OHMYGOSSIP — James have joined the line-up for this year’s South Facing Festival.
The band – which is celebrating four decades together – are set to be joined by special guests Happy Mondays when they perform at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London in August.
James were formed in Manchester in the early 1980s and have enjoyed huge success since then, selling more than 25 million copies sold in their recent run of Top 5 albums.
The band’s arena tour in 2021 was their biggest selling and most successful to date, while they’re also gearing up to release a double album later this year.
James will be joined at the festival by Happy Mondays, the iconic rock band who were formed in in Salford in 1980.
The group are widely recognised as being one of the most influential bands of the decade and they’re also seen as an integral part of the Manchester music scene.
Happy Mondays – which includes Shaun Ryder, Gary Whelan, Rowetta, Mark ‘Bez’ Berry, Mark Day and Dan Broad – first achieved chart success in the UK in the 80s, before they found fame and success overseas.
The band’s hit records include ‘Step On’ and ‘Kinky Afro’.
Happy Mondays and James are now coming together to perform at the iconic Crystal Palace Bowl on August 11.
Other big-name artists who are due to perform at the festival include Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Rudimental, First Aid Kit and Craig David.
South Facing Festival was launched in 2021 and is set to bring together an unbeatable line-up of artists across multiple music genres, including rap, indie, rock and pop.
Tickets for the festival will go on sale on March 3 from 10am. The tickets are available via https://southfacingfestival.com/

South Facing Festival dates:

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, plus special guest Johnny Marr – July 28
Rudimental – August 5
James alongside Happy Mondays – August 11
First Aid Kit, plus special guests CMAT, Flyte and 86TVs – August 12
Craig David, plus special guest Nathan Dawe – August 13

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OHMYGOSSIP — Haley Lu Richardson says starring in a Jonas Brothers music video is the “biggest role” of her career.
The ‘White Lotus’ actress appeared in the promo for the group’s new single ‘Wings’ and the superfan was left stunned when she found out she’d be working with them.
She told The Hollywood Reporter: “Oh man, I don’t know where to start. It’s the biggest thing of my life.
“It’s the biggest role of my career: past, present and future. It was amazing and I cried for three days straight.”
The 27-year-old was was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway when she checked her voicemails and noticed one from an unsaved number.
She explained: “I played it, and it was like, ‘Hey, Haley, this is Joe Jonas. And me and my brothers just had this idea about this video. So, uh, give me a call back.’ ”
She admitted she replayed the message “like 12 more times”, before pulling over the car and listening to it “another 20 times” as she became overwhelmed by the whole situation.
She added: “I listened to it 12 more times, pulled over and listened to it another 20 times, cried, listened to it again and then spent the rest of the time driving to where I was going.”
She eventually managed to call him back, and revealed: “I just told him I would do anything for him. Literally anything. And then I met them and was in this video.”
She previously met the trio at a meet and greet around 2007 or 2008, but now she truly feels like she’s living the dream.
She said: “Honestly, after meeting the Jonas Brothers, yes! That was the most dream, monumental… Like, everyone’s how does it feel to be on the ‘White Lotus’? I’m like, it’s cool, but the Jonas Brothers though?! That’s cool!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Dua Lipa is putting the finishing touches to her “really personal” third album.
The 27-year-old singer is expected to be “a lot more revealing in her lyrics” on her next record, and she is said to have written on every song on the album.
A music insider told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Dua’s third album is really personal to her and she has been hands on at every turn.
“She has spent hundreds of hours in the studio and has written on every song – that is really important to her.
“As one of the biggest names in pop music, all of the most talented writers and artists have been vying to work with her.
“Dua has been very clear about her direction in keeping it upbeat and fun, but she will be a lot more revealing in her lyrics.”
It’s not yet known exactly when Dua will drop her new album, but she is expected to release “at least some new music” before 2023 is out.
The insider added: “The label are really excited about it and are planning a lengthy campaign on a whole new scale to maximise the music, so its release date is up in the air – especially until it is completed.
“But the plan is for fans to hear at least some new music from the record by the end of the year.”
Earlier this month, Dua admitted she was worried her third album could leak online.
The ‘Levitating’ singer’s record company bosses are desperately trying to ensure recordings for the highly-anticipated LP are secure after a song she worked on with Pharrell Williams appeared recently, with the offcut from her second studio album ‘Future Nostalgia’ the latest in a series of unreleased tracks from the pop star to have made it into the public domain.
A source said at the time: “Over the past month or so countless demos and rejected songs from Dua have been appearing online.
“It’s annoying as they didn’t make the album for a reason but obviously the main concern is to know if information about her third album is next.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher for the record after ‘Future Nostalgia’ turned her into one of the biggest stars on the planet, so bosses are determined to plug the leak, and quickly. ‘Future Nostalgia’ leaked a few days before it came out in 2020 and Dua was devastated. She has made it clear it must not happen again.”
Dua revealed in December the new record will be “very different” to previous albums and was going to turn out very differently to what she’d originally planned.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Drake wants to “gracefully exit” music to make way for the next generation of rappers.
The ‘God’s Plan’ hitmaker has insisted he’s not thinking about retirement anytime soon, but when the time comes to step back, he wants to mentor up-and-coming artists.
Speaking to fellow rapper Lil Yachty, 25, for the first ‘Moody Conversations’ episode on YouTube, Drake said: “Well, I think on a broader scale, I think I’m at the point now where I just wanna — I feel like maybe we talked about this the other day — but I feel like I’m kind of introducing the concept in my mind of a graceful exit.”
The 36-year-old hip-hop superstar continued: “I feel like a lot of people that I’ve watched as the years have gone on, it’s a really addictive competitive space. Oftentimes you’re addicted to the competition itself.”
Reassuring fans that he has no plans to hang up his microphone in the near future, Drake added: “I’m not ready now, but to gracefully continue making projects that are extremely interesting and hopefully cherished by people, and then to find the right time to say, ‘I can’t wait to see what the next generation does.’
“I’ll still be around to work with people or do a show here or there, but I’m not going to force myself to compete.
I would love to just see what the next generation does, whenever that time is. So, I guess that’s the one thing that I want for myself really badly.”
The ‘Hotline Bling’ hitmaker recently hinted at putting another album out this year, while he also vowed to stick around for “a little bit at least”.
The Canadian megastar brought his greatest hits to the Apollo Theater in New York City in January for a SiriusXM special, where he provided an update on future music and a tour with 21 Savage.
While on stage with the latter, he said: “We’re gonna be out on the road this summer.”
He later added: “I’ve thought about a bunch of things in life, but at this moment in time none of those things are stopping making music for you, so I’ll be here for you for a little bit at least.
“I hope I can strike up more emotions for you. Maybe this year – I might get bored and make another one. Who knows?”
Drake and Savage released their joint LP ‘Her Loss’ last year.
The former’s last solo record was 2022’s ‘Honestly, Nevermind’.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Jessie J has reunited with her ‘Price Tag’ collaborator on her comeback single.
The 34-year-old pop star – who is pregnant with a rainbow baby – is said to be planning to make her music return with the single ‘Heaven Bound’, which she co-wrote with Claude Kelly, the songwriter credited on her 2011 hit featuring rapper B.o.B.
The emotional lyrics include: “Many days and many nights, I had to face so many fights.
“When all along we could have been getting high, don’t you think it’s time?”
She also sings: “Baby, don’t you look down, take me to another level, I want to be heaven bound.”
The ‘Domino’ singer is going to perform the song live first to gauge if she has a hit on her hands.
A music insider told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Jessie’s team think ‘Heaven Bound’ is her perfect comeback track.
“It is a collaboration with Claude and they are both really proud of it.
“Jessie wants to try out the song live and see how her fans react to it before a final decision is made.
“She has been working hard on her next album and is really proud of everything that she has created in the studio, but ‘Heaven Bound’ is really special.”
Jessie’s upcoming sixth studio album will be her first since 2018’s ‘R.O.S.E.’ and the festive LP ‘This Christmas Day’.
Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the former ‘Voice UK’ coach is filming a documentary that will chronicle her return to music as she becomes a mother.
A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “Jessie’s determined not to let her pregnancy prevent her from relaunching her career.
“The documentary will see Jessie discuss everything from pregnancy, miscarriage, health problems, heartbreak and love life to her fall from public favour and planned comeback.”
Jessie just performed an acoustic set at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire with a TV crew in tow. And, as well as a new album, a world tour is set to follow in 2024.
The star – who is dating basketball player Chanan Colman – announced her pregnancy in January, just 13 months after she suffered a devastating miscarriage.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Mimi Webb, Rina Sawayama, Arlo Parks and more have been added to the line-up for Reading and Leeds 2023.
The iconic festivals return to Reading’s Richfield Avenue and Leeds’ Bramham Park between August 25 and 27 with the biggest bill to date, including six major headliners in Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, The Killers, Foals and Imagine Dragons.
And the second wave of artists announced also includes Tom Odell, Easy Life, Bakar, and Yard Act.
Becky Hill, Bicep Live, Wet Leg, Central Cee, Declan McKenna, Don Broco, Steve Lacy, MK, Inhaler, Slowthai, Tion Wayne and Trippie Redd were confirmed in the first line-up announcement.
Along with the likes of Slowthai, Eliza Rose, Baby Queen, You Me At Six and The Snuts.
Sam Fender said: “I first went to Leeds Festival with Dean when we were teenagers. We had a wild time, a rite of passage. Ten years later and we’re headlining. I’m so excited, it’s going to be f****** intergalactic! See you down the front.”
Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis said: “We’re so hyped to be back at Reading and Leeds. We’ll never forget the rush of headlining Leeds in the absolute pouring rain in 2016, a show that was one of our most intense ever, or back in 2008 at Reading feeling possessed, climbing the rigging and launching myself headfirst into the crowd.
“We’ve always had an amazing and feral time playing here, one of the greatest festivals in the world. It’s so special to be given a headline slot and we’re gonna rock it. Oh, and we might throw in a surprise or two.
See you in the pit.”
Ronnie Vannucci of The Killers commented: “We have been hearing about Reading and Leeds since ever we can remember. Each time we return is a bigger mountain to climb. 2023 serves as no exception. See you at the top.”
Imagine Dragons said: “You never forget your first time playing a legendary festival like Reading and Leeds – there’s an energy like nowhere else on the planet. It’s an honour to come back and headline after all these years, and we plan to make it something we all remember.”
‘Pointless’ hitmaker Lewis Capaldi said: “I am so, so excited to be one of the headliners for Reading and Leeds Festival. Unreal that last time I played was to a wee crowd in 2018. Can’t wait to see you all next year.”
For tickets head to www.readingfestival.com/tickets and www.leedsfestival.com/tickets.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Louis Tomlinson admits a One Direction reunion is “hard to imagine right now”.
The 31-year-old singer shot to fame in the chart-topping boy band alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik in 2010, and has documented the highs and lows in a tell-all documentary, ‘All Of Those Voices’.
While promoting the film, Louis admitted that while he hopes he and his bandmates reunite in the future, he can’t see it happening anytime soon, especially given Harry’s massive solo success and film work, which he’s proud of.
In an interview with The Times newspaper, the singer said: “Well, it’s not a surprise is it? We were always aware that Harry fit that mould, and it’s been an amazing thing to watch.”
The ‘Bigger Than Me’ singer admits he was jealous of Harry’s success at the start of his solo career, because he hadn’t found his “feet” yet, but he’s learned not to compare himself with others.
Asked if he was envious of his bandmate’s solo success, he replied: “Envy? At the start maybe, when I was trying to find my feet, but it’s never healthy to cross-reference your own success with others is it? These days I’m learning to elevate myself in those moments when I have to. I didn’t know how to do that before, but now? Now I know I f****** can.”
And when quizzed on reuniting with 1D – who became a four-piece when Zayn quit in 2015, before going on hiatus themselves the year later – Louis confessed: “Getting back together at some point is hard to imagine right now.”
However, he added: “I’d be surprised if we lived out our lives and didn’t have a moment where we had a reunion, or whatever you want to call it. I’d be up for that.”
In the documentary, Louis opens up about the devastation of the ‘History’ group going on an indefinite break and how he thought it was the end of his career.
He confessed in the trailer for the film: “I thought for me, it was the band or nothing.
“It was hard for me to imagine myself on my own. I didn’t see a way back — not even musically, but just to do anything.”
Louis released his debut single ‘Just Hold On’ in December 2016.
He released his second solo album ‘Faith in the Future’ in November last year.
Viewers can expect an “intimate and unvarnished view of Louis’ life and career. Through never-before-seen home movie footage and behind-the-scenes access to Louis’ sell-out 2022 World Tour, All Of Those Voices offers a unique perspective on what it’s like to be a musician in today’s fast-paced world.”
The documentary will be shown in cinemas for a limited time only from March 22.
Tickets are on sale now. Head to www.allofthosevoices.com for the most up-to-date information about participating cinemas globally.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Liam Fender finds it “amusing” taking requests for his famous brother Sam.
The musician has followed in his sibling’s footsteps by launching a career in music and wants to forge his own path in the industry, but he still gets friends asking him to ask the ‘Seventeen Going Under’ hitmaker if he’ll play at their weddings.
He told the Daily Star newspaper’s Wired column: “It is quite amusing to be honest with you because they must think that we live in the same house and we go back home with Mum and Dad.
“So I’II just sit down at the breakfast table and ask Sam to play at their weddings. I do get a fair bit of that – but it is amusing at times.”
Liam has just shared his second single, ‘Don’t Follow Me Down’, the follow-up to last year’s ‘If Love Will Conquer’, which is about being in “total despair.”
Of the promo for the track, he said: “The video portrays the struggle lot of us go through on a daily basis. The idea that we all at times put on a front. Wearing a mask to disguise the torment within. The despair of feeling stuck in a rut, playing out the same meaningless tasks day in day out. Acting brash to distract from vulnerability. Misreading people in a state of paranoia and a perceived sense of persecution whilst often failing to see that others are wearing the same mask. However, through friendship and the ability to open up, you discover that you’ve allowed your intuition to be sabotaged and the dark reality you’ve created is actually very far from the truth.”
Liam said of his foray int music: “I haven’t chosen to do this, it’s just in my DNA.”
Like his brother Sam, 28, the Geordie’s music is deeply personal and about real life.
He added: “My music’s deeply rooted in where I’m from: it comes from a real place. There’s a distinct sense of a bygone era, but in all that you find real people, real voices and real stories.”
Stream ‘Don’t Follow Me Down’ on all streaming platforms now and watch the music video on Liam’s official music video.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ariana Grande has made her music return on The Weeknd’s ‘Die For You’ remix.
The pop superstar – who has not released an album since 2020’s ‘Positions’ – has teamed up with her friend and collaborator on the new version of his 2016 track from the album ‘Starboy’.
The ‘7 Rings’ hitmaker posted a viral clip of her editing her verse in the vocal booth earlier this week, and days later, the track has been released.
She sings: “You know what I’m thinkin’, see it in your eyes / You hate that you want me, hate it when you cry.”
The Grammy winner had teased in the caption: “Wrote and recorded a verse for my friend after a 14 hour day on set. This certain exception had to be made….”
Ariana is currently working long hours filming the two-part movie adaptation of smash hit Broadway musical ‘Wicked’, in which she plays Glinda.
The 29-year-old star and 33-year-old The Weeknd – whose real name is Abel Tesfaye – first teamed up on 2014’s ‘Love Me Harder’ from Ariana’s album ‘My Everything’. And in 2020, they duetted on ‘Off The Table’ on her LP ‘Positions’, while Ariana wowed on a remix of ‘Save Your Tears’ from his record ‘After Hours’.
The ‘Dangerous Woman’ singer recently reassured fans she is still very much a singer and reminded them of her vocal prowess on a rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’ from 1939 classic ‘Wicked’.
After being asked by a TikTok user why she is no longer a singer, she replied: “Literally on set filming two musical movies all day every day.”
In the video, the ‘thank u next’ hitmaker – who initially covered the torch song made famous by Judy Garland as a charity single in May 2017 at her One Love Manchester benefit concert after 22 of her fans were killed in a terrorist attack following her concert in the North of England – was wrapped in a pink hooded blanket in an attempt to conceal her Glinda costume and hairdo.
She captioned the post: “wanted to sing you a little something but don’t want to sing anything that is not “Ozian” at the moment 🙂 keeping to my little bubble for now … done with lots of love (sic)”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lewis Capaldi’s fans stepped in to sing the rest of ‘Someone You Loved’ for the pop star at his gig as he suffered a tics episode.
The Scottish superstar has Tourette’s syndrome and has recently reassured fans not to be concerned when he’s twitching on stage, as the jolting movements are brought on when he’s feeling excited or nervous.
And in a heart-warming clip from his concert, the crowd could be heard singing louder and louder as Lewis took a step back from the microphone.
The ‘Pointless’ hitmaker recently said talking about his diagnosis has taken the “sting” out of the issue.
The 26-year-old singer revealed earlier this year that he’d been diagnosed with the disorder, and Lewis admits that speaking about it has made his life a little easier.
Asked whether it was important for him to share the news, Lewis replied: “I never meant to announce it, I just kind of said it on Instagram Live, but I like talking about it because it takes the sting out.
“That’s the worst thing when I’m on flights people go, ‘Are you okay to fly?’ And I’m like, ‘Cheeky b******, of course, I’m OK to fly’. So it’s nice to be able to go, ‘No, it’s just my Tourette’s.'”
The BRIT Award winner admitted he’s still “trying to work out how to temper it.”
Lewis told the BBC: “It’s a really new thing. I’m still trying to work out how to temper it.
“I got medical cannabis, which you can get in the UK apparently – although I got it off some guy on the street corner. And I’ve got Sertraline [an anti-depressant] for my anxiety in general.”
Lewis previously revealed that he decided to go public with his diagnosis because he didn’t want fans to think he’s been “taking cocaine or something”.
The ‘Before You Go’ hitmaker explained: “I have been diagnosed with Tourette’s.
“I wanted to speak about it because I didn’t want people to think I was taking cocaine or something.”
Lewis is learning to live with the symptoms of the condition, and the award-winning star has even had Botox injections to help to control his tics.
He shared: “My shoulder twitches when I am excited, happy, nervous, or stressed. It is something I am living with. It is not as bad as it looks.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Supergroup Boygenius have announced two huge outdoor UK shows.
Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker will play London’s Gunnersbury Park on August 20, with support from MUNA and Ethel Cain.
The trio will also play Halifax’s Piece Hall two days later (22.08.23) with dream pop star Ethel.
The pair of shows are boygenius’ first-ever UK gigs.
More special guests will be confirmed for both shows in due course.
Boygenius release their debut studio album, ‘The Record’, on March 31.
It follows their well-received 2018 self-titled EP.
Tickets go on general sale at 10am on March 3 via www.ticketmaster.co.uk.
Before the UK dates, boygenius will play the world-famous Coachella Music Festival on April 15 and 22.
Meanwhile, it was recently announced that Hollywood star Kristen Stewart will direct three of the group’s music videos.
They’ve so far released the singles ‘$20’, ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ and ‘True Blue’ from the eagerly-awaited LP.
In a recent cover interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Lucy and Julien, both 27, heaped praise on Phoebe, 28, for the way she’s handled her rise to fame.
Lucy said: “She handles it so gracefully. In ways that I would feel complicated, she has such clarity.”
And Julien added: “It’s wild and it impresses me the scale that she is able to sanely deal in.
“We’ll get random texts from her, ‘Just hung out with…’ some famous hero. It’s like a bingo box of unimaginable interactions.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — U2 plan to channel Patti Smith and Iggy Pop on their upcoming album.
Bassist Adam Clayton has teased what fans can expect from their next studio effort, which is the opposite of their planned ‘Songs of Ascent’ record.
Adam told MOJO magazine: “We are turning the amps on. I certainly think the rock that we all grew up with as 16- and 17-year-olds, that rawness of those Patti Smith, Iggy Pop records… that kind of power is something we would love to connect back into.”
Asked if it will be different from ‘Songs Of Ascent’, he replied: “Well, ‘Songs Of Ascent’ is a much more meditative, spiritual record. This will be ‘Songs For Fighting’, I’d say.”
Bono put ‘Songs of Ascent’ on hold because he wants U2 to release a “noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album” first.
The frontman revealed in October that the upcoming record – which the group have been teasing since 2009 – won’t be their next LP because he is keen to first drop an AC/DC-style rock record.
He said: “We all make mistakes. The progressive-rock virus gets in, and we needed a vaccine. The discipline of our songwriting, the thing that made U2 – top-line melody, clear thoughts – had gone.
“With the band, I was like, this is not what we do, and we can only do that experimental stuff if we have the songwriting chops. So we went to songwriting school, and we’re back and we’re good! Over those two albums, ‘Songs Of Innocence and Experience’, our songwriting returned. Now we need to put the firepower of rock ‘n’ roll back.
“I don’t know who is going to make our f***-off rock ‘n’ roll album. You almost want an AC/DC, you want Mutt Lange. The approach. The discipline. The songwriting discipline. That’s what we want.”
But Bono believes U2’s time for having hits could be over, so he is keen to create a “f***-off-to-the-pop-charts rock ‘n’ roll song.”
He added to The New York Times newspaper: “I would have loved to have a pop song on the radio. Probably we’ve run a road on that.
“So right now I want to write the most unforgiving, obnoxious, defiant, f***-off-to-the-pop-charts rock ‘n’ roll song that we’ve ever made.
“I spoke to Edge about it this week. He’s going, ‘Is it that call again?’ ‘What call?’ ‘The one about we’re going to write the big f***-off rock song?’
“And I say, ‘Yeah, it’s our job!’ We can make songs famous now, but I don’t think U2 can make them hits.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Jonas Brothers are heading to Broadway for a five-night residency.
Each night, Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas will focus on a different album, including ‘Jonas Brothers’, ‘A Little Bit Longer’, ‘Lines, Vines and Trying Times’, ‘Happiness Begins’ and the upcoming ‘The Album’.
They wrote on Instagram: “Your boys are back in town. We’re coming to Broadway and playing the Marquis Theatre March 14-18!! Each night will be focused on a different album and we’ll be playing all the hits. Believe us when we say you won’t want to miss these shows… You’ll need a Verified Fan code to get tickets, so make sure to register now through Sunday!! jonasbrothers.com.”
Following the announcement, the trio then dropped new song ‘Wings’, from their upcoming sixth record ‘The Album’.
Joe has previously spoken about how he feels ‘Wings’ “feels like a trailer to the rest of the body of work”.
He said: “It might be the shortest song on the album, but I like it because it feels like a trailer to the rest of the body of work. Also ‘Montana Sky.’ There’s a lot more acoustic guitar and real organic instruments that tap into a bunch of different influences, but we’re aware of the fact that we’re not a country act. [producer] Jon Bellion flipped it on its head — he’s got a modern edge to everything he does, even if it has really classic elements.”
They have also stated that the Bee Gees were a huge inspiration for the album.
Kevin said: “They were a huge influence in our lives, growing up and listening to them with our father. And obviously, as we grew up being three brothers in a band, we definitely understood similarities.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Bring Me The Horizon have been recording new music on their tour bus.
The band installed a studio on their bus during their tour of the US at the end of 2022 and recorded a number of songs, which they hope to start releasing “pretty soon”.
Drummer Mat Nicholls told Impericon: “New songs coming? Yeah. We’re actually working on them at the minute. We’ve got a studio on our bus. We did it in America – we wrote a bunch of stuff, actually, and recorded some stuff in America as well. So hopefully one pretty soon.
“As for the basics of a record, we’ve got some good stuff coming along. It took a while. These things are always hard, especially for us, because our band’s quite perfectionist, and we change our mind a lot as well. You’ll write something one day and think it’s wicked, and then you’ll go away and come back to it and you don’t think it’s as good as you thought it was originally.
“It’s coming, just trust us, trust the process. We’ve got some good stuff coming along, and hopefully this tour we’ve got some downtime where usually we just play FIFA, but instead we’re trying to write music. It’s coming along well, and we should have a song, at least, very soon.”
The band have been working with producer Zakk Cervini, who also produced their 2020 record ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Dave Gahan discussed the future of Depeche Mode with his therapist.
The ‘Enjoy the Silence’ hitmakers, also including Martin Gore, became a duo last year following the passing of Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher aged 60, and in order to decide how best to move forward with his relationship with his bandmate, frontman Dave, 60, got some advice from his therapist.
Martin, 61, told the new issue of MOJO magazine: “Dave was very open with me, before we started the recording sessions.
“He said he’d been talking to his therapist about how we were going to be. What our new relationship would be like.”
Dave admitted he wishes he had been “kinder” to his late bandmate.
He said of the aftermath of his passing: “I rang Mart.
“We were both upset. My first thought was, I wish I’d been kinder.”
Asked what he meant by kinder, he expanded: “Yeah. There are things that I wish I’d let Fletch know: Like, Hey, I know you don’t play anything, but f***, I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know what the f*** you do, but it’s something. And maybe it’s really, really important.”
Fletch would always stick up for Martin if he and Dave had creative disagreements.
Dave said: “Martin had lost his champion – someone who would always fight for Martin.
“If there was ever a disagreement over a song or a part, Fletch would sit me down and it would be, ‘Fing is, Dave … Martin and I have been talking and …’ I mean, that got really old. Why won’t Martin tell me himself?
“And that’s where we kind of got to on the last record [2017’s ‘Spirit’].
As a result of not having Fletch in the room, the pair have become better at communicating and have a “better friendship” than ever before in their 40-year career.
Dave said: “I think Fletch’s presence forced Martin and I to … maybe this is the wrong word, but compete.
“And it created a certain atmosphere of being a bit spiky.
“So Martin and I have had to find a different way. We had to find a way of communicating, becoming friends.”
He laughed: “Sounds weird, I know”
The electronic duo will release their first album since Fletch’s death, ‘Memento Mori’, on March 24.

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OHMYGOSSIP — David Bowie could be the focus of a new ABBA Voyage-style virtual reality show.
The ‘Starman’ singer died of cancer in 2016 aged 69 but fans could get the chance to experience his iconic showmanship once again as discussions are underway to create a digital avatar of the legendary performer, following in the footsteps of the ‘Super Trooper’ hitmakers, whose virtual likenesses have been performing in London since last May.
A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “The idea of being able to recreate David’s charisma and electric showmanship for an audience is an intoxicating one, and the prospect of how that might be done is being explored. It’s a very exciting time.”
And Brett Morgen, who directed the 2022 Bowie film ‘Moonage Daydream’ thinks it would be a very “interesting” plan.
He said: “Voyage was one of the greatest cinematic experiences I have ever seen. Could there be a Bowie one? I think there may be some interesting things happening ahead.”
It was revealed earlier this week that Bowie’s 80,000-strong archive – including handwritten lyrics, letters, sheet music, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, music videos, set designs and the ‘Heroes’ singer’s own instruments – will go on display to the public for the very first time in 2025.
And the late pop icon will be immortalised through the creation of The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts at V+A East Storehouse, in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V+A, said in a statement: “David Bowie was one of the greatest musicians and performers of all time. The V+A is thrilled to become custodians of his incredible archive, and to be able to open it up for the public. Bowie’s radical innovations across music, theatre, film, fashion, and style – from Berlin to Tokyo to London – continue to influence design and visual culture and inspire creatives from Janelle Monáe to Lady Gaga to Tilda Swinton and Raf Simons.
“Our new collections centre, V+A East Storehouse, is the ideal place to put Bowie’s work in dialogue with the V+A’s collection spanning 5,000 years of art, design, and performance.
“My deepest thanks go to the David Bowie Estate, Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group for helping make this a reality and for providing a new sourcebook for the Bowies of tomorrow!”

Source: IconInsider.com