Cindy Choek

Lionel Richie cancels summer tour and Isle Of Wight headline slot

Lionel Richie has cancelled his forthcoming UK and European summer tour due to the continuing spread of COVID. The singer confirmed today all his 2022 ‘Hello’ shows which included the Eden Project, his Isle Of Wight and Cambridge Club Festival headline slots in June have been pulled. He was due to headline the former on the Friday night (June 17) alongside Lewis Capaldi. Further shows were also set to take place in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Dublin and Belfast. Advertisement In a statement, he said: “As COVID and its variants continue to impact the world, I have decided to hold off on my European tour this summer. “The most important thing to me is the health of my fans, band and crew. I hope you all understand and I hope to see you very soon when we can all gather safely.” The Isle Of Wight also confirmed in a statement, Richie would not be performing. Unfortunately, Lionel Richie will no longer be playing at cinch presents the Isle of Wight Festival 2022. Watch this space for more info soon. We can’t wait to see you all this summer! https://t.co/hdeDuPEPWB — Isle of Wight Fest (@IsleOfWightFest) February 1, 2022 The ‘Hello’ tour… Read More →

31JANNews

Halsey announces Love And Power US tour

Halsey has announced their Love And Power tour in support of fourth album ‘If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power’. Support for the tour comes from Beabadoobee, PinkPantheress, Wolf Alice, Abby Roberts and The Marías – check out dates below. READ MORE: Halsey: “I’ve always been driven to reinvent myself and reinvent my genre” Kicking off May 17 at the iThink Financial Amphitheatre in Palm Beach, FL, the twenty-two date tour will include shows at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Governors Ball in New York, and the Hangout Music Festival alongside Doja Cat and Leon Bridges. Advertisement The Love And Power tour comes ahead of Halsey’s headline appearance at Reading & Leeds Festivals in August alongside Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon, Dave, Megan Thee Stallion and Rage Against The Machine. Halsey will play: MAY 2022 17 – iThink Financial Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL 19 – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL 21 – Hangout Music Festival, Gulf Shores, AL 24 – FirstBank Amphitheater, Nashville, TN 27 – PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC 29 – Pine Knob Music Theatre, Detroit, MI JUNE 01 – Xfinity Center Boston, MA 03 – Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH 05 – Budweiser… Read More →

31JANNews

Black Country, New Road vocalist Isaac Wood announces departure from the band

Black Country, New Road have announced that frontman Isaac Wood has left the band with immediate effect. The band, whose second album ‘Ants From Up There’ is due out this week (February 4), will continue as a six-piece, but their upcoming shows are cancelled. The news comes after the band postponed a UK and Irish tour late last year due to illness. READ MORE: Black Country, New Road: sax and violins from Britain’s most prestigious new band In a message shared by Black Country, New Road on behalf of Wood, the vocalist said: “I have bad news which is that I have been feeling sad and afraid too. And I have tried to make this not true but it is the kind of sad and afraid feeling that makes it hard to play guitar and sing at the same time. Advertisement “Together we have been writing songs and then performing them, which at times has been an incredible doing, but more now everything happens that I am feeling not so great and it means from now I won’t be a member of the group anymore. Wood added: “To be clear: this is completely in spite of six of the greatest people… Read More →

28JANHit Singles

Carambolage – Carambolage (reissue 1980), Eilzustellung-Exprès (1982), Bon Voyage (1984)

“Everything changes when you change it,” as ’70s agit-punk band and North Frisia communards Ton Steine Scherben once advised. Frustrated drummer/percussionist Britta Neander took that to heart and left to form her own band in 1979, recruiting fellow resident Elfie-Esther Steitz as singer, guitarist and keyboardist, and Berlin émigrée Angie Olbrich as bass player. Carambolage – the French word for a pile-up – were part of the Neue Deutsche Welle and one of the scene’s very few all-female bands, building themselves a practice space inside an old grain silo, which was off-limits to the rest of the (largely male) community and pushing forward with their post-punk vision across three albums. ORDER NOW: Johnny Marr is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut The simultaneous, rather than staggered release of these reissues emphasises the superiority of the trio’s self-titled debut. It’s of its time in the overall urgency, ragged guitar patterns and Steitz’s dramatic vocal style (shades of Ari Up) but curveballs abound. The keyboard works hard, ranging over manic, Toytown plinking (in “Das Männlein”), almost comical malevolence (on the terrific “Die Farbe War Mord”) and Doors-ish romanticism (“Roxan”). The album’s most striking feature, though, is its diversity of… Read More →

27JANNews

Wet Leg lead new additions to SXSW 2022 line-up

SXSW Festival has announced another wave of acts for its 2022 edition. READ MORE: SXSW live in Texas: rising talent shine despite showcase’s clunky format The annual music, film and media event is set to return to Austin, Texas between March 14-20 after its 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yesterday (January 26) it was announced that Wet Leg will take to the stage at SXSW ’22 ahead of releasing their anticipated, self-titled debut album on April 8. Advertisement Other additions to the bill include Big Joanie, Pom Pom Squad, Pillow Queens, Balming Tiger, Cassandra Jenkins, La Doña, Mélat and many more. You can find the full list of new names below and further information here. Over 300 Showcasing Artists including @lilchoster, @Moonsanelly, @wetlegband, @Xchrispatrick, @mikiratsula and more just joined the #SXSW 2022 lineup! Browse the full list and start listening here. https://t.co/6bZjtw4fzl — SXSW (@sxsw) January 26, 2022 “Delighted to announce that we’ll be at this year’s @sxsw in Austin, TX playing songs breaking America,” Pillow Queens tweeted. “Come hang out. We’ll be announcing individual gigs closer to the time. Tell yer cool music pals.” The likes of Yard Act, Horsegirl, Poppy Ajudha, Priya Ragu, Ezra Furman, Wargasm, Walt Disco, Maxo… Read More →

27JANNews

Sunny Day Real Estate to reunite and tour in 2022

American emo band Sunny Day Real Estate are set to reunite and tour for the fourth time in their career, returning over a decade after their last split. READ MORE: 10 best 90s emo songs: killer tracks from the genre’s golden age SPIN Magazine confirmed the reunion in an article on Monday (January 24), following speculation that arose from the creation of a new Instagram account with the handle @sdretour. The account was given some credence following several mentions of it by Sunny Day Real Estate drummer William Goldsmith on his own Instagram account – along with footage of him rehearsing the band’s songs at his home studio. Advertisement Goldsmith is one of three founding members reportedly returning to the band, alongside frontman Jeremy Engik and lead guitarist Dan Hoerner. Founding bassist Nate Mendel, however, will not participate in the upcoming tour – instead committing to ongoing tour dates with Foo Fighters. Both Goldsmith and Mendel were enlisted in the original line-up of the Foo Fighters when it became a full band in 1995, shortly after Sunny Day Real Estate split up for the first time. It is currently uncertain who – if anyone – will replace Mendel in the touring line-up… Read More →

26JANNews

FKA twigs shares video for ‘Jealousy (feat. Rema)’

FKA twigs has shared a new video for ‘Jealousy (feat. Rema)’, throwing things back to the ‘80s and ‘90s with the visuals. The track features on the musician’s new mixtape ‘Caprisongs’, which was released earlier this month (January 14). READ MORE: FKA twigs – ‘Caprisongs’ mixtape review: the brightest, poppiest music of her career The ‘Jealousy’ video features twigs and a group of dancers performing a choreographed routine to the song in front of a white background. Later, the video switches between those shots and black-and-white footage of the group, with black-and-white clips of Rema also appearing. Advertisement It was directed by Aidan Zamiri, while the choreography was created by twigs’ longtime collaborator Kash Powell. Last week (January 20), the star shared a video for another track on ‘Caprisongs’, this time bringing ‘Meta Angel’ to life. The visuals saw the musician hanging out in a London park while her alter-ego pointed a bow and arrow at her from the roof of a skyscraper. In a four-star review of ‘Caprisongs’, NME said: “While [Tahliah] Barnett has long cultivated a back catalogue of warped and twisted R&B – a skeleton of skittering beats and lurking menace, her voice cutting through like a knife… Read More →

26JANNews

Spice Girls manager launches TikTok band, The Future X

The Spice Girls former manager Simon Fuller has launched a new band, which was formed on TikTok. The Future X are a group of three singers and four dancers who were all discovered on the social media app. The announcement hailed how the line-up “demonstrates the platform’s unique ability to showcase extraordinary new talent”. Advertisement The search for the group began last autumn as aspiring band members auditioned via videos of themselves posted to TikTok. Over the course of five weeks, the hashtag #NextInMusic generated over 300 million views. The final seven were chosen by Simon Fuller. The group’s seven members are made up of singers Angie Green, Luke Brown and Maci Wood and dancers Jayna Hughes, Sasha Marie, Tray Taylor and Drew Venegas. You can listen to the group here: Speaking about the new group, Fuller said: “We have spent a year working in partnership with TikTok to find the best talent on their platform and I am thrilled with the resulting group. “The Future X combines everything that is exciting about contemporary young artists: Authenticity, confidence, empowerment and a unique balance between extraordinary dancers and iconic singers.” Advertisement Ole Obermann, global head of music, TikTok, added: “Simon and his team… Read More →

26JANNews

50 Cent announces huge London show at Wembley Arena

50 Cent has announced details of a massive London show at Wembley Arena this summer – get all the info you need below. The announcement of the gig follows the rapper being announced as a headliner for Manchester’s Parklife festival yesterday (January 25), which will be a UK exclusive festival show for 2022. Tickets for the new London show, set for June 10, will go on sale on Friday (January 28) at 9.30am local time here, while pre-registration for Parklife 2022 has already closed – and those who have registered can access the pre-sale right now. Any remaining tickets will then go on general sale at 10am on Thursday (January 27) from here. Hip Hop heavyweight, @50cent headlines The @ssearena, Wembley in June.#SSEReward presale now General sale Friday 9.30am https://t.co/UQMwQljY63 — The SSE Arena, Wembley (@ssearena) January 26, 2022 Advertisement Tyler, the Creator and Megan Thee Stallion are among the leading names joining 50 Cent on the line-up for Parklife 2022. The Heaton Park, Manchester festival returned last year after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of its 2020 edition. As well as Tyler, 50 Cent and Megan, the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Bicep, Chase & Status, Loyle Carner, Jamie xx, Arlo Parks, Headie One, Central Cee, Fred Again.., ArrDee, Caroline Polachek, Tom Misch and PinkPantheress will also perform. In… Read More →

26JANNews

Gaz Coombes announces intimate solo UK tour

Gaz Coombes has announced details of a solo UK tour. The Supergrass frontman will be road-testing his new solo material on the tour, while also treating fans to cuts from his ‘Matador’ (2015) and ‘World’s Strongest Man’ (2018) records. READ MORE: Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! – Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes Kicking off in London at The Lexington on April 14, Coombes will then visit intimate venues in Bath, Tunbridge Wells, Hebden Bridge and York before the tour concludes on April 23 at the Brudenell in Leeds. Advertisement You can see Coombes’ upcoming solo tour dates below, and find tickets here when they go on sale at 10am on Friday (January 28). April 14 – The Lexington, London 15 – Moles, Bath 16 – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells 21 – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge 22 – Crescent Community venue, York 23 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds Gaz Coombes (Picture: Joseph Okpako/WireImage) These solo dates will follow on from a pair of Supergrass gigs which will take place on April 4 and 5 in London and Oxford. Those shows were rescheduled last month due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the UK. “A lot has changed over the last… Read More →

26JANNews

Warren Ellis is working on new music with Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval

Warren Ellis has revealed that he is working on new music with Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval. READ MORE: Nick Cave & Warren Ellis live in London: Minimal elements for maximum impact According to The Line Of Best Fit, a now-deleted tweet by the musician was shared on Sunday (January 23) teasing the collaboration. Ellis reportedly wrote, “Been in the studio working on some new Hope Sandoval tracks. What a voice she has.” Advertisement Since the tweet’s deletion, there have been no further news about the collaboration from Ellis or Sandoval. Paste Magazine added that a representative for Ellis had no further news to share either. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Ellis and frequent collaborator Nick Cave are the subjects of a new documentary This Much I Know To Be True, directed by Andrew Dominik. The film will explore Cave and Ellis’ creative relationship and songs from their last two studio albums, 2019’s ‘Ghosteen’ (by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds) and last year’s ‘Carnage’ (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis). It also serves as a companion piece to their 2016 documentary One More Time With Feeling, also directed by Dominik. The duo are also set to provide the score… Read More →

26JANNews

Ex-SISTAR’s Hyolyn and more K-pop idols have been diagnosed with COVID-19

Several K-pop artists have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to various entertainment companies. READ MORE: Every GOT7 song ranked in order of greatness On January 24, IST Entertainment announced that THE BOYZ member Eric had been diagnosed with COVID-19, as reported by Soompi. The rapper had tested positive during a preemptive PCR testing for a reality show filming scheduled earlier this week. At the time, it was reported that his 10 remaining bandmates had tested negative and that their schedule would be adjusted accordingly. Earlier today (January 26), however, IST Entertainment announced that fellow member Younghoon had also tested positive for COVID-19. “Younghoon preemptively took a PCR test on the afternoon of January 25, and he was notified that he tested positive this morning,” the entertainment company’s statement read, as translated by Soompi. Advertisement The statement also noted that the remaining members of the group and the staff underwent COVID-19 testing again “in consideration of the virus’s incubation period”. The group’s updated test results have yet to be confirmed at the time of writing. Meanwhile, former SISTAR member Hyolyn has also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to BridƷ Entertainment. In a press statement released on January 26, the singer… Read More →

25JANNews

Franz Ferdinand fast forward love on brand new single, ‘Curious’

Franz Ferdinand have shared a second brand new track, ‘Curious’, from their forthcoming greatest hits album, ‘Hits To The Head’. READ MORE: Franz Ferdinand talk new single ‘Billy Goodbye’, their greatest hits and new line-up After teasing their return back in early November, the Scottish indie veterans released ‘Billy Goodbye’, their first new track in three years – a raucous glam stomper that the band worked on with Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys). The only other new track on ‘Hits To The Head’ is ‘Curious’, which frontman Alex Kapranos called “quite a different-sounding song” when speaking to NME in a recent interview. Advertisement “Sonically, it’s more at the silky dance floor end of what the band is about,” he explained. “That one’s about imagining yourself in a situation at the beginning of a romantic relationship, being part of the magical moments and suddenly being overwhelmed by the sense of what’s to come and wondering how you will be when repetition, routine and the everyday is what your relationship becomes. “Are you still going to love me when the magic has faded?” The track comes alongside a video that sees the band put on their dancing shoes. “So, it’s a… Read More →

25JANHit Singles

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band announce new album Dear Scott and UK tour dates

Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band have announced details of their new album, Dear Scott. The follow-up to 2017’s Adiós Señor Pussycat, Dear Scott has been produced by Bill Ryder-Jones and will be released on May 27 via Modern Sky UK. CLICK HERE TO BUY OUR NEW ISSUE “I’ve been working with Bill Ryder-Jones in his studio in West Kirby, which is brilliant – dead chilled,” Head told Uncut at the end of last year. “It’s the first time Bill and I’ve worked together and it’s been magical. As well as a producer, he’s a gifted multi-instrumentalist – he played a solo and it blew me away! I wanted Bill to bring Bill to the table, and he has, and it sounds boss. We started before Covid and did about six tracks, then we got together a year later and listened to the six we’d done and they sounded amazing, so we’ve just carried on with the others over the last few months.” Advertisement The title refers to F. Scott Fitzgerald, specifically a postcard Fitzgerald addressed to himself upon checking in at Hollywood’s infamous Golden Age retreat, The Garden Of Allah Hotel. As Head explained to Uncut, “I’m fascinated… Read More →

25JANNews

Epik High finally reveal release date for ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’

South Korean hip-hop trio Epik High have announced a release date for their much-anticipated album, ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’. READ MORE: Yuju on her rebirth as a soloist: “Obviously, I’m really worried about doing this alone” At 12 midnight earlier today (January 25), frontman Tablo revealed that their long-awaited record ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’, the follow-up to last year’s ‘Epik High Is Here 上, Part One’, will released on Valentine’s Day (February 14) at 6pm KST. “Starting fresh with a new note,” Tablo wrote. More details about the upcoming album, such as the tracklist and more, are expected to be released in the following weeks. Last year, the group released two singles, ‘Rain Song’ and ‘Face ID’, which might be included in the forthcoming record. 메모 다시 시작. Starting fresh with a new note. Epik High Is Here 下 (Part 2) ?Valentine’s Day 2022. 2. 14. 6pm KST#에픽하이 #정규앨범 #EPIKHIGH #EpikHighIsHere pic.twitter.com/JMd7Crk6pm — tablo (@blobyblo) January 24, 2022 Advertisement Earlier this month, Coachella announced that the K-hip-hop group would be part of the festival’s comeback lineup. Epik High – which comprises Tablo, Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz – will be performing on Coachella 2022’s two… Read More →

24JANNews

Graham Nash hits out at anti-vaxxer over unauthorised use of his song ‘Chicago’

Graham Nash has hit out at the anti-vaccination campaigner Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for using his song ‘Chicago’ to promote an anti-vaxx rally. The chorus of the 1971 song, which is also known as ‘We Can Change the World’, can be heard in Kennedy’s track ‘Heart of Freedom’, which credits Kennedy as the lyricist. The song was used to promote a march in Washington D.C. yesterday (January 23) where Kennedy wanted attendees to “stand united to protest all government mandates”. Advertisement After Nash’s manager Mark Spector confirmed to Rolling Stone that “a cease-and-desist letter is in the works,” Nash shared a post on Instagram on Saturday (January 22) which criticised the unauthorised use of ‘Chicago’. “The use of my song ‘Chicago’ by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Children’s Health Defense movement in a video to promote his organisation’s rally in Washington, D.C. tomorrow is not authorised and I am taking steps to cause the cessation of its use,” Nash wrote. “I do not support his anti-vaccination position as the history of the efficacy of the Covid19 vaccines is well documented.” Nash continued: “When I wrote ‘We Can Change the World’ I did not expect that an institution such as this one… Read More →

24JANNews

Christina Aguilera says she has “so much respect and admiration” for Britney Spears

Christina Aguilera has shared her “respect and admiration” for Britney Spears after she was criticised by the singer last year. Last year, Spears called out Aguilera for “refusing to speak” about her conservatorship during a red carpet interview. READ MORE: Controlling Britney Spears review: toxic conservatorship back under the microscope Spears’ 13-year conservatorship was terminated on November 12 after high-profile campaigning and court cases, with Britney calling it “the best day ever”. Advertisement On the red carpet at the Latin Grammys in November, Aguilera was asked about her thoughts on the end of the conservatorship by a journalist. When asked the question, Aguilera’s publicist interjected, saying: “No, we’re not doing that tonight. I’m sorry.” In a new interview with Enrique Santos, Aguilera was asked whether she had spoken to Britney recently, to which she replied: “I mean I would love to, I would always be open to that. “It’s a subject that I definitely want to be careful of because I’d never want to speak out of turn about somebody that I have so much respect and admiration for.” Adding that she “couldn’t be happier” for Spears, Aguilera said: “Every woman deserves to feel empowered and to own that for… Read More →

24JANNews

Kanye West says paparazzi should share profits from photos with artists

Kanye West says he believes that paparazzi should share the profits they make from photos with the artists being photographed. New footage has emerged of Ye being confronted by paparazzi as he arrived at Miami International Airport this weekend (January 22). “Right now y’all get to shoot us without having to pay,” he told the photographers. “Imma change that. I’m not saying it in a negative way. It’s just like, right now, it’s just really one-sided Advertisement “You guys can follow us, you guys can stand [outside] a hotel at any given time—you don’t give us any percentage of what you’re making off of us, off of our kids, and I’m gonna change that.” He added: “We all gotta make money together … It can’t be a one-sided thing. That’s why it feels vulture-like. Look, if I’m just with my kids, I say I don’t want you to shoot me, then that’s just something y’all gotta respect as a man ’cause if we can get that money together, but we gotta have a conversation. “I’m gonna make sure we get our rights. We’re very important. We’re real people, also.” Watch the footage below. JUST IN: Kanye West says he should… Read More →

23JANNews

The Weeknd breaks Justin Bieber’s record for most monthly Spotify listeners

The Weeknd has broken a new Spotify record, dethroning Justin Bieber as the artist with the most monthly listeners on the platform. READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Dawn FM’ review: soulful star meets a new day with hope and hindsight After releasing new album ‘Dawn FM’ earlier this month, which missed out on the Number One spot on the Billboard 200 album chart by just 2,300 copies, Abel Tesfaye has now risen to have 85,667,564 monthly listeners on Spotify, the highest of any artist right now. The title had previously been held by Bieber for nearly a year, and The Weeknd’s fellow Canadian contemporary still holds the title for being the first artist ever to cross the 90 million monthly listener mark, which he gained just last month. Advertisement The Weeknd’s fifth studio album ‘Dawn FM’ was released earlier this month (January 7), serving as the sequel to his 2020 full-length ‘After Hours’. Tesfaye has hinted that the new album might be part of a “trilogy” of albums. Fans have since gone to speculate that ‘Dawn FM’ is its second part, with a third album currently in the pipeline to complete it. ‘Dawn FM’, which The Weeknd had long been teasing… Read More →

22JANNews

UK could soon be left with just 5,000 nightclubs, according to study

The UK could soon be left with just 5,000 nightclubs in operation across the country, according to a new study. The findings were made by two hospitality-focused software companies, Stampede and StoreKit, using data obtained from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). READ MORE: Music venues and nightclubs “on the brink of collapse” and demand immediate” government action The results showed that, despite an uptick in registered hospitality businesses since 2019, the UK’s nightlife sector is in decline. Between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021, the number of pubs, bars and clubs in the UK dropped, continuing a trend that has seen businesses in the sector shutting in high numbers for a decade. Advertisement According to the ONS, there were 10,040 registered clubs in the UK in 2010. However, by 2015 that number had fallen to 8,370 in 2015 and again to 6,985 by 2021. Using that data, the study predicts that the number of clubs in the UK will soon drop to 5,000 or less. General view of clubbers. CREDIT: Jake Davis / Alamy Stock Photo “With continued uncertainty, home-working & low footfall there’s no denying that the industry is facing an extremely tough few months,” Christophe Delacroix, the CEO of StoreKit, said…. Read More →

22JANNews

Skunk Anansie tease new music with cryptic Instagram posts

Skunk Anansie have teased the arrival of forthcoming new material on social media – check out the posts below. READ MORE: Skunk Anansie: “All anybody wanted to talk about back then was Britpop, Britpop, Britpop” Skin and co. released their most recent studio album, ‘Anarchytecture’, back in 2016. The band are due to embark on a delayed European/UK headline tour in March and April to mark their 25th anniversary. Now, it appears that Skunk Anansie will have new music in tow to showcase at the upcoming gigs. Advertisement Earlier this week, the group sparked speculation among their fans after sharing a blank, salmon-pink graphic to their official Instagram page. Yesterday (January 21) they uploaded a five-second moving graphic depicting a pigs head. The latter post was accompanied by the caption: #NewShit. You can see both teasers below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Skunk Anansie (@officialskunkanansie) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Skunk Anansie (@officialskunkanansie) View this post on Instagram A post shared by sᴋɪɴ_sᴋᴜɴᴋᴀɴᴀɴsɪᴇ OBE (@skin_skunkanansie) Skin also shared the video on her personal Instagram account, as well as another abstract animated clip using the same colour palette. Further details on the new project… Read More →