Rock
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Chester Bennington‘s son is currently at odds with some of Linkin Park‘s fanbase, with the 28-year-old recently alleging that people have been “cruel, unusual and aggressive” to him following his criticism of the band’s reunion.
In a slew of videos posted to Instagram Stories on Monday (Sept. 9), Jaime opened up about wanting to attend Linkin Park’s fast-approaching comeback show in Los Angeles, in spite of his qualms with the group’s new vocalist Emily Armstrong. However, he claims his late father’s former bandmates didn’t offer him a ticket — and even if they had, he wouldn’t feel safe in the crowd.
“I haven’t heard anything back from the band themselves, which is not unexpected,” Jaime says in the clips. “They didn’t come to me with this announcement, they didn’t ask me how I felt.”
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“There are a lot of people who do not like me,” he continued. “There are a lot of people saying some real awful sh– right now to me. To be honest, I don’t think I’d feel safe going to the show under general admission … I don’t know who would take it upon themselves to respond to me in an aggressive manner. The audience themselves could actually be unsafe for me.”
Jaime’s comments come shortly after he lobbed criticism at Linkin Park for tapping Armstrong as the band’s new co-vocalist, accusing Mike Shinoda of “quietly erasing my father’s life and legacy in real time.”
“You betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings including myself,” he added at the time, slamming Armstrong’s past connection to Scientology and support of convicted rapist Danny Masterson. “We trusted you to be the bigger, better person. To be the change. Because you promised us that was your intention. Now you’re just senile and tone deaf.”
In response to the backlash, the Dead Sara co-founder issued a statement on Sept. 6 distancing herself from the That ’70s Show star. “Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance and went to one early hearing as an observer,” she said. “Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I have never spoken with him since. To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
All of the commotion follows the band’s announcement that Linkin Park would be returning in 2024 after a seven-year hiatus sparked by the death of Chester in 2017. In addition to the lineup changes, the rockers will be releasing a new album, From Zero, on Nov. 15, and embarking on a massive tour starting with six arena shows kicking off Wednesday (Sept. 11) at the Kia Forum.
But much like Linkin Park’s fanbase, Jaime has conflicted feelings about the band’s new direction. “I want to go [to the concert],” he said on his Story. “There are reasons that I might not be allowed into the venue, which I can’t talk about right now, but unless I’m told explicitly, ‘You can’t go for this reason,’ I do want to go.”
“So many of these Linkin Park fans who will be attending have been cruel, unusual and aggressive,” he added. “You’re telling me to kill myself, you’re telling me that I’m awful, you’re telling me that my father doesn’t appreciate me … What are you talking about? You didn’t give a f–k when he died. If you did, you would understand what the problem is. You would understand why this is all wrong.”
On Tuesday (Sept. 10), Dave Grohl stunned fans with the announcement that he’s now the father of a new baby born outside of his marriage to Jordyn Blum. In a succinct message posted on Instagram, the Foo Fighters frontman got straight to the point. “I’ve recently become the father of a new baby daughter, born […]
Attention for Linkin Park’s catalog has soared following the release of the rockers’ comeback single “The Emptiness Machine” on Sept. 5.
On Sept. 6, the first full day for U.S. streams after “The Emptiness Machine” premiered at 6 p.m. ET on Sept. 5 and following a multi-song concert and livestream introducing new band members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain, Linkin Park’s catalog earned 11.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to initial reports to Luminate.
That’s a 71% gain in streams over Sept. 5, which saw the band rack up 6.9 million streams. And it’s a 103% leap over Sept. 4, the day before the new song, livestream and album/tour announcement, when the band accrued 5.8 million streams.
Attention around Linkin Park’s catalog continued into the weekend, when the overall count was 10.1 million streams on Sept. 7, 14% down from Sept. 6. Its streaming sum on Sept. 6-7 was 21.8 million, nearly as much as the preceding four days (Sept. 2-5), during which period the band accumulated 22.8 million listens.
Of course, a not-insignificant chunk of those streams on Sept. 5-7 is from “The Emptiness Machine” itself; after a partial Sept. 5 of 680,000 official on-demand U.S. streams, the song received 2.8 million on Sept. 6, followed by 1.9 million on Sept. 7.
Removing “The Emptiness Machine” from the equation, the band’s pre-Armstrong and -Brittain catalog still sports meaningful movement: 9 million streams Sept. 6, up 46% from Sept. 5 (6.2 million) and 55% from Sept. 4 (5.8 million). On Sept. 7, its music earned 8.2 million streams, down 9% from Sept. 6, and its two-day count (17.2 million) nearly outpaced the preceding three days (Sept. 3-5, 17.5 million).
“Numb” is the most-streamed song of the group in the measured time frame. It received 858,000 official U.S. streams on Sept. 6, up 25% from Sept. 5 (689,000) and up 30% from Sept. 4 (662,000). On Sept. 7, it added another 851,000 streams. “Numb” is one of 12 No. 1s for Linkin Park on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, reigning for 12 weeks beginning in late 2003. It also peaked at No. 11 on the Hot 100 in March 2004.
There’s interest in purchasing music from Linkin Park’s catalog past and present, too. On Sept. 5, digital song sales of the band’s output totaled 2,000 downloads, with 1,000 from “The Emptiness Machine.” On Sept. 6, that number swelled to 4,000 (2,000 from “The Emptiness Machine”), followed by another 4,000 on Sept. 7 (2,000 again from the new single).
As for digital album sales, the band sold 1,000 copies Sept. 5-7 across its entire catalog, a 791% leap from the previous three-day period (Sept. 2-4).
Myriad chart activity for Linkin Park will occur on the Sept. 21-dated Billboard rankings, which includes consumption from Sept. 6 to 12. That includes first-full-week numbers for “The Emptiness Machine,” which is challenging for strong starts on the Alternative Airplay and Mainstream Rock Airplay surveys after debuting at No. 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list dated Sept. 14 after just one day of data, as previously reported. Its aforementioned stream and sales count was also enough for a No. 7 premiere on the multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs tally.
From Zero, Linkin Park’s eighth studio album, is due Nov. 15, the six-piece’s first release since 2017’s One More Light. Singer Armstrong and drummer Brittain join the band after the 2017 death of co-frontman Chester Bennington as well as the departure of longtime drummer Rob Bourdon this year.
Mötley Crüe are headed back to the start. The legendary metal band announced on Tuesday (Sept. 10) that they will support their upcoming new EP, Cancelled, with a return to their old 1980s stomping grounds on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip as part of what they’re calling a Höllywood Takeöver.
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The three gigs were teased over the Labor Day weekend when flyers promoting the gigs at The Roxy, Troubadour and Whiskey a Go Go popped up all over L.A. Tickets for the gigs — Oct. 7 at the Troubadour, Oct. 9 at The Roxy and Oct. 11 at the Whiskey a Go Go — will go on sale to the general public on Saturday (Sept. 14) at 1 p.m. ET exclusively at the box offices of the three venues as hard tickets only; sales are limited to two tickets per person, with more information available here.
For reference, in July, the band headlined the 17,000-capacity Scotiabank Saddledome at this year’s Calgary Stampede festival, while the three L.A. club shows will top out at 500 Crüebadours each.
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The three gigs will be in support of the upcoming (Oct. 4) release of their three-song EP, which features the new songs “Dogs of War” and the title track, as well as their rocked-up cover of the Beastie Boys’ beloved 1986 Billboard Hot 100 No. 7 hit “Fight For Your Right.” Along with the club shows, the band will host a pop-up store with exclusive, band-curated merch slated to open on Oct. 6 at another iconic Sunset Strip joint, the Rainbow Bar and Grill; the store will remain open through Oct. 12 from 3 p.m.-midnight daily.
As part of their return to the rooms where they made their bones in the 1980s, the Crüe announced a new philanthropic effort, the Mötley Crüe Giveback Initiative, which will have them partnering with several non-profits close to their hearts, including the teen homelessness organization Covenant House. An auction for two pair of tickets to the Troubadour show opened on Tuesday — click here to bid — and will be followed by another auction beginning on Sept. 30 featuring rare, stage-played collectible instruments from each of the three club shows.
The band — singer Vince Neil, drummer Tommy Lee, bassist Nikki Sixx and newest member, guitarist John 5 — will also host a charity dinner at the Rainbow on Oct. 8, with proceeds benefitting Covenant House.
How long has it been since The Cure released new music? The last time we had fresh tunes from the goth rock godheads President Biden was just about to begin his first stint… as Vice President. So, a lifetime.
But fans of the long-running Robert Smith-fronted grand ministers of mope took heart this week when a small tweak to the band’s social media feeds renewed hope that the long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s 4:13 Dream album could be inching closer to reality. Eagle-eyed followers noted that the band swapped out their official logo for a new one featuring their name in white inside a black circle.
It was a small change, but when you’ve been waiting this long, anything feels just like manna from heaven. Take a peek at the comments on the Cure’s official Facebook page reacting to the tiny tweak for evidence. “A sign of things to come!!!!,” wrote one fan, accompanied by other excited reactions, including: “Here we go folks!,” “Come on, new album. I want to hear the studio version of those new songs you played in Leeds 2022,” “Album announcement? [prayer hands, black heart emoji],” “Please be planning on a tour, I got into your music this year and you’re already one of my top 5 favorite bands,” “Wrap it up & ship it out!” and “Please be real.”
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Though there was no official announcement about the Cure’s 14th studio album at press time, the logo update had followers excited that the LP they’ve been waiting for — reportedly titled Songs of a Lost World — could be on the horizon. The comment referring to Leeds referenced the time two years ago when the group debuted three new songs on tour, “A Fragile Thing,” “I Can Never Say Goodbye” and “Another Happy Birthday.”
Their hopes were further boosted when guitarist Reeves Gabrels posted the new logo on his Instagram, with a reminder to go to the Cure’s official website to sign up for news, with the caption featuring the hashtag #songsofalostworld.
In the meantime, fans will have to make do with the upcoming release of live versions of two of those new songs on the live 12″ Novembre: Live in France 2022, due out on Oct. 1. The double A-side 12″ LP will have in concert versions of “And Nothing Is Forever” and “I Can Never Say Goodbye,” pressed on Eco-vinyl through Naked Record Club, with net profits headed to Brian Eno’s Earth Percent climate charity. Dreamy ballad “And Nothing Is Forever” was recorded at Montpellier Sud de France Arena on Nov. 8, 2022, while “I Never Can Say Goodbye” was laid down in Toulouse at Zénith on Nov. 13, 2022 on the French leg of the group’s 2022 Shows of a Lost World tour.
Longtime keyboardist Roger O’Donnell recently revealed that he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma in Sept. 2023. “In September last year I was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. I had ignored the symptoms for a few months but finally went, and after surgery, the result of the biopsy was devastating,” O’Donnell wrote on X as part of Blood Cancer Awareness Month in a bid to urge fans to prioritize their health and get tested early.
Linkin Park’s return with new vocalist Emily Armstrong has sparked controversy, with Chester Bennington’s son, Jaime Bennington, accusing Mike Shinoda of “quietly erasing my father’s life and legacy in real time.”
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Jaime aired his grievances on social media following the band’s Sept. 5 livestream event, where Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, was introduced as the band’s new co-lead vocalist.
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The announcement followed weeks of speculation as Linkin Park teased fans with a countdown before revealing Armstrong as their new singer. They also released a new track, “The Emptiness Machine,” from their upcoming album From Zero, which debuted at No. 24 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay list.
Armstrong joins the band following the passing of Chester Bennington in 2017.
While many fans welcomed the band’s new chapter, others expressed concerns about the band’s new volcalist’s past ties to Scientology and her previous association with convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
In response to the backlash, Armstrong issued a statement on Sept. 6 via Instagram to address the controversy.
“Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I have never spoken with him since,” she wrote. “To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes.”
Despite Armstrong’s explanation, Jaime Bennington was deeply critical of Shinoda’s decision to bring her into the band.
He said via Instagram on Sept. 9, “You hired your friend of many years, Emily Armstrong, to replace Chester… knowing Emily’s history in the church and her history as an ally to Danny Masterson.”
Jaime did not hold back, accusing Shinoda of ignoring the impact this decision might have on the band’s fanbase, particularly those affected by sexual violence.
“You quietly erase[d] my father’s life and legacy in real time… during international suicide prevention month and refuse to acknowledge the impact of hiring someone like Emily, without so much as a clarifying statement on the variety of victims that make up your core fan base,” Jaime said.
His criticisms didn’t stop there. He added, “You betrayed the trust loaned to you by decades of fans and supporting human beings including myself. We trusted you to be the bigger, better person. To be the change. Because you promised us that was your intention. Now you’re just senile and tone deaf.”
At the time of writing, neither Shinoda nor the band has publicly responded to Jaime Bennington’s comments.
Chester, who joined the band in 1999, became an icon with the release of their debut album Hybrid Theory in 2000, followed by the highly successful Meteora (2003). His sudden death in 2017 left a deep void, both in the band and among fans.
In a recent cover interview with Billboard, Shinoda spoke about the challenges of moving forward without Chester.
“Emily was always going to be able to hit the notes and scream the parts,” Shinoda said, but he also recognized that the change would take time for fans to accept. “It’ll be a question of, ‘How does it land with people?’ And I don’t know how it will. But I know that, when I hear it, I love it.”
Shinoda reflected on the band’s journey to creating their upcoming album, From Zero. “We didn’t know how far we would get in our efforts. This has been years of struggling to understand what it can and should be.”
From Zero will mark the band’s first album One More Light, released two months prior to Bennington’s death. The set launched at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in June 2017 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to date.
Linkin Park’s first performance with Armstrong is scheduled for Sept. 11 in Los Angeles. As From Zero is set to be released on Nov. 15.
In late September, Oasis announced an unlikely reunion after a 15-year hiatus. Brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher shared an announcement that they would play a string of stadium dates in the U.K. and Ireland in 2025 at London’s Wembley Stadium, Manchester’s Heaton Park and beyond.
First formed in 1991 in their native Manchester, the brothers eventually split in 2009 following a backstage altercation in Paris. Both enjoyed successful solo outings since then, amassing a combined 10 No. 1 albums between them in the U.K. (six for Liam, four for Noel).
The announcement arrived hot on the heels of anniversary reissues of their first two records, 1994’s Definitely Maybe and 1995 follow-up (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?. It conjures up sheer excitement and plenty of questions; below, Billboard runs through the biggest talking points to keep a beady eye on.
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Ticket Sale Furor
Demand was high for the dates announced to take place next July and August. A statement from the band said that over 10 million fans from 158 countries were attempting to purchase tickets on the initial general sale date (Aug. 31). All dates are completely sold out.
However, there has been considerable blowback to the sale strategy and a particular ire towards Ticketmaster. After a long wait – queue numbers reached above 500,000 for a single date – some fans were dismayed by Ticketmaster’s use of the “in-demand” dynamic ticket pricing model for tickets. The face value of certain tickets rose from £135 to over £350, forcing fans to make quick, expensive decisions on how much they could afford to buy for tickets. There has been anger that the demand may have inflated the price of tickets.
The band have since responded claiming that they “at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used” in the sale process. They have since announced two new dates for Wembley Stadium on Sept. 27-28, 2025 and that the ticket sale process will be an “invitation only ballot” for fans who did not land tickets the first time around.
The story is unlikely to end there. The U.K. government has promised an investigation into the dynamic pricing model and the U.K.’s Competition and Market Authority is undertaking an “urgent review.” Ticketmaster has yet to make a statement regarding the on-sale process.
All Around The World
Fans outside of the U.K. are clamouring for their opportunity to see the band perform live and it appears they will get their wish. Upon initial announcement, the band said they had plans to take Oasis Live ‘25 to continents outside of Europe following the conclusion of their initial run. A billboard taken out by Amazon Music in New York City’s Times Square appears to be teasing a run of U.S. dates in the near future.
Battle of the Band
Oasis’ lineup has been changeable since their formation in 1991 with an array of members coming and going. We know for certain that Noel and Liam will be performing, but who will join them?
The band’s original rhythm guitarist Paul “Bonehead” Arthurs – who battled cancer in recent years – is set to be included, as well as his eventual replacement Gem Archer. The latter performed as a member of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in recent years.
Alan White, the band’s drummer between 1995 and 2004, has teased his involvement on his social media profiles. The group’s original drummer Tony McCarroll has claimed that he is unlikely to be involved. He told MailOnline that while he was “happy” about the news, neither brother had reached out and that “I’m not holding my breath.” Time will tell if Andy Bell, bassist between 1999 and their eventual breakup in 2009, will be involved. Bell has songwriting credits on each of Oasis’ last three albums.
“Today Is Going To Be the Day…”
But why are the pipes of peace playing now? A reunion has been discussed extensively by both brothers (and the press) throughout their solo careers, with Liam being the keener of the pair. In 2023, Noel said that his team “should call mine” and get the reunion done.
There are massive commercial opportunities for both the duo. They’re expected to clear £50 million each after tax for the initial run of shows, and they’ve partnered with Levi’s, Amazon and Urban Outfitters on a new merchandise run. Sales and streams of their back catalog, namely debut album Definitely Maybe, are rising rapidly.
It must have proved a timely opportunity to get Noel on board. He and Sara McDonald, whom he married in 2011, filed for divorce in Jan. 2023. He’s also discussed next year being the earliest opportunity for him to consider selling the publishing rights to his back catalog. The master rights to the band’s material (including hits like “Wonderwall” and “Don’t Look Back In Anger”) are set to revert back to him in 2025.
New Album?
The Gallaghers putting animosity aside and getting back in the studio may seem unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Fans have noted that Liam had been sharing cryptic clues regarding the band’s reunion for months on his X profile. In July, one fan asked what he was doing on that day with Liam replying “photo shoot,” now widely believed to be the comeback’s official photography shoot with brother Noel.
Back in April, another hopeful asked when the recording of a new Oasis album would begin. His response? “November.” Perhaps all the clues have been hiding in plain sight….
In the new Thom Zimny documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last night (Sept. 8) and premieres on Disney+ and Hulu on Oct. 25 — we see under the hood of arguably the best live performer in rock ‘n’ roll, as The Boss meticulously “shakes the cobwebs” off his colossal band in preparation for their 2023-2024 world tour.
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After being forced off the road for six years because of the global pandemic, during which he turned 70, Springsteen chose the setlist with care and precision to “let the audience know who I am at this point.” At its core, though, Road Diary is about exceptional commitment and a lesson to all bosses on how to be firm and respectful to get the best out of the people who work for you, something Springsteen alluded to in the post-screening Q&A.
Zimny, who directed other Springsteen’s docs (2019’s Western Stars, 2018’s Springsteen on Broadway, 2010’s The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, 2005’s Wings for Wheels: The Making of Born To Run) and countless music Springsteen videos, sat with The Boss, his manager Jon Landau and E Street guitarist and musical director Steve Van Zandt in the balcony of Roy Thomson Hall. Together, they watched the first public screening along of Road Diary with 2600 other people, including the Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy.
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On the red carpet before the screening, Zimny told Billboard, “I was hoping with the film to give the casual fan a sense of Bruce, but also the über fan approach. What I wanted to show was there’s elements of a brotherhood that you see in how they first greet each other — nothing is staged, none of it is rehearsed. I sat there for days filming them, and what came across for me — and what I think is unique compared to the other docs — was this musical language that they have, where they work out songs… So, I think, the big surprise is how deep that bond is. You see it in the footage, and then you see them share that with the crowds.”
Interspersed with that beautiful bond is Springsteen’s current mindset: bracing his own mortality. From being the only surviving member of from his first band, the Castiles, which he joined at 16 (captured in the song “Last Man Standing”), to the “terrible blows to the [E Street] Band” when Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici died too young — in 2011 and 2008, respectively — and the final scene of Springsteen dancing with his mom, Adele — who died in February at 98 (and to whom Road Diary is dedicated) — Springsteen, now 74, is feeling nostalgic, contemplative, appreciative and a little bit melancholy.
There is also a brief but startling revelation in the documentary when his wife — and band member — Patti Scialfa, 71, says she received a diagnosis in 2018 of early-stage multiple myeloma (blood cancer), which she says “affects my immune system” and makes it “challenging” to tour.
Still, despite the undercurrent of “I’m getting old,” Road Diary is more joyous than anything — which is no surprise to any Springsteen fan, given the still-jubilant nature of his live shows. It serves as a blueprint for how a band can still sell out arenas and stadiums around the world many decades after its formation, from Springsteen’s meticulous guidance of the E Street Band to his six-cylinder live presence — and, as the doc reveals, getting in the gym the next morning after a show. Plus, as he promises in the film (and has recently affirmed on tour), he plans on “continuing until the wheels come off. After 50 years on the road, it’s too late to stop now.”
Though fans know there are often spontaneous moments in concert — though fewer on the current outing than in years past — Road Diary shows the high level of planning and practice that go into each show.
On the red carpet, Van Zandt tells Billboard that even 50 years later, there’s no strolling into rehearsal with a “‘Sorry I’m late. I overslept.’ No, that would be a different band,” he says with a loud laugh. “This movie does lift the curtain, the backstage curtain, the rehearsal curtain. I’m not sure we’ve ever done that to this extent. So, you’re gonna see the band [and] how it works.”
Springsteen’s long-time manager Landau tells Billboard he likes how Zimny includes archival footage that shows “the history of the emergence of Bruce as a performer,” from the shy teen that Van Zandt met when they were both teens, “into what we think is the greatest live artist in the world. We try to show how that happened.” Though the doc includes a good deal of footage from the current tour, Landau says, “We really wanted to tell the story of Bruce, the live performer, artist, and what goes into it. And I think that what will surprise people is that it’s actually a very emotional film.”
Springsteen didn’t do any interviews on the red carpet, but did join Zimny, Landau and Van Zandt onstage for a brief, 15-minute post-screening Q&A. As always, Van Zandt played the perfect hype man, prepping his question for Springsteen with a wind-up: “So, alright, for you, I got a big question now, so bear with me for 60 seconds. This is your question, baby. Get ready!”
He proceeded with a lengthy set up which included a spot-on summation of the film, describing it as “the explanation of your roots and methodology as a band leader, the explanation of how a band works, how it functions [and] what it takes to do what we do.” Van Zandt then asked Springsteen, “Did the realization of being that ‘Last Man Standing’ from your first band reawaken your love of the band interaction, and how that affects your work and ultimately the communication to an audience?”
Springsteen answered that he is “completely committed to everything that I do, but the band is the band,” and that onstage he’s not alone; he’s surrounded by his bandmates. He reflected on how the “natural order of things” is that bands break up and quips how, “They can’t even get two guys to stay together, Simon hates Garfunkel, Sam hates Dave, the Everly Brothers hated one another… but if you do it right, and we have, I would call it a benevolent dictatorship.”
And, he knows just how lucky he and his ongoing band members are. “We have this enormous collective where everyone has their role, and a chance to contribute, and to own their place in the band, and this is what people want from their work, and I wish it on everyone,” he continued. “We don’t quite live in a world where everybody gets to feel that way about their jobs or the people they work with, but I sincerely wish that we did — because it’s an experience like none I’ve ever had in my life. If I went tomorrow, I’d be, ‘It’s okay. What a f–king ride.”
E Street bandmember Patti Scialfa reveals her recent cancer battle in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday night (Sept. 8).
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According to Variety, Scialfa opens up in the film about being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2018, which resulted in her dialing back her public appearances and performances with husband Springsteen’s E Street Band over the past few years.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” she says in the film that looks at the relationship between the 74-year-old rock icon and his longtime bandmates. “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
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Scialfa, 71, who has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 as a backing vocalist and guitarist — and married Springsteen in 1991 — was not on hand for Sunday night’s movie premiere. In addition to being a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group, Scialfa has also released three solo albums. Fans have noted her absence on stage during the E Street Band’s current stadium tour, which is the group’s first major outing since 2016.
“Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat,” Scialfa says in the movie of her occasional recent live appearances. “That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.” According to Variety, the movie does not make it clear if Scialfa is still be treated or if the cancer was in remission. Springsteen was forced to postpone the tour in 2023 after being diagnosed with a peptic ulcer that caused serious vocal issues.
Road Diary is an intimate look at the rock band’s current world tour and the unique backstage dynamic between the players, a handful of whom have been by Bruce’s side for more than half a century. Given their longevity and despite the physical demands of playing two-hour-plus shows, recent health issues and the inexorable march of time, Springsteen made it clear at Sunday’s premiere that he plans to continue rocking until “the wheels come off.”
Road Diary will come to Hulu and Disney+ on Oct. 25. Watch the trailer below.
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Bass guitarist Herbie Flowers, who played with David Bowie, Elton John, Lou Reed and other music legends in a decades-long career, has died at 86.
The musician’s family confirmed his death on Facebook Saturday (Sept. 7).
“While we knew and loved him as Uncle Herbie, his musical contributions have likely touched your lives as well,” the husband of Flowers’ niece wrote. “He played bass on many of the songs from the golden age of rock,” the post reads.
A cause of death was not provided.
Flowers was a founding member of the pop group Blue Mink, who later joined the rock band T Rex. He won acclaim for his work with many of the biggest names in U.K. music in the 1970s, giving Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side,” from the 1972 Transformer album, its recognizable twinned bassline.
He also played bass for Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Bryan Ferry’s “The Bride Stripped Bare,” and Paul McCartney’s “Give My Regards to Broad Street,” and featured in two of John’s early ’70s albums, among many others.
In a tribute, Bowie’s estate wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), “his work with Bowie and associates over the years is too long to list here.”
“Aside from his incredible musicianship over many decades, he was a beautiful soul and a very funny man. He will be sorely missed,” it said. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Tim Burgess, lead singer for The Charlatans singer, wrote X that Flowers “made the greats sound greater.”
Flowers also founded the instrumental rock band Sky in the late 1970s, releasing seven albums.