Iconic American rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose will be honored by a stunning, massive rock star lineup at Ronnie Montrose Remembered, one of the most talked-about shows of NAMM 2026. This special 10-year anniversary celebratory concert highlights Montrose’s legendary career, featuring his greatest hits from his time with Montrose, Edgar Winter, Van Morrison, Gamma, and more. The event is set for 7:30 PM on Saturday, January 24th at the Grand Theater Anaheim Event Center and is organized by former Montrose lead singer and event producer, Keith St John, who was with Montrose for the last 13 years of the guitarist’s life.
The incredible all-star list of performers features members of nearly every major rock act from the last few decades, including players from Guns n Roses, Whitesnake, Night Ranger, Dio, Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne, and Lady Gaga. St John, who helped the band entertain fans globally with anthems like “Rock Candy,” “Bad Motor Scooter,” and “Rock the Nation,” says new iconic names are being added to the line-up daily. St John wants this special anniversary edition to be as scintillating as the first memorial show, aiming to give those who appreciate Ronnie Montrose a chance to get together “in a loving dynamic concert setting” to enjoy the commonality of his music.
The celebration will also feature surprise cameos, speakers, never-before-seen video clips, and other raw footage from Montrose’s career. Guitarist Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake and Dio, who will be performing at the event, recalled that when he first heard Montrose’s debut record, the sound was “really tough,” sturdy, and solid rock ‘n’ roll. V.I.P. and limited ‘Super V.I.P.’ packages are available, offering prime seating, private backstage access, artist meet and greets, and exclusive commemorative merchandise for an unforgettable evening celebrating a rock pioneer.
Global phenomenon Gorillaz is set to kick off their massive 2026 tour with two very special warm-up shows at Bradford Live—the magnificent, newly restored art deco building in the heart of the UK’s City of Culture—on March 13 and 14. These shows mark the BRIT and Grammy-winning band’s first-ever visit to Bradford and come hot on the heels of their brand new ninth studio album, ‘The Mountain’, which is set for release on February 27th via the band’s own new label, KONG. This highly anticipated album is an expansive, richly layered sonic landscape spanning 15 songs and features an extraordinary list of collaborators, including Black Thought, Johnny Marr, IDLES, Omar Souleyman, Sparks, Trueno, and Yasiin Bey, alongside posthumous voices like Bobby Womack and Tony Allen.
The Bradford shows will officially kick off The Mountain Tour’s UK and Ireland leg, which opens in Manchester on March 20th and includes sold-out dates in Glasgow, Cardiff, Belfast, and Dublin. The tour will culminate with the band’s biggest UK show to date at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 20th, with support from Sparks and Trueno. Furthermore, the iconic gates of Kong—the fabled home of Gorillaz—will open in Downtown L.A. when a celebrated new immersive exhibition, House of Kong, runs for a limited four-week run from February 26th to March 19th.
The House of Kong exhibition in Los Angeles will be accompanied by two very special, one-off GORILLAZ shows at the Hollywood Palladium on February 22nd and 23rd. These standalone U.S. dates will see Damon Albarn and the GORILLAZ live band perform the new album, ‘The Mountain’, in full from beginning to end, all under the watchful eye of the animated band members Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2D. This full schedule guarantees an incredible new era of live performance and new music from the virtual band.
Guitar pop extraordinaire Ben Cook, now operating under the name GUV, has returned with the sparkling title track “Warmer Than Gold,” the effervescent second single from his upcoming album, ‘Warmer Than Gold’, set for arrival on January 30th via Run For Cover Records. The track highlights the combination of untouchable hooks, danceable beats, and swirling guitar textures that define this new chapter for Cook, effortlessly blending elements of Britpop, baggy, classic indie pop, and first-wave shoegaze through his unique lens. The album is a widescreen culmination of Cook’s musical journey, which stretches back to his childhood growing up between Toronto and England, through his years with bands like No Warning and Fucked Up, and his prolific solo work as Young Guv.
The album, which retains the hooky spirit of his acclaimed double albums ‘GUV I & II’ and ‘GUV III & IV’, adds a decidedly rhythmic element informed by classic Madchester and Britpop, resulting in an album defined by a feeling of unstoppable motion. Cook deployed this expanded sonic palette—inspired by everyone from the Beastie Boys to Primal Scream—as a vehicle to talk about the cultural erosion of the cities he has been moving through for decades, explaining that ‘Warmer Than Gold’ is about “slipping through two worlds” and searching for something real. The record features an all-star cast of creatives, including producer James Matthew Seven (JMVII), Darcy Baylis, Hatchie, and Meg Mills of Turnstile, and was made in a spontaneous, one-take spirit between multiple continents.
At under 45 minutes, ‘Warmer Than Gold’ compacts a lot of energy, with songs that hit like time-elapsed shots of a busy urban intersection at night. Opener “Let Your Hands Go” is a stadium-sized rave rock belter, and the title track introduces the record’s core themes: “Paper dreams yeah they all turn cold / Lookin’ for something warmer than gold.” The record also features the shimmering dream pop of the Hatchie duet “Never Should Have Said” and the Sarah Records-inspired chime of “Seaside Story,” co-written with Meg Mills, marking the arrival of perhaps the best work of Cook’s career.
Internationally acclaimed GRAMMY-nominated rock star Yungblud has released a heart-wrenching acoustic version of his Best Rock Song nominated hit “Zombie,” accompanied by an intimate music video directed by Jesse Jo Stark. The song, widely regarded as one of his most profound releases, was written for his late grandmother who died from alcoholism, exploring the feelings of deterioration and shutting out loved ones out of fear. This new version arrives during a whirlwind year for the British artist, who secured nominations across all three major rock categories at the 68th annual GRAMMY Awards, including Best Rock Album for ‘IDOLS’ and Best Rock Performance for his moving cover of Black Sabbath’s “Changes.”
Yungblud’s breakout year was further underscored by the success of his collaborative EP with Aerosmith, ‘One More Time’, which debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and hit number one on the U.K. Album Charts, marking his second U.K. number one of the year. He continued his momentum with a powerful tribute to Ozzy Osbourne at the MTV Video Music Awards, performing alongside rock legends like Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. Following a massive, sold-out North American tour, Yungblud is gearing up for an enormous 2026, which includes a fully sold-out 24-date North American headline run that features the largest venues of his career, including New York City’s Radio City Music Hall and the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.
The acoustic version of “Zombie” showcases the depth in the 28-year-old artist’s songwriting, a quality that is fully realized on his fourth studio album, ‘IDOLS’, which is the first installment of a double album. The record, which is his most ambitious body of work to date, has already broken into the Billboard top 100 and accumulated an astonishing 8 billion streams globally. With his upcoming sold-out tour kicking off on May 1 in Michigan, and continuing through major cities across the continent, Yungblud is set to bring his boundary-pushing music and electrifying stage presence to millions of fans.
SOLD OUT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
05/01 – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre – Sterling Heights, MI
Global pop icon Troye Sivan is celebrating the tenth anniversary of his landmark debut album with the announcement of ‘Blue Neighbourhood – Ten Years On’, a special limited-edition reissue set for release on February 13, 2026. The reissue will feature brand-new, reimagined art from original illustrator Hsiao-Ron Cheng and includes two fan-favorite tracks: “Strawberries & Cigarettes,” a standalone sleeper hit written during the ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ era, and “Swimming Pools,” originally a retail physical exclusive. Upon its original release, ‘Blue Neighbourhood’ debuted at number six in Australia and number seven in the United States, cementing Sivan as a vital new voice in pop music and going on to achieve over 5.5 million album equivalent sales and approaching 10 billion streams.
The album’s success was driven by breakthrough singles like “YOUTH,” which peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Sivan his first ARIA Awards. The accompanying “Blue Neighbourhood” trilogy of music videos for “WILD,” “FOOLS,” and “TALK ME DOWN” also garnered critical acclaim, including an MTV Video Music Award nomination. Sivan himself described the album as “all autobiographical,” taking place in both his suburban Perth upbringing and the “fast-paced, crazy, whirlwind life” he was beginning to live. The album was hailed by The New York Times as “the prototype for tomorrow’s global pop star” and by The Guardian for its “immaculate doses of three-minute emotion.”
Now a GRAMMY-nominated artist with over ten years of experience and his own global lifestyle brand, Sivan continues to build on the foundation set by his debut. ‘Blue Neighbourhood – Ten Years On’ will be available on “Blush & Blue 2LP,” CD, and cassette formats. This celebration highlights Sivan’s incredible trajectory, marked by collaborations with figures like Charli xcx and standout roles in projects like “The Idol,” all while maintaining his status as a leading voice for LGBTQIA+ representation in culture.
The second installment in the exclusive three-part Freddie Mercury Mr. Bad Guy YouTube mini-series has launched, celebrating the album’s 40th anniversary and its new special edition vinyl release. This episode revisits the candid 1985 interview the iconic Queen frontman gave to journalist David Wigg, offering a rare look at the man behind the legend and exploring Freddie’s emotional approach to songwriting. The clip opens with footage from the lavish, Stravinsky and Dante-inspired video for the album’s second single, “Made In Heaven,” before diving into Mercury’s creative process. He reveals that while the melody comes easily, the lyrical content is hard, candidly stating, “I’m not a poet and I hate writing lyrics anyway,” mischievously adding, “I wish I had a Bernie Taupin, but I’m not like that. I like to do it all myself, I’m a greedy bitch.”
Freddie further elaborates on his method, explaining that his songs are “all under the label emotion… emotion and feeling,” and that even though he writes about falling in and out of love, his songs always seem to end up in a “very emotional and tragic way.” This leads Wigg to ask if the diverse moods of ‘Mr. Bad Guy’ reflect his life, to which Freddie gives a revealing answer: “I’m a man of extremes, you know? I change from day to day, like a chameleon. I don’t want to be the same person every day.” David Wigg stresses today that Mercury was determined to make ‘Mr. Bad Guy’ because he had a selection of songs that he felt “wouldn’t have worked with Queen,” working just as hard on them to create songs full of both pain and beauty, like “Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow” and “Made In Heaven.”
The episode concludes on a playful note, with Wigg asking if Freddie is “going to get to heaven,” to which Mercury categorically responds, “No, I don’t want to,” quipping, “Hell is much better. Look at the interesting people that you’re going to meet down there.” Fans can now pick up the ‘Mr. Bad Guy’ new 40th anniversary special edition vinyl reissue, available on translucent green vinyl and picture disc LP. The upcoming third and final episode will feature Freddie Mercury talking about the songs on the record that were especially personal to him
The Tuscany-formed four-piece combo PROTON PACKS has announced their fifth full-length album, ‘Visions From The Void’, a concept record featuring twelve lethal tunes set to guide listeners through a maze of mind trips, hallucinations, and prophecies. The album, which the band calls their hardest-worked project yet, is set for release in February 2026 via Mom’s Basement Records and Striped Music. Self-appointed masters of “Ecto-Punk”—an explosive mix of old-school punk rock in the vein of Ramones and Misfits blended with science fiction and occult themes—PROTON PACKS worked with producer Simone Nati to craft a sonically dark yet sweet, hard-hitting, and guitar-driven adventure. Get ready for this new chapter, as the band plans a series of shows across Italy and Europe throughout 2026 and 2027 to support the new release.
Conceptual performance artist and Pussy Riot creator Nadya Tolokonnikova has released her new 232-page book, POLICE STATE, which serves as a powerful document of her 10-day performance exhibition at MOCA in Los Angeles from June 2025. The book weaves a comprehensive narrative of resistance, featuring photographs, prison letters, etchings, artwork by fellow Russian political prisoners, and essential documentation of the ICE and No Kings Day protests held outside the museum during her exhibit. This documentation is receiving critical attention, with Tolokonnikova’s durational performance installation at MOCA being named #6 in ARTnews’ list of The Defining Artworks of 2025, further emphasizing the cultural significance of her fearless activism.
Tolokonnikova, who was sentenced to two years in prison following the anti-Putin “Punk Prayer” in 2012, continues to push boundaries: her 2023 “Putin’s Ashes” installation landed her on Russia’s most wanted criminal list. Her commitment to political resistance and feminist art has led to multiple solo shows in 2025, including exhibits at Honor Fraser gallery and Nagel Draxler, and her work is now held in the collections of major institutions like The Brooklyn Museum and Dallas Museum of Art.
The virtual band GORILLAZ has released their latest single, “Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey),” which is the fourth preview from their expansive ninth studio album, ‘The Mountain’, due out on February 27th via their own new label, KONG. This new track is a true collaboration, written by Damon Albarn, Omar Souleyman, and Yasiin Bey, and features Syrian superstar of Bedouin music Omar Souleyman alongside rapper and singer Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def). “Damascus” has already become a fan favorite after its live debut at a surprise performance at London’s Copper Box Arena and a rapturous reception at Wembley Arena’s Together For Palestine event, where the GORILLAZ live band was joined by The London Arab Orchestra.
‘The Mountain’ is set to embody the very essence of the GORILLAZ collaborative ethos, featuring a truly extraordinary list of artists including IDLES, Johnny Marr, Sparks, Black Thought, Anoushka Shankar, and the voices of departed friends like Bobby Womack and Tony Allen, spanning five languages across its 15 songs. The album is described as a playlist for a party on the border between this world and whatever happens next, exploring the journey of life and the thrill of existence. Furthermore, the iconic gates of Kong, GORILLAZ’ fabled home, will open in Downtown L.A. for a limited four-week run of the immersive exhibition House of Kong from February 26th to March 19th, accompanied by two special shows at the Hollywood Palladium where the band will perform the new album in full.
Following two warm-up shows in Bradford, The Mountain Tour 2026 will kick off properly in Manchester on March 20th, visiting arenas across the UK and Ireland for headline shows in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and more (with four dates already sold out). The tour culminates with the band’s biggest UK show to date at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 20th, with support from Sparks and Trueno. Following the UK run, GORILLAZ will head into a packed European festival season, with dates including Primavera Sound, Roskilde Festival, and Rock Werchter, among many others.
13 March – BRADFORD, Bradford Live (Warm Up Show) 14 march – BRADFORD, Bradford Live (Warm Up Show) 20 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND! 21 March – MANCHESTER, Co-op Live 22 March – BIRMINGHAM, bp pulse LIVE 24 March – GLASGOW, OVO Hydro* – SOLD OUT! 25 March – LEEDS, First Direct Arena* 27 March – CARDIFF, Utilita Arena* – SOLD OUT! 28 March – NOTTINGHAM, Motorpoint Arena* 29 March – LIVERPOOL, M&S Bank Arena* 31 March – BELFAST, SSE Arena* – SOLD OUT! 01 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena* – SOLD OUT! 02 April – DUBLIN, 3Arena* – NEW DATE DUE TO DEMAND! SOLD OUT!
*support from Trueno
20 June – LONDON, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium With support from Sparks and Trueno
European Festival Dates:
5 June – FRANCE, Paris – We Love Green Festival 6 June – SPAIN, Barcelona – Primavera Sound Barcelona 10 June – CZECH REPUBLIC, Hradec Králové – Rock For People 11-13 June – PORTUGAL, Porto – Primavera Sound Porto 14 June – NETHERLANDS, Hilvarenbeek – Best Kept Secret 23 June – CROATIA, Zagreb – INmusic Festival 25 June – GREECE, Athens – Release Athens x SNF Nostos 2026 27 June – ITALY, Lido di Camaiore – La Prima Estate Festival 2 July – DENMARK – Roskilde Festival 4 July – BELGIUM, Rock Werchter 5 July – LUXEMBOURG, Luxepo Open Air 9 July – SLOVAKIA, Trencin – Pohoda Festival 11 July – FRANCE, Ais-les-Bains – Musilac Festival 14 July – TURKEY, Istanbul – Pozitif Vibrations 16 July – TURKEY, Istanbul – Pozitif Vibrations 18 July – BULGARIA, Plovdiv – PhillGood Festival 23 July – SWITZERLAND, Nyon – Paleo Festival 25 July – ITALY, Trieste – Piazza Unita’ d’Italia 13 August – POLAND, Poznan – BitterSweet Festival 15 August – SWEDEN, Gothenburg – Way Out West 22 August – KAZAKHSTAN, Almaty – Kazakhstan Park Live 29 August – IRELAND, Stradbally – Electric Picnic
Listen up. Def Leppard, the same band you remember from those stadium tours, just did something brilliant and completely unexpected. They performed “Hysteria”—yes, that “Hysteria”—with the BBC Concert Orchestra. It wasn’t some loud, pointless rock stunt; they actually stripped the song down for the BBC Radio 2 Piano Room at Maida Vale Studios. Joe Elliot explained it perfectly: they needed to re-evaluate these songs and make the orchestra the star of the show. It proves that a great song is a great song, whether it’s buried under ’80s compression or soaring with strings. This is how you stay relevant, not by chasing TikTok, but by taking your art seriously enough to challenge its very foundation. They sat on the ‘Diamond Star Halos’ album for a year because they refused to release it into a pandemic. That’s guts. That’s believing in the product. And that’s exactly why you need to hear this version.
