OHMYGOSSIP — The Last Dinner Party are the winners of the BRITs Rising Star award.
Their victory was revealed by Clara Amfo on her BBC Radio 1 Future Sounds show, and the band said in a statement: “We are so proud beyond measure to have won the BRITs Rising Star.
“It’s an honour to achieve something so iconic so early on in our career and we can only hope to keep making music that connects with all the incredible people who have listened to and supported us so far. Thank you!”
At the start of the year, The Last Dinner Party was little more than a new name being shared by those who inadvertently caught them live.
But the five female members – Georgia Davies, Lizzie Mayland, Abigail Morris, Aurora Nishevci and Emily Roberts – spent much of 2022 adding to their older songs, writing new ones and road-testing them before taking the fruits of their labour into the studio to record with producer James Ford.
Their breakthrough track came in April 2023 with ‘Nothing Matters’ and by July the group had also released the acclaimed track ‘Sinner’.
A press release for the group described it as “another gloriously infectious, leftfield pop epic that fuelled the now fully-formed zeitgeist and set the band up for a Summer packing tents at festivals across the UK and Europe”.
Singers Caity Baser and Sekou were also shortlisted for the Rising Star award, which has, since its inception in 2008 successfully predicted the future stars of music, with past winners including Adele, Sam Smith, Sam Fender, Ellie Goulding, Florence and the Machine, Griff and the 2023 winner FLO.
Other artists nominated for the award include Dua Lipa, Anne-Marie, Lewis Capaldi, Cat Burns, Michael Kiwanuka, Mabel and Years and Years – with global track streams for all previous winners surpassing 60 billion.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Andre 3000 hasn’t released any rap music because he hasn’t found anything “inspiring enough” to rap to.
The Outkast star – whose real name is Andre Benjamin – returned with his debut solo album, the instrumental wind collection ‘New Blue Sun’, last month after a 17-year hiatus.
And the 48-year-old star has explained the reason why he stepped away from his traditional hip-hop sound was because nothing got his creative juices flowing enough to want to spit over it.
He told CBS Mornings Anthony Mason: “I write down ideas and lyrics all the time. And maybe I haven’t found the music that’s inspiring enough for me to want to write raps to, or maybe I got to find a new way to rap. If I don’t feel like I’m doing something, it just, it don’t matter to me.”
The opening tune is called ‘I Really Wanted To Make A Rap Album, But This Is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time’.
And he wishes he could be “out here with everybody rapping”.
Expanding on the reason in a recent interview with NPR, he said: “I don’t want to troll people. I don’t want people to think, Oh, this André 3000 album is coming! And you play it and like, Oh man, no verses. So even actually on the packaging, you’ll see it says, ‘Warning: no bars.’ It’s letting you know what it is off the top. But also, I love rap music because it was a part of my youth. So I would love to be out here with everybody rapping, because it’s almost like fun and being on the playground.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Enrique Iglesias reportedly sold his music catalogue to Influence Media Partners for a whopping nine-figure sum.
The ‘Hero’ hitmaker has agreed a deal with the music rights firm that covers his name, image, and likeness in a bid to boost licensing opportunities.
Bloomberg was the first to report the alleged amount Enrique will earn from the partnership.
He said in a statement: “My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me. I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects.”
Influence Media Founder and Co-Managing Partner Lylette Pizarro commented: “Enrique is a global icon and having him as a part of our Influence Media family is a game-changing moment for us.
“For a quarter of a century, he has captivated fans globally with chart-topping and record-breaking hits. From ‘Experiencia Religiosa’ to ‘Hero’ and ‘Bailando’ to ‘I Like It’ and ‘Be With You,’ there are few artists who come close to accomplishing what Enrique has achieved commercially. He has played a pivotal role in introducing bilingual music to the masses. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with one of the most recognisable figures in modern music.”
The 48-year-old Latin star – who is currently on his ‘Trilogy’ North America jaunt – is the latest to land a deal with Influence following in the footsteps of the likes of Blake Shelton, Future and Julia Michaels.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Kasabian have some “heavy hitters” on their upcoming album that will “knock” some of their old “big heavyweights” out of their live set.
The rock group – comprising Serge Pizzorno, Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews, and Tim Carter – will release ‘Happenings’ next summer and they are confident that fans are going to love hearing their new anthems live just as much as their classics.
Speaking to NME, frontman Serge said: “We were talking about the seven or eight songs that could easily get in a set, which is frightening because we’ve got to figure that out. The setlist will be the ‘best-of’, and the new things that get in will have to be at a certain level to get anywhere near.”
Chris added: “These songs on this album are much more… you get them quick. It’s not like you’re going to need to live with them for four or five months before you go, ‘This is my favourite tune’. You listen to them and you go, ‘This is great’. The fans will be ready for these. It will be the heavy hitters that are going to knock some [old] big heavyweights out of the set.”
Kasabian – known for fan-favourites ‘Empire’, ‘Fire’, ‘Processed Beats’ and ‘Club Foot’ – play their huge ‘Summer Solstice II’ homecoming show at Victoria Park in Leicester on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
The new record will follow Kasabian’s acclaimed 2022 album, ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’, which was their first since ex-singer Tom Meighan’s departure.
The former frontman was let go from the group and sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work in July 2020, after pleading guilty to assaulting his now-spouse, Vikki Ager, during an incident in April of that year.
And Serge previously admitted that becoming the lead singer has been “more fun” in terms of being able to visualise the live show.
He said in a previous chat with the outlet: “I’ve always done it my way. If anything, it’s more fun in terms of being able to visualise the live show.
“When you see someone sing words that have come from them, there’s something magical about that.
“You can really feel the sentiment in what someone is trying to say through a charged performance. That’s when sparks fly.
“This album was just us saying, ‘Let’s see what we can do, let’s see where we can take this’.
“Every album we’ve made has been way different to the one previously and you’ve never really known where we’re going to go next.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ozzy Osbourne is “open” to making new music with late guitarist and co-writer Randy Rhoads using AI.
Although the former Black Sabbath star, 75, has nothing left of Randy’s to work with, his son Jack Osbourne, 38, explained how they could put material he already worked on through AI software to produce something new.
Speaking on ‘The Osbournes’ podcast, Ozzy said of The Beatles’ ‘Now And Then’, which utilised AI to make late frontman John Lennon’s vocals clearer: “I haven’t considered it yet, but as far as me doing something like what the remaining Beatles did with the John Lennon thing… that was a partial song and they cleaned the track up.”
When his son explained another way it can be used, Ozzy replied: “Well, you know what? I’m open for anything, if it was good quality.”
However, the ‘Dreamer’ hitmaker insisted AI can never replace what he contributes to his music.
He warned: “The cat’s out of the bag. You can’t undo it. The danger is people will misuse it. Because I’ll get like a formula for a song and I’ll put that formula in and I’ll keep on doing that.”
Legendary Randy – who contributed to Ozzy’s first two solo albums, 1980’s ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and the following year’s ‘Diary of a Madman’ – sadly lost his life in a horrific plane crash in 1982 aged just 25.
And the ‘War Pigs’ singer has never gotten over the “shock” of losing Randy.
In 2018, Ozzy told Rolling Stone: “To this day, as I’m talking to you now, I’m back in that field looking at this plane wreck and a house on fire.
“You never get over something like that. You’re in shock.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Michael Buble broke his Christmas collaboration rule for Cher.
The ‘Home’ hitmaker – who has teamed up with the ‘Believe’ legend for a new version of his 2005 single on her new festive collection – admitted his usual stance is to reject any offers to duet at this time of year after becoming synonymous with the season following his 2011 album ‘Christmas’.
He’s quoted by the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column as saying: “Every late September/October every artist, the ones that you know, the biggest artists in the world, start to call me and say, ‘I have an idea, you and me should make a Christmas…’
“And I go, [mimics putting phone down] ‘click’, I say, ‘Thank you so much, I know you’re gonna kill it.’
“I made one Christmas record, 12 years ago! One!”
However, he had to make an exception when the pop icon got in touch.
He added: “That changes when Cher calls. Number one, when Cher calls, you pick up.
“And number two, she said that she wanted to cover Home, I wrote that song a long time ago and I am still so proud of it.”
Buble noted he’s worked with “everyone from [Justin] Bieber to [Barbra] Streisand, to Celine Dion, to Ariana Grande, to Lady Gaga”, but insisted Cher – whose new album ‘Christmas’ came out in October’ – is “one of the greatest vocalists of our time”, making it an easy decision.
Meanwhile, Buble teased that he can be a bit of a Scrooge over the festive season.
He joked: “When [fans] meet me and ask for a selfie or something I usually ask for $5 and they get disappointed and I’ll never understand it.
“For the holidays, from late October to early January it’s $10, the prices have gone up.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Girls Aloud are said to have been inundated with offers about filming their long-awaited return to music.
The ‘Love Machine’ hitmakers – Cheryl Tweedy, Kimberley Walsh, Nadine Coyle, and Nicola Roberts – confirmed last month they are planning to hit the road in May and June 2024, and the group are now said to be considering whether to have their return filmed for a series, a documentary, or possibly a concert movie, among other options.
A music insider told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Since the news of Girls Aloud’s reunion their management have been bombarded with offers for all sorts of things, particularly loads of TV and streaming specials.
“Girls Aloud regularly filmed and released their tours on DVD back in the day.
“But things have moved on, so they have been interested to hear what other options are on the table.”
Girls Aloud are said to have already sold 200,000 tickets for their hotly-anticipated reunion tour, which has sparked a “bidding war” for the rights to film their comeback.
The insider added: “The demand for tickets has been so phenomenal that it has sparked a bidding war between companies who are keen to land the rights to their show.
“They are very careful about what they do, though, because they don’t want to exploit their legacy or do anything that cheapens their brand.
“It is important that they are all in complete agreement when it comes to accepting any offers on the table.”
Last month, Cheryl revealed the group had been discussing reunion plans for some time, but put the idea on ice when late band member Sarah – who died in September 2021 – was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said in a statement at the time: “We all started talking about the possibility of doing something to celebrate Girls Aloud’s 20-year anniversary a few years ago. The anniversary seemed like an obvious thing that we would celebrate.
“But when Sarah fell ill all priorities changed. She passed away a year before the anniversary and it just didn’t feel right, it felt too soon.”
The group plan to use the tour to “celebrate” their late friend.
Cheryl added: “But now, I think there is an energy that does makes it feel right. It’s the right time to celebrate Sarah, it’s the right time to celebrate the band and the right time to celebrate the fact we can still do this 21 years later. That’s a big honour in lots of ways.”
Kimberley said: “Over the last year, we’ve felt this outpouring of love – obviously towards Sarah, but actually towards all of us as a group. And I guess it’s ignited something in all of us again. It feels like something has changed and it does feel like the right time to celebrate Sarah and the 20-year anniversary that we didn’t celebrate at the time.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Damon Albarn says it’s time for Blur to “wrap up” again after a fleeting reunion.
The ‘Song 2′ hitmakers – also comprising Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree – reunited to release their first album since 2015, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’, and are close to completing their latest series of concerts in South America, and it appears it might be a while before fans hear from them again.
Speaking to French publication Les Inrockuptibles, as translated by Far Out Magazine, frontman Damon said: “It is time to wrap up this campaign.
“It’s too much for me. It was the right thing to do and an immense honour to play these songs again, spend time with these guys, make an album, blah-blah-blah.”
He added: “I’m not saying I won’t do it again, it was a beautiful success, but I’m not dwelling on the past.”
Damon has an opera coming out and he is preparing to start work on another album with his animated group Gorillaz with Jamie Hewlett.
Damon claiming he’s pressing pause on Blur comes days after Gorillaz bassist Seye Adelekan praised Damon for never wanting to stand still creatively.
The musician has toured with the ‘Cracker Island’ band since 2017 and says the 55-year-old singer’s “superpower” is always wanting to grow as an artist and work with the most exciting and diverse people.
Speaking on the ‘Meet At The Hotel Bar’ podcast, he said: “I think his superpower other than his amazing writing, which is great, he puts great people in a room together. He makes sure cool people are in the same room, everyone gets better by having this cool, diverse mixture of people in a room at the same time. I think that’s what he does best, he opens people up to new things because he is allergic to repeating himself.
“He cannot do it, physically it doesn’t work for him. We can play the same song 100 times every time we play it there’s something different about it. He’s also not worried if it goes wrong, we’ve re-started songs on big stages, like, just stop it, start again. If he makes a pure clanger he’s like, ‘Mate let’s re-do that.’ We’ve done it first song of a set before.
“There’s an openness to seeing what happens as well as a high level of professionalism and a high level of work that goes into it. Also, there’s an abandon and a let go of it.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift penned ‘Willow’ in “less than 10 minutes”, according to collaborator Aaron Dessner.
The 33-year-old megastar started working with The National star, 47, on the pair of 2020 sister records ‘folklore’ and ‘evermore’, and he’s revealed the hit from the latter LP was written so swiftly, it was “like an earthquake”.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine for its Taylor issue after she topped the publication’s 2023 Most Intriguing People of the Year list, Aaron said: “When I sent Taylor the music for our song ‘Willow’ — I think she wrote the entire song from start to finish in less than 10 minutes and sent it back to me.
“It was like an earthquake. Then Taylor said, ‘I guess we are making another album.’”
Many of the singer’s friends and collaborators believe her success is partially owed to how “down-to-earth” and “human” the pop idol is.
Country legend Tim McGraw, 56, told the magazine: “She knows when, where, how to promote [her work], but she also knows when, where, how to be normal and be a human just living her life.
“I think she has brilliantly navigated that line.”
Aaron agreed: “She never really stops writing songs.
“I’ve spent a lot of time with her, and I’ve never seen anyone wait on her. When I have stayed at her house, Taylor herself was cooking everyone breakfast and dinner. She’s legitimately just a very down-to-earth and hard-working person.”
He predicts that she will continue to keep “inventing” ways to “keep expanding” her “enchanted universe” for fans to enjoy for years to come.
He said: “Taylor has so many stories to tell.
“I think she’ll keep inventing new ways and methods of writing and keep expanding this enchanted universe of her own making that we all get to enjoy.”
Sabrina Carpenter, 24, has opened for Taylor on her tour and hailed the ‘Cruel Summer’ hitmaker “fearless” and “smart”, while she quipped that she is “a superstar who’s really good at baking”.
She told the magazine: “Since I was a little girl, I’ve really looked up to how fearless and how smart she is. As a performer, I look up to how she’s able to connect with every single person in the crowd, like she’s singing to them personally.
“She sets such a beautiful tone, and it’s why the shows are as magical as they are. And offstage she is still a superstar, but she’s a superstar who’s really good at baking.”
Paramore’s Hayley Williams, 34, who is a close pal of Taylor and will support her with her bandmates next year, believes she is “just getting started”.
She said: “I’m almost afraid to say it, but I kind of think she’s just getting started.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Blackpink has signed a new contract with YG Entertainment.
Amid much speculation about the K-pop girl group’s future at the label, a filing by the company on Wednesday (06.12.23) confirmed the ‘Pink Venom’ hitmakers will remain at the agency.
YG said: “The board has completed a resolution about renewing the contracts with Blackpink’s four members.”
The firm’s founder Yang Hyun Suk added: “We are pleased to continue our relationship with Blackpink.
“Blackpink will continue to do its best to shine even brighter in the global music market as an artist representing not only our company but also K-pop. […] And we send our unwavering support and faith to [fans].”
Fans of the four-piece – comprising Jisoo, Lisa, Jennie and Rosé – had been concerned with reports they could go elsewhere after their contract was up for renewal after seven years.
However, each member’s solo contracts are still “said to be under negotiation”, according to Variety.
As the most successful Korean girl group internationally, Blackpink were recently honoured by King Charles during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
They were among around 170 guests invited to the glittering event in London hosted by the king and Queen Camilla in honour of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee’s state visit to the UK.
During a speech, the monarch gave a shout-out to the band for their environmental advocacy work.
Charles told the guests: “It is especially inspiring to see Korea’s younger generation embrace the cause. I applaud Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rose, better known collectively as Blackpink, for their role in bringing the message of environmental sustainability to a global audience as Ambassadors for the U.K.’s Presidency of COP 26, and later as advocates for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
“I can only admire how they can prioritise these vital issues, as well as being global superstars.”
He went on to reference his last visit to the South Korean capital back in 1992 alongside his late ex-wife Diana, Princess of Wales.
Charles quipped: “Sadly, when I was in Seoul all those years ago, I am not sure I developed much of what might be called the Gangnam Style!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Daddy Yankee has quit music to dedicate his life to Jesus.
The ‘Gasolina’ rapper – who is often referred to as the King of Reggaeton – confirmed last year he will hang up his microphone after three decades and eight albums following the release of his LP, ‘Legendaddy’, and his final tour, ‘La Meta (The Goal)’, which wrapped on Sunday night (03.12.23) in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
He told fans at the live-streamed event: “Tonight I recognise, and I am not ashamed to tell the whole world, that Jesus lives in me and that I will live for him.
“For many years I’ve tried filling a hole in my life that no one could fill. I tried finding a purpose, on many occasions, it seemed as if I was happy but something was missing for me to feel complete.”
In Spanish, he said: “I took note of something the Bible says.”
Before reciting: “What good will it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
In a statement on YouTube last year, the 46-year-old Puerto Rican star – who will now go by his real name Ramon Luis Ayala Rodriguez – said: “This race, which has been a marathon, finally sees the finish line. Now, I am going to enjoy what all of you have given me.
“People say that I made this genre worldwide, but it was you who gave me the key to open the doors to make it the biggest in the world.”
Yankee’s farewell record, released in March, was an amalgamation of all the styles that have “defined” his career.
The music star has sold more than 30 million records and is best known for his 2004 hit ‘Gasolina’, which became the first reggaeton song to be nominated for the Latin Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Yankee leaves on a high after scoring a global hit with ‘Despacito’ with Luis Fonsi in 2017.
A remix of the popular track featuring pop megastar Justin Bieber later topped the charts in 10 countries.
During a dazzling career, the reggaeton icon has scored an impressive haul of accolades, including Latin Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, Latin American Music Awards and an MTV Video Music Award.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Crowded House, Jungle and Underworld have been announced as the first acts for On The Mount At Wasing 2024.
The concert series set in the gorgeous Berkshire countryside is returning for a second year with a series of summer gigs after a hugely successful debut.
Australian rockers Crowded House will begin the shows on 17th June, while the electronic duo Jungle are to perform with their live band on 27th June with dance icons Underworld following on 29th June.
Wasing Estate will also present Solstice At The Mount on 20th June – an immersive celebration of global music and culture with headliner Nick Mulvey and more artists to be announced.
On The Mount At Wasing’s inaugural year in 2023 featured successful shows from Gabriels, Jack Johnson and Sigur Ros.
The gigs take place at a stunning enclave at the heart of the countryside, with a woodland trail arrival and wildflowers awaiting concertgoers – it is a unique opportunity to see live music while fully immersed in nature.
Ollie Rosenblatt and John Empson of Senbla, promoters of On The Mount At Wasing, said: “Last year was a huge success, and we feel that we have a real gem in the UK’s summer live music calendar.
“When you’re watching an act surrounded by the amazing treescape that appears after you’ve walked the trail through the spectacular woodland into the venue, you get a truly soul-nourishing experience – all of the artists commented how beautiful and unique it was performing at Wasing.
“We can’t wait to build On The Mount At Wasing into our second year with a line up just as special as this beautiful space itself.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Rod Stewart says his and Jools Holland’s new swing album will be a “difficult sell”.
The 78-year-old singer and the 65-year-old star have teamed up for upcoming 13-track record ‘Swing Fever’ – which will drop on February 23rd – but the ‘Maggie May’ hitmaker admitted the album might not be to everyone’s liking at first, but he is convinced fans will want to dance to every song eventually.
Speaking about possibly playing the album live, Rod told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Having Jools and Rod on the bill is a good ticket.
“But the record is going to be a difficult sell because it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but once you listen, you get hooked. There isn’t one track on it where you won’t want to get up and dance.”
While the pair may have put together plenty of tracks to dance to – they bonded over a love of different tracks.
Both Rod and Jools are model railway enthusiasts, and Rod revealed he and Jools always catch up about their train fascination first before moving the conversation on to tunes.
He said: “Do you know about our railway fanaticism?
“When we text each other, we talk about the model railroads then the music. It should be the other way around.
“We’ve shown each other our ­collections. It is so much part of our lives.
“We go into our rooms with our layouts and our workshop.”
Rod is currently on a break from his Las Vegas residency, but he recently told how he would love to return to Sin City for a “swing show”.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “If I go back to Vegas – and I’d like to – if the album’s a big success, maybe I could do a swing show, big band stuff.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Paul McCartney and Wings have announced a special 50th anniversary edition of ‘Band on the Run’.
The Beatles legend teamed with then-wife Linda McCartney and Denny Seiwell on the iconic 1973 album – which featured hits like ‘Jet’ and the memorable title track -and a new reissue is set to drop on February 2, 2024.
Sir Paul said in a statement: “This is ‘Band on the Run’ in a way you’ve never heard before.
“When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that’s an overdub.
“Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed.”
For the first time, ‘Band on the Run (Underdubbed)’ gives listeners the nine-track collection “without any orchestral overdubs”.
This previously unreleased mixes were created by Geoff Emerick – with the assistance of Pete Swettenham – at AIR Studios in October, 1973.
The newly ordered tracklist – including the likes of ‘Bluebird’, ‘Let Me Roll It’, ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)’ and ‘Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five’ – also mirrors the original analogue tapes which were discovered in the MPL archives.
Meanwhile, ‘Band on the Run’ will also become available in Dolby ATMOS for the first time, with new mixes by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.
The 50th anniversary release will be available in several formats, including the 1LP edition, which “was cut at half speed using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes from 1973 by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, London”.
A press release adds: “The single vinyl album configuration mirrors the US tracklist which features the song ‘Helen Wheels’, and includes a Linda McCartney Polaroid poster.”
The 2LP vinyl and 2CD editions come with the original US album remastered at half speed, plus the ‘Underdubbed Mixes Edition’, while ‘Band On The Run (Underdubbed)’ will also be available digitally.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Funeral For A Friend frontman Matthew Davies-Kreye has decided to leave the group.
The ‘Streetcar’ group initially split in 2016 before returning three years later in memory of their late friend ‘Big Stu’ before heading on tour, and now the remaining members – Kris Coombs-Roberts, Darran Smith, Ryan Richards, Gavin Burrough and Richard Boucher – are keen to create new music.
In a statement on Facebook, the post-hardcore band said: “Hey folks, it’s with a heavy heart that we announce that after 20+ years, our singer and brother Matthew Davies-Kreye has decided to move on to pastures new going forward, and leaves with all our love, respect and gratitude.
“While Matt moves on, the rest of us have come out of our recent ’20 Years Casually Dressed’ anniversary tour with a renewed spark and desire to create new music together, for the first time in this lineup for many years.”
The Welsh rockers insisted they “wouldn’t be entertaining new music” if they weren’t confidence “the material we’re currently writing would hold up to the legacy of what we created back in the day”.
FFAF are booked to play Slam Dunk Festival next year, with Holding Absence singer Lucas Woodland stepping in for Matthew.
Meanwhile, the former frontman admitted he “never thought” he would get to “revist” being in the band after they “called it a day” seven years ago, particularly welcoming Darran and Ryan back into the fold.
Wishing his friends “all the luck and success in the world”, he explained in his own statement: “After the joy, fun and success of the last two tours Kris, Darran, Ryan, Gavin and Rich are eager to play more shows and explore what the band can still do creatively and I’m sure with what they have in mind their endeavours will push the band to new highs.
“For me though, this is a road that I can’t walk down.
“I absolutely love everyone in FFAF, I love our fans and I loved these last shows we played but my life has moved on in so many ways since we first said goodbye back in 2016 that I can’t see myself being in an active band again.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Green Day are releasing new single ‘Dilemma’ later this week.
The ‘Basket Case’ icons – who are set to drop their 14th album ‘Saviors’ next month – are giving fans another tease of the upcoming LP after recent hits ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ and ‘Look Ma, No Brains!’
Taking to Instagram, the pop punk legends confirmed the new song will be available on Thursday (07.12.23).
They wrote: “Throwing a rager of a holiday party. Dilemma is out everywhere on Thursday, come by then to check it out.”
The record will be the first new material from the trio – made up of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool – since 2020’s ‘Father of All…’, which followed 2016’s ‘Revolution Radio’ and 2012’s triple album project ‘¡Uno! ¡Dos! ¡Tré!’
Reflecting on the band’s approach, frontman Billie Joe recently told Kerrang! magazine: “When I think about [2004 album] ‘American Idiot’, I think of where ‘Nimrod’ and ‘Warning’ were these records where we were in the studio learning, and trying to further our musical knowledge.
“That’s sort of the way that I feel right now, too, because ‘Father Of All…’ was one of those moments where we were like, ‘Let’s try something new.’
“We learned so much from it, and it’s like it has a baby called ‘Saviors!’ ”
Bassist Mike insisted the new record does honour the bands roots with “energy and melody” while pushing their sound in a “fresh” direction.
He added: “I can hear bits of each album on this record, even though it sounds fresh and new.
“I feel like if there’s any words that always come back to Green Day, it’s energy and melody – and this record has all those things in abundance.”

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