In the United States, the record has reached the Number One position on five Billboard charts: Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Alternative Albums. It also debuted at Number Four on the Billboard 200, the band’s second-highest placement ever, surpassed only by 1992’s Wish, which reached Number Two. Additionally, it became the top-selling physical album in the US, according to industry reports.

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Songs of a Lost World has been equally well-received in the UK. Earlier this month, the album debuted at Number One on the UK Albums Chart, making it the first Cure album to achieve this feat since Wish. The record has already been certified Silver in the UK, reflecting strong sales. This achievement solidifies The Cure’s enduring legacy in their home country, resonating strongly with both long-time fans and a new generation of listeners.

The band celebrated this milestone with a live performance at London’s Troxy, where they showcased the album in full alongside a 31-song setlist. The album’s release was accompanied by a live event at London’s Troxy, where the band performed a 31-song setlist, including the new album in its entirety. Two additional performances were held at the BBC Radio Theatre, which can be watched back here.

Reflecting on the album’s reception a post on the band’s Instagram, frontman Robert Smith expressed gratitude, saying, “It is enormously uplifting, genuinely heartwarming to experience such a wonderful reaction to the release of the new Cure album. To everyone who has bought it, listened to it, loved it, believed in us over the years – THANK YOU!”

 

 

 

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Smith has disclosed that the album’s themes are deeply personal, shaped by his experiences of loss, including the deaths of his parents and brother. The track I Can Never Say Goodbye specifically addresses the loss of his brother, while Smith credited his wife, Mary Poole Smith, with helping finalise the album’s tracklisting.

Critical reception for Songs of a Lost World has been overwhelmingly positive. NME awarded it five stars, describing it as “arguably the most personal album of Smith’s career,” adding: “mortality may loom, but there’s colour in the black and flowers on the grave.”

Looking ahead, The Cure have plans for extensive touring. Smith has confirmed that the band intends to begin a worldwide tour in 2025, with performances expected to continue through to their 50th anniversary in 2028. He also hinted in an interview with NME at the release of a second album, which is “virtually finished,” as well as a potential third album.

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 news coincides with the release of the four-piece’s new gothic-themed album, Danse Macabre, which made its debut at number four in the UK charts and which contains three new tracks, as well as reimagined versions of older material and covers of songs by artists such as Billie Eilish and The Rolling Stones.

Listen to title track “Danse Macabre” below:

On being revealed as Latitude Festival headliners, Bassist Taylor said: 

“We are excited to be making Latitude our sole UK performance next summer. It’s a great festival, and it’s been a long time since Duran have been in that part of the country. In fact, it’s our first time ever in Suffolk.” 

“We are riding high on the reception our new Danse Macabre album has received, and looking forward to bringing music from that record, all the way back to our 1981 debut album. See you there!”

Meanwhile, Latitude Festival director Melvin Benn commented: 

“Duran Duran’s fusion of artistry and innovation seamlessly resonates with Latitude’s commitment to curate a multifaceted cultural experience. Celebrated for their iconic style, ground-breaking music, and a consistent string of chart-topping hits, the band have unquestionably left their mark on both the music and fashion realms.”

He added: “With their ongoing evolution and the ability to transcend musical boundaries, the band’s mesmerising live performances make them an ideal fit for the Latitude festival.”

Renowned for its eclectic mix of culture, art and music, Latitude Festival is an annual event set within the grounds of Henham Park near Suffolk. Next year’s edition – for which a full line-up is scheduled to be announced within the coming months – will run from 25 to 28 July.

Check out the highlights from last summer’s event:

Formed in 1978, Duran Duran were one of the biggest pop acts of the 1980s, with hits including “Save A Prayer”, “Rio”, and “Hungry Like The Wolf”. Since then, they have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide, garnering countless awards on the way, including two Grammys.

Watch the official video for “Hungry Like The Wolf” below:

In 2022, Duran Duran’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame rounded off a remarkable year, during which the band graced the stage at the Queen’s Jubilee Concert, brought the Commonwealth Games to a close in their hometown of Birmingham, and performed sold-out shows at both New York’s Madison Square Garden and the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

Get tickets for Latitude Festival 2024 here.

What an honour to be inducted into the Camden Walk of Fame. Thanks to @carlbarat78 and @garycrowleyonair and everyone who came down to celebrate. #buzzcocks pic.twitter.com/wJzoCe7391

— Buzzcocks (@Buzzcocks) September 10, 2023

Buzzcocks, officially inducted into the Camden Walk of Fame on 8th September along with The Kinks, join other musical luminaries to achieve the accolade such as David Bowie, The Who, Amy Winehouse and Madness. The honour comes in recognition of the band’s considerable impact upon the music scene, both within the UK and beyond.

The group was further acclaimed and commended for their influence by fellow stars of the rock world, Liam Gallagher and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook. Both artists highlighted the importance of Buzzcocks and their ability to churn out hit songs while being true to the punk epithet of making it big through DIY.

Gallagher said, with good-natured tongue in cheek, “congratulations to Steve Diggle and The Buzzcocks for their inauguration in the Camden Walk of Fame. Love The Buzzcocks, second greatest band to come out of Manchester!”

Cook added, “The Buzzcocks booked the Sex Pistols’ first show in Manchester telling us we would be hearing about their band very soon and it wasn’t long before the world was bombarded with hit after hit of unique pure punk power pop energy. So a big thanks to Steve and the boys for putting a smile on our faces. A well deserved star on the Camden Walk of Fame.”

Great two days in Camden thanks everybody we met ! Sonics in the soul ! Onwards and upwards! pic.twitter.com/bnNkXJ8EtW — STEVE DIGGLE (@steveediggle) September 9, 2023

Buzzcocks celebrated their achievement by performing a set at the Camden Music Festival on 9th September and have announced that they will be playing a special one night show at Camden’s KOKO on 22, March next year. The band divulged that they will be playing their hit album, Singles Going Steady in full along with a selection of fan favourites. The band is also set to release a 45th anniversary edition of the album next year.

Tix on sale now for our @KOKOLondon show celebrating 45 years of Singles Going Steady. @Dominorecordco @steveediggle https://t.co/pfWoy0sCOg

— Buzzcocks (@Buzzcocks) August 30, 2023

Buzzcocks were formed in Bolton in 1976 by singer/guitarist Pete Shelley and singer Howard Devoto. The band went on to release three albums and a compilation of their hit singles which formed Singles Going Steady. The band broke up in 1981 following disagreements with their record label United Artists.

The band reunited in 1989 and went on to record six more albums before Shelley’s passing in 2018 however, the band has remained active with Steve Diggle (bass) taking over vocal and guitar duties. Buzzcocks released Sonics In The Soul, their 10th studio effort in 2022 and have stated they are currently in production of a follow up studio recording.

The 45th anniversary performance at KOKO tickets can be purchased here. Tickets for Buzzcock’s tour can be found here.

Buzzcocks Tour:

26/11/2023 – The Academy – Dublin
28/11 – Cyprus Avenue – Cork
01/12 – Salamandra – L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
02/12 – Shoko Madrid – Madrid, Spain
22/03/2024 – KOKO – London
27/04 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
01/06 – Manchester Academy – Manchester

The conception of the album was inspired by a show the band played last Halloween in Las Vegas in which the band played Halloween themed re-workings of rarities from the band as well as a variety of covers, much like the new album.

The covers on the album include ‘Bury a Friend’ by Billie Eilish, ‘Psycho Killer’ by Talking Heads, ‘Paint It Black’ by The Rolling Stones, ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials, ‘Spellbound’ by Siouxsie and the Banshees and ‘Supernature’ by Cerrone. The album also features a guest list of Nile Rodgers, Victoria De Angelis from Maneskin as well as former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo.

The title track ‘Danse Macabre’ has already been released alongside the album announcement and is available on streaming services now.

Talking about the song, keyboardist Nick Rhodes said: “The song ‘Danse Macabre’ celebrates the joy and madness of Halloween. It is the title track of our forthcoming album, which gathers together an unusual mix of cover versions, reworked Duran Duran songs and several new compositions.

The idea was born out of a show we played in Las Vegas on 31st October 2022. We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event… the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humour was simply irresistible.”

He further adds: “That evening inspired us to explore further and to make an album, using Halloween as the key theme. The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted. Emotion, mood, style and attitude have always been at the heart of Duran Duran’s DNA, we search for light in the darkness and darkness in the light, and I feel we have somehow managed to capture the essence of all of that in this project.”

The title track is one of three original tracks from the album alongside other new tracks ‘Black Moonlight’ and ‘Confession in the Afterlife’. Furthermore, long-term fans of the band will be thrilled to learn that the original band line-up of Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, Roger Taylor, John Taylor, and Simon Le Bon will be reunited for many tracks on the album.

Tracklist:

1. Nightboat
2. Black Moonlight
3. Love Voudou
4. Bury a Friend
5. Supernature
6. Danse Macabre
7. Secret Oktober 31st
8. Ghost Town
9. Paint It Black
10. Super Lonely Freak
11. Spellbound
12. Psycho Killer
13. Confession In The Afterlife

Duran Duran Announce Charity Concert In Support Of Former Band Member Andy Taylor

Billie Eilish Announces Last Minute Surprise Show In London After Reading And Leeds Headlining Performances

The Rolling Stones Seemingly Tease New Album With Advert In Hackney Local Newspaper

Leg 4 of the Memento Mori tour — Europe, Winter 2024, starting January 22 in London. All details: https://t.co/rJtl0RFsdy pic.twitter.com/3r67fsTaGl

— Depeche Mode (@depechemode) July 10, 2023

After releasing what is the band’s 15th studio album, the duo comprising Dave Gahan and Martin Gore set out to tour Momento Mori quickly after its release and was met with stunning success and rave reviews. Such has been the response to the tour that the group has decided to add 29 additional dates across the UK, Ireland and Europe-giving fans an extra chance to see one of the UK’s most beloved and successful bands.

Over the course of Depeche Mode’s 40 plus years, the band has sold over 100 million records and toured the world on numerous occasions. One of the most influential bands of their era and beyond, Depeche Mode have had a staggering 54 songs on the UK Singles Charts and 17 top 10 albums in UK charts. Almost an immediate success within the electronic scene in the early 1980s, the band gained international recognition with their smash hit album Violator-a record featuring arguably their best known songs.

Internal divisions shook the lineup with Gahan and Gore emerging from the 90s as the only two original members left. The pair have rarely been deterred however, going on to release critically acclaimed albums, including March’s Momento Mori-an album that has garnered almost universal acclaim. The album’s first single “Ghosts Again” is considered by some as one of the best songs the band has delivered in decades.

And the Momento Mori tour has not failed to live up to the hype that the record has achieved. Sold out performances across North America and Europe, which have included a sold out Twickenham Stadium in London, have met with glowing reviews with The Guardian writing, “Dave Gahan is a mic-spinning, limb-bending theatrical marvel as the band gallop through decades’ worth of hits.”

Depeche Mode have also partnered with luxury Swiss watch making brand Hublot on the Momento Mori tour to further promote the band’s charities. The pair are supporting the Conservation Collective, a global network of foundations which promote grassroots environmental projects and initiatives with a focus on plastic pollution, waste management and environmental cleanups. Additional details on the charity can be found here.

Hublot and Depeche Mode continue their charity partnership to support the The Conservation Collective, a global environmental charityhttps://t.co/nhY1TuREjc pic.twitter.com/Blw1lGAez4

— Dave Gahan Fans (@DaveGahanFans) April 16, 2023

If one thing has remained an incontestable constant in Depeche Mode’s career, it is that their crowd-pleasing triumphant live performances have left audiences desperate for more and with the Momento Mori tour set to continue, the band are giving their fans exactly what they want. Tickets to the tour can be found here and here.

Momento Mori Additional UK, Ireland and Europe Tour:

22/01/2024 – O2 Arena – London
24/01 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
29/01 – AO Arena – Manchester
31/01 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow
03/02 – 3Arena – Dublin
06/02 – Sportpaleis – Antwerp, Belgium
08/02 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, Netherlands
10/02 – Royal Arena- Copenhagen, Denmark
13/02 – Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, Germany
15/02 –  Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, Germany
17/02 – Barclays Arena – Hamburg, Germany
22/02 – O2 Arena – Prague, Cech Republic
24/02 – O2 Arena – Prague, Cech Republic
27/02 – Atlas Arena – Lodz, Poland
29/02 – Atlas Arena – Lodz, Poland
03/03 – Accor Arena – Paris, France
05/03 – Accor Arena – Paris, France
07/03 – Olympiahalle – Munich, Germany
12/03 – Wizink Center – Madrid, Spain
14/03 – Wizink Center – Madrid, Spain
16/03 – Palau Sant Jordi – Barcelona, Spain
19/03 – Altice Arena – Lisbon, Portugal
21/03 – BEC – Bilboa, Spain
23/03 – Pala Alpitour – Torino, Italy
26/03 – MVM Dome – Budapest, Hungary
28/03 – Mediolanum Forum – Milan, Italy
30/03 – Mediolanum Forum – Milan, Italy
03/04 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, Germany
05/04 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, Germany

Something a little different (for me anyway) is coming. In October I’ll be playing an 8 date acoustic tour in the UK. Pre sale tickets will be available at 9am on April 19th. https://t.co/0LHwSIp985 pic.twitter.com/u07jPrDzn3

— Gary Numan (@numanofficial) April 14, 2023

Last night, a day after the tour announcement, Numan completed his 1000th show, completing a set of three nights at the Electric Ballroom, London, and is set to follow this colossal landmark event with a North American tour, starting on April 21st in Salt Lake City and concluding at Cruel World festival in Pasadena on May 20th. An appearance at Bearded Theory festival at the end of May will precede a break for the summer for Numan, which will then be followed by the acoustic tour in October, a tour which promises to be unique and wholly different for Numan’s devoted cult following, given his synth-pop and industrial rock background. The tour will commence on October 8th at Wylam Brewery in Newcastle and will end with two dates on October 16th and 17th at Hackney Church in London.

Gary Numan (real name Gary Webb) commenced his music career as frontman of new wave band Tubeway Army. The group released their self-titled debut album in 1978 but it wasn’t until the following year, upon the release of “Are Friends Electric?”, that Numan shot to prominence. The track, showcasing Numan’s adoration of synthesisers and science fiction (with its lyrical referencing of Philip K Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), was released in May and found its way to the number one spot of the UK Singles chart in June.

Numan’s Tubeway Army performing hit single “Are Friends Electric?” on Top of the Pops in 1979:

Following his initial success Numan disbanded Tubeway Army and embarked on a solo career, employing a new backing band in the process. Later on in 1979 Numan’s second, and perhaps most famous hit, “Cars”, was released, soon also reaching number one, and was soon followed by the release of Numan’s first solo studio album, The Pleasure Principle, which too reached number one on the UK Albums chart. He went on to have a remarkably prolific decade, releasing nine albums in as many years, and has released a total on nineteen studio albums to date, with the latest, Intruder, being released in May 2021.

The pre-sale for tour tickets starts at 9am on April 19th and you can get yours here.

See below for the tour dates:

08/10/2023 – Wylam Brewery – Newcastle
09/10 – St Luke’s – Glasgow
10/10 – Town Hall – Birmingham
11/10 – St George’s – Bristol
13/10 – St George’s Church – Brighton
15/10 – Cathedral – Manchester
16/10 – Hackney Church – London
17/10 – Hackney Church – London

(Photo credit: Alyssa Fried)

pic.twitter.com/RlB7QM6ckW

— Depeche Mode (@depechemode) May 26, 2022

“We are shocked and filled with overwhelming sadness with the untimely passing of our dear friend, family member, and bandmate Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher.” Writes the band, “Fletch had a true heart of gold and was always there when you needed support, a lively conversation, a good laugh, or a cold pint. Our hearts are with his family, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts and respect their privacy in this difficult time.”

After joining the band Composition Of Sounds in the last 70s, alongside Martin Gore and Vince Clarke, the group soon recruited singer Dave Gahan. Once the group underwent a name change and became Depeche Mode, the rest is history. The new wave movement has many names associated with it; Duran Duran, Talking Heads, New Order etc. – but not many had the staying power of Depeche Mode, who were still touring up until 2018 off the back of their 14^th studio album Spirit. The album made it to no.5 in the UK charts, but throughout the group’s 4-decade career they had managed to bag not 1, but 2, no.1 albums with Ultra and Songs Of Faith And Devotion.

Synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys took to their socials once the news was released, “Fletch was a warm, friendly and funny person who loved electronic music and could also give sensible advice about the music business.”

 Lol Tolhurst, known most famously as a founding member of The Cure, was once of the first to pay their respects, “I knew Andy and considered him a friend. We crossed many of the same pathways as younger men. My heart goes out to his family, bandmates, and DM fans.”

After the band’s 2018 tour concluded, their last great moment would be that of their induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fletcher, Gahan, and Gore were joined by former bandmates Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder for the ceremony.

The event will occur at the exact same time as Rebellion Fest, taking place in the Tower Headland, whilst the latter will take place in Winter Gardens, as normal. The Headland has a capacity of around 15,000 people, and has previously played host to Livewire Festival and Blackpool Festival.

According to The Blackpool Gazette, R-Fest was born of the idea to make Rebellion Festival more accessible with the addition of some more mainstream groups. Jennie Russell Smith, the organiser of the festival, is quoted as saying: “We are all incredibly excited for our first ever R-FEST line up; four days of bands in the incredible headland arena with the tower and the Winter Gardens on one side and the Irish Sea on the other. It’s going to be amazing!”

Blackpool Council member Coun Lynne Williams also weighed in on the exciting new addition to the Rebellion Festival event, saying: “The festival organisers have had the ambition to grow the event for some time, but have been obviously prevented from doing so because of restrictions on large-scale events over the past two years… it is great news that this popular event enjoyed by so many people is going to return in a new expanded format next summer. It is an event that along with others held in our town that really brings Blackpool alive and is a firm favourite festival in music lovers’ calendars.”

Rebellion Festival is currently the biggest punk festival in the world and features a myriad of punk and hardcore groups from the UK and beyond. Among the line-up this year includes English punk legends Sham 69, Scottish band The Exploited, as well as Texas punk rockers M.D.C. and New York City hardcore frontrunners Cro Mags.

More information about the event can be found here, on Rebellion Festival’s website. It has been stated that for anyone purchasing tickets only for R-Fest, the event is a standalone, however anyone who has purchased tickets for Rebellion Festival will be admitted to R-Fest free of charge. You can find tickets for R-Fest here, and for Rebellion Festival here.

Ticket prices are as follows:

R-Fest Day Ticket- £55.00
Rebellion Festival Day Ticket- £95.00
Rebellion Festival Weekend Ticket- £195.00

Today the group has announced the news of their long-awaited seventh album, which is set to arrive on February 25, 2022, via Concord Records. The announcement comes along with the release of the project’s title track and its accompanying official video which you can watch below.

Orzabal explained to BBC radio 2 the reasoning behind Tears For Fears’ decision to return “Before everything went so right with this album, everything first had to go wrong, it took years, but something happens when we put our heads together, We’ve got this balance, this push-me-pull-you thing – and it works really well.” Smith then added: “If that balance doesn’t work on a Tears For Fears album, the whole thing just doesn’t work. To put it in simple terms, a Tears For Fears record and what people perceive to be the sound of Tears For Fears – is the stuff we can both agree on.”

For their new release, the band teamed up with their longtime collaborator Charlton Pettus as well as producers and songwriters Sacha Skarbek and Florian Reutter due to a switch in management.

Orzabel then continued “Suddenly, for the first time in a long time, we felt like we had someone in our corner who understood what we were trying to do, We felt like we had somebody on our side. It was the first time in a long time that we decided – we have to do this.” 

Smith further explained: “When you’ve known each other as long as we have, and have worked together as long as we have, there’s a bond there that becomes familial. So, it’s different from a friendship. And it’s different from a marriage. It’s literally like that’s your brother. It’s the kind of bond that you can’t really break. It can fall apart at times. You separate for periods, which I also think is healthy, really. But in the end, we always seem to find each other again.”

The album comes in either the standard 10-track version which will be available on streaming services, CD, black vinyl LP and limited indie green vinyl. Whereas the retail deluxe CD features one bonus song and the Target (USA) and Japanese editions will have two bonus songs but only the SDE deluxe CD offers all three bonus songs. Additionally, the SDE deluxe CD  also includes a 32-page booklet (the standard has 24 pages) which exclusively features a new interview with Roland and Curt by SDE editor Paul Sinclair.

You can view the album artwork below as well as pre-order/pre-save the new album here.

Tears For Fears The Tipping Point Tracklist: