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Kanye West explains why he threw microphone down during ‘Donda 2’ event

Kanye West has shared the reason why he threw microphone down during a performance of ‘Jail pt 2’ at his ‘Donda 2’ event in Miami. READ MORE: On the scene at Kanye West’s ‘Donda 2’ event in Miami: “It felt like a cult convention” Discussing the incident during an Instagram-shared exchange with Sasha A. Berg and Esther Coco Berg on Wednesday (March 2), West, who is now legally known as Ye, said his frustrations boiled over because of a request made by a promoter. He claims that he was “told” he had to attach the word “performance” to the ‘Donda 2’ event, despite that not being a part of his vision. Advertisement “It wasn’t about the sound,” Ye explained. “It was the fact that I was told, one thing I was told was that I had to write the word ‘performance’ on the piece. But what I was giving you guys was performance art.” He continued: “I did these listening sessions when I dropped my album where I put a mask on and I give you this listening session and it’s an installation. And they basically forced me to mix Taco Bell and KFC. They basically forced to mix tequila with Cognac. So… Read More →

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Here’s Aitch and Big Zuu becoming good mates at the BandLab NME Awards 2022

After appearing at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 last night, it seems as if Aitch and Big Zuu have become good friends. Watch the video interview of their blossoming romance above. READ MORE: BandLab NME Awards 2022 – see full list of winners The Manchester rapper and the London chef-meets-rapper came down to the O2 Academy Brixton where they presented the award for Best Solo Act In The World – which went to Burna Boy. While attempting to steal one of our iconic middle-finger awards, the pair then headed up to the winners’ room where we asked them if they would ever collaborate together. Advertisement “Aitch’s feature price is too high!” joked Zuu, before Aitch responded: “I would never even charge Big Zuu one penny.” Would Aitch appear on Big Zuu’s Big Eats cookery show? “One million per cent,” he replied. “I’m waiting for the call. He ain’t called me up yet.” Asked what he would cook for Aitch: “I would love to cook up some Mani scran. I don’t know what they like in Mani. They have a restaurant called Manjaros. You know about Manjaros? It’s like Nandos, but Asian.” Big Zuu and Aitch at the BandLab NME Awards 2022… Read More →

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Bimini teases “very unexpected” upcoming collaboration with a “big deal” artist

Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK star Bimini has teased a set of “exciting new collaborations” to come while appearing at the BandLab NME Awards 2022. Bimini was speaking to NME on the red carpet at last night’s (March 2) ceremony at the O2 Academy Brixton in London, where they presented the Best TV Series supported by 19 Crimes award to Mae Martin’s Feel Good. READ MORE: BandLab NME Awards 2022 – full list of winners The star, who released debut single ‘God Save This Queen’ last summer, spoke of future projects, saying: “I’ve been working on lots of new music, [with] some really exciting collabs coming up. Advertisement “I’m really excited for this summer, so hopefully will be dropping some new music very, very soon. I’m excited for everyone to hear it. Get ready!” Pressed on the identity of the new collaboration, Bimini declined to name them specifically but teased: “I’ll tell you that it’s very unexpected and they are a big deal.” Bimini presented the Best TV Series award alongside Adam Lambert later in the night, telling him: “You look so good, you make me wanna overthrow the government.” Bimini Bon Boulash and Adam Lambert presenting at the BandLab NME… Read More →

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Simon Le Bon wants Anya Taylor-Joy to play him in Duran Duran biopic

Simon Le Bon wants Anya Taylor-Joy to play him in a Duran Duran biopic, he revealed at the BandLab NME Awards 2022. READ MORE: BandLab NME Awards 2022 – see the full list of winners Le Bon was speaking to NME on the red carpet of the awards show held March 2 at the O2 Academy Brixton, where he and Ivorian Doll presented the trophy for Best Band From The UK Supported By Pizza Express to Bring Me The Horizon. The Duran Duran frontman said he’d want Queen’s Gambit and Last Night In Soho (which won Best Film on the night) actress Anya Taylor-Joy to play him in a biopic, which the band’s drummer Roger Taylor said in October was “under discussion”. Watch his full red carpet interview above. Ivorian Doll and Simon Le Bon on the red carpet at the BandLab NME Awards 2022. Credit: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Le Bon also shared with NME the young UK artists he’s following today: Nova Twins, Wolf Alice and Glass Animals, all of whom he’s played on his weekly SiriusXM podcast WHOOOSH!. “Bring Me The Horizon are an incredible group, as are CHVRCHES. They’re all fantastic,” he added, before returning to Glass… Read More →

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Corey Taylor sends message to Ukrainian fans as Slipknot postpone Russia, Ukraine and Belarus shows

Slipknot have announced that their upcoming July shows in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus are being postponed in light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. READ MORE: The BandLab NME Awards 2022: all the action in glorious photos The Iowan metal band took to social media on Wednesday (March 2) to break the news, saying that new dates will be arranged for the three postponed concerts in Kyiv, Moscow and Minsk. Slipknot will seemingly proceed with the rest of their summer Europe tour as planned. pic.twitter.com/DyDD7lEdwR — Slipknot (@slipknot) March 2, 2022 Advertisement “We had looked forward to reuniting with our fans in these incredible cities, coming back together after global lockdown. But we take this step in support of our community and in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, for whom the struggle continues, in a new and more terrible form,” the band wrote. “We also acknowledge that our Russian and Belarusian fans are overwhelmingly untied with the Ukrainians in their fight for peace. The safety and well-being of our global families is, and always will be, our top priority.” Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has also shared a message for his Ukrainian fans, accompanied by his son Griffin: “We… Read More →

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Here are all the winners at the BandLab NME Awards 2022

Here’s the full list of winners at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, updated as all the action goes down at O2 Academy Brixton this evening (March 2). READ MORE: Keep up with everything BandLab NME Awards 2022 After a year of silence due to the pandemic, the wildest night in music returns, sponsored by leading social music creation platform BandLab and hosted by Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr. Sam Fender, Little Simz, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice, Billie Eilish, Rina Sawayama and CHVRCHES are among the artists leading the nominations with several nods each. Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey, Self Esteem, Ghetts, BTS, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Bring Me The Horizon, IDLES and Megan The Stallion are up for some of the biggest awards tonight. FKA Twigs will be crowned Godlike Genius, while Neneh Cherry will be honoured with the Icon Award. Halsey will collect the Innovation Award, Jack Antonoff the Songwriter Award and Griff the NME Radar Award. Liam Gallagher has also clinched Music Moment Of The Year with his free concert for NHS workers. The winners of the two fan-voted categories at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 have also been announced: Tomorrow X Together were crowned Hero Of The Year… Read More →

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Cherry Bullet unveil elegant music video for new single ‘Love In Space’

Cherry Bullet have premiered the music video for their newest single, ‘Love In Space’. READ MORE: STAYC – ‘YOUNG-LUV.COM’ review: a mature, ambitious return that ups the ante In the elegant visual, the septet performs the choreography for their latest release in front of a birthday party venue. The scene later cuts to the girls dressed in sparkling cocktail dresses, following around a black cat. “Across time / Beyond another universe / I see you, love in space, space, space,” the group sing on the chorus. Advertisement ‘Love In Space’ is a cut from Cherry Bullet’s second mini-album, ‘Cherry Wish’, which was released at the same time as the music video for the song. The septet’s latest record will portray a “dreamy image” of the group, according to FNC W, the group’s management agency. ‘Cherry Wish’ is the follow-up to the group’s debut mini-album, ‘Cherry Rush’, which was released last year. That mini-album featured the hit track ‘Love So Sweet’. Cherry Bullet debuted in 2019 with single album ‘Let’s Play Cherry Bullet’. In other K-pop news, STAYC member Isa has revealed she shot an arrow at someone by accident while filming the music video for ‘RUN2U’, the girl group’s latest… Read More →

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Metallica’s Kirk Hammett to publish new comic book with AMC Networks this year

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett is set to publish his first comic book, Nights of Lono. READ MORE: Metallica and friends: “‘The Black Album’ was a victory for the underdog” The comic, which will launch this year but has yet to receive a firm release date, was announced on Monday (March 1), along with the news that AMC Networks is launching a new book publishing arm, AMC Networks Publishing. For Nights of Lono, Hammett – a longtime horror enthusiast – will be teaming up with writing partner Marcel Feldmar. The comic book will be set in 1989 Hawaii, and will explore themes within the supernatural, mystery and adventure genres. Advertisement Per AMC Networks Publishing’s official description, Nights of Lono will tell the tale of “a troubled female detective who is hired to find King Kamehameha’s tomb before it is discovered by an unscrupulous occultist fro the mainland”. The comic is also described as a “self-aware journey through standard detective tropes and cliches that are sharpened and given new life with fresh takes on the myths and folklore of the Hawaiian Islands”. Following the news of AMC Networks Publishing’s launch and Nights of Lono, Hammett took to social media to say: “Excited to partner… Read More →

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David Crosby offers advice to young creatives: “Don’t become a musician”

David Crosby has offered young creatives a stark message, saying “don’t become a musician”. In a new interview with Stereogum, Crosby was asked what message he would give to new musical creatives. He replied: “Don’t become a musician.” The reason he gave was largely due to streaming royalties. Advertisement He continued: “I don’t like Spotify. I don’t like any of the streamers, because they don’t pay us properly. Their proportion is wrong. They’re making billions with a ‘b’ and they’re paying out pennies with a ‘p.’ “That’s not OK. It’s not OK in that it took away half my income, and it’s not OK in that, especially, it makes it impossibly difficult for young people to make it in the business. It doesn’t pay them anything. It’s wrong.” He said it felt “shitty” offering such advice but in the current streaming climate he felt there was little other advice he could give. David Crosby. CREDIT: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images. “You know how shitty it is for me to say that? You know how much I don’t want to say that?” Crosby added. “Some bright-eyed young kid who has talent. To the Becca Stevens and the Michelle Willises and the Michael Leagues of this… Read More →

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The Game says Kanye West has done more for his career lately than Dr. Dre ever has

The Game has said that Kanye West has done more for his career recently than Dr. Dre ever did. READ MORE: ‘Donda 2’: Kanye West’s ego is scuppering these half-baked, dashed-off sounding songs The rapper made the claim during a forthcoming appearance on the Drink Champs podcast. “It’s crazy that Ye did more for me in the last two weeks, than Dre did for me my whole career,” he said in a snippet from the interview. Advertisement It comes after The Game recently appeared with West, now legally known as Ye, on their collaborative track ‘Eazy’ and he appeared at the ‘Donda 2’ listening party last week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Drink Champs (@drinkchamps) Although he doesn’t elaborate further in the clip, his comments come despite the fact Dr. Dre signed The Game to his label Aftermath Entertainment in 2003 and he went on to produce his successful 2004 debut ‘The Documentary’. Meanwhile, West recently updated his bespoke Stem Player platform to add 12 new songs to ‘Donda 2’, bringing it up to a current total of 16 tracks. It comes after he said the record would only be available to listen to on his Stem Player… Read More →

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Lucy Dacus covers Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’ with her dad

Lucy Dacus has covered Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’ with her dad – listen to it below. READ MORE: Lucy Dacus talks NME through her ‘Firsts’ While touring in New Jersey as part of her ‘Home Video’ tour, Dacus brought out her dad for the cover, describing him as “the biggest Bruce fan I know”. Dacus has recently been performing on stage on a couch due to a recent injury which has left her with two herniated discs. Rather than cancel the shows, she has performed parts of her set lying down. Advertisement This cover began with Dacus lying down on the coach but by the end, she rose to her feet, earning a huge cheer from the audience. The singer-songwriter’s dad Ben joined her on stage and played guitar. In a statement, Dacus said her dad was “the reason I’ve listened to The Boss since birth.” You can watch the performance here: Dacus is currently touring the US in support of her third album, ‘Home Video’, which landed last June via Matador and sported the singles ‘Thumbs’, ‘Hot & Heavy’, ‘VBS’ and ‘Brando’. In a four-star review, NME’s Rhian Daly said the record “transports us with gawky, awkward… Read More →

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Foals on headlining Latitude 2022: “They were the first to give us a shot”

With Foals have been announced to headline Latitude Festival 2022 alongside Lewis Capaldi and Snow Patrol, frontman Yannis Philippakis has told NME of the band’s storied history with the Suffolk festival – and why they owe a lot to Latitude. READ MORE: Foals on the cover: “Life is something to be cherished and enjoyed” Ahead of the release of new album ‘Life Is Yours’, the band will top the bill at the event for the second time this July, continuing a long and eventful relationship with Latitude. “The first time we played [in 2008] was memorable because we played in Spain the night before and had got caught up in a big fight the night before with Kele from Bloc Party and John Lydon,” Philippakis told NME referring back to whenKele Okereke accused the Sex Pistols frontman of a “racist attack” on him backstage at a festival, with Yannis and Kaiser Chiefs‘ Ricky Wilson stepping in. Advertisement “I got handcuffed and a security guard put me in a neck lock and I blacked out,” Yannis remembered. “We flew in and then played Latitude for the first time on zero sleep.” A slightly less eventful second performance then came on the tour for… Read More →

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Eddie Vedder discusses contracting COVID-19: “It felt pretty serious”

At one of his recent shows in support of new solo album ‘Earthling’, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder opened up to the crowd about his experience contracting COVID-19. READ MORE: Eddie Vedder – ‘Earthling’ review: formerly angsty Pearl Jam frontman goes full circle “I got the COVID right before we were supposed to start practicing, probably five, six weeks ago, and literally saw my life flash in front of my eyes,” Vedder said while addressing the audience at Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater on February 25, after his daughter Olivia performed her Flag Day track ‘My Father’s Daughter’. “I’ve done some very good things for my body and I’ve also had a lot of fun and I’ve done some things that would be termed some kind of abuse,” he joked. “I won’t get into the details. Just use your imagination. But it felt pretty serious, and to get through that and then be back in a room like this facing this many people… It’s been a gift and an honour.” Advertisement See fan-shot footage from the concert below – Vedder discusses contracting COVID at around the three-and-a-half minute mark. Vedder played shows in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, San Diego, Los… Read More →

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Robbie Williams is “looking forward” to sharing his mash-up of ‘Angels’ and Beethoven

Robbie Williams has shared that he will be debuting a mash-up that features his music with Ludwig van Beethoven’s. READ MORE: ‘Better Man’: eight classic stories the Robbie Williams biopic should include The upcoming track, which merges his 1997 hit ‘Angels’ with Beethoven’s ‘Unfinished 10th Symphony’, was due to be showcased at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 28. The performance was, however, cancelled “due to the current political situation” and will now be taking place at a later date. Deutsche Telekom have collaborated with Williams on the track, assisting with the classical music which is performed by Artificial Intelligence. Advertisement “‘Angels’ obviously has a very special place in my heart”, Williams said of the project in a statement. “I’m looking forward to the preview of this interesting version. For me, it’s fascinating how much technology is now enabling art.” Claudia Nemat from Deutsche Telekom added: “We’re particularly excited to explore the possibilities of AI and creativity together with Robbie Williams on one of the best songs in pop history.” In other news, Williams recently revealed his involvement in Lufthaus, the (formerly) mysterious Armada Music signing that launched earlier this month. The group released their debut single – a… Read More →

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Listen to Wet Leg’s trippy new track, ‘Angelica’

Wet Leg have shared a new track today (February 28) – listen to ‘Angelica’ below. READ MORE: Wet Leg live in London: check out photos of their celebratory Independent Venue Week show The duo have also once again self-directed the video for their latest track, which is set on the Isle of Wight where the band are from. Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers say the song is about Teasdale’s oldest friend. It was recorded in Chambers’ living room by bandmate Joshua Mobaraki according to a press release. Advertisement It goes on to describe the song as a mixture of “the absurd”, “the sardonic”, “social angst” and “a a trippy, synth-kissed journey through parties and regrets.” Speaking about the new song, Teasdale said: “It’s laced with disenchantment. Even though the chorus is ‘good times, all the time’. That’s just impossible, isn’t it?” Watch the video for Angelica here: The song will feature on ‘Wet Leg’, the group’s debut album which is set for release this April, alongside previous singles ‘Chaise Longue’, ‘Wet Dream’ and ‘Oh No’. To launch the album, the band recently announced several UK in-store performances and appearances. Several extra dates have been added due to demand. You can see the full… Read More →

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Spotify to change its playlist rules following The Pocket Gods’ protest album

Spotify has agreed to change its rules on playlists following the release of a 1000-track protest album by cult indie band The Pocket Gods, which railed against the streaming platform’s payment rates. Spotify has been accused of paying artists as little as £0.002 for each stream on its service, with royalties only being activated if a song is listened to for at least 30 seconds. READ MORE: Streaming – what happens next? Artists demand “a shift in the way business is done” A 2015 i article on the economics of streaming then influenced The Pocket Gods to release ‘1000×30 – Nobody Makes Money Anymore’ on Spotify on February 8, with each of the record’s 1000 tracks clocking in at around the 30-second mark. Advertisement “I saw the [2015] article and it made me think, ‘Why write longer songs when we get paid little enough for just 30 seconds?’” frontman Mark Christopher Lee told i earlier this month. The stunt by the St Albans band, which has seen their protest album clock up nearly 600,000 total streams, has now drawn a response from Spotify, with founder Daniel Ek reportedly reaching out to Lee to set up a meeting between The Pocket Gods… Read More →

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Fate of NU’EST uncertain as members JR, Aron and Ren leave agency

Several members of NU’EST will be departing longtime agency Pledis Entertainment following the expiration of their contracts in March. READ MORE: STAYC – ‘YOUNG-LUV.COM’ review: a mature, ambitious return that ups the ante Earlier today (February 28), Pledis Entertainment announced through Weverse that NU’EST members JR, Aron and Ren have decided not to renew their contract with the agency after almost 10 year, ahead of their contract expiration on March 14. In the same statement, it also revealed that members Baekho and Minhyun would be renewing their contracts. “Our company and the members of NU’EST went through careful consideration and discussions on the future of the individual members and on what would be the best path for everyone and how they can present their best selves,” wrote Pledis Entertainment. “We respect and support the decisions of every member, as they are the result of careful and extensive consideration and discussions.” Advertisement The quintet, which debuted in 2012, had been the agency’s first-ever boyband. “We would like to extend our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to [NU’EST] who have always put their best foot forward over the past ten years,” it added. At the end of its statement, the agency noted that… Read More →

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Green Day cancel Moscow show in light of Russia-Ukraine conflict

Green Day have cancelled their upcoming show in Moscow in light of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. It comes after Ukraine severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation on Thursday (February 24). Billie Joe Armstrong and co. were due to perform at Spartak Stadium in the Russian capital on May 29. However, due to the invasion of Ukraine the band have decided to cancel the date citing that “this moment is not about stadium rock shows”. Advertisement “With heavy hearts, in light of current events we feel it is necessary to cancel our upcoming show in Moscow at Spartak Stadium,” the band wrote on their Instagram Story. “We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that. But we also know that rock and roll is forever and we feel confident there will be a time and a place for us to return in the future.” The band added that refunds are available at the point of purchase, and urged everyone to “stay safe”. The actions of Putin, who has claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine and… Read More →

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Drum ‘n’ bass pioneer MC Skibadee has died aged 54

MC Skibadee, best known as one of the pioneers of drum ‘n’ bass, has died aged 54, his family have confirmed. A post on Skibadee’s Facebook today (February 27) read: “Hello everyone, as Alphonsos first born i unfortunately come some with sad news to say that skibadee has passed away, as a family we ask for some privacy but may he rest in peace.” A cause of death has not yet been revealed. Hello everyone, as Alphonsos first born i unfortunately come some with sad news to say that skibadee has passed away, as a family we ask for some privacy but may he rest in peace ❤️❤️❤️ Posted by MC Skibadee on Sunday, February 27, 2022 Born in Waterloo, London, the musician (real name Alfonso Bondzie) got his start on City Sound Radio around 1993. By the end of 1995 he was a resident for pirate station Kool FM and a regular at events such as Thunder & Joy, Johnson & Johnsons, Spirit of the Jungle, and more. Two years later, he and MC Det launched a new project called 2Xfreestyle, which saw them merge drum ‘n’ bass tempos with hip-hop beats, therefore creating a double-time effect. Skibadee would perform this style with its… Read More →

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Tool announce unsigned ‘Fear Inoculum’ box set for £485 less than signed version

Tool have announced details of a regular, unsigned ‘Fear Inoculum’ box set, on sale for £485 less than the controversial signed edition. READ MORE: Tool – ‘Fear Inoculum’ review After it was announced earlier this week, the $810 (£600) signed box set of the band’s 2019 album, which will only be available to fans who bought the Toolarmy VIP tickets to the forthcoming dates on their current US tour, fans expressed their annoyance at the high price tag. The band appeared to lower the price to $750 (£560) at later shows, but it was then revealed that the $60 price drop was due to a particular venue on the tour not charging service fees and taxes. Advertisement Following the controversy surrounding the deluxe edition, the band have now announced a regular, unsigned ‘Fear Inoculum’ box set, due for release on April 8 for the significantly reduced price of $169.98 (£127). The new, cheaper box set appears to feature all the same goodies as the original – five discs of 180-gram vinyl, with music on one side and etched art on the other, all under the creative direction of Adam Jones – and the only thing missing is the autographs. View this… Read More →

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Watch Eddie Vedder cover The Police’s ‘Message In A Bottle’ with Stewart Copeland

Eddie Vedder was joined by The Police drummer Stewart Copeland at a California show this weekend to perform ‘Message In A Bottle’ – check out footage below. READ MORE: Eddie Vedder – ‘Earthling’ review: formerly angsty Pearl Jam frontman goes full circle Vedder and his all-star band The Earthlings, which features Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and former RHCP guitarist (and current Pearl Jam touring member) Josh Klinghoffer, are currently towards the end of a short US tour behind Vedder’s new solo album, ‘Earthling’. At Friday night’s (February 25) show at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, Copeland joined the band on drums for an extended run through one of The Police’s biggest hits. Advertisement It also saw Chad Smith, usually drummer for the band as he is in Red Hot Chili Peppers, taking up guitar duties instead. See footage of the performance below. At an earlier show on the tour in Seattle, Vedder paid a moving tribute to the late Mark Lanegan following the grunge icon’s death. The former Screaming Trees frontman passed away yesterday morning at his home in Killarney, Ireland. There was an outpouring of grief from artists across the music world from the likes of Manic Street Preachers, The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess,… Read More →