Last night at Coldplay’s show in Munich, Germany, Chris Martin invited a fan onstage to perform “Everglow” with the band. 19-year-old Ferdinand Schwartz was holding up a sign that read “Can I play Everglow for you?” Once Martin noticed him in the crowd, he invited Schwartz onstage. You know what happens next. That’s right. Pure awesomeness.
PJ Harvey and Ramy Essam Release ‘The Camp’ on Friday June 9th
PJ Harvey and Egyptian recording artist Ramy Essam have come together to write and record ‘The Camp’ – a track which they hope will raise awareness and much needed support towards the health and educational well-being of displaced children in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon.
‘The Camp’ will be digitally on Friday 9 June 2017. Harvey and Essam recorded the track in Bristol with Harvey’s longtime collaborator John Parish, who produced and mixed the track, and also appears on drums and guitars. The artists will donate all net profits from the track to Beyond Association in the Bekaa Valley, a national Lebanese non-Governmental Organization. Beyond Association provides services such as access to education, healthcare, and psycho-social support mainly through art therapy, neuro-physiotherapy, and recreational activities.
“It is hard to comprehend the scale of the crisis in Lebanon, a country of 4 million now hosting over 1 million Syrian refugees,” states photo-journalist Giles Duley whose arresting photographs feature in the official music video, edited by Rick Holbrook. “The infrastructure of the country is pushed to its limit, and nowhere is that situation more desperate than in the Bekaa Valley. However, there are some amazing organizations doing incredible, effective, and selfless work on the ground there, and all of the NGOs I have documented, none have impressed me more than Beyond. To visit their schools and witness their programs is to see hope – and that is something we have to support.”
Discussing how the project came to be, PJ Harvey explains how she instinctively knew that she wanted to collaborate with Essam; be it as a contribution to one of his ongoing projects, or something entirely new. “I began putting some ideas on paper, and sent over rough demos of two or three songs in their early forms,” recalls Harvey. One of these songs would ultimately become The Camp.
When discussing the subject matter of the track, Ramy Essam speaks of his experiences during the revolution in the streets of Egypt. “I dealt with fights, beating, torture and the loss of friends,” he explains. While Essam’s struggle continues, he speaks fondly of the unique opportunity to work with PJ Harvey. “She is a humble person and true artist that I only could dream to even meet – and now I’m singing with her for this important cause, for humanity,” said Essam of the collaboration. “It was an honour to work with PJ Harvey, and I found it so inspiring. It gave me a chance to live my dream for a while.”
“When Polly and Ramy asked me to help provide some of the visuals for The Camp, I had no difficulty in deciding what photographs we should use,” says Giles Duley. “In my work I have documented the effects of conflict and humanitarian disaster across the world, but little has had greater impact on me than the human drama I witnessed on the island of Lesvos in 2015. I thought I had seen it all, but I can honestly say I have never been so overwhelmed as by the human drama that I watched unfolding on those beaches. Its sheer scale was hard to comprehend; the lack of response impossible to explain or excuse. So it is those images from the beaches, and the refugees’ journey from Greece to Germany that we used in the video for The Camp.”
Eddie Vedder Speaks About “My Older Brother” Chris Cornell’s Death
Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder address the recent death of his friend Chris Cornell last nightat a gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, Eddie addressed the crowd about his “older brother.” Stereogum has the transcript:
Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate these days. I was thinking about the history of this building and the Bowie history. So I started to think about that and my mind began to wander. It’s not a good…
So I haven’t really been talking about some things and I kind of… now it feels like it’s conspicuous because I lost a really close friend of mine, somebody who…
I’ll say this too, I grew up as four boys, four brothers, and I lost my brother two years ago tragically like that in an accident. After that and losing a few other people, I’m not good at it, meaning I’m not…I have not been willing to accept the reality and that’s just how I’m dealing with it.
So I want to be there for the family, be there for the community, be there for my brothers in my band, certainly the brothers in his band. But these things will take time, but my friend is going to be gone forever and I will just have to…
These things take time and I just want to send this out to everyone who was affected by it, and they all back home and here appreciate it so deeply, the support and the good thoughts of a man who was a … he wasn’t just a friend, he was someone I looked up to like my older brother.
About two days after the news, I think it was the second night, we were sleeping in this little cabin near the water, a place he would’ve loved. And all these memories started coming in about 1:30AM, like woke me up. Like big memories, memories I would think about all the time. Like the memories were big muscles.
And then I couldn’t stop the memories. And trying to sleep, it was like if the neighbors had the music playing and you couldn’t stop it. But then it was fine, because then it got into little memories. It just kept going and going and going. And I realized how lucky I was to have hours worth of…you know, if each of these memories was quick, and I had hours of them. How fortunate was I? And I didn’t want to be sad, I wanted to be grateful, not sad. I’m still thinking about those memories, and I will live with those memories in my heart and I will love him forever.
Why music-themed slots never get old…
Visit any online casino and you will likely find that slots games are among the most numerous and popular. Thanks to their straightforward format, attractive effects and of course the prospect of a genuinely big win, it is easy to understand why slots games are so prominent. But within the massive range of slots games, music-themed options continue to be among the most attractive.
There are plenty of logical reason why music-themed slots continue to endure. For a start, you can rely on an awesome soundtrack – Inevitably, you will be able to enjoy a string of hits as you play. Of course, the music itself is part of a wider brand recognition which is behind the success of these games. Many are based around some of the biggest names in global entertainment. It is unsurprising perhaps that they continue to maintain popularity.
And of course, there is the prospect of making money. Many music-themed slots offer a progressive jackpot, where a portion of each wager is added to a prize pot which continues to grow until one lucky winner pockets the lot. In addition, most music-themed slots are free to play, making them instantly attractive. See this list of free slots games for a taste of what’s on offer.
Another aspect of the music-themed slots’ success is quite simply their entertainment value. Generally, they are very well constructed games which are simple and fun to play. Take a look at some of the following examples:
- Dolly Parton
The world’s best known country singer is famous for being bold and brassy. And that’s exactly what you get in this 40-payline, 5-reel slot. The winning symbols to look out for are Dolly’s guitar, microphone and a trademark pair of big red lips. And there are plenty of Dolly-themed bonuses to play for too, including the “Dolly’s wheel of wealth” bonus game. Of course, all of this action is accompanied by some of the diva’s greatest ever hits.
- Elvis Presley
It doesn’t get much more iconic than ‘The King’ himself. Immortalised in so many ways, Elvis Presley is now a slot machine star too. This free, 5-reel game offers 20 paylines. It is filled not only with relevant symbols, but genuine pictures of Elvis in action and even some historic images of him before he took the world by storm. And of course the soundtrack itself is a tribute to one of the most revolutionary entertainers of the twentieth century.
- Guns N’Roses
Now for a change of pace! The Guns N’Roses game is a fast-tempo game which offers plenty in terms of action and opportunities to win. There are lots of chances to land a cash prize, thanks to a healthy selection of re-spins and stacked wilds. Meanwhile, the Guns N’Roses wild symbol substitutes for any symbol, adding a whole additional layer of excitement. And as for the music, you get to choose from a playlist of 5 of the band’s greatest hits – Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child o’ Mine, Paradise City, November Rain and Chinese Democracy.
- Michael Jackson
Quite simply, no list related to music entertainment would be complete without the ‘King of Pop.’ The Michael Jackson slot game is no exception. Even the bonuses are well integrated into the theme, with two bonus games centred around the “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal” videos. Of course, Michael Jackson is synonymous with so many idiosyncrasies. And so, this game also heavily features the famous white glove, a Jackson squeal when you enter money, plus three different types of Moonwalk!
Norah Jones Pays Tribute To Chris Cornell With “Black Hole Sun”
Norah Jones paid tribute to Chris Cornell at Detroit’s Fox Theatre with her moving rendition of Black Hole Sun.
Johnny Depp’s Beer Ad Only Shown In Japan
In the 80s and 90s, it just wasn’t cool to do TV commercials. You’d be branded as a corporate sell-out. So actors, actresses and musicians who wanted to take the money only made sure they were seen in Japan or some place nobody would ever see it in North America. Thanks to the internet, though, if you’re going to sell a product through a TV ad, it’s gunna be seen by everyone. I don’t know if Johnny Depp likes Japanese Asahi Super Dry beer or he just wants the payday, or both – it’s ok by me, because if you can’t be yourself, always be Johnny Depp.
Sesame Street: Orange is the New Snack (Orange is the New Black Parody)
Piper Snackman is the new girl at school, and she is just in time to have a snack. A Cookie is the snack of choice, but she has a healthier option in her lunch box. Can she convince her classmates and make oranges the new snack?
A History of Sampling with Chris Read from WhoSampled
DJ/Producer Chris Read (BBE, http://www.whosampled.com) gave us a journey into the history of sampling at our recent PB x Ableton event at Point Blank in London, covering the origins of hip-hop through to the use of samples in today’s pop music.
Jena Malone and The Shoe Performance Now Available On Sessions X
Jena Malone, of The Hunger Games, and Lem Jay Ignacio make up The Shoe, an unconventional two piece band featuring songs like Paper Cup, Harry Barry, and Dead Rabbit Hopes. The exclusive interview & performance is now available on Sessions X https://www.sessionsx.com/?type=artists&name=the-shoe
Jena Malone and Lem Jay Ignacio first met at an acoustic Christmas carol party at the Mandrake in Los Angeles, California in 2008. They ended up playing that night and meeting for the first time on stage. They performed “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” but with Jena singing completely in scat-style gibberish and Lem Jay not musically missing a beat. A unique musical friendship and language was born.
Sessions X is the pioneering on demand video streaming app, which captures intimate in-studio performances and behind-the-scenes content in brilliant 4K video and HD audio, offering an unparalleled sensory experience. It’s music the way it was meant to be seen and heard.
Limited free access to Sessions X is available with registration. A $5.99 monthly premium membership gives subscribers uninterrupted, ad-free access to all Sessions X original music programming. New videos are added weekly.
U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour Gets Extended
Live Nation confirmed today that, due to incredible demand, select new stadium shows have been added to U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. The newly announced dates include a limited return to North America with concerts announced in Detroit, Buffalo, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Kansas City, St. Louis and San Diego. The tour will then head to Mexico City followed by concerts in Bogota, Buenos Aires, Santiago and Sao Paulo. Tickets for the North American performances go on sale Monday, June 12th. On sale dates in Latin America vary – full listings follow.
An anniversary edition of the The Joshua Tree was just released by Interscope Records on June 2. Alongside the 11-track album, the super deluxe collector’s edition includes a live recording of The Joshua Tree Tour 1987 Madison Square Garden concert; rarities and B-sides from the album’s original recording sessions; as well as 2017 remixes from Daniel Lanois, St Francis Hotel, Jacknife Lee, Steve Lillywhite and Flood; plus an 84-page hardback book of unseen personal photography shot by The Edge during the original Mojave Desert photo session in 1986. The Joshua Tree was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Full details of all formats are available at http://www.u2.com/news/title/the-joshua-tree-at-30.
Currently wowing fans and critics alike across North America, U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 wraps up North America July 1st, heading on to Europe where it kicks off a sold out tour with two shows in London on July 8th & 9th followed by concerts in Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. It will then relaunch in North America September 3rd with a return to Detroit – the city where U2 first played a headline stadium show back on April 30th, 1987 at the Silverdome on the original Joshua Tree Tour. Tickets for the U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 are on sale Monday, June 12th in North America. Ticket prices start at $35.00 with general admission floor tickets at $70.00. There will be an exclusive priority presale for U2 Subscribers at U2.com starting Thursday, June 8th (10am) through Saturday, June 10th (5pm) local times for U2.com subscribers who may have missed out on the previous presale opportunity along with new subscribers. There will be a 4 ticket limit for subscriber purchases and a 6 ticket limit commencing with public sales. In North America, all floor tickets will be paperless unless otherwise noted. Special guest for the North America concert dates to be announced.
In Mexico and South America, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have been confirmed as special guest for all dates. Tickets will go on sale Wed. June 14th in Mexico City, June 15th in Bogota, Buenos Aires and Santiago and Friday in Sao Paulo. There will be an exclusive priority presale for U2 Subscribers at U2.com starting Thursday, June 8th (10am) through Saturday, June 10th (5pm) local times for U2.com. All times local.
U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 is produced by Live Nation Global Touring. UPS is the Official Logistics Provider of the tour.
U2 THE JOSHUA TREE TOUR 2017
– NEW DATES ANNOUNCED –
September 3 Detroit, MI Ford Field On sale June 12
September 5 Buffalo, NY New Era Field On sale June 12
September 8 Minneapolis, MN US Bank Stadium On sale June 12
September 10 Indianapolis, IN Lucas Oil Stadium On sale June 12
September 12 Kansas City, MO Arrowhead Stadium On sale June 12
September 16 St. Louis, MO The Dome At America’s Center On sale June 12
September 22 San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium On sale June 12
October 3 Mexico City, Mexico Foro Sol On sale June 14
October 7 Bogota, Columbia, Estadio El Campin On sale June 15
October 10 Buenos Aires, Argentina La Plata On sale June15
October 14 Santiago, Chile Estadio Nacional On sale June 15
October 19 Sao Paulo, Brazil Morumbi Stadium On sale June 16
For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.u2.com & www.livenation.com