Grammy and Brit Award winning musician Midge Ure will return to North America on a co-headline tour with old friend, and fellow Brit, Paul Young. The second leg of the ‘Soundtrack of your Life’ Tour will hit the west coast starting in August, down through Texas ending up in the southeast mid September.
Midge Ure will be performing Ultravox, Visage and solo material as well as playing songs from his highly acclaimed album Fragile, released in 2014. Listen here via Billboard Magazine. There will be a handful of solo acoustic dates for Midge but the rest of the tour is very much plugged in, featuring Ure on electric guitar and synthesizer recalling the groundbreaking, innovative sound he is known for. Ure’s most recent release Orchestrated, an album of re-worked versions of Ultravox hits and Midge Ure classics including ‘Vienna’, ‘Dancing with Tears in My Eyes’, and ‘If I Was’ was released in N. America on June 8th via BMG.
Paul Young will be performing songs from his chart topping catalogue spanning 4 decades including the smash hits “Come Back & Stay” “Every Time You Go Away.” and, “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” as well as tracks from his latest album Good Times, released in 2016.
Midge Ure/Paul Young Tour Dates: (More TBA)
August 23 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
August 24 – Seattle, WA – Triple Door (Two Shows)
August 26 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre 1H
August 29 – San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
August 30 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Coach House
August 31 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
September 1 – Solana Beach, Ca – Belly Up
September 3 – Riverside, CA – Romano’s Concert Lounge
September 6 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
September 10 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey
Country act Sugarland released their much-anticipated, and sixth, studio album on June 8. Bigger on Friday was followed up 24 hours later with the video for single Babe. The video features an appearance from Taylor Swift, who also co-wrote the song.
An early tease
The duo initially teased the video three days earlier during the CMT Music Awards with an exciting trailer. Wearing furs, and showing her jewels and blonde curls, Sugarland singer Jennifer Nettles acts as a rich 1960s housewife in a love triangle with Swift and one-time Superman, Brandon Routh.
Routh plays the cheating husband who hides his philandering ways from his significant other, while Swift teases as the work colleague who spends time with Routh away from his wife. The video showcases numerous disguises and glamorous costumes, and Swift pays homage to Joan Holloway by wearing a red wig for her temptress role. Sugarland’s Kristian Bush even joins in on the fun by playing a nosey neighbor. After spending numerous nights on her own, Nettles’ character realizes that something is wrong and that her marriage is falling apart. When she eventually finds her husband and mistress together, she decides that she’s not going to take it anymore.
Back to her roots
The catchy song was written by Swift and Train’s Pat Monahan, making this the singer’s second country return after she became one of pop’s biggest stars. She wrote the Little Big Town track Better Man in 2017, which earned the band a Grammy award. Sugarland will be hoping that Babe will be every bit as successful.
Fashion comes and goes, but it seems retro never goes out of style. We all love looking back at previous decades. Even Selena Gomez is getting in on the act, donning a retro Jackie O-style bob in the music video for new single, Back to You. So the 60s certainly appear to be in vogue, at least in the music world. Music isn’t the only area of entertainment that offers us a glimpse into the past, however. Hollywood can’t seem to stop churning out remakes of movies and TV shows from yesteryear. We even see it in gaming, with old favorites such as Pac Man constantly being reinvented. Other games, like Hot Ink, while not strictly set in a particular period, offer a retro look. Hot Ink is available from Jackpot City in Canada where new players are welcomed with a $1,600 sign-up bonus. Fortunately, for the user, that’s in today’s prices, not the 60s.
Mad Men-style
Sugarland’s Bush told Entertainment Tonight that the video is more like a movie, albeit in the style of TV’s Mad Men. Nettles added that she thought the video was cinematic and that she views it as a period piece.
Swift, who also lends her vocals to the track, shows off a distinctive flame-haired style in the Anthony Mandler-directed video. The 28-year-old singer wears a bright pink sweater and skirt combination, with matching lipstick. Nettles dazzles with her retro hairdo, along with a bright yellow dress and pearl necklace. Routh looks dapper in a Don Draper-style suit.
Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly–two giants of American punk rock that share a working class ethos, an Irish heritage and Celtic folk influence–just wrapped the initial leg of their first-ever co-headlining tour, celebrating over 20 years of mayhem, and are preparing to return to the road in September for more shows together. The second leg of dates kicks off September 17 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and winds across the West, wrapping on September 29 in Mesa, Arizona.
The initial run of North American shows for Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly culminated with the groups’ June 23 concert combined with a Murphys Boxing event in Gilford, New Hampshire, with the main event featuring Murphys’ fighter Mark “Bazooka” DeLuca (21-0) and Walter “Two Guns” Wright (16-4).
Ken Casey, Dropkick Murphys’ vocalist / bassist / founder explains, “It’s been one hell of a party. Great to hang with our old friends Flogging Molly on and off the stage and it’s been great to see so many smiling faces in the audience each night. It’s something the two bands and the fans have wanted for a long time. We are so excited for the next leg of the tour out West!!!!!”
Flogging Molly’s Dave King vocalist / founder says, “What a tour this has been…It took many years, but worth the wait, not just for the bands, but the fans as well. If there’s an Irish punk rock heaven, then this is it! Touring with the Dropkick Murphys has been a highlight of our touring lives, what a great band, and a great bunch of lads, can’t wait to bring this celebration to the West Coast! So, get ready and grab your partner because we’re all just dancers on the ‘Devils Dance Floor’!”
Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys received widespread praise from fans and the media during this historic run of shows. Brooklyn Vegan called the tour, “…one hell of a double bill of Celtic punk… [June 17, 2018].” Elsewhere, Omaha World-Herald called the two bands “…collectively the pinnacle of a genre that mixes up punk rock and Irish folk, raging guitars and tin whistle, head-banging beats and bagpipes [June 11, 2018].”
The Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly co-headlining U.S. tour dates are as follows:
Date City Venue
Monday, September 17 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center *
Tuesday, September 18 Grand Prairie, AB Revolution Place *
Thursday, September 20 Vancouver, BC PNE Forum *
Friday, September 21 Eugene, OR Cuthbert Amphitheater *
Saturday, September 22 Seattle, WA WaMu Theater *
Sunday, September 23 Bonner, MT KettleHouse Amphitheater *
Tuesday, September 25 Sacramento, CA Papa Murphy’s Park at Cal Expo +
Wednesday, September 26 Avila Beach, CA Avila Beach Resort +
Thursday, September 27 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham Civic Auditorium *
Friday, September 28 Irvine, CA Five Point Amphitheatre +
Saturday, September 29 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre +
* Dropkick Murphys close the show
+ Flogging Molly closes the show
Brass Against the Machine sticks it to the man with their brass band covers of iconic Rage Against the Machine songs including Killing In the Name, Wake Up and Guerrilla Radio, among others. Zack de la Rocha vocals are performed by Sophia Urista, who you might remember from the 11th season of television competition show The Voice.
In this politically challenging era, it’s time to stand up against the machine. We want the music we perform to sound inspiring and resonate with people’s emotions, encouraging them to act. We combine rock and edgy hip-hop to play music that’s powerful and empowering. Brass Against is exceptional music with a political edge.
Director Paul Stone’s documentary tells the story of a Pete Vallee, a 960-pound Elvis impersonator who is convinced that he’s Elvis Presley’s secret love child.
Double digits have never felt so good. Celebrating their 10th birthday in style, Canada’s favourite alternative duo USS have announced a 2018 fall headlining tour. Rolling out a new single – MEDICINE – earlier this month, USS has proven that they are exactly what the doctor ordered. MEDICINE was the Most Added song at Alternative Radio two weeks in a row, and was added to the Spotify Viral 50 in its first week of release.
Hitting the road in October, the band will perform 16 shows before year’s end. “We’ve taken time away from the road and it’s been great for our writing process,” said the band. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 10th birthday than heading out on the road and reconnecting with the fans who have made this incredible decade possible.”
Creating an impressively unique sound by combining electro-pop and drum and bass with hip-hop and modern rock, USS boasts an impressive 10 year career since their debut album Welding the C:/ in 2008. Taking the time to grow their Canadian fanbase with the releases of Questamation and APPROVED, the band saw the release of their fourth and fifth albums (Advanced Basics (2014), New World Alphabet (2017)) earning them international distribution and recognition.
With seven Top 10 singles on the Canadian Rock/Alternative Chart including their highest charting single “Work Shoes,” USS has become recognized as a success around the globe. 2017 saw the duo tour Japan for the first time, and they made several trips to Europe, playing a combination of headline shows and festivals.
With an epic headlining tour just around the corner, USS will gift fans with the official video premiere for MEDICINE on June 25th. The duo will then spend the summer playing a handful of festivals before they kick-off of their 16-city fall tour which will kick off in Ottawa on October 22.
October 22 Ottawa, ON Algonquin Commons Theatre
October 28 Toronto, ON Rebel
October 30 Kitchener, ON Elements
November 1 London, ON London Concert Theatre
November 2 Guelph, ON Guelph Concert Theatre
November 6 Winnipeg, MB The Pyramid Cabaret
November 9 Calgary, AB The Palace
November 13 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
November 16 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right. THE HATE U GIVE is based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas and stars Amandla Stenberg as Starr, with Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Common and Anthony Mackie. It hits theaters Oct. 19.
Pink Floyd, reunited with former bassist/lyricist Roger Waters for the first time in over 24 years.The complete foursome had not performed together since a show at Earls Court in London on 17 June 1981.
Roger Waters’ relationship with David Gilmour was so distant in the period before Pink Floyd’s celebrated reunion at Live 8 that Waters had to ask organizer Bob Geldof for his former bandmate’s phone number.
While Geldof had been persistent in trying to broker peace between the pair, he’d hit an initial roadblock with Gilmour – who once referred to a possible detente as something akin to “sleeping with your ex-wife.” Waters then interceded. Ultimately, the event’s mission – Live 8 was meant to raise awareness of poverty, debt and the AIDS crisis in developing nations – led to one of music’s most improbable remarriages, though only for a single evening.
“The moment was bigger than those bad feelings,” David Gilmour told the Associated Press in the days leading up to Pink Floyd’s July 2, 2005, appearance. “Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if reforming for this concert will help focus attention, then it’s going to be worthwhile.”
And so Pink Floyd’s classic-era lineup – Gilmour, Nick Mason, Waters and Richard Wright – took the stage for the first time since a 1981 concert at Earl’s Court in London and, alas, for the last time ever.
“It’s great to be asked to help Bob raise public awareness on the issues of third-world debt and poverty,” Waters enthused as the day drew near. “The cynics will scoff. Screw ’em! Also, to be given the opportunity to put the band back together, even if it’s only for a few numbers, is a big bonus.”
To no one’s surprise, Pink Floyd’s reunion eclipsed a star-packed lineup at the London Hyde Park show, which also included Paul McCartney, the Who, Elton John, Madonna, R.E.M., U2, Coldplay and Robbie Williams. Live 8, scheduled to sync up with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid, also featured six other events through July 6. Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder, Dave Matthews, Jay-Z and others performed at Philadelphia. Brian Wilson, and Crosby Stills and Nash appeared in Berlin. Duran Duran and Tim McGraw were among the headliners in Rome. Annie Lennox performed at Edinburg as the G8 summit — a gathering of international leaders where debt cancellation and aid would be discussed — kicked off.
For Pink Floyd, however, the most immediate concern was far more small scale: getting the songs right. “It’s sort of assumed that we’ll all remember how they go,” Mason impishly admitted.
By all accounts, everyone was on their best behavior as three days of pre-show rehearsals unfolded. “There were times when Roger was struggling to not get bossy, and I was struggling to keep being bossy,” Gilmour said at the time. “I saw how arguments could have happened, but we aren’t at each other’s throats anymore. Getting rid of that acrimony has got to be a good thing. Who wants to have that fester in your mind the rest of your life
Still, there was the matter of a set list. And it was there where the former bandmates – two decades after an ugly legal battle over the rights to the Pink Floyd name — once again clashed.
Gilmour steadfastly refused to play Pink Floyd’s most recognizable radio hit, “Another Brick in the Wall,” deeming its anti-education message inappropriate for the moment. “Anyway, I don’t like it much. It’s all right but not part of the great emotional oeuvre,” Gilmour said, in a 2006 interview. “The songs that Roger wanted were not the ones I thought we should do. The arrangements of the songs were not the way Roger wanted to do them. But I kind of insisted.”
In the end, Pink Floyd were restricted, like all of the other artists performing at Live 8, to a short, 20-minute set. Even a reunion 24 years in the making was only a mere portion of the larger production. So the band settled on four songs: “Breathe” and “Money” from 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, “Wish You Were Here” from the 1975 album of the same name and “Comfortably Numb” from 1979’s The Wall, Pink Floyd’s penultimate recording with Waters. They left aside music from the two Gilmour-led Pink Floyd albums that followed the acrimonious split.
Waters made reference to the band’s original leader, the late Syd Barrett, even as he framed the larger reasons Pink Floyd had decided to reunite. “It’s actually quite emotional to be standing up here with these three guys again, after all these years – standing to be counted with the rest of you,” Waters said amid the opening strains of “Wish You Were Here.” “Anyway, we’re doing this for the people who’re not here – and particularly, of course, for Syd.”
Lars and Metallica hang with and play The Soul Rebels trombone during a rehearsal for Metallica’s 30th anniversary week of concerts at The Fillmore in 2011. The Soul Rebels opened all four shows and jammed with Metallica every night.
