11. ‘The Garden’
12. ‘Garden Of Eden’
13. ‘Don’t Damn Me’
14. ‘Bad Apples’
15. ‘Dead Horse’
16. ‘Coma’

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CD 2 ‘Use Your Illusion II’ (original album remastered)

1. ‘Civil War’
2. ’14 Years’
3. ‘Yesterdays’
4. ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’
5. ‘Get In The Ring’
6. ‘Shotgun Blues’
7. ‘Breakdown’
8. ‘Pretty Tied Up’
9. ‘Locomotive’
10. ‘So Fine’
11. ‘Estranged’
12. ‘You Could Be Mine’
13. ‘Don’t Cry’ (alt lyrics)
14. ‘My World’

CD 3 Live In New York (Ritz Theatre – May 16, 1991)

1. ‘Pretty Tied Up’
2. ‘Bad Obsession’
3. ‘Right Next Door To Hell’
4. ‘Mr. Brownstone’
5. ‘Dust N’ Bones’
6. ‘Live And Let Die’
7. ‘Paradise City’
8. ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ / ‘Civil War’
9. Drum Solo
10. Slash Solo
11. ‘You Could Be Mine’

CD 4 Live In New York (continued)

1. ‘I Was Only Joking’ / ‘Patience’
2. ‘Only Women Bleed’ / ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’
3. ‘Don’t Cry’ (original) [features Shannon Hoon On Vocals]
4. ‘You Ain’t The First’ [features Shannon Hoon On Vocals]
5. ‘My Michelle’
6. ‘Estranged’
7. ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
8. ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’
9. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’

CD 5 Live In Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center – January 25, 1992)

1. ‘Nightrain’
2. ‘Mr. Brownstone’
3. ‘Live And Let Die’
4. ‘Attitude’
5. ‘It’s So Easy’
6. ‘Bad Obsession’
7. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’
8. ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
9. ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ / ‘Civil War’ / ‘Voodoo Child ‘

CD 6 – Live In Las Vegas (continued)

1. ‘Don’t Cry’ (original)
2. ‘Wild Horses’
3. ‘Patience’
4. ‘You Could Be Mine’
5. ‘So Fine’

Guns N' Roses' 'Use Your Illusion I + II' boxset
Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Use Your Illusion I + II’ boxset. CREDIT: Press

See information for ‘Use Your Illusion I & II: Limited Edition 4LP Color Vinyl and Zoetrope Turntable Mat’ below:

“‘Use Your Illusion I & II’ are packaged together in a limited edition 4LP set, each housed in a premium tip-on gatefold jacket with a 12″x12″ insert and feature both original studio albums fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes,” reads press material.

“‘Use Your Illusion I’ includes the debut of the newly recorded “November Rain (2022 Version)” with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz. Both albums are housed in an exclusive foil-art slipcase showcasing both ‘Use Your Illusion I & II’ covers. ‘Use Your Illusion I’ LP 1 is pressed on yellow vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on red vinyl, ‘Use Your Illusion II’ LP 1 is pressed on blue vinyl and LP 2 is pressed on purple vinyl. As an added bonus, exclusive to this set is a zoetrope turntable mat that when combined with a strobing light effect animates the mat’s artwork while spinning on a turntable.”

‘Use Your Illusion I’: 2LP 180g Vinyl / Use Your Illusion II: 2LP 180g Vinyl:

“Each pressed on 180g heavy-weight audiophile black vinyl as a 2LP set, both ‘Use Your Illusion I & II’ are available separately and each housed in a gatefold jacket with a 12″x12″ insert and feature the original studio album fully remastered for the first-time ever from high-resolution 96kHz 24-bit transfers from the original stereo 1/2-inch analog master tapes. ‘Use Your Illusion I’ includes the debut of the newly recorded ‘November Rain (2022 Version)’ with a first-ever real 50-piece orchestra conducted and arranged by Grammy® Award winner and Emmy Award nominated composer Christopher Lennertz.”

Slash of Guns N' Roses. Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images
Slash of Guns N’ Roses. Credit: Gary Miller/Getty Images

‘Use Your Illusion I + II’, Guns N’ Roses’ third and fourth albums respectively, were originally released simultaneously on September 17, 1991. Building upon the already massive success of 1987’s ‘Appetite For Destruction’ and 1988’s ‘G N’ R Lies’, the albums sold half a million copies combined just two hours after going on sale. ‘Use Your Illusion II’ later entered the Billboard 200 chart at Number One, with ‘Use Your Illusion I’ just behind at Number Two.

‘You Could Be Mine’, the lead single from ‘Use Your Illusion II’, was featured in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but actor Robert Patrick recently revealed that he had tried to suggest a Nine Inch Nails song for the film instead. Speaking to The Guardian, he recalled director James Cameron rejecting his idea on the basis that Arnold Schwarznegger, who played Terminator, preferred Guns N’Roses.

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The Mars Volta on going “pop” and those Kanye West rumours

The Mars Volta have spoke to NME about their new “pop” album  and the rumours of them working with Kanye West.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodríguez-López released their new self-titled album as The Mars Volta today (September 16) – a record that draws influence from the likes of Van Morrison, Slade, David Bowie’s later work and Peter Gabriel. “It’s safe to say we’ve made a pop album,” explained Bixler-Zavala.

“It’s there in the name, Volta,” he continued. “It’s almost like a warning to people: don’t get too comfortable with your favourite era because by the time you like it, we’re already moving on. That’s just a natural progression of someone that is very selfish with art. Our actual fans understand that the unspoken truth is to just let us do what we do. And that there really is no room for requests.”

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He went on: “Peter Gabriel’s solo stuff has always been progressive and direct about the emotions he’s talking about, so he’s a strong, obvious choice to pull from”.

Admitting that they considered reaching out to Gabriel to feature on the album, Bixler-Zavala came to realise: “Once I listened to everything though, I realised we didn’t need a co-sign.”

Bixler-Zavala also said that the band had been inspired by Rosalía’s ‘Bizcochito’. “I wasn’t listening to it while we were making the album, but it’s affecting me now,” he said. “It’s affecting how I approach the music in rehearsals.”

Despite the pop influences, Bixler-Zavala told Rodríguez-López he wanted The Mars Volta to return with a heavy album. “Anybody else would have thought ‘OK, let’s turn down and make our version of a Black Sabbath record’ but it’s definitely not that,” explained Bixler-Zavala. “It’s heavy in terms of what you feel.”

He recently played the album to his wife, Chrissie Carnell Bixler, who said “people aren’t going to know whether to cry or dance to this”.

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“People need those sorts of records because, whether it be a spiritual hangover or a regular one, you’re going to need something to cushion that fall,” he continued. “Those are the albums that really stay with you. Sometimes a lyric in a pop song can make a human being feel seen and validated in their existence. Like Peter Gabriel sings, ‘Don’t give up’.”

Cedric Bixler-Zavala of the band The Mars Volta performs live during a concert at the Huxleys on July 5, 2012 in Berlin, Germany
Cedric Bixler-Zavala of The Mars Volta performs live in Berlin, Germany in 2012. CREDIT: Getty

He went on to say that the character and meaning of the record is “really open to interpretation but there is a lot of sadness on it. Sometimes sadness is a good thing to go through. Maybe a good cry is just what people need sometimes.”

Rodríguez-López added: “To bridge the two concepts of not giving up and of sadness, I hear a lot of strength in the record. There is that sadness but this is also that feeling of knowing we can overcome things. We can pull together.”

Previous Mars Volta albums featured complex concepts and abstract lyrics, but “this album is a lot more direct in terms of confessional lyrics,” Bixler-Zavala explained. “I really hope it makes people feel seen or validated, because right now, that’s what it’s doing for me. It’s actually really hard to rehearse some of these songs.”

It was also hard for him to write the lyrics, “because for years I was doing one thing and I think maybe secretly I didn’t want to be understood. To be understood is to open yourself up and to be completely naked, you know? I’m in a place in my life now where I can sing about stuff that is more understood by people. I’m OK with being that vulnerable because I think good things come with getting it out. It’s therapy, it’s church. It’s all that, rolled into one.”

The Mars Volta started around the idea of honouring your roots and honouring your dead. Almost 20 years later, that driving force is still “everything” to the band, they explained.

“We’ve grown up in American society where you really have to protect your culture because it’s constantly being stripped away from you,” said Rodríguez-López. “From the moment you’re indoctrinated into the education system, your second last name is stripped away from you, the pronunciation of your name is stripped away from you.

“I was just called Mike for a while, because it was hard for people to pronounce ‘Omar’. The punk scene was no different. People are constantly trying to take your culture away from you and ridicule you for not assimilating. Obviously, things are changing and there’s a lot of different, new conversations happening now but that’s only started in the past few years. It’s still just as important to protect and honour where you come from.”

For our conversation, the band were in a their rehearsal space in Texas, preparing to return to the stage.

“It can be a little crazy relearning older material,” said Bixler-Zavala. “It’s fun, but it’s more emotional than anything.” The Mars Volta have never been ones for playing the hits either. At their first appearance at Reading Festival in 2003, shortly after the release of debut album ‘De-Loused In The Comotorium’, they played none of the singles, instead stretching out three tracks to fill their 40-minute slot. “We were really selfish like that,” continued Bixler-Zavala. “We attracted a lot of people, and we also repelled a lot of people.”

The band still do whatever they want but “with this tour, I think we’re going to cover a lot of that ‘classic’ stuff, because so much time has elapsed.”

The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta – Credit: Alamy

Originally formed in 2001 from the ashes of revolutionary punk band At The Drive-In, The Mars Volta went on to release six albums that touched on everything from progressive metal and experimental jazz, to funk, soul, salsa, dub and sci-fi before they went on hiatus in 2012.

Bixler-Zavala and Rodríguez-López didn’t speak for two years, but went on to form the short-lived punk supergroup Antemasque (that featured Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea and Blink-182’s Travis Barker) in 2014 before an At The Drive-In reunion followed in 2016.

Some not-so-subtle hints about the return of The Mars Volta came in 2019 (“It’s happening,” Bixler-Zavala tweeted that year. “It’s in its infancy right now. No deadlines, no ball tripping, no drama,”) while in 2020, Kanye West stoked the rumours even further, tweeting The Mars Volta and saying “we need to finish the album”.

There was never a collaboration on the cards, though. “No, we were not working with him. We’ve never even met him,” said Bixler-Zavala. “But I think him doing that shows me how I really can’t pinpoint who a Mars Volta fan is. We attract everyone from Drum and Bass heads, to people who are really into cinema.”  He did however describe it as “a nice pat on the back from the universe.”

The decision to return to The Mars Volta was because “it’s family,” Bixler-Zavala explained. “It’s an old family friend that we wanted to start communicating with again. It just took some time to get it right.” Re-releasing their previous material in 2021 “helped us close the door on the past and usher in the future,” he added.

At The Drive-In reflect on 'Relationship Of Command'
At The Drive-In, CREDIT: to by Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns via Getty Images

According to Rodríguez-López, “there were some ups and downs, but that’s natural in any relationship endeavour, not just a creative one, right? You need to be able to see each other’s point of view and now, it’s just super exciting.”

One of the main functions of the At The Drive-In reunion was “to repair friendships,” said Bixler-Zavala. “Not everything totally worked out that way but it brought Omar and I a lot closer.” Through sit-down conversations “all five of us were able to hash stuff out. We were just being way more adult about everything, and being more direct in communicating what we wanted and how we were feeling. It was almost like we created this safe space to have any uncomfortable conversations for repairing relationships.”

From there having laid the past to rest, it was all the more easy to forge forward into the future with The Mars Volta.

The Mars Volta’s new self-titled album is out now.

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Justin Bieber postpones remaining ‘Justice’ world tour dates due to health issues

Justin Bieber has postponed the remaining dates of his ‘Justice’ world tour.

  • READ MORE: Justin Bieber – ‘Justice’ review: pop star finds his purpose again

It comes after the singer recently returned to touring after overcoming his battle with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which for weeks left the entire right side of his face paralysed.

Tonight (September 6) Bieber has issued a statement through TMZ which has been confirmed by Variety, stating that all remaining dates have been cancelled due to health issues.

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“Earlier this year, I went public about my battle with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, where my face was partly paralysed. As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North America leg of the Justice Tour,” he wrote.

“After resting and consulting with my doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue with the tour. I performed six live shows, but it took a real toll on me. This past weekend, I performed at Rock In Rio and I gave everything I have to the people in Brazil.

Justin Bieber. CREDIT: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

“After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realised I need to make my health the priority right now. So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being. I’m going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better. I’ve been so proud to bring this show and our message of Justice to the world. Thank you for your prayers and support throughout all of this! I love you all passionately.”

The tour included 11 shows in the UK in 2023 starting in Glasgow on February 8, 2023, with gigs scheduled in Aberdeen, Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield before Bieber takes take to The O2 in London for a four-night stint.

It is now unclear when these shows will go ahead.

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Bieber revealed his diagnosis with Ramsay Hunt syndrome in mid-June, a few days after he cancelled the opening stretch of his North American ‘Justice’ tour due to “sickness”. In videos he posted to social media, Bieber could be seen struggling to blink, smile or move his right nostril.

He updated fans later that week, assuring them that “each day has gotten better” and noting that his Christian faith had helped him cope with the illness.

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BLACKPINK announce ‘Born Pink’ 2022 Europe and North America tour dates

BLACKPINK have shared details of their 2022 European and North American tour, including two UK dates.

  • READ MORE: BLACKPINK enter a world-conquering era with unapologetic new single ‘Pink Venom’

The tour will kick off in North America at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on October 25, with the K-pop four-piece playing arenas in Houston, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Chicago, Illinois; Newark, New Jersey, and wraps in Los Angeles, California at Banc of California Stadium on November 19.

The ‘Born Pink’ tour dates will then resume at London’s The O2 on November 30 and December 1. It then moves to Barcelona, Spain; Cologne, Germany; Paris, France; Copenhagen, Denmark, and Berlin, Germany before closing at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 22.

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Tickets go on general sale next Friday (September 16) at 10am local time here. Pre-sales begin on September 13 at 10am local time. VIP packages will be available.

Fans can register now for BLINK MEMBERSHIP pre-sales on Weverse for Europe here and North America here. For additional information on how to verify BLINK MEMBERSHIP pre-sales and to register for general pre-sale in North America, visit blackpinklive.com.

BLACKPINK
BLACKPINK. CREDIT: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV/Paramount Global

The tour is in support of the K-pop behemoths’ second studio album ‘Born Pink’, which is released on September 16 via YG Entertainment/Interscope Records (pre-order).

It follows the release of the band’s record-breaking single ‘Pink Venom‘ last month, which made history by becoming the biggest release by a female group or solo artist this decade.

The song, which features on their upcoming album, debuted at Number One on Spotify’s global top songs chart and amassed more than 7.9million streams within the first 24 hours. On YouTube, the official music video reached 100million views faster than any video by a female group in history, with 90.4million views counted within the first 24 hours.

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BLACKPINK’s Europe and North America tour news follows world tour dates shared last month. It will see bandmembers Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa play countries including Australia, Singapore and Thailand in 2023.

BLACKPINK’s ‘Born Pink’ Europe and North America tour dates 2022:

OCTOBER
Tuesday 25 – Dallas American Airlines Center

Saturday 29 – Houston Toyota Center

NOVEMBER
Wednesday 02 – Atlanta State Farm Arena
Sunday 06 – Hamilton FirstOntario Centre
Monday 07 – Hamilton FirstOntario Centre
Thursday 10 – Chicago United Center
Friday 11 – Chicago United Center
Monday 14 – Newark Prudential Center
Tuesday 15 – Newark Prudential Center
Saturday 19 – Los Angeles Banc of California Stadium
Wednesday 30 – London The O2

DECEMBER
Thursday 01 – London The O2
Monday 05 – Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi
Thursday 08 – Cologne Lanxess Arena
Sunday 11 – Paris Accor Arena
Monday 12 – Paris Accor Arena
Thursday 15 – Copenhagen Royal Arena
Monday 19 – Berlin Mercedes-Benz Arena
Thursday 22 –Amsterdam Ziggo Dome

According to YG Entertainment, the title for the album – branded as a “comeback project” for BLACKPINK – “implies the identity” of the group, “which is never ordinary and will exude a fatal aura”.

Last month, the members of BLACKPINK took to Instagram to commemorate the sixth anniversary of their debut.

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Watch Rush perform with Dave Grohl at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush took to the stage at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert over the weekend to perform a slew of the band’s classics – watch below.

The special event in honour of the late Foo Fighters drummer took place on Saturday (September 3) at London’s Wembley Stadium, and was simulcast all on the web, television and streaming platforms.

Featuring a star-studded line-up, tribute performances came from the likes of Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age‘s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Blink-182‘s Travis Barker, AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and more.

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Introducing Rush to the stage, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl said: “Now if there’s one band that I always associated Taylor Hawkins with, it’s these next two guys.

“Taylor got up and played with two guys once, in their hometown of Toronto, Canada. And I have to say, it was not only one of the greatest nights of my life watching him do that, but perhaps, one of the greatest night of his.”

Grohl then took a place behind the drums – filling the spot for Rush’s late drummer, Neal Peart – joining the Canadian rock outfit for performances of ‘2112 Part I: Overture’ and ‘Working Man’.

Watch fan-shot footage below:

From the stage, Lee spoke of the privilege it was for himself and Lifeson to perform in honour of Hawkins at the event. “In 2008, as Dave told you, we got a call from Foos’ management, asking if we’d come to the Toronto show, and show up so that Taylor could play one of his favourite Rush songs with us. We obliged, and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

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Drummer Omar Hakim then joined the pair on stage to deliver the classic instrumental number ‘YYZ’.

Rush played:

1. ‘2112 Part I: Overture’
2. ‘Working Man’
3. ‘YYZ’

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighters bandmates opened the event with a stirring speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “No one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” Grohl said.

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music, performing two classic Oasis songs, ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ and ‘Live Forever’, backed by Grohl on drums for both. Comedian Dave Chappelle shared memories of spending time with Hawkins and his son, Shane, who attended the concert and watched from the sidelines. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father,” Chappelle shared.

Later, Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter, Violet, covered two Jeff Buckley songs in tribute to Hawkins, backed by her father on drums, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures‘ Alain Johannes, guitarist Jason Falkner and Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney. Violet performed ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘Grace’, following an introduction by her father, who called her “the only person I know who can actually sing a Jeff Buckley song”.

Elsewhere in the show, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joined forces to perform a pair of the latter band’s hits – ‘Back In Black’ and ‘Let There Be Rock’ – following Violet’s return to cover The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ with Ronson, The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Falkner.

Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor also took to the stage alongside Foo Fighters to perform five songs – ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Somebody To Love’ and an acoustic rendition of ‘Love Of My Life’.

Helmed by Joe Walsh, James Gang reunited on stage for the first time in 16 years, performing ‘Walk Away’, a medley of ‘The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind’ and ‘Funk #49’, joined for the latter by Grohl on drums.

Foo Fighters closed out the night with a star-studded set that featured a revolving cast of drummers, including Barker, Nandi Bushell, and 16-year-old Shane Hawkins. Paul McCartney also joined the group on stage, delivering a performance of two Beatles songs.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022, aged 50.

A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

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Joe Walsh leads reunited James Gang at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Joe Walsh led a reunited James Gang at last night’s Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, marking the group’s first performance in 16 years.

The special event in honour of the late Foo Fighters drummer took place on Saturday (September 3) at London’s Wembley Stadium, and was simulcast all on the web, television and streaming platforms.

Featuring a star-studded line-up, tribute performances came from the likes of Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age‘s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Blink-182‘s Travis Barker, AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich and more.

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Introducing James Gang, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl said: “If you’ve ever seen a picture of Taylor Hawkins, most likely he was wearing a fucking hat that said James Gang on it.”

Led by Walsh – who had tweeted about the band’s set at the concert the day prior (September 2) – James Gang stepped onto the stage at 7pm BST, where the trio gave a performance of ‘Walk Away’, from their 1971 album ‘Thirds’, before playing a medley of ‘The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind’.

The group – rounded out by bassist Dale Peters and drummer Jimmy Fox – ended their brief appearance with a rendition of 1970’s ‘Funk #49’, joined by Grohl on drums at Walsh’s invitation.

Their first gig since 2006, James Gang were met with praise on social media from viewers of the tribute concert.

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Ahead of the show, Walsh revealed in a statement (per Ultimate Classic Rock) that Hawkins had frequently asked him about his career. “Taylor was like my little brother who was always asking questions,” the veteran rocker said. “He had an insatiable curiosity about playing hard and loud like we used to do in the ’70s.

“We spoke a lot about being in a three-piece, how we recorded ‘James Gang Rides Again’ and what life was like for a musician before he was even born.

“He thought I was pretty cool and the feeling was mutual.”

James Gang played:

1. ‘Walk Away’
2. ‘The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind’
3. ‘Funk #49’ (with Dave Grohl)

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighters bandmates opened the event with a stirring speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “No one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” Grohl said.

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music, performing two classic Oasis songs, ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ and ‘Live Forever’, backed by Grohl on drums for both. Comedian Dave Chappelle shared memories of spending time with Hawkins and his son, Shane, who attended the concert and watched from the sidelines. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father,” Chappelle shared.

Later, Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter, Violet, covered two Jeff Buckley songs in tribute to Hawkins, backed by her father on drums, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures‘ Alain Johannes, guitarist Jason Falkner and Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney. Violet performed ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘Grace’, following an introduction by her father, who called her “the only person I know who can actually sing a Jeff Buckley song”.

Elsewhere in the show, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joined forces to perform a pair of the latter band’s hits – ‘Back In Black’ and ‘Let There Be Rock’ – following Violet’s return to cover The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ with Ronson, The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Falkner.

Foo Fighters closed out the night with a star-studded set that featured a revolving cast of drummers, including Barker, Nandi Bushell, and 16-year-old Shane Hawkins. Paul McCartney also joined the group on stage, delivering a performance of two Beatles songs.

Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor also took to the stage alongside Foo Fighters to perform five songs – ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, ‘Under Pressure’, ‘Somebody To Love’ and an acoustic rendition of ‘Love Of My Life’.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022, aged 50.

A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

Earlier this month it was announced that Grohl would be joining Walsh and James Gang as the “special guest” at Walsh’s veteran benefit show, ‘VetsAid’, on November 13 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

James Gang will headline the event, with their reunion being billed as “one last ride”. They’ll be joined on the line-up by Nine Inch Nails, The Black Keys and The Breeders.

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Brian May and Roger Taylor join Foo Fighters for Queen set at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Both active founding members of Queen – lead guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor – joined the Foo Fighters to perform a five-song set of their own hits at the first Taylor Hawkins tribute concert.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

The special gig – which took place at Wembley Stadium last night (September 3) and was simulcast all over the web, TV and streaming platforms – honoured the late Foos drummer with performances from Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, Kesha, and more.

The Queen/Foos supergroup were introduced with archival footage of Hawkins himself, who welcomed Roger Taylor out at one of the Foos own shows before he passed. Hawkins was a noted superfan of the British rock icons, and Foos sets would often see the drummer take over from Dave Grohl to perform lead vocals on a cover of ‘Somebody To Love’.

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“When I was 10 years old, my older sister took me to go see Queen in concert – the first concert I ever saw – and I watched the fucking drummer, and I said, ‘I wanna fucking be him, I wanna do that’,” Hawkins says in the archival clip screened at last night’s concert, after hyping the crowd up with his imitation of Freddie Mercury’s famous “ay-oh” chant.

The set itself began with a cover of Queen’s 1977 hit ‘We Will Rock You’, for which Taylor was joined on drums by his son Rufus, and Luke Spiller of The Struts sang lead vocals. With Taylor on vocals, they moved on to 1975’s ‘I’m In Love With My Car’, before welcoming out The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins to sing on the 1981 classic ‘Under Pressure’. 

Next up in the setlist was ‘Somebody To Love’, for which Sam Ryder took over the mic. Introducing him, Grohl explained that, since Hawkins would always cover the song on vocals during the Foos’ own sets, it was particularly challenging to find the right vocalist for last night’s tribute.

“It might have been Roger that had this idea,” he said. “Roger showed us a clip of someone singing along to this next song, and we made one phone call, and within 20 minutes, this person told us that he would come here tonight to sing it with us.”

Rounding out the set, May delivered an acoustic performance of 1975’s ‘Love Of My Life’. Before playing the song, May told the crowd: “I did not write this song, it was written by a young boy called Freddie Mercury. And in 1986, we were on this exact spot, singing this song together.

“And in 1992, exactly 30 years ago, we said goodbye to Freddie in a style similar to this – so I know that Freddie would be very happy to use this song to honour Taylor Hawkins. But here’s the deal: I don’t sing this song, we all sing this song together.”

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Have a look at the full Foos/Queen performance below:

Queen and Foo Fighters played:

1. ‘We Will Rock You’ (with Luke Spiller of The Struts)
2. ‘I’m In Love With My Car’
3. ‘Under Pressure’ (with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness)
4. ‘Somebody To Love’ (with Sam Ryder)
5. ‘Love Of My Life’ (Brian May performing solo)

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said. 

Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.” 

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith shared a heartwarming story about Hawkins in a special video message.

Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter Violet also took to the stage to cover two Jeff Buckley songs at the show, before Grohl’s supergroup Them Crooked Vultures reunited for the first time in 12 years. Supergrass also performed, with the trio recalling a tour they did with the Foos and Hawkins in the ’90s.

Elsewhere in the show, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joined forces to perform a pair of the latter band’s hits – ‘Back In Black’ and ‘Let There Be Rock’ – following Violet’s return to cover The Zutons’ ‘Valerie’ with Ronson, The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Jason Falkner.

Foo Fighters closed out the night with a star-studded set that features a revolving cast of drummers, including Travis Barker, Nandi Bushell, and Hawkins’ 16-year-old son Shane. Paul McCartney also joined the group onstage, delivering a performance of two Beatles songs.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside his role in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson join forces at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and AC/DC’s Brian Johnson joined forces at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium tonight (September 3).

The special gig honoured the late Foo Fighters drummer with performances from Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, Kesha, and more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

The surviving members of Foo Fighters introduced Ulrich and Johnson on stage midway through the night. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage our good buddy Lars and Brian Johnson from AC fucking DC,” Grohl said. The pair hugged the band as they appeared from the wings and joined the group for two songs.

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“This is fantastic,” Johnson said as the musicians launched into a cover of AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’. The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins also joined the proceedings halfway through, taking the microphone from Johnson, before swapping lines with the singer.

“Woo, that was fun!” Johnson exclaimed afterwards. “I enjoyed that, thank you.” The group then tore through a version of AC/DC’s ‘Let There Be Rock’.

“Taylor, I know you’re watching,” Ulrich said as he prepared to leave the stage. “I know you’re hearing this, I know you’re feeling this. We fucking love you. On behalf of everybody in Metallica, nothing but love. Thank you Wembley, we’ll see you soon.” Watch the moment above, from around the -2.46.30 mark.

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.”

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Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters, while Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith shared a heartwarming story about Hawkins in a special video message.

Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter Violet also took to the stage to cover two Jeff Buckley songs at the show, and supergroup Them Crooked Vultures reunited for the first time in 12 years. Supergrass also performed, with the trio recalling touring with Foo Fighters and Hawkins in the ’90s.

Foo Fighters closed out the night with a star-studded set featuring a revolving cast of drummers, including Travis Barker, Nandi Bushell, and Hawkins’ 16-year-old son, Shane. Paul McCartney also joined the group on stage, delivering a performance of two Beatles songs.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Watch Foo Fighters play with Paul McCartney and Travis Barker at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Foo Fighters closed out the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at Wembley Stadium tonight (September 3) with a massive set that featured big-name guests, including Paul McCartney and Travis Barker.

The memorial gig kicked off this afternoon and featured an all-star cast throughout the six-hour run, from Liam Gallagher to Mark Ronson, Josh Homme to AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, and many more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

After a video was shown featuring performance and video clips of Hawkins throughout the years, Grohl took to the microphone to kick off the final portion of the night. Tearing up, the musician began a poignant version of Foo Fighters’ 2002 hit ‘Times Like These’ with his bandmates, plus Devo and The Vandals’ drummer Josh Freese.

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After a raucous rendition of ‘All My Life’, Grohl explained how the last set of the evening would work. “We’re gonna play some of the Foo Fighters songs with some of Taylor’s friends – his favourite drummers and his good friends – coming up to play with us,” he said. “So there’s gonna be kind of a revolving door of drummers who are gonna come up and celebrate Taylor’s fucking awesome drums.

“If you could only see how many fucking drum sets are back there – it looks like the local music shop, it’s a fucking nightmare. But you gotta do that. When it comes to Taylor Hawkins, you gotta celebrate the drummers, right?”

Grohl then introduced Blink-182’s Travis Barker to the stage, sharing an anecdote about how Barker and Hawkins had first met. “Apparently, Taylor met this guy when this guy was a fucking garbage man in Taylor’s neighbourhood and Taylor started going to see his band play when he was a young kid,” he said. “Taylor would always tell him, ‘You’re gonna be a star, man. You’re gonna be a star’. Years later, we wound up on tour with his band and now, he’s gonna sit in with us to play a couple songs.”

Barker joined Foo Fighters on stage to play the 2007 single ‘The Pretender’ and 1997’s ‘Monkey Wrench’.

Following Barker’s departure from the kit, Grohl told the crowd: “Alright, now we have something very special for you. A person that we’ve known for a while now – one of the most badass drummers I’ve ever met in my entire life. A long, long time ago, someone sent me a little clip from Instagram of this fine young drummer who challenged me to a drum battle. She said, ‘Dave Grohl, I challenge you to a drum battle’. At first, I thought she was kidding – she was not. All of my friends said, ‘No no no, you have to respond’. So I engaged in a drum battle with this person and she proceeded to kick my fucking ass in front of the entire world.

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“Ever since then, we’ve been friends. So everybody, you gotta say hi to our friend, the coolest fucking drummer in the world.” The star then invited 12-year-old drummer Nandi Bushell onto the stage. “Let me tell you, she’s the biggest rock star on the bill,” Grohl added. “I know we got Queen and Rush and all that shit, but we got Nandi tonight.”

Bushell accompanied the band for the 1999 single ‘Learn To Fly’, which originally appeared on the album ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’. The young musician sang along to the words as she hit the drums and delivered a short solo to close out the song.

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Queen drummer Roger Taylor’s son Rufus was the next to take to the drums, who Grohl referred to as “a real member of the Foo Fighters family”. “We’ve known him since he was a little kid because his father’s band was Taylor’s favourite band and his father was, I think, Taylor’s favourite singer and rock star – and maybe favourite person,” he said. Together, Rufus Taylor and Foo Fighters played 2011’s ‘These Days’ and 2005’s ‘Best Of You’.

“Pulling this whole thing together over the last three months, we’ve met some really amazing people,” Grohl said afterwards. “People that I’ve never met before. One of them, I got to stand on stage with tonight and play the bass – Miss Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders, who I happen to think is the baddest motherfucker in the world. She brought a friend with her tonight, so would everybody please welcome Miss Chrissie Hynde and our good friend, Mr Paul McCartney.”

Hynde and McCartney came to the front of the stage, with The Beatles star carrying a bass. “God bless Taylor,” he said. “Me and Chrissie are gonna do a song here that I haven’t done since we recorded it 100 years ago. I’ve never done it as a duet, but we’re gonna do it tonight for the first time for you.” Aided by Grohl and Foo Fighters, the artists then launched into a version of The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ track ‘Oh! Darling’. Omar Hakim, who played drums for David Bowie, joined the group on drums.

Hynde left the stage after the song was finished, with McCartney remaining on to perform another track, pausing to share an anecdote about Foo Fighters before. “Dave rang me up one day and he said, ‘Taylor’s written this song called ‘Summer Rain’,’ and he said, ‘We’d like you to drum on it,’” the star shared. “There’s this group who’ve got two of the best drummers in the world and they want me to drum on it? So I did. It’s quite a memory.” The band then launched into a version of The Beatles’ ‘Helter Skelter’.

Hakim stayed behind the kit for a performance of ‘Aurora’, taken from Foo Fighters’ 1999 album ‘There Is Nothing Left To Lose’, which Grohl said was Hawkins’ favourite song of the band’s. Afterwards, Hakim made way for Hawkins’ 16-year-old son Shane to get behind the drums for ‘My Hero’.

“Now, we’ve got the little guy,” Grohl said. “Let me tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone hit the drums as hard as this person. But beyond that, he’s a member of our family and he needs to be here tonight with all of us and I think it makes sense that he’s going to come up and play with us tonight.”

Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins dead
Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Credit: Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

A photo of Shane and his dad was shown on the big screen as the young drummer kicked off the performance of the 1997 single. With Grohl cheering him on, Shane finished the song with a blistering solo.

The final set of the night concluded with Grohl performing one of Foo Fighters’ most famous songs solo. “I hope that you guys felt all the love from all of us and all of the performers, because we felt it from you for Taylor tonight, so thank you everybody,” the frontman said before the end of the set. “I don’t really know what else to say. I’d like to thank the Hawkins family – Shane, Everleigh, Annabelle, Alison – for being here with us tonight.

“This one’s for Taylor,” Grohl added, beginning the final song – 1997’s ‘Everlong’. Watch footage of the whole Foo Fighters set above, starting around the -1.28.04 mark.

Foo Fighters played: 

‘Times Like These’
‘All My Life’
‘The Pretender’
‘Monkey Wrench’
‘Learn To Fly’
‘These Days’
‘Best Of You’
‘Oh! Darling’
‘Helter Skelter’
‘Aurora’
‘My Hero’
‘Everlong’

Earlier in the evening, Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.”

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters, while Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith shared a heartwarming story about Hawkins in a special video message.

Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter Violet also took to the stage to cover two Jeff Buckley songs at the show, and supergroup Them Crooked Vultures reunited for the first time in 12 years. Supergrass also performed, with the trio recalling touring with Foo Fighters and Hawkins in the ’90s.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Supergrass pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins at Wembley: “Forever fucking young”

Supergrass helped pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins at today’s (September 3) special memorial concert at Wembley Stadium.

The British band are one of numerous iconic acts taking part in the gig tonight, including Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

Before Supergrass took to the stage, an old video played from their time on tour with Foo Fighters back in the ‘90s in which they reflected on Hawkins’ support. “Taylor’s always been a bit of a fan of the band and he was side of stage watching us, and I just sort of beckoned him to come and play ‘Caught By The Fuzz’ at the end, and he played it at about 500 mph,” drummer Danny Goffey said in the clip.

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After the video finished playing, actor Jason Sudeikis shared his own reflections of seeing Supergrass support Foo Fighters. “So Taylor didn’t just make music, he was also a huge fan,” he said. “One of his favourite bands was Supergrass – he believed that their self-titled album was one of the all-time best.

“The first time I got to see the Foo Fighters was me and my friends Billy and Corey driving down to St Louis, Missouri in 1997. It was also the first time I got to see Taylor Hawkins play the drums live. Their opening act on that tour was Supergrass, and as luck would have it, I fell in love with Supergrass as well. Taylor was such a giant fan of theirs that, one night, he jumped up on stage and helped them close out the show with a version of ‘Caught By The Fuzz’.”

The Oxford trio then took to the stage to play three songs – ‘Richard III’, ‘Alright’ and ‘Caught By The Fuzz’. “Oh boy, Wembley, this is insane,” frontman Gaz Coombes said. “It’s beautiful. We’re gonna play a few songs for you that we know were Taylor’s favourites. We hope you enjoy.” Before ‘Alright’, he added: “Taylor Hawkins, forever fucking young.” Watch footage of the moment above, from the -1.32.29 mark.

The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert is available to livestream on MTV’s YouTube channel globally and Paramount+ in the US. A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert today with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

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Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.”

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters, while Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith shared a heartwarming story about Hawkins in a special video message. Grohl’s 16-year-old daughter Violet also took to the stage to cover two Jeff Buckley songs at the show, and supergroup Them Crooked Vultures reunited for the first time in 12 years.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Watch Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet cover Jeff Buckley at Taylor Hawkins tribute concert

Dave Grohl’s daughter covered two Jeff Buckley songs in tribute to Taylor Hawkins at the special memorial concert that is taking place at Wembley Stadium today (September 3).

The star-studded line-up boasts performances from Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

Before the special appearance from his daughter, Grohl spoke about Hawkins’ unrivalled passion for music. “So over the years, Taylor Hawkins turned me onto so much music,” he said. “He was a musicologist, he knew more about music than anyone I’ve ever met in my life.

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“He constantly turned me onto albums I’d never heard before. One of them was Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’, which is a classic album. So tonight, seeing as we’re honouring the music that Taylor loved, we’re gonna play a couple of songs from Jeff Buckley’s ‘Grace’.”

Grohl then introduced a band that included himself on drums, Queens Of The Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures’ Alain Johannes, guitarist Jason Falkner, Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney, and his daughter Violet. The Foo Fighters leader described the latter as “the only person I know who can actually sing a Jeff Buckley song”.

The 16-year-old took to the stage with the veteran musicians, taking on vocals for versions of ‘Last Goodbye’ and ‘Grace’. Watch footage of her performance around the -1.55.29 mark above now.

The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert is available to livestream on MTV’s YouTube channel globally and Paramount+ in the US. A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert today with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

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Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.”

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters, while Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith shared a heartwarming story about Hawkins in a special video message.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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RHCP’s Chad Smith shares heartwarming Taylor Hawkins story at tribute concert

Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith has paid tribute to Taylor Hawkins during the tribute concert that is taking place at Wembley Stadium today (September 3).

The special gig is being held in honour of the late drummer, with appearances from Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

In a video message between performances, Smith shared a heartwarming story about his friend’s generous nature. “I’d love to tell a story of one of Taylor and I’s many escapades, but those probably wouldn’t be appropriate for this,” he said. “So I wanna tell you one that warms my heart.

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“The 606 studio those guys have, the Foo Fighters – around the corner is a music store called Guitar Centre. I think Dave [Grohl] and Taylor used to go in there all the time and see what’s going on and maybe get some stuff. Taylor would always bomb back to the drum room – the percussion section – and if there were little kids in there, wannabe drummers trying out stuff, he’d be in there and of course they’d be excited, like, ‘Oh my god, Taylor Hawkins is here, this is so cool’.”

Smith continued to explain that Hawkins would take the time to talk to the aspiring musicians in the store and give them advice. “One day, the manager came to the guy that ran the percussion section and said, ‘You know, I think something’s going on with TH’s credit card – there must be some fraud or something because I see thousands of dollars over months of charges and I’ve never seen Taylor buy anything ever here,” he said.

“The guy that worked the counter in the percussion section said, ‘No, they’re not fraud. Taylor would actually buy drum equipment, drum sets, sticks, cymbals, whatever was needed for any of the kids that he was hanging out with.

“He knew how important it was to have good stuff and he would just buy it for them and never tell anybody and wouldn’t tell the store. The kids would walk out with the stuff and that’s the kind of guy that Taylor Hawkins is and I love him and I miss him every day. I know he’s really happy about this right now so I love you guys.” Watch Smith’s speech around the -1.57.10 mark above now.

The story is the latest tribute from Smith, who dedicated Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Global Icon award at this year’s MTV VMAs to Hawkins last weekend (August 28). “There’s another musical icon, global icon, and his name is my brother Taylor Hawkins,” he said on stage at the awards show. “I want to dedicate this to Taylor and his family and I miss him every day and fly on Hawk, fly on brother.”

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The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert is available to livestream on MTV’s YouTube channel globally and Paramount+ in the US. A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

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Grohl and Hawkins’ Foo Fighter bandmates opened the concert today with an emotional speech that paid tribute to their late drummer. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

“And for those of you who admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing so, tonight, we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations to bring you a gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person.”

Comedian Dave Chappelle also recalled spending time with the rock star and his son in New York. “I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad,” he said. “Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father.”

Liam Gallagher kicked off the live music today, performing two Oasis songs with the help of the surviving members of Foo Fighters.

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Dave Chappelle recalls spending time with Taylor Hawkins and his son: “A legend of a man”

Dave Chappelle recalled spending time with Taylor Hawkins and his son Shane at today’s (September 3) tribute concert to the late drummer.

Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and more are due to perform at the special gig.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

After Gallagher performed ‘Rock’n’Roll Star’ and ‘Live Forever’ for the first music of the day, Chappelle took to the stage to introduce the next act. Before he did so, the US comedian recalled a memorable occasion on which he’d spent time with Hawkins and his son.

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“November 2020, I had the honour of hosting Saturday Night Live with the musical guest, Foo Fighters,” he told Wembley Stadium. “It was a very special night, we had a very wonderful time and after the show, me and the band were talking about what our favourite karaoke songs were. Mine was ‘Creep’ [by Radiohead]. Dave Grohl called me and asked me to sing ‘Creep’ with them at Madison Square Garden. I had smoked some reefer so I agreed.

“Right before I went on, they said, ‘Taylor Hawkins is gonna sing one song and then your up’. And Taylor sang Queen, ‘Somebody To Love’. Now let me tell u something, I never get nervous to come on stage but Taylor killed that shit. I was terrified and the walls of Madison Square Garden were shaking. And after the show I went backstage and hung out with the Foo Fighters, and I met a kid who must have been 12 or 13 years old.

Chappelle continued to say that he had asked the child if he skated because he was wearing skate shoes. “He said, ‘I don’t skateboard cos I don’t wanna hurt my arms’,” he said. “I said, ‘What the kind of fuck answer’s this? A simple yes or no would have sufficed’. The kid said, ‘I wanna be a drummer, like my father’.

“In that room in Madison Square Garden, even though I had met the Foo Fighters many nights, I felt like I met them for the first time. I’ve seen Taylor be a rock star many nights but it was my first time seeing him be a dad, and what a cool fucking dad. It was the first time that Dave Grohl and I ever even mentioned the name Kurt Cobain. It was the first time we ever even talked about our love of jazz and go-go music and Taylor’s son Shane was soaking it all in. He sat there, he asked the best questions – not about fame, always about art.”

The comedian explained that the group had later gone to New York jazz club The Blue Note and watched jazz musician Robert Glasper perform. “I listened to Taylor and his son the whole show talk about the drummer,” he said. “I remember Shane, Taylor’s son, say to his father as he was listening, ‘Dad you can’t do that shit’. I’d never heard someone talk to a rockstar that way. And Taylor Hawkins, as humble as is, said, ‘Son, those are real musicians’.

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“Taylor Hawkins is a legend of a man, he’s a legend of a musician and he’s a legend of a father and Shane, I’m very proud cos I saw you play for your father and I’m happy to see you and god bless you.”

Chappelle then introduced a group including Josh Homme, Nile Rodgers, and Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney to perform a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. Watch the moment from around the -2.55.06 mark above now.

Taylor Hawkins
Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins CREDIT: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert is available to livestream on MTV’s YouTube channel globally and Paramount+ in the US. A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

Dave Grohl and his Foo Fighters bandmates opened the gig by paying tribute to Hawkins in an emotional speech. “For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could,” the frontman said.

“And for those of you who admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing so, tonight, we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations to bring you a gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person.”

Hawkins, who drummed with Foo Fighters from 1997 alongside performing in bands like Chevy Metal and Taylor Hawkins And The Coattail Riders, died in March 2022. He was 50 years old.

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Dave Grohl pays tribute to Taylor Hawkins to open London tribute gig: “A gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person”

Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters opened today’s (September 3) Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at London’s Wembley Stadium with an emotional speech.

The gig will feature a host of music’s biggest stars, including Liam Gallagher, Mark Ronson, Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Supergrass, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Kesha, Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and more.

  • READ MORE: Taylor Hawkins, 1972 – 2022: Foo Fighters drummer who always stole the show

Grohl took to the mic as the show kicked off at 4:30pm, joined by his Foo Fighters bandmates, who at points had their arms around each other for the emotional moment. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we’ve gathered here to celebrate the life, the music and the love of our dear friend, our bandmate, our brother, Taylor Hawkins,” the frontman began after the crowd united in chanting Hawkins’ first name.

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“For those of you who knew him personally, you know that no one else could make you smile, or laugh, or dance, or sing like he could. And for those of you who admired him from afar, I’m sure you’ve all felt the same thing so, tonight, we’ve gathered with family and his closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations to bring you a gigantic fucking night for a gigantic fucking person.

“So sing and dance and laugh and cry and fucking scream and make some fucking noise so he can hear us right now. Cos you know what, it’s gonna be a long fucking night, right?”

Hawkins, who served as Foo Fighters’ drummer from 1997, died in March 2022 while the band were on tour in Bogota, Colombia. He was 50 years old.

The Taylor Hawkins tribute concert is available to livestream on MTV’s YouTube channel globally and Paramount+ in the US. A second tribute show will take place at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on September 27.

“As one of the most respected and beloved figures in modern music, Taylor’s monolithic talent and magnetic personality endeared him to millions of fans, peers, friends and fellow musical legends the world over,” a statement about the concerts on Foo Fighters’ website reads. “Millions mourned his untimely passing on March 25, with passionate and sincere tributes coming from fans as well as musicians Taylor idolised.

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“The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concerts will unite several of those artists, the Hawkins family and of course his Foo Fighters brothers in celebration of Taylor’s memory and his legacy as a global rock icon—his bandmates and his inspirations playing the songs that he fell in love with, and the ones he brought to life.”

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Watch footage of Halsey tearing up Reading & Leeds and win a signed setlist

Halsey has shared exclusive footage from their stellar headline sets at Reading & Leeds last weekend – as well as giving fans the chance to win signed setlists and deluxe versions of latest album, ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’. Check out the footage and see competition details below.

  • READ MORE: An exclusive interview with Halsey: “No amount of experience makes you invincible to trends”

Despite suffering from food-poisoning at Leeds festival, Halsey emerged triumphant and then completed their victory lap with an epic and visceral five-star performance at Reading days later – headlining alongside Bring Me The Horizon, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Megan Thee Stallion and Dave.

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In an exclusive interview with NME ahead of the festival, the artist explained how their road naturally led to R+L.

“The way this tour came together [means] that my performance style has evolved into a space that’s really true to the sentiment of what Reading and Leeds are as festivals,” they explain. Describing the sensory identity for this tour as “pure fun, unbridled rage”, it’s a fitting show for carrying on R+L’s hedonistic rock legacy.

Credit: Jasmine Safaeian

In a five-star review of Halsey’s headline set, NME concluded: After battling illness during their Leeds performance to smash it out of the park with a set that’s political, personal and poignant here at Reading, the artist sets herself apart. If you were looking for the biggest rockstar of the weekend, it might just be Halsey.”

Now, as well as sharing an exclusive live video from her performances this weekend, Halsey is also giving fans the chance to win one 25 signed setlists from their Reading show – with five lucky winners also winning a new deluxe edition of Halsey’s ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’.

To be in with a chance of winning, please fill in the below form and answer this question:

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The competition closes at 11.59pm on Thursday September 8, 2022. Check out our competition rules here.

Halsey’s deluxe edition of ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’ is out now.

Check back at NME here for more news, reviews, photos, interviews and more from Reading & Leeds 2022.

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Tegan & Sara reveal details of new graphic novel ‘Junior High’

Tegan And Sara have shared details of their upcoming new graphic novel, Junior High. 

  • READ MORE: Tegan and Sara announce 10th album ‘Crybaby’ and share new single ‘Yellow’ 

The band took to their social media platforms earlier this week (August 29), to announce the details of the comic, which is due out May 30 2023, accompanied by a picture of the novel’s cover, illustrated by Tillie Walden.

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Coming off the back of their recent single ‘Faded Like A Feeling’, taken from the duo’s forthcoming album ‘Crybaby’ due out on October 21, the new graphic novel Junior High serves as a prequel to their previous memoir High School, which was released back in 2019.

Junior High however, according to its description “explores growing up, coming out and finding yourself through music and sisterhood” and ultimately “offers a glimpse at Tegan and Sarah before they became icons, exploring their shifting sisterhood, their own experiences coming out and the first steps of their music journey.”

In other news, one half of the band in Sara Quin recently welcomed the birth of her first child, with the musician taking to the band’s official Instagram on August 2 with her very own crybaby.

Tegan and Sara: Junior High will be released in both trade paperback and hardcover variants come May 30, 2023. Outside of the graphic novel, the band have also been busy collaborating with Canadian band Arkells on their upcoming seventh album ‘Blink Twice’, with Tegan and Sara set to feature on one of the songs taken from the record.

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