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Close to two decades on from his exit from New Order, bassist Peter Hook hasn’t wavered in his animosity toward his former bandmates, labeling the group a “bad cover version” of themselves.
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Hook was one of the founding members of New Order, who formed in 1980 following the death of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Hook, along with Joy Division bandmates Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris, completed their initial lineup with the addition of keyboardist Gillian Gilbert. New Order would go on to receive widespread acclaim in the ensuing decades, with their biggest success in the U.S. arriving by way of 1993’s Republic, which hit No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
In 2007, New Order would split, though Hook would not return for their 2011 reformation, instead choosing to continue with his new band Peter Hook & The Light. A long-running legal battle related to the reunion would eventually be settled in 2017.
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However, in a new interview with British publication The i Paper, Hook says he retains a sense of animosity towards his former band, noting he hasn’t spoken to vocalist and guitarist Sumner in 17 years. “As most reconciliations do, once you get over the euphoric honeymoon, you soon realise why you couldn’t f–king stick them – and they, you,” he explains. “I’m not saying I’m Mr. Perfect.”
“I don’t think they’re New Order. They don’t sound like anything like them,” he continued. “I’ve watched them play songs [online] recently, and they’ve dropped the basslines and play it like some weird, bad cover version of a New Order track. So the animosity is obviously still there now.”
Hook also claimed that his thoughts are shared by audience members of contemporary New Order shows, with fans reportedly contacting him to complain about current gigs. “They’re like, ‘You can’t hear the bass!’” he noted. “Obviously, there is a certain smugness one could adopt. But I’m, obviously, way above all that.”
Hook’s comments come as he launches a series of shows with The Light in which they perform New Order’s 2001 album Get Ready in full alongside a selection of hits from both Joy Division and New Order. Launched in the U.K. this week, Hook will bring his tour to North America in May.
Dominic “Mick” Mazzone OAM, a revered Australian music industry veteran, has passed away, his family has confirmed.
“The family of Mick Mazzone would like to announce the sudden and sad passing of our beloved dad, brother and uncle,” a statement issued on the afternoon of Thursday, April 17 read. “A stalwart of his family, he was surrounded by his loved ones in his last days.
“He will be remembered by many in the Australian music industry, which he worked in and loved for over four decades and deeply missed by his countless friends,” it continued. “We appreciate all the love and support shown to us. His legacy will live on.”
Mazzone grew up in Torrensville, a suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide, where he learnt to play the guitar as a young teenager. Performing in a number of local bands, he relocated to Sydney to embark on a career in the music business. Initially working with the Brenton Roberts Band (who were under the managerial guidance of veteran promoter Michael Chugg), Mazzone soon became regarded as an “industry all-rounder” for his versatility in the fields of sound engineering, production, and tour management.
Mighty Management was established by Mazzone where he oversaw names such as Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss and Sydney rockers The Radiators. Mazzone also extended his focus into the world of labels, with M Records featuring The Radiators alongside hard rock outfit De Mont, who were also part of the Mighty roster.
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Working on tours for the likes of Madonna, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, and R.E.M during their time in Australia, Mazzone later served as founding member of the Music Managers Forum, and would become a founder and trustee of the industry charity the Golden Stave Foundation. In 2018, Mazzone received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of his contributions to the industry and his charitable endeavors.
In February 2024, Mazzone adopted the role of manager for ARIA Hall of Famers the Hoodoo Gurus, who topped the Alternative Airplay chart in 1989 with “Come Anytime,” and hit No. 3 in 1991 with “Miss Freelove ’69.” Mazzone’s promotion to the top job came after longtime manager Michael McMartin stepped down from the role, ultimately passing the following month.
In the wake of his passing, the Hoodoo Gurus shared a statement remembering Mazzone, noting they were “utterly devastated at the sudden loss of our dear friend.”
“It is impossible to convey the shock and grief we are feeling right now,” they wrote. “We have already shed many tears, and there will be many more to come, but our loss is nothing compared to the one that has been dealt to Mick’s close family and friends and, in particular, to his beloved kids, Frank, Antonia and Alex. Our hearts go out to them at this dreadful time.”
The Radiators also offered their condolences to Mazzone and his family, naming him one of their “great friends” and noting his “fantastic ear” and sharp managerial mindset.
“Mick holds a special place in our hearts, and we will forever be grateful for his time spent guiding and mentoring the Rads when we were at a low point in our career,” the band wrote. “His management helped lift us up, and without his strong, sure and steady hand, we as a band may not have been able to navigate the ‘90s.
“He will be sadly missed by so many people in the industry,” they concluded. “He was an incredible human. A quiet genius. Gone way way too soon. The world is a poorer place today, for the loss of one Mick Mazzone.”
For the past 25 years, Mazzone also served as the Technical Director and Production Manager for the annual APRA, Art and Screen Music Awards, held by copyright management organizations APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society).
“Mick’s warmth and sense of humour were legendary among those who had the pleasure of knowing him, like we did,” said APRA Chair Jenny Morris in a statement. “His genuine kindness made everyone feel welcome and valued, creating lasting memories for all who crossed his path. His contributions to the music industry and community will be deeply missed.”
Katy Perry went to space with Lauren Sanchez, Gayle King and others on a Blue Origin spacecraft. The public and celebrities alike shared their opinions about the women being sent to space. Keep watching to find out what some Billboard staffers had to say about the trip.
What do you think of Katy Perry going to space? Let us know in the comments.
Stefanie Tanaka:
If anyone out there has $150,000, then you can go to space too.
Tetris Kelly:
All right, so Billboard squad, five ladies went to space, but everybody seems to just be mad at Katy Perry. Are we mad? What’s going on?
Jerah Milligan:
I don’t care.
Stefanie Tanaka:
I can understand why people are mad. I don’t know if I feel that strongly about it.
Tetris Kelly:
Why? What are people upset about?
Stefanie Tanaka:
I mean, a lot of people, you know, times are tough right now. It doesn’t really like look super inspiring to see, like, super rich people just going into space.
Ciara Zimring:
It’s not giving what they think it’s giving. They think it’s giving inspiring, sending a bunch of women to space, but it’s giving more sending a bunch of rich people in space, as opposed to actual female astronauts that should be sent up.
Stefanie Tanaka:
Yeah, yeah.
Ciara Zimring:
That would give more.
Stefanie Tanaka:
It’s like, it’s cool for, like, the aesthetics of it, like to see a group of women, women of color, going into space. Like, it looks good as a photo-
Jerah Milligan:
As a photo.
Stefanie Tanaka:
But it’s like, this was all funded by Jeff Bezos. They wouldn’t be going up there without him. If this is Elon Musk, people would be reacting the same way. All these billionaires are obsessed with going to space because they’re gonna leave this planet completely f—ed
Tetris Kelly:
Stefanie’s mad.
Stefanie Tanaka:
They’re going to go up there the minute this planet goes to hell because of climate change.
Tetris Kelly:
I mean, and I think the funny part to me is that you have, like, this inspirational moment, but then I feel like the whole time I watched Gayle be a part of this, she was looking scared. She didn’t even want to go. And she’s like, why am I here? How did I get on this spacecraft?
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Wisp performed for the first time at Coachella, and she shares her experience of debuting her new single “Get Back to Me” at the festival, her favorite part of Coachella and more!
Are you excited for her new single? Let us know in the comments below!
Tetris Kelly:So from the Hot Hard Rock songs No. 10. Like, you were top 10 there, and now playing Sonora stage with so many other amazing rock acts. How was it?
Wisp:It was amazing. I had so much fun.
And then, what is that … the vibe over there? Because I feel like in that specific stage, like everybody’s just having a good time.
Yeah, I was so relieved that I was playing Sonora stage because it’s so enclosed and it’s dark, and I feel like that’s the perfect vibe for my music. So it was really fun. It was packed, too.
Yeah, it was packed for your set. And I mean, you also debuted some new music.
I did!
So how was it to play “Get Back to Me”?
It was amazing. I love that song, and I’m really excited for it to come out.
And then, what have your fans felt when they were … how did you feel when they’re, like, did you debut a new song and like, they’ve never heard it before?
Yeah, I don’t know. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what people are thinking, but I feel like they were pretty well received today, so I’m happy.
And then, how has Coachella been, in general? Because this is your very first Coachella.
It is.
So, like, how has it been walking around? What’s been your favorite part?
It’s been so fun. My friends are here as well. So we’ve seen a couple sets yesterday. Clairo was my favorite. She was amazing.
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Actress Daryl Hannah has spoken about the issues faced by husband Neil Young in his journey to becoming an American citizen, claiming “every trick in the book” was used to delay the process.
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Hannah, who has been married to Young since 2018, made the claims in a new interview with the BBC, alleging that the process was delayed purposefully. “They tried […] every trick in the book to mess him up, and made him keep coming back to be re-interviewed and re-interviewed,” Hannah explained. “It’s ridiculous [because] he’s been living in America and paying taxes here since he was in his 20s.”
Indeed, Young was born in Toronto in 1945 but relocated to the U.S. in 1966. In a 1975 interview with Rolling Stone, Young admitted that he had lived in the country illegally until he obtained a green card in 1970.
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In November 2019, Young discussed some of the delays his citizenship application had faced, noting that a policy update from earlier that same year meant that his previous use of marijuana had not seen him meet the standard for “good moral character.”
“When I recently applied for American citizenship, I passed the test,” Young wrote at the time. “It was a conversation where I was asked many questions. I answered them truthfully and passed. Recently however, I have been told that I must do another test, due to my use of marijuana and how some people who smoke it have exhibited a problem.”
Ultimately, Young was granted U.S. citizenship in January 2020, though he would later relocate to Canada that same year.
Recently, Young’s criticism of the U.S. government has seen him share fears that he may be blacklisted from a return to the U.S. based upon the “latest actions of our US government.”
“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” Young wrote on his website on April 1. “If I come back from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me.”
“If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for Freedom?” he added. “I love America and its people and its music and its culture.”
Despite these comments, Hannah noted that she doesn’t share the same fear that Young might be detained at the border, largely due to his status as a U.S. citizen.
“They’ve been detaining people who have green cards or visas – which is hideous and horrifying – but they have not, so far, been refusing to let American citizens back in the country, so I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she stated.
Jin’s getting ready to drop his second album, ‘Echo,’ and we have a sneak peek at the tracklist for the album. Keep watching for all the details! Are you excited for his new album? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: It’s time to be happy again for Jin as the BTS superstar has […]
Amaarae is entering her BLACK STAR era, and the singer shares her excitement about previewing new music, her history-making Coachella performance, the differences between weekend one and two, touring with Sabrina Carpenter and Childish Gambino, her thoughts on women owning their sexuality in the music industry and more!
Are you excited for BLACK STAR? Let us know in the comments below!
Tetris Kelly:From the desert. Miss Fountain Baby, Amaarae. What’s up, girl?
Amaarae:
I’m good, I’m good, I’m good. It’s BLACK STAR now, it’s ‘BLACK STAR now. We’re getting ready for album mode. So, you know.
We know you’re getting ready for album mode because you were out there at the desert just dropping new music. So how did it feel to, like, release new stuff on such a great stage?
Man, it was incredible. I think the crowd responded really well. I’m excited to drop the new music. I’m excited for this new chapter. And it was insane. It was insane. Like the energy was nuts.
And how do you even prepare for something like Coachella?
You don’t prepare for Coachella. Coachella prepares for you. No, I feel like you just have to lock in mentally. Like, I’m not even kidding. There’s so many moving parts for the show. And I think, like, at some point I had to melt down a little bit.
Yeah, because, like do you get nervous? How do you, like, how do you handle your nerves?
I think it just gets to a point where it’s like, you have to end up on that stage, and you have to give the people a show. And I think for a stage this big and just kind of, like, this prominent, you I can’t, like, lose, you know, I can’t afford to lose. So it’s just lock that mind in and we just go. We just go.
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Billboard’s Dance Moves roundup serves as a guide to the biggest movers and shakers across Billboard’s many dance charts — new No. 1s, new top 10s, first-timers and more.
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This week on charts dated April 19, Skrillex, 2hollis, PinkPantheress and others achieve new feats. Check out key movers below.
Skrillex
The influential DJ-producer dropped his fourth studio album, F*CK U SKRILLEX YOU THINK UR ANDY WARHOL BUT UR NOT!!
MELBOURNE, Australia — Just months after the 2024 Music Victoria Awards were confirmed to have been targeted in an egregious occurrence of voter fraud, organizers have made the decision to suspend the 2025 event.
The 2024 edition of the awards – which seeks to honor and recognize the talents of musicians in the Australian state of Victoria – was held in Melbourne on Oct. 24, though it was later announced on Nov. 27 that an “unknown assailant/s” had targeted the voting process and manipulated several of the publicly-voted categories.
In a statement, Music Victoria, the trade body that produces the annual ceremony, explained they had become aware of “unusual activity within the third-party voting system used for the public voted categories.”
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Following a thorough internal investigation, and liaisons with “the third-party voting system Award Force, cyber security experts and legal advice,” it was discovered that “thousands of misregistered votes” had been “falsely attributed to nominees, resulting in a change to the recipients of five of the six publicly voted categories.”
As a result of the discovery, the rightful winners were later reinstated and Music Victoria insisted it will “carve out space” in the 2025 ceremony to “present the winners in front of our industry.”
However, a statement issued by Music Victoria on Wednesday (April 16) has now confirmed the awards will in fact be suspended for 2025.
“This decision comes after careful reflection, consultation, valuable feedback and learnings over the last 18 months,” the statement read. “The organisation believes this is the right time and opportunity for Music Victoria to reassess and reimagine the Music Victoria Awards, ensuring they are reflective of and aligned with Victoria’s diverse music community while operating in a financially sustainable manner.
“Music Victoria remains deeply committed to its mission of providing a valuable platform for artists and industry and looks forward to engaging with stakeholders – working together to uncover new ways to celebrate and support Victorian music meaningfully.”
Music Victoria CEO Fiona Duncan also issued a statement, noting, “this short-term action gives us the opportunity to set up the Music Victoria Awards for a robust and sustainable long-term future.”
“We need to take one step back to allow leaps forward,” Duncan added. “We look forward to collaborating closely with our community to shape this next chapter to celebrate the depths of talent we have in Victoria. We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we evolve through these changes.”
The Music Victoria Awards were originally launched in 2006 as the EG Music Awards, as a means to celebrate the 21st anniversary of Melbourne newspaper The Age’s long-running entertainment guide. Initially a retrospective ceremony, the focus shifted in the ensuing years to reflect the annual performance of musicians from Victoria.
The 2024 edition of the Music Victoria Awards saw names such as Angie McMahon, Gut Health, and Maple Glider, recognized for best album, best group, and best solo artist, respectively.
Drake went on Adin Ross’ livestream and spilled that he has a new solo album in the works after he received love from Travis Scott and Yeat at Coachella. Keep watching for the full story! Are you ready for a new Drake album? Let us know in the comments! Tetris Kelly: Drake’s recent return with […]