Month: July 2022

The Big Climate Thing, a three-day event billed as “a concert for the people and the planet” will take place at Forest Hills Stadium in New York from Sept. 16-18. The event will feature sets from Khruangbin, Haim, The Roots, Sheryl Crow, The Flaming Lips, Gary Clark Jr., Courtney Barnett and Princess Nokia, among others.

In addition to sets from an eclectic group of acts, the shows also promise “immersive on-site activations and curated content,” with a goal of raising awareness, action and inspiring real-time solutions to the global climate crisis.

“The Big Climate Thing is produced by Climate Control Projects, founded in 2020 by a group of music industry veterans and activists,” reads a statement announcing the gig. “Its mission is to work within popular culture to create awareness, accountability, and action around the issue of climate change. CCP produces content and events that engage mainstream audiences and connect them on a personal level to the climate crisis, leading them to immediately accessible and actionable solutions.”

CCP has teamed with charity partner EarthPercent — a climate action group originally founded by legendary musician/producer Brian Eno — on the Big Climate Thing, with the two organizations working together to create “holistic, comprehensive and impactful opportunities for those in music to take bold action toward ending the climate crisis.”

Other acts slated to appear at the Big Climate Thing include: Antibalas, Ayoni, Bonny Light Horseman, Guster, Joe Sumner & Friends, Mykki Blanco, Pom Pom Squad, Seratones, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Sunflower Bean, The Weather Station and Valerie June.

Check out the full lineup for the show below.

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Guns N’ Roses canceled Tuesday night’s (July 5) planned gig at Scotland’s Glasgow Green on Monday due to unspecified medical issues. According to a statement posted on the band’s socials, “Sadly, due to illness and medical advice, GN’R will not be able to perform in Glasgow, tomorrow 5-July-2022. We are working on rescheduling options for this show so please hold onto your tickets and wait for a further update. We appreciate your understanding and patience.”

GNR played a pair of shows at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday and Saturday, with surprise guest Carrie Underwood joining the rock legends on the first night of the two-gig stand to help out on “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and one of the night’s encores, “Paradise City.” Underwood was visiting the United Kingdom to promote her ninth studio album, Denim & Rhinestones, which arrives on June 10. The upcoming set follows her 2020 holiday release, My Gift, and her 2021 gospel project, My Savior.

“Ladies and gentlemen, from Nashville, Tennessee, Miss Carrie Underwood,” GNR frontman Axl Rose told the crowd when introducing Underwood, who is known to cover the band during her own live performances.

At press time there was no additional information available on the illness that precipitated the cancellation.

The band’s 1987 classic, “Sweet Child,” ruled Billboard‘s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart for the first time earlier this year following its inclusion in the trailer for the upcoming movie Thor: Love and Thunder. “Child” debuted at No. 1 on the April 30-dated ranking and re-entered the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart at No. 9. (Older songs are eligible to appear on Billboard‘s multi-metric charts if in the top half and with a meaningful reason for their revivals.)

GNR have two dates left on their 2022 European tour, a gig in Munich on Friday (July 8) and Milan on July 10.

See the statement below.

Sadly, due to illness and medical advice, GN’R will not be able to perform in Glasgow, tomorrow 5-July-2022. We are working on rescheduling options for this show so please hold onto your tickets and wait for a further update. We appreciate your understanding and patience. pic.twitter.com/jvNl1Sc5yO

— Guns N’ Roses (@gunsnroses) July 5, 2022

Tristan Goodall, founding guitarist and co-songwriter with ARIA Award-winning blues and roots act The Audreys, has died at the age of 48.

His passing was confirmed by the band’s singer, Taasha Coates.

“I am very sad to have to pass on the news that despite our best hopes for his recovery, we lost our dear Tristan on the weekend,” she writes in a social post.

Goodall had been sidelined from touring since 2020 due to ill health.

“I have talked to so many people in the last few days who knew Tristan, and the outpouring of love has been overwhelming,” she continues. “He touched so many of us with his beautiful music, his big heart, his big hugs and his big goofy laugh.”

Goodall and Coates met in 1997 in Adelaide, South Australia and formed the band in 2004. “We were university students, with silly dreams about touring the world with a band.”

Goodall “already played in a rock band, which was so cool to this skinny jazz singer with a breathy voice and crippling stage fright,” she continues. “But Tristan saw something in me, and as we started playing and writing songs together a whole new world opened up. We went on to do so many wonderful things together with our music. We met and worked with amazing and talented people, we walked onto stages big and small together all over the world. It has been the most incredible adventure.”

The dream came true, as The Audreys toured the world on several occasions. During one visit to Europe, in the summer of 2006, the band stopped by at The Borderline in central London, for a performance at the City Showcase event, presented by Billboard.

Those dates were in support of the group’s debut Between Last Night and Us, which went on to win the ARIA Award for best blues and roots album. The Audreys won the same category another two times.

A later incarnation of the band featured the duo of Coates and Goodall, and a fourth studio set, ‘Til My Tears Roll Away, dropped in 2014, peaking at No. 32 of the ARIA Albums Chart.

A quarter century after launching the band, “I have to say goodbye to my dearest friend, my musical soulmate, and my grief is almost unbearable,” writes Coates. “Rest in peace my darling Tristan. We had a dream and we made it happen, can you believe that? Thank you so much for sharing that journey with me. I will miss you everyday.”

Paolo Nutini is cruising to a third consecutive U.K. No. 1 with Last Night in the Bittersweet, his fourth and latest studio album.

The Scottish singer and songwriter will be hard to beat. Based on midweek data published by the OCC, Last Night is outpacing its nearest rival by four to one.

Nutini burst onto the scene with his debut 2006 album These Streets, which swept to No. 3 on the national survey. His sophomore set, 2009’s Sunny Side Up, went to No. 1, as did its followup, 2014’s Caustic Love.

The closest competitor is Florida-originated rock outfit Shinedown, whose Planet Zero starts at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update. Planet Zero is album No. 7 for Shinedown. It’s the followup to 2018’s Attention Attention, which peaked at No. 8, and if it stays on target, it’ll bag the band a first U.K. Top 5 appearance.

Meanwhile, Unprecedented, the new collaborative release from UB40’s founding members Ali Campbell and the late Terence “Astro” Wilson, is tracking for a No. 6 debut, while Nick Cave is eyeing an eighth solo U.K. Top 10 appearance with Seven Psalms, which is heading for a No. 8 bow.

Seven Psalms is a collection of spoken word pieces set to moody music recorded with Warren Ellis, Cave’s Bad Seed and Dirty Three collaborator.

Further down the midweek list, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic could power Elvis Presley back into the U.K. Top 20, as ELV1S: 30 Number 1 Hits returns to No. 16. The hits collection lead the survey proper following its release 20 years ago.

Finally, Adele’s sold-out performance at London’s Hyde Park last weekend should have a measurable impact on the chart, as her chart-leading 2021 set 30 soars 46 spots to No. 28 on the Official Chart Update. 

The London-born superstar singer had the biggest record on the planet last year with 30, according to the IFPI, leading the international trade body’s three year-end albums charts.

The Official U.K. Albums Chart is presented late Friday.

Patrons of a Manchester dive bar found themselves jamming along with Olivia Rodrigo this weekend.

The “Drivers License” star popped into Bunny Jackson’s for an impromptu performance of “Torn,” the pop song that became a hit for Natalie Imbruglia in 1997, with a band while in the U.K. city on her Sour Tour.

“I’m dead sober. Nobody’s making me do this,” Rodrigo said Sunday night (July 3) before launching into the ’90s tune that was Imbruglia’s breakthrough single.

Several clips were uploaded to social media by crowd members who sang along and cheered her on at Bunny Jackson’s, who also shared videos of Rodrigo’s performance on Instagram Stories.

“Why yes Olivia Rodrigo, of course you can turn up at Bunny Jacksons on a bloody Sunday evening and play a song for a laugh before our 3rd set,” one person wrote on Twitter, later adding, “Mate, it was wild. They just showed up after playing the arena and her TM asked to jump on between our sets! They were all very lovely.”

Rodrigo’s Sour album recently became the longest-running debut album in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart this century. As of the July 2-dated chart, it’s spent 52 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10.

Watch her sing “Torn” below. Rodrigo has just a couple dates left on her sold-out tour.

A GoFundMe has been organized for Hüsker Dü and UltraBomb bassist Greg Norton, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“Tonight should have been the start of the UltraBomb tour in the UK. My apologies to our fans in Nottingham, London, Nuneaton, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Leeds, and Falmouth,” Norton wrote on Facebook on June 30. “At the beginning of June, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. My doctors at the Mayo Clinic believe I have excellent odds, but we need to get in right away and move forward with treatment and surgery.”

“Due to this, we have canceled our upcoming UltraBomb dates in England and Scotland. We will also be pushing our fall tour in the states back a bit to allow me time to recover and return in full force,” he continued.

Norton said, “My sincere apologies to those who had tickets purchased or who were planning on attending our upcoming shows across the pond. I am frustrated, as I know you may be feeling disappointed or upset. I was really hoping to be sharing how excited I was to be coming back to play England for the first time in 35 years!”

“For all of my brothers out there, go get tested,” he urged. “It could be a life changer!”

The GoFundMe for Norton, with a goal to raise $30,000 for his medical treatment, launched shortly after and has already surpassed its original goal. Bob Mould shared the link on FaceBook on Monday (July 4).

Jamie Oliver, Norton’s UltraBomb bandmate, wrote on the fundraiser page: “We can’t imagine the stress and anxiety he and his family must be going through. One thing that’s for sure, though, is that the cost of treatment in the United States is eyewatering. We want to help alleviate some of that pressure, so we’ve decided to set up a GoFundMe account to collect money for Greg to put towards his treatment. Please help us by donating what you can. Let’s get Greg treated and well, back on his feet and rocking out again in no time!”

Killer Mike has released his first solo music in roughly a decade.

On Monday (July 4), the Run the Jewels rapper dropped the powerful new single “Run,” featuring an opening monologue from comedian Dave Chappelle and a verse from jailed rapper Young Thug.

The No I.D.-produced track is Mike’s first solo music since his 2012 album, R.A.P. Music. Since then, he’s collaborated with producer/rapper El-P in the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, whose last release, RTJ4, arrived in 2020.

In the war-themed music video for “Run,” Mike is seen on a battlefield, where a battalion of Black soldiers are fighting for their freedom against fascist oppressors.

“If you’re looking at this video, certain things are gonna stand out: Obviously, there’s a war going on for people who want justice and righteousness, and there’s a war that’s symbolized by what you would notice is old Confederate uniforms and Nazi-like uniforms,” he said of the video, according to Rolling Stone.

“I wanted this video — that was inspired by the monologue that Dave Chappelle did at the beginning — to be representative that there’s a fight, the spiritual fight, that is going on every single day with us.”

The surreal Adrian Villagomez-directed clip also references the ongoing legal problems for Young Thug, who is currently behind bars on gang-related charges. During the rapper’s verse, a soldier waves a white flag with the words “Free Thug, Protect Black Art, Free Gunna” (YSL Records rapper Gunna is also in jail as part of the RICO case). The next scene shows another man flashing a white arm band that reads “Free YSL.”

Check out the powerful video for “Run” below.

Congratulations are in order for Big Sean and Jhené Aiko. The hip-hop power couple is expecting their first child together.

Sean confirmed the exciting news on social media over the weekend.

“Whole new motivation forreal!” the rapper wrote Sunday (July 3) on his Instagram Story. “Very grateful God continues to bless us, thank you.”

“Can’t wait to be a Dad,” he added alongside a black heart emoji.

Sean and Aiko, both 34, were photographed walking alongside each other in Los Angeles on Saturday, where the singer-songwriter was seen with a baby bump.

“The couple is overjoyed and looks forward to this next chapter,” a representative for Aiko told People.

The songstress also subtly acknowledged her pregnancy on Instagram by posting a childhood photo of herself holding her belly. See the adorable post here.

Aiko already shares a 13-year-old daughter, Namiko Love, with singer O’Ryan. This will be Big Sean’s first child.

Sean and Aiko have had an on-again, off-again relationship since 2016. Their friendship began in 2013 while working together on the rapper’s song “Beware” and “I’m Gonna Be.”

The pair also collaborated on their Twenty88 project in 2016. The self-titled album hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

ENHYPEN has officially returned! The K-pop septet dropped their third mini album, Manifesto : Day 1, on Monday (July 4).

To celebrate the new release, ENHYPEN is taking over Billboard‘s Instagram on July 4 with a behind-the-scenes look at the “media circus” surrounding their highly anticipated album. Check out the IG takeover here.

The six-song project arrives just six months after the group’s first Studio Repackage Album Dimension : Answer was released in January. The superstar band teased Manifesto : Day 1 on social media in mid-June with a promotion calendar, which included dates for concept moodboards, photos, films and music videos leading up to the release.

ENHYPEN premiered live performances from Manifesto : Day 1 during a comeback featured on the M2 YouTube channel. Watch the concert here.

Last month, the Korean act put their own spin on a Queen classic as part of their studio session with Coke. Performing “A Kind of Magic,” ENHYPEN transformed the title track from Queen’s 1986 album into an atmospheric, breezy hit.

Listen to ENHYPEN’s Manifesto : Day 1 below.