OHMYGOSSIP — Sir Rod Stewart has snubbed a mega money offer to perform in Saudi Arabia because of the country’s human rights issues.
The 78-year-old rock legend was offered a significant sum to bring his show to the Middle East but declined due to the oppression of “women, the LGBTQ community [and] the press” in the kingdom.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “I’m grateful that I have a choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices… women, the LGBTQ community, the press.
“I’d like my choice not to go… to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change.”
Rod had previously turned down £1 million to bring his live show to Qatar – which hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup – and although the Saudi offer was “much higher” he was never interested in trading his principles for cash.
A source told the publication: “Rod was determined to do the right thing and couldn’t accept the offer, no matter how much money was on the table. Some things are more important.”
In Saudi Arabia engaging in same-sex relationships is illegal and can be punishable with the death penalty.
The ‘Maggie May’ singer had previously spoke about how he wanted to use his 2016 Knighthood from late British monarch Queen Elizabeth II to do good in the world and highlight charities he supports.
He said: “I usually keep all my charitable efforts nice and quiet and just do it. But I thought, ‘I am a knight, I have been given this knighthood because of the things I’ve achieved in my life and the charity work I’ve done over the years.’
“But that was the past. I want to be seen to be doing something now. I am a knight, I should be using my power to do something for people. I am sure that if there are people out there who see what I am doing, they will pick up some slack too.”
In 2022, Rod – who is married to Lady Penny Lancaster Stewart – rented a house in Berkshire for a family of seven Ukrainians who had fled the war with Russia and paid all their household bills.
He also gave two other refugees jobs at his Essex mansion, working as a gardener and a housekeeper.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Michael Jackson’s leather jacket from his 1984 Pepsi commercial is to be auctioned off.
Propstore will be selling the custom-made black and white jacket and over 200 original pieces of music memorabilia on November 10 in one of the biggest ever sales of entertainment collectors’ items.
Bids on the late King of Pop’s garment – which has no size or manufacturer label – will start at £100,000, but estimates predict it will fetch between £200,000 and £400,000.
For the advertisement filmed in New York City, Michael changed his 1983 hit single ‘Billie Jean’ to create a jingle referencing Pepsi’s ‘New Generation’ of customers, which co-starred a 12-year-old Alfonso Ribeiro before he found fame on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’.
Michael starred in the commercial with his brothers from the Jackson Five and they earned a reputed $5 million – a record fee at the time – from PepsiCo in 1983.
The jacket is being sold by Wendell Thompson who was gifted the item when he met the pop legend in 1980 aged 12.
Thompson — whose father was Jackson’s hairdresser in Florida — was given the piece of pop history in December 1983 when he was visiting Orlando for the opening of the Michael Jackson room at the Hotel Royal Plaza, originally named The Royal Inn and now called B Resort Spa.
Thompson’s auction lot also includes the original Polaroid photo of him receiving the jacket, a hand-signed photo from Jackson, ‘The Making of Thriller’ book, ‘Making Michael Jackson’s Thriller’ LaserDisc and Pepsi set pics.
When filming a second Pepsi commercial with his siblings, Michael’s hair caught fire after a pyrotechnics effect went wrong and he sustained second degree burns on his scalp. The incident has been attributed to the start of the ‘Man in the Mirror’ hitmaker’s painkiller addiction, a struggle that lasted up until his death on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50 from “acute Propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication”.
Make-up artist Karen Faye – who worked with Jackson for 27 years – testified in a later court case: “I never saw anything like that in my life. This was someone I knew and he was on fire.
“All his hair was gone and there was smoke coming out of his head.”
The memorabilia auction will also include items from other music legends including Amy Winehouse’s iconic beehive from the ‘You Know I’m No Good’ music video, and George Michael’s La Rocka jacket from ‘I knew You Were Waiting (For Me)’, on which he sang with Aretha Franklin.
David Bowie’s original ‘Liza Jane’ single test pressing, and John Lennon’s belt buck from the ‘Lost Weekend’ period will also be available.
Announcing the sale, Mark Hochman – director of Music and Posters at Propstore – said: “Taking inspiration from last year’s highly successful music sale, we have strived to be bigger and better for 2023 and with incredible, unique content from rock and pop legends – John Lennon, The Beatles, David Bowie, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Oasis, AC/DC, KISS, Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, Queen, Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse.
“For many of these exclusive lots, it is the first time they have been offered for sale to the public and Propstore expect bidding to be highly competitive.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Agnetha Faltskog was “suspicious” of the ABBA Voyage show.
The band came back together in 2020 to work on the ambitious virtual concert residency in London which features avatars of the group members performing their hits created using motion capture technology – but Agnetha, 73, had admitted she wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea at first.
She told the Guardian newspaper: “I was a bit suspicious, I must say – you know, what is this. We were working the whole of February [2020] to prepare – it doesn’t sound so much, but it was, performing the songs with all these technicians and all the things on your body.
“We were working really hard and I’ll be totally honest, I was not so comfortable with it. But after maybe four or five days you get into it: OK, I’ll go there again. Also, the music helps, because it gives us a very special feeling.”
However, Agnetha confessed that she ended up feeling “proud” of the show and pleased that so many fans were keen to see it. She added: “Somewhere along the way I could just feel proud – they really want to see us again.”
The show is believed to be one of the most expensive live music experiences ever created with an estimated budget of $175 million. It launched in May 2022 at the purpose-built ABBA Arena venue at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and is slated to run until November 2024.
Agnetha added of the show: “I’m at home in my bed, and at the same time in London. It’s very cleverly done, isn’t it?”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Doja Cat changed the title of her new album because she worried the original name sounded too “aggressive”.
The rapper/singer had originally been due to release a new record called ‘Hellmouth’ last month but she ended up changing the title to ‘Scarlet’ at the last minute and she’s now revealed she had some concerns about the previous name.
Speaking on the ‘Hot Ones’ YouTube show, she explained: “I don’t care about the meaning being so deep, as much as the word being a cool word. I just like good words. I thought ‘Hellmouth’ was cool … it’s like the gates of hell. But that felt so aggressive to me after a while, and I don’t know if I even like it anymore.”
She added of the new title: “I change my mind constantly. And ‘Scarlet’ felt like the right thing to do, because it’s kind of an ode to ‘Hot Pink’. I did the name of a colour, but it’s not really; you think of Scarlett as someone’s first name, and not as a colour. That was kind of the twist to it. And also red is just a passionate shade.”
Doja Cat previously came under fire after the artwork for ‘Scarlet’ was compared to an almost identical cover for German Chaver’s new album ‘Of Gloom’ with both featuring a very similar red spider.
However, the star seemingly changed the artwork as she later shared a different album cover with fans on X – formerly known as Twitter – which showed two spiders with peal bodies.
In her post on the social media site, she wrote: “The art I chose for my album is beautiful and I like it a lot. The two spiders signify conquering your fear. None of my album covers had meaning until this album. You not accepting me was a fear I used to have. I don’t care anymore about satisfying you.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Oasis star Noel Gallagher is not surprised two of the band’s albums have been named the most streamed records from the 1990s.
The rocker has teamed up with the organisers of National Album Day to celebrate the band’s two albums ‘Definitely Maybe’ and ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ being named the top two most streamed records from the 1990s by the Official Charts company – and he’s glad Brits still have “taste”.
He said: “I’m thrilled, but I wouldn’t say I was that surprised that ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ has been voted the most streamed album of the 90s – I still do have my faith in the taste of people in this country.
“I mean if you’ve got ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ on an album, you’re gonna be all right aren’t ya … For certain people, it’ll be bringing back memories of their youth in the 90s and that brilliantly amazing decade we all lived through and then for the young people coming to it now, the songs deal with just the universal truths of life, and they will always be timeless … You know, of love and loss and heartbreak and friendship and the weather. All the universal things that we that we live through on a day-to-day basis that we don’t really notice. So thanks to everybody.”
A spokesperson for National Album Day added: “It’s no surprise that ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ and ‘Definitely Maybe’ are the two most streamed albums of the 1990s according to the Official Charts. For many, Oasis’ music was era-defining, but it also remains as relevant and contemporary as ever, finding new audiences as the next generation of fans discover and enjoy their now classic songs.”
The achievement will be marked by the release of a new lyric video for their ‘Cigarettes Alcohol’ B-side ‘Listen Up’ which will be available to view exclusively on the National Album Day website from 10am on National Album Day on Saturday (14.10.23).
It comes ahead of a planned re-release of Oasis B-sides album ‘The Masterplan’ on November 3 which includes limited-edition collector’s formats of a CD, cream cassette and double vinyl.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Bombay Bicycle Club singer Jack Steadman felt “embarrassed” recording with Chaka Khan in a fancy studio.
The band teamed up with the music legend to provide vocals on their track ‘Tekken 2 ‘ and Jack flew to Los Angeles for a session at an upmarket studio near her home, and Jack admits he was left red-faced when it became obvious he wasn’t going to use any of the high-tech sound equipment.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, he explained: “I have this funny memory of walking in and the mixing desk was the size of an entire house. I’d just brought my laptop and plugged Chaka into that, but I thought it was so embarrassing that I wasn’t using all this stuff.”
However, Chaka wasn’t fazed at all. She added: “But I thought that was really cool.”
Jack went on to admit he felt intimidated at first, but soon relaxed after the singer’s family showed up. He said: “[I felt daunted ] until I stepped into the room. Chaka’s family all showed up and the whole vibe was so communal and supportive. And Chaka herself was really down to earth. I immediately felt relaxed.”
Chaka added of the collaboration: “I really liked the song and the message was right up my alley, in line with my philosophy.”
The single features on Bombay Bicycle Club’s new album, ‘My Big Day’, which is released on October 20. The upcoming record also features the likes of Damon Albarn, Jay Som, Nilufer Yanya, and Holly Humberstone. Meanwhile, Bombay Bicycle Club have announced plans for a new headline tour across the UK and Ireland for January and February. The tour will begin in Belfast on January 29 and will end in Cardiff on February 18. Pre-sale tickets for the tour go on sale from October 25, and on general sale from October 27. The band have also announced plans to perform a summer show at Alexandra Palace Park in London on July 12. UK and Ireland tour dates: Belfast – January 29 Dublin – January 30 Birmingham – February 2 Brighton – February 3 Bristol – February 5 Nottingham – February 6 Sheffield – February 8 Norwich – February 9 Cambridge – February 10 Glasgow – February 12 Newcastle – February 15 Manchester – February 16 Cardiff – February 18 London – July 12

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OHMYGOSSIP — BTS star Jungkook has announced his first full-length solo concert ‘Golden Live on Stage’.
The 26-year-old K-pop star released his debut solo single ‘Seven’, featuring Latto, in July will take centre stage on his own following the release of his debut solo album ‘Golden’.
The LP is set to arrive on November 3, weeks before Jung prepares to hit the stage on his own on November 20.
Jungkook will headline the Jangchung Arena in Seoul on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 8pm KST (11am GMT) with the concert available to stream for fans globally.
The concert will “feature performances of various tracks” from the album and it is believed that Jung’s BTS bandmates will make an appearance during the show,
Tickets are available for fans who hold ARMY membership or who have purchased ‘Golden’ from the Weverse Shop.
A post on Weverse read: “Jungkook ‘Golden Live On Stage’ will feature performances of various tracks on the album. We eagerly anticipate your love and support you’ll bring to this unique showcase with the artist.”
Although Jungkook has performed solo before – such as at the Global Citizen festival in New York – ‘Golden Live On Stage’ will mark his first full-length solo show.
The South Korean singer recently spoke about being grateful for his haters as much as his fans, insisting the time and energy they put into trolling him means that they are paying attention to his art.
Whilst taking part in a listening party for his solo his ‘3D’ with Jack Harlow earlier this month, he said: “There are plenty of people who don’t like me.
“It means they’re spending their time on me. I’d consider that some sort of interest. Right? They’re different kinds of fans.
“If they had absolutely no interest in me, they wouldn’t. So, I thank them for their time.
“I don’t like them, though. I don’t have to like them, do I? Of course, I love the ones who love me. I wouldn’t love people who say bad things about me. I work for those who support me.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Bryan Adams is returning to London’s Royal Albert Hall for a three-date run next year.
The 63-year-old rocker had such a great time at the iconic venue in 2022, he is going to do it all again from May 13th to May 15th, 2024, admitting it was a “no brainer”.
He said: “Our last visit to the Royal Albert Hall was such a great series of shows, it was a no-brainer to want to come back and do it again.
“However, this time we have a whole new perspective on how to make it work and with three different albums. The band and I are really looking forward to it!”
Bryan is planning to perform one album in full on each night, ’18 Til I Die’, ‘Reckless’, and ‘So Happy It Hurts’, as well his greatest hits.
Following his London dates, he will head to Coventry, Sheffield and Cardiff, before heading over to Ireland to play in Dublin on May 21st, 2024, and he will then make the short trip to Northern Ireland to perform in Belfast on May 22nd next year.
It comes after Bryan was due to start a three-night residency in London’s Royal Albert Hall in May 2020, but the shows were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It prompted the ‘Summer of ’69’ crooner to lash out and claim “bat-eating” people had caused the coronavirus pandemic, and he blamed wet markets – where animals are sold live and slaughtered for food and medicine – for putting “the whole world on hold”.
He wrote on social media at the time: “Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of a tenancy of gigs at the @royalalberthall, but thanks to some f****** bat eating, wet market animal selling, virus making greedy b*******, the whole world is now on hold, not to mention the thousands that have suffered or died from this virus.
“My message to them other than ‘thanks a f****** lot’ is go vegan.
“To all the people missing out on our shows, I wish I could be there more than you know. It’s been great hanging out in isolation with my children and family, but I miss my other family, my band, my crew and my fans.
“Take care of yourselves and hope we can get the show on the road again soon. I’ll be performing a snippet from each album we were supposed to perform for the next few days. X #songsfromisolation #covid_19 #banwetmarkets #selfisolation #bryanadamscutslikeaknife #govegan (sic).”
But Bryan later apologised for his comments, insisting he was just having a “rant” about animal cruelty and trying to urge people to try a plant-based diet.
He wrote on Instagram alongside a clip of himself singing ‘Into the Fire’: “Apologies to any and all that took offence to my posting yesterday.
“No excuse, I just wanted to have a rant about the horrible animal cruelty in these wet-markets being the possible source of the virus, and promote veganism.
“I have love for all people and my thoughts are with everyone dealing with this pandemic around the world.”

Bryan Adams’s 2024 UK and Ireland tour:

May
13 – London, Royal Albert Hall – ’18 Til I Die’
14 – London, Royal Albert Hall – ‘Reckless’
15 – London, Royal Albert Hall – ‘So Happy It Hurts’
17 – Coventry, Coventry Building Society Arena
18 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena
19 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
21 – Dublin, 3Arena
22 – Belfast, The SSE Arena

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Jonas Brothers performed with their dad Kevin Jonas Sr. at their show in Nashville, Tennessee on Monday night (09.10.23).
The siblings took to the stage at the city’s Bridgestone Arena as part of their ‘Five Albums. One Night’ tour and they introduced Kevin, Sr as a very special guest to perform the Eagles’ 1973 rock classic ‘Desperado’ with them.
Joe Jonas, 33, introduced their dad to the stage, saying: “You’re about to get a special performance by somebody who literally had at least 50 per cent to do with us being here tonight … Please welcome Kevin Jonas Sr.”
At the end of the song, he gave his sons a big hug before walking off.
The brothers previously performed with their dad – who is a former pastor and musician – during a show in Las Vegas last year.
They have been touring the US since August and will head to cities including Miami, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas throughout October before winding up in Brooklyn, New York on December 9.
The brothers previously insisted this tour is their most ambitious to date. Joe told PEOPLE: “I think we built a beautiful show for people to come see.”
Nick added: “It’s our most ambitious show we’ve ever put on, in the sense that building out five albums in one night was a challenge that I don’t think we fully understood after we’d already put it on sale. [But] it’s amazing to just go back and look at the road that brought us to this moment now.”
He went on to insist they enjoyed revisiting some of their earlier hits because their voices have changed so much since they have grown up.
Nick added: “Going through voice changes while making these albums added an unnecessary level of grit to some of the vocal delivery. I think as we’ve settled into our adult voices, it’s fun to sing them in a more mature and thoughtful vocal delivery.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Billie Eilish thinks ‘Bad Guy’ is the “stupidest song in the world”.
The 21-year-old singer released the chart-topping hit back in 2019 and despite its success, Billie acknowledges that it’s a “dumb” song.
During an appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, Billie explained: “Objectively, ‘Bad Guy’ is like the stupidest song in the world. But it’s really good.”
On the song, Billie taunts someone for being a bad guy while also suggesting that she’s more resilient.
The award-winning star described the record as “goofy”.
She shared: “It’s just like, you have to understand … You have to have, like, humour in it. Like, that song is … I’m trolling. That song is supposed to be goofy, but it’s just funny because it’s dumb.
“It’s literally, like, ‘Duh’. Like, what does that mean?”
Meanwhile, Billie previously confessed to being “very depressed” during the early years of her career.
The singer actually struggled to enjoy her early success in the music business.
Billie – who was just 17 when she released her debut album – shared: “I really, really love it, and it’s really nice to be able to say that now, because I really didn’t love it for a couple of years.
“The first few years of my career I was very young and very depressed and didn’t even know if I wanted anything that I had.”
However, Billie’s mindset has been transformed by a series of behind-the-scenes changes.
She explained to Electronic Beats: “I was kind of in this zone of like, I don’t want to be here. Stupid little kid and I’ve made changes.
“Then we got a kind of less brutal touring schedule and we got more people and we didn’t have to do it all ourselves any more. And it just became really, really enjoyable.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour Tour was “informative in so many ways”.
The 20-year-old singer has revealed that she learned a lot about herself during her 2022 tour.
Olivia – whose tour included stops in the US, Canada, and Europe – told PEOPLE: “The Sour Tour was my first time ever playing shows with my own music, so it was informative in so many ways. I really love my band, and I want to play with them forever.
“I think most of [what I learned] was just personally, how I can best take care of myself on tour and how I can stay rested, keep my voice healthy and stuff like that.”
Olivia will be joined on her upcoming Guts Tour by the likes of The Breeders, PinkPantheress, Chappell Roan and Remi Wolf, and she can’t wait to see them all in action.
The pop star admitted that she’s been “super inspired” by them.
Looking forward to the tour, Olivia shared: “They’re all artists that I’m just super inspired by, and I just love their work so much. I’m so excited.
“The show’s going to be really fun. I’m planning everyone in my head just screaming and dancing along to all these incredible artists, and I feel so lucky that they’re coming along with me. It’s going to be a great time.”
Olivia is also planning to do some covers during her tour.
The award-winning star said: “Doing covers of people’s songs is so much fun. It just makes each show so special and unique, so I’m definitely planning on doing that.
“I haven’t chosen all my covers yet, but maybe I need to get the wheels turning.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Leo Sayer has been forced to cancel a series of shows after becoming “very ill”.
The 75-year-old singer has taken to social media to reveal that he’s spent the last three weeks in hospital in Australia, meaning he’s been unable to fly to the UK to perform a series of scheduled gigs.
Leo – who married his partner Donatella Piccinetti earlier this year – wrote on Facebook: “I haven’t posted anything publicly about this before but I couldn’t fly or make the recent shows in the UK as I became very ill just before the trip.
“I have been in hospital here for the last 3 weeks in Australia with kidney, bladder and prostrate complications.
“It all happened at the last moment, so it was too late to warn anyone. Many thanks to Butlins and Tony Denton for making replacement arrangements for these shows.
“I’m so sorry to have disappointed my fans but these things can happen to us 75 year olds! (sic)”
Despite this, Leo is making a good recovery and he intends to return to the stage in 2024.
The ‘Show Must Go On’ hitmaker – who has lived in Australia since 2009 – also thanked his fans for their “concerns and good wishes”.
Leo’s Facebook post continued: “I’m still in hospital now but well on the mend. I will take a necessary short break from activities and be back fighting for shows in 2024. – particularly my UK and Ireland tour next autumn.
“Thank you everyone for all your concerns and good wishes… (sic)”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Bombay Bicycle Club have teamed up with Chaka Khan for their new single.
The indie band’s latest single, ‘Tekken 2’, features a surprise feature from the queen of funk, and Chaka has revealed that she relished the experience of working with the group.
The 70-year-old star said: “After Jack [Steadman] invited me and then sent the song, I loved it, the ethereal part drew me in. The band has such innovative and passionate energy, truly great musicians. Absolute vibes.”
Jack also found working with Chaka to be a surreal experience.
He shared: “It has been a pretty crazy journey, from sitting on my sofa messing around with a keyboard and drum machine to sitting across from Chaka Khan in a fancy Los Angeles studio giving her singing directions.
“Chaka was an absolute superstar and the whole experience was so positive. I think the song reflects that – it’s about coming together, putting any bad thoughts aside and just enjoying the moment.”
The single features on Bombay Bicycle Club’s new album, ‘My Big Day’, which is released on October 20.
The upcoming record also features the likes of Damon Albarn, Jay Som, Nilufer Yanya, and Holly Humberstone.
Meanwhile, Bombay Bicycle Club have announced plans for a new headline tour across the UK and Ireland for January and February.
The tour will begin in Belfast on January 29 and will end in Cardiff on February 18.
Pre-sale tickets for the tour go on sale from October 25, and on general sale from October 27.
The band have also announced plans to perform a summer show at Alexandra Palace Park in London on July 12.

UK and Ireland tour dates:

Belfast – January 29
Dublin – January 30
Birmingham – February 2
Brighton – February 3
Bristol – February 5
Nottingham – February 6
Sheffield – February 8
Norwich – February 9
Cambridge – February 10
Glasgow – February 12
Newcastle – February 15
Manchester – February 16
Cardiff – February 18
London – July 12

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OHMYGOSSIP — Madonna’s Celebration Tour will be a “documentary” through her career.
The 65-year-old star is set to embark on her first-ever greatest hits tour, and Stuart Price – her musical director – has revealed that it will lean on four decades of archive footage and recordings to tell the story of Madonna’s record-breaking career.
He told the BBC: “A greatest hit doesn’t have to be a song. It can be a wardrobe, it can be a video, or a statement.”
Madonna has returned to full health after suffering a serious bacterial infection earlier this year.
Stuart has promised that the chart-topping icon will deliver a show to remember during The Celebration Tour.
He shared: “Madonna has very high expectations of how much hard work people will put into something. It’s very uncompromising – but she’s equally as hard on herself.
“So when she took a break, that pause created an opportunity to further enhance the show. And I’m sure the opportunity [for her] to focus on being 100 percent well was greatly received as well.”
Stuart also acknowledged that the show might differ “from night to night”.
Despite this, the musical director insisted that Madonna’s “strong” personality will always shine through in all of her performances.
Looking forward to the landmark tour, Stuart explained: “Madonna’s reputation is for being highly precise and highly rehearsed across all departments. When you look at a tour of this scale, it has so many moving parts, so many elements, that everything has to be highly fixed.
“But there’s one thing that’s always dynamic, and that’s Madonna herself. Her personality is so strong, her interaction with the audience is so strong, that it creates opportunities for variation from night to night.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Eric Cantona thinks his new music career is the “closest thing” to his time in football.
The retired Manchester United legend is releasing his debut four-track EP ‘I’ll Make My Own Heaven’ on October 20, with the collection recorded live to create a specific style and mood.
He’s quoted by the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column as saying: “If you have a dream it should be a big dream. I’ve done sport, cinema, but I think after sport the closest thing is singing live on stage.
“I did the live shows first. After people came they were like, ‘You should release one or two pieces’.
“When I was young, all the albums I bought were live albums. There is an energy and imperfection, there are accidents that can be beautiful – hopefully not too many accidents.”
The Frenchman – whose style appears to have been partly influenced by the likes of Leonard Cohen and Serge Gainsbourg – is set to hit the road for a sell-out live tour, and he’s keen for fans to keep their phones in their pockets at the gigs.
He said: “There are drugs, there are alcohol and today, there are social networks. We need to realise that.
“Maybe I come across as an old fool, but I don’t care.”
Cantona explained how he realised the negative impact phones can have when he was on a train journey recently annd saw a couple sat opposite him who “didn’t once look up” on the journey from Paris to Avignon.
He added: “They didn’t see one village they passed, not one prairie or animal running in the fields, not one bird, not one person who was working.
“These guys were on Instagram looking at rubbish.”
He pointed out that “it’s possible” for people to shun social media or even having a phone, noting that “silence really has meaning”.
He said: “There are silences that say so much. It’s a shape to deprive ourselves of silence.
“The more we advance, the less room for silence in the media. It’s very important to be bored. Boredom is important to feed the imagination.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Judas Priest are releasing a new album.
The English heavy metal band, that formed in Birmingham over 50 years ago, surprised their fans on Saturday (07.10.23), while performing at the Power Trip Festival, in Indio, California, by announcing their highly anticipated 19th studio album titled ‘Invincible Shield’.
The long-awaited LP will be their first release in six years, and is the follow-up to 2018’s ‘Firepower’.
Whilst the record won’t be released till March 2024, fans can enjoy the first earworm set to arrive on Friday, October 13.
Taking to Twitter, Judas Priest wrote: “The New. Invincible Shield. March 8th 2024. Pre-order now.”
The album, which has been in the works since 2020, was originally put on hold due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
In a previous interview, Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, told Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3: “We’ve already started work on it.
“We had some great writing sessions in the early part of this year until the world came to a stop in late March.
“I came back here [home] to Phoenix just to chill and relax for a bit and get ready for another writing session. ‘Cause that’s what we need to do as a band. You make a bunch of work and then you walk away from it and then you go back to it later and re-analyse it and continue the growth of the record.
“That’s what we were doing then, and we’re still doing it now – we’re still putting bits and pieces together. It’s an unusual way of making a record, but we’re not the only band that’s going through this situation in terms of creativity. You can’t let this pandemic stop you; you’ve gotta try and still get as much out of life as you can.”

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