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04 Feb 2025

Dawes Release Grammys Cover of Randy Newman’s ‘I Love L.A.’ to Benefit Wildfire Relief

A day after performing an all-star version of Randy Newman’s 1983 pop classic “I Love L.A.” to open Sunday’s (Feb. 2) 67th annual Grammy Awards, Dawes announced that they are releasing their version to help with Los Angeles wildfire relief. The proceeds from sales of the song will go to the Recording Academy and MusiCares’ Los Angeles Fire Relief Effort to Support Music Professionals.

The band honored the first responders and the communities affected by the deadly fires with the cover of Newman’s beloved song at music’s biggest night. They were joined by a backup band that included Brad Paisley and Brittany Howard on guitar, as well as John Legend on the piano, St. Vincent on keys and Sheryl Crow on bass. They also tweaked the lyrics to the song to reflect the moment, singing, “Look at this city getting back up off its knees/ Look at these firefighters/ Ain’t nothin’ like them nowhere.”

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“Recorded this just a few days ago to make sure we could all continue to relive this moment together. Proceeds going to Musicares.org in support of those affected by the LA Fires,” the band wrote on Instagram. “What a wild few days it’s been. Can’t wait to share some thoughts once I catch my breath. I love you all so much. Thanks for showing the love and support the way you always do. And for anyone new here – welcome to the family. It’s pretty tight knit. Hope you all like the new track.”

Dawes also performed their 2011 single “Time Spent in Los Angeles” at last week’s FireAid benefit concert at the Kia Forum in L.A., before teaming up with Stephen Stills and Mike Campbell for Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” They were later joined by Stills’ longtime musical partner Graham Nash for a cover of CSN&Y’s “Teach Your Children.”

Singer Taylor Goldsmith and brother Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith were both affected by the fires, with Taylor losing his home studio and much of the band’s musical equipment and Griffin losing his Altadena home in the Eaton fire. Former Dawes bassist Wylie Gelber also lost his home in the fires that killed 29 and destroyed 16,000 homes and structures.

04 Feb 2025

Charli XCX & Martha Stewart Support Matthew McConaughey’s Super Bowl Conspiracy in Uber Eats Ad: Watch

Matthew McConaughey has a conspiracy theory about football that dates back hundreds of years — and he’s recruiting Charli XCX, Martha Stewart and more stars to convince people it’s true in a hilarious Super Bowl commercial for Uber Eats.

Premiering Tuesday (Feb. 4), the 90-second spot — which will air during the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game on Sunday (Feb. 9) — opens with the Interstellar star telling viewers, “From the very beginning, football has been a conspiracy to make us hungry.”

He then defends his thesis by starring in flashbacks to important moments in his version of football history, including the inception of the “pigskin” nickname — to “make people crave bacon,” as McConaughey and costar Kevin Bacon explain to a group of players in the 1800s — and the decision to name the Green Bay Packers after meatpackers, while their fans are called “cheeseheads.” At one point, Hot Ones host Sean Evans makes a fitting cameo as he and the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actor decide on the Buffalo Bills’ team name over a plate of Buffalo wings.

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Flash forward to 2025, and McConaughey says that the Super Bowl gods “aren’t even hiding it anymore.” Presiding over a conference table where the “Von Dutch” singer sits next to Stewart, the Oscar winner points out that this year’s Halftime Show is “presented by an apple” — at which point Charli takes a smug bite out of a Granny Smith, a reference to both her Brat song “Apple” and the name of the tech company sponsoring Kendrick Lamar’s highly anticipated mid-game performance Sunday (Feb. 9).

One person who doesn’t buy McConaughey’s theory, however, is filmmaker Greta Gerwig, who tells him at the end, “No one believes that football is just some conspiracy to sell food.”

It was first announced that Charli and the domestic doyenne would star in the McConaughey-led Super Bowl campaign in late January. At the time, the Grammy winner also joined Stewart for a round of “We Listen and We Don’t Judge” for the food delivery company, as well as broke down football positions in club terms.

“It was cute filming my first Super Bowl campaign with Uber Eats!” Charli said in a statement at the time. “Matthew and Martha are obviously legends, so I felt right at home.”

The musician is just one of several music stars fans can expect to see grace their TV screens come Super Bowl Sunday. Also appearing in lucrative game-day ads are Post Malone — who appears alongside Shane Gillis and Peyton Manning in Bud Light’s 2025 campaign — and Mountain Dew partner Becky G.

See Charli and Stewart in Uber Eats’ Super Bowl commercial below.

04 Feb 2025

Taylor Swift Dancing With Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s Son at 2025 Grammys Was Adorable Throwback to Their First Meeting

Taylor Swift is well-known for her enthusiastic awards show audience dancing. But at Sunday night’s (Feb. 2) 67 Grammy Awards the singer had an unexpected dance partner: Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s 10-year-old son, Genesis.

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Cameras caught Swift holding hands with the young man and jumping up and down during Shakira’s career-spanning performance, with Genesis even pulling a pro move and spinning the pop superstar around as his older brother, Egypt, 14, looked on with a smile.

People reported that proud papa Beatz also posted a snippet of the dancing video on his Instagram Story, captioning it “Gen & @taylorswift jamming.” In another picture from the Story, both boys are seen standing with Swift, with Egypt appearing to be showing the “Down Bad” singer something on his phone while Genesis stood between them.

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X user @wishescametrue posted a video noting that Swift and Genesis first met cute six years ago at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards. In that video, Swift is seen waving to toddler Genesis as he sits on his dad’s lap, with Genesis waving back. Back in March 2024, Keys talked about the video, telling Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that in that earlier video Genesis, then three, was “flirting, like actually flirting.” She also noted that the pals had met up again at one of Swift’s Eras Tour shows and that Genesis wondered, “is she going to remember me?” Fallon then pulled out a pic from that night of Swift giving Genesis a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Keys posted pics from their Eras Tour excursion in August 2023, including snaps of Swift posing for snaps with the mother-son duo and giving Genesis a special handwritten note. “Gen, Hi my friend!!” read Swift’s card. “I was so excited when I heard you were coming tonight!! I hope you have so much fun at the show. I’ll be waving at you. Love, Taylor.

Genesis had a pretty big Grammy night with his mom. When Keys took the stage to accept the Dr. Dre global impact award she brought her youngest along with her. Standing behind his mom wearing a pair of shades, Gen watched as Keys gave shout-outs to the many people who believed in her prodigious talent early in her career.

“I just want to give big love to my brother Dr. Dre who created a sound that began a movement, and your sound told me that if you’re a creative growing up in Compton or Hell’s Kitchen, you can touch the world,” Keys said. “I always had to fight for a certain level of respect as a songwriter, a composer and especially a producer. It’s strange that we don’t think of women as producers like Quincy or Dre or Swizzy, but female producers have always powered the industry,” she added, shouting out foremothers and contemporaries Patrice Rushen, Missy Elliott, Linda Perry, Grimes and Solange.

Keys also made a point of criticizing President Trump’s executive orders rolling back the government’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as part of its first two weeks blitz of activity. “This is not the time to shut down a diversity of voices. We’ve seen on this stage talented, hard-working people from different backgrounds with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat — it’s a gift,” Keys said as the audience roared with supportive applause. “The more voices, the more powerful the sound. When destructive forces try to burn us down, we rise from the ashes like a phoenix. And as you see tonight, music is the unstoppable language that connects us all.”

04 Feb 2025

A 14-Year-Old Chappell Roan Totally Predicted Her Future Grammy Glory: ‘Going to Do Whatever It Takes to Get It’

Chappell Roan knew it all along. After the “Pink Pony Club” singer capped a stellar year with a best new artist win and a headline-making performance at Sunday night’s (Feb. 2) Grammy Awards, an X user resurfaced an old video of a then-14-year-old Kayleigh Rose Amstutz accepting the first-place prize at 2012’s Springfield’s Got Talent show contest, which netted her a $1,012 novelty-sized check and a priceless quote.

“I want to win a Grammy,” the teen singer said at the time in the video shared by X user @m1dwestprincess. “So that’s my goal. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to get it. So that’ll be the fight for me.”

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Fast forward to Sunday, and not only did now-26-year-old Roan put on a kaleidoscopic, Broadway-worthy performance of her hit “Pink Pony Club” that Billboard called a “queer country clown fantasia,” but she also won her first Grammy. In keeping with her determination to use her platform to spread love and always push the needle, she called for proper healthcare for musicians in her acceptance speech.

“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and healthcare, especially for developing artists,” she said, reading out of a notebook.

She then shared that when she was dropped from a major label earlier in her career the lack of support had a major impact on her. “I got signed so young … and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic, and could not afford health insurance,” she said. “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and to feel so betrayed by the system and to be so dehumanized to not have healthcare. If my label would have prioritized artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”

She also later spoke to GLAAD and made a call to support trans rights as they face an unprecedented attack from the Trump administration, which has spent the past two week erasing web pages that mention LGBTQ people and removing the last two letters from government websites. “Trans people have always existed and they will forever exist. They will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away,” she said. “I would not be here without trans girls. Just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you. I’m trying my best to stand up for you.”

04 Feb 2025

Ezra Collective, Mogwai and Kae Tempest to Headline 2025 BBC 6 Music Festival

Ezra Collective, Kae Tempest, Mogwai and English Teacher are among the names that will play the 2025 BBC 6 Music Festival – see the lineup in full below.

The weekender, which is the station’s flagship festival, will take place between March 26-29 at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Greater Manchester. Tickets for each event are sold separately and will be available beginning at 10 a.m. (GMT) on Thursday (Feb. 6) here.

On March 26, a BBC Introducing event at the city’s YES venue will kick off proceedings, featuring rising acts Adult DVD, Renee Stormz, and Jasmine 4.t. 

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The following evening (March 27), Ezra Collective will herald in 6 Music’s three-night residency at O2 Victoria Warehouse. The jazz five-piece will be joined by Fat Dog, before a DJ set from 6 Music host Jamz Supernova. There will also be a New Music Fix night at YES with DJs 1-800 GIRLS, Florentino, Marie Davidson and NAINA.

March 28, meanwhile, will see a headline performance from Scottish rockers Mogwai, with support from Leeds band English Teacher, winners of the 2024 Mercury Prize. Elsewhere in Greater Manchester on March 28, there will be DJ sets from Sports Team, Lava La Rue, Steve Lamacq, Viagra Boys and Nathan Shepherd at Band On The Wall. 6 Music will also team up with The Warehouse to present a Rave Forever event at Amber’s nightclub.

March 29 will see spoken-word artist Kae Tempest debut new material for the first time during a headline show at O2 Victoria Warehouse. They will be joined by Perfume Genius and SHERELLE.

“It’s amazing, it’s so exciting,” Tempest said of the festival, speaking to presenter Nemone on Tuesday morning’s (Feb. 4) 6 Music breakfast show. “I can’t wait for people to hear what I have been working on. We’re still working it out in terms of what people will hear first, and we’ve got a new live set-up coming together – all the pieces are in place.”

They continued: “This gig will be the first time I have performed my new songs, which are very different to the stuff I have made before. The creative process has been akin to being caught in a strong current… I can’t wait to see what happens on stage.”

Throughout the festival, the 6 Music team will be broadcasting live from MediaCity U.K. in Salford. Current presenters include: Nick Grimshaw, Iggy Pop, Huw Stephens, and Mary Anne Hobbs.

The 6 Music Festival is aired across a number of BBC radio, television, and online channels. Since 2023, it has found a home in Greater Manchester, while previous iterations of the festival were hosted in different cities annually across the U.K. including Cardiff, London, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle.

In January 2014, the BBC launched the 6 Music Festival in Manchester with headliner Damon Albarn. In the years that have followed, the event has seen sets from world-renowned acts including Depeche Mode, Fontaines D.C., Father John Misty and Neneh Cherry.

04 Feb 2025

Coldplay Cover The Proclaimers’ ‘Sunshine On Leith’ With Laura Mvula: Watch

Coldplay have teamed up with Laura Mvula to cover The Proclaimers’ classic track, “Sunshine On Leith.” Watch the performance in full below.

The band delivered an emotive rendition of the Scottish act’s 1988 single during a pared-back performance for BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room Month series on Monday night (Feb. 3). Birmingham-raised songwriter Mvula assisted frontman Chris Martin on vocals, having previously performed alongside Coldplay at the band’s 2024 Glastonbury headline set.

The set was recorded at the BBC Maida Vale studios in north London, during which the band also performed their hit single “Viva La Vida,” as well as tracks from their 2024 LP Moon Music, including “The Karate Kid,” “All My Love,” and “feelslikeimfallinginlove.”

You can listen back to the session via BBC Sounds. The performance will also be broadcast at 10:40 p.m. (GMT) tomorrow (Feb. 5) on BBC One.

Martin and bandmate Guy Berryman spoke to BBC broadcaster Jo Whiley about Coldplay’s forthcoming 10-night Music Of The Spheres residency at London’s Wembley Stadium, which will take place later this summer (Aug. 22 – Sept. 8).

They also discussed whether the four-piece will return to Glastonbury in the future and last year’s Moon Music LP, which topped both the Billboard 200 and the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

Discussing their choice of cover, Martin explained that Berryman had sent him “Sunshine On Leith” – from The Proclaimers’ second album of the same name – “three days ago.” He added: “He said, ‘Listen to this song by The Proclaimers’, and I’d never heard it before, and it blew me away. I’d never heard it before and then I watched the Hibernian [FC] fans singing in the terraces and it just gets me so much, that song.”

Last month, Coldplay broke the record for the largest-ever stadium shows of the 21st Century, according to Live Nation. Across two nights (Jan. 25-26), the band performed for more than 223,000 fans at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India. The gigs also marked the first time Coldplay have played in the country.

04 Feb 2025

The Great Escape Festival: The Libertines’ Peter Doherty and 120 New Names Join 2025 Lineup

The Great Escape festival in Brighton, England has announced hundreds of new names for their lineup including The Libertines’ Peter Doherty, Jordan Adetunji, Lynks, The K’s and more.

The festival is also expanding its programme to run for an extra day, and will take place in the city on May 14-17. First held in 2006, the annual gathering showcases emerging talent across the city at a number of independent venues; previous performers at the festival include Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., Sam Fender, Japanese Breakfast and more.

On May 14, The Libertines’ Peter Doherty will perform at a special Spotlight Show curated by his record label, Strap Originals. It will feature acts such as Warmduscher and Trampolene at the Deep End venue on Brighton’s beachfront. Tickets for the festival are on sale now.

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Further additions to the festival’s bill include: Armlock Silver, Black Fondu, Bold Love, Donny Benét, Gore, Lemfreck, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, Moonlandingz, Namesbliss, Rabbitfoot, Real Farmer, Shortstraw, Sunday (1994), The Pill, Westside Cowboy and more.

The festival has also announced further details about the accompanying conference programme and a raft of speakers and curators for the event. Industry bodies The Council of Music Makers (MMF, MPG, FAC, Ivors Academy and the MU), Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), BBC Introducing LIVE and Youth Music all return as collaborators, alongside The Association of Independent Music (AIM).

Themes across the panels will include the role of government policy in creative spaces, community building for artists and labels and more. See the full rundown at the festival’s official website.

The Great Escape has also shared news that warmup event, The Road To Great Escape, will take place in the preceding week, and returns to key cities Glasgow (May 9-10) and Dublin (May 12-13). The showcases will see a number of acts from the lineup performing live in their home cities before making the trip to England’s south coast.

04 Feb 2025

Kelly Clarkson Goes ’90s With Cover of ‘Flagpole Sitta’ on ‘Kellyoke’

Kelly Clarkson has a gift for taking any song—no matter the genre—and making it feel fresh, but her latest Kellyoke cover might be one of her most unexpected yet.

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On today’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, she took on Harvey Danger’s alt-rock anthem “Flagpole Sitta,” a track packed with anxious, anti-establishment energy that became a defining song of the late ’90s.

As always, Clarkson and her backing band, My Band Y’all, delivered a full-throttle performance, leaning into the song’s frenetic energy and wry, self-aware lyrics.

Released as the debut single from Harvey Danger’s 1997 album Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?, “Flagpole Sitta” became an unexpected hit. The song shot to No. 3 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, peaked at No. 38 on the Hot 100 chart, and made appearances across multiple other Billboard charts.

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Its snarky, disaffected lyrics perfectly captured late-’90s youth culture, making it a staple on alternative radio stations and securing its place in pop culture history.

The track became even more iconic when it was featured in the 1999 teen comedy American Pie, blasting over one of the film’s chaotic party scenes. It also found a second life in the 2000s, being rediscovered through TV shows like Peep Show.

Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson’s Kellyoke segment has turned into one of the most beloved parts of The Kelly Clarkson Show, with the singer tackling everything from pop divas to classic rock anthems. But “Flagpole Sitta” might be one of her most delightfully unhinged choices yet.

Clarkson didn’t just cover the song—she completely embodied it, channeling its nervous energy with her powerhouse vocals while keeping the raw, slightly manic edge that made the original so memorable.

The instrumentation stayed true to the alt-rock sound, with distorted guitars and driving drums keeping up the pace. Even Clarkson’s delivery had an extra bite, proving she can just as easily tap into her rock side as she can belt out a soaring ballad.

For longtime fans of Kellyoke, this isn’t the first time Clarkson has dipped into the alternative rock world. She’s previously covered songs from The Killers, Smashing Pumpkins, Kings of Leon, and Foo Fighters.

Watch Clarkson’s rendition of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” below.

03 Feb 2025

Dave Grohl Added to ‘Saturday Night Live’ 50th-Anniversary Concert

With under two weeks to go until Saturday Night Live host their homecoming concert as part of their 50th-anniversary celebrations, the prolific Dave Grohl has been added to the lineup of performers.

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Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the SNL 50: The Homecoming Concert will take place at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 14 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with live streaming available on Peacock. It’s part of the iconic show’s ongoing birthday celebrations which have also included the premiere of the 50 Years of SNL Music documentary on Jan. 27, and the SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night documentary on Jan. 16.

On Thursday (Jan. 30), SNL announced the names which will feature in their upcoming concert, with previous show hosts and performers Bad Bunny, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus appearing atop the bill.

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Elsewhere, the likes Post Malone, Jelly Roll and the Backstreet Boys can also be found on the bill, in addition to Arcade Fire, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Mumford & Sons, The B-52s and The Roots. 

At the time, it was noted that more performers would be announced leading up to the show, with Consequence now confirming that Dave Grohl will also be joining the lineup.

Though absent from the initial announcement, a promotional video for the event has since mentioned Grohl’s presence. Notably, Grohl is the only artist featured in the video who was not named in last week’s lineup, though the clip also overlooks mention of confirmed performers Brittany Howard, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Robyn.

The Foo Fighters founder has been largely absent from the public eye since September 2024 when he announced he had become the father of a new baby born outside of his marriage to Jordyn Blum. “I love my wife and my children, and I am doing everything I can to regain their trust and earn their forgiveness,” a statement released by Grohl at the time read.

Grohl’s upcoming contribution to the SNL’s Homecoming Concert makes sense, however. To date, he holds the record for most musical appearances on the show, with 15 performances taking place between 1992 and 2023. 

These include nine times with the Foo Fighters, twice with Nirvana, once as a drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and once as a member of Them Crooked Vultures. The Foo Fighters have also appeared as a special guest with Mick Jagger in 2012, and Grohl also performed with his Nirvana bandmates alongside Paul McCartney later that same year.

More recently, Grohl also appeared in the 50 Years of SNL Music documentary, and on Thursday (Jan. 30), took part in a Nirvana reunion as part of the FireAid LA Benefit Concert. Appearing alongside bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, the four-song set featured guest vocalists St. Vincent, Kim Gordon, and Joan Jett, with Grohl’s own daughter Violet closing out proceedings with a rendition of “All Apologies”.

03 Feb 2025

Steven Tyler Returns to the Stage for First Performance Since Aerosmith’s Retirement from Touring

While the music world didn’t receive its highly-anticipated Aerosmith reunion over the weekend, the reality wasn’t far off, with frontman Steven Tyler making his long-awaited return to the stage.

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In January, reports emerged that Tyler’s sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party would be taking place on Sunday (Feb. 2) at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, with Aerosmith set to make a return performance.

Alongside appearances from Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Lainey Wilson, Tom Hamilton, Linda Perry, Matt Sorum, and Nuno Bettencourt, the reported Aerosmith reunion would have been the group’s first live show since Sept. 2023.

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While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in August 2024.

Though excitement for a reunion from Aerosmith members was high in the lead up to the Jam for Janie event on Sunday, the result was equally appreciated when Tyler took to the stage for a rare live appearance. Ultimately, the likes of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry weren’t on hand for the night, though bassist Tom Hamilton was. 

Performing with Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler’s six-song set featured a rendition of Aerosmith’s “Toys in the Attic”, Extreme’s “More Than Words” with Mick Fleetwood, and “Dream On” with Lainey Wilson. Joined by Hamilton and the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson for performances of “Sweet Emotion”, and “Walk This Way” (which also featured English singer Jessie J), the high-profile set closed out with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker”.

Sunday’s performance was only Tyler’s second time appearing on stage since his vocal injury. In May 2024 – months before Aerosmith announced their retirement from touring – Tyler performed “Mama Kin” with the Black Crowes in London. At the time, the Black Crowes were planning to resume their role as the opening act for Aerosmith’s then-postponed Peace Out tour later in the year.

It’s currently unclear whether Tyler’s return to the live stage could result in anything more in the future, though Hamilton did speak to Boston’s WBUR in January to give an update on the possibility of one-off Aerosmith appearances down the line.

“Steven’s healing process is going really, really well, but it goes at its own pace,” Hamilton told the station. “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction.

“If we do anything in the future, it would come from him,” he added.