Peter Shep

Madame Tussauds London announce new David Bowie figure to celebrate his 75th birthday

Madame Tussauds London have announced that they are to unveil a new figure of David Bowie in March 2022 – the second to feature at the Baker Street attraction. READ MORE: Brilliant Adventure: David Bowie’s 10 defining moments from the ‘90s On what would have been the late artist’s 75th birthday, Madame Tussauds have also released new images taken during Bowie’s 1983 sitting with their artists. Check them out below. Bowie’s first figure was unveiled in 1983 during the ‘Let’s Dance’ era, after the artist had spent time with Madame Tussauds London artists so they could get precise measurements, hair and skin colour references. Advertisement This ensured the figure was as accurate and possible, with the 1983 sitting also helping the team with the new figure for 2022. Tim Waters, General Manager at Madame Tussauds London said: “David Bowie is one of music’s greats. On what would have been his 75th birthday the most fitting tribute for Madame Tussauds London to give to our old friend is the creation of a new figure. His music inspired the masses and, for so many, changed the way they viewed themselves, and we hope remembering him here will ensure that it continues to do so… Read More →

08JANNews

Specially trained dogs used by Metallica, Tool and others to detect COVID during tours

A number of acts currently on tour have been relying on specially trained dogs to sniff out COVID-19 before a show needs to be cancelled. READ MORE: “We wanted togetherness and community”: how gigs came back with a bang in 2021 As reported by Rolling Stone, Eric Church, Tool, Metallica and The Black Keys have brought dogs on board that are able to sniff for traces of the virus in anyone involved backstage, including members of their crew and entourage. If they detect the virus after sniffing people’s hands and feet, they sit down. The dogs are managed by Ohio-based Bio-Detection K9, with 12 currently in service and seven or eight more in training. They were used by Church during his US tour in late 2021 and four German Shepherds will also accompany the Nashville singer-songwriter during his 2022 ‘Gather Again’ tour, which kicked off at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska yesterday (January 7). Advertisement Metallica made use of the dogs during their 40th anniversary gigs and Tool will be taking on a different teams of dogs when their US tour begins in Eugene, Oregon on January 10. Other acts, including Ashley McBryde and Brothers Osborne, reportedly plan to recruit… Read More →

08JANNews

Watch the video for The Weeknd’s ‘Sacrifice’

The Weeknd has released a Cliqua-directed video for ‘Sacrifice’, which sees the star attached to a giant wheel and taking part in some sort of ritual – check it out below. READ MORE: The Weeknd – ‘Dawn FM’ review: soulful star meets a new day with hope and hindsight ‘Sacrifice’ was released yesterday (January 7) as part of The Weeknd’s fifth album ‘Dawn FM’. The track samples Alicia Myers’ 1981 song ‘I Want to Thank You’ and was co-produced by Swedish House Mafia and Max Martin. Speaking about working with The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – on their track ‘Moth To A Flame‘, Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso said: “His voice and his way of writing music is incredible, and sonically we knew when our dark, melodic side met his, something interesting would happen.” Advertisement “We’ve been listening to The Weeknd since day one. We’ve always loved his music, so it made sense. He’s not just one of the biggest artists in the world, he’s one of the best,” he continued. Check out the video for ‘Sacrifice’ below: ‘Dawn FM’ was announced earlier this week after Tesfaye said that he wanted to “just drop the whole thing”. Actor Jim… Read More →

07JANNews

Paul McCartney shares tribute to late friend and BBC DJ Janice Long

Paul McCartney has paid tribute to BBC DJ Janice Long, who died last month at the age of 66. The beloved broadcaster and champion of new music passed away at her home on Christmas Day (December 25) after battling a short illness. McCartney took to social media today (January 7) to celebrate the life of his “old Liverpudlian friend”, posting a tribute to Long alongside a photo of the pair together huddled around a jukebox. “I was very sad to hear that my old Liverpudlian friend Janice Long has passed away,” the legendary Beatle wrote on Twitter. “Janice was a fun-loving lady who always had a twinkle in her eye. She was very knowledgeable about the music scene and whenever we met it was a pleasure and we had a great laugh.” In a separate tweet, he added: “My sympathies go out to her family and friends. We have all lost a great Scouse girl, but I will always have very fond memories of her and of the times we spent together. Paul x.” You can see the tweets below: My sympathies go out to her family and friends. We have all lost a great Scouse girl, but I will always… Read More →

07JANNews

Central Cee opts for a dose of ‘Retail Therapy’ on his latest single

Central Cee has kicked off the New Year with a brand new track called ‘Retail Therapy’ – you can listen to it below. READ MORE: Central Cee: Big Sean-endorsed west London rapper whose career finally thrived during lockdown This latest preview of the MOBO-winning, West London rapper’s forthcoming mixtape ’23’ – which is set to land February 25 – follows the release of September’s PinkPantheress-sampling ‘Obsessed With You’. Produced by Nastylgia and Young Chencs, ‘Retail Therapy’ uses a sped-up sample of Hank Crawford’s ‘Wildflower’ – the same sample that Kanye West and Paul Wall used on ‘Drive Slow’, and that 2Pac used on ‘Shorty Wanna Be A Thug’. Advertisement “Fly uptown when I’m feelin’ down / I wanna do retail therapy,” Central Cee raps, explaining how a trip to the shops can massively improve his mood. Elsewhere, he boasts about his huge clothing collection: “Walk in, walk in wardrobe look like the stockroom / Mum said I’m materialistic / When you’re the boss, that shit will cost / I’m buying my mumzy a crib for Christmas / I’m livin’ a movie, but it ain’t scripted / God is my witness, get out my business.” The release comes with a video that sees Central Cee and friends roaming… Read More →

07JANNews

Mae Muller’s ‘Instinctive, Animalistic’ Approach To Songwriting

North London’s Mae Muller started writing songs by trying to emulate her heroes. First up, when she was much younger, was Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine . “I was obsessed,” she tells MTV. “I tried to write like her. I think I was 19 when I put my first song on SoundCloud.” But unlike Flo and other artists whose identities and artistic visions are clearly defined from the start, Muller began her own journey with plenty of questions. “I was like, I don’t really know who the hell I am. I really don’t. And I think just writing really made me find that.” Muller, the MTV Push artist for January 2022, knows who she is now — or at least, she knows who she’s keen to be for the moment before she evolves. As she spoke to MTV about her rise, she also reflected back on her first concert at O2 Forum Kentish Town, where her father took her to see electronic group Lemon Jelly. “They did a kids’ show dressed as the Flintstones,” she tells MTV. “Thinking back to it, it’s very weird and psychedelic, but I must’ve been, like, five.” Her music, meanwhile, sounds not too… Read More →

07JANNews

The Weeknd’s Dawn FM Has A Song For Every Mood

By Athena Serrano The Weeknd, whose given name is Abel Tesfaye, knows the feeling of being stuck in limbo during a two-year pandemic, and of remaining in the dark for far too long. On his new fifth studio album Dawn FM, he steps boldly into the light. “It’s the album I’ve always wanted to make,” Tesfaye teased GQ in August. Tesfaye delivers on this grand claim, filling the collection with so many psychedelic disco, dance-pop, and funk-pop party tracks that, listening to them, you feel absorbed in overwhelming emotion. And he’s also gotten some help from all-star rappers like Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator, as well as an unexpected appearance from actor Jim Carrey, who plays the role of a soothing radio host. Tesfaye captures the disorientation of the in-between. As he explained to Billboard in November, he imagined the listener having an out-of-body experience, as if they are navigating the road from death to the afterlife. “And they’re stuck in this purgatory state, which I always imagined would be like being stuck in traffic waiting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “And while you’re stuck in traffic, they got a radio station playing… Read More →

07JANNews

G2 Esports announces a record label launch with metal track ‘Our Way’

G2 Esports has expanded into the music industry with the launch of its own record label and has marked the occasion by releasing its first track, titled ‘Our Way’. READ MORE: No game from 2021 is more full of joy than ‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ G2 – which fields competitive esports teams in games like League Of Legends and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – has already released the first track from its newly-launched record label, a power metal anthem called ‘Our Way’. ‘Our Way’ features several recognisable names in the metal genre – including Jason Richardson (Chelsea Grin, All Shall Perish), Luke Holland (Falling In Reverse), and Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast). The track also features YouTuber Taylor Davis, as well as Tina Guo – who has worked on titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and the latest Dune film. Advertisement According to a press release from G2, ‘Our Way’ will be coming to rhythm game Beat Saber in the future and is the “first of many” songs to come from the company “over the coming years”. On the organisation’s decision to kick off its record label with a metal song, G2 Esports founder Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez said “epic power metal is my… Read More →

07JANNews

Rina Sawayama cancels her 2022 European tour due to COVID concerns

Rina Sawayama has cancelled her 2022 European headline tour due to COVID concerns. The Dirty Hit signee was due to perform sold-out shows in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Berlin in March in support of her 2020 debut album, ‘SAWAYAMA’. She embarked on a delayed UK and Ireland tour last November. READ MORE: Rina Sawayama live in Manchester: a jubilant, fun-filled spectacle Taking to social media this morning (January 7), Sawayama shared the “sad news” that she has now been forced to scrap her planned trip to Europe. Advertisement “Due to the ongoing restrictions from the recent COVID surge, I’m having to cancel all my European tour dates in March this year,” she wrote. “I was so excited to come play for you all, so this is hugely disappointing. But I’ll be heading to the EU again soon with a bigger show and new music (EEEEE).” Fans can get a refund for their tickets at the original point of purchase. You can see the full statement below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rina Sawayama (@rinasonline) Sawayama is currently scheduled to embark on a North American tour in April – find the full list of dates here. Many… Read More →

07JANNews

Listen to two previously unreleased versions of David Bowie’s ‘Shadow Man’

Two previously unreleased versions of David Bowie‘s song ‘Shadow Man’ have now been released – you can hear the tracks below. ‘Shadow Man’, which was initially recorded in 1970, features on the late artist’s ‘lost’ ‘Toy’ album, which includes re-recorded and revamped versions of some of Bowie’s earliest tracks. READ MORE: Brilliant Adventure: David Bowie’s 10 defining moments from the ‘90s To celebrate the release today (January 7) of Bowie’s ‘Toy (Toy:Box)’ special edition box set, two versions of ‘Shadow Man’ have been made available for streaming by ISO Records/Parlophone Records. Advertisement The first is the 2000-recorded ‘Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric Mix’, described on Bowie’s site as “a stripped-down mix of a re-recording” of ‘Shadow Man’, which you can hear below. Speaking about the ‘Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric’ mix, producer Mark Plati recalled: “While we were recording the basic tracks Earl Slick suggested that he and I overdub acoustic guitars on all the songs. He said this was Keith Richards’ trick: sometimes these guitars would be a featured part of the track, and at other times they’d be more subliminal. “Later, while mixing, David heard one of the songs broken down to just vocals and acoustic guitars; this gave him… Read More →

07JANHit Singles

Robert Fripp – Music For Quiet Moments

When Robert Fripp’s Music For Quiet Moments started to appear with relatively little fanfare in May 2020, as a series of weekly uploads to YouTube and streaming services, their overall effect was one of balm. Moving through the digital ether, Fripp’s ambient soundscapes slowly drifted their way through a collective psychological environment grappling with the uncertainty of pandemic times. The series unfolded over a year, 52 weekly entries, each offering another aspect of an ever-changing same: Fripp performing live in various contexts, quietly testing out the possibilities afforded to him by music that drops the pretense of narrative and lets itself just be. ORDER NOW: Paul Weller is on the cover in the latest issue of Uncut He has, of course, been exploring this terrain for some time now, going way back to the early 1970s, when a series of encounters with glam polymath Brian Eno led to two albums, (No Pussyfooting) and Evening Star, where Fripp’s guitar wove a web within Eno’s tape -delay systems. Decades later, Eno would marvel at Fripp’s seemingly preternatural grasp of the nuances of the system: “It’s very easy to get stuck in a kind of drone rut, but he was clever enough to shift… Read More →

06JANNews

Carl Barât going ahead with Revive Live UK tour: “We’re doing everything we can to create a safe environment for live music”

Carl Barât has confirmed he is going ahead with his Revive Live UK tour this week despite soaring numbers of COVID. READ MORE: Carl Barat on The Libertines’ new album progress and how ‘landfill indie’ is “a cruel term” The jaunt kicks off tonight (January 6) at Cambridge Junction before calling at Stafford, Leeds, St Albans, Southampton, Bury, Grimsby, Peterborough, Guildford, Derby and finally Coventry on January 29. Taking to Facebook, Barât said: “Looking forward to my shows this week; know it’s tough out there but the band, the crew, the venue staff are doing everything we can to create a safe environment for live music. Advertisement “Please help us to do that: #TakeATest before the show and pay attention to the safety measures at the venue.”⠀ Looking forward to my shows this week; know it’s tough out there but the band, the crew, the venue staff are doing… Posted by Carl Barât on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 The National Lottery and the Music Venue Trust (MVT) announced the return of the Revive Live Tour in 2022 last November, with the likes of Bastille, Enter Shikari, The Coral, Feeder, Becky Hill, Kojey Radical and Maisie Peters set to perform throughout this month. It was launched last summer in a bid… Read More →

06JANNews

Bastille’s Dan Smith is working on new film and TV projects

Bastille frontman Dan Smith has revealed that he is working on new projects in the “film and TV world”. The singer recently made his directorial debut with the sci-fi movie-inspired video for ‘No Bad Days’, the latest preview of Bastille’s upcoming fourth album ‘Give Me The Future’ (out February 4). READ MORE: Bastille on pushing the boundaries: “We’ve always done whatever the fuck we want” During a new interview with The Sun newspaper’s ‘Bizarre’ column (via Music-News.com), Smith said: “There’s a bunch of stuff I’m working on at the moment which use music but very much step into the film and TV world.” Advertisement He continued: “It’s what I grew up obsessed with. I was such a little film geek growing up and it’s a medium I love, so getting to direct [the ‘No Bad Days’] video was really amazing. I always wanted to do it but we’ve always been trying to juggle everything.” Describing his venture into the new medium as “really eye-opening”, Smith added: “It took me having a little more time and space because of there being no touring, for me to be like, ‘I’ve got to do this now. I want to do it now’.” The frontman… Read More →

05JANNews

Sexual assault reports in London nightlife reached six-year high in 2021

Reports of sexual assaults taking place in London’s clubs, bars, pubs and music venues rose were at their highest in six years in 2021, according to a new investigative report. According to information obtained by Time Out from the Metropolitan Police, 207 allegations of sexual assault and 29 reports of rape were recorded in London nightlife establishments between January 1 and October 31 of last year. The rise in assaults comes despite the fact that venues were closed – or otherwise limited in capacity by social distancing guidelines – during the first six months of 2021 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Since 2016, the number of rape and sexual assault allegations in London venues has climbed by nearly a fifth. It’s unclear if this is related to an increase in reporting or more instances. The number of rape offences in the year ending June 2021 was also the highest ever recorded nationally, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), with a jump between April and June. CREDIT: Getty Images According to Nick Stripe, the ONS’s head of crime statistics, this rise may be partially attributable to high-profile campaigns and public figures speaking out about abuse. “Prior… Read More →

05JANNews

Rapper J $tash dead after allegedly killing woman in front of her children

Florida-born rapper J $tash has died after allegedly shooting and killing a woman in front of her three children. The incident took place at approximately 7am on New Year’s Day in Temple City, California (per The Independent), where the county coroner’s office has confirmed that the 28-year-old artist – whose real name was Justin Alexander Joseph – and a woman named Jeanette Gallegos died at the scene. “Deputies from Temple Sheriff’s Station responded to a home regarding a call of possible domestic violence on a gunshot victim,” sheriff’s deputy Grace Medrano said in a statement while confirming that a weapon was found at the scene. “When deputies arrived, they discovered two victims, a 27-year-old female Hispanic and a 28-year-old male Black unresponsive inside the home. The female victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while the male victim sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Medrano added that “three juveniles, ranging in age from five to 11” were present at the property, though fortunately “unharmed upon the deputies’ arrival”. CREDIT: Dave Benett/Getty “The three lived in the home and are believed to be the children of the deceased female victim,” she said. Reports that Gallegos and J $tash were in a relationship have… Read More →

05JANNews

The 2022 Grammys Have Been Postponed Indefinitely

The 2022 Grammy Awards, initially set to air on January 31, have been postponed over concerns of COVID-19 safety, according to a joint statement from the Recording Academy and CBS posted Wednesday (January 5). No new date has been given. “After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Show,” the statement begins. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.” https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1478824013715681281 The show was set to air live from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with a full audience, though concerns about surging COVID-19 cases reportedly led to reluctance from key organizers and participants, Variety reports. L.A. County reported over 21,000 new cases of the virus yesterday (January 4) alone. As The New York Times points out, Dr. Anthony… Read More →

05JANNews

Youngjae on the status of GOT7: “We actually get along even better now”

GOT7 member and soloist Youngjae has given an update on the group, after the members signed with different labels. READ MORE: Youngjae – ‘COLORS From Ars’ review: a confident display of his vibrant musical palette In a recent interview with The Star, the idol-actor shared that the members of GOT7 have surprisingly gotten closer after their departure from JYP Entertainment early last year. Each member subsequently signed with different labels, although they have emphasised that the group are still together. “We still have a lot of fun talking about really useless things in our group chat together,” revealed the 25-year-old vocalist, as translated by Soompi. “We actually get along even better now.” Advertisement Youngjae went on to discuss how the boyband communicate in order to resolve conflicts that arise. “Even when we fight, we always talk things out through negotiation and compromise,” he explained. “We believe in always resolving things by finishing the conversation no matter what, and when we say we’re going to do something, we’re the types to cheer each other on and work together to get it done.” In December, Youngjae dropped the digital Christmas single ‘Walk With Me’, marking his first music release since his debut… Read More →

04JANNews

David Lee Roth’s farewell Las Vegas residency has been called off due to COVID

David Lee Roth has cancelled his farewell Las Vegas residency following the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus. READ MORE: Eddie Van Halen, 1955 – 2020: a colossus who turned guitar solos into a firework display The former Van Halen frontman was due to kick off his run at the House Of Blues at Mandalay from New Year’s Eve (December 31). But that gig and a concert on the following night (January 1) were cancelled due to the increasing rise in COVID cases in the US. Advertisement “Due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID and out of an abundance of caution for those working and attending the shows, the David Lee Roth performances schedule for December 31, 2021 and January 1, 2022 have been cancelled. Refunds will be automatically processed, and ticketholders will be notified directly,” a statement released to the Las Vegas Review-Journal said. David Lee Roth Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic He was due to play further shows at the venue tomorrow night (January 5), Friday (7) and Saturday (8) but those gigs along with further performances right up until February 12, have also been cancelled owing to the pandemic and the “alarming” spread of the Omicron variant of the virus… Read More →

03JANNews

Let’s Eat Grandma kick off 2022 with heady new track ‘Happy New Year’

Let’s Eat Grandma have unleashed a vibrant new track to mark the beginning of 2022 – you can listen to ‘Happy New Year’ below. READ MORE: Let’s Eat Grandma – ‘I’m All Ears’ review The Norwich duo – comprising Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth – announced in November that they’ll be releasing their third studio album, ‘Two Ribbons’, in April via Transgressive. ‘Happy New Year’ follows the release of the album’s title track and the band’s comeback single ‘Hall Of Mirrors’, which was shared back in September and marked their first new music in three years. Advertisement Speaking about their new single, Walton said in a statement: “I wrote ‘Happy New Year’ after a breakdown between [Jenny Hollingworth and me] that lasted for a long period of time, to communicate to her how important she is to me and how our bond and care for each other goes much deeper than this difficult time. “I used the setting of New Year as both an opportunity for reflection, looking back nostalgically through childhood memories that we shared, and to represent the beginning of a fresh chapter for us. I’d been struggling to come to terms with the fact that our relationship… Read More →

03JANNews

Bryan Adams wants to expand on his photography career by making a film

Bryan Adams has said that he wants to make a movie. READ MORE: Soundtrack Of My Life – The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman on idolising Bryan Adams The rock star, who also has a successful career as a photographer, said that he thinks his skills would be transferable to filmmaking. “I would indeed be interested [in making a film]. I can easily see myself as a cinematographer, maybe even a director,” he told Ramp Style magazine (via MusicNews). Advertisement He continued: “I remember working with Laszlo Kovacs, who did Easy Rider, on one of my early videos. He had a glass round his neck and was constantly looking at the cloud formations waiting for the right light. Pure genius! “With smartphone cameras that can capture every moment, everyone can be a photographer. The future will be more interactive and intense, and there will be more cameras documenting everything all the time.” Bryan Adams performing live. Credit: Press. He added: “One of the most profoundly important things is people using their cameras to document atrocities. Everyone is a photojournalist. From eco-terrorism to George Floyd, photos and videos have completely changed our world overnight.” In other news, last November Adams revealed that he had… Read More →

03JANNews

SEVENTEEN’s Woozi drops stunning music video for first solo song ‘Ruby’

Woozi of K-pop boyband SEVENTEEN has released the music video for his first-ever solo single, ‘Ruby’. READ MORE: The 10 best Korean dramas of 2021 In the captivating clip, the singer-songwriter performs the funk-inspired English pop rock track on a flashing stage as a troupe of models walk circles around him. The video ends with Woozi performing a dramatic guitar solo while red lights shine on his bejewelled guitar strap. “Baby girl you’re making me a beautiful jewel / Every time I look at you I keep turning red / I’m not going back, go colour me like you / My forbidden fruit / She got the ruby lips,” Woozi sings on the chorus. ‘Ruby’ was written, composed and arranged by the SEVENTEEN member, alongside frequent collaborators Bumzu and Park Ki-tae. Advertisement The release of ‘Ruby’ is expected to be accompanied by the next instalment of SEVENTEEN’s ‘The Thirteen Tapes’ interview and photo book series. The series had been launched in early 2021 when member Hoshi unveiled his first solo mixtape ‘Spider’. At the time, Pledis Entertainment said that the series will “[commemorate] the releases of the SEVENTEEN members’ mixtapes”. Pledis had also added that “A new volume of [‘The Thirteen Tapes’] will be… Read More →