Rock
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Back in the day, when Mötley Crüe rolled into town, it wasn’t unusual to hear about their rowdy antics. But these days the group — whose original members are all in their early to mid-60s — are more likely to bring their pups on the road than toss TVs out of windows.
The proof is in newest member guitarist John 5’s campaign promoting pet adoption in collaboration with PETA, which the non-profit organization is sharing with Billboard first.
In a video starring John’s adorable adopted hairless Chinese crested mix rescue Churro, the rocker strikes a series of poses with the so-ugly-he’s-adorable dog, whose spiky mohawk looks like a rock-star affectation, but is actually all natural. “It just sticks up like that,” John says in the 90-second clip in which he tells the tale of how Churro was found near death in a box in the San Bernardino desert.
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“If was in there a few more hours he wouldn’t have made it,” John continues. “It’s heartbreaking to even think about. We had to get Churro — there were no ifs, ands, or buts. We were lucky enough to adopt him, and he’s just the best … We literally can’t go anywhere without him — he’s always with us. He’s just a part of the family.”
These days, John tells Billboard, it’s Churro who rips things up when the band hits the road. “When we’re on tour, it’s really a lot of fun. [Singer] Vince [Neil] has dogs, [drummer] Tommy [Lee] and [wife] Brittany [Furlan] have dogs, and now we’re bringing Churro,” he says. “It’s like a non-stop party after the show. Speaking of trashing hotel rooms, these [dogs] are the ones that do it.”
The campaign video is part of a push to urge animal lovers to adopt dogs and cats from shelters and to never buy animals from pet shops or breeders, “which churn out litter-after-litter of puppies and kittens into a world already bursting at the seams with homeless ones,” according to PETA. The organization also notes that there are around 70 million homeless dogs and cats in the U.S. at any given time.
PETA shared in a press release that Churro’s story highlights the fact that “virtually any breed of dog can be found in a shelter or through a breed-specific rescue group,” warning that some shelters have policies they say warehouse dogs for months, or years while turning away some animals, leaving the most vulnerable ones with nowhere to go. “That’s why PETA urges shelters to accept all animals in need, advises guardians to have their animal companions spayed or neutered, and asks everyone to adopt animals instead of buying them from breeders or pet stores.”
“It’s so important to adopt, because you see these helpless animals in there and they just want to be loved,” John 5 says in the video. “You can see it in their face. When you adopt, it will enrich your life so much.”
The guitarist joins other celebrities who’ve teamed with PETA to promote pet adoption in the past, including John Stamos, Kathy Griffin, Ron Perlman, Tom Hardy and Cristin Milloti, among others.
John 5 will launch his 2024 Strung Out solo tour on Sunday (Sept. 1) at City Winery in Boston, and he appears on the Crüe’s upcoming Cancelled EP (out Oct. 4), which features the band’s amped-up cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right.”
Watch John 5’s “Adopt! Never Buy” video below.
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First the good news: if you have any fantasy of snagging tickets to Oasis‘ 2025 UK reunion tour now is the time to act. Since famously battling brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher shocked the world this week by announcing that they have put their legendary differences in the past for the comeback nobody thought was possible, anticipation for the on-sale for the run of shows across the British Isles has exploded.
And, today (August 28) is the day for the fans who have been digging out their anoraks and Adidas track suits as they freak out over reliving their 1990s Britpop heydays. Registration for the pre-sale ticket ballot is open now and will remain open through 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET) before the proper pre-sale begins on Friday (August 30), followed by a general on-sale on Saturday (August 31). Fans hoping to get in on the early sale must fill out a form with their contact details and answer a general knowledge quiz about the band aimed at beating the bots.
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Upon filling out the general details, fans will be led to a screen that reads: “Hate touts? Please help us keep this fair and fan-focused by answering the following series of questions.” And though they don’t have any bearing on whether the ballot will be accepted, the questions include, “How many Oasis shows have you been to?,” “Who was the drummer in the initial Oasis line-up?” and “Where would you like to see Oasis?”
Given the intense interest in the shows, a final message notes that due to the “extremely high volume of entries” confirmation emails may be delayed. All successful ballot entrants will receive their code by noon BST Friday (7 a.m. ET); if you don’t get a code your application was not successful. Those lucky fans who do get a code can claim only one and the small print notes that the codes have no cash value and are “non-transferable, case-sensitive and good for one-time use only for limited tickets during pre-sale window.” The code has to be used with the email address that it was originally sent to.
The ticket limit for the shows are four per person and only tickets purchased through approved agents will be valid. A not-specified, limited number of tickets will be available in the pre-sale window for all successful pre-sale ballot entrants on a first come, first served basis, with no guarantee that successful pre-sale ballot entrants will be able to buy tickets to any of the dates using their code.
The rules also note that ticket resale is permitted at “no more than the price you paid (face value + booking fees),” with a warning that the only approved resale partners are Ticketmaster and www.twickets.live, with sales made through unauthorized platforms possibly leading to the tickets being cancelled.
At press time there was no official confirmation on ticket prices for the 14 announced shows, though the BBC reported that the costs for GA, as well as Platinum and VIP, will be announced on Thursday (August 29).
After calling it quits more than 15 years ago due to tension between singer Liam Gallagher and the band’s musical fountainhead, guitarist/singer Noel Gallagher, the battling brothers announced on Tuesday that they would be hitting the road for a series of 14 stadium dates in Cardiff, their hometown of Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Dublin next summer. So far no other international dates for Oasis Live 25 have been announced, but a press release promised that “plans are underway for Oasis Live 25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year.”
🚨REGISTER FOR THE UK & IRELAND 2025 TOUR PRE-SALE BALLOT🚨A ticket pre-sale will be held on Friday 30th August, ahead of Saturday’s general sale.To ensure the maximum number of fans have a fair opportunity to access tickets, applicants will be selected for the pre-sale via a… pic.twitter.com/spP24NemBV— Oasis (@oasis) August 27, 2024
We are aware that many of you are still waiting on a confirmation email. Rest assured they are on their way, as we process an unprecedented volume of entries. Everyone who has filled out the ballot form by 7pm BST today, Wednesday 28th August, will receive an email where they can…— Oasis (@oasis) August 28, 2024
Not every actor who steps into the well-worn jeans of a global rock icon has quite so much footage to review when prepping for a role. Luckily for The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen has been playing three hour-plus shows for more than 50 years, so the tape library is voluminous. Which explains […]
A week ago, the idea of Oasis performing any of its songs live was laughable. But now, fans are getting their first chance in 15 years to see Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher together on stage again, with the long-estranged brothers finally burying the hatchet and announcing a reunion tour Tuesday (Aug. 27). After some […]
After 15 years apart, Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher are no longer looking back in anger — and Oasis fans are feeling everything from euphoria to disbelief over the Britpop duo’s surprise reunion. Following the long-estranged brothers’ announcement Tuesday (Aug. 27) that they’d buried the hatchet, setting their sights on a 2025 tour featuring four […]
Hell has frozen over, pigs have flown. And the brothers Gallagher are reuniting Oasis.
In a development that, for a decade or more that bordered on fantasy, the “Live Forever” band has confirmed a tour in 2025.
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised,” reads a statement on the Manchester indie rock juggernauts’ social media channels.
Announced early Tuesday, Aug. 27, Oasis will hit the road in 2025 for multiple dates across the British Isles, including Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin, for what will be their “only shows in Europe next year”.
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There’s more to come. “Plans are underway for OASIS LIVE ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe later next year,” reads an official statement.
Oasis is one of Britain’s most popular rock bands of them all, a border-crossing beast which somehow flew under the radar in the United States.
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Discovered and signed by Alan McGee to the Scottish entrepreneur’s iconic Creation label in the early ’90s, Oasis was the heavyweight of the Britpop scene, the natural born enemy to Blur.
With the release of their 1994 debut Definitely Maybe, the band embarked on a glorious run, during which all seven of their studio albums went to No. 1 on the Official Chart (the 2010 hits collection Time Flies also flew to No. 1). The third of those, 1997’s Be Hear Now, sold more than 663,000 in just three days, a record that stands today.
All told, eight Oasis singles hit the summit in the U.K.
The Gallagher brothers, Noel and Liam, split the band in 2010, and became estranged. At one point, the relationship had turned legal, as their mother openly pleaded for the lads to heal that rift. Both artists would form successful musical careers away from the band that made them household names.
The rumor mill would regularly grind away, but fans were left wanting, waiting for a reunion that seemed either unlikely or impossible. Following reports in the British press, another teaser, this time with an outcome; a clip which dropped over the weekend on the Gallagher brothers’ social pages and the official Oasis page, styled like the band’s logo and hinting that something would happen today at 8am.
Liam fanned the flames on social media of a possible reunion with his brother Noel, who he last performed with onstage in August 2009.
Noel had previously stated he was willing return to the band for £100 million ($135 million), to which Liam responded that he would reunite the band for free.
2025 Oasis Tour Dates
July 4 — Cardiff, Principality Stadium
July 5 — Cardiff, Principality Stadium
July 11 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 12 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 19 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 20 — Manchester, Heaton Park
July 25 — London, Wembley Stadium
July 26 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 2 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 3 — London, Wembley Stadium
Aug. 8 — Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
Aug. 9 — Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
Aug. 16 — Dublin, Croke Park
Aug. 17 — Dublin, Croke Park
Marty Friedman, the former lead guitarist of Megadeth, recently shared a surprising story about how he missed out on a chance to join KISS because he was “too short”.
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In an interview with Sam Ash Music, Friedman, best known for his decade-long tenure with Megadeth from 1990 to 2000, was asked if there was any KISS song he would have liked to play guitar on.
His response revealed a fascinating piece of rock history: “I would’ve wanted to be on any KISS song. I’ll give you a quick story about that – when they were changing guitar players a long time ago, I got a call from KISS’ people.”
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The conversation quickly took an unexpected turn when KISS’s management started asking Friedman a series of questions, seemingly unrelated to his guitar skills.
“They say like, ‘Do you think you’d be interested in auditioning for KISS?’ I’m like, ‘Tell me when and where.’ They came back and were like, ‘We’ve got a couple of questions for you. You don’t have any facial hair, do you?’ No. ‘You got long hair right?’ Right. ‘You’re skinny right?’ Right. ‘And you’re over 6 feet tall?’ and I’m like, ‘What? I’m 5’7 but I’ll have an operation, I’ll do something.’”
Unfortunately for Friedman, his height proved to be a deal-breaker. “They were like, ‘I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out.’ I was so bummed.”
Despite the disappointment, Friedman acknowledged the importance of image for a group like KISS. “I get why they did it. KISS is meticulous about their image, and having a height difference wouldn’t fit the band’s aesthetic.”
This attention to their image was crucial for KISS, one of rock’s most theatrical and elaborate bands. Formed in 1973 in New York City, KISS quickly became known for their blood-spurting, fire-spitting, face-painted performances. The group have delivered numerous hits to the Billboard Hot 100, including classics like “Rock and Roll All Nite” (1975).
This year, the band made headlines again when Pophouse, a Swedish company known for its work with ABBA’s Voyage show, acquired KISS’s publishing, recording royalties, and trademarks. This includes the band’s iconic logo and makeup design.
“We have a lot of plans for KISS,” Pophouse CEO Per Sundin told Billboard in April. Although Sundin says the company bought out the rights owned by frontmen Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, they will work with the company to develop the show, which is expected to open in 2027 in a U.S. city that Sundin declined to name.
“We want to keep to the legacy,” Sundin says. “We want to extend it and amplify it for new generations.”
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The rock community is alive with speculation that Deryck Whibley, the lead singer of Sum 41, might be stepping into one of modern rock’s most iconic roles as Linkin Park’s new lead vocalist.
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The rumor has gained major traction this week following cryptic social media posts from both bands, setting fans on high alert.
Sum 41 lit the fuse on Aug. 25, teasing a “Deryck Whibley announcement” scheduled for Wednesday morning (Aug. 28) PST.
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Intriguingly, Linkin Park had launched a 100-hour countdown on their website just a day earlier, set to conclude simultaneously with Sum 41’s reveal. The highly coincidental timing has, of course, fueled intense speculation about a possible connection.
Linkin Park is one of the most successful rock groups from the 2000s, having sold more than 29.4 million albums in the United States, according to Luminate. The band has charted 24 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including three top 10 hits: “In the End” in 2003, “What I’ve Done” in 2007 and “New Divide” in 2009.However, since Chester Bennington’s tragic death in 2017, the band has been without a full-time lead vocalist. Earlier this year, Billboard reported that the band was eyeing a 2025 reunion tour, with sources hinting at the possibility of a female vocalist taking the helm.
Orgy’s Jay Gordon fueled the whispers earlier this year when he mentioned hearing that the band might be bringing on a female singer. However, Gordon later clarified that his comments had been taken out of context, saying, “With regards to this Linkin Park singer thing. I know nothing about any of that.”
Whibley’s connection to Linkin Park runs deep. He performed at Bennington’s tribute concert in October 2017 and later, Mike Shinoda joined Sum 41 on stage at the 2018 Reading Festival for a cover of Linkin Park’s “Faint.”
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However, when asked in 2022 about potentially filling Bennington’s shoes, Whibley was hesitant.
On The Jasta Show, he remarked, “I think that’s an impossible task… I think those are impossible shoes to fill. I don’t know if [Linkin Park is] ever gonna do anything. I have no idea what that’s gonna look like, or who that could be.”
Asked if he would join the band if the opportunity arose, he added, “That is such a non-possibility that it’s too weird to even, like, sort of joke-think about it.”
“I don’t know how someone could fill those shoes,” he added “I think it would be tough.”
Fan reactions to the possibility of Whibley joining Linkin Park have been mixed. On Reddit, one fan expressed concern: “I just worry he’ll be too similar to Chester that he’ll fall short.” Another offered a more optimistic view: “He couldn’t do the super screaming songs but could handle most of the setlist.”
However, there’s also optimism among fans, with one user noting, “Deryck honestly sounds pretty good on [Faint]… interesting.”
Whibley’s life and career are at a pivotal moment, not just due to the speculation about Linkin Park but also because of his recently announced memoir, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell, set to be released on Oct. 8 via Gallery Books.
The memoir chronicles the rocker’s journey through the highs and lows of his life, both personally and with Sum 41.
“Ten years ago, I found myself on the brink of death in a hospital bed,” Whibley said in a statement about the book’s release.
“Surviving that moment, I made a promise to myself: I would fight harder than ever for this band and strive to become the best version of myself. Today, I’m proud to say that Sum 41 is experiencing the greatest success in our career, with our biggest hits on the radio and performing at the largest shows of our lives.”
He continued, “This book is the story of that journey—through the good, the bad, and the really fucking ugly. It’s about how I fought my way back, the battles I faced along the way, and how I turned those struggles into the fuel that powers everything I do now.”
To promote the memoir, Whibley will embark on a U.S. book tour in October, making stops in cities like Jersey City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
In addition to his memoir, Whibley and Sum 41 are currently on their final tour, Tour of the Setting Sum, which kicked off earlier this year. The band will perform their largest show to date in Paris this November, followed by their final hometown shows in Toronto in January 2025.
Their latest and final double album, Heaven :x: Hell, has been a commercial success, featuring singles like “Landmines,” which topped Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, marking the band’s first No. 1 single since “Fat Lip” in 2001.
As the clock ticks down to the anticipated announcements, the rock community is on edge. Whether Whibley is about to join Linkin Park or something entirely different is in the works, fans are ready for the reveal.
See Linkin Park’s countdown post on YouTube here.
Queens of the Stone Age have made the difficult decision to cancel all remaining 2024 tour dates as frontman Josh Homme continues to focus on his health.
In a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter), the band wrote: “QOTSA regret to announce the cancellation and/or postponement of all remaining 2024 shows. Josh has been given no choice but to prioritize his health and to receive essential medical care through the remainder of the year.”
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The announcement comes just weeks after the band had to cancel several European dates to allow Homme to undergo emergency surgery.
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Festival ticket holders are advised to visit specific event sites for updated information. Ticket holders for QOTSA shows will be contacted by point of purchase with further information about the new dates. pic.twitter.com/jcUHtfPv5q— QOTSA (@qotsa) August 23, 2024
Homme, who has been open about his health struggles in the past, revealed last year that he had undergone surgery for cancer after being diagnosed in 2022. The nature of his recent surgery has not been disclosed, but it has become clear that his recovery will require additional time and care.
The cancelled performances include several U.S. shows scheduled from September through November, with standalone shows in Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Madison postponed. Additionally, festival appearances in Memphis, Bridgeport, and Mexico City have been called off.
In July, the band explained the urgency of Homme’s situation, stating that he had to “return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery.” Despite their best efforts to continue the tour, Homme’s condition ultimately made it impossible to go on.
“Homme must return to the United States immediately for emergency surgery,” they said at the time. “Every effort was made to push through and play for you, but it is no longer an option to continue.”
Queens of the Stone Age had been touring in support of their eighth studio album, In Times New Roman…, which was released in July. The record marked the band’s first release in six years, following extensive tours across North America, Australia, and Asia earlier in the year.
The band has not yet announced any plans to reschedule the cancelled dates but has expressed gratitude for the understanding and support from their fans during this challenging time.
Liam Gallagher seems to be giving hope that an Oasis reunion could finally be in the works.
Following reports over the weekend that the Britpop band will reunite for a series of U.K. concerts in 2025, Liam Gallagher was fueling the flames on social media of a possible reunion with his brother Noel, who he last performed with onstage in August 2009.
On Saturday (Aug. 24), The Sunday Times reported that the Gallagher brothers — who have been feuding for the past 15 years — will reunite next summer for a 10-night stand at London’s Wembley Stadium and shows at Heaton Park in their hometown of Manchester. The report cites “industry insiders” as sources and claims the announcement could arrive as early as Tuesday (Aug. 27).
As rumors began to spread online, Liam Gallagher responded to fan inquiries on X (formerly Twitter) with lines like “News to me” and “I know nothing.” Later in the day, the musician upped the ante by replying to a fan who wrote they were “scared” by the potential reunion announcement. “Your scared how do you think I feel,” Gallagher replied. When another observer called Manchester’s Heaton Park “a terrible venue,” Liam wrote, “See you down the front you big fanny.”
Liam further stoked the flames on Sunday morning by responding to a fan on X who asked when Oasis tour dates would be announced. “Nxt Friday,” he said. And when asked about his plans for 2025, the artist answered, “World domination.” In a standalone post, he vaguely wrote, “I never did like that word FORMER.”
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I never did like that word FORMER— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) August 25, 2024
Meanwhile, Liam’s older brother Noel Gallagher, has not responded publicly to the rumors about a possible Oasis reunion.
Oasis — whose final lineup included Liam, Noel, guitarist Gem Archer and bassist Andy Bell — formally disbanded in 2009 after the brothers had an argument before a performance in France. Noel has previously stated he was willing return to the band for 100 million British pounds ($135 million USD), to which Liam responded that he would reunite the band for free.
The Manchester rock heavyweights are currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Definitely Maybe, with a deluxe edition scheduled for release on Aug. 30. The expanded editions include “unheard” versions from Monnow Valley Studio, near Rockfield, and outtakes from Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, where the album was re-recorded.