Rock
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After more than 50 years of rocking, REO Speedwagon will permanently park the tour bus at the end of the year. The long-running soft rock band known for such 1980s hits as “Keep on Loving You,” “Take It On the Run” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” announced on Monday (Sept. 16) that their upcoming U.S. dates will be their last due to intractable conflicts between the two longest-tenured members.
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“Bruce has intended to be Back On the Road Again by now. If it were up to just him, he’d be back on tour… but it’s not up to just him,” read a statement from the group in reference to bassist Bruce Hall, who has been off the road recuperating from back surgery while the band was touring with Train this summer.
“The consensus opinion was that he had not recovered sufficiently to be able to perform at the level the fans have come to expect,” they continued. “Bruce respected that opinion and is grateful that [replacement bassist] Matt [Bissonette] has been around to keep the Wagon rolling through the summer tour. Bruce never had any intention of retiring or walking away from the band, fans, and crew he has loved for almost 50 years.”
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The message also noted that singer Kevin Cronin also “never had any intention” of leaving the band, but that things came to a head over unexplained stressors, leading to the difficult decision to call it a road day.
“Due to this complex situation, irreconcilable differences arose between Bruce and Kevin. So, it is with great sadness that we announce REO Speedwagon will cease touring effective January 1, 2025,” they announced. “[Keyboardist] Neal [Doughty], Kevin, and Bruce thank their fans for all their years of loyal support and for giving back to the band such wonderful memories that will remain with each of them forever.”
Writing on Facebook, Hall wrote his own goodbye, telling fans, “Never ever thought it would end like this and I’m heartbroken. Please know Neal and I did everything in our power to try and keep the Wagon rolling. I am so appreciative of ALL the amazing love & support. You guys have been very vocal and clear in your wishes for me to return to the stage. Trust me…that’s all I wanted too. We all deserved a farewell tour.” He noted that he wanted to the band to continue touring as it was prior to his successful, planned back surgery.
Last week, the band had to cancel shows in Chula Vista, CA and Phoenix, AZ after Cronin was felled by an undisclosed illness. Train and REO Speedwagon launched their 44-date co-headlining Summer Road trip on July 8 and wrapped it up on Sept. 11; only Train peformed at the latter show in Phoenix due to Cronin’s illness. The group has a final round of headlining dates slated to kick off on Sept. 27 at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, CA before playing what will now be their swan song on Nov. 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.
After missing the final two shows, Cronin wrote a note from his hospital bed on FB over the weekend in which he reminisced about the great time on the road with Train this summer and his own future. “Lying here tethered to various beeping machines, makes a guy think. I have had plenty of free time this past week to appreciate the love in the eyes of my wife and kids, as they have gathered around me here every single day. I have so much more life to live, and have re-examined what I want to do with the rest of my time here, and who I want to be surrounded by while I do it,” he said.
“I need to be lifted by those around me, and in return, to lift them. I feel excited at the prospect of creating and playing the best music I have in me, with the best artists, musicians, and people who will have me. And I promise to continue giving my best, and appreciating the gift of music which has allowed me this life.”
REO Speedwagon formed in Champaign, IL in 1967 with an initial lineup featuring lead singer Terry Luttrell and a rotating roster of guitarists, releasing three albums with as many lead vocalists before Cronin joined in time for 1972’s R.E.O./T.W.O. LP; Cronin split before 1973’s Ridin’ the Storm Out album. After sitting out three additional studio albums, Cronin returned for 1976’s R.E.O., which set the stage for their breakthrough with 1978’s punny You Can Tune a Piano but You Can’t Tuna Fish.
The double platinum LP — the first to feature Hall on bass — finally broke them on radio and on the charts, hitting No. 29 on the Billboard 200 album tally and landing their first hit singles with “Time For Me to Fly” (No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100) and “Roll With the Changes” (No. 58). But it was 1980’s High Infidelity that cemented their reputation as AOR radio soft rock gods thanks to Hot 100 charting hits “Keep On Loving You” (No. 1), “Take It on the Run” (No. 5), “In Your Letter” (No. 20) and “Don’t Let Him Go” (No. 24). The band released six more albums, including their final original studio effort, 2007’s Find Your Way Home; the holiday album Not So Silent Night… Christmas with REO Speedwagon was released in 2009.
See the band’s statement below.
Earlier this year, Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres tour was named as the biggest rock tour of all time, according to figures accumulated by Billboard Boxscore.
That run will continue with a set of new U.K. dates in August 2025 in London and Hull, Yorkshire. It’ll be their first shows in the region following their headline set at Glastonbury in June 2024, their fifth headlining appearance.
The 8 shows, which will take place at London’s Wembley Stadium and Craven Park in Hull, will take place in August 2025 and be the only European cities next year. Tickets for the shows go on sale at 9am on September 27. See the full run of dates below.
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They join Oasis in Wembley Stadium’s schedule in July and August, who are set for 7 nights at the venue. Dua Lipa, meanwhile, has booked a pair of shows for next June.
✨ AUGUST 2025 LONDON & HULL DATES ANNOUNCED Exclusive first ticket access to fans who order Moon Music from the official Coldplay UK or EU Stores, at https://t.co/G2iiva4kgH (inc those who already have).These are the only UK/European cities where the band will perform next… pic.twitter.com/ZnDlgyfJyp— Coldplay (@coldplay) September 17, 2024
The band will release their new album Moon Music on Oct. 4 and have shared two singles so far: “feelslikemfallinginlove” and the star-studded “We Pray”, featuring turns from Burna Boy, Little Simz, Elyanna and Tini.
The Music Of The Spheres tour has been a blockbuster run for the British band. The tour began in March 2022, taking the same name as their ninth studio album released in 2021. The show has since taken in 160 shows across the globe including Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. The shows at Wembley will be powered by 100 per cent solar, wind and kinetic energy – and delivered by a specially-designed electric battery system, the band shared in their announcement.
In August, Billboard Boxscore announced that the Music Of The Spheres world tour had crossed the $1 billion (USD) mark in tour revenue and sold 9.3 million tickets so far. Next month, the band are slated for 11 shows in Australia and New Zealand.
The band have also announced a collaboration with the Music Venue Trust (MVT) in the U.K., a charity that seeks to champion and improve grassroots music venues. 10% of all revenue generated from the tour will be used to support “small U.K. venues and upcoming acts”.
“Coldplay are the perfect example of a UK band who came through the grassroots circuit on their way to worldwide stadium-filling success,” MVT CEO Mark Davyd said in a statement to NME. “It’s fantastic to see them celebrating their own pathway to Wembley by giving back to the grassroots music venues that supported them and recognising the artists and promoters that are struggling more than ever to build their own careers.”
Coldplay 2025 U.K. Tour Dates:
August 18 – Hull, Craven Park StadiumAugust 19 – Hull, Craven Park StadiumAugust 22 – London, Wembley StadiumAugust 23 – London, Wembley StadiumAugust 26 – London, Wembley StadiumAugust 27 – London, Wembley StadiumAugust 30 – London, Wembley StadiumAugust 31 – London, Wembley Stadium
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit Coldplay’s official website.
Tom Morello is raging against Elon Musk. The Rage Against the Machine rocker took to social media on Sunday (Sept. 15) to poke fun at Elon Musk after the Tesla CEO tweeted, “Why are so many people raging FOR the machine?” While it’s not clear that the post was a direct hit at RAGT, Morello […]
KISS spent the majority of its five-decade career disguising their faces in makeup. Now, as the band plans the next phase for its music and iconic characters, KISS is still leaving its fans with mystery and intrigue.
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After the culmination of The End of the Road Tour in December, KISS began the year with the sale of its name and likeness and plans to live eternally in the digital world. Details are scarce, but the band has said the virtual performance should launch in Las Vegas in 2027. In a conversation with Billboard’s Behind the Setlist podcast, frontman Paul Stanley won’t say exactly how the group will carry its legacy into the future. But in typical KISS fashion, Stanley has ambitious goals.
“It’s a must-see, go-to experience,” Stanley boasts. “It’s beyond anything that anyone else has contemplated.”
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Virtual artists are nothing new: a Tupac Shakur hologram appeared at Coachella in 2012, and avatars have resurrected deceased musicians such as Ronnie James Duo and Whitney Houston for live performances. Those earlier examples of digital likenesses pale in comparison to Abba Voyage, a high-budget, mixed virtual reality-live music concert in London that has won rave reviews.
In April, KISS sold its name and likeness rights to Pophouse, the Swedish company that helped build Abba Voyage around virtual versions of Abba’s four members made to look decades younger. Although those early generations of avatars wowed audiences, KISS isn’t content to replicate the previous models, says Stanley.
“We’re creating something that’s not a concert,” he explains. “The idea of a hologram — and it’s not a hologram, but that term seems to get thrown around a lot — but the idea a simulated concert is not what we want to do. Frankly, I would find that boring.”
Like Abba Voyage, which takes place in the purpose-built, 3,000-capacity ABBA Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, the KISS experience will require a dedicated venue built around the technology, says Stanley. Las Vegas is filled with venues, from Sphere to T-Mobile Arena to numerous theaters that host long-term residencies (Bruno Mars at Park MGM, for example). Stanley is mum on the venue but tells Billboard the final product will be more advanced than Abba Voyage.
“Now, mind you, the Abba show is an older technology, because technology moves ahead at an exponential rate,” says Stanley. “So, by the time that show started to be presented, there was new technology.” To that end, he adds, KISS will work with Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by filmmaker George Lucas that produced special effects for the Star Wars, Terminator and Jurassic Park franchises.
KISS fans got a preview of its plans in December when then band revealed digital depictions showed at the final End of the Road concert and released a two-minute sizzle reel, KISS: A New Era Begins, that shows the band donning motion-capture technology to create their digital likenesses. Stanley insists that the final product will be far more advanced.
“That was just an early — I don’t want to say rendering — but an early version of what is to come and is still being worked on,” says Stanley. “But it bears little resemblance to what was there. What we were showing was just the inception of the idea that we can continue on outside of flesh and blood.”
As for Stanley, he expects to stay busy outside of prepping the Las Vegas show. Stanley leads a retro-soul band, Paul Stanley’s Soul Station, that plays original and classic soul songs and released an album, Now and Then, in 2021. He has forged a successful career as a painter. Asked if he’ll release another solo album—following his 1978 eponymous album and Live to Win from 2006 — Stanley keeps his fans guessing.
“We’ll see,” he says. “I’m not done with music, that’s for sure. I’ve become more judicious in what I do, picking and choosing, because as you get older, you see more and more that anything you do takes you away from something else. And at some point, it really comes down to picking and choosing what you do as it relates to what you don’t get to do. So yeah, I mean, I’ll certainly do more music. Music is a big part of who I am.”
Listen to the entire interview with Paul Stanley at the embedded Spotify player below, or go to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, iHeart or Everand.
Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell has apologized to his bandmates for the ugly scene on Friday in Boston when the vocalist attacked guitarist Dave Navarro during a show.
“This weekend has been incredibly difficult and after having the time and space to reflect, it is only right that I apologize to my bandmates, especially Dave Navarro, fans, family and friends for my actions during Friday’s show,” Farrell said in a statement shared with Billboard.
“Unfortunately, my breaking point resulted in inexcusable behavior, and I take full accountability for how I chose to handle the situation,” Farrell, 65, added in the mea culpa that came several days after the shocking scene at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion when the singer attacked Navarro during a performance of “Ocean Size.”
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In fan videos of the moment, an agitated Farrell lunges at Navarro and throws a shoulder into his bandmate before punching the shocked-looking guitarist as the two men are separated and Farrell is dragged backstage.
Navarro, 57, issued a statement on Instagram on Monday morning apologizing to fans for the disturbing scene and for the cancellation of the rest of the reunited band’s U.S. tour. “Due to a continuing pattern of behavior and the mental health difficulties of our singer Perry Farrell, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to discontinue the current US tour,” Navarro wrote.
“Our concern for his personal health and safety as well as our own has left us no alternative. We hope that he will find the help he needs,” he continued. “We deeply regret that we are not able to come through for all our fans who have already bought tickets. We can see no solution that would either ensure a safe environment on stage or reliably allow us to deliver a great performance on a nightly basis.” The note was signed “our hearts are broken.”
In addition, a source tells Billboard that Farrell is “heartbroken” by his actions. “He realizes that he waited too long to prioritize his well-being. His exhaustion and the toll it has taken on both his physical and mental health has gone too far. He had the best of intentions heading out on tour with the band and feels like he’s let his fans and family down.”
On Saturday, the band issued a statement in an Instagram Story announcing that Sunday night’s planned show in in Bridgeport at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater had been canceled before announcing that the entire tour was scotched.
Shortly after the on-stage blow-up, Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, issued a statement about the incident that featured some background on what she said contributed to the meltdown. “Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the onstage fight. “Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band. Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
She also noted that backstage Jane’s bassist Eric Avery “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times … Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried. Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”
The beloved alt rock group was formed in Los Angeles in 1985 by Farrell, Navarro, Avery and drummer Stephen Perkins and released two highly influential studio albums — 1988’s Nothing’s Shocking and 1990’s Ritual de lo Habitual — before embarking on their farewell tour as part of 1991’s first Lollapalooza festival. Avery had long been a hold-out in subsequent reunions, replaced by the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Flea on a 1997 tour and then by Martyn LeNoble and Chris Chaney on subsequent tours. The original four gave it another shot in 2008 for a world tour, though Avery took leave again in 2010 before the release of the band’s fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist.
Avery was back in the fold again in 2022 and, after Navarro’s absence for two years due to the effects of long COVID, the guitarist was back on stage this year for the North American tour, the first by all four original members in 14 years. The outing launched in early August and was slated to run through mid-October. At press time the future status of the band was unknown.
See Navarro’s statement below.
Jane says … the tour is over. Jane’s Addiction has canceled its tour midway through the band’s trek after frontman Perry Farrell threw a punch at guitarist Dave Navarro during the band’s show on Friday (Sept. 13) in Boston at the Leader Bank Pavilion.
“The band have made the difficult decision to take some time away as a group. As such, they will be cancelling the remainder of the tour,” the band said in a brief statement Monday (Sept. 16). Refunds will be issued at the point of purchase.
In fan-captured videos that went viral after the Friday show, Farrell is seen on stage singing toward the audience before turning to Navarro and screaming the lyrics, seemingly angrily. The frontman then makes his way over to the guitarist, continuing his scream, before body-checking the guitarist, backing away, then getting back in Navarro’s face to continue yelling while the guitarist-actor — who appears confused — calmly holds Farrell at arm’s length while the frontman continues to yell. Farrell then throws a punch at his guitarist, and a crew member comes on stage, telling Farrell repeatedly to “Stop! Stop!” More crew members rush to the stage to restrain the rocker and take him off stage.
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The next day, Jane’s Addiction issued a statement via the band’s Instagram Stories. “We want to extend a heartfelt apology to our fans for the events that unfolded last night,” the statement read. The band then noted that the following show on Sunday (Sept. 15) at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater was canceled.
Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, shared a statement on her own Instagram after the altercation. Reposting video of the altercation, she explained how she saw the situation. “Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic,” she wrote. ” Well, the dynamite was lit. Perry got up in Dave’s face and body checked him.”
“Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band,” she continued, noting that her husband had been battling a sore throat and tinnitus. “But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
She went on to praise Navarro for trying to de-escalate the situation, noting that the guitarist “still looked handsome and cool in the middle of a fight,” while her husband was “a crazed beast” for a little bit. Added Etty, “He finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried.”
Jane’s Addiction — who logged one song on the Billboard Hot 100 and three No. 1 hits on the Alternative Airplay chart since forming in the mid-’80s — was about halfway through its tour alongside Love and Rockets. The tour — produced by Live Nation — had been scheduled to conclude on Oct. 16 at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles.
See Jane’s Addiction’s statement below.
Jane’s Addiction has issued a statement following an onstage altercation between Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro.
The rock veterans took to social media on Saturday (Sept. 14) to apologize for the lead singer throwing a punch at the guitarist during the band’s concert in Boston on Friday.
“We want to extend a heartfelt apology for the events that unfolded last night,” Jane’s Addiction wrote on their Instagram Story. “As a result we will be cancelling tomorrow night’s show in Bridgeport.”
Jane’s Addiction added refund information for Sunday’s canceled show at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Connecticut.
The recently reunited band’s Friday show at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion came to a sudden halt when Farrell attacked Navarro midway through the their performance of “Ocean Size.” Fan-captured video shows the frontman becoming angry for unknown reasons and throwing a punch at the guitarist, who appeared confused by the singer’s outburst.
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“What the f–k?” Navarro appeared to shout as crew members restrained Farrell and dragged him backstage. The guitarist then took off his guitar and walked off stage, ending the concert after 11 songs. Jane’s Addiction’s recent concerts have typically featured three or four additional performances.
Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, took to social media shortly after Friday’s concert to share her version of the story in a lengthy message.
“Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the onstage fight.
“Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band. Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
She added that an altercation had occurred backstage between her husband and Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery, who “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times.”
“Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried,” Etty Lau wrote. “Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”
Jane’s Addiction’s Live Nation-produced reunion tour — which finds the four original members hitting the road for the first time in 14 years — launched in early August and is set to conclude in mid-October. At press time, the band’s next show was scheduled for Toronto’s Budweiser Stage on Sept. 18.
Jane’s Addiction‘s concert in Boston came to a sudden end on Friday (Sept. 13) when frontman Perry Farrell attacked guitarist Dave Navarro onstage.
The fan-captured altercation at Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion broke out midway through the reunited band’s performance of “Ocean Size,” when Farrell became angry for unknown reasons and lunged at the Navarro’s shoulder. Farrell, 65, then continued to shout at the guitarist, 57, who appeared confused, and the singer ultimately threw a punch at Navarro.
“What the f—?” Navarro appeared to shout as crew members restrained Farrell and dragged him backstage. The guitarist then took off his guitar and walked off stage, ending the concert after 11 songs. Jane’s Addiction’s reunion shows have typically featured three or four additional performances.
Jane’s Addiction hadn’t publicly commented on the situation at press time. Billboard has reached out to the band’s representatives.
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Farrell’s wife, Etty Lau Farrell, took to social media shortly after Friday’s concert to share her version of the story in a lengthy message. “Clearly there had been a lot of tension and animosity between the members.. the magic that made the band so dynamic. Well, the dynamite was lit,” Etty Lau wrote on Instagram alongside a video of the onstage fight.
“Perry’s frustration had been mounting, night after night, he felt that the stage volume had been extremely loud and his voice was being drowned out by the band. Perry had been suffering from tinnitus and a sore throat every night. But when the audience in the first row, started complaining up to Perry cussing at him that the band was planning too loud and that they couldn’t hear him, Perry lost it.”
She added that an altercation had occurred backstage between her husband and Jane’s Addiction bassist Eric Avery, who “put Perry in a headlock and punched him in the stomach three times.”
“Perry was a crazed beast for the next half an hour — he finally did not calm down, but did breakdown and cried and cried,” Etty Lau wrote. “Eric, well he either didn’t understand what descalation meant or took advantage of the situation and got in a few cheap shots on Perry.”
Jane’s Addiction’s Live Nation-produced reunion tour — which finds the four original members hitting the road for the first time in 14 years — launched in early August. At press time, the band’s next show was scheduled for Sunday (Sept. 15) in Bridgeport, Conn.
The long wait appears to be over: The Cure may have confirmed the release date of their first LP in 16 years in postcards sent to fans. Earlier this week, speculation mounted that an announcement was incoming when the group updated social media profile pictures. Now fans of the band have received cryptic postcards in […]
Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” vaults to the top of Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, soaring from No. 24, where it debuted a week ago, to No. 1 on the Sept. 21-dated survey.
The song reigns with 9.1 million rock radio audience impressions Sept. 6-12 – its first full week of tracking – according to Luminate. The single premiered at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 and debuted on the Sept. 14-dated chart with 1.1 million in rock radio reach.
In the history of Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009, 14 songs — now including “The Emptiness Machine” — have reached No. 1 in just one or two weeks. Linkin Park had last achieved the feat when “Friendly Fire,” released on the band’s best-of set Papercuts after originally being recorded for the sessions for 2017’s One More Light, launched at No. 1 this March.
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In fact, of those 14 songs, five are by Linkin Park. “Friendly Fire,” “Lost” (2023) and “The Catalyst” (2010) all debuted at No. 1, while “New Divide” (2009) reached the top spot in its second week, like “The Emptiness Machine.”
The quick coronation for “The Emptiness Machine” is supported by its debuts at Nos. 4 and 5 on Mainstream Rock Airplay and Alternative Airplay, respectively. The song’s No. 4 start on Mainstream Rock Airplay is the best since December 2022, when Metallica’s “Lux Æterna” debuted at No. 2. Those two songs represent the only arrivals in the top four since 2008; before then, the last to make such a grand entrance was Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” (No. 3, April 2007).
As for Alternative Airplay, No. 5 marks the best beginning since Linkin Park’s “Lost” (No. 4, February 2023). In the last decade, only three songs have premiered that high, with the two Linkin Park songs joined by Mumford & Sons’ “Believe” (No. 5, March 2015).
More chart activity for “The Emptiness Machine” will show once all Sept. 21-dated rankings refresh on Billboard.com Tuesday, Sept. 17. On the Sept. 14-dated Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, the track started at No. 7 from its first few hours of tracking; along with 1.1 million audience impressions, it drew 690,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in that span.
“The Emptiness Machine” is the lead single from From Zero, Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, due Nov. 15. It’s the band’s first full-length since the death of co-frontman Chester Bennington in 2017 and the departure of drummer Rob Bourdon. Singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain take over those duties on the new LP.