Rock
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First The Matrix, then Bill & Ted and now Dogstar? Keanu Reeves has been on a reboot run and the actor’s 1990s grunge trio appears to be next on the list. Last week, Reeves posed for a picture in which the Dog men gathered for some promo pics on a rooftop in Los Angeles in preparation for the band’s first new music in more than 20 years.
“Last set up on the roof in Lincoln Heights for @dogstarband photo shoot,” read the post featuring bassist/singer Reeves alongside singer/guitarist Bret Domrose and drummer Robert Mailhouse. “Exiting news coming soon. Thanks for being so patient.”
The band low key reunited last summer more than two decades after their final show in Oct. 2022. During their brief run, Dogstar expectedly garnered a lot of media attention due to Reeves’ participation, beginning with the release of their four-track EP Quattro Formaggi in 1996 after several years of playing gigs in the U.S. and overseas; a full-length album, Our Little Visionary, was only released in Japan.
Another album, 1999’s Happy Ending, would prove to be their swan song as all three moved on to other projects. Dogstar began teasing a return last July with a retro pic from their salad days and the message “We’re back.” That began nearly a year of periodic updates about the in-process recordings sessions with producer Dave Trumfio, including video of Reeves transposing arrangements and a post from August describing a “deep, layered, lush” record on the horizon.
By December, they said they were mixing and sneaking out for a private show for the crew who helped create the album, while promising a spring release date. “Thank you everyone for the kind comments. We are overjoyed to see such a response!” the band added in comments on the photo shoot post. “Honestly, didn’t expect this. It makes us want to play out even more. We will be rolling out some new music this summer, followed by some gigs. As soon as it’s all figured out we will let everyone know immediately. So much to do, but rest assured, we are on it and have assembled a fantastic team that are helping us. We are also going to make a music video to support our first tune… Can’t wait to share our new music with everyone. It’s the most satisfying and meaningful batch of songs we’ve ever done. Thanks again for being so patient with us. We truly have the best, most loyal fans!”
Back in 2019, Reeves spoke to GQ magazine about Dogstar and what he suspects is the general public’s feeling about his side project. “I guess it would have helped if our band was better,” he said at the time.
Check out Dogstar’s post and rehearsal footage below.
Tim Bachman, guitarist and co-founder of Canadian rock band Bachman-Turner Overdrive, has died at age 71. The news was announced by Bachman’s son, Ryder, on Friday, who wrote in a Facebook post, “My Dad passed this afternoon. Thank You Everyone for the kind words. Grateful I got to spend some time with him at the end. Grab yer loved ones and hug em close, ya never know how long you have.”
In a previous post, Ryder revealed that he got a call from the care unit where his father was staying last Wednesday in which they informed him to pay his final respects after doctors found “cancer riddled all throughout his [Tim’s] brain.”
Tim Bachman co-founded the group commonly referred to as BTO in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1973 with his brothers, singer/guitarist Randy Bachman and drummer Robin Bachman; the latter died in January of this year at age 69. Tim performed on the band’s eponymous album and their breakthrough second collection, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II, which dropped in December of that year and featured two of the band’s most beloved, hard-charging hits, “Let It Ride” and Billboard Hot 100 No. 12 hit “Takin’ Care of Business,” which Tim sang backing vocals on in addition to playing second lead guitar.
His run in the brotherly band would be short-lived, however, as he left in early 1974 shortly after the second album dropped, reportedly due to singer Randy’s strict rules prohibiting drugs, alcohol and premarital sex on the road. He was replaced by Blair Thornton, who played on the band’s third album, 1974’s Not Fragile, which included the No. 1 single “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” and “Roll on Down the Highway.”
After a series of lineup changes — including the departure of singer Randy in 1977 — BTO reunited in 1983 with Randy and Tim leading the charge, with younger brother Robbie declining to participate. They released Bachman-Turner Overdrive in Sept. 1984 and a live album from their stint opening for Van Halen before Randy left again in 1986, which marked the last year of Tim Bachman’s run with the group as well. The group re-re-reformed in 1988 with Randy Bachman again taking lead along with Robbie on drums, but no Tim Bachman.
On Sunday, Ryder Bachman continued paying tribute to his dad, writing “The last words he said were, “I love you Paxton, Share the Music” and so I’ll honour Dad this afternoon by sharing songs, some he’s played a million times on stage; c’mon down and sing em with me, I bet u know the words.”
See Ryder Bachman’s post below.
Aerosmith announced the dates for their farewell North American tour on Monday morning (May 1). The veteran band’s Peace Out 40-date run is scheduled to kick off on Sept. 2 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA and keep them on the road through a Jan. 26, 2024 gig at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
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“It’s not goodbye it’s PEACE OUT! Get ready and walk this way, you’re going to get the best show of our lives,” the band said in a statement about the run that will feature opening act the Black Crowes. “Every night will celebrate the five decades of Aerosmith’s groundbreaking hits as they celebrate 50 years as America’s greatest rock band,” read the statement. “In addition, THX will bring their THX Certified Live! high-fidelity experience on the road, calibrating each arena with leading-edge technology so fans don’t miss a beat of Aerosmith’s classic rock tunes in quality audio.”
The Live Nation-produced North American run will feature a stop in the group’s hometown of Boston for New Year’s Eve gig at TD Garden. Aerosmith, who were formed in 1970 by singer Steven Tyler, guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton will be without the services of founding drummer Joey Kramer, who did not join the band when they returned from a two-year hiatus in March 2022.
“While Joey Kramer remains a beloved founding member of Aerosmith, he has regrettably made the decision to sit out the currently scheduled touring dates to focus his full attention on his family and health,” read a statement, which did not announce who would be performing on the tour in Kramer’s stead. “Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.”
Aerosmith wrapped their Deuces Are Wild Las Vegas residency in late November. The general on sale for the Peace Out tour will begin on Friday (May 5) at 10 a.m. local time here.
Check out the dates for the tour below.
Sept. 2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Sept. 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
Sept. 9 – Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
Sept. 12 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
Sept. 15 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
Sept. 18 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
Sept. 21 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Sept. 24 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
Sept. 27 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
Oct. 11 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
Oct. 14 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
Oct. 17 – Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Center
Oct. 20 – Sunrise, FL @ FLA Live Arena
Oct. 23 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
Oct. 26 – St Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center
Oct. 29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Nov. 1 – San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Arena
Nov. 4 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
Nov. 7 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Fri Nov 10 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Nov. 13 – St Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Nov. 16 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
Nov. 19 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
Nov. 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Arena
Nov. 25 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center
Nov. 28 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
Dec. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
Dec. 4 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
Dec. 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Kia Forum
Dec. 10 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
Dec. 28 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
Dec. 31 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Jan. 4 – Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Arena
Jan. 7 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Yum! Center
Jan. 10 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
Jan. 13 – Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Boling Arena
Jan. 16 – Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center
Jan. 19 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
Jan. 23 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Jan. 26 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
George Michael came out on top of the fan voting when balloting wrapped up on Friday (April 28) for the list of 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees. While the fan vote is not a guarantee that Michael will be enshrined in Cleveland, the late Wham! and solo star’s decisive victory in the fan portion of the vote — which closed on Friday (April 28) — saw him getting more than one million votes (1,040,072), which put him comfortably in front of second placer Cyndi Lauper (928,113), as well as Warren Zevon (634,130) Iron Maiden (449,682) and Soundgarden (427,040).
All but one of the previous five fan vote winners have ended up being enshrined, with the exception of the Dave Matthews Band, who did not get in despite rolling up more than 100,000 votes in 2020. Fans will find out on Wednesday (May 3) if the “Careless Whisper” star will make the cut for induction this year when this year’s list of nominees will be announced.
Others waiting to hear if they will join the Rock Hall this year include five-time nominees Rage Against the Machine, four-time nominee Kate Bush, as well as second timers Soundgarden, Maiden, A Tribe Called Quest and The Spinners; this year’s first-timers include Missy Elliott and The White Stripes. Other nominees this year include Sheryl Crow, Joy Division/New Order and Willie Nelson.
To be eligible for the RRHOF, an artist’s first commercial release must have come out at least 25 years prior to the nomination year. This year’s induction ceremony will take place in the fall. The top five artists selected through fan voting will be tallied along with the ballots from the Rock Hall’s international voting body to determine the Class of 2023.
The National unleash something of a monster with First Two Pages of Frankenstein, the alternative rock band’s collaboration-stacked ninth studio album, one that pulls star power from Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens.
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Arriving at the stroke of midnight, Frankenstein stretches across 11 tracks and includes previously released cuts “Tropic Morning News,” “New Order T-Shirt,” “Eucalyptus” and “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend,” featuring Bridgers, a track which, according to reps, came to fruition when frontman Matt Berninger worked through a case of writer’s block with the help of “Frankenstein,” Mary Shelley’s classic novel which gives the album its name.
Swifties will no doubt show up for buzzy number “The Alcott,” which features Taylor Swift.
Guitarist, pianist and bass player and TayTay collaborator Aaron Dessner says “The Alcott” took its baby steps when Berninger wrote the main part to some music he’d already written. Swift heard it, she dug it, “so I thought it might be something she would really click with,” Dessner says.
“I sent it to her, and was a little nervous as I didn’t hear back for 20 minutes or so. By the time she responded, Taylor had written all her parts and recorded a voice memo with the lyrics she’d added in a dialogue with Matt,” he adds, “and everyone fell immediately in love with it.”
“The Alcott” is something a return of favor for Dessner, who worked closely with Swift on her pandemic-era 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore.
On it, Swift and Berninger duet on several verses. “I sit there silently waiting for you to look up/I see you smile when you see it’s me/ I had to do something to break into your golden thinking/ How many times will I do this and you’ll still believe?,” they sing.
First Two Pages of Frankenstein is the followup to I Am Easy to Find, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and 2017’s Sleep Well Beast, which hit No. 2 on the national albums chart and won a Grammy Award for best alternative music album.
To give the new collection a nudge along, The National performed album track “Eucalyptus” late Thursday (April 27) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The National will perform the new album live when they hit the road for a North American trek, starting May 18 at Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL.
Watch the late-night performance below.
Blink-182 has been through a lot. Since forming in 1992, the rock band — a staple of the late ’90s, early 2000s punk takeover — has experienced several fallings-out, lineup changes, hiatuses and reunions that have kept fans on their toes for two decades and counting. For those keeping track, Travis Barker, Tom DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, Scott Raynor and Matt Skiba have all been part of the group throughout its various iterations, but never more than three of them at a time.
But while many things have changed for the band over the years, one thing is for certain as far as fans are concerned: Whenever they are together, the guys of Blink-182 make some good music. They have the commercial success to prove it, too. According to Luminate, the group’s eight-album catalog has raked in a combined 15.3 million copies sold and nearly five billion on-demand official U.S. streams.
Not to mention its chart successes, which solidify the band’s status as pop-punk artists who have paved the way for several acts following in its footsteps. Blink-182 has topped both the Billboard 200 and the Album Sales charts twice, scored four No. 1s on the Alternative Airplay chart and notched eight songs in the Billboard Hot 100.
That’s why it was so exciting for fans when the band announced in October 2022 that after seven years away, DeLonge would be returning to Blink-182, restoring its classic lineup with Barker and Hoppus. The trio revealed plans to go on a reunion tour in 2023, dropped a new single in celebration of DeLonge’s homecoming titled “Edging” and went on to become impromptu headliners for Coachella 2023’s second weekend lineup after Frank Ocean dropped out.
Keep reading to take a look through the tumultuous history of Blink-182.
1992: Blinking Into Existence
The very first lineup of Blink-182 — back before that was even their name — included Scott Raynor, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus. The story goes that San Diego natives Raynor and DeLonge first met after the latter was expelled from Poway High for being drunk at a basketball game and transferred to the former’s school, Rancho Bernardo High. They met Hoppus through a friend’s sister, who was dating the bassist at the time.
After experimenting with a handful of different titles, the band operated for years simply as “Blink,” releasing its demo album Buddha in 1992, and its official debut album Cheshire Cat in 1995 under that moniker.
1995: Blink Becomes Blink-182
Though the band has given many fanciful stories over the years when asked where the specific number in “Blink-182” came from — the number of times Al Pacino drops the F-bomb in Scarface, for example — Hoppus has stated that the guys picked it out completely at random.
Their label at the time, Cargo Records, had asked them to change their name because another group had the same moniker, Hoppus said during a chat with Amy Schumer. He, DeLonge and Raynor delayed the decision for so long, someone from the label spoke with them on the phone and said that if they didn’t pick something new before the call ended, Cargo would choose a name for them.
“We just made up the 182,” Hoppus told the comedian. “Ever since then, we’ve made up different stories all the time about what 182 means.”
By then, the trio had gained a sizeable following in Southern California and would begin embarking on tours of America and Australia, opening for the band Pennywise. They were also booked for the 1996 Warped Tour around this time.
1997: ‘Dude,’ It’s a Major Label Debut
Image Credit: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/GI
Blink-182 recorded its sophomore LP, Dude Ranch, while still with Cargo, but signed to major label MCA as demand for the band boomed. The album earned Hoppus, DeLonge and Raynor their first entry onto the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 67 and spending 48 weeks on the chart.
1998: Enter Travis Barker
Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
Things got tense between Raynor and the rest of the band as Blink-182’s success continued mounting, and he was fired in 1998. Travis Barker, drummer for fellow Warped Tour band the Aquabats at the time, replaced him, forming what would become the group’s classic lineup.
1999: Mainstream Breakthrough With ‘Enema of the State’
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
Blink-182 became a household name with the massive success of Enema of the State, which became the group’s first Billboard 200 top 10 album in 1999. It spawned radio hits “What’s My Age Again?” and “All the Small Things,” which peaked at No. 58 and No. 6, respectively.
2001: ‘Take Off Your Pants and Jacket’ Debuts at No. 1
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
One blockbuster album was followed by another when Blink-182 released Take Off Your Pants and Jacket two years after Enema of the State. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
2002: Tom DeLonge & Travis Barker Form Box Car Racer
Tom DeLonge conceived of a side project called Box Car Racer in 2002, wanting to expand his musical style beyond that of Blink-182. But after he had Travis Barker play drums on BCR’s self-titled debut album, tensions brewed between them and Mark Hoppus, who felt betrayed by his exclusion from the project.
“It was really hard for Mark,” DeLonge said in an archived interview with MTV. “He thought it was really lame Travis and I went and did that, but it was a totally benign thing on my part, because I only asked Travis to play drums because I didn’t want to pay for a studio drummer. It wasn’t meant to be a real band.”
Blink then regrouped to release their fifth LP in 2003, and the resulting self-titled record incorporated darker, more mature sounds reminiscent of BCR and Barker’s side work with the band Transplants.
2005: Hiatus
Image Credit: Denise Truscello/WireImage
Disagreements over scheduling, recording plans and personal issues eventually led the band to take an indefinite hiatus in 2005. In a statement, the band said it was taking a break to “to spend some time enjoying the fruits of their labors with loved ones.”
DeLonge largely disappeared from public eye, while Barker and Hoppus formed a side project of their own called +44. They released just one album together, 2006’s When Your Heart Stops Beating.
2008: Travis Barker Survives Plane Crash
Barker was the victim of a horrific plane crash in 2008 that killed four people. The drummer and his friend and collaborator DJ AM — the only other survivor of the accident, though he died from an overdose one year later — was taking off from South Carolina when the tragic incident happened.
As a result, Barker developed post-traumatic stress disorder — it would take him 13 years to board another plane — and spent many weeks in the hospital recovering from severe burns and injuries. While he was there, though, DeLonge reached out after years of strained communications between him and his bandmates, and a Blink-182 reunion was put into motion.
“Up until that point, I had zero hope for Blink,” Barker said of the crash’s aftermath in a 2011 interview with Daily Beast. “It was something that I had really put behind me. My accident definitely made everyone think about things a little more clearly, especially me.”
“It’s horrible that it took something like that for everyone to wake up, but we realized, ‘Man, life’s short!’” he added. “We were fighting about some bulls–t and not talking, and it wasn’t anything to be fighting over.”
2009: Reunion
Image Credit: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
With Barker’s arm still in a sling after the plane crash, the guys of Blink-182 formally announced their reunion at the 2009 Grammy Awards. “We used to play music together, and we decided we’re going to play music together again,” the drummer told the audience, with the band also confirming a new album and reunion tour were in the works.
They would go on to release Neighborhoods in 2011, Blink’s first album in eight years, followed by a 2012 EP titled Dogs Eating Dogs.
2015: Enter Matt Skiba, Exit Tom DeLonge
Image Credit: Brian Gove/WireImage
Four years after Neighborhoods, DeLonge exited the band once more in a public, messy war of words. In January 2015, Barker and Hoppus announced the guitarist’s apparent resignation from the band and claimed that he “didn’t want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavors.”
Immediately afterward, DeLonge shared a statement saying he actually had not exited the group. “To all the fans, I never quit the band,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I actually was on a phone call about a blink 182 event for New York City at the time all these weird press releases started coming in… Apparently those releases were ‘sanctioned’ from the band. Are we dysfunctional- yes.”
Barker and Hoppus then clapped back in a tell-all interview with Rolling Stone, claiming that DeLonge had expressed disinterest in recording music with them and only communicated with them over emails through his manager.
“When we did get back together after my plane crash, we only got back together, I don’t know, maybe because I almost died,” Barker said at the time. “But [DeLonge] didn’t even listen to mixes or masterings from that record. He didn’t even care about it. Why Blink even got back together in the first place is questionable.”
Regardless, DeLonge was out of the group — but Blink was still booked for a performance at Musink Festival in just a few weeks. To the rescue came Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio, who subbed in for DeLonge at the concert and stayed with the band in his place for many years afterward.
2016: ‘California’ Debuts at No. 1
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
With Skiba in the mix, Blink-182 scored its second No. 1 album with California. The project was nominated for best rock album at the 2017 Grammys (though it lost to Cage the Elephant’s Tell Me I’m Pretty) and its lead single, “Bored to Death,” reached No. 85 on the Hot 100.
2021: Cancer Battle
Hoppus revealed in June 2021 that he has cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for three months. “It sucks and I’m scared, and at the same time I’m blessed with incredible doctors and family and friends to get me through this,” he shared on Twitter. “I still have months of treatment ahead of me but I’m trying to remain hopeful and positive.”
Soon after, DeLonge shared his support for his friend. “To add to his own words that he used today, I would also like to say that he is strong, and a super-human who is pushing through this difficult obstacle with a wide-open heart,” he tweeted. “#WeHaveHisBack.”
A month later, the singer-bassist shared that he was battling the same cancer that his mother had beaten — diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. “My blood’s trying to kill me,” the rocker shared in a Q&A.
But good news was to come. Hoppus shared at the end of September that his oncologist has declared him “cancer free.” He told fans on Twitter: “Still have to get scanned every six months and it’ll take me until the end of the year to get back to normal but today is an amazing day and I feel so blessed.”
2022: DeLonge Returns, Band Releases ‘Edging’
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
The classic Blink threesome was restored at last in 2022, when the band announced that DeLonge would be taking his place back from Skiba and returning to the lineup. The guitarist addressed a public letter to Skiba in light of the announcement, writing, “I wanted to take take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band alive and thriving in my absence.”
“Emotions between the three of us in Blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective,” he continued. “But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day.”
The trio also dropped “Edging” — its first single and music video together in years — revealed plans to release a new album and joined forces with Green Day to headline the 2023 When We Were Young Festival.
2022: Teasing New Music
Ahead of the holidays, DeLonge teased on his Instagram account that a new album would be “coming in a few months.” But that wasn’t all. Hoppus joined in on the merriness by declaring on his own account that the “new album is [fire emoji].”
Shortly after the new year, DeLonge once again shared his excitement for the upcoming Blink album. “This is the best album we’ve ever made,” he wrote on Instagram. “Buckle up.”
2023: Live in the Desert
This was no small thing! After delaying their reunion tour due to Barker’s finger injuries, the band was announced as a last-minute addition to the Coachella 2023 lineup.
During its April 14 set, the band rocked hits such as “What’s My Age Again,” “All the Small Things” and “Feelin’ This,” as well as its latest single, “Edging.”
It was Blink to the rescue the following weekend, when Frank Ocean dropped out days before his second headlining set. The band took over his main-stage spot on April 23.
Dave Vanian says Darkadelic, the title of the Damned’s new album, is meant to be both evocative and open-ended.
“What is it?” the vocalist and band co-founder muses to Billboard. “Perhaps a box of deluxe chocolates full of delicious and surprisingly delightful flavors, a journey to the id, self-expression or discovery. A dark tale of intrigue heavily laced with noir, romantic Gothic melodrama, a first kiss, a dangerous drug, dark love…. Truly it will represent a myriad of things to the individual and is, as it should be, defining but also undefined.”
Guitarist Captain Sensible (aka Raymond Burns) is more succinct, however. “I’m guessing it means it’s dark and it’s psychedelic,” he says with a laugh.
The Damned’s 12th studio album, and first in five years, was “pretty much finished” before the 2022 reunion tour of the original quartet, who were the first U.K. punk band to release a single (“New Rose” in October 1976) and to tour the U.S. Darkadelic reflects the band’s continuing musical evolution; its usual gothic-flavored drama is intact, but filled with intricate instrumental dynamics and textures — particularly on “Western Promise,” a song with soundscapes that are accented by trumpets and sonic nods to ’80s new romantic fare.
“For me, the only criteria was to have this album driven by more pronounced guitars,” says Vanian. “The album took on its own identity compared to our last (2018’s Evil Spirits). Plus, wanting it to sound sonically inspiring when heard on iPad or phone, a slightly more modern sound, if you will, without effecting or compromising what we do.” Sensible notes that, “We always set out to do something a little bit different. We get bored doing the same thing over and over. The first rule of the Damned is there are no rules.” The direction, he adds, “Wasn’t a conscious decision or anything. We just came together with our own demos and certain tracks got chosen and it did take on a life of its own, as they all do, and that’s the album.”
Sensible says Darkadelic was very much a band effort by the current quintet, with drummer Will Taylor making his first appearance on a Damned album. “We chose the tunes and started bashing them out, all five of us, just being a band,” says Sensible, who describes his long relationship with Vanian as friendly but “quite competitive.” “We were in there making our own holy din for most of the day for, I dunno, two weeks. It got quite hot in there.” But he and Taylor did spend some time working out arrangements for the 12 tracks during sessions with producer Thomas Mitchener (La Roux, the Futureheads) at studios near London.
“We actually sat down and we listened to a few Beatles songs, ’cause the songs were so beautifully arranged on those,” says Sensible. “Ringo (Starr), whatever anybody says about his drumming, I think the guy’s immense. He always did the right thing at the right time. We really arranged the drums for what’s right for the song. There was a lot of brainstorming during those two weeks of laying down the basic tracks.”
Sensible credits “quite a lot of jamming” for the “soundtracky” reach of “Western Skies,” while the first single, “The Invisible Man,” was influenced by an affinity for ’60s garage rock bands such as the Seeds and the Chocolate Watchband. “Follow Me” fuses a modern rockabilly verse with an anthemic chorus, while the explosive “Wake the Dead” came from Vanian and Sensible being 66 and 68 years old, respectively. “We’re of an age now when people you know start kicking the bucket,” the guitarist explains. “I go to funerals more often than I used to. I do dabble in the social networks and you see they played ‘Smash It Up’ at somebody’s funeral or, ‘We played ‘Love Song’ at my dad’s funeral. That was his favorite.’ So I thought, ‘Well, they’re playing these songs ’cause the deceased love the band. Why not write one actually for that purpose?’ So that was the idea, really. It’s a heroic kind of goth song because you’re laughing in the face of mortality. We’re all gonna go, so don’t get depressed about it and overthink it. I always celebrate the life rather than mourn the parting moment…so why not give them a really heroic, ‘F–k the Grim Reaper’ song?”
Also intriguing is the galloping “Leader of the Gang,” a not particularly veiled elegy to disgraced rocker Gary Glitter, who’s back in jail after violating probation conditions related to his child sexual abuse conviction.
“He got caught doing some really sh-t things and spent some time in prison — deservedly so,” Sensible says. “But the thing is the music was absolutely magnificent and so influential. They don’t play his music on the radio anymore in Britain, and for me that’s a shame. His band didn’t do anything wrong, and they can’t get a gig anymore. Do you ban the music or the art? If you ban one person you have to follow that and ban loads of people because some of these creatives have some some pretty sh-t stuff in their lives. [Some of them are] very, very famous people, film directors and politicians… where do you stop?”
After a European tour earlier this year, the Damned come across the pond for a half-dozen U.S. west coast dates starting May 20 in San Francisco before playing New Zealand and Australia during June and the Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, England, in early August. “We haven’t done a lot of gigs with this lineup, so it’s nice things are opening up again,” Sensible says. “Live music’s really taken a hit and a lot of venues didn’t make it. The musicians are just the tip of the iceberg; you don’t see all the support people, the venue staff and the crews and the logistics people. It’s having to revive in a way.”
He’s also amenable to doing more gigs with original bandmates Brian James and Rat Scabies after last fall’s five-show run in the U.K. “They were an absolute revelation, to be quite honest — musically and socially,” Sensible says. “There was a point about 10 years ago when we all stopped slagging each other off; the fact we all made up and like each other again is just incredible to me because it was extremely bitter. (laughs) But we all got on. It was really strange backstage — everyone’s smiling at each other, arms around each other’s shoulders and stuff, really great. So I would love to work with them again, in that or another capacity.”
Foo Fighters match Shinedown for the most top 10s in the 14-year history of Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, as “Rescued” bounds in at No. 3 on the April 29-dated ranking.
“Rescued” starts with 4.9 million audience impressions earned in the April 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate.
That count was accrued over just two days, as “Rescued” was released April 19.
“Rescued” is the second song to debut in the top three of Rock & Alternative Airplay in 2023, following Linkin Park’s “Lost,” which launched at No. 1 on the Feb. 25 tally and has remained atop the list since — it tallies its 10th week on top on the latest list.
Foo Fighters now boast 15 top 10s on Rock & Alternative Airplay, dating to the chart’s 2009 inception. That ties the band with Shinedown for the most top 10s, with Shinedown’s 15th, “Dead Don’t Die,” currently at No. 5 (3.9 million impressions).
Most Top 10s, Rock & Alternative Airplay:
15, Foo Fighters
15, Shinedown
13, Cage the Elephant
13, Imagine Dragons
13, twenty one pilots
11, The Black Keys
11, Muse
10, Weezer
Should it reach No. 1, “Rescued” would mark Foo Fighters’ record-extending 10th chart-topper. The next-closest acts — Cage the Elephant, Green Day and Twenty One Pilots — have six apiece.
Foo Fighters’ most recent No. 1, “Making a Fire,” crowned the survey for seven weeks in 2021. In between “Fire” and “Rescued,” they also charted with “Love Dies Young,” which peaked at No. 3 in March 2022.
Concurrently, “Rescued” starts at No. 18 on Alternative Airplay and No. 20 on Mainstream Rock Airplay.
The track also bows at Nos. 7, 23, 24 and 33 on the multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs, Hot Alternative Songs, Hot Rock Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tallies, respectively. In addition to its radio audience, “Rescued” earned 744,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 April 19-20.
That download count sends “Rescued” to a No. 1 debut on Alternative Digital Song Sales, marking Foo Fighters’ first leader in the ranking’s 12-year history. Previously, the band’s bests were No. 3 peaks with “My Hero” in 2022 (after originally becoming a hit in the late 1990s) and “Run” in 2017.
“Rescued” is the lead single from But Here We Are, Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album, due June 2. The Dave Grohl-fronted band’s first LP since 2021’s Medicine to Midnight is its first since the 2022 death of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins, for whom a replacement has not yet been named.
The 2023 Tribeca Festival announced the star-studded lineup for its gala events and the opening, closing and centerpiece selections on Thursday (April 27). This year’s fest will kick off on June 7 with the North American premiere of Kiss the Future, a documentary following a group of underground musicians and creatives during the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo and the 1997 U2 concert celebrating the liberation of the Bosnian capital.
The doc, produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony — and featuring U2’s Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton — will officially open the 12-day event’s theme of artists-activists.
“We know U2’s marquee is helpful in getting the lives of these local heroes to a wider audience, but even at my most puffed up I couldn’t have imagined our tiny role being given so much care, attention, and screen time by Nenad Cicin-Sain,” U2 singer Bono said in a statement. “If defiance is the essence of romance, then the people of Sarajevo are the most romantic figures. Viva Sarajevo!”
Damon added that he and childhood friend and producer/writing partner Affleck are proud that Kiss the Future was selected to open this year’s festival. “We are grateful to the people of Sarajevo and to U2 for giving us the opportunity to help tell this special story,” he said in a statement. “Though this event happened almost 30 years ago, we feel it has strong relevance to today’s world, serving as a powerful reminder that human creativity can provide a powerful antidote to even the most horrific of situations.”
The Centerpiece Gala will spotlight the NY premiere of Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, as well as musical documentaries about Carlos Santana (Carlos), Cyndi Lauper (Let the Canary Sing) and French Montana (For Khadija), with each artist performing after the screenings. Megan Thee Stallion will also be on hand for a Storyteller’s conversation on June 14.
“Music is an instrumental form of storytelling, and the Tribeca Festival is thrilled to weave dynamic performances into our Gala events. Our lineup features the best of soul, rock & roll, pop, and hip-hop,” Tribeca Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusuamno said in a statement. “We hope our audiences are inspired by activism in art and riled up by the electrifying acts paired with the screenings.”
This year’s festival will take place from June 7-18 in New York and feature 109 films, including documentaries about Alicia Keys, Gogol Bordello, Milli Vanilli, Gloria Gaynor, Biz Markie, the Indigo Girls and Tierra Whack.
While Bob Dylan has painted a handful of album covers and released several books of drawings over the years, the singer-songwriter’s fervent fans have had few chances to see original art pieces from his hand up close and personal.
But lo and behold! Fans in the New York City area will soon have an opportunity for a close encounter with some odds and ends drawings done by Dylan circa the 1967 recording sessions for the legendary The Basement Tapes album (released in 1975). And if you have a spare $60,000, you could be the one bringing it all back home.
Somewhat improbably, these captioned drawings – done on the blank side of a brown paper bag when Dylan was recording at Big Pink in Saugerties, N.Y. – will be on hand at the 63rd annual ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which returns to the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan from April 27-30.
The drawings, like the artist himself, are unusual. One depicts a man with a guitar waving and shouting a variation on a Basement Tapes lyric — “Long Distance Operator, This call is Not For Fun!”; another shows what the seller describes as “robot guitar machines”; and yet another features a visage not unlike the one that Dylan painted for the cover of 1970’s Self Portrait.
The story of how the drawings ended up at a book fair is just as unusual as the artwork – though significantly less mysterious. In 2022, Gabe Boyers, a dealer in antiquarian music manuscripts, art and books, was contacted by a man whose late sister maintained a friendship with Levon Helm of The Band during the heady Basement Tapes days. “[She was] in the middle of things with The Band, Eric Clapton and Dylan,” explains Boyers. After inspecting the materials, Boyers – whose gallery Schubertiade Music & Arts (at “B” Dry Goods) is selling the drawings – says he was struck by the way these pieces provided “an incredible impression of this moment and time.” Some of the materials he viewed included “calendars where she meticulously records which drugs they were taking on which day.”
The drawings, on the other hand, are a bit less meticulous. “Like Dylan and his lyrics – they’re difficult to pin down,” he says.
One thing that wasn’t difficult to establish, however, was the validity of the connection to Dylan. The previously seller’s late sister, who died tragically young, had an established history with The Band and Dylan during the period.
“There’s an incredibly deep provenance history that puts her in this room in a well-documented way,” he says. Not only that, but her brother had previously sold some of her personal items from that period via Sotheby’s, meaning the venerable auction company had already vetted items from her collection. Even so, Boyers – who has been doing authentication services for universities and libraries for nearly two decades – made a point to show the drawings to several major Dylan archivists, who confirmed the authorship. “You can tell instantly it’s the same hand, the same quirky confidence.”
You can gawk firsthand at that quirky confidence starting April 27, when the piece will be “very much on display” at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair. “The fair is an incredible opportunity for people to come see things that are normally in museums,” says Boyers, who is also selling a Beethoven manuscript with Ludwig van’s first thoughts on Symphony No. 9.
Elsewhere at the four-day event, music history lovers can see the design archive of Alex Steinweiss, the man who essentially invented album cover art in the 1930s as Columbia Records’ first art director (that collection is being sold by James Cummins Bookseller). Boyers notes that while not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars to drop, the fair offers plenty of items that go for hundreds of dollars.
That price point doesn’t, of course, include the 60k Dylan drawing – but that isn’t just any item. “There’s a lot of fake stuff on the market,” Boyers says. “The opportunity to get things that are undeniably from a certain time and have a strong provenance…. It’s not just a rare item. We know exactly when this was created, who it was made for, and who the other person’s handwriting is on it — she was in that room. It’s a special piece.”