With principal photography having recently commenced, Live Nation Studios has joined Takashi Miike’s highly anticipated, untitled slasher-horror feature starring Charli xcx as executive producers.
Aidan Zamiri is joining as a producer. Zamiri most recently co-wrote and directed A24’s “The Moment,” which Charli also produced and starred in.
Hailey Benton Gates is joining the lead cast. Gates, who also starred in “The Moment,” most recently had her Sundance Grand Prize Winner, “Atropia,” released theatrically. Next up, she’ll be seen in A24’s “The Drama,” starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya.
Previously announced cast includes Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”), Kiko Mizuhara (“Attack on Titan”) and Show Kasamatsu (“Tokyo Vice”).
Set in Kyoto, the film follows three best friends who reunite and rekindle their lifelong friendship during what is intended to be a carefree girls trip. The getaway spirals into terror when Katie (Charli xcx) becomes possessed by a violent, tortured spirit (Mizuhara), unleashing a nightmare steeped in Japanese horror tradition.
The screenplay, inspired by an original idea from Charli and Director Miike, was written by Ross Evans and Yumiko Aoyagi.
“Live Nation Studios helps artists tell bold stories that go beyond the stage,” said Ryan Kroft, Head of Film & Television at Live Nation Studios. “This film represents the kind of creative collaboration we love to champion from top filmmakers with distinctive voices that can connect to global audiences.”
Among Miike’s more than 100 feature films are cult classics including “Audition” (1999), “Ichi the Killer” (2001), “13 Assassins” (2010) and “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” (2011).
Charli is producing through her studio365 banner. Misako Saka, Director Miike’s longtime producing partner, continues to produce on behalf of OLM, in conjunction with Live Nation Studios and Good World Productions.
Devon Allman has earned this moment. Twenty years into a career built on blues, rock, soul, and serious road mileage, he’s announcing the “20 Years Strong Tour,” a retrospective run launching August 13 in Portsmouth, NH, with direct support from GA-20. This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a full accounting of everything Allman has built, and there’s a lot to account for.
The show pulls from the full catalog, Honeytribe, Royal Southern Brotherhood, The Allman Betts Band, Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter’s Rollers, and the Allman Brothers Band songbook, alongside material from his latest release, ‘Blues Summit.’ That record features a stacked roster including Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray, and Sierra Green. The live show promises to be ambitious in scope and deeply personal in execution.
Allman has spent two decades doing this the right way. He co-founded Royal Southern Brotherhood, built Honeytribe from the ground up, and has sustained a powerful independent career without compromising his sound. His live reputation is well-documented. He brings heat every night, and the musicianship around him always matches the moment.
The “20 Years Strong Tour” runs through late August, hitting venues across the Northeast and Midwest. Before that, the Blues Summit Tour continues rolling through spring and into summer, with dates across the South, Midwest, and East Coast. Tickets and full details are available at devonallmanproject.com.
20 Years Strong Tour:
8.13.26 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues
8.14.26 – Homer, NY – Homer Center for the Arts
8.15.26 – Lake Placid, NY – Songs at Mirror Lake
8.20.26 – Bayfield, WI – Big Top Chautauqua
8.21.26 – Minocqua, WI – Private
8.22.26 – Wausau, WI – Big Bull Falls Blues Fest
8.23.26 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
8.28.26 – Milwaukee, WI – Sharon Wilson Center
8.29.26 – Bean Blossom, IN – Southern Indiana Blues Fest
Devon Allman’s Blues Summit Tour:
4.23.26 – Viroqua, WI – The Historic Temple Theatre of Viroqua
4.24.26 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theatre
4.25.26 – Springfield, MO – Gillioz Theatre
4.26.26 – Kansas City, MO – Knuckleheads
4.28.26 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place
4.29.26 – Hobart, IN – Art Theater
4.30.26 – Madison, TN – Harken Hall
5.1.26 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
5.3.26 – Huntsville, AL – VBC Mars Music Hall
5.5.26 – Ponte Vedra, FL – Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
Warsaw’s biggest rap export just made his most international move yet. Mata, the most-streamed Polish rapper on Spotify, has released “PANGEA,” a new single with Chicago heavyweight Polo G that lands as the first preview of his upcoming project #MATA2040. Shot in Los Angeles and built around a track that moves between Polish ambition and American confidence, “PANGEA” is exactly the kind of record that travels. Save it here.
Mata drives the record with rapid-fire Polish bars rooted in growth, travel, and long-term vision, weaving in reflections on his upbringing in Warsaw’s Praga district and his push to expand beyond it. Polo G brings a hard-hitting, introspective flow that balances swagger with substance, reinforcing the track’s global appeal without softening its edges. The official video brings both artists together on screen, trading verses with the kind of chemistry that makes cross-continental collaborations feel earned rather than assembled.
Mata’s rise in Poland has been nothing short of seismic. A New York Times profile described his track “Patointeligencja” as his “explosive entrance into Polish cultural life,” a record that ignited widespread cultural debate around youth and privilege in Poland. He broke through on the strength of sharp bars, viral momentum, and a no-rules approach to the genre that resonated far beyond Warsaw’s Praga district.
“PANGEA” sets the tone for #MATA2040, a project that appears to be framing Mata’s ambitions on a genuinely global timeline. The combination of Polish cultural specificity and international reach is what makes this single work, two artists from different worlds finding common ground in the universal language of leveling up.
Myles Smith has been building toward this moment for two years, and now it is here. The Luton-born singer and songwriter has announced his debut album ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’, due June 12 via Sony Music UK/RCA Records, alongside an extensive 2026 tour that runs through North America, Europe, and the UK, culminating in a landmark headline show at London’s The O2. General on sale begins March 27 at 10 a.m. local time.
The album features his global breakthrough “Stargazing,” which has amassed hundreds of millions of streams and established Smith as one of the UK’s most compelling new voices, alongside the reflective duet “Drive Safe” with Niall Horan, fan favorite “Nice To Meet You,” the uplifting anthem “Gold,” and the euphoric “Stay (If You Wanna Dance).” Smith is direct about what drives the record. “This album is the most honest thing I’ve ever made,” he says. “These songs come from moments I never thought I’d share. Nights that felt endless, mornings that felt like starting over, memories that will always stay with me.”
The emotional architecture of ‘My Mess, My Heart, My Life’ is built on a deliberate choice to resist resolution. “One of the biggest shifts while writing this album was resisting the urge to resolve everything,” Smith explains. “Not every feeling has an answer, and sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is sit inside that emotion rather than wrap it up neatly.” That approach gives the album its tension and its honesty, and makes it land harder for it.
The North American run this summer sees Smith supporting Ed Sheeran on the North American leg of his LOOP Tour at stadiums including Soldier Field in Chicago, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Rogers Centre in Toronto (three nights), and Ford Field in Detroit, before a run of his own headline dates across the continent with support from Hazlett, Lily Meola, Michael Marcagi, and others. The European and UK leg runs October through November, building to The O2 on November 20.
2026 Tour Dates:
Jun. 13 – Glendale, AZ – State Farm Stadium (w/ Ed Sheeran)
Jun. 16 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory (w/ Hazlett, Stella Lefty)
Jun. 17 – Houston, TX – The Lawn at White Oak (w/ Hazlett, Stella Lefty)
Shakira is doing something that has never been done before. The Colombian superstar has announced a three-night residency in Madrid, Spain, September 25 through 27, at a temporary stadium purpose-built for the event and named Shakira Stadium. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group and integrated into the Iberdrola Music site, the venue will host more than 50,000 fans per night, with full visibility, premium acoustics, and fan experiences built to match the scale of the moment. Tickets go on sale to the general public March 27 via livenation.es.
The Madrid residency marks Shakira’s first performance in Spain since her 2018 El Dorado World Tour, and arrives as a capstone to her record-shattering “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour,” the highest-grossing tour ever by a Latin artist.
Before Madrid, Shakira has shows in Brazil this spring and will headline the Todo Mundo No Rio concert on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on May 2. The European residency also arrives on the heels of her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, adding another landmark to a year that continues to rewrite the record books.
Tickets for the Madrid shows go on sale to the general public March 27 at 10 a.m. CET via livenation.es. An artist presale begins March 24 and a Live Nation presale follows March 26.
GRAMMY-Award winning band Tank and the Bangas confirm their new album, The Last Balloon, is set for release May 15 on Verve Forecast. In celebration, they are sharing a first taste of the new music with “Move” feat. two-time GRAMMY-Award winning R&B phenomenon LuckyDaye; listen/share HERE and pre-order the album HERE.
The Last Balloon follows acclaimed albums Green Balloon (2019) and Red Balloon (2022), and marks both the closing chapter of the trilogy, and the beginning of a bold new era for Tank and the Bangas.
“I called the album The Last Balloon because I didn’t want anyone asking us, ‘When’s Purple Balloon coming?’” says Tarriona “Tank” Ball. “It’s the end of the balloons; we’re moving into a new space now.”
Executive-produced by frequent collaborator Austin Brown and recorded primarily at The Complex Studios in Los Angeles, the album features collaborations including the multi-faceted musician Iman Omari, pianist/producer Tane Runo and soul singers Ledisi and Jelly Joseph. The Last Balloon finds the band expanding their sound and exploring themes of frustration, resilience and self-realization. Balancing moments of raw vulnerability with bursts of joyful energy, the album moves between emotional catharsis and communal uplift, designed with the group’s dynamic live performances in mind.
“We’re working with new people and cultivating new sounds, and it feels like we’re more open than we’ve ever been,” Ball details on stepping into this new chapter. “What we’ve learned over the years is that even though people can’t always categorize our sound, they’re always able to describe how the music makes them feel. So, we’re gonna keep on changing and evolving, but we’re always gonna give you that same feeling of joy.”
Additionally, the band is expanding their summer and fall tour dates, including stops in New York, Asheville, Boston, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and more. See below for a complete list of dates.
In 2024, Tank and the Bangas released their three-part spoken word project, The Heart, The Mind, The Soul, which won the band a GRAMMY Award for “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.” Each chapter of the album found Tank working with a different producer: The Soul with Robert Glasper as well as Austin Brown and Brian London, The Heart with James Poyser and The Mind with Iman Omari. Listen to the complete project HERE.
New Orleans-based Tank and the Bangas rose to prominence in 2017 following their unanimous NPR Music Tiny Desk Contest victory. Bringing their blend of poetry, R&B, gospel, and pop to a worldwide stage, Tank and the Bangas have been praised as one of the “best live bands in America” by NPR Music. In 2019, the band released their major label debut, Green Balloon, on Verve Forecast to widespread critical praise earning the band a Best New Artist nomination at that years GRAMMY Awards. Their latest third studio album Red Balloon received a nomination for “Best Progressive R&B Album” at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards.
Tank and the Bangas are Tarriona “Tank” Ball (lead), Norman Spencer II (Multi- Instrumentalist) with new accompanying members, Deven Trusclair (Drummer), Kenaniah Turner (Bass), Rob Kellner (Keys), and Etienne Stoufflet (Saxophone).
TANK AND THE BANGAS — THE LAST BALLOON 1. Rest (feat. Shirazee) 2. Ain’t That Deep 3. Don’t Count Yourself Out (feat. Dawn Richard) 4. No Invite 5. Move (feat. Lucky Daye) 6. Go Your Own Way (feat. HaSizzle) 7. Is It Over? 8. Interlude 9. Whole World (feat. Ledisi) 10. Jealous (feat. Jelly Joseph) 11. Honeycomb (feat. Akeem Ali) 12. Oh Boy 13. Nighttime (feat. David Shaw & Austin Brown)
TOUR DATES—TANK AND THE BANGAS March 26—Savannah, GA—Savannah Music Festival March 28—Jacksonville, FL—Seawalk Pavilion March 29—Hollywood, FL—Arts Park at Young Circle April 11—New Orleans, LA—Poetry on a Porch April 29—Louisville, KY—Louisville Urban League Derby Gala May 2—New Orleans, LA—The Joy Theater May 17—Cleveland, OH—Courage and Poetry: An Afternoon with Tank Ball June 2—Charlotte, NC—Visulite Theatre † June 3—Asheville, NC—The Grey Eagle † June 6—Brooklyn, NY—Brooklyn Bowl † June 7—Boston, MA—The Sinclair † June 10—Detroit, MI—El Club † June 12—Kalamazoo, MI—Bell’s Eccentric Cafe – Back Room † June 13—Indianapolis, IN—Rock the Ruins* June 16—Cleveland, OH—Cain Park – Evans Amphitheater* June 17—Pittsburgh, PA—Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall † June 19—Washington, D.C.—Lincoln Theatre June 20—Carrboro, NC—Cat’s Cradle Outdoors July 2—Portland, OR—Tom McCall Waterfront Park October 15—Atlanta, GA—Terminal West † October 16—Atlanta, GA—Terminal West † October 17—Nashville, TN—Brooklyn Bowl † October 20—Madison, WI—Majestic Theatre † October 21—Iowa City, IA—Club Hancher † October 23—Minneapolis, MN—Fine Line † October 24—Chicago, IL—Thalia Hall † October 25—St. Louis, MO—Off Broadway † November 5—Kansas City, MO—The Truman † November 7—Denver, CO—Gothic Theatre † November 8—Salt Lake City, UT—The Commonwealth † November 10—Seattle, WA—The Crocodile † November 13—San Francisco, CA—August Hall † November 17—Phoenix, AZ—Crescent Ballroom † November 19—Austin, TX—Antone’s † November 20—Austin, TX—Antone’s † November 21—Houston, TX—Heights Theater † *w/ Trombone Shorty †w/Ariel J
Joep Beving: Liminal– a new 15-track album inspired by Guillaume Logé’s book Wild Renaissance – is an atmospheric exploration of art, nature, technology and the spaces in between.
The album is officially released by Deutsche Grammophon on 20 March 2026 in multiple formats, including revolutionary EcoRecord – a sustainable record made from PET instead of PVC that, thanks to an innovative production process, saves up to 85% energy compared to conventional vinyl production – without compromising on sound and product quality.
Moving between carefully crafted compositions and more intuitive pieces, Liminal reflects what Beving describes as a “dialogue between control and intuition”, inviting listeners into a liminal space where meaning is still forming. At the centre of the album is When humans do algorythms, where repetitive pulses evolve into a delicate interplay between human expression and machine logic.
Ahead of the release, three tracks have appeared as digital singles: We are here but to make music and dance with all the obtaining forces (5 December 2025), Wild Renaissance (23 January 2026), When humans do algorythms (20 February 2026, with video), leading up to the album with focus track Ida (20 March 2026, with video).
Join Joep Beving in a rush of possibility: sounds that embrace the luminous and the fantastical, and take refuge in slower spells of deep contemplation of our place on earth. Joep Beving will be touring through Europe in May and June 2026.
JOEP BEVING LIVE: 23. April – Parnassos Literary Society, Athens (GR) 6. May – Philharmonie, Berlin (DE) 8. May – Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London (UK) 12. May – De Vooruit, Ghent (BE) 13. May – Arenberg, Antwerp (BE) 19. May – Tonhalle Zürich, Zurich (CH) 21. May – Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht (NL) 22. May – De Vereenigin, Nijmegen (NL) 23. May – Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, Eindhoven (NL) 27. May – Laurenskerk, Rotterdam (NL) 28. May – PHIL, Haarlem (NL) 29. May – Odeon, Zwolle (NL) 1. June – Bergen International Festival, Bergen (NO) 3. June – Café de la Danse, Paris (FR) 10. June – De Oosterpoort, Groningen (NL) 10 September – Fríkirkjan í Reykjavík, Reykjavík, Iceland (ISL) 16 September – Väven, Umeå, Sweden (SWE) 18 September – DR Studie 2, Copenhagen, Denmark (DNK) 19 September – Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki, Finland (FIN) 20 September – Oslo Opera House, Oslo, Norway (NOR) 13 October – The Great Hall, Toronto, Canada (CAN) 15 October – Palais Montcalm, Québec, Canada (CAN) 16 October – Théâtre Beanfield, Montréal, Canada (CAN) 19 October – Bella Concert Hall, Calgary, Canada (CAN) 20 October – The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, Canada (CAN)
Available now via Zappa Records/UMe,Bongo Fury (50th Anniversary Edition) shines a spotlight on Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart’s creative partnership that peaked in 1975 with their joint album, Bongo Fury. A new six-disc (5CD/1 Blu-ray) Super Deluxe Edition box set celebrates this iconic collaboration through a wealth of rare recordings, including two full unreleased concerts. Produced by Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers, this new, expanded collection boasts Bob Ludwig’s 2012 master of the core album’s nine tracks, along with five additional session outtakes and oddities from The Vault (a.k.a. “Bonus Fury”), and 2025 stereo mixes of the live material from the 16-track masters by Craig Parker Adams, all of it remastered in 2025 by John Polito at Audio Mechanics. The set features 57 tracks in total, of which more than 80% has never been released.
Notably included in the expanded collection are two full, unreleased concerts from Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, on May 20 and 21, 1975, which spawned much of the recordings on Bongo Fury, plus a trio of live cuts recorded during the tour’s opening gambit on April 10, 1975 at Pomona College’s Bridges Auditorium in Claremont, Calif. One of them, “Portuguese Lunar Landing,” is a true Vault treasure – a rehearsal composition that has never been heard officially until now. As Travers reveals in the liners, “Claremont CA were the first shows of the tour. Of the master tapes, FZ only saved one rehearsal reel and the first reel of show 1. The rehearsal reel is clearly marked “Save Port. Lunar Landing.” With the release of this rehearsal version, it’s the first time this composition has been heard officially! A Nugget!”
The Blu-ray contains the core album newly remixed in immersive Dolby Atmos® and 5.1 surround sound by Karma Auger and Erich Gobel at Studio1LA, the same team behind the acclaimed Dolby Atmos and surround mixes of 2022’s Waka/Wazoo, 2023’s Over-Nite Sensation, 2024’s Apostrophe (’), and 2025’s One Size Fits All releases. Auger and Gobel mixed directly from the 16-track album master tapes, along with the hi-res stereo 2025 remaster at 24-bit/192kHz and 24-bit/96kHz options for the main album, plus three bonus Vault-culled surround tracks. One is for the original version of “The Torture Never Stops,” while the other two are six-channel surround sound mixes done by Zappa himself at UMRK in 1993 — “Debra Kadabra” and “Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead”— during the last year of his life for a rumored project for Disney that never came to fruition.
The lavish Super Deluxe Edition box comes complete with an 18-page booklet and unseen black and white photos from the archives of Sam Emerson plus rare color and live photos by John Williams, as well as liner notes and new historical essays by Zappa/Mothers Bongo Fury bandmember Denny Walley, and, as always, The Vaultmeister Travers.
Bongo Fury has also been newly mastered for vinyl in all analog from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman and is available in three separate vinyl offerings: a 2LP on 180-gram black vinyl, with the main album and a bonus record of highlights from the box set, plus a booklet and a frameable black and white lithograph of Zappa and Beefheart; a 1LP on 180-gram black vinyl; and a limited edition 1LP color pressing on 180-gram “Orange & Black Galaxy” vinyl, with a black and white lithograph of Zappa, Beefheart and the Mothers, that is available exclusively at Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl. For more information or to order, visit: https://zappa.lnk.to/BongoFury50thPR
Additionally, the Super Deluxe Edition is available digitally, with all 57 tracks available in both hi-res 24-bit/96kHz and standard-res 16-bit/44.1kHz options. A standalone Dolby Atmos mix of the core album’s nine tracks is also available on all Atmos-supporting hi-res streaming services, including Amazon Music, Apple Music and Tidal.
The 50th anniversary of Bongo Fury is being commemorated with a new merch collection, featuring a replica tour t-shirt and orange, mustache-emblazoned ashtray. Check out all the new offerings at Zappa.com.
Frank Zappa and Don Van Vliet, later christened Captain Beefheart by Zappa, met as teenagers in the late 1950s in Lancaster, Calif., bonding over a shared love of blues, R&B, doo-wop, and outsider art, and dreaming up a radical new kind of music that defied convention. Their early friendship was intense and formative, marked by deep mutual admiration as well as clashing personalities that would periodically strain their relationship. As their careers developed, Zappa became both a collaborator and catalyst for Beefheart’s most significant work, contributing production, composition, and guidance to Trout Mask Replica (1969), the landmark album that crystallized Beefheart’s surreal, avant-blues vision and remains one of the most challenging and influential records in rock history. That same year, Beefheart appeared on Zappa’s quintessential album, Hot Rats, lending his unmistakable growl to “Willie the Pimp,” a track that bridged Zappa’s jazz-rock ambitions with Beefheart’s raw vocal presence. Despite cycles of estrangement and reconciliation, their creative dialogue endured, shaped by shared roots and creative rivalry. This long, complex personal and musical relationship ultimately found renewed expression in Bongo Fury (1975), a collaborative album, mostly recorded live on tour, that captured the volatile, joyous chemistry of two lifelong friends whose artistic paths, however divergent, were always magnetically linked.
1975 was a fertile year for the ever-prolific Zappa who started the year completing his twentieth album, One Size Fits All, as well as a score of other material destined for future projects. In the midst of this early-year activity, which also included a trip to London to deal with a lawsuit against The Royal Albert Hall about the cancellation of a 200 Motels concert that had been scheduled at the famous venue in 1971, Zappa received a call from his teenage friend turned musical collaborator, Don Van Vliet. In addition to apologizing for his negative comments in the press about Zappa in the years following 1969’s experimental rock benchmark, Trout Mask Replica, Van Vliet was seeking Zappa’s help in resolving yet another one of his recurring contractual nightmares.
Zappa’s solution for some quick cash for his old friend was to make Van Vliet a member of The Mothers and to hit the road for some shows. However, The Mothers was in flux as drummer Chester Thompson and percussionist Ruth Underwood exited following the last round of recording sessions, so he started recruiting a new lineup. He called up Bruce Fowler, who had left after the 10 Year Anniversary Tour in May 1974, to come play trombone, his brother Tom Fowler to handle bass, and brought back George Duke on keyboards and Napoleon Murphy Brock on sax and vocals. To this mix he enlisted a young 25-year-old drummer named Terry Bozzio who would go on to tour with Zappa for the next three years and play on some of such classic albums as Zoot Allures (1976), Zappa In New York (1976), Sheik Yerbouti (1979) and of course Bongo Fury. To fill out the band’s instrumentation, Zappa brought in his old grade-school friend, Denny Walley, to play slide guitar. With Beefheart on vocals, harmonica, and (yes) shopping bags, what turned out to be the final incarnation of the early-1970s Mothers (Duke and the Fowler Brothers would leave Zappa following the tour), they embarked on a mid-1975 tour and its resultant, mostly live album, Bongo Fury, which was released in October 1975. All this flurry of activity had been undertaken essentially to help cure Van Vliet’s contractual ills.
Zappa took full advantage of having Beefheart and his unique creative mien available to him for what became Bongo Fury, itself a phrase that Beefheart howled in the back half of “Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top.” Tracks like “Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead” and “Debra Kadabra” both contained lyrical references to things Zappa and Beefheart shared during their early years (a la “The Brainiac” and other folklore from their friendship). While “Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy,” “Advance Romance,” and “Muffin Man” would make the eventual album, “Portuguese Lunar Landing,” “The Velvet Sunrise” (replete with a nightly lecture on a theme from a certain “Dr. Maurice”), “A Token of My Extreme”(with lyrics), and “George’s Boogie” would debut live on tour.
The tour itself, unnamed at the time but now known as the “Bongo Fury Tour,” lasted about a month and half and featured songs from across Zappa’s eclectic career-spanning oeuvre, including from his albums, 1973’s Over-Nite Sensation and 74’s Apostrophe(‘), through to 68’s Cruising With Ruben & The Jets and 1969’s Uncle Meat and Hot Rats and 1966’s embryonic Freak Out! Rehearsals started in late April through the beginning of May, with the last date coming in Phoenix, Ariz., on May 26. The shows scheduled at The Armadillo Headquarters in Austin, Texas, were professionally recorded with the Record Plant Mobile truck. The timing of the live recordings was quite beneficial, as Beefheart was notoriously unpredictable with memorizing the lyrics. Even so, his performance was consistent for these recordings, considering this incarnation of The Mothers had been playing the material for some time together by then. From the tapes, Zappa only released the Bongo Fury record along with a performance of “The Torture Never Stops (Original Version)” on You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore, Vol. 4 in 1991. The rest of the concerts have remained unheard until now.
“When I listen to this album, I still can’t believe how fortunate I was to be part of it,” recalled slide guitarist Denny Walley in the liner notes. (Walley had met both Zappa and Beefheart in elementary school back in 1955.) “Frank’s directing technique incorporated hand signals that needed to be understood,” Walley continued. “You never knew what would happen next, so you had to be ready for anything. I loved it! This was like being paid to go to college.”
Once the tour was finished, Zappa went back into the Record Plant during the summertime to make the Bongo Fury album. Most of it was taken from the two Armadillo shows with some very crafty editing and overdubs, along with material culled from sessions at Caribou Studios in December 1974. Zappa had also made longer edits of two featured tracks on the record – “Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy” and “200 Years Old” – but due to vinyl side-length limitations, had to cut them both down to fit the wax requirements. Both tracks are now reinstated to their respective fuller lengths in the Bonus Fury section of the collection. “200 Years Old” featured both Zappa and Beefheart singing together in the studio, overtop a track recorded at Caribou a number of months prior. The longer, eight-minute version now shows off more soloing and vocal sources from the issued master. Also included on Bonus Fury is the unreleased gem, “Born To Suck,” which features Zappa and Beefheart singing over the guitar solo from One Size Fits All’s “Florentine Pogen” in the studio during production for Bongo Fury.
Two compositions were written by Beefheart (“Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top” and “Man With the Woman Head”), with the rest penned by Zappa. The album’s final mix was created on August 9, 1975, and EQ copies were turned into Warner Bros. on August 11, 1975, with a scheduled release date of October 2, 1975. Upon that release, the contractual hang-up that caused Beefheart to call Zappa in the first place had re-reared its ugly head, ultimately resulting in Bongo Fury not being released in the UK. (Its first official UK release was the 1989 CD edition.)
In many ways, Bongo Fury marked the end of an era. Not only did it serve as the final Zappa/Beefheart collaboration – though the two lifelong friends would often speak highly of each other in the ensuing years – it was also the final ’70s release under The Mothers monicker, which was retired in 1976. The 50th Anniversary Edition of Bongo Furyis a perfect encapsulation of the intertwined Zappa/Beefheart mythos, a pair of true Muffin Men to the end.
5CD + 1BLU-RAY AUDIO SUPER DELUXE EDITION CD 1 Bongo Fury – The Original Album – 2012 Remaster + Bonus Fury – Bonus Tracks The Original Album 1. Debra Kadabra 2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 5. 200 Years Old 6. Cucamonga 7. Advance Romance 8. Man With The Woman Head 9. Muffin Man Bonus Fury – Bonus Tracks 10. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy (Long Version) 11. Man With The Woman Head (Isolated Vocal) 12. Muffin Man / A Little Green Rosetta (Alternate Take) 13. 200 Years Old (Long Version) 14. Born To Suck (Vocal Session Snoop) 15. Born To Suck
CD 2 Armadillo World Headquarters – Live In Austin, TX, 5/20/1975 1. 5-20-75 Show Start 2. “Put A Shirt On Man” 3. Apostrophe’ 4. Stink-Foot 5. I’m Not Satisfied 6. Debra Kadabra 7. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 8. The Velvet Sunrise 9. Pound For A Brown – Part I 10. Pound For A Brown – Part II 11. Sleeping In A Jar
CD 3 Armadillo World Headquarters – Live In Austin, TX, 5/20/1975 Continued 1. “Enjoy The Steambath” 2. The Torture Never Stops (Original Version) 3. Camarillo Brillo 4. Muffin Man 5. Advance Romance 6. Montana 7. Duke’s Things 8. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 9. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 10. Echidna’s Arf (Of You) / Terry’s Solo 11. The Ampeg Mini-Moog Controller Guitar Experiment 12. Willie The Pimp
CD 4 Armadillo World Headquarters – Live In Austin, TX, 5/21/1975 1. “Good Evening, Ladies And Gentlemen” 2. Apostrophe’ 3. Stink-Foot 4. I’m Not Satisfied 5. Debra Kadabra 6. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 7. The Velvet Sunrise 8. Pound For A Brown – Part I 9. “We’ve Had A Bomb Threat” 10. Pound For A Brown – Part II
CD 5 Armadillo World Headquarters – Live In Austin, TX, 5/21/1975 Continued 1. Advance Romance 2. Florentine Pogen 3. Montana 4. Camarillo Brillo 5. Muffin Man 6. Willie The Pimp 7. Claremont Rehearsal 8. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 9. Portuguese Lunar Landing
BLU-RAY AUDIO Bongo Fury – The Album + Bonus Audio Dolby Atmos / 24-bit/96kHz Dolby TrueHD 5.1 / 24-bit/192kHz PCM Stereo / 24-bit/96kHz PCM Stereo Bongo Fury – The Album 1. Debra Kadabra 2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 5. 200 Years Old 6. Cucamonga 7. Advance Romance 8. Man With The Woman Head 9. Muffin Man Bonus Audio 1. The Torture Never Stops (Original Version) 2. Debra Kadabra (1993 UMRK 6-Channel Mix) 3. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead (1993 UMRK 6-Channel Mix)
2LP BLACK VINYL EDITION LP One – Side 1 1. Debra Kadabra 2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 5. 200 Years Old
LP One – Side 2 1. Cucamonga 2. Advance Romance 3. Man With The Woman Head 4. Muffin Man
LP Two – Side 3 1. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy (Long Version) 2. Man With The Woman Head (Isolated Vocal) 3. Muffin Man / A Little Green Rosetta (Alternate Take) 4. Born To Suck
LP Two – Side 4 1. The Torture Never Stops (Original Version, 2025 Mix) 2. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead (Claremount Soundcheck) 3. 200 Years Old (Long Version)
1LP BLACK VINYL EDITION Side 1 1. Debra Kadabra 2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 5. 200 Years Old
Side 2 1. Cucamonga 2. Advance Romance 3. Man With The Woman Head 4. Muffin Man
1LP ORANGE & BLACK GALAXY VINYL EDITION Side 1 1. Debra Kadabra 2. Carolina Hard-Core Ecstasy 3. Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top 4. Poofter’s Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead 5. 200 Years Old
Side 2 1. Cucamonga 2. Advance Romance 3. Man With The Woman Head 4. Muffin Man
