Since co-founding Las Vegas rock group The Killers in 2001, Flowers has released 7 albums with the band, all of which have been UK Number Ones. With their hits including ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’, and their iconic debut ‘Mr Brightside’, The Killers have sold over 35 million records, been nominated for 7 Grammys, and won 2 BRIT Awards. The group’s shows have been celebrated as a fantastic live experience, having headlined Glastonbury in 2007 and the US’s Coachella Festival in 2009. While still active, The Killers have not released an album since 2021’s ‘Pressure Machine’, though Flowers told NME that their eighth album might release in 2027.

Flowers first stepped away from the fold to begin his solo career in 2010 with debut album ‘Flamingo’, which was again a UK Number One, as was his 2015 second album ‘The Desired Effect’. He toured ‘The Desired Effect’ extensively, including performances for Barack Obama and the British royal family.

In 2025, Flowers spoke to NME about the two “South West” styled solo albums he had recorded in Nashville, with a sound and feel inspired by Bruce Springsteen, hinting that they would be out before the next Killers album. He announced the first of them, ‘Thrasher’, earlier this week, with the lead single ‘Plans’ due to release tomorrow, the 26th of June. The full track-listing was made available this week:

1. Does It Ever Cross Your Mind?
2. One Of Us
3. Tiger’s Blood
4. Plans
5. Paradise
6. Miss America
7. Angel
8. The Red Ground
9. In A Heartbeat
10. An American Dream

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brandon Flowers (@brandonflowers)

With the album’s announcement and ‘Plans’ releasing imminently, Flowers has announced his full solo tour since 2015, with September and October dates in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland. His return to the Royal Albert Hall will be his first full show at the venue since The Killers played 2 nights there in 2009, which was recorded and later released as the album and concert film ‘Live From The Royal Albert Hall’. Here are the full dates for the UK and Ireland:

OCTOBER:

14 – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
15 – London, Royal Albert Hall
17 – Bristol, Beacon
18 – Nottingham, Rock City
20 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
21 – York, Barbican
23 – Glasgow, O2 Academy
24 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
27 – Dublin, Olympia

The single ‘Plans’ releases tomorrow ahead of ‘Thrasher’, which comes out on the 21st of August. Pre-ordering the album gives you access to the live show pre-sale, which opens on the Wednesday the 1st of July at 10am. General sale opens at 10am on Friday the 3rd.

English alternative rock two-piece Royal Blood have impossible to ignore since their 2014 self-titled debut album brought them a plethora of award nominations, introduced them to TV adverts, and scored a UK Number One Album, going double platinum and selling over 600,000 copies. The duo is made up of singer and bassist Mike Kerr, who uses his instrument with a variety of effects, amps and pedals to make it sound like a low-tuned electric guitar, and drummer Ben Thatcher, whose pounding beats give the music its boisterous energy on both recording and live shows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Royal Blood (@royalblooduk)

With no releases since 2023, where they dropped their fourth album ‘Back to the Water Below’ and its B-side tracks ‘Supermodel Avalanches’ and ‘Everything’s Fine’, the band have flown under the radar since their last live performances in 2024. This weekend they posted a social media video of Kerr jamming on his bass with frantic drum beats blasting behind it and the simple request “sign up to the mailing list”. The snippet sounded heavy and raw compared to the slower, desert-vibes from ‘Back to the Water Below’ and the groovier, disco-inspired tracks from its predecessor ‘Typhoons’.

With the hint of new music still fresh, Royal Blood announced their mini-tour this week with the intention to play so-far unreleased songs live for the first time to UK audiences. The post reads “We are returning this summer for three special shows in Margate, Southampton and Guildford to play you a couple of new songs!” The three shows are scheduled for the end of this August, based all around the south of England where the band hails from. Check the post below for the dates and venues:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Royal Blood (@royalblooduk)

While they wait for a new single to surface, fans looking for tickets should sign up to Royal Blood’s mailing list for pre-sale access before midnight today, Wednesday the 24th of June. Pre-sale opens on Thursday the 25th of June at 10am, before general sale goes live on Friday the 26th.

Born Roger Keith Barrett on the 6th of January 1946 in Cambridge, Barrett adopted the nickname ‘Syd’ in his teens and formed the group Pink Floyd Sound in 1965, with himself as singer and guitarist, Roger Waters on bass and vocals, Richard Wright on keyboards and Nick Mason as drummer. Changing their name to the simpler Pink Floyd in 1966, Barrett led the group as their chief songwriter, known for the eccentric, psychedelic lyrics and themes he brought to the table. With Barrett, they released debut album ‘Piper at the Gates of Dawn’ in 1967, which spent 14 weeks in the UK Charts, entering at number 6.

Following issues with drugs and his mental health, Barrett’s tenure with Pink Floyd ended shortly after guitarist David Gilmour was brought in to help with his burdens. From there, the partnership of Waters and Gilmour turned the band into the biggest progressive rock group of all time – but many still fondly regard the unusual ‘60s psychedelic rock and roll that Barrett created as their finest works. Barrett’s last song written with the group, ‘Jugband Blues’, made it onto their second album ‘A Saucerful of Secrets‘ in 1968.

Following solo releases, Barrett retired from the music industry in the mid ‘70s and became reclusive, developing a love for painting. When Pink Floyd were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, he was included as a member but did not attend the ceremony. On the 7th of July 2006, Syd Barrett passed away from pancreatic cancer.

The tribute event has been planned to celebrate 80 years of one of British music’s most interesting characters, involving a live show at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, where Barrett played his last concert on the 24th of February 1972. Booked for the 10th of October 2026, the live contingent includes Kula Shaker, Soft Machine, Men of the Border, Diana Silveira & The Psychedelic Circus, and Pünk Floyd.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Syd Barrett Estate (@syd_barrettofficial)

The tribute’s co-organiser Neil Jones has said “Eighty years after his birth, Syd Barrett’s influence remains as powerful as ever. His music, creativity and unique vision continue to inspire artists and audiences across generations.” Barrett’s sister, Rosemary Breen, commented “Syd would have been so happy and honoured to know his music was still being enjoyed in Cambridge.”

Alongside the performance, further tribute will be paid to Barrett by way of an exhibition exploring the impact of his works, and a special double album, featuring new recordings and previously unreleased tracks. The album has brought together a slew of artists including former Pink Floyd colleagues David Gilmour and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, as well as Kula Shaker, All About Eve, Mystery Jets and Rosalie Cunningham. All proceeds will be donated to mental health charity, with Breen saying “the family wholeheartedly support these exciting events in aid of mental health charities.”

Tickets for the tribute show at Cambridge Corn Exchange go on sale on Friday the 19th of June.

‘The Wow! Signal’ will be the Devon trio’s tenth album, taking their ever-changing alternative rock sound into new pastures of metal, synth-rock and more, wrapped in sci-fi concepts of extraterrestrial encounters and space-faring. The LP was announced in March with a cryptic social media campaign and the release of adventurous lead single ‘Be With You’, accompanied by a cinematic music video of a celestial phenomenon which set the tone for the album’s lore.

Further singles have dropped since, starting with ‘Cryogen’ and ‘Hexagons’, both of which returned to the classic Muse sound from albums like 2001’s ‘Origin of Symmetry’ and 2006’s ‘Black Holes and Revelations’. The latest single ‘Nightshift Superstar’ released on the 7th of June – the track has a disco pulse, driven forwards by slick basslines and frontman Matt Bellamy’s breathy falsetto vocals. Continuing the neon red aesthetic of the previous media, the trippy music video depicts an alien phenomenon at an American diner in the desert, where the attendants are drawn to a UFO by a tornado.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MUSE (@museband)

With impending plans to visit North America in July and August, Muse announced the new tour dates on the 12th of June, scheduling a large arena run across the UK and Europe in November and December this year. It opens with two nights apiece at Manchester’s Co-op Live and The O2 in London, before nights in Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The full tour dates are here:

November:
• 12 – Manchester, Co-op Live
• 13 – Manchester, Co-op Live
• 15 – London, The O2
• 16 – London, The O2
• 18 – Berlin, Uber Arena
• 20 – Milan, Unipol Dome
• 21 – Milan, Unipol Dome
• 24 – Dusseldorf, PSD Bank Dome
• 25 – Dusseldorf, PSD Bank Dome
• 27 – Paris, La Defense Arena
• 29 – Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome
• 30 – Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome

December:
• 03 – Montpellier, Sud de France Arena
• 04 – Montpellier, Sud de France Arena
• 07 – Zurich, AG Hallenstadion
• 08 – Zurich, AG Hallenstadion

The pre-sale begins at 10am on Wednesday the 17th of June and is accessible with a pre-order for ‘The Wow! Signal’ before 3pm on Tuesday the 16th, and general sale opens at 10am on Friday the 19th. ‘The Wow! Signal’ releases on the 26th of June through Muse’s label Helium 3 and Warner Media Group. Check the full track list below:
 
1. The Dark Forest
2. Nightshift Superstar
3. Shimmering Scars
4. Cryogen
5. Be With You
6. Hexagons
7. The Sickness In You & I
8. Unravelling
9. Hush
10. Space Debris

CREDIT – Barfly

Initially a Camden pub named The Monarch which hosted live gigs, the site became the flagship venue of the Barfly club chain in 1997, and gained a reputation for hosting rock, alternative and independent shows. Through the next two decades, it became one of the most important destinations in the capital, a small grassroots venue which became a jumping-off point for any British band looking to move onto bigger things. In 2016, it closed and re-opened as the Camden Assembly, which it has operated as until now.

In its 20 years, the Camden Barfly gave a platform to many of the biggest artists in rock and pop today – the venue boasts early shows by the likes of Coldplay, The Killers, Muse, The 1975 and Ed Sheeran. In today’s update, new owners Propaganda Independent Venues (PIV) want to do it all again, by restoring the Assembly to the Barfly.

Their announcement says “Camden was once home to the most influential grassroots venue the world has ever seen. From 1996-2006 the Barfly was an institution: a 200-cap venue that opened the door to arena tours and hit records. If you were an act tipped for big things you played the Barfly.” PIV’s founders Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck plus their Barfly co-owner Chris McCormack are looking to take on the challenges of running an independent live music venue in the current climate, where it’s reported on average five venues have closed per day since 2019. McCormack played the Barfly with his band 3 Colours Red in 1997, while Ickowitz-Seidler, who had also played on stage there, promoted their Saturday clubnights and DJ’d on the final night before it closed.

The new Camden Barfly is set to open on the 22nd of June with its first gig booking being grassroots venue-champion Frank Turner. Turner’s former band Million Dead played their first ever show there in 2001, and since playing a record-breaking six shows there he’s gone on to use his platform as one of the nation’s top live acts to support the Music Venue Trust, playing benefit shows and actively keeping venues alive.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barfly Camden (@barflycamden)

In the announcement on their website, a statement from Ickowitz-Seidler reads “Barfly means so much to us all, and we’re honoured to be starting a new chapter in its story. We’ll be announcing more very special shows shortly, but Frank Turner is the perfect artist to relaunch the Barfly stage. He embodies everything Barfly stands for. I hope live music fans will come out and support not just Barfly, but grassroots venues across the country. Before so many of today’s biggest artists were filling arenas and headlining festivals, they played at Barfly. You could be watching the next festival headliner on our stage on any night. Before the arenas, they were here!”

The new and improved Barfly opens on the 22nd of June, promising a vinyl listening bar inspired by Tokyo music refuges, a new PA and speaker system, and a Wall of Fame documenting the venue’s deep history. For ticket access, sign up here for a chance to buy one on the morning of the 22nd.

Birmingham pop rock superstars Duran Duran were one of the biggest acts in the UK’s New Romantic movement through the ‘80s, scoring UK Number One singles with ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ and ‘The Reflex’, the latter of which was with a remix by Nile Rogers. They were inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, have sold over 100 million records, and their classic 80s music videos saw them win two Grammy awards in 1984.

Duran Duran are still in fine form in 2026, releasing their 50th single ‘Free To Love’ in partnership with funk legend Nile Rogers back in April. The single was a complete throw-back to the heyday of Top Of The Pops with its disco-inspired sound and music video, which frontman Simon Le Bon described as “disco for the 2020s.” It was BBC Radio 2’s Record of the Week in May, and the band were invited to perform it on US late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. In the past few weeks, the group have shared official remixes of the track by Horse Meat Disco and DJ White Shadow.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Duran Duran (@duranduran)

With three versions of ‘Free To Love’ now out, the band have elected to announce a run of five UK arena shows for this October, sandwiched between several European gigs. After opening in Oslo, they’ll visit Stockholm, Hamburg and Cologne. Next, it’s back to the UK for Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds, before wrapping the tour with shows in Brussels and Paris. Support on all UK shows comes from Margate group Pigeon, who Duran Duran promise will bring their “post-punk, afro disco groove”. The full dates for the UK are below:

OCTOBER:

• 15 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
• 18 – SSE Arena, Belfast
• 20 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
• 23 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
• 24 – First Bank Arena, Leeds

The band are already due to tour Europe this summer, starting with shows in Denmark, The Netherlands and more in June, before their massive summer headline at BST Hyde Park in London on the 5th of July. So far, the main support for that show comes from Scissor Sisters, but there are more to be announced.

Tickets for the UK October dates go on an exclusive pre-sale to Duran Duran’s VIP members at 8am on Wednesday the 3rd of June, with general sale opening at 10am on Friday the 5th – more information is available here.

Kentucky’s Knocked Loose are currently one of the biggest hardcore punk-adjacent bands in the scene, having burst through to a large audience thanks to mainstream TV coverage and high-profile live shows. While their sound is unflinchingly heavy, they’ve become unlikely fan-favourites at California’s Coachella festival, they’ve performed on late-night talk show ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’, and their single ‘Suffocate’ featuring singer Poppy was nominated for a Grammy – now they’re at the top of British festival bills and supporting the biggest metal band in the world.

Last weekend’s closing sets at Slam Dunk festival in both Hatfield and Leeds saw Knocked Loose compete with iconic main stage headliners Good Charlotte for fans’ attention, which is enough of a challenge in itself, but currently they have royally thrown themselves into the deep end by opening for Metallica. The legendary thrashers have hand-picked all of the support bands on their historic M72 tour, which has been running since 2023 and has included a list of supporting acts including Limp Bizkit, Evanescence and Architects. Knocked Loose will be opening select shows before France’s biggest metal exports Gojira, while other dates will witness dramatic Swedish group Avatar and reunited US groove metal titans Pantera open the festivities.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Knocked Loose (@knockedloosehc)

The UK and Ireland leg of the tour consists of shows in Dublin, Glasgow, Cardiff and London across June and July, but due to the format of Metallica’s stadium tour, Knocked Loose are left with several days between gigs to fill. They had previously booked solo shows for several stops around their trip of mainland Europe and Ireland on the M72 Tour, but this week they have announced their two bonus UK headline shows for the summer. The first is at Electric Bristol on the 29th of June, the day after their shows with Metallica at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and the second is at Nottingham’s Rock City on the 30th of June. Their last show of the tour is with Metallica at the London Stadium on the 3rd of July. Knocked Loose’s full run for the UK and Ireland is shaping up like this:

• 21 June – Aviva Stadium, Dublin w/ Metallica and Gojira
• 22 June – Limelight, Belfast
• 23 June – Dublin, The Academy
• 25 June – Hampden Park, Glasgow w/ Metallica and Gorjia
• 28 June – Principality Stadium, Cardiff w/ Metallica and Gojira
• 29 June – Electric Bristol
• 30 June – Rock City, Nottingham
• 3 July – London Stadium w/ Metallica and Gojira

Tickets for the Bristol and Nottingham dates go on sale this Friday, the 29th of May at 10am. In other news, the Nottingham venue Rock City made the headlines today due to a small fire during planned maintenance works at the site.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Knocked Loose (@knockedloosehc)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Above & Beyond (@aboveandbeyond)

The London-based trio of DJs Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness and Paavo Siljamäki have been producing a diverse assortment of electronic music for over 25 years, and are the founders of EDM labels Anjunabeats, Anjunadeep and Anjunachill. As Above & Beyond, they earned nominations for the Grammy Best Dance Recording category in 2016 with ‘We’re All We Need’ featuring Zoë Johnston, and in 2018 for ‘Northern Soul’ featuring Richard Bedford. Following on from the success of their fourth album ‘Common Ground’ debuting at third on the US’s Billboard Hot 200 chart, their fifth album ‘Bigger Than All Of Us’ took them on a massive US amphitheatre tour, bringing their Anjunabeats sound to over 130,000 fans.

The last issue of the series, ‘Anjunabeats Volume 16’ released on the Anjunabeats label in 2022, with ‘Volume 17’ set to contain more of the progressive trance and house that Above & Beyond are so well known for, plus features from a range of emerging talents that are actively shaping the club scene. A press release from Anjunabeats describes the story behind the latest mix, saying “following the release of Bigger Than All Of Us, it felt important for this next chapter to celebrate the artists that make Anjunabeats such an exciting label to be a part of. Volume 17 includes music from artists we’ve worked with for years as well as new faces representing the future of the label.”

The 35-track compendium was curated at Above & Beyond’s London studio, and is split into two discs with branching styles – from a statement: “Disc One explores a deeper, progressive palette – from tribal grooves to ‘90s trance nostalgia,” while “Disc Two captures the high-energy Anjunabeats sound built for festival moments around the world.” The lead single from the release, ‘When I Look In Your Eyes’, features vocals from long-time collaborator Justine Suissa, and carries that live festival-feel of Disc Two with its club-ready pulses and pounding beats. The trio played it to 15,000 fans at their Group Therapy 600 set in Mexico City, with it fast becoming one of their most popular tracks.

To celebrate the release of ‘Anjunabeats Volume 17’, Above & Beyond will be performing a special pop-up evening at 26 Leake Street in London this Thursday, the 28th of May. It’s set to be a deeply-intimate, sweaty affair, capturing the boiler-room style live energy that EDM is so well suited to. The whole evening will be recorded, starting with a set by J Ribbon from 7PM to 8PM, and followed-up by Above & Beyond playing the new music from ‘Volume 17’ from 8PM to 11PM. Tickets for the pop-up are only available to ticket-holders for Above & Beyond’s Silverworks Island show on Friday the 3rd of July.

‘When I Look In Your Eyes’ featuring Justine Suissa is out now, while ‘Anjunabeats Volume 17’ releases on Friday the 5th of June. Digital pre-orders are available exclusively on the Anjuna Music Store, and physical versions will be released as a CD, and for the first time a 2-disc vinyl sampler featuring 12 tracks hand-picked by Above & Beyond. Tickets for their Silverworks Island show in July are available here, and if you’re lucky you can grab a ticket for their pop-up this Thursday too.

Since forming in Southend-On-Sea in 2012, Nothing But Thieves have released 4 studio albums, all of which have landed in the top 10 of the Official UK Album Charts. The band’s last LP, 2023’s ‘Dead Club City’ was their first UK Number One, with energetic dance-pop lead single ‘Welcome to the DCC’ earning itself BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record of the Year. The band’s sound is a lively mix of indie rock with a heft of hard rock influence, often dipping into pop and electronic styles with ease.

After wiping their Instagram feed at the start of May, the band posted several teasingly ambiguous uploads and planted cryptic posters around UK cities before releasing ‘Evolution’ last Wednesday. The track is a bright, thumping indie rock anthem packed with themes of self-improvement and progression, sounding much in the same vein as the music of Sam Fender. Nothing But Thieves have said that Evolution is a “song that’s not too concerned about finality. I think imperfection and authenticity is becoming ever more valuable and it’s definitely something we’re drawn to. We’ve spent some time trying to work out what’s real and tangible about who we are and how we use our time. The people we travel the world with, the human moments on stage, the connection we make with those who come to our shows. That’s real… It’s a bit of a love letter to the people in our world in that way.”

The group played an intimate release set for ‘Evolution’ at The Dome in London last week, and then played it at Radio 1’s Big Weekend before a secret show at Newcastle’s Think Tank venue under the pseudonym ‘Stray Dogs’ last Saturday. The album ‘Stray Dogs’ was announced this morning alongside the tour, with the band reporting that they had returned to Angelic Studios in Oxfordshire where they recorded debut album ‘Nothing But Thieves’.

As for the tour, it kicks off in Paris next January, and following the European leg comes to the UK and Ireland in February. After arena shows in Dublin, Nottingham, London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham, it’s off to Canada and the US over March and April. The band have also let fans in South America and Australia know that dates for them will be out soon. Find all the info on the poster below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nothing But Thieves (@nothingbutthieves)

‘Stray Dogs’ is out on the 25th of September via RCA/Sony Music, with pre-orders granting access to the gig pre-sale. Tickets for the tour go on pre-sale at 10am on Tuesday the 2nd of June, before general sale opens at 10 am on Friday the 5th. You can catch Nothing But Thieves at their only scheduled gig for 2026 supporting Biffy Clyro, live in London’s Finsbury Park on Friday the 3rd of July.

Good Charlotte’s blend of rebellious pop-punk mixed with emo elements, and their image of skater-punk meets gothic rock, made them a staple of the American scene in the early 2000s. Their second album, 2002’s ‘The Young and the Hopeless’ was a mainstream success, certified triple-platinum and reaching 7th on the US Billboard 200, and 15th in the UK Album Chart. Its three biggest singles – ‘Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous’, ‘The Anthem’ and ‘Girls & Boys’ all broke into the UK Top 40 Chart. 2004 follow-up ‘The Chronicles of Life and Death’ took their style into darker, more-introspective territory, before 2007’s ‘Dance Floor Revival’ added hip hop and dance music to their arsenal.

The Maryland group released 8 studio albums total with their last being 2025’s ‘Motel Du Cap’, which featured guest production from Zakk Cervini, who previously worked with the likes of Blink 182 and Yungblud; as well as Jordan Fish, previously of Bring Me The Horizon. Additional stars include Wiz Khalifa on track ‘Life Is Great’, and Charlie Puth on multiple songs.

The European tour was announced last Friday, the 22nd of May, alongside a US run, both in support of ‘Motel Du Cap’. Good Charlotte broke the news the day before their first UK shows since 2019 – headline slots at Hatfield and Leeds’ Slam Dunk festivals, which champion pop punk nostalgia. Starting in Sweden on the 8th of November, the tour will hit Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands and France before arriving in the UK for shows in Manchester and London. Here’s a rundown of the full European leg:

• Nov 8 – Stockholm, Sweden – Hovet
• Nov 11 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
• Nov 13 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
• Nov 14 – Düsseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Halle
• Nov 16 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
• Nov 17 – Paris, France – Zenith Paris
• Nov 19 – London, England – The O2
• Nov 20 – Manchester, England – Co-op Live

Support on both the Europe and US Motel Du Cap Tour is provided by fellow pop punk royalty Yellowcard. Pre-sale opens tomorrow, the 26th of May at 10AM, with access codes available through the band’s mailing list, and general sale starts on Friday the 29th at 10AM.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Good Charlotte (@goodcharlotteband)