Stewart Lee Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

The Fall have announced the re-release of ‘Slates’, containing live renditions of the original tracks.The return sees the surviving members of the ‘80s post-punk group deliver a live version of their fan-favourite 1981 project, ‘Slates’ – nearly 50 years after they first formed.To create the new release, four ex-members of the line-up – Marc Riley, Craig Scanlon, Paul Hanley and Steve Hanley – have come together once again to revisit the archive recordings. It is set to arrive on April 26 via Bella Union’s subsidiary label POPSTOCK.With the new EP, The Fall present live versions of the six songs that made up the original mini-LP, variously recorded in Holland, Hamburg, Glasgow and London. These singular versions were chosen to present the songs at every stage of their live performance, both pre and post-recording.A post shared by Bella Union (@bella_union)“To have the opportunity for all four of us to work together on this release has been a real privilege,” the members said of the upcoming release.

Charlotte Church has spoken to NME about her decision to bring her famed Late Night Pop Dungeon to an end, and what to expect from her “joyful” but “naughty” new material.The former opera singer turned alt-pop solo star and political activist gained a reputation on the festival, club and grassroots venue scene over the last seven years for her Late Night Pop Dungeon gig series – performing a range of high octane covers by the likes of Destiny’s Child, Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, Beyoncé, En Vogue, Black Sabbath, Prince and many more, along with cuts from her solo career.She embarked on the final UK tour for the project last year, before giving the Pop Dungeon one last outing at Liverpool’s Eurovision village last week (Friday May 11).Speaking to NME backstage at the village ahead of her performance, Church explained how the gig series came about in the first place – seeking to do something different and separate to her alt-rock leaning set of EPs ‘ONE’ through ‘FOUR’ released from 2012-2014.“The origin story of it really is that [comedian] Stewart Lee asked us to play All Tomorrow’s Parties, which you know is super arch, chin-strokey, ’Patrish’ and all the rest of it,” she explained. “We very far away in time from the EP project so it didn’t make much sense to do that.”Church and her band then came up with a concept of “old school covers” they found to be “really disruptive” but still “fucking excellent”.

EXCLUSIVE: Audible has revealed a new slate of UK comedy podcasts, including new series from comedians Daisy May Cooper, Lolly Adefope, Mo Gilligan and Dara Ó Briain.

Ricky Gervais seems to have responded to criticism levelled at his show After Life by fellow comedian Stewart Lee.In a recent interview on Rob Brydon’s podcast Brydon &, Lee took aim at the Netflix series, labelling it “abysmal” while comparing it to the “brilliant” The Office.“If you’re teaching drama or creative writing, how can you make a case for the things that make drama and creative writing good when After Life is a success?” he said. “Because your kids could just go, ‘But none of those things happen in this!’ And yet, millions people watch it.”He added: “I think it’s one of the worst things that’s ever been made by a human.”Although he didn’t respond directly, Gervais tweeted: “Watch the award-winning, record-breaking #AfterLife Now streaming on Netflix around the world”.The comedian has also liked a series of tweets that take aim at Lee, one saying: “Stewart Lee is one of the worst things made by a human.

BBC Two is set to broadcast two new stand-up specials recorded by Stewart Lee, due to air later this year.Both Snowflake and Tornado will be filmed in front of a live audience in York, as part of Bafta award-winning comedian’s current national tour across more than 60 towns and cities across the UK.In a statement, Lee said he was pleased to be building on the success of previous TV appearances, including Content Provider and four series of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.“As you probably know, The Times has called me ‘the world’s greatest stand-up’,” he said, “so I am happy to find my natural home once more with the world’s greatest broadcaster, where anyone can see me for free, even though the money at Netflix would have been literally one thousand times better (if they would have had me).“Tornado is a tangled shaggy dog story about backstage hospitality and flying sharks, and features a cameo from a venerable legend of British comedy; Snowflake reflects my experience of the current culture war and politicians’ and comedians’ cynical attempts to exploit it, and includes extended retching and a sickeningly sincere song.” Ben Caudell, Commissioning Editor for BBC Comedy, added: “To have one Stewart Lee show is a massive treat, to have two is a complete comedy indulgence.“If there was a third show I would probably be actually sick. Sick but happy.

Ted Nugent has weighed in on the recent controversy surrounding Spotify and Neil Young‘s decision to pull his music from the platform.Young last month demanded that his music be removed from Spotify, asserting in a since-deleted open letter to his management that content like the Joe Rogan Experience podcast “spread[s] false information about vaccines”.The streaming platform obliged, later confirming that Young’s content would indeed be removed from the platform.The saga drew mixed reactions from the wider music industry, while many seemed to side with Young, including Joni Mitchell who also announced she would be pulling her discography from Spotify over its conduct surrounding vaccine misinformation, as did Young’s former bandmates Crosby, Stills & Nash, comedian Stewart Lee, Crazy Horse and E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren, and cult alternative rockers Failure, among others.Now, controversial right-wing rocker Ted Nugent has spoken out about Young’s decision, calling the ‘Harvest Moon’ singer-songwriter “a complete punk”.Speaking on his ‘Friday Free For All’ edition of The Nightly Nuge on Friday (February 11), he said: “Well, Neil Young, God bless him. I’m sure that there’s many people that appreciate Neil Young’s creativity and his talents and his creation of wonderful music for those people who love that kind of music.

Former Mumford & Sons band member Winston Marshall released a lengthy essay comparing calls for action against Joe Rogan’s podcast on Spotify to Soviet-era censorship.  On Thursday, Marshall released an essay on Substack with the title "When Artists Become the Censors" in which he criticizes artists like Neil Young, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren and India Arie, all of whom have pulled their music off Spotify until it addresses misinformation on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.  In his essay, Marshall begins by discussing the state of music censorship in the Soviet Union in 1984 before comparing it to the conditions that Spotify is facing today as calls for it to pull Rogan’s work mount. He even called out Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who previously voiced their "concerns" about misinformation on Spotify.  "Of course, Spotify is a private company; they’re under no obligation to platform anybody.

Failure are the latest act to announce they’re pulling their music from Spotify following the ongoing COVID controversy involving Joe Rogan.Last month hundreds of scientists and medical professionals asked Spotify to address COVID misinformation on its platform, sparked by comments made on The Joe Rogan Experience.More than 270 members of the science and medical community signed the open letter, which called Rogan’s actions “not only objectionable and offensive but also medically and culturally dangerous”.Soon after, Neil Young demanded that his music be pulled from Spotify, asserting in a since-deleted open letter to his management that content like Rogan’s podcast “spread[s] false information about vaccines”.The streaming platform obliged, later confirming that Young’s content would indeed be removed from the platform.Other musicians and entertainers have since followed suit in removing their music and content from the platform including Janis Joplin, Graham Nash and Stewart Lee.Now, in a lengthy Facebook statement, cult alternative rockers Failure have announced that they too are planning to remove their music from Spotify in protest of the service platforming misinformation about the coronavirus vaccine as well as its overall business model.“Failure have wrestled with the question of Spotify and whether to have our newest music, which we control, on the platform,” the band began their statement.

Stewart Lee is the latest artist to remove his work from Spotify in protest of COVID misinformation being spread on Joe Rogan’s podcast.Earlier this month, hundreds of scientists and medical professionals asked Spotify to address COVID misinformation on its platform, sparked by comments made on The Joe Rogan Experience.More than 270 members of the science and medical community signed the open letter, which called Rogan’s actions “not only objectionable and offensive but also medically and culturally dangerous”.Spotify previously hosted Lee’s stand-up albums ’41s Best Stand Up Ever’, ‘If You Prefer A Milder Comedian Please Ask For One’ and ‘Carpet Remnant World’.Announcing his decision to boycott the platform, he said in a statement obtained by Chortle: “I am fully aware this will make no financial difference to Spotify whatsoever, but for too long internet platforms have been able to spread lies with impunity, free from the checks and balances that govern traditional publishers and broadcasters, and their efforts to correct this still do not go for enough.“Perhaps artists big and small can band together to do something to change this where the money men won’t.”Rogan publicly addressed the backlash himself recently, in a new video where he discusses “some of the controversy that’s been going on over the past few days.”He told fans on Instagram: “I don’t always get it right.

Björk is to headline the 2022 Bluedot festival as it makes its return to Jodrell Bank this summer.

IDLES bassist Adam ‘Dev’ Devonshire has organised a star-studded livestream in aid of learning disabilities and autism charity Gig Buddies.The show, which takes place from 6pm to 11pm BST on June 20, features a music line-up headlined by Welsh post-hardcore outfit Mclusky, as well as Willie J Healey, TV Priest, Fenne Lily, Dogeyed and Wilderman.Stewart Lee tops a comedy bill that also features Seann Walsh and Josh Weller.

Stewart Lee film King Rocker has landed a premiere date on Sky Arts next month.The documentary delves into punk history and follows The Nightingales and The Prefects frontman Robert Lloyd, who has gone “under the radar for four decades”.Set to premiere on Sky Arts on February 6 at 9pm, the film features the likes of Lee and a host of well-known faces including Frank Skinner, Duran Duran‘s John Taylor and Samira Ahmed.In it, the comedian journeys with Lloyd as the latter reflects on his legacy

Asian Dub Foundation and Stewart Lee’s new single ‘Comin’ Over Here’ is still in race to be Brexit Number One.A campaign was launched earlier this month (December 12) in a bid to get the song to Number One when the Brexit transition period ends, with 100% of the band’s share of sales going to frontline refugee and migrant support groups.The campaign urges fans to purchase the track between 00:01am GMT on Christmas Day (December 25) and 23.59pm GMT on New Year’s Eve (December 31).

Asian Dub Foundation and Stewart Lee’s single ‘Comin’ Over Here’ to Number One when the Brexit transition period ends.The campaign, which launched on Sunday (December 12), urges fans to purchase the track between 00:01am GMT on Christmas Day (December 25) and 23.59pm GMT on New Year’s Eve (December 31).

Asian Dub Foundation have shared a new video for ‘Comin’ Over Here’, featuring comedian Stewart Lee taking on the role of frontman – check it out on NME first below.The political Hackney band first shared the track back in September, featuring Lee’s words from his now legendary UKIP sketch from his Comedy Vehicle show. His skit lampoons the words of former party leader Paul Nuttall, and the old xenophobic cliche of different nationalities “coming over here”.

The comedian promises an hour of brand new material