View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)

He will be performing one of his classics, marking his first time on the AMAs stage since 2004 when he performed the Louis Armstrong classic “What a Wonderful World.” The ballad was featured on his Billboard 200-topping and Grammy-winning album ‘Stardust: The Great American Songbook, Volume III’. The singer, who co-hosted the event back in 1989 with Anita Baker, Debbie Gibson and Kenny Rogers, has received several previous lifetime achievement awards, including a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music in 1993, a Legend Award from the World Music award in 1993, the Ivor Novello Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 and an induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, 2006; and the ASCAP Founders Award, 2011. He is also a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He was enshrined as a solo artist in 1994 and with Faces in 2012.

Rod has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time.

On the night of the event, other artists will be celebrated. Janet Jackson will be bestowed with the Icon Award, as well as being honoured with the prize in recognition of her “undeniable cultural and global influence,”. The iconic Jackson performer will be taking to the stage at the ceremony on May 26, in what marks her first TV performance in seven years.

The 58-year-old music star reacted on Instagram: “Thank you so much, AMAs!! It’s an honor. We look forward to being on your stage again. See you in Vegas! (sic)”.

The 2025 AMAs take place at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Las Vegas and will be hosted by Jennifer Lopez.

The American Music Awards are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Eldridge Industries and Billboard parent company Penske Media.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Skunk Anansie (@officialskunkanansie)

The band encouraged fans to guess what song from their live performances was going to be their next single, which many have suspected as ‘Animal’. Fans are obsessed with the new track already, posting clips of its live debut ahead of the release.

Skunk Anansie are known for their lively, thrashing performances, which fans have thrown themselves into at every live opportunity. Their rock theatrics have known no bounds for upcoming and past tracks including their 2022 single ‘Piggy’, which Skin performed while riding a huge fake pig through the audience.  

@no_fixed_abode @Skunk Anansie rocking Camden on a crowd surfing pig. #skunkanansie #rockmusic #piggy ♬ original sound – No Fixed Abode of London

Skunk Anansie formed in 1994 with a shocking rock/punk sound that stood out in the scene immediately. The band consists of vocalist Skin, Cass Lewis on bass guitar, guitarist Ace and Mark Richardson on drums. They have spoken about their experience in the rock scene in the 90s, revealing that whilst London was diverse, the bands were not. They share their history on their website, discussing bands at the time as “always four blokes with identical haircuts. We were a band of people who were real. That’s why we were radical.”.

The band disbanded in 2001 and reunited in 2009, though ‘The Painful Truth’ is their first album release in nine years since their 2016 album ‘Anarchytecture’, which was in the Top 100 UK Albums upon its release. They are most well known for other heart breaking singles such as ‘Weak’ from their debut album ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’. 

Skunk Anansie released their latest single ‘An Artist Is An Artist’ this January, a zesty punk anthem which introduces their new sound since their last releases ‘Piggy’ and ‘Can’t Take You Anywhere’ in 2022.

The song earned them criticisms from fans and press surrounding their sonic change and playful lyricism which they dismissed, claiming their artistic freedom to create and change as they wished. They stated in response “we are the creators […] and sometimes you guys need to shut the f*ck up and enjoy or not enjoy it”.

Skunk Anansie will be performing a massive series of tours during and after the release of ‘The Painful Truth’ including their involvement at STHLM Fields on 25 June performing with Rival Sons, Thundermother and Jayler. They will also be joining classic rock band Smashing Pumpkins for their ‘The Aghori Tour’ in August and embarking on their own EU tour in June/July this year. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by You Me At Six (@youmeatsixofficial)

You Me At Six was originally formed in Surrey in 2004 by lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. They announced their split in January 2024, on the anniversary day of their first band rehearsal, with an Instagram video of a graveyard, signifying the end of the band’s music career.   

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by You Me At Six (@youmeatsixofficial)

In an interview with NME, the band explained their separation stating, “We feel like on the eve of our 20th anniversary as a band, now is a good time to call time.” 

With this they revealed the dates of their final world tour which commenced on 9 October that year. Best known for hits such as their highest charting track ‘Lived a lie’ in 2013, the band rose to fame in the emo resurgence of the 2010s alongside notable bands in the scene Bring Me The Horizon and All Time Low. At show number 81 in Brixton, fellow Scottish rock, metal band Biffy Clyro’s frontman Simon Neil joined them for the performance of ‘No One Does It Better’. Fans shared recordings of the performance on YouTube. 

You Me At Six have released eight studio albums since their formation including their first Number 1 Album ‘Cavalier Youth’ and their latest final album ‘Truth Decay’ in 2023. Their tour showcased their classic hits and latest fan favourites. The British rock band have been documenting the days leading up to the end of the tour in their documentary ‘The Final Nights Of Six World Tour Documentary which premiered live on 4 April alongside final Wembley tour and can be watched on demand 72 hours after.

The band ended their last show with a final short farewell from lead vocalist Josh Franceschi before he then dropped the mic and embraced his band mates. The band’s last live words were shared by fans who attended the concert, 

“Just like that were dead, see ya” is the most You Me At Six sign off that they could have gone with honestly

— Matt Gillard (@MattGillard98) April 4, 2025

Although the split was announced over a year ago, their last concert left fans emotional at the finality of the show and their musical career.

Please leave me be to lie in the fetal position and mourn You Me At Six.

— ✿ Laura Leanne ✿ (@lauraisyourhost) April 6, 2025

Despite this emotional end, the band’s influence will continue to mean a great deal to their fanbase, and they will surely keep their music alive. 

Kicking off with the first single ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’ back in October 2024, Murphy shared in an interview with NME, how the single focuses on his social anxiety, describing it as being: “about constantly defaulting to a Lone Wolf mindset, and what the real-life consequences of that may be”.

The album title also refers to a trip to the beach Murphy took with his family. Speaking about it, the frontman said: “I’ve been to many beaches and seas and coasts over the years but for some reason it felt like the first time I had ever seen it and was truly present. There was this revelation that I had been living a life caught up in my own head, or in some kind of racing helmet or with blinkers on. It was really a potent experience.”

Continuing, he said: “I felt like I saw everything new for the first time, and was aware that I had been so selfish to not take in how crazy the world and life is. I’d been caught up in my own BS for way too long. The album offers up some internal questions like: why are my head and body disconnected all the time? Why am I incapable at times of seeing any form of beauty in the world or in others? Why do I expect the world to conform to my will? Why do I never stop and smell the flowers?”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Wombats (@wombatsofficial)

The Wombats will embark on a six-date UK tour this March where they’ll be supported by guests Everything Everything and Red Rum Club. They’ll then hit the European roads from late March to late April and will end their tour with a home show in Liverpool on June 19. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.

The Wombats new album ‘Oh, The Ocean‘ is available to listen on all streaming platforms as well as physical copies online and in stores.

The tour will see the band perform 17 shows in just 22 days, beginning with something of a homecoming performance in Ipswich for the Lowestoft natives. After a hectic three week run in which the band will hit mid-size venues in cities towns across the UK, the tour will conclude with a bang at Wembley Arena on 29 March. Tickets will be available here from 27 September.

Most of the tour will precede the new album’s launch, so fans can likely expect a mix of old and new material. The Wembley Arena finale, however, lays the ground for a climactic live debut of new material from Dreams on Toast, coming the night following the album’s release.

“You know that thing when God’s breath tickles your soul and tells you to create? Who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine? So it gives us the most pleasure to announce that our new album, ‘Dreams on Toast’, will be released on Friday 28th March 2025,” the band wrote on its Instagram, announcing the new album’s name and release date.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Darkness (@thedarkness)

The Darkness recently rocketed up the US iTunes Rock charts with a resurgence in popularity for their 2003 glam rock anthem ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’, after Taylor Swift was spotted singing along to the song in the crowd of the US Open tennis final.

Propelled to fame by frontman Justin Hawkins’ unmistakeable falsetto and camp humour, the band’s debut album Permission to Land was a seismic event in the rock world in 2003. With hits like ‘I Believe in a Thing Called Love’ and ‘Growing on Me’, the album soared to quadruple platinum status in the UK. The band’s blend of glam, classic and metal, as well as a jocular stage presence, set them apart in an era dominated by more subdued acts.

Despite their meteoric rise, internal tensions and Hawkins’ struggles with addiction led to a temporary split in 2006. The band members pursued separate projects, but the allure of The Darkness proved too strong to resist. They reunited in 2011, much to the delight of their fans, and have since released several more albums, including Hot Cakes (2012) and Easter Is Cancelled (2019).

Accompanying the album announcement was the launch of the new song, ‘Longest Kiss’, which in keeping with the band’s penchant for pastiche of rock legends, gives a nod in homage towards the dandy side of Queen’s late seventies era.

In his typical parodic style that has made the band renowned not just as beloved rockers, but also as beloved interviewees, frontman Justin Hawkins told NME about the upcoming album: “God might not be the power she once was, but say what you like about her, she knows damn well that what the world needs now, is rock, sweet rock. And who are we, mere mortals of extraordinary ability, to argue with the divine?

“So we knuckled down and thought really hard about the best of the best, the elite songs, the life-changing music of the ages. Then we popped out a dozen bangers before lunch. And these bangers we present to you here, wallowing in an aromatic aural ragu, served atop the charred remains of our envious contemporaries.”

Dreams on Toast will launch on 28 March and can be pre-ordered on vinyl here.

The band are staying true to their identity, with Malcolm Garrett, the original album artist of the first three albums, designing the renewed albums.

These five albums were the setting stone for the band for the rest of their career, which has not shown any signs of slowing down, with Seven and the Ragged Tiger, only their second album, reaching number 1 album in the UK. With the albums winning them more than twenty songs in the Top 10 charts internationally, they were at the forefront of the new wave genre and the introduction of British pop and synth rock, and defined the music scene of the 80s, which is still loved to this day.

The Birmingham-born band are having the new vinyl’s cut at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, showcasing how successful this band has been. Additionally, the fantastic new re-issue’s will be available on 1LP and 1CD format for the first time since their initial release over thirty years ago.

Excited fans have taken to social media since the announcement, stirring even more anticipation for their headline shows this summer including: Latitude, Release Athens and shows across North America.

Fans can expect the re-issues on 5th July, and can pre-order the albums via Warner Music, here.

The song, inspired by a rainy excursion to William Wordsworth’s grave in the picturesque Lake District, encapsulates Dickinson’s signature style. With a towering guitar riff, dramatic keyboards, and Dickinson’s commanding vocals, ‘Rain On The Graves’ delves into themes of mortality and the timeless allure of artistic sacrifice. The frontman reflects on the origins of the song, stating, “I had the chorus lyric since I visited Grasmere for a wedding back in 2012, and it wasn’t difficult years later to create the rest of the song with so much rich imagery in my head!”

The accompanying video, shot against the wintery backdrop of Cornwall and directed by Ryan Mackfall, features Dickinson in a riveting performance as a preacher negotiating with the Devil, with his ‘House Band from Hell’ in tow.

Following the success of the acclaimed track ‘Afterglow Of Ragnarok’, ‘Rain On The Graves’ serves as another testament to the inventive and expansive nature of ‘The Mandrake Project’. The album, co-created with producer Roy Z, promises to be one of the defining rock releases of 2024.

However ‘The Mandrake Project’ is more than just an album; it’s a multimedia experience. Accompanying the music is a dark, adult-themed comic series of the same name, penned by Dickinson himself and scripted by Tony Lee, illustrated by Staz Johnson, and featuring covers by industry heavyweight Bill Sienkiewicz. Set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius, the series explores themes of power, abuse, and identity. The first episode made its debut on January 17, with the special Collector’s Edition selling out within 48 hours.

Bruce Dickinson and his band will bring ‘The Mandrake Project’ to life on a headline tour this spring and summer. An extra show in Wolverhampton at The Halls on May 16 has just been added, with presale details available here.

‘The Mandrake Project’ will mark Bruce Dickinson’s seventh solo album, hitting the global music scene on March 1 through BMG. Fans can secure their copy by pre-ordering here. Stay tuned for more updates on the progression of ‘The Mandrake Project’ as the narrative intricacies unfold within this multifaceted musical project.

Catch Bruce Dickinson and band live on the following dates:

16/05/24 – The Halls – Wolverhampton

18/05 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow

19/05 – O2 Academy – Manchester

21/05 – Arena – Swansea

23/05 – Rock City – Nottingham

24/05 – O2 Forum Kentish Town – London

Lead singer of You Me At Six said in a press release about the event: “Looking forward to returning to Slam Dunk this year to headline the festival. Slam Dunk has given You Me At Six so much over our career & we’ve got a lot of special memories from performing there over the years. The line-up is stacked with great artists, so will be an elite one.”

Fans of You Me At Six, who released their eighth studio album earlier this year titled Truth Decay, shared their excitement over the news on X. One person said: “Already my favorite slam dunk”, whilst another person commented: “favorite band headlining my favorite festival.” The group first performed at the festival in 2007 alongside Paramore, Reel Big Fish and Mad Caddies.

Already my favourite slam dunk.

— Benjamin Franklin (@benmeatsix) October 25, 2023

Since 2006, the Slam Dunk Festival has celebrated rock and punk artists from all over the world. This year, the festival treated the audience to performances by legendary punk group The Offspring, British band Enter Shikari and Billy Talent. However, the festival received criticism over issues of health and safety concerns – including overflowing toilets.

In a report, Slam Dunk Festival organizers said: “Thank you for giving us the time to fully investigate the events of the Slam Dunk Festival 2023.  We have taken that time to work with our internal team and many external partners, firstly to work out why things went wrong and then find solutions and improvements for next year. Please let us be clear that we are not trying to pass the blame of anything to other people, we are simply telling the truth about what caused those issues, so you can be assured we have identified the problem and therefore are able to fix it.”

“We would like to stress that we take full accountability for everything that happened on the day, and we are so sorry that some people didn’t have the experience that they should have. We hope you give us the chance to change that.”

Organizers of the event have promised a change for next year’s show, including 25% extra toilets and additional taps at all waterpoints.

Confirmed line-up

You Me At Six
The All American Rejects
Prevail
Artio
Asking Alexandria
Bob Vylan
Boys Like Girls
Funeral For A Friend
Goldfinger
Head Automatica
La Dispute
L.S. Dunes
Mad Caddies
Mom Jeans
One Step Closer
Palaye Royale
Pale Waves
Pennywise
Røry
Set It Off
The Bouncing Souls
The Interrupters
The Selecter
The Skints
The Wonder Years
Waterparks
We The Kings

With the announcement comes the release of a new single from the forthcoming album, “My Little Tony“, accompanied by a music video.

Watch the music video for “My Little Tony” below:

The new upcoming album marks a period of impressive proficiency for the band, having released their debut full-length studio LP a few months ago in May. Tracey Denim was hugely anticipated and lived up to expectations by all accounts, with the band producing an album that mixed the lofi, shoegaze roots of the group with a more polished, indie post-punk feel, with the tracks “Nurse!” and “Punkt” in particular containing a driven and more focused post-punk approach.

“My Little Tony” appears to suggest that the new album will not shy away from shoegaze completely, being a track that immediately kicks into life with a loud, unceasing and sprawling guitar sound that is permeated throughout with crisp and distinct drum beats.

One thing that has not changed from their debut LP, indeed, and what makes Bar Italia such a unique and uncompromising musical group, is the curious fact that all three members of the band, Nina Cristante, Sam Fenton and Jezmi Tarik Fehmi, retain their vocal roles as well as their instrument playing roles. The fact that all three sing at various points adds a level of sophistication and depth to their recordings that is unparalleled in contemporary indie and alternative rock.

The London based trio, named after the popular Soho bar/cafe Bar Italia, had previously worked with producer Dean Blunt, producing two EPs under Blunt’s label World Music (Quarrel in 2020 and Bedhead in 2022). They signed with Matador Records in March of this year and are set to release impressive two albums in 2023. The Twits was recorded in eight weeks in a makeshift home studio in Mallorca and was mixed by producer Marta Salogni.

The releasing of The Twits will also be supported by a European tour. See below for tour dates:

23/09/2023 – Seanie Buttons – Cork
24/09 – Workman’s Club – Dublin
28/09 – Monk Club – Rome
29/09 – Covo Club – Bologna
30/09 – Spazio 211 – Turin
01/10 – Biko – Milan
31/10 – Yes – Manchester
01/11 – The Fleece – Bristol
02/11 – Mutations Festival – Brighton
03/11 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds
04/11 – Room 2 – Glasgow
05/11 – Rough Trade – Nottingham
06/11 – Rough Trade East – London
07/11 – Village Underground – London
09/11 – Antipode – Rennes
11/11 – Pitchfork Music Festival – Paris
12/11 – Le Ciel – Grenoble
13/11 – Palace – St. Gallen
15/11 – B72 – Vienna
16/11 – Manufaktur – Schorndorf
17/11 – TransCentury Update – Leipzig
18/11 – Molotow Skybar – Hamburg
19/11 – Lido – Berlin
20/11 – Vega – Copenhagen
22/11 – Tanzhaus West – Frankfurt
23/11 – Rotown – Rotterdam
24/11 – Bitterzoet – Amsterdam
25/11 – Trix – Antwerp
26/11 – Botanique – Brussels

Tour tickets are available here.

Pre-order The Twits here.

This release comes with exciting news, as a UK tour has been recently announced via Elvis Costello’s Twitter, as seen below:

Catch Elvis Costello & The Imposters, as well as Charlie Sexton, on tour in the UK next year! Tickets on sale this Friday.
Pre-order ‘The Boy Named If’ on any format from Elvis's official UK store to get exclusive pre-sale access to his 2022 UK tour. https://t.co/dSujiEdq5Y pic.twitter.com/E1Y5IwJuFm

— Elvis Costello (@ElvisCostello) December 6, 2021

The June tour will compromise of 14 dates ranging from Glasgow to Swansea and will see Texas native, Charlie Sexton, in the support slot for each show.

This latest single combines the energy and soul of Costellos usual style, combining the energy of punk with hints of new wave and modern tendencies. Costello is renowned for his songwriting and artistry, even earning his place in the Grammy’s Hall Of Fame and receiving an OBE in 2019. This track is no exception to his songwriting talents, with lyrics such as “Ran my hand in the rhythm along the ballroom wall” seizing listeners and wrenching them through the sonic landscape of the enthusiastic instrumentals. Costello has a talent for songwriting that offers no flaws, yet his lyricism always has that quick, scribbled on a napkin, naturalism to it. Not to mention the ever eclectic visuals that centre the captivating music video.

Costello himself has described the track as “a blurred gaze, a drink too much, an accidental punch and a kiss goodnight all in the tumult of a dancehall.” Perfectly summarising the feverish narrative that encases the track. This energy seeps further into the instrumentals of the track as well, with Costello’s distinctive vocal delivery being effortlessly homogenised with chattering guitars, poppy keys and over-reverberating drums, courtesy of band members Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas and Dave Faragher. ‘Farewell OK’ seems to hold nuances of cheesy 70s rock, but in the most harmonically pleasing way.

Fans expressed their feelings towards the track and upcoming album in comments under the music video, with one individual stating “Fabulous song, so happy to hear it again before purchasing this fantastic new album” and another writing “E.C. is the best songwriter of our time. I can’t wait until my vinyl copy of “The Boy Named If” arrives later this month upon release.”

Elvis Costello is one of Britain’s most influential music icons. Beginning his music career in the early 70s, he continues to revolutionise his sound and pen the most complicated feelings and stories into each of his lyrics. As he releases his first album in two years many fans are highly anticipating this new soundtrack and upcoming shows.

Tour Dates are as follows:

05/06/2022-Dome- Brighton
07/06- Royal Concert Hall- Glasgow
08/06- O2 City Hall- Newcastle
10/06 – Philharmonic- Liverpool
11/06-  Opera House- Manchester
13/06- Symphony Hall- Birmingham
14/06- De Montfort Hall- Leceister
16/06- New Theatre- Oxford
17/06-  The Forum- Bath
19/06- Guildhall- Portsmouth
20/06- Swansea Arena- Swansea
22/06- Regent Theatre- Ipswich
23/06- Eventim Apollo- London

Tickets can be purchased here.

You can also preserve the upcoming The Boy Named If album here.

Image Credits go to Mark Seliger.