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Now made up of Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Ronnie Vannuci Jr and Mark Stoeremer, the Killers were formed in Las Vegas in 2001. Considered one of the biggest rock bands of the 21st century, the Killers have been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, seven Brit Awards and a staggering twenty-four NME Awards. Their popularity extends greatly to the UK where each of their seven albums have reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Their performance at the Champions League Final could contribute greatly to a night to remember for British fans as the final could still be made up of two English teams with Liverpool and Arsenal remaining in the competition. They head into the quarterfinals against Paris Saint-Germain and Sporting Lisbon respectively in April.

Musical performances at the Champions League final are a relatively new development for the competition which was originally founded in 1955. However after drawing from inspiration from the infamous NFL Superbowl Halftime shows, the first performance at the Champions League Final was by Dua Lipa in 2018. There was a brief gap between performances before Camila Cabello performed in 2022, followed by Lenny Kravitz in 2024 and Linkin Park in 2025.

American influences on European and English football has increased tenfold perhaps owing to actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny’s well documented journey as they bought then, national league team Wrexham. Following huge investment and media interest, Wrexham have now reached the Championship and are on course to play in the Premier League sooner rather than later. Furthermore, football based sitcom ‘Ted Lasso’ which follows an American coach in the UK has received mass critical acclaim and the US President Donald Trump was a guest of honour at the recent Club World Cup competition which was won by English club Chelsea.

The band are currently on a run of shows in South America with tickets available now before they head to Budapest for the final.

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Fans can also expect the release of the eight studio album following confirmation from lead vocalist Flowers who told the Sun; “My best guess is that in 2027 you will get the best Killers record”.

Applications for Ipswich Music Day 2024 are now OPEN!

Are you an aspiring musician from Ipswich, Suffolk or the East Anglian region? We want to hear your music!

Apply now for your chance to perform at Ipswich Music Day – https://t.co/OrcA1HM28j pic.twitter.com/hzKkQDWa7P

— Ipswich Entertains (@IpswichEnts) January 9, 2024

Ipswich Music Day has a rich history of showcasing talented musicians, with even the likes of Ed Sheeran gracing its stages before achieving international fame. In 2009 and 2010, Sheeran performed at this festival, leaving a lasting impression on both the audience and organisers. Now, with the opportunity for DJs to apply, the festival is set to expand its musical offerings even further.

With six stages, including one hosted by BBC Radio Suffolk, performers only need to apply for the stages other than the one hosted by the radio station. Wayne Bavin, the breakfast presenter, has promised a bigger venue, a larger stage, and an impressive lineup that is already in the works, he said “We’re going to have a bigger venue, a bigger stage and we have a brilliant line-up that’s already being prepared for you.” This assurance has generated excitement among musicians, who are eager to be a part of this renowned festival.

Last year, the council received applications from 233 performers, resulting in 52 successful musicians entertaining a crowd of 24,500 people. This demonstrates the festival’s popularity and the high level of talent it attracts. Neil MacDonald, the Labour leader of the council, has emphasised the festival’s significance in providing a platform for emerging artists. MacDonald said, “It’s a fantastic opportunity for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent and for Ipswich to come alive with the sound of music, fun, and entertainment.” Ipswich Music Day not only showcases established musicians but also nurtures and supports up-and-coming talent, contributing to the vibrant music scene in Ipswich.

Overall, the announcement of the first-ever opportunity for DJs to apply to perform at Ipswich Music Day has generated excitement and anticipation. With its rich history, diverse lineup, and commitment to supporting emerging artists, this festival continues to bring the vibrant spirit of music, fun, and entertainment to Ipswich.

Applications for the festival are currently being accepted by Ipswich Entertains until March 31st. Successful candidates will receive notification of their selection by April 12th. Neil MacDonald, the council’s Labour leader, highlights the festival as a fantastic opportunity for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent and for the community to indulge in a day brimming with music, amusement, and entertainment.

She said: “I always like making things [and] they gave us different clothes from different [eras]. That was a Gucci dress; it was like a Marilyn Monroe ’50s-shape black swimming costume. “Like Americans – you always celebrate your country, I was thinking, ‘It’s the BRITs, I should put a flag on it.’ And the only flag I found was a tea towel, so I cut out a tea towel and sewed it on the Gucci dress.”  

The girl group, who performed the smash hits “Wannabe” and “Who Do You Think You Are” at the award show, certainly had a reason to celebrate. The band won British Single of the Year and British Video of the Year at the 1997 ceremony.  

Watch the performance, below.

Horner also spoke about how she missed the first rounds of the auditions for Spice Girls. She said: “It wasn’t really the Spice Girls at that moment, just some people auditioning for a girl band, but I did miss it. I was up a mountain and I had burnt my face… Somehow, I kept the advert on my mirror and – a few months later – I thought, ‘Hmmm, I wonder if that’s still going.’ So, I ran them up and they said come on.” 

Earlier this year, the girl group released a never-seen-before alternative music video of their 90s classic “Smash” to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the third single from their classic album, Spiceworld. The album was a smashing success for the band and has since gone on to sell over one million copies in the UK and over four million in the US. Worldwide, the album has sold over 14 million copies. It has since become one of the best-selling albums of all time.  

Fans of the band have also been teased with more exciting news. Mel B, known as Scary Spice, told The Sun that the pop group have an announcement on the way. She said: “We are planning on releasing a statement. What that is, I can’t say right now because we’re just finishing off perfecting what we’re going to be doing together, all five of us, but it’s going to be something that the fans are really going to love.”  

The 2022 single, which has strong elements of synth-pop and new wave, saw the track stripped down into a raw and soulful version by Smith and her live band. The rendition, which can be watched below, showcased the remarkability of Smith’s breath-taking vocals.

Smith explained why she decided to cover the pop song and said: “I keep hearing it. I find it hard sometimes to do a cover – it needs to be a song that I know even though I’ve deffo got the lyrics in front of me. But this one I’ve been hearing a lot and I thought, ‘Oh, this will be really nice’. It’s a bit more toned down…”

The 26-year-old musician also covered her own single, “Little Things”, on the show. “Little Things”, which was released earlier this year as the second single from her latest album, has gained over 29 million streams on Spotify. Additionally, the remixed version of the single, “Little Things x Gypsy Woman – L BEATS MASHUP”, has topped the stars’ popular songs on the platform with over 46 million streams.

Last week, BBC’s Live Lounge also saw other acts perform on the show, including Olivia Rodrigo and Troye Sivan. Other artists that are scheduled for the series include YungBlud, Usher and Madison Beer.

Falling Or Flying is Smith’s second studio album, after her extended EP Lost & Found in 2021. The 2021 record, which included hit singles such as “Addicted” and “Gone”, was a commercial success for Smith – peaking on various charts around the world, including Australia, Belgium and Scotland. The record peaked at number nine on the UK Charts and hit number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart.

Her latest record has been praised by critics. Thomas Smith from NME gave the album four out of five stars and said that Smith “finds her rhythm with an expanded sonic palette… Flying or Falling was the record she was destined to make.” Meanwhile, Amiee Cliff from Pitchfork complimented the album’s daring freedom of exploring Smith’s relationship with fame.

Listen to Smith’s latest album on Spotify.

His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will end in July 2023, with Sir Elton confirming that he “will not be going on tour again” after this.

As reported by the Metro, Sir Elton has expressed the difficulty that touring causes, with him looking forward to “a little bit of freedom” to spend with his husband, David Furnish and their two sons, Zachary and Elijah. He explained, “Touring is exhausting for me now, and it takes me away from my family and my children.”

However, his fans can still hope to see him perform in the future, as he shared that “there may be the odd show.”

The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour began back in 2018 and has become the most lucrative tour in music history. The tour has already earned £678million with two months still left to go, and it is estimated that the tour will earn approximately £798million upon its completion. Sir Elton has very much challenged himself on this tour, with him having performed 330 shows in total by the end of the tour’s run.

To keep it interesting for himself and fans alike, Sir Elton’s setlists have varied from show to show, with the epics such as “Rocket Man” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” being accompanied by lesser known tracks including “Burn Down the Mission” and “Have Mercy on the Criminal.”

Sir Elton has also recorded a concert movie, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, available to watch on Disney+. The movie documents his final North American show, featuring special guests and explosive performances of his biggest hits from a career spanning many decades.

Despite suggesting that shows outside of his tour could be on the cards, Sir Elton did recently turn down the opportunity to perform at King Charles III’s Coronation Concert. This came as a surpise to fans, as Sir Elton has been a firm favourite of the Royals for many years, famously forming close relationships with Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II.

Sir Elton performed a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her passing in September 2022, as well as attending Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in 2011, and performing at the luncheon of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018.

Sir Elton is also close friends with King Charles and Queen Camilla, having invited the pair to his own wedding to David Furnish back in 2005.

Sir Elton’s lack of attendance was not meant to be viewed as a snub however, with his team confirming to Rolling Stone that it was simply due to scheduling conflicts.

Styles, who won the prestigious Album of the Year award for Harry’s House, performed his hit single “As It Was” during the show but was faced with technical difficulties.

The performance had Harry and his backup dancers moving around a spinning turntable, reminiscent of that seen in the “As It Was” music video.

However, the stage unfortunately began to spin in the wrong direction when the performance started. Styles and his dancers were forced to adapt their routine on the spot, resulting in a clumsier performance than had been meticulously rehearsed.

Grammys set designer Julio Himede has opened up about the incident on the BBC’s Eurovision podcast, revealing that Styles “called the team in charge to make sure they were OK.” Himede said the incident was “heartbreaking.“

He continued, “In rehearsals his performance was so polished. I was sitting there admiring how amazing Harry and his dancers were to just run with it and cope with it. To continue the performance live and all of a sudden think, ‘I have to just go in reverse now’, is quite incredible.“

Himede will be designing the sets for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest and is keen to avoid any similar mishaps. The stage will have to be reset in 60 seconds after performances, with Himede calling it “organised chaos.“

Fans were quick to jump to Harry’s defence after his performance didn’t quite reach the standards he has set for himself as a performer. Fans responded to Brandon Mathis, one of the backup dancers, who revealed that the performance had to be reworked on the spot.

Do you guys know how big of a deal the stage spinning the wrong way is? The dancers and Harry had to do the performance backwards. They were all on the opposite of their marks etc no wonder Harry’s voice was shaking right away, he was freaking out
pic.twitter.com/f6171aqARZ

— Erin ×͜× LTdefenseless28 (@tdefenseless28) February 6, 2023

One fan tweeted that they “would’ve just started to cry” had they been in Harry’s position.

Harry’s better than me because if my stage started spinning backwards I would’ve just started to cry — Julia (@WORLDLWT2) February 6, 2023

This was not the only problematic aspect of Harry’s Grammy attendance this year. Despite winning the most prized Grammy Award for Album of the Year, Harry faced backlash following his acceptance speech.

Controversially, Styles said “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often” and faced immediate criticism for his tone deaf comment. Twitter users were quick to fire back.

harry styles saying “this doesn’t happen to people like me very often” as a white, british man who has a history of dating only the most categorically stunning women in hollywood and whose biggest act of rebellion is wearing sequins and nail polish is extremely rich

— Emily (@emilybernay) February 6, 2023

Despite a bumpy evening, Styles has held onto his reputation as the friendliest man in pop, staying true to his “Treat People With Kindness” message by ensuring those around him were fine following the show’s mishaps.

Buy tickets for Love on Tour here.

Stream Harry’s House here.

Following on from Billie Eilish’s blistering Friday night headline the night before, McCartney 60 years her senior, proved to be ageing like a fine wine with all the stage presence and personality of someone significantly younger than him emanating through the screen with ease. To be there in person must have been something else entirely. The man is about as iconic as it gets, and despite slowing down a little on his feet compared to Billie’s sprightly acrobatics, he owned it. You can catch some of the fans reaction below:

It didn’t come without some controversy, in a star studded list of invitees, McCartney brought on Bruce Springsteen, Dave Grohl, and notably included a video of his close friend Johnny Depp during his performance of 2012 track “My Valentine“. There was some confusion and even disgust at the inclusion of the video expressed by viewers of the show, with people taking to social media to voice this. One Twitter user stated: “For anyone who says Johnny Depp is innocent remember that he wasn’t the one on trial. And I suggest searching for the texts he sent to Paul Bettany to get a taste of the man he is. Wish @glastonbury had stopped this. And @PaulMcCartney can do one.”

Conversely, some people expressed support at the inclusion of the video, with another Twitter user posting a clip of the performance with the caption: “Johnny Depp on the big screen Saturday night during Paul McCartney’s performance of ‘My Valentine’ at Glastonbury ❤️”

With records being broken on back to back nights as Eilish became the youngest person to headline Glastonbury at just 20, and Paul the oldest to headline at 80, the festival has so far enjoyed a historic comeback after 2 years of covid cancelations knocked around their plans to enjoy it’s 50th year in business.

McCartney even managed to pull off a Beatles reunion from beyond the grave by duetting with John Lennon on “I’ve Got A Feeling“. The late singer’s vocals were isolated from their rooftop performance in 1969 and played back over the Pyramid Stage’s speakers in 2022 to provide onlookers with an emotional and modern tribute to The Beatles icon. It summed up a passionate and uncompromising performance from one of the greatest songwriters of all time and a true British legend. Sir Paul, we salute you.

In Oxford, award-winning independent audio production company Upcycled Sounds has come up with a creative solution to bring live music back to the city, using an iconic landmark to film performances that will be released online over the next few months. As well as winning awards for their sound and video production, Upcycled Sound are also heavily involved in organising and promoting local and live music events, and since they are Oxford-born and bred (based in Cowley Road) it’s no surprise that they’ve created this unique event.

The Covered Market is a famous Oxford landmark, a rabbit warren of independent shops and cafes that feels like a Camden away from Camden – with some added quirkiness. The market itself was also adversely affected by the lockdown as a close-quarters indoor venue where social distancing is nigh on impossible. Pairing it with live music draws attention to two struggling arenas, and the variety of musicians featured – ranging from R&B to violin – reflects the eclectic nature of the Covered Market and Oxford as a city. The market’s atmospheric, church-like high roofs and clashing perspectives make for a visually fascinating filming venue, and Upcycled Sounds’ expert production will make these videos artistic in themselves.

Each video portrays one performance to be released monthly on YouTube, creating a programme that lasts into September and gives a platform to some exciting new artists. Hopefully, both live music and the Covered Market will be back up and running in earnest by then, but this truly unique programme of live music will be an interesting legacy of the pandemic era.

The first performance will go live at 1pm tomorrow on YouTube, and will feature spoken word artist Alabaster de Plume.

This a special performance because Smith will be paying tribute to the UK’s NHS health-care workers that have fallen victim to Covid-19 in their fight to heal those suffering in the pandemic. When discussing her decision to honour health-care workers, Smith stated that it’s just so sad when we lose people who work so hard to rebuild our world.

Patti Smith has been focusing less on her music and more on activism since her last album release Banga in 2012. The majority of her activism has been centered around climate change, playing multiple shows, making speeches and raising money and awareness around the subject.

Smith has also taken up poetry in the last decade, performing poetry live often and releasing her own written poetry as well. To honour her love for poetry and combine it with her activism surrounding climate change, at the NYE showcase she will also be reading a poem dedicated to the climate change activist Greta Thunberg who will be celebrating her 18th birthday in the coming month. Smith wanted to honour Thunberg because she pretty much sacrificed her childhood for all of us.

When discussing the poem, Smith said that some of the work I did in my bedroom, some in a recording studio and some at my desk. I had to teach myself how to use Photo Booth on my computer and film myself reading a poem. She continued by joking about the creative process, saying I’m sure there are 14-year-olds who can do this in five minutes but it took me quite a while. But I got there and I’m so proud of myself.

When discussing her struggles during the covid-19 isolation, for which she needed to isolate because of lung issues, she said it was very difficult for her to overcome. She stated that she had so much responsibility and a true purpose. To be in limbo almost 10 months, for a person like me who doesn’t like sitting in the same place, it’s been very challenging. I feel like I’m part-wolf, roaming from room to room.

It is fitting that Smith will be honouring those who have sacrificed their lives considering she has spent the last decade sacrificing hers to make the world a little cleaner. YouTube’s Circa will showcase Patti Smith throughout January at 20:21 GMT at Piccadilly Lights, London, leading up to the special NYE tribute performance.

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Hurt, which debuted on August 18 as Annie Mac’s hottest record of the week, is a powerful song that explores alcoholism and depression. Her performance of it for COLORSXSTUDIOS takes place in front of a plain rust orange background and in it she displays artistic confidence beyond her years.

COLORSXSTUDIOS, in the same vein as MTV unplugged and Tiny Desk Concert, is all about paired-down production ‘without distraction’. Whats interesting is that Park’s voice sounds virtually the same on COLORS as it does on the single itself, a testament to her natural talent and the veracity of her records.

When asked the question ‘what motivates you at the moment‘ Arlo replies: ‘helping others… thats always been something that has driven me‘. She cites this as one of the main reasons for sharing her art with the world. This makes sense when you consider Park’s songs as a catalogue of human conditions.

On her first EP, the eponymous track Super Sad Generation was a soulful lament to her contemporaries. Parks sang over a tight percussive beat ‘we’re a super sad generation// killing time and losing our paycheques‘.

In the next verse, she moves into spoken-word, softly saying ‘We’re bugging out it’s not hard to see// Dropped three tabs quick in the back of the Prius’. Parks is putting words to the shared ‘generational-anxiety’ of “Gen-Z” to make sense of her own feelings but also to help listeners make sense of theirs.

Her single Eugene, released in February this year, is about having ‘complicated feelings towards someone you’ve known for a long time’. Parks said she has had this experience before, which makes sense given how honest and personal the song feels.

Eugene takes its listeners on a journey by telling a story, a story that most people have lived but not heard in the form of a catchy song on Radio 1. Park’s is helping listeners by showing them that they’re not alone in falling ‘half in love’ and feeling jealous watching their best mate go off with a new boyfriend.

COLORSXSTUDIO then asks Parks if she is afraid of being vulnerable, and to this she replies that, for her, ‘the fear of being vulnerable is outweighed by the beauty of connection’. This is clearly true for such an honest artist who uses her song-writing skills to make others feel less alone, in the same way that a good writer can echo our own thoughts back to us on the page.