OHMYGOSSIP — Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane drummer John Barbata has died aged 79.
The musician is reported to have passed away on May 8. A cause of death is not known at this time.
Barbata also played with the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, The Turtles, and The Sentinels.
A statement on Jefferson Starship’s official Facebook page read: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of the great John Barbata, Jefferson Starship’s original drummer. Our thoughts go our to his family, friends and fans. Rock in peace, Johnny!”
In a tribute, they wrote: “Rest in Peace, John Barbata, a legendary drummer for Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.
“Known for his exceptional talent, John left his mark on the music world by playing with bands such as The Turtles, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Jefferson Airplane, and Jefferson Starship. Back in ’72, during a hiatus for CSNY, David Crosby introduced John to the Airplane, who hired John instantly. You can hear John’s drumming skills on the band’s final studio album, ‘LONG JOHN SILVER’, as well as the live album ‘THIRTY SECONDS OVER WINTERLAND. (sic)'”
He had hits from the onset of his career, with The Turtles’ hit ‘Happy Together’ spending three weeks at No.1 in 1967.
The band, with the drummer in tow, went on to have further hits with ‘She’d Rather Be with Me’, ‘You Showed Me’, ‘She’s My Girl’, and ‘Elenore’.
In 1970, Barbata got an invited to join CSNY after Neil Young fired their previous drummer, Dallas Taylor. Their live album, ‘4 Way Street’, topped the Billboard 200.
It featured the protest song, ‘Ohio’, about the Kent State shootings. As well as several CSNY albums, Barbata also worked with the members individually, appearing on Graham Nash’s ‘Songs for Beginners’ and ‘Wild Tales’, Graham Nash and David Crosby’s ‘Graham Nash David Crosby’, Stephen Stills’ self-titled album, and he replaced Kenny Buttrey with The Stray Gators on Neil Young’s live album ‘Time Fades Away’.
Amid his success with CSNY, David Geffen invited Barbata to join The Eagles, an offer he politely declined.
Barbata was forced to leave Starship, which he joined in 1974, following a serious car crash in 1978, which took him more than a year to recover from.
Although he didn’t return to touring, he did make more records in the 1980s.
He also recorded with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Rivers, Lee Michaels, Ry Cooder and The Ever Brothers, whilst he’s said to have played on more than 60 albums un-credited.
Barbata was among a group of drummers who liked to add stick twirling to their performances.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Tame Impala has sold his entire music catalogue to Sony Music Publishing.
The ‘Borderline’ hitmaker – whose real name is Kevin Parker – has reached a global deal with the label which is said to include all his past and future releases, including work he’s done for Rihanna, Sir Mick Jagger, Gorillaz, Mark Ronson and more.
In a statement, he said: “The idea of passing on ownership of my songs is one that I don’t think about very lightly, at all.
“They are the fruit of my blood, sweat and creativity over all the years I’ve been a recording artist and songwriter so far.”
Exact details of the agreement have not been made public at this time.
The musician added: “I have a lot of love and trust for the Sony publishing family and have only had great experiences with Damian Trotter and the rest of the gang worldwide.
“I don’t think my songs could be in any safer hands than Sony’s, and I’m excited for the future and happy I can keep working with them on whatever the future brings.”
Meanwhile, Sony Music Publishing CEO and chairman Jon Platt praised Parker’s “versatile” songwriting catalogue.
He said: “I have always admired Kevin Parker and I believe he is one of the most versatile songwriters of our time.
“Kevin has built a catalog of songs with incredible range and enduring power, and he has always stayed true to his vision.
“It is a privilege to represent his music, and we are committed to broadening his legacy of success.”
As Tame Impala, Parker has released four studio albums and plenty of singles, while his songwriting credits include work with Rihanna, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Mark Ronson, Sir Mick Jagger, Gorillaz, Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, The Weeknd and more.
Most recently, Parker teamed up with Dua Lipa on several tracks for her latest album ‘Radical Optimism’.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Rita Ora is to debut her new song at next month’s Mighty Hoopla festival.
The 33-year-old singer will support headliner Jessie Ware at the event on June 2nd at London’s Brockwell Park, and Rita has confirmed she will perform a new tune live on stage.
Speaking on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’, she said: “It’s a whole new thing for me.
“I am doing a huge LGBT festival where I will perform it. It’s a really fun one.”
Rita admitted she is keen to return to her “music roots”.
She added: “I’m about to get back on the road. I feel like I need to get back to my music roots.”
It comes after Rita released ‘Shape of Me’, featuring Keith Urban, to mark her mother’s 60th birthday in January.
The star – born to psychiatrist Vera Bajraktari and her pub landlord dad Besnik Sahatçiu – marked her mum reaching the milestone age by dropping a new version of the track from her 2023 LP ‘You and I’, plus a music video containing precious family footage.
Rita wrote at the time: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM! We’ve been through everything together. You’ve always been such a beautiful inspiration in my life and in my music. I wanted to write a song about you for the longest time, so when Shape Of Me was written by me and the You and I writing squad for my album and released, I was finally able to share so much that I’ve been feeling about you. It really became clear how much love you’ve shown me and how much you’ve taught me over the years!! SO, what better way to say HBD then to share a new version of it with the AMAZING Keith Urban. He helped me make it that much more special as this song is also showing appreciation to all the women in your life! So surprise mum this one is for you! Happy 60th! (sic)”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Billie Eilish brokenheartedly sings about feeling “unappreciated” in a relationship on her new record, ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’.
The 22-year-old Grammy winner returns with her eagerly anticipated third studio album on Friday (17.05.24), and there are some heart-wrenching songs, including one about a lover falling out of love with her.
As reported by The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre column, Billie sings on ‘The Greatest’: “All the times I’ve waited for you to want me naked . . .  and you don’t want to know what I would have done. Anything at all. All my love and patience. I’m unappreciated. I loved you and I still do.”
The ‘Bad Guy’ hitmaker – who recently slammed a publication for outing her as queer on the red carpet after claiming her sexuality is “obvious” – split from 32-year-old The Neighbourhood singer Jesse Rutherford in May 2023.
On another track, Billie addresses comments about her body.
On ‘Skinny’, she sings: “People say I look happy just because I look skinny. And I still cry. And you said I was your secret but you didn’t get to keep it. And the internet is hungry for the meanest kind of funny but somebody’s got to feed it.”
The ‘What Was I Made For?’ hitmaker previously opened up about how she had a lot of “anger” towards her body as a teenager.
The superstar believed that her body was “gaslighting” her during her adolescent years but in more recent years has tried to accept things as they are.
She told Vogue: “Going through my teenage years of hating myself and all that stupid s***. A lot of it came from my anger towards my body, and how mad I was at how much pain it’s caused me, and what I’ve lost because of things that happened to it … I felt like my body was gaslighting me for years. I had to go through a process of being like, my body is actually me. And it’s not out to get me.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Olivia Rodrigo is still figuring out when to fit in her rescheduled dates at Manchester’s Co-Op Live arena after the new venue faced major teething problems.
The 21-year-old pop star was due to play two sold-out gigs at the UK’s largest indoor concert venue, on May 3 and May 4, but organisers were forced to axe the performances due to a “venue-related technical issue”.
The ‘Guts World Tour’ shows were pulled 48-hours before with some fans left gutted after travelling all the way there and booking accommodation to see the ‘Good 4 U’ hitmaker.
Co-op Live’s boss Tim Leiwek has now said they are leaving it “up to” Olivia to decide when she wants to reschedule the concerts.
Speaking to Manchester Evening News this week, Leiwek said: “Olivia has three sets of dates and we’re waiting on her to make a decision, that’s up to her.
“We’ve given her three sets of dates and she’s figuring it out whether to add on to her European schedule, her Asian tour or on her second leg which may fall later than we want, but it’s up to her.”
Olivia admitted she was “so disappointed” at the time.
She wrote on her Instagram Stories: “hello! I’ve been having such a great time in Europe so far and I’m sooooo disappointed that we’re unable to perform in Manchester due to on-going venue-related technical issues. we’re doing our best to reschedule the show. you can hold onto your tickets for further info or request a refund at your point of purchase. more info will be sent directly to ticket holders. I’m so bummed and I really hope to see you all soon (sic)”
Co-op Live – which has a 23,500 capacity – postponed the arena’s opening for a third time on May 1.
Rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was due to perform, but his gig was abandoned due to the same problem after concertgoers had already arrived at the £365 million arena.
A post on Co-op Live’s X account read: “Due to a venue-related technical issue, tonight’s A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie show will no longer go ahead. We kindly ask fans to leave the area. Tickets holders will receive further information in due course.
“We deeply apologise for the significant inconvenience this will cause for many. (sic)”
The 28-year-old rapper was left “heated” about the postponement.
He wrote on his Instagram Stories: “Something happened with the venue while I was at soundcheck today that caused cancellation of the show.
“We are working on rescheduling in the next few days. I’m heated about the situation too, but safety first.
“Manchester, I got you. Just stay tuned for further info.”
Just two hours later, the venue also revealed Olivia’s gigs had been postponed.
The venue has since flung open its doors for the first full live concert from Elbow, which took place on May 14.

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OHMYGOSSIP — The ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ documentary is finally set to hit cinemas.
Bernard MacMahon’s long-awaited flick, which documents the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ rockers’ “meteoric rise to stardom”, has been acquired by Sony Classics Pictures in North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia (except for Japan) and the Middle East.
There is still no news regarding the UK and Europe, and an actual release date is yet to be confirmed, but the doc is completed now.
The film – which was first announced in 2019 – has changed since a rough cut was aired at Venice Film Festival in 2021.
According to Variety, it now boasts “a brand-new sound mix (and) newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members.”
The filmmaker had said in a press release: “’Becoming Led Zeppelin’ is a film that no one thought could be made. The band’s meteoric rise to stardom was swift and virtually undocumented. Through an intense search across the globe and years of restoration of the visual and audio archive found, this story is finally able to be told.”
Fans can expect “unprecedented access” to the band, in what marks “the first and only time they have participated in a documentary in 50 years.”
The documentary includes new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, plus archive footage of the late John Bonham – who tragically passed away in 1980, aged just 32, after he choked to death on his own vomit.
In 2007, Jimmy, Robert, John Paul, and late original drummer John’s son Jason got back together for a one-off show at London’s O2 arena as part of a tribute to late Atlantic Record President Ahmet Ertegun, and guitarist Jimmy revealed they had initially planned to do more than just a single show, but further dates just never materialised.
Robert, meanwhile, was adamant a tour hasn’t been discussed since, and he has ruled it out from ever happening again.
He said: “But then there has not been any discussion about any tour ever since – nor will there be. So there you go. It’s just one of those weird, odd things in the world of Led Zeppelin, really, another part of the Led Zeppelin phenomenon.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Lenny Kravitz’ UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi is official.
Following reports two months ago that the ‘Fly Away’ hitmaker had been recruited for the halftime performance at London’s Wembley Stadium, on June 1, it’s been confirmed the 59-year-old musician will perform ahead of the Champions League final football match between Dortmund and Real Madrid.
As well as fan favourites, the Grammy winner will be playing songs from his hotly anticipated LP, ‘Blue Electric Light’, live for the first time.
Kravitz commented: “I’m really looking forward to my performance for the UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi in London, a city which holds a special place in my heart. It’s going to be such an exciting event ahead of a final that means so much to so many. We can’t wait to show you all what we have in store.”
Eric Melis, VP of Global Brand Marketing – Pepsi at PepsiCo, added: “As a brand with a rich heritage in both music and football, we are proud to bring together once again, in the host city, millions of viewers from around the world and one of the most iconic names in music for an electrifying performance live from iconic Wembley Stadium in London, the home of music, sports and entertainment. The UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi will be headlined by a legend in the music industry who adds unparalleled dynamism and energy to the show. Lenny Kravitz is someone who is constantly giving the best that he has to offer and spreading love and humanity in all his work, he lives by our ‘Thirsty For More’ philosophy, which celebrates people’s thirst for life – and we can’t wait to see how fans react to this unmissable show.”
Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA marketing director, said: “This year’s UEFA Champions League Final Kick Off Show presented by Pepsi will bring fans to their feet as legendary Rock and Roll icon Lenny Kravitz takes the stage to deliver one of his signature performances ahead of this year’s UEFA Champions League final. Our longstanding and fruitful partnership with Pepsi fills us with enormous pride as we collaborate to make this flagship match on the football calendar more memorable and entertaining for fans inside Wembley and those watching around the globe.”
Kravitz has also filmed a video, titled ‘Wembley Is Blue | Lenny Kravitz x UCL Final Kick Off Show by Pepsi’, to get fans amped up.
A description read: “In the film, we hear the unmistakable echoes of the UEFA Champions League anthem being whistled as Lenny Kravitz slowly walks down a tunnel, paintbrush in hand, covering the walls in Pepsi Blue…. before walking out onto the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium. We see the rockstar strut past the majestic UEFA Champions League trophy, before stepping out on to the hallowed turf of the stadium, when the camera suddenly pans out to reveal a blue, painted mural of his face covering the pitch and a pulsating stadium, preparing London for the ultimate show. ”
Fans can tune in to watch the Kick Off Show via their local broadcaster and through the official UEFA YouTube channel. Fans are encouraged to stay in-the-know by following Pepsi on Instagram, X (formally Twitter), and Facebook.

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OHMYGOSSIP — KT Tunstall is to receive the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection.
The 48-year-old signer has achieved massive success over the years with hits like ‘Suddenly I See’ – which won the Ivor Novello for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in 2006 – and ‘Other Side of the World’ and she will now be honoured with the prestigious accolade of Outstanding Song Collection with PRS for Music from the awards body.
She said: “My relationship with the Ivor Novello Awards began 18 years ago in 2006, with ‘Suddenly I See’ winning Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
“My statuette has remained the most meaningful of awards to me and coming full circle to receive this Outstanding Song Collection award feels like such a gesture of appreciation towards my work since then.”
Since beginning her career almost 20 years ago, KT has released eight studio albums, including 2023’s collaborative album with Suzi Quatro that was titled ‘Face to Face’.
The ‘Black Horse And The Cherry Tree’ songstress is the fifty-eighth songwriter to receive the honour, following in the footsteps of the likes of the likes of John Deacon,Bono, Jarvis Cocker, as well as Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor of Queen fame.
She will formally receive the award at The Ivors with Amazon Music which takes place at Grosvenor House, London on Thursday 23 May.
Tom Gray, Chair of The Ivors Academy said: “KT Tunstall’s songwriting craft and achievements have impressed and evolved continuously throughout her music career. Eighteen years after her first win, it’s a privilege to welcome KT back to The Ivors and present this highly deserved Ivor Novello Award.”
In honour of the accolade, an unheard demo of KT’s signature track ‘Suddenly I See’ will be released exclusively via Amazon Music.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Ringo Starr asked his producer to write more upbeat songs for his new EP.
The 83-year-old rocker has worked with Linda Perry – who wrote and produced all four songs – for his latest project ‘Crooked Boy’ and Ringo admitted he sent her some notes on keeping the tracks positive.
He told Variety: “Even on ‘February Sky,’ it was all about the dark sky everywhere in February, so that’s an emotion in there. But I told her, ‘There’s gotta be a crack — a break in the sky — and the sun is coming out.’ Because all my songs have that. They can be ‘I’m down, I’m this, I’m that… But things are getting better, things are going up.’ They always have a positive upside.
“‘Rewind Forward’ [the title song of his previous EP, from 2023] was like that. ‘Rewind forward’ meant, sometimes you’re in a mood, and if you just backtrack a little and then find that (previous) space, and then carry on from that moment, it helps sometimes.”
And, Ringo revealed he also requested more rock songs.
He said: “I did. (At first) she wrote ‘Crooked Boy,’ and it was all about the story of my life — you know, I was ill, I was better, I found my own way.
“She sent me a couple of them, and then I called her and I said, ‘Linda, write me a rock song!’ And she says, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘I’ll leave it there. Just write me a rock song.’ And she did, of course, and it’s called ‘Gonna Need Need Someone’. And it did rock, and she put the band together, and then we did a video with the song playing and we are popping in and out.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Christina Aguilera has left RCA Records after 26 years.
The 43-year-old singer – who released her self-titled debut album with the imprint in 1999 – has signed with 5020 Records, a new Latin label based in Miami, Variety reports.
While she has left RCA, 5020 is also under the Sony banner so Christina remains with the parent company.
There had been months of speculation about Christina’s future at RCA after she updated her website to include 5020’s official logo.
All mention of Christina has now been removed from RCA’s website.
She released eight studio albums under RCA.
Meanwhile, it was recently revealed that Christina has been working on songs for a new album after being inspired by her Las Vegas residency show.
The pop idol launched her spectacular show at the Voltaire at The Venetian in Sin City at the end of last year, and she revealed doing the glitzy concert has fuelled her creativity for new music.
On the inspiration behind her show, she told Vegas Magazine: “[We are] drawing inspiration from a variety of sources: the lights of Vegas, the glitz of Voltaire, my music, fashion, Burlesque, creative Parisian nods and more.
“I’m always trying to push my artistic boundaries and do things I’ve never done before to always offer something new and fresh, giving the audience a one-of-a-kind experience.”
The ‘Genie In A Bottle’ hitmaker has been experimenting with new sounds for her follow-up to her last English language album, 2018’s ‘Liberation’.
She said: “It’s great to be on stage because this new show in Vegas is really fuelling my creativity.
“I’ve been working on experimenting with new sounds and writing. A lot has happened over the past six years—huge personal and professional changes, growth and new inspirations, so I’m so excited to share all of it in the next album!”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Olly Alexander has recorded more songs with ‘Dizzy’ co-writer Danny L Harle.
The super producer – who also worked on Dua Lipa’s latest album ‘Radical Optimism’, and is also known for working with the likes of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek – has let slip that he and the Years and Years frontman have some more tunes in store to follow his 2024 Eurovision entry for the UK.
Speaking to GRAMMYs.com, Danny teased: “I’ve written some more tracks with him that do that. I’ve really been enjoying that with Olly because his voice is so agile and can really make sense of more complicated chord sequences.
“Another thing I’ve been enjoying with him is when there’s sparseness and letting the vocal melody spell out the harmony and maybe occasionally go minor and major over one bass note, which is something I really, really enjoy.”
Working with the ‘Desire’ hitmaker is something Danny has always wanted to do, and they had instant “chemistry” in the studio.
Danny continued: “I’ve always been a big fan of Olly Alexander, I’ve wanted to work with him my whole career. I believe I tweeted at him in 2009 saying hi. But I think people who like my stuff could hear that he has the kind of voice that I really like: a very virtuosic, melodic voice. [We] just had immediate chemistry, musically. We’ve written a fair amount of music and he’s a very exciting artist to be involved with.”
Olly came close to a “breakdown” amid fierce pressure on him to quit as this year’s UK Eurovision competitor.
The 33-year-old star faced intense calls for him to pull out due to Israel’s involvement in the show, which has enraged fans due to the country’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
Olly told The Times about looking downcast at a recent Eurovision pre-party in London: “Yes, I struggled that day. I was holed up in a room trying not to have a breakdown.
“Normally, you get on stage and turn it on, but I felt really unable to do that.
“It was tough… I just could not get it together and then I felt ashamed of myself and embarrassed.”
Olly also reportedly began to cry during his chat with the newspaper as he added: “Obviously there are a lot of things I wish were different.
“And this is so much bigger than me and Eurovision, it really is.
“Obviously, I wish there wasn’t a war or this insane humanitarian crisis. I wish for peace and I have found this experience, at times, extremely… I’ve just felt really sad and distressed.
“But I still believe it’s a good thing when people come together for entertainment. That’s why I wanted to do Eurovision.”
A week before his Eurovision showcase, Olly responded to an open letter signed by Queers for Palestine, a collective of more than 450 queer artists, individuals and organisations asking him to quit Eurovision as part of a protest over Israel’s involvement.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Olly Alexander hopes Eurovision has given him a great “platform” for his solo career.
The former Years and Years singer represented the UK with ‘Dizzy’ in Saturday’s (11.05.24) competition, and though he failed to impress – coming 18th out of 25 with no points from the public vote and just 46 from the jury – his motivation for taking part was to introduce himself to a wider audience.
He told the Daily Star Sunday newspaper: “I did Eurovision because it was a great opportunity to promote my music.
“That was part of my decision.
“I’m releasing new music for the first time in a few years.
“I hope that Eurovision will be a brilliant platform for ‘Dizzy’. It is the first song from my new album, I’ve got a lot of new music to come.”
The ‘It’s A Sin’ actor thinks Eurovision does a lot to promote artists around the world.
He added: “People love the songs they see at Eurovision. They do really well.
“They’ve been embraced by a younger audience.”
Olly’s ‘Dizzy’ co-writer, Danny L Harle, recently revealed he had been working on some other songs with the star.
Speaking to GRAMMYs.com, Danny teased: “I’ve written some more tracks with him that do that. I’ve really been enjoying that with Olly because his voice is so agile and can really make sense of more complicated chord sequences.
“Another thing I’ve been enjoying with him is when there’s sparseness and letting the vocal melody spell out the harmony and maybe occasionally go minor and major over one bass note, which is something I really, really enjoy.”
Teaming up with the ‘Desire’ hitmaker is something Danny – who also worked on Dua Lipa’s latest album ‘Radical Optimism’, and is also known for working with the likes of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek – has always wanted to do, and he was delighted to find they had instant “chemistry” in the studio.
Danny continued: “I’ve always been a big fan of Olly Alexander, I’ve wanted to work with him my whole career. I believe I tweeted at him in 2009 saying hi. But I think people who like my stuff could hear that he has the kind of voice that I really like: a very virtuosic, melodic voice. [We] just had immediate chemistry, musically. We’ve written a fair amount of music and he’s a very exciting artist to be involved with.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Foo Fighters paid tribute to the late Steve Albini during their concert in North Carolina.
The legendary music producer – who was best known for his work on Nirvana’s ‘In Utero’ – passed away on 8 May after suffering a heart attack, and the following evening, Dave Grohl’s band dedicated their song ‘My Hero’ to him during their ‘Everything or Nothing At All’ show at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte.
Introducing the song, Dave said: “Tonight I’d like to dedicate this song to a friend that we lost the other day, who I’ve known a long, long time.
“He left us much too soon. He’s touched all of your lives, I’m sure. I’m talking about Steve Albini. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don’t know, just remember that name: Steve Albini. Let’s sing this one for him.”
Following Steve’s death, an interview with the former Nirvana drummer has resurfaced, in which he praised the producer as the “smartest” person he’d ever met.
Speaking in 20155, Dave told BBC 6 Music: “He was the smartest, most cynical producer/music critic/band leader/pundit, everyone was scared of him. Then you see pictures of him and he just looks like this skinny little guy. He’s just smarter and funnier and better at everything than everyone else in the world.
“And he had made so many records that we loved, he’d made Pixies records and Breeders records and Jesus’ [Lizards] records. So when we went to record with him I know I was nervous because I knew what kind of dude and I just thought he would hate me because I’m such an idiot. I think he treated me like a pet so we got along great because I was the drummer.
“But yeah he’s one of a kind and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to tell his story because I think he set’s a great example for not only musicians but also for the industry and how to think outside just conventional business.
“He lives to do things that are real and passionate and his level of integrity is unwavering, he just won’t bend and he’s stubborn for all the right reasons so I love him to death, I think he’s amazing.”

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OHMYGOSSIP — Taylor Swift has thanked her ‘The Eras’ tour crew who “worked tirelessly” during their time off to help her introduce a new segment to the show.
The 34-year-old pop star took a break from the tour this year releasing her 11th studio album ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ during the gap – and she has now added a new segment of the show dedicated to the record which she debuted at her comeback gig at La Défense Arena in Paris, France on Thursday night (09.05.24) – and she has now written a thank you note expressing her gratitude to everyone who helped make the changes possible.
In a post on Instagram, she penned: “This post is dedicated to the new ‘Tortured Poets’ section of the ‘Eras Tour’ (aka Female Rage The Musical!) and everyone who made these memories so magical.
“To my crew, fellow performers, and band who worked tirelessly in their break to concoct this surprise for you – but mostly for the fans in Paris.
“I’m so thankful that it was you we got to show this to for the first time because you gave us so much excitement, passion, and love. I’m SO fired up to play this for every crowd on the tour. See you very soon, Stockholm!”
After wrapping her four shows in Paris, Taylor will return to the stage at the Friends Arena in Stockholm on May 17.
The new section of the show includes songs from the new album which were performed live for the first time in Paris.
Taylor sang ‘But Daddy I Love Him’ and ‘So High School’ together along with ‘Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?’, Down Bad’, ‘Fortnight’, ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ and ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’.
The tour features songs from all of Taylor’s album “eras” and is now up-to-date with the inclusion of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.
To make way for the new segment, the singer had to restructure the show and cut songs from other areas.
Tracks which have been chopped include ‘The Archer’, ‘Long Live’ and ‘The 1 ‘ as well as ‘Tis The Damn Season’, ‘Tolerate It’ and ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’.
‘The Eras’ tour kicked off in March, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona and Taylor will perform 152 stadium dates across the globe before wrapping the shows in Vancouver, Canada in December.

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OHMYGOSSIP — Childish Gambino has released the album ‘Atavista’.
The finished version of his 2020 record, ‘3.15.20’, which comes with the new track ‘Little Foot Big Foot’, featuring Young Nudy, is the 40-year-old singer, rapper and actor’s penultimate release before Donald Glover retires his stage moniker with one last LP, ‘ ‘Bando Storm and the New World’, this summer.
A Hiro Murai-helmed music video for the new song has also dropped and sees appearances from Quinta Brunson, Monyett Crump, Rob Bynes and more.
Glover announced on X/Twitter: “ATAVISTA is streaming now.
“this album is the finished version of “3.15.20”, the album i put out 4 years ago. there’s a special vinyl coming soon w/ visuals for each song.
“the all new childish gambino album comes out in the summer.
“also…. little foot, big foot video: https://youtu.be/HLX1HxJm5wM?si=51tWuMdv2C2WXVaY… (sic)”
Speaking on his ‘GILGA’ show via Instagram, he previously explained: “The project I put out, ‘3.15.20’ that no one’s ever heard of, people didn’t even know I put it out, it was originally titled ‘Atavista,’ it was supposed to be ‘Atavista’.
“But we put it out quickly, I didn’t master or mix it, I just kind of put it out. I was going through a lot … thought everybody was going to die because it was the pandemic. We put it out, we finished it, it’s ‘Atavista,’ we’re putting that out. But then after that, there’s a Childish Gambino album, the final Childish Gambino album.”
The ‘Atlanta’ star recently previewed two new tracks featuring Kanye West and Kid Cudi.
During his Instagram Live ‘GILGA Radio’ show, the artist showcased two new songs, seemingly called ‘Say Less’ and ‘Warlords’.
Kanye – who features on the first track – raps about wanting to make a follow-up to 2011’s ‘Watch The Throne’ with Jay-Z.
He spits: “I rather have no regrets, but yo my agent said ‘Yo, say less’.[redacted] waiting on The Throne like ‘h** say ‘yes’’. I took my shoes out the store, they the new Payless / That’s the New God flow, but I don’t pray less.”
‘Gold Digger’ hitmaker Kanye also compares himself to late Beatles frontman John Lennon.
The ‘Redbone’ singer then previewed his new track with Cudi – which had previously leaked in 2021 – after he tried to settle a disagreement between the pair.
In an earlier ‘GILGA Radio’ show, he said: “Kid Cudi, if you got a problem, like, I’m not here for the beef.
“Just like, talk to me, because it’s like we don’t have to agree on everything but we also don’t have to be like, ‘When I see you, we have to wanna kill each other.’
“Man, life is too short.”

Source: IconInsider.com

OHMYGOSSIP — Bono has defended Coldplay and insisted they are not a “rock band”.
The U2 frontman was interviewed by BBC Radio 1’s Greg James for ‘Music Uncovered: The Genius Of Coldplay’, the first in an eight-part series, which aims to “unravel the phenomenon” of Chris Martin’s band.
Bono, 64, believes the ‘Yellow’ hitmakers are mistakenly “judged by rock rules”, whilst revealing 2003’s ‘Clocks’ is his favourite song by the Grammy winning group.
He said of the hit from their second album, ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’: “It just sort of sticks to you, tighter than time itself.
“The clock face of one band sharing a moment in time… I remember when I first heard it, punching the air in a manly but not aggressive way, and then the feeling of, ‘Oh, this is just better than anyone else’s song at the moment.'”
The ‘With or Without You’ hitmaker continued: “I should mention Coldplay are not a rock band. I hope that’s obvious. There is something much more interesting going on there like the Isley Brothers or something.
“They should not be judged by rock rules… Rage is the river running under most rock formations. Coldplay’s music has a different source and I think it’s best revealed in this song Clocks.”
‘Music Uncovered: The Genius Of Coldplay’ is available to stream on BBC Sounds now.
Meanwhile, Coldplay are set to headline Glastonbury again next month.
The ‘Viva La Vida’ hitmakers first headlined the Pyramid Stage back in 2002, and the chart-topping band are now poised to become the first act to headline the world-famous extravaganza five times.
Despite this, Coldplay haven’t performed at Worthy Farm since 2016.
Dua Lipa and SZA are set to make history at Glasto, as it’s the first time two out of the three headliners have been female.
Shania Twain has landed this year’s coveted ‘legends slot’ on Sunday afternoon.
The festival’s line-up features a host of big-name female stars, after organisers were criticised for having all-male headliners last year.
The likes of Avril Lavigne, Jessie Ware, Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello are all scheduled to perform, with Avril and Camila making their debuts at the festival.
Meanwhile, BRIT Award-winning rapper Little Simz will play immediately before Coldplay take to the stage.

Source: IconInsider.com