Neal

News

Jane’s Addiction says they have “come together one last time to resolve our differences” as Perry Farrell apologises for Boston on-stage altercation

Perry Farrell has apologised for starting the physical altercation on stage last year that ended Jane’s Addiction, with remaining members Dave Navarro, Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins saying they have “come together one last time to resolve our differences”. READ MORE: Jane’s Addiction live in London: the alt-rock icons make an explosive return to the UK Last September, Farrell instigated a fight with guitarist Dave Navarro during a show in Boston as part of their live return with the band’s original line-up. The altercation brought the show to a premature end the tour was cancelled leading to the band’s hiatus. Advertisement The other members of Jane’s Addiction then filed a $10 million lawsuit against Farrell, for “assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract”. Farrell responded with a legal filing of his own, denying “each and every allegation”. Now, in a message posted to both Farrell and the band’s Instagram account, Farrell has issued a formal apology for what happened. “To everyone in Boston, and around the world. I’d like to address what happened on stage last year. I’ve reflected on it and know I didn’t handle myself the way I should have…. Read More →

News

Mariah Carey reacts to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ breaking record for longest-running Number One

Mariah Carey has responded to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ breaking the record for the longest-running Number One single in the US. READ MORE: Mariah Carey: “You know what? I love Christmas!” Last week saw the pop star’s 1994 festive hit achieve a record-breaking 20th week at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 – 31 years after its initial release. Advertisement The track surpassed the joint Number One runs of two hits: Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ in 2024, and Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) in 2019. Over six years ago, the latter song became the longest-running US Number One single of all time. ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ then tied with ‘Old Town Road’, with 19 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100. When Billboard asked Carey how she felt about smashing the record, she replied: “It’s amazing. Honestly, it really is. I can’t lie.” The singer’s 1995 single ‘One Sweet Day’ with Boys II Men previously enjoyed a stint as the Hot 100’s longest-running Number One single, earning 16 weeks at the top spot. Recommended “It was robbed of me,” she told the publication of Lil Nas X taking… Read More →

News

Watch Queens Of The Stone Age’s ‘Alive In The Catacombs’ and ‘Alive In Paris And Before’ online for free

Queens Of The Stone Age’s concert film Alive In The Catacombs and the accompanying doc Alive In Paris And Before are streaming for free now – watch below. The band released Alive In The Catacombs earlier this year, a film that captured their unique performance in the underground tombs of Paris in July 2024. It received a limited cinematic release before being made available to purchase on the band’s website, but now it is available for all to watch for free on YouTube. Advertisement So too is Alive In Paris And Before, a companion film directed by Andreas Neumann that takes fans behind the scenes of the concert and revealing “the emotional and physical trials Queens Of The Stone Age overcame to create Alive In The Catacombs”. Fans who wish to own physical copies of both films can buy them on the band’s official site here, while the audio is available on digital streaming platforms now. Watch Alive In The Catacombs and Alive In Paris And Before here: [embedded content] [embedded content] Recommended NME awarded Alive In The Catacombs four stars on its release in June, writing: “Alive In The Catacombs may be powerful enough alone, but it hits differently… Read More →

News

Paul McCartney on the death of Rob Reiner: “Life can be so unfair and this tragedy proves it”

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late Rob Reiner, saying life can be “so unfair and this tragedy proves it”. The 78-year-old filmmaker and his 68-year-old wife, the photographer Michele Singer-Reiner, were found dead inside their home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles on Sunday (December 14). The LAPD confirmed that they were investigating the deaths as an “apparent homicide”, with reports suggesting that the two suffered wounds consistent with a knife attack. Earlier today (December 15), it emerged that the couple’s 32-year-old son Nick Reiner had been arrested in connection with their deaths. He is said to be in custody on $4million (£2.9million) bail. McCartney made an appearance in Reiner’s final film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which was released in September this year. In the movie, he shows up during Spinal Tap’s rehearsal sessions, offering helpful advice and telling Reiner’s character Marty that their song ‘Big Bottom’ is “almost literature”. Today, McCartney posted a personal tribute to Reiner. Alongside a photo from the film’s shoot, he wrote: “What a tragedy the death of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, is. It is so shocking in many ways but for me especially so, because over the last year I had been working with him. He directed me… Read More →

News

Biffy Clyro’s James Johnston will sit out 2026 tour: “The time has come to properly address my illnesses and deal with them”

Biffy Clyro have shared that bassist James Johnston will be sitting out of their upcoming tour dates to focus on his mental health. The update was posted by the bassist on social media this afternoon (Monday December 15), where he told fans that he was “heartbroken” to not be taking part in the band’s upcoming 2026 live shows – kicking off in Belfast in January. He also added that, “for some time, I have been living with mental health problems which have led to addiction issues”. These issues, he explained, are something that he has “kept concealed for a long time” and have started to cause “significant problems for myself and everyone around me”. “The time has come to properly address my illnesses and deal with them,” he continued. “I am extremely sorry to Simon [Neil, frontman] & Ben [Johnston, his twin brother and the band’s drummer] and thank them for their continued love, patience, support and understanding throughout this time.” “I have recently started to receive the professional help I need and would like to reassure you all that there is light at the end of the tunnel,” James concluded. “To all our fans, your support means so much… Read More →

News

KISS’ Gene Simmons says artists in US are treated “worse than slaves” due to radio payment

KISS’ Gene Simmons has said artists in the US are treated “worse than slaves” due to the money they receive for radio plays. The bassist testified before the US Senate Judiciary subcommittee this week (December 9), in support of the Music Fairness Act, which calls for radio stations to licence artists’ songs for airplay. Advertisement “Let’s call it for what it is – an injustice that has been going on for decades,” he said. “When you work hard and you get to the top, what do you got? Zipperooney. That’s not the American way.” In the US, terrestrial AM/FM radio stations only pay for the composition of a song, not the sound recording, meaning that songwriters get paid for the airplay but not the musicians on the record, nor the label. [embedded content] Simmons continued: “If you are against this bill, you are un-American. You cannot let this injustice continue. It looks like a small issue. There are wars going on and everything. But our emissaries to the world are Elvis and Frank Sinatra, and when they find out that we are not treating our stars right – in other words, worse than slaves. Slaves get food and water. Elvis, Bing Crosby and Sinatra got nothing for their performance. We have got to change… Read More →

News

Watch LCD Soundsystem play ‘Too Much Love’ for the first time in 14 years

LCD Soundsystem have played their 2005 song ‘Too Much Love’ for the first time in 14 years – watch footage below. The James Murphy-led group concluded a 12-date residency at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York on Saturday night (December 13), and for the final three nights of the stint, they dusted off the track from their self-titled debut album for the first time since 2011. Advertisement In among a set that included music from across their celebrated career – including the first two parts of their 2006 composition ‘45:33’ – they opened their encore with ‘Too Much Love’, before rounding out the set with ‘North American Scum’, ‘Dance Yrself Clean’, ‘New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’ and ‘All My Friends’. Watch video of the first outing of ‘Too Much Love’ in nearly a decade and a half here: Spoiler Alertbyu/merkthejerk inLCDSoundsystem LCD Soundsystem’s set on December 13: ‘Tonite’ ‘Oh Baby’ ‘Tribulations’ ‘I Can Change’ ‘Pow Pow’ ‘Time To Get Away’ ‘X-Ray Eyes’ ‘New Body Rhumba’ ‘45:33 Part One’ ‘45:33 Part Two’ ‘Someone Great’ ‘Losing My Edge’ ‘Home’ ‘Too Much Love’ ‘North American Scum’ ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ ‘New York I Love You But You’re Getting Me Down’ ‘All My Friends’ Recommended Last month, NME shared an exclusive excerpt from Disco Pogo’s new tribute book to the group, revealing the inside word on the creation of their… Read More →

News

Sharon Osbourne opens up about why she didn’t “go with Ozzy” when he died like in their pact

Sharon Osbourne has opened up about her decision not to “go with Ozzy” in an assisted-suicide pact. She first wrote about an agreement that she had made with her late husband in her 2007 memoir Sharon Osbourne Extreme: My Autobiography, in which she explained that she and Ozzy had made a pact to go to the Swiss assisted-dying organisation Dignitas if either of them were to suffer from dementia. Ozzy later commented that the pact had been extended to include other sicknesses, including life-threatening disease and Alzheimer’s. It is believed that they arrived at the pact after the passing of Sharon’s father, music mogul Don Arden, in 2007, and Sharon appeared to confirm on The Osbournes podcast in 2023 that the plan remained in place. Ozzy passed away in July at the age of 76 from a heart attack and had been in poor health beforehand, suffering from coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s. In a new interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Sharon spoke about her decision not to follow through on the pact, revealing that it was her love and commitment to her three children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack, that were central to her decision. [embedded content] “I would have just gone with Ozzy… Oh, yeah, definitely, I’ve done everything I wanted to do,” she said…. Read More →

News

Alabama Shakes announce US headline tour for 2026

Alabama Shakes have announced a headline US tour for April and May 2026 – find all dates and ticket information below. The band – comprised of Brittany Howard, Heath Fogg, and Zac Cockrell – went on hiatus back in 2018, only to return in August with their first new music in 10 years, ‘Another Life’, which saw the band venture further into 1960s British soul and rock. Advertisement They played around the US from July to September this year, and now they have confirmed a run of shows for 2026 that will kick off in Richmond, Virginia on April 16. The 13-date run will see them play primarily across the Southeastern US, and they conclude with two nights in the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on May 24 and 25. Support at the shows will come from Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovia, Lamont Landers and JJ Grey & Mofro, and tickets go on general sale at 10am local time on Friday (December 19). You will be able to find yours here. Alabama Shakes will play: APRIL 2026 16 – Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront 17 – Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena 18 – Charleston, SC @ High Water Fest 22 – Memphis, TN @ Grind City Amphitheater 24 – Atlanta, GA @ Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park 25 – Raleigh, NC @… Read More →

News

Gene Simmons walks back remarks on Ace Frehley’s death: “I was wrong”

Gene Simmons has taken back the comments he made about former KISS bandmate Ace Frehley’s death, admitting he “was wrong” to make them. The guitarist and founding member of the group died at 74 years old in Morristown, New Jersey, on October 16. A statement shared at the time revealed that Ace – also known as Spaceman – died “peacefully surrounded by family” following “a recent fall at his home”. An investigation was then launched into Frehley’s death, and the results of a medical examination have since been shared, ruling his death an accident. Advertisement Simmons’ controversial comments came when n Sunday (December 7), Donald Trump presented this year’s Kennedy Center honourees – among them KISS, Sylvester Stallone and Gloria Gaynor – with medals for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors, where Frehley was inducted posthumously, Simmons told the New York Times that “bad decisions” led to his fatal fall, seemingly implying that substance abuse might have played a role. “He refused [advice] from people that cared about him – including yours truly – to try to change his lifestyle,” he said. “In and out of bad decisions. Falling down the stairs — I’m not a doctor — doesn’t kill you. There may have… Read More →

News

Live At Leeds to take year off in 2026 to ensure “best possible version of the festival for the future”

Live At Leeds is set to take a year off in 2026, to ensure “the best possible version of the festival for the future”. Read More: Why have so many UK festivals been cancelled or postponed? The event’s ‘In The Park’ and ‘In The City’ editions have taken place in spring/summer and autumn, respectively, in recent years. LAL launched its first iteration in 2007. Advertisement Live At Leeds: In The Park 2025 was held in Temple Newsam Park, with performances from Bloc Party, Manic Street Preachers, The Snuts, Yard Act, Sigrid and more. LAL: In The City – which focuses on newer, rising acts – this year hosted the likes of Fat Dog, Divorce, Westside Cowboy and Adult DVD across multiple venues and stages in Leeds city centre. Today (Friday December 12), organisers have announced that neither version of Live At Leeds will run next year. “Live at Leeds ‘In the Park’ and ‘In the City’ will be taking a break in 2026,” the team wrote in a statement. “Both festivals are organised by a small, passionate team of music lovers, who have been proud to deliver amazing festivals, every year for the last 18 years. Recommended “However, we have decided… Read More →

News

Timothée Chalamet responds to rumours that he’s UK alt-rapper EsDeeKid: “All will be revealed in due time”

Timothée Chalamet has addressed rumours that he is the artist behind UK alt-rapper EsDeeKid in a recent interview. EsDeeKid is best recognised for his track ‘LV Sandals’, which went viral on TikTok and featured underground UK rappers fakemink and Rico Ace. Hailing from Liverpool and rapping in a distinct Scouse accent, much about the artist’s background is not known, given he remains anonymous and performs obscured by a balaclava. Advertisement However, since the release of his album ‘Rebel’ this summer, fans have been trying to work out the musician’s identity, and some are convinced that it is actually Timothée Chalamet. TikTok users have pointed to the fact that Chalamet has a long-standing love of hip-hop, as he performed as a rapper called Lil Timmy Tim during his childhood. Other theories involved close-ups of the artist’s eyes, which users believe look like the actor’s, and the fact that both the rapper and actor use double ‘e’ spelling in their names. [embedded content] Appearing on Heart FM to promote his new film Marty Supreme, Chalamet was asked by presenters Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden if he is EsDeeKid. “I’ve got no comment on that” he replied, before adding “I got two words… Read More →

News

Watch Charli XCX question “cringe” ‘Brat Summer’ in new trailer for ‘The Moment’ mockumentary

Charli XCX has dropped another trailer for her mockumentary The Moment, which sees her question if the term ‘Brat Summer’ has become “cringe”. The project is based around her huge ‘Brat’ album and subsequent tour, and is set to arrive in select cinemas from January 26. Advertisement Directed by Aidan Zamiri, the first trailer for the A24 film arrived last month, and revealed that the film was made using real footage from the ’Brat’ tour – including chat show appearances and on stage performances – as well as a variety of fictional backstage scenes. Alongside Charli, the mockumentary stars Alexander Skarsgård, Rachel Sennott, Hailey Benton Gates, Jamie Demetriou, Kate Berlant, and Rosanna Arquette, as well as a cameo from Kylie Jenner. Today (Thursday December 11), another trailer has been shared by the ‘365’ hitmaker, and it captures some of the more intense moments of the film, including Charli struggling with the pressures that the ‘Brat Summer’ phenomenon led to. “Hi, it’s Charli XCX, are you having a Brat Summer?” she asks at the beginning of the clip, before casually asking a colleague: “Don’t you think the whole ‘Keep having a Brat Summer’ thing is a little bit cringe?” It then… Read More →

News

Portugal’s Eurovision entry at risk as 11 entrants from Festival da Canção refuse to represent country

Portugal’s participation in Eurovision next year could be at risk as 11 of the 16 entrants in their song selection contest, Festival da Canção, have refused to represent them if they win. READ MORE: Eurovision 2024 – fans and boycotters speak: “This is bigger than the contest” The 11 entrants put forward a statement declaring that they will decline to represent Portugal at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna next year should they be selected in protest of Israel’s controversial participation in the contest. Advertisement The 17 signatories are Cristina Branco, Bateu Matou, Rita Dias, DjoDje, Beatriz Bronze (Evaya), Francisco Fontes, Gonçalo Gomes, Inês Sousa, Jorge Gonçalves (Jacaréu), Marquise, Nunca Mates o Mandarim, Pedro Fernandes, and Rita Dias. “With words and with songs, we act within the possibilities we are given. We do not accept complicity with the violation of Human Rights,” they said [as translated by Eurovision Fun]. “Despite Russia’s ban from Eurovision 2022 for political reasons (the invasion of Ukraine), we were surprised to see that the same stance was not taken towards Israel, which, according to the United Nations, is committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.” Israel’s participation in Eurovision has become increasingly contentious due… Read More →

News

World’s most expensive guitar – Kurt Cobain’s iconic ‘MTV Unplugged’ D-18E – donated to London Royal College Of Music

The guitar Kurt Cobain used in Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance, which was the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction, has been donated to the London Royal College Of Music. The guitar in question is the rare Martin D-18E, an electro-acoustic model that was modified for the grunge icon’s left-handed playing style. He famously played it during the iconic MTV Unplugged set in November 1993, and according to Courtney Love, it was the last guitar he played before his took his own life in 1994. Advertisement After his death, it was passed on to his daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and it then transferred to Isaiah Silva during a divorce settlement in 2018. He later sold the guitar at Julien’s Auctions in June 2020 for $6,010,000 (£4.51million) – making it the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction. It was bought by Peter Freedman AM, owner and founder of audio company RØDE Microphones and the Freedman Group. He is also the founding supporter of the Royal College of Music’s Australia Commonwealth Scholarship Fund, and has confirmed that he will be donating the instrument to the Royal College of Music in London. The donation will be done in memory of his father,… Read More →

News

Watch Porridge Radio play last ever show in Glasgow

Porridge Radio played their final show in Glasgow on Sunday (December 7) – check out some of the footage from the gig and the other shows on their final tour here. Read More: The Big Read – Porridge Radio: “I’ve always known that we’re the best band in the world” The Brighton band first announced their split in January, sharing the goodbye single ‘Don’t Want To Dance’. Their final EP, ‘The Machine Starts To Sing’, arrived the following month, and they announced a farewell tour in April. Advertisement They said upon announcing their split: “This band has been our life, we’re family now. These tours will be our last, thanks so much for listening. With love, Dana, Georgie, Sam and Dan.” Earlier this month, they played shows in London, Bristol, Manchester and Leeds, before their final gig at Glasgow’s St Luke’s – check out shots from the show here. Porridge radio… end of the line? Fab night…. Thank you…. pic.twitter.com/8AypEobJkC — Harry Frickleton (@Iamhairyf) December 7, 2025 Recommended After opening with ‘Born Confused’, they ran through a selection of their biggest hits and most popular tracks in Glasgow, including ‘Sweet’ and ‘Long’ from their Mercury Prize-nominated album ‘Every Bad’, ‘God Of… Read More →

News

Watch Sigrid’s new DHL FAST-TRACK documentary

In partnership with DHL Sigrid and DHL FAST-TRACK have unveiled a new mini-documentary that follows the Norwegian pop star as she plays two very special, stripped-down gigs. Earlier this year, Sigrid returned to Bergen, the city where she lived as a teenager and first began seriously writing music, to join fans on a misty walk through Fløyen Park before she performed an acoustic gig at the gorgeous Skomakerstuan Café. Two weeks later, Sigrid visited the Japanese city of Osaka for the very first time where she took fans along the Minoh Falls trail ahead of a stripped down set inside a traditional Japanese-style villa. The whole thing was captured and turned into a mini-documentary that can be seen below. “It was such a nice experience,” Sigrid told NME. “We wanted to create a space for people to come together with music and nature, which are the two big loves of my life. It was a chance to remind myself, the people who listen to my music and anyone watching this documentary how important it is to get out into nature whenever they can – not just because it’s amazing for our mental health but also to remember what we need… Read More →

News

Frank Sinatra “loathed” Donald Trump, says daughter Nancy

Nancy Sinatra has revealed that her father, the legendary singer Frank Sinatra, “loathed” Donald Trump. She made the comment on X (Twitter) as part of a series of posts condemning the US president’s administration and the ongoing ICE raids across the country. “This is not my father’s America. He would be devastated. Trump is so wrong in so may [sic] ways,” she wrote, quoting a video of an alleged ICE raid. Advertisement Another X user replied, “Your Dad would have loved Trump,” prompting Nancy to say, “Do some homework before you make a fool of yourself. My dad LOATHED Trump.” In 2017, Sinatra’s former manager Eliot Weisman spoke about the singer’s dislike for Trump in his autobiography, The Way It Was: My Life With Frank Sinatra (via The Week). He claimed that he’d agreed a deal for him to perform a residency at Trump’s Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1990. Mark Grossinger Etess, one of Trump’s employees, made the agreement with Weisman before his death. Later, Trump intervened and tried to “lowball” Sinatra, according to Weisman, who claimed that Sinatra told Trump to “go fucking himself” and performed a residency at the Sands in Las Vegas instead…. Read More →

News

Ghetts pleads guilty to causing death by dangerous driving

Ghetts has pleaded guilty to death by dangerous driving following a fatal crash in London. The 41-year-old Mercury Prize nominee, real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20 year-old man in Ilford on October 18 around 11:30pm (as per BBC News). Today (Monday December 8), he appeared for a hearing at the Old Bailey via videolink from Pentonville prison. He pleaded guilty to driving dangerously in various parts of the city before the fatal collision. This included incidents in Camden, Islington, Hackney, and the Bloomsbury area of central London. Ghetts has been in custody since making a preliminary appearance on October 27 at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court. There, he was disqualified from driving with immediate effect, and the length for the ban has yet to be decided. The rapper will be sentenced in February 2026. At the hearing today, Judge Mark Lucraft KC reportedly told him that “the only sentence to be passed is a custodial sentence” (as per Sky News). Ghetts – Credit: Seye Isikalu Yubin Tamang, a 20-year-old student from Nepal died two days after being hit by Ghetts’ BMW M5 on Redbridge Lane East. After news of his death, the victim’s family took… Read More →

News

‘The Fate Of Ophelia’ becomes Taylor Swift’s longest-running UK Number One single

‘The Fate Of Ophelia’ has become Taylor Swift’s longest-running Number One single in the UK after topping the Official Singles Chart for a seventh week. The lead single from Swift’s latest album ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’, it was released on October 3, the same day as the album, and first got to Number One on October 16, knocking Olivia Dean’s ‘Man I Need’ off the top spot. It spent three weeks there before being replaced by ‘Golden’ from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, as performed by fictional K-pop group Huntr/x, which Swift then replaced again after two weeks. Advertisement ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’ also registered the largest first-week sales of 2025 and of Swift’s career, with 132,000 units sold. [embedded content] Previously, ‘Anti-Hero’, from Swift’s 2022 album ‘Midnights’, had been her longest-running Number One, spending six consecutive weeks at the top. At the time, she also became the first woman since Miley Cyrus in 2013 to top the albums and singles charts simultaneously, while the track also spent 15 non-consecutive weeks in the top 10. Altogether, the singer has topped the UK chart with five different tracks. Her first was ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ in 2017, which spent… Read More →

News

Watch Trump present KISS, George Strait, Gloria Gaynor and more Kennedy Center honourees with medals in Oval Office

Donald Trump has presented this year’s Kennedy Center honourees with their medals. Watch the moment below. The list of honorees selected by the Trump administration this year included KISS, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Gaynor, country star George Strait and stage and sitcom actor Michael Crawford. Advertisement The prize is awarded to figures in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. Trump personally presented the honorees with their awards yesterday (December 6) during a ceremony at the Oval Office, hailing them as “perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class” ever assembled. The president said they are a group of “incredible people” who represent the “very best in American arts and culture” and that “I know most of them and I’ve been a fan of all of them.” “This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,” he told the audience. “This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Center Honorees ever assembled.” Trump ignored the Kennedy Center and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most… Read More →