The iconic Los Angeles punk band X is issuing what it is calling its final album, Smoke & Fiction, and has detailed plans for a U.S. tour.
21.06.2024 - 18:17 / nme.com
HotWax spoke to NME at Download 2024 about the huge milestones they have reached over the past year, as well as the festival’s determination to support new talent.The Hastings trio – Tallulah Sim-Savage, Lola Sam and Alfie Sayers, –caught up with us backstage at this year’s Donington Park festival, shortly after they took to the stage on Saturday (June 25).“It’s so great to be here playing for the first time,” said Sam. “We played a fun set on the Avalanche Stage and had a great time with it, plus it’s been fun to catch up with some of the other bands here.”The band’s Download invitation came after a year of buzz, kicking off with their debut EP,‘A Thousand Times’ – putting the band on the map as “a teenage band who are destined for big things”.
It was then followed up by October’s ‘Invite Me, Kindly’ – the EP that took them to new heights.“I feel like this past year has been really intense for us, but it’s been amazing too,” Sim-Savage recalled, looking at how life had changed since the start of 2023. “I wouldn’t have expected us to be this busy and touring so much [by this point].
It’s been really exciting.”“We released two EPs last year and the response was really exciting and unexpected. It’s all very new for us,” she continued.
“It’s been spurring us on to write more music too and it excites us more for our album, which we’re looking to release next year.”As well as becoming NME Cover stars with their latest EP, the band have also gone on to get support from huge names across the UK rock scene, and recently joined Royal Blood as support for their UK live shows. The experience, the trio told us, was one that not only had a personal significance, but also led to them learning more about the industry.“Opening for them
.The iconic Los Angeles punk band X is issuing what it is calling its final album, Smoke & Fiction, and has detailed plans for a U.S. tour.
Graham Norton is known for his humorous honesty about fellow celebrities and even has his own opinion on the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle controversy.
Prince Harry is reportedly planning a trip to the UK in an attempt to mend fences with the Royal Family, according to a source. This comes after a series of perceived slights towards the Duke of Sussex, including missing out on an invitation to this month's Trooping the Colour, not meeting King Charles during his May visit, and being left off the guest list for the Duke of Westminster's wedding.
The Jesus and Mary Chain will be heading out on a North American tour with the Psychedelic Furs later this year.The tour kicks off in Philadelphia on September 29 and will see the band take in numerous cities across the continent in October and November.They will then wrap up at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California on November 11. Also opening for them alongside the Psychedelic Furs will be Frankie Rose.Check out the tour dates below and buy your tickets here.SEPTEMBER29 – Philadelphia, PA, Franklin Music HallOCTOBER1 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall2 – Boston, MA – Orpheum Theater4 – New York, NY – The Beacon Theatre5 – Brooklyn, NY – The Brooklyn Paramount6 – Washington, D.C. – The Anthem8 – Rochester, NY – Kodak Center Music Hall9 – Toronto, Ontario – Queen Elizabeth Theater11 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Cathedral Theater12 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre13 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed16 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater17 – St. Paul, MN – The Palace19 – Des Moines, IA – Val-Air Ballroom20 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre22 – La Vista, NE – The Astro23 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater24 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre26 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium29 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre30 – Portland, OR – Crystal BallroomNOVEMBER1 – Redding, CA – Redding Civic Auditorium2 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic3 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort Grand Theatre6 – Riverside, CA – Fox Performing Arts Center8 – San Diego, CA – The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park9 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube TheaterIn other news, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Robert Fripp are among the artists who have launched a lawsuit against the PRS over songwriter royalties.The case is centred around how the organisation handles royalties
Gena Rowlands, the legendary actress known for her role as the dementia-stricken Allie in The Notebook, is now in the "full" grip of Alzheimer's disease. Her son, Nick Cassavetes, who directed the 2004 romantic drama and is himself a renowned filmmaker at 65, shared the heartbreaking health news with Entertainment Weekly during the film's 20th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, 25 June.
Royal Blood have covered Hozier‘s ‘Eat Your Young’ for BBC Radio One’s Live Lounge.READ MORE: Royal Blood on revisiting their debut album 10 years on: “So much has changed, but when it comes to the music, nothing has”Frontman and bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher drafted in a backing trio of singers to help rock up their take of the Irish singer’s title track from his 2023 EP. You can view their performance below.In the past the band have covered The Knack‘s ‘My Sharona’ and The Police‘s ‘Roxanne’ in the Live Lounge.The duo recently wrapped up their 10th anniversary gigs at O2 Academy Brixton, in which they played their self-titled debut album in full.Reflecting on the record to NME, 10 years on, Kerr said: “It’s been good looking back.
Eddie Vedder spoke out in support of assault victim Natasha O’Brien last Saturday (June 22) during a Pearl Jam gig in Dublin.Halfway through their set at Marlay Park, Vedder acknowledged the recent protests that have taken place in four cities across the Republic of Ireland, after a serving soldier of the Defence Forces was given a suspended sentence for attacking O’Brien.It was reported that Cathal Crotty punched O’Brien six times after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic abuse.
Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne has confirmed she will embark on her first headline tour in venues across the UK and Ireland this October. Find ticket details below.Having recently performed an intimate headline show at London’s Lafayette, the former Little Mix member has expressed her excitement as she begins her solo career and plays additional dates this autumn.“I couldn’t hold this one in any longer – I’m doing some MORE shows later this year including one at the legendary KOKO in London,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
From the moment they married back in 1999, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s popularity has steadily increased. Unlike the enormous royal weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their celebration was understated – with the couple going on to conduct their lives and relationship in a very similar vein. Now, as they celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, Edward and Sophie are repeatedly being branded two of the Royal Family’s most important “secret weapons”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly gearing up for a "world tour" after their recent visit to Nigeria.
Imax and Wanda Film, China‘s largest exhibitor, have announced a big expansion of their longtime strategic partnership there spanning technology and content.
Foo Fighters have kicked off their UK tour, and surprised fans by breaking out a number of songs for the first time this tour and bringing out Dave Grohl’s daughter Violet. Find footage of the gig and the full setlist below.The dates across the country come as part of the band’s extensive ‘Everything Or Nothing At All’ tour, which has so far seen them play numerous shows at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, and continued this week with a gig at Hampden Park in Glasgow.During the set at the Scottish national football stadium, the band broke out a huge 26-song set, which included an array of fan favourites as well as plenty of tracks from their latest album ‘But Here We Are’.It also saw frontman Dave Grohl sipping from a bottle of Buckfast, while the unofficial national anthem ‘Flower of Scotland’ was sung by the crowd.
The King and Queen took part in the annual Garter Day service at Windsor Castle, marking the start of a busy summer for the royals. Charles and Camilla led other members of the Royal family at the traditional celebration commemorating the ancient Order of the Garter on Monday, 17 June. This comes just two days after the Trooping the Colour ceremony where Catherine the Princess of Wales made he first public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer.
Queens Of The Stone Age have spoken to NME at the 2024 edition of Download Festival, and opened up about what the future of the band looks like, as well as the response to their latest album, ‘In Times New Roman..’.Guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and drummer Jon Theodore caught up with us backstage at this year’s instalment of the Donington Park festival, shortly before they took to the Apex stage as Friday’s headliners (June 14).It comes following frontman Josh Homme telling NME about the set at the end of 2023, and hinting that while they still planned to “to give it [their] all”, they didn’t see “any reason to trip out” over the set. Now, chatting with us backstage, Van Leeuwen and Theodore opened up about what it’s been like to tour in support of their latest LP, and shared their love for Royal Blood, who they hit the road with earlier this year.They also told us about the upcoming reissue of their 1998 self-titled album, and what it was like to take part in the project, despite neither of them being part of the line-up when it was first released.
The Killers shuffled their setlist and covered The Kinks at the second show of their ‘Rebel Diamonds’ UK and Ireland tour last night (June 14) – see footage and the full setlist below.It was the band’s second show at Dublin’s 3Arena in three nights at the start of a run of greatest hits shows that the band are playing across the UK and Ireland throughout the summer.Their 21-song set included a number of changes from the previous show, including tour debuts for eight songs, including four from 2006’s ‘Sam’s Town’ in the form of ‘Enterlude’, ‘For Reasons Unknown’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Exitlude’.The also opened with ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’ from the 2020 album ‘Imploding The Mirage’, and played the title track of their most recent studio record, 2021’s ‘Pressure Machine’.In among their own material, the band also indulged in a cover of The Kinks’ 1982 single ‘Come Dancing’.In addition, five tracks from 2004 debut album ‘Hot Fuss’ got an airing, including ‘Andy, You’re A Star’, which they only recently revived on stage for the first time in seven years.
Kate Middleton made an emotional return to Royal duties today to celebrate Trooping the Colour, a tradition that has been carried out annually for over 260 years to celebrate the British monarch's birthday. As the Princess of Wales emerged on the balcony with the royal family, the 42 year old looked glowing in a monochrome outfit and marked her first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis.
Royal Blood have spoken to NME at Download Festival 2024 and discussed what it was like to revisit their self-titled debut 10 years on, as well as reflecting on their time on the road with Queens Of The Stone Age.The duo – comprised of frontman and bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher – caught up with NME at this year’s edition of the festival, shortly before they took to the main stage for a career-spanning set.Not only did the slot mark their first time back at the festival in a decade, it also came as the two are ready to play some intimate London shows, celebrating the 10th anniversary of their self-titled debut album.In the conversation, the duo told NME about what it was like to look back at their debut album this far down the line, and how they perceive it now compared to their latest release, 2023’s ‘Back To The Water Below’. They also recall their time on the road and growing friendship with Queens Of The Stone Age, who they first joined forces with back in 2017 and recently joined on the road earlier this year, as they toured across the US.NME: Hi Royal Blood, what’s it like to be back at Download?Mike Kerr: “It’s great to be back, we haven’t been here in 10 years, but I actually played here with my first band in 2008, around then.
during his 3-day trip to London last month.Displaying tensions further, Markle also snubbed the royal family by flying to London to meet her husband at Heathrow Airport and immediately jetting off to Nigeria together.“Maybe there’s too much water under the bridge now, a lot of time has passed, trust has been broken, can that be repaired? Time will tell,” Harrold said on behalf of Spin Genie. “Actions speak louder than words.”The Sussexes have also not seen cancer-stricken Kate Middleton since she revealed her diagnosis to the world in March.Despite once being joined at the hip, Harry and the Princess of Wales, 42, no longer boast a friendship as tensions worsened following his revelations in “Spare.”Still, while a reconciliation between both camps seems like a pipe dream, Harry is reportedly looking to snap up a UK property so that he and his wife have a place to stay when visiting London.Harrold this week told The Post that Harry’s rumored UK home search was spurred on after he “realized that he’s only got one family.”The royal expert suggested that the couple are looking to revert back to their “original idea” of splitting their time equally between the UK and the US.After being evicted from Frogmore Cottage in June 2023, Harry and Meghan have not had a permanent place to stay on his home soil.The pair currently reside in their $14 million Montecito, Calif.
The Killers have kicked off their 2024 ‘Rebel Diamonds’ greatest hits tour with an opening night in Dublin. Check out the setlist from the night and fan footage below.The gig took place in Dublin last night (June 12), as the opening night for the run of dates that the band will be holding across the UK and Ireland throughout the summer.
BERWYN has announced his hotly-anticipated debut album ‘WHO AM I’ and shared moving new single, ‘DEAR IMMIGRATION’.Following the release of the powerful single ‘I AM BLACK’, the new album offers what is described as a “vivid and vulnerable journey through BERWYN’s search for meaning and freedom”.News of the NME Award-winning singer-rapper’s debut is accompanied by the release of ‘DEAR IMMIGRATION’, a spoken word battle cry against a corrupt immigration system.On the song, BERWYN sings: “You make me look at the mirror in horror, you took my tomorrow / I want you to know since I was nine I felt like a crime / I used to imagine you coming for me every day of my life” – watch below.His lyrical honesty has become a signature of his sound, which he previously told NME was “a double-edged sword“, saying: “The sick part about it all is that for my day job I stand up on a wooden stage and people are like ‘Your life is hard? Tell me more. Give me more.'”But that hasn’t put the Trinidad-born artist off being emotionally frank, with his debut studio album promising “crafted and cohesive reflections on faith, on the tugs of addiction and the embrace of love, on what it means to be demonised for your immigration status or skin colour”.In 2021, the Mercury Prize nominee told NME his work was intentionally “solemn, musical and explorative,” going on to say these attributes were “tools relative to every human being inside of the matrix we live in.”The debut album follows BERWYN’s EP, ‘Bulletproof’, and two previous mixtapes, ‘Demotape/Vega’ and ‘Tape 2/Fomalhaut’, which NME wrote had “a beautiful twilight quality” in a four-star review.‘WHO AM I’ is out on July 12 via Columbia Records.