OHMYGOSSIP — Willie Nelson has been forced to miss the opening shows of his joint tour with Bob Dylan “on doctor’s orders”.
The 91-year-old singer was due to kick off the ‘Outlaw Music Festival Tour’ with the ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ hitmaker in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday (23.06.24), but pulled out of the show, along with other dates in Charlotte and Raleigh.
But audiences are still able to enjoy Willie’s songs at the gigs as his son Lukas Nelson will be treating them to a “special set”.
A statement shared online read: “We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days.
“He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.
“In the meantime, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, along with a few guests, will perform a special set to include Willie’s classics and other songs.”
The ‘Blue Skies’ singer recently admitted he’s amazed his career has lasted so long.
Asked how he has maintained such a long career, he said in December: “I don’t [know] either. I have the energy to do it and the desire…
“I haven’t quit. I’m 90, maybe I should.”
But Willie admitted he often thinks about retiring.
He said: “I quit every night. After every tour, I say this is it. And then I get the urge again to go back,”
The ‘On the Road Again’ hitmaker still practices martial arts every day, which gives him “confidence”.
He added: “I don’t have to worry about anything.”
Willie has long been an advocate for marijuana use but revealed earlier this year he has quit drinking and smoking to extend his life.
He noted to People magazine of his abstinence: “That’s added a few days to my life, I’m sure.”
Willie admitted his hearing is “not the best” any more but he still feels young at heart.
He said: “I still have a good time.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Kylie Minogue is writing her autobiography.
The ‘Padam Padam’ hitmaker has reportedly decided now is the right time to put pen to paper and look back on her life with the help of a ghostwriter after finishing her Las Vegas residency and scooping a lifetime achievement award at the Brits earlier this year because she is at the “pinnacle” of her career.
A source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper’s Bizarre column: “Kylie is at the pinnacle of her career and now feels like the perfect time to write about her life and relive some memories.
“She’ll reveal some new anecdotes and stories and dig out some snaps from her archive.
“She will cover her music, TV and film roles, and of course her love life. The finished product is sure to incite a bidding war among publishers.”
The 56-year-old star – who is currently single – recently also signed a deal with Netflix for a fly-on-the wall documentary.
Kylie recently reflected on what a “wild ride” the last year has been for her following the popularity of her album ‘Tension’, which even led to a Grammy award win.
She told Britain’s HELLO! magazine: “It’s been a wild ride, the past 12 months, I’m so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.
“I’m working my socks off but it’s really rewarding. I love sharing this new era with long-time fans and it’s been amazing to have been introduced to a new generation of fans. I mean, wow.”
Aside from her music, the ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ singer has also enjoyed success with her Kylie Minogue Wines brand and she is “touched” that so many people have praised her products.
She said: “The brand was developed with a lot of heart, and we always wanted to surprise, delight and overdeliver on quality.
“It’s been a great journey of discovery and I’m touched that so many people have enjoyed what we have discovered.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Jon Bon Jovi is still “heartbroken” about Richie Sambora’s departure from Bon Jovi.
The guitarist abruptly quit the group in 2009 when he simply didn’t show up for a gig in Calgary, Canada, and his former bandmates still don’t understand his actions, despite reaching out.
Jon told Record Collector magazine: “It’s heartbreaking that Richie left and that he did it in that way.
“We were shocked. I miss him personally and creatively, in the studio and as an integral part of the band onstage.
“But if you don’t show up for work, your boss is going to say, ‘What the f***? Get help. And if you don’t want to get help…’
“It’s 11 years now. David and Tico have seen Richie once and I’ve seen him twice. It’s not like we haven’t tried.”
The ‘Always’ hitmakers would welcome the musician back to the band, but need him to make the first move now.
Bandmate David Bryan added: “Richie is a brother and we love him. It’s up to Richie. We never shut the door on him, he just never came back to work. Anything is possible.”
Powder guitarist Phil X stepped in to replace Richie following his sudden departure, and the rest of the group have praised how well he has fitted in.
Tico Torres said:” Phil has found his voice on [new album] ‘Forever’. That doesn’t happen overnight.”
Jon added: “Trying to pretend to be Richie would have been a curse.
“Phil’s ability to fit in and stand out while he’s doing so is a gift.
“I won’t ever co-write with Phil but boy did he fill a big f****** void.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Liam Gallagher says he wasn’t aware of Wembley Stadium being booked for an Oasis reunion with his estranged sibling Noel.
Over the weekend, The Mirror alleged that the venue was booked for three huge comeback concerts this July, before talks allegedly broke down.
A source told the newspaper: “Until now, no one has known how close Liam and Noel came to making it a reality.
“It doesn’t get much closer than booking Wembley, and their teams were devastated when it all collapsed yet again.
“But the fact they made it to that point shows there’s a will on both sides. The hope is it will be a case of not if, but when.”
However, the 51-year-old frontman of the ‘Wonderwall’ group – who has been at loggerheads with his 57-year-old brother, the group’s former guitarist and chief songwriter, since a backstage bust-up between the feuding pair at their final concert in Paris in 2009 – insists it’s the first time he’s heard anything about Wembley being booked.
He responded to a fan on X: “Nobody’s told me, maybe [they’re] getting a new singer like the dude out of Queen (Adam Lambert).”
Liam recently claimed Noel is “still playing hard to get” over an Oasis reunion.
Before playing B-side ‘Half The World Away’ – which was originally sung by his 57-year-old brother Noel – at his show in Cardiff, he dedicated the track to his sibling rival.
He quipped: “So I’m gonna dedicate this next tune to my little brother, who’s still playing hard to get.
“But that’s alright. Word on the street is he was spotted in a really posh chocolate shop – one of them Thorntons – buying some chocolates.
“So you never know! D’you know what I mean?”
Earlier this year, the ‘Supersonic’ singer joked that Noel should “send him a box of chocolates” to apologise for the Oasis split.
Speaking to the Sunday Times newspaper, he teased: “I can see him looking back, not looking back in anger, and going, ‘Do you know what? I was really mean to my little brother. Now it is time for me to send him a box of chocolates.'”
Last year, Liam claimed he had approached Noel about being involved in his ‘Definitely Maybe’ anniversary tour across the UK and Ireland.
He wrote on X, formerly Twitter, back in October: “He’s been asked and he’s refused.”
Oasis are also releasing the reissue ‘Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)’.
Set for release on August 30 – the date the landmark LP dropped in 1994 – the new formats boast tracks from abandoned from the original recording session at Monnow Valley Studios, as well as outtakes recorded at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, newly mixed for the first time by Noel with Callum Marinho.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Dave Grohl admitted he fears the “wrath of Taylor Swift” as he made a dig about her tour.
The Foo Fighters frontman performed at the London Stadium with his band on Saturday night (22.06.24) while Taylor was headlining at Wembley Stadium across town that evening as part of her ‘The Eras’ tour and Dave made a joke about the pop star to the audience.
He said: “We were joking about the Taylor Swift tour earlier. I know that she’s on her ‘Eras Tour’. I’m telling you man; you don’t want to suffer the wrath of Taylor Swift.
“So we like to call our tour the ‘Errors Tour’ because I feel like, we’ve had more than a few eras, and more than a few f****** errors as well. Just a couple. That’s because we actually play live. What?”
He then went on to add: “I’m just saying, you guys like raw, live rock ‘n’ roll music, right? You came to the right f****** place.”
However, Dave did indeed appear to incur Taylor’s “wrath” as she seemingly hit back at his comments the following night when she played her third gig at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (23.06.24) and gave a shout out to her band for “playing live” for the entire set.
She told the crowd: “What you just did is an unforgettable moment in not just my life, but every very single one of our crew. The band that’s going to be playing live for you for three and a half hours tonight.
“They deserve this so much and so does every one of my fellow performers, and you just gave that to us so generously. We’ll never forget it.”
The Foo Fighters continue their UK tour with shows at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on June 25 and at Villa Park in Birmingham on June 27.
Taylor’s tour will return to Wembley Stadium for tour more shows next month.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift swallowed another bug onstage in London.
The 34-year-old pop megastar has occasionally ingested bugs playing outside, and it happened again at her third ‘Eras Tour’ concert at Wembley Stadium on Sunday (23.06.24), amid performing the 10-minute version of ‘All Too Well’.
As she sang: “And forget why I needed to,” she asked the packed venue full of Swifties: “I swallowed a bug, can you sing?”
The ‘You Need To Calm Down’ hitmaker – whose boyfriend Travis Kelce, also 34, made a surprise appearance at the London show – recently abruptly stopped her set during her gig in Chicago, Illinois and turned her back on the audience as she suffered a nasty coughing fit and after regaining her composure, Taylor admitted an insect had flown into her mouth.
She explained: “I swallowed a bug. I’m so sorry … [I’m] totally fine … It’s just dumb. It’s so stupid.”
Taylor then turned back around and jokingly said: “Oh, delicious. Is there any chance that none of you saw that? ‘It’s fine. I’ve swallowed it.
“This is going to happen again tonight. There’s so many bugs. There’s a thousand of them. So, I’m just going to try to not do as many of those.”
Taylor was able to get her singing voice back and continue the show at the Soldier Field stadium without any more insect-related dramas.
The bug issue came after the singer suffered a technical mishap earlier in the evening when her microphone failed to work as she attempted to launch into her track ‘Lover’.
Taylor was able to swap the equipment over and continue, laughing with the audience: “All right, guys, let’s start this over again. None of that happened … Let’s take a second in our memories, rewind ’em back, none of that happened. We’re back to 36 seconds ago.”
The mammoth ‘Eras’ jaunt resumes on June 28 in Dublin, Ireland.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Alice Cooper has recalled his audience killing a living chicken at a peace and love festival in 1969.
The shock rock veteran, 76, threw the farm animal into the crowd at Toronto’s Rock and Roll Revival Festival because he thought it would simply fly away, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case, and it led to a bloody death at the 20,000-capacity Varsity Stadium, at the University of Toronto.
Recalling the incident that ruffled a few feathers on A and E’s ‘Biography: Alice Cooper’ episode, which aired at the weekend, Alice recalled: “You have to remember I’m from Detroit.
“I had never been on a farm in my life. It had wings, it had feathers, it should fly. I picked up the chicken, and I flung it into the audience figuring it would fly away and somebody would take it and take it home and call it Alice Cooper.”
He was then faced with the realisation that chickens don’t fly as well as other birds.
Alice continued: “I threw it out there, and it fell straight down into the audience.
“The audience tears it to pieces. It was the peace and love festival. They tear it to pieces and throw it back up on the stage. So there’s blood everywhere. Feathers and blood.”
Just so happens the late Beatles icon, John Lennon, and his wife Yoko Ono, 91, were in attendance, and they allegedly “loved” the chicken fiasco.
Alice said: “They thought it was art ’cause it’s chaos.”
His label boss, the late Frank Zappa, phoned him the next day and asked: “Did you kill a chicken onstage last night?”
Alice remembered: “I said, ‘There was a chicken. I didn’t kill it though.’
“He goes, ‘Don’t tell anybody. They love it.’ He says, ‘It’s everywhere in the press!’ I immediately went, ‘Perfect.’ The chicken story then became huge. Who is this monster who would do this at a rock show?”
Alice – who is famous for performing with snakes around his neck – was faced with a protest by animal rights activist when they arrived in New York for their next show, and there was even a horrid rumour that he set a “German Shepherd on fire.”
The ‘Poison’ hitmaker said: “My reputation was just insane.
“I didn’t have to do anything. They were inventing their own Alice Cooper myth. People were just discovering Alice Cooper, and I was just discovering him, so we were all doing it at the same time.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — SEVENTEEN hope they “blow everybody away” when they make history at Glastonbury.
The South Korean boy band – comprising S.Coup, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino – will become the first-ever K-pop band to play the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, on Friday (28.06.24).
Choi Seungcheol aka S. Coup told the BBC of the major milestone at the world-famous festival: “There’s a great sense of responsibility.
“We’ll keep coming back to that feeling and do our best to prepare, so that we can blow everybody away… Not just our fans, but every other member of the audience.”
Choi insists they have no problem playing in the daylight.
The 28-year-old star said: “The time of day doesn’t really matter to us.
“It’s actually even better that we’ll be performing in the afternoon because the audience can see us better under sunlight.”
Meanwhile, Caity Baser has slammed those who have taken issue with the lineup this year.
Glasto is championing more female artists as Dua Lipa, 28, and SZA, 34 – who are joined by Coldplay as the headliners – are making history with it being the first time there has been more than one female headliner.
Shania Twain, 58, is playing the coveted Sunday afternoon legends slot.
The 21-year-old rising star – who plays the Avalon Stage on Sunday (30.06.24) – had this message for complainers when interviewed by Metro.co.uk: “Don’t go then.”
She continued: “Why do you care?
“I have never looked at a line-up for a festival and gone, ‘Oh that s***.’
“I don’t care [who is playing] like I’m going to go and enjoy. Also, SZA, what? She’s been my number one listened-to artist since I was like 12.
“I love her so much! And Coldplay? What do you mean? It’s Shania Twain. What more do you want?
“People need to chill out and I guarantee you when they’re there they’ll go, ‘Aw that was sick.’ What’s all the fuss about?”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Status Quo are to stop ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’ after six decades.
After their final concert of their current tour, which takes place at Somerset’s Taunton, Vivary Park, on August 23, the legendary rock group plan to retire from the road.
Guitarist and vocalist Francis Rossi, 75, told The Mirror: “I don’t think we will go again.
“And as far as the rest of the band are concerned it’s the last tour too. I just can’t see us doing it one more time.”
The musician refused to call it their final tour because they previously did that with 1984’s ‘End of an Era’ tour, and then reunited.
He added: “I didn’t want to put this current tour out, saying it’s the last one ever.
“I did it once and was then coerced into coming back, but that’s another whole other f****** story.”
Recalling their first split, he said: “We did really split and then one of the managers came to me with a lie at the time that Rick [Parfitt] was in trouble with money again, which was often the case with Rick, so I said, ‘Okay, we’ll do one more album – In the Army. Who knows they might offer a huge amount of money to do the Quo again, but I don’t think so. I am hesitant to call it the last ever, but I just can’t see it continuing to be honest.'”
On finding their energetic shows too much, he confessed: “It’s f****** hurting this time, physically.
“We were at rehearsals before this tour, and it occurred to me that we started 50 f****** years ago. Thinking about it brought it home my age.
“As much as you can say it’s just a number and you can’t really feel it, you definitely can, and you are lying if you don’t. I’ve had prostate problems for a while, and macular degeneration…all old people things.”
In 2021, co-founder Alan Lancaster died at the age of 72 following a battle with multiple sclerosis.
Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Parfitt sadly died from sepsis at the age of 68 in 2016.
The current lineup sees Francis joined by Andy Bown, John ‘Rhino’ Edwards, Leon Cave, and Richie Malone.
Despite the band seemingly calling it quits on the live front, Francis has plotted a 34-date solo tour for 2025.

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OHMYGOSSIP — The Contortions frontman James Chance has passed away aged 71.
The No Wave musician had been in poor health for several years, with a GoFundMe page setup in 2020 to help the musician with his “personal health issues and the COVID situation”.
His brother shared on another GoFundMe page, after his sibling was taken into hospital, that: “He’s very frail. He’s down to 95 pounds. He needs to get some physical therapy to get his strength back but I don’t know how to navigate the health care system to get him approved for that.”
And this week, his brother David Siegfried confirmed he died at the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in New York on Tuesday (18.06.24).
His sibling did not “specify a cause of death but noted that the musician’s health had been in decline for several years.”
A lengthy statement and tribute on James’ official Facebook page noted that his last known live performance was in March 2019 in Utrecht, The Netherlands, before the global pandemic hit.
A private funeral will be held, followed by a public memorial, which is set to be arranged.
James was a legend in the music and visual art scene of the No Wave movement in New York in the late ‘70s, which was a protest of commercial New Wave music.
No Wave artists experimented with noise, dissonance, and atonality, as well as jazz, funk, and disco.
The Contortionists featured on the famous ‘No New York’ No Wave compilation released by Brian Eno in 1978.
The saxophonist and singer – who was born James Siegfried – adopted his stage name in 1975.
The group formed in 1977, and he infamously used to start fights with audience members.
The Contortions were once renamed James White And The Blacks for the 1980 LP ‘Off White’.
They went through many lineup changes, and after their split in 1979, they reunited many times.
James also appeared on records with Blondie’s Debbie Harry and the False Prophets, whilst he was in other groups such as Teenage Jesus and the Jerks.
In a touching tribute, original Contortions guitarist Pat Place wrote: “I’m so sad to hear of James’ passing. Working with him in the early days of the Contortions was a roller coaster ride of fun, creativity and insanity. His loss is a great one for the downtown community and the music world.”
Actor Elijah Wood posted to X: “So long to No Wave legend James Chance. Play Contort Yourself loud.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Liam Gallagher always reserves a seat for estranged brother Noel at his solo concerts.
The former Oasis frontman has been bickering with his older sibling, the group’s former guitarist, since they sparred at the Britpop legends’ final concert in Paris in 2009, but the 51-year-old singer still holds out hope of reconciling with Noel, 57.
Simon Love on X recently posted a picture of a piece of paper with Noel’s name on it and wrote: “I’m in a hospitality box at Liam Gallagher and I’ve just seen this on a seat in front of mine.”
Turns out it wasn’t from Liam’s ‘Definitely Maybe’ 30th anniversary tour, but a 2014 Jesus And Mary Chain concert, however, the ‘Columbia’ singer has confirmed he does in fact keep a place reserved for his brother at every concert he plays.
He responded: “Yes you never know.”
Liam recently claimed Noel is “still playing hard to get” over an Oasis reunion.
Before playing B-side ‘Half The World Away’ – which was originally sung by his 57-year-old brother Noel – at his show in Cardiff, he dedicated the track to his sibling rival.
He quipped: “So I’m gonna dedicate this next tune to my little brother, who’s still playing hard to get.
“But that’s alright. Word on the street is he was spotted in a really posh chocolate shop – one of them Thorntons – buying some chocolates.
“So you never know! D’you know what I mean?”
Earlier this year, the ‘Wonderwall’ singer joked that Noel should “send him a box of chocolates” to apologise for the Oasis split.
Speaking to the Sunday Times newspaper, he teased: “I can see him looking back, not looking back in anger, and going, ‘Do you know what? I was really mean to my little brother. Now it is time for me to send him a box of chocolates.’ ”
Last year, Liam claimed he had approached Noel about being involved in his ‘Definitely Maybe’ anniversary tour across the UK and Ireland.
He wrote on X, formerly Twitter, back in October: “He’s been asked and he’s refused.”
Oasis are also releasing the reissue ‘Definitely Maybe (30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)’.
Set for release on August 30 – the date the landmark LP dropped in 1994 – the new formats boast tracks from abandoned from the original recording session at Monnow Valley Studios, as well as outtakes recorded at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, newly mixed for the first time by Noel with Callum Marinho.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Post Malone has announced his new album ‘F-1 Trillion’ will drop on August 16.
The 28-year-old rapper – whose real name is Austin Richard Post – has revealed the title of his sixth studio LP
Taking to Instagram, Malone uploaded a photo of a billboard in Nashville, Tennessee, which read: “The name of the new Post Malone album is ‘F-1 Trillion’.
The artist added the caption: “‘Sup… F-1 Trillion August 16th.”
The ‘Sunflower’ rapper is currently riding the country wave after recently teaming up with Blake Shelton on the upcoming track ‘Pour Me a Drink’.
Malone – who has previously worked with Morgan Wallen on ‘I Had Some Help’, Taylor Swift on ‘Fortnight’ from ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ hit ‘Levii’s Jeans’ – will release the track this Friday (21.06.24).
The artist shared some lyrics from the song: “Somebody pour me a drink, somebody bum me a smoke/ I’m ’bout to get on a buzz/ I’m ’bout to get on a roll … I’ve been breaking my back, just keepin’ up with the Joneses.”
As well as gearing up for the country track’s launch, Malone previously gushed about working with the ‘Shake It Off’ hitmaker, and hailed Swift as a “once in a lifetime talent” who left him “floored”.
On Instagram, Malone shared a snap of the pair and penned: “It’s once in a lifetime that someone like @taylorswift comes into this world.
“I am floored by your heart and your mind, and I am beyond honored to have been asked to help you with your journey. I love you so much. Thank you Tay. (sic)”
Swift had also heaped praise on the rapper, and admitted she was a “huge fan” of Malone ahead of ‘The Tortured Poet Department’s release in April.
She wrote on Instagram: “I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever.
“I got to witness that magic come to life first-hand when we worked together on ‘Fortnight’.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Glenn Hughes has vowed he will “never speak to any of [Deep Purple] again”.
The 72-year-old bass player played with the ‘Smoke on the Water’ rockers – whose current line-up includes 78-year-old vocalist Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, 78, and 75-year-old drummer Ian Paice, the last remaining original member of the band – from 1973 to 1976, covering two eras of the group’s chequered hostory.
Glenn reunited with Deep Purple when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, however, the experience was not a positive one with the musician describing Ian and Roger’s behaviour as “very, very hurtful” towards both him and fellow Deep Purple alumnus David Coverdale, 72.
In an interview with Guitar Interactive Magazine, he said: “I will never speak to any of them again, simply because they were rude. 
“Both Roger, Ian and Gillan were rude to David and I. Very, very hurtful. 
“I didn’t give a f***, actually, because I knew they were rude to begin with.”
Hughes hit out at Gillan for being “rude to [him] on stage” at the ceremony, but he is happy to “let him run with it”.
He continued: ”I was the only sober man there. I don’t care about those guys.
“Gillan was rude to me on stage, accepting the award. I went to congratulate him. He looked at me in the eyes like I didn’t exist. The guy has a problem with me, period.
“I’ll let him run with it. I feel bad for him. I’m really sorry about his wife. I’ve tried to reach out to him. He doesn’t want to know.”
Glenn emphasised he had tried to rekindle his friendship with Gillan – whose wife Bron passed away in 2022 – but he just doesn’t want to know.
He said: “I’ve tried to make some kind of friendship with him over the last 40 years. 
“He doesn’t want to know. David Coverdale and I don’t exist to him.
“I wish him only the very best, but I have no time left for that behaviour.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Fontaines D.C. have revealed ‘Favourite’ will bookend their upcoming album ‘Romance’.
The post-punk band – which consists of members Grian Chatten, Tom Coll, Conor Curley, Conor Deegan III and Carlos O’Connell – are set to release the LP on 23 August, and have now shared the music video for the song, which includes footage of the members as youngsters.
In a statement, Deegan said: “This video is a reminiscing of the past; of each other’s childhoods we didn’t know.
“To see people we know on an intimate level as adults in the tender ages of childhood, we explore where we came from, and who on some level, still are. I see a lot of familiar faces being pulled, and the antics these lads are undertaking in their videos are so disarming and vulnerable to see.
“I am at times reminded of boyish mannerisms that they’ve grown out of in the time I’ve known them – and some that they haven’t. I feel their souls there.”
He added: “I would like this video to serve as a way of honouring our friendships, and moving from that, the relationships we hold dear. Our mothers, fathers, siblings, aunties and uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers. Those who we still have, and those we have sadly lost.

“We haven’t lost that connection to each other, and are not afraid to come of age again, holding on to romance in a sometimes trying world.”
Chatten explained the album – which was announced last month alongside their first single ‘Starbuster’ – was inspired by Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s anime ‘Akira’, and described it as having “this never-ending sound to it, a continuous cycle from euphoria to sadness, two worlds spinning forever”.
He said: “I’m fascinated by that – falling in love at the end of the world.
“The album is about protecting that tiny flame. The bigger armageddon looms, the more precious it becomes.
“We say things on this record we’ve wanted to say for a long time. I never feel like it’s over, but it’s nice to feel lighter.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Claire Richards’ backstage rider is “mostly wine”.
The 46-year-old singer – who has been a member of pop group Steps since its formation in 1997 alongside Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lisa Scott-Lee and Lee Latchford-Evans – will be heading out on the road of the UK in October and November for her ‘Everybody Dance’ tour.
Claire has lifted the lid on what she and the rest of Steps have waiting for them backstage, and there is always plenty of alcohol on offer.
In an appearance on the ‘Table Manners’ podcast – which is hosted by musician Jessie Ware and her mother Lennie – she said: “Well, it’s mostly wine. There’s normally… it’s two bottles of prosecco, a couple of bottles of rose and white, we don’t have any red, and then it used to be a bottle of gin and some tonics for ‘H’ but now he has tequila.”
Looking ahead to her solo tour, the ‘Better Best Forgotten’ singer described the show as a “big old glitzy dance show” that will get her fans on their feet.
She said: “All hits from the ‘70s up until now of disco and dance.
“I mean, and it was just going to be a big old show, there’s dancers, I think they’re going to have, kind of, other performers and stuff as well and then I’m- I’m the singer. I’m the hired singer, which I’m really looking forward to, because it’s like, doing all the things I love without having to worry about all the other stuff.”
Claire also opened up on why Steps split in 2001, with her blaming “burn out”, “frictions” between the five members and an unrelenting work schedule which took its toll on everyone.
She explained: “I think ultimately, it’s probably just burn out, you know, there were frictions and there were just kind of things that I suppose happened that became massive, because we were so compressed all the time.
“When you were in a band back in the ‘90s, it was just work, work, work, work, work. There was no respite from it at all, I think the most time we ever got off was maybe two weeks of Christmas and that would have been it.
“The rest of the time someone’s sitting in an office in a record company doing the schedule, and not thinking about the human beings at the other end of it.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Queen has reportedly agreed a £1 billion deal to sell its music catalogue to Sony Music.
The ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ band – which still includes founding members Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor – has been in talks with for years about a sale for their enviable catalogue of songs and albums, and now it’s believed a deal is imminent.
As reported by Variety, the music catalogue and other rights is “in the process of being acquired” by Sony for the huge sum.
It’s thought the deal will close over the next few weeks, while Hits reports that the only revenue not included in the agreement is those earned by live performances.
Since Freddie Mercury’s death aged 45 in 1991, John Deacon has stepped back from the limelight, while Brian and Roger still tour with singer Adam Lambert.
Queen’s recorded music rights in the US and Canada were bought by Disney for an undisclosed price in the 2000s following an initial $10 million licensing deal reached in 1991.
The House of Mouse will keep hold of those rights in perpetuity, although for certain bandmembers, the remaining royalties from those will go to Sony when the deal is finalised.
The group’s distribution deal with Universal will move to Sony in all territories outside the US and Canada, but not until that agreement expires in 2026 or 2027.
Earlier this year, it was suggested that Deacon – who has not taken part in any public work for the group since the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, following the frontman’s death the previous year – will not include his share of the assets in a potential deal.
Classic tracks in the catalogue include the likes of ‘Radio Gaga’, ‘We Are The Champions’, ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ and ‘Somebody To Love’, while the group released 15 studio albums, including 1995’s final LP ‘Made In Heaven’, which features recordings Mercury made before his death.
An agreement comes as a number of high-profile songwriting catalogues have been sold in recent years, with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and David Bowie’s collections being acquired for hundreds of millions of dollars.
They have proven to be an attractive investment for labels, with the prospect of repeated royalties through usage in films and TV, as well as radio play or adverts.

Source: IconInsider.com