Despite being the drummer in the biggest metal band in the world, the instrumental chops of Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich are often debated. The latest comments from frontman James Hetfield may only add fuel to that fire.
In the latest episode of The Metallica Report podcast, Hetfield shares, “An interesting fact: Lars never rehearsed. Ever.”
However, he says that changed about four or five years ago.
“He started getting really into rehearsing,” Hetfield says of Ulrich. “I mean, he’ll rehearse four days for a two-hour set, which is what he needs to do, which is awesome.”
Madonna‘s long-awaited Celebration Tour kicks off October 14 in London. Speaking to BBC, her musical director Stuart Price says the Queen of Pop “looks incredible, sounds incredible, performs incredible” and that the show will feature more than 40 songs, in one form or another.
While this is essentially a “greatest hits” tour, Price explains, “A greatest hit doesn’t have to be a song. It can be a wardrobe, it can be a video, or a statement. Every great moment she’s had, we took a bit of it.”
Price revealed that about 25 songs will be performed in full, with elements of 20 other songs appearing as interpolations or bridges between acts. He explains the set list won’t change because everything is so “highly rehearsed” but adds that Madonna’s “personality is so strong, her interaction with the audience is so strong, that it creates opportunities for variation from night to night.”
According to Price, the show has a compelling storyline that reflects Madonna’s journey, incorporating news footage, classic costumes and music videos. But the big change, he reveals, is that there’s no live band. Instead, Madonna will be performing backed by her original multi-track recordings.
“There are live musicians that perform at different parts of the show,” says Price. “But what we realized is that the original recordings are our stars. Those things can’t be replicated and can’t be recreated, so we decided just to embrace that.”
“A lot of the powerful moments [in this show] are to do with where the music intersects with something that society was going through, especially something emotional, like the AIDS crisis,” he adds. “Those moments are incredibly powerful.”
Madonna will do four nights at London’s O2 arena before moving on to the rest of Europe.
The celebration of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service‘s co-headlining tour continues with a new tribute single.
The release includes covers of the Death Cab song “We Looked Like Giants” by indie band Car Seat Headrest, and The Postal Service’s “Brand New Colony” by New Zealand artists The Beths and Pickle Darling.
You can listen to the single now via digital outlets. It’ll be out on vinyl January 12.
Death Cab and The Postal Service’s tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of the bands’ respective 2003 albums, Transatlanticism and Give Up. It concludes October 17 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Chris Stapleton is postponing his upcoming All American Road Show tour dates due to a doctor’s ordered vocal rest.
The country superstar shared on social media October 11 that his upcoming shows have to be rescheduled because of illness.
“To all my friends in Corpus Christi, Houston, and Lafayette, I am very sorry to let you all know that I am unable to perform this weekend’s shows,” he wrote in a statement. “I have bronchitis and laryngitis, and on doctor’s orders am on vocal rest through the weekend in order to heal.”
“I’m grateful for your patience and understanding, and hope to see you all in November,” he added.
His Lafayette, Houston and Corpus Christi shows — which were slated for October 14, October 13 and October 12 — have been rescheduled to November 16, November 17 and November 18, respectively.
All tickets will be honored for the new dates. Those who are unable to attend can contact their ticket provider within the next seven days for more information.
Rod Stewart has revealed he refuses to perform in Saudi Arabia because of the nation’s treatment of women and the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’m grateful that I have a choice whether or not to perform in Saudi Arabia. So many citizens there have extremely limited choices… women, the LGBTQ community, the press,” he shared on Instagram. “I’d like my choice not to go … to shine a light on the injustices there and ignite positive change.”
Along with his statement, Stewart linked to an article in The Mirror, which quoted a source who claimed Stewart had turned down huge sums of money to play shows in the nation, including an over $1 million offer to play in Qatar.
The insider noted, “Rod was determined to do the right thing and couldn’t accept the offer, no matter how much money was on the table. Some things are more important.”
U2 released their second album, October, featuring many songs about religion and spirituality, including “Gloria.”
The band started writing the album during their Boy tour, but after a briefcase with all their new lyrical and musical ideas was stolen backstage in Portland, Oregon, Bono was forced to improvise new lyrics during recording sessions, which he described as chaotic.
After several pleas from Bono to the people of Portland over the years, the briefcase was finally returned to U2 in 2004.
Back in January, The Police drummer Stewart Copeland announced he’d be sharing his personal diaries from the early days of the band in a new book. Well, fans won’t have to wait much longer to read it.
Police Diaries is set to drop on October 26 and will feature actual scans of diary entries between 1976 and 1979, along with new commentary from Copeland. The rocker takes fans inside the band’s “starving years” and shares both classic and previously unseen photos.
Police Diaries is available for preorder now in three formats. In addition to a Classic edition, there’s a 500-copy Signature edition that comes with a CD of previously unreleased Copeland home recordings and a reprint of a classic Outlandos D’amour poster.
There’s also a 100-copy Ultimate edition that features the same bonuses as the Signature edition, a vintage recycled leather-bound copy of the book and a signed band print of a photo taken in Sting’s basement in 1978.
Sevendust and Static-X‘s concert in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Wednesday, October 11, was canceled at the last minute due to what a press release calls “inadequate security measures.”
“The last thing any band ever wants to do is to cancel a show,” the two bands say in a statement. “We were all here and ready to play when we were given the news that officials had shut the event down due to inadequate security measures.”
The statement continues, “We wish this didn’t happen and are working to figure an alternative to bring the show to the area as soon as we can.”
The Murfreesboro show was part of Sevendust and Static-X’s joint Machine Killer tour, which also includes Dope on the bill. The outing is set to continue Friday, October 13, in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Keke Palmer has unleashed her latest eyewear collection with Zenni Optical, the “Nostalgic Grace” collection.
“Retro is back, baby,” the Emmy-award winning actress and musician captioned an Instagram post of her rocking the frames. “Get your groove on with the new Keke x @ZenniOptical drop.”
Keke’s newest collection is a stylish ode to vintage fashion with a fresh and modern twist, embodying the sentiments of changing seasons, making it ideal for fall and winter, per the press release. The lineup features 91 frames, each brimming with playfulness, elegance, and unwavering confidence, with prices starting at just $6.95.
These unique frames are exclusively available on Zenni.com and are part of the ongoing “Find Your Frame of Mind” campaign, inspired by Keke Palmer’s spirit, mood, and style. All frames can be customized with prescriptions or ordered as sunglasses.
The “Nostalgic Grace” collection follows the previous mood releases, “Board Certified” and “Summer Love,” which embodied boardroom sophistication and summer vibrancy, respectively. Another phase of the campaign will launch later in the fall.
In celebration of their latest album and upcoming tour, Jonas Brothers are offering fans a unique opportunity to step into their world by listing their own cars on Turo.
A total of nine cars, including one personally owned by each brother in their respective cities of residence, will be available on Turo for $300 per day across the U.S. and Canada. The cars’ availability coincides with specific tour dates and locations. For instance, Joe‘s Escalade will be available in Miami on October 14, Nick‘s Toyota Tundra in Anaheim on October 29, and Kevin‘s Range Rover in Brooklyn on December 9.
Fans who book these unique listings will enjoy a special treat. They will have the chance to meet Nick, Joe, or Kevin in person when picking up the car keys. Additionally, each booking comes with two swag bags filled with exclusive Jonas Brothers memorabilia and two VIP tickets to the concert in the corresponding city.
“Having experienced some of our fondest memories on the road, we’re thrilled to become hosts on Turo’s platform,” said the Jonas Brothers in a press release. “We’re excited to give our fans the chance to meet us and experience our tour like never before.”
Fans eager to embark on this unforgettable road trip experience can request to book the Jonas Brothers’ cars starting on October 12 at 10 AM PST on Turo’s website.
