Live Music Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

A Manchester brewery is to host a special beer festival featuring live music, traditional games and more than 20 different cask ales to sample.

Enter Shikari have called for solidarity and progress in securing the future of the UK’s grassroots music venues – urging fans and gig spaces to “show the Tory government and the landlord c**ts that our culture of live music is not for sale”.The band were speaking at last week’s Venues Day held by the Music Venue Trust in London, where they received the Outstanding Contribution Award for donating £1 from every ticket sold on their upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour back to the cause of saving grassroots gig spaces.The news came as it was revealed that the UK is set to lose 10 per cent of its grassroots music venues in 2023 – with calls growing for the “major leagues” of the music industry and larger venues to do more to pay into the ecosystem and save them.Giving the opening speech at Venues Day last week, drummer Rob Rolfe explained how Enter Shikari were “no strangers to grassroots music venues” and were even playing a key role in restoring The Pioneer Club in their hometown of St Albans.“Grassroots venues helped us cut our teeth, hone our craft, meet and be inspired by other musicians, and how to be a proper touring band,” said Rolfe. “It was also the platform to help us reach an audience and build our own fanbase.“It is guaranteed that we would not be where we are today in our career, without grassroots venues – which is why it was a no-brainer for £1 of each ticket from our biggest shows to go to support small venues.

More than 150 traders will be taking part in the 18th anniversary of Bolton Food and Drink Festival - known far and wide amongst foodie fans.

Anyone who wasn’t in Tishomingo, Oklahoma on Friday night really missed out!

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's 17-year-old son, Kingston, made his live music debut at Blake Shelton's restaurant-bar Ole Red, where Kingston made it crystal clear he's already quite the rock star. Just a couple of days ago, Shelton teased that he would turn the stage over to a debut artist making their "VERY FIRST public performance!«That artist turned out to be Kingston, who had a helluva night and earned himself a roaring ovation when it was all said and done.

Bruce Springsteen shows at Hyde Park, Blur‘s two nights at Wembley Stadium, The 1975‘s sold-out show in Hyde Park as well as acclaimed festival appearances by Billy Joel and Lana Del Rey.According to research conducted by the Music Venue Trust and City Hall, the gigs “supercharged” the city’s economy with an estimated £320million of ticket sales. Additional spending was attributed to hotel room bookings, eating out as well as public transport travel.“Music is the glue that binds London together.

June 14, 2023As well as on-site drug testing, users are also alerted to dangerous substances that are in circulation. Harm reduction specialists such as The Loop work in partnerships with festivals and nightclubs to send out push notifications via apps with warnings.Sacha Lord, Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser and the co-founder of Parklife festival, which opened just days after the U-turn, told Resident Advisor: “To land such a decision two days before the UK’s biggest metropolitan festival, which took 12 months of planning that the government is an integral part of – is appalling.”Lord added that the government is “playing politics with kids’ lives”.“We’ve got a full summer where millions of kids will go through the gates,” he said.

Loyle Carner will be the first artist to perform at an upcoming live music series created by the organisers at Strawberries & Creem, it has been announced.The new series was developed by the festival in collaboration with HUGO – the younger of the two Hugo Boss brands.Titled ‘S&C Presents HUGO Nights’, the two brands have joined forces to co-host a series of unique parties throughout London, and unite music lovers by celebrating the best of music, fashion and youth culture in 2023.Set to take place at a variety of exclusive venues across the capital, the series looks to showcase cutting-edge acts from around the world, offer a platform for emerging new talent, and “generate its own unforgettable moments” in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds.The first instalment of ‘S&C Presents HUGO Nights’ — dubbed ‘Chapter One’ is set to kick off at a secret venue in the heart of the city Next Wednesday (May 24). Headlining the inaugural event will be the Mercury-nominated hip-hop artist Carner.Other artists set to perform on the night include Keyrah and Chris Jammer.

The latest edition of Deadline’s Sound & Screen Television gets underway Tuesday, when we will shine a spotlight on the musicians and their scores for some of this year’s most striking TV offerings. We know how integral music is when it comes to creating the mood of a project, and that’s why we’re delighted to be back in UCLA’s Royce Hall where we can put the music and its composers front and center — with the help of a 50-piece orchestra and panel conversations with the artists behind the work.

IQ, the gender pay gaps in live music companies Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Academy Music Group and AEG range from 16.5 per cent to 37.5 per cent.Live Nation UK has “reported a 24.8% improvement on the 2021/22 median pay gap, reducing the disparity to 6.6% in 2022/23.”In a statement, Live Nation said: “In senior management positions/the upper quartiles pay, and bonus, are both heavily linked to the delivery of commercial performance, and therefore show bigger variance than at other levels of our business.“We regularly review salaries and have recently undertaken a full job levelling review to ensure our commitment to paying equally for the same job (and for equal levels of experience) is robust.”At Ticketmaster, “women’s median hourly pay is still significantly lower than men’s at 25.9% in 2022/23, while their mean pay is 16.5% lower.”Elsewhere, AMG’s first report since 2018/19 revealed “an increase in pay disparity during the last four to five years. Women’s median pay is 10.7% lower than men’s in 2022/23, up from 6% in 2018/19.

With wedding season officially around the corner, newly engaged couples are on the hunt for the perfect place to tie the knot.

Sleaford Mods have discussed their experience with ageism in the music industry and the significance of them hitting a peak in their popularity in middle age.Vocalist Jason Williamson, who is 52, admitted in a new interview with The Guardian that he had “a bit of a crisis” regarding his age when live music resumed.“The thing of, ‘I’m too old to do this now’, when we started playing live again, I had a bit of a crisis about,” says Williamson. “All our contemporaries are 25 years younger, most of them, and you get quite a lot of ageism. But what can I say to them? I was doing the same thing 20 years ago.”“You can question yourself and that’s important,” added multi-instrumentalist Andrew Fearn, who is 51, “but more important is the reality.

Scottish Government’s consultation on proposals to restrict alcohol advertising, TRSNMT and Glasgow Summer Sessions – both DF events – have been named as examples in the section about advertising and promotion at non-sporting events.However, the consultation states: “Although there is strong academic evidence looking at the nature and extent of sports sponsorship in Scotland, as well as the impact sports sponsorship has generally, the extent and impact of sponsorship of non-sporting events has not been researched.”DF chief executive Geoff Ellis has said that the changes would “harm the Scottish economy, harm Scottish artists, harm Scottish businesses, reduce tourism and leave Scotland in a weakened position.”He also added that there would likely be job losses, with ticket prices increasing and music fans heading south instead as a result.In a letter to Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport, Ellis wrote (via The Glasgow Times): “This letter is not intended to ignore or try to dismiss the fact that there are problem drinkers in Scotland. Rather, it is to implore the Scottish Government not to pursue the misguided proposal to ban all forms of alcohol marketing sponsorship.”He continued: “A proposed restriction on alcohol sponsorship and advertising will be nothing short of disastrous for Scotland’s live music industry.

Amazon Freevee has announced the greenlight of Monumental: An Artists Den Experience, described as an intimate narrative-driven performance program, produced by Artists Den Entertainment.

CMU’s Andy Malt and Chris Cooke review key events in music and the music business from the last week, including Manchester music venue the Night & Day Café continuing fight against a Noise Abatement Notice served by Manchester City Council last year, and 5 Seconds Of Summer’s feelings about winning the Worst Band prize at the NME Awards three years in a row.SECTION TIMES01: Night & Day Café (00:09:52)02: 5 Seconds Of Summer (00:26:14)(Timings may be slightly different due to adverts)SUBSCRIBE TO SETLISTListen to Setlist and sign up to receive new episodes for free automatically each week through any of these services…Acast | Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | audioBoom | CastBox | Deezer | Google Podcasts | iHeart | Mixcloud | RSS | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneInSTORIES DISCUSSED THIS WEEK• Manchester music venue Night & Day Café facing closure as it continues to fight noise complaint• 5 Seconds Of Summer discuss being voted Worst Band at NME Awards three timesALSO MENTIONED• Apple Music increases baseline subscription rate to 10.99• Night & Day Café petition (Change.org)• James Blunt demands NME award he won thirteen years ago (May 2019)MORE FROM CMU• Upcoming CMU webinars• Buy MMF and CMU Insights’ Dissecting The Digital Dollar book on Amazon• Sign up to receive the CMU Daily news bulletin• Listen to the full Setlist theme tune

Triller is entering the metaverse. On Monday, the entertainment platform announced the Metaverz, a virtual reality for fans to gather and watch live events together.According to the company, the Metaverz will have multiple online spaces for fans where they can attend a virtual concert, or go to a club or see a sporting events.

the Energy Bill Relief Scheme “will reduce wholesale gas and electricity prices”. “This will provide a price guarantee equivalent to the one provided for households,” Kwarteng said.As announced earlier this week, the scheme will offer discounts for all firms for a six-month period from October 1.

Bolton's historic Hulton Park is set to open its gates to the public for a series of events in the coming months. Two garden parties will be held at the site in the first weekend of September (September 3 and 4) directly inspired by one hosted by the Hulton family in 1905.

Pubs, restaurants, music venues, nightclubs, hotels and wider hospitality have reached the point where the conditions for trading are so prohibitive that many venues are already reducing the hours they open their doors. Others are confronted with the threat of permanent closure. With chronic challenges in the supply chain, labour shortages, interest rates and inflation, rocketing energy prices have become a matter of existential emergency for businesses in our sector.Hospitality operators face average annual bill increases in the region of at least 300 per cent, putting at risk businesses and jobs. It is also increasingly clear that a significant number of energy providers have withdrawn service provision from the Hospitality market altogether. The primary purpose of a free market for energy supply to businesses is to create competition, which leads to improved services, competitive rates, resilient suppliers, and the ability to invest in long term and sustainable solutions to energy demand. In the Hospitality sector, there is unequivocal evidence that this primary purpose is failing.On Friday, the Government saw fit to declare a drought, in the face of inarguable evidence that weather conditions had caused a threat to the nation. The energy crisis is no less of a threat and deserves similar attention. Not all businesses will be able to survive this onslaught, and those that can will be closely considering how they can keep their costs down just to stay afloat. Hospitality provides 10 per cent of jobs and 5 per cent of GDP. It can be a powerful driver of economic recovery and growth for the nation, but it urgently needs a kick start. Business and consumer confidence is suffering, and we urgently need the Government and

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicPeter Shapiro is a concert promoter, venue owner, magazine publisher and has just added author to his resume, with the Aug. 2 release of his book “The Music Never Stops: What Putting on 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Magic” (written with Dean Budnick).Based on 50 pivotal shows which helped define Shapiro’s life and guide his businesses, the book chronicles a career lived at maximum volume, starting with his 1997 purchase of the Wetlands, a New York City club that catered to fans of the Grateful Dead and Phish and incorporated social activism into its programming, his later purchase of Port Chester New York’s Capitol Theatre and the 2009 launch of Brooklyn Bowl, the first of five combination concert halls-bowling alleys-restaurants, which has hosted giants (like Robert Plant), rarely-seen legends (Ms.

Tribeca Festival, the event that wants to offer something for everyone, returns Wednesday with its sprawling collection of features and shorts, live music, TV, podcasts, games, and AR/VR. The annual New York City-set fest has moved mostly back indoors this year, but will feature nods to 2021 like free outdoor screenings and an online edition, Tribeca At Home. A rich documentary slate tackles abortion, press freedom and the rise of social media. There’s a first-time award for environmental impact and a series of talks with Blackhouse Foundation centered on POC storytelling.

Wasserman Music has acquired Paradigm UK’s live music representation business, expanding its global client roster and deepening European footprint as it adds to the Paradigm North America live music division acquired last year.

BBC).Martin also went on to say that with 240 tours planned for this year, there was some “renewed optimism”.Last year, a new forecast by PwC in their ‘Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2021–2025’ report, predicted that the UK’s live music sector wasn’t expected to return to its pre-coronavirus pandemic revenues until the year 2025.Mark Maitland, UK head of Entertainment and Media at PwC, said: “UK consumers’ rapid migration to digital behaviours in the pandemic has now become embedded in their day-to-day lives, helping to sustain overall growth across Entertainment and Media for the coming five years. As companies race to meet consumers’ evolving needs with new products, services and experiences, the E&M industry will become more pervasive, more immersive and more diverse.“Some sectors have found interesting ways to navigate the effects of the pandemic – notable examples include B2B events moving to online/virtual and now increasingly hybrid formats.

A contemporary Latin American restaurant boasting mezcal-themed cocktails, live music, and a luxury sharing menu is planning to open its second UK venue in Manchester.

It's set to be a double celebration for Recardo Patrick on April 30 - not only is his stylish Hale venue starting a new live music night but it's also his birthday. To mark the beginning of a new series of live performances at Recardo's - the bar and club in Ashley Road - the Sweet Sensation frontman will be performing at 10pm, as part of an event which will include plenty of other sights and sounds to enjoy.

#MusicVenuePrize competition giving independent live music venues the chance to win 1 of 6 regional prizes of up to £10k to help improve their music facilities.For info and full T&Cs visit https://t.co/ARZZvB1IAf— PRS for Music (@PRSforMusic) March 16, 2022Discussing the prize, PRS For Music CEO Andrea Czapary Martin said: “Back to Live Music Venue Prize will shine a light on independent music venues across the UK. Venues play such an important part in the music industry ecosystem, with many featuring live performances by emerging talented songwriters and composers.“We look forward to music creators once again taking the stage, and revelling in the joy that live music brings with it.

NME about what the US live music community still needs from the US government to survive this stage of the ongoing pandemic.With ticketholder no-show rates reaching a high of 50 per cent last month and the National Independent Venue Foundation recently relaunching its Emergency Relief Fund, venues and artists told us they are still facing show cancelations, financial challenges, and health risks associated with COVID.Ella Williams, AKA Squirrel Flower, was set to tour independent venues across America in January, following the release of her second album ‘Planet (i)’. But when the highly contagious Omicron variant caused an uptick in COVID cases in January, Williams made the call to push back the first two weeks of her tour.“I didn’t postpone the shows because of local guidance or venue guidance,” she told NME.

Katherine Tulich Legendary U.S. rock band Foo Fighters will play a one-off gig in Australia next month in front of a possible 25,000 fans.

NME about what US fans can expect from live music during the next stage of the ongoing pandemic.With some tours and festivals continuing to be postponed and others’ rescheduled dates due to start in the months ahead, some concern and confusion remains over what to expect from the state of live music this year. The producers of Governors Ball music festival, the people behind ticket-selling app Bandsintown, and an infectious disease specialist told us their insights and projections for events and festivals in 2022.Live music discovery and ticket purchasing app Bandsintown have reported an increase of 8 million users in the last six months. Fabrice Sergent, the app’s managing partner, told NME that those numbers were “pretty astonishing,” adding that recent ticket-buying behaviour in the US showed that “demand for live events is very strong.”“In terms of the number of upcoming shows and festivals being announced [in 2022], we’re still at about half of the number that were announced during this same period of time in the US in 2019 and 2020,” he said. Even with 50 per cent less shows, however, Bandsintown still described “a high level of consumer interest”.“We saw a very strong January in terms of the number of tickets sold; it was twice as many as 2019.

Manchester’s New Century Hall, which once played host to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, will re-open as a live music venue and arts space this summer.

Music Week) has revealed that more than a quarter of live shows have been scrapped in the first three months of 2022.The cancellations have seen the industry once again ask the government for a list of measures for support.These include keeping the re-use rate of VAT on tickets, removing roadblocks on transportation to ensure tours can continue, and resolving the government insurance scheme to support the industry in the event of cancellations.

COVID-19 as the Omicron variant continues to wreak havoc, no more than six punters will be allowed to convene in venues such as pubs, cinemas, restaurants and other hospitality and entertainment hotspots.Licensed venues that remain open will only be permitted to offer table service; all patrons will need to wear face masks and provide details for contact tracing.

A unique Covid-secure Santa's grotto and a spectacular light show will come to Bolton town centre this weekend.

COVID.The new variant has been dubbed ‘of concern’ by the World Health Organisation, partly due to the lack of known information around its transmissibility and likelihood of it causing severe illness.Italy has banned unvaccinated people from attending music venues, theatres, cinemas, sporting events, restaurants and bars.

If you follow Altrincham’s winding high street long enough, you’ll find yourself at a distinctive part of town - a green suburban oasis full of life, fairy lights and plenty of Christmas trees.

COVID test rather than proof of two jabs to enter venues will be allowed from December 6.It comes after the implementation of coronavirus vaccine passports were made a requirement for entry into nightclubs and concerts in Scotland in October.Now, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that given the “inevitable impact vaccine certification has on the operation of businesses”, ministers have concluded that extending the scheme would thus not be proportionate.Scotland’s plans to extend