Following the 1979 dissolution of female punk trendsetters The Runaways, in which Jett played guitar and sang backing vocals, she found herself in England starting her journey as a solo artist. Here, she recorded three songs with the Sex Pistol’s Paul Cook and Steve Jones, one of which was a demo version of ‘I Love Rock ‘n Roll’, before recording a self-titled solo album at London’s Ramport Studios, which was owned by The Who. She then formed The Blackhearts, and later reissued the self-titled album as ‘Bad Reputation’ in 1981.

From there Joan Jett and The Blackhearts released their full debut LP as a group, 1981’s ‘I Love Rock ‘n Roll’, the title track of which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 7 successive weeks and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. Jett established herself as one of the most important female trailblazers in rock, both as a singer and guitarist, going on to receive a Grammy nomination for 1989 single ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ and earn the induction of herself and The Blackhearts into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jett and the group have just completed a US tour with Iggy Pop, and were due to hit the UK this July supporting former-Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar on his star-studded ‘Best Of All Worlds’ tour. Hagar recently announced that these shows would be down-sizing venues to foster a more intimate atmosphere, which sees Joan Jett and The Blackhearts now missing from the current billing.

The vacuum from the Sammy Hagar tour has been filled by Jett’s first headlining UK shows since 2010, and her first trip across the pond since 2011’s Isle of Wight Festival. The tour will visit Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, and Wolverhampton before finishing at the brand-new British Airways ARC venue in London’s Olympia redevelopment project, which is due to open in June. Jett has said of the announcement “We can’t wait to be back on stage in the UK this Summer! I wrote and recorded Bad Reputation, my first solo LP in London. It’s been too long since we’ve been in the UK and we’re excited to see everyone!”

Tickets for Joan Jett and The Blackhearts solo dates go on sale at 10AM on Friday the 24th of April. Essex punk two-piece The Meffs are opening on all dates. Their UK shows conclude with one night supporting emo heroes My Chemical Romance on their Black Parade 20th anniversary tour, hitting Wembley Stadium on the 10th of July. Check the poster below for their headline run:

Chicago punk legends Rise Against have announced that they are coming back to the UK an Europe this summer. The punk titans will be over for some huge European festivals in August and during their sojourn they will be playing headline gigs in Manchester, London, Milan, and Budapest. Tickets for this tantalising tour go on sale this Friday the 12th of April.

Rise Against have already been well travelled this year having supported Blink 182 in Arenas in New Zealand and Australia. And they also still have some U.S. and Canadian dates penned in for 2024.

Four dates in Europe just added for this August!
On sale this Friday, April 12th @ 10am CEST.

August 7 | Milano, IT | Circolo Magnolia
August 13 | Budapest, HU | Budapest Park
August 20 | Manchester, UK | O2 Ritz
August 21 | London, UK | O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire pic.twitter.com/yv1r7gP6Kr

— Rise Against (@riseagainst) April 9, 2024

 

Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago Illinois. Formed in 1999 The group’s current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Known for their catchy hooks and aggressive sound, their roots were formed in the melodic post-hardcore scene, and while they have diversified slightly, over the years, their fanbase remains as fervent as ever. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism.

The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which they released two studio albums, The Unraveling (2001) and Revolutions per Minute (2003). Both the albums were met with underground success, and in 2003 the band signed with the major label Dreamworks, which was absorbed by Geffen. Rise Against’s major label debut Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004) brought the band mainstream success, largely in part to the popularity of the singles “Give It All” and “Swing Life Away”. The band’s next album, The Sufferer & the Witness (2006), peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and was Rise Against’s first album to chart in countries outside of North America.

Catch Rise Against at the following new headline dates:

August

7 Milano Circolo Magnolia
13 Budapest Park
20 Manchester O2 Ritz
21 London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

The moment a band turn up with their OWN hearse at our signing session in Liverpool, so we join in to cover Hate To Say I Told You So! pic.twitter.com/7wsOpYGqjH

— The Hives (@TheHives) August 15, 2023

The Hives were due to take part in a signing event at a store on Slater Street, Liverpool on 15 August when Blackburn-based stoner rock band Sky Valley Mistress pulled up in front of the record shop in a hearse (an nod to the band’s album title) and began launching into the Swedish rockers most famous hits. Much to the delighted surprise of the band, as The Hives arrived, the original members joined Sky Valley Mistress for a rendition of what is arguably their biggest hit song.

Released in 2000, “Hate To Say I Told You So” was The Hives’ lead off single for their second studio album, Veni Vidi Vicious and gained the band considerable attention and plaudits. And it was, to the excited crowd on the street, a particular treat to witness frontman Pelle Almqvist share the mic with Sky Valley Mistress singer Kayley ‘Hell Kitten’ Davies just outside of a kebab shop.

Sky Valley Mistress immediately took to social media to share the impromptu performance, saying “thank you to The Hives for coming out with their fans to see our gig outside Jacaranda last night.” The band also shared various images of them posing with the Hives.

The Hives released their latest studio effort only a week ago and is the first release of new material in 11 years. The long gap has not seemed to dent the band’s impact with critics praising the record for retaining its playful, hook filled garage rock sound.

Almqvist, speaking tongue in cheek of the band’s failure to release a mature album, said, “imagine ‘The Hives have been away from 10 years and now they’ve matured.’ It was important to go the opposite way. This has to be fucking stupid and childish, even worse than we’ve been before! The punk songs on this album are almost worse than our first record. ‘The Bomb’ and ‘Trapdoor Solution’ are almost like us reaching the ceiling of it.”

Hailing from Fagersta, Sweden, The Hives came to prominence in the early 2000s, notably after the release of their breakthrough album, Veni Vidi Vicious. Since then, the band has received particular praise for their high-energy live shows that have had many critics citing them as one of the greatest live acts since their arrival onto the scene.

This year’s Slam Dunk Festival is now sold out across both sites! Thank you all for your support in making this year our biggest event yet!

Final tickets for the afterparties and the north pre-party are still available, but all are close to selling out as well. pic.twitter.com/tUKvo74iZ2

— Slam Dunk Festival (@SlamDunkMusic) April 29, 2023

Billed as one of the largest music festivals in the UK this summer, the problems plagued both venues in Hatfield and Leeds respectively. The issues seemed to stem from the first day of the festival in its south location of Hatfield Park, when an unprecedented amount of festival-goers showed up to the venue without advanced parking tickets. This caused a huge strain on the organisation of the venue, as ticket holders found themselves queueing for parking and, in many cases, missing performances that were highly anticipated.

Slam Dunk organisers sought to correct the issue for the second day’s north location in Leeds by only allowing parking ticket holders to enter the car park which, in turn, caused delays on entry to the grounds. Many fans took to social media to vent their anger and frustration but also highlighted long queues for food and toilets as well as a lack of adequate security. On the evening of the 27th, following the Hatfield Park event, Slam Dunk issued an apology to those fans who found themselves stuck in traffic causing a late arrival-blaming the hold up on the arrival of non-parking ticket holders and external factors beyond the organiser’s control.

We sincerely apologise for anyone that was caught in the traffic issues whilst arriving on site today for Slam Dunk South. Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/PKtq0MHlwS

— Slam Dunk Festival (@SlamDunkMusic) May 27, 2023

Voicing disappointment to news outlets and social media, one fan reported, “music was brilliant but pretty much everything else was poor. Food queues were huge, like 100/150 people easy in each line. felt for the girls as the portaloo queues were worse. 7 quid pints and took us 3 hours just to get out.”

Slam Dunk had for weeks announced that the two venues had sold out but many were left exasperated that, at an organisational level, the venue was severely lacking. On the festival’s social media accounts, fans demanded partial refunds, highlighting a lack of clear signage to direct patrons through the car park and once inside the venue.

The criticism undoubtedly serves as a black mark for the festival that featured otherwise brilliant performances from bands that played both sites. Slam Dunk Festival is an annual UK showcase of pop-punk, emo and alternative music that often attracts huge bands and crowds alike. This year’s edition featured headlining sets from Enter Shikari and The Offspring as well as performances by Yellowcard and Creeper.

The Meteors led the scene in the UK, with their blend of horror and stage antics sometimes proving too extreme, particularly within the city that punk had its founding. Far from deterring the trio, The Meteors persisted with their style of music and deft non- political stances that bridged gaps between reactive elements of British culture at the time.

The band is also credited with introducing the ‘wrecking’ dance as it has become known by-an aggressive, mosh like movement that has become a staple of many a punk rock show, recognised throughout the world. Fans of the band, affectionately referred to as ‘The Crazies’, have often cited, in addition to inventing the dance itself, that The Meteors are the genres first, and only, psychobilly band-employing the slogan “Only The Meteors are pure psychobilly.” 

Formed by guitarist and vocalist P. Paul Fenech, Nigel Lewis and Mark Robertson, the band was slated by the UK music press as dangerous and were refused entry by many clubs and venues around the UK. Today, Fenech remains the only original member of the band (Hendrik Corleone and Wolfgang Hordemann playing bass and drums respectively) but has continued to record new music and play live shows.

With the band making an appearance at the equally legendary venue of The Underworld, the chance to see The Meteors in a more intimate venue is surely not to be missed. Located in the heart of Camden, in fact directly across from Camden Town tube station, The Underworld has become one of London’s, if not the entire UK’s, premier venues for alternative music. Frequently considered a starting point for many bands on the way to super-stardom and selling out arenas, the small London club boasts past live performances from artists such as The Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Soundgarden.

The Underworld is also a favourite spot for bigger bands to play surprise or secret shows when they are in town, easily packing the venue to the rafters. With typically lower ticket prices and the draw of famous pub The World’d End right next door, the club is renownded by visiting bands and fans alike.

The Meteors will play their live show at The Underworld Camden on 14th July, 2023. Find tickets here.

The Meteors UK Tour:

13/07/2023 – 1865 – Southampton
14/07/2023 – The Underword Camden – London
15/07/2023 – Bedford Esquires – Bedford
17/07/2023 – Retro Bar – Manchester
18/07/2023 – The Parish – Huddersfield
04/08/2023 – Redrum – Stafford

Find tickets to these dates here.

Hailing from the Isle of Wight, Grade 2 have been garnering bigger and better shows as they continue to provide support for major acts as well as taking their brand of old school inspired punk across both sides of the Atlantic. The band are currently in the middle of their headlining tour of the west coast of the United States and are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon as their tour prospects are set to keep them busy in front of ever growing crowds this summer.

Once the trio return from the United States, they are set to hit Europe with American ska band The Interrupters for a show in Amsterdam, before heading back to the UK in what could possibly be there biggest show of their careers thus far, as they join American punk legends Rancid at the Ovo Arena, Wembley on the 20th of June. Grade 2 will also be joining Rancid for select dates in Europe. If that doesn’t do for hitting unprecedented heights for the young punk rockers, they will also be joining NOFX on one date during their farewell tour in Austria in June.

Grade 2 have made major waves on the music scene in recent years with their brand of punk rock appealing to fans who have been supporters of the genre for decades as well as new fans alike. Last summer, the band toured throughout the UK with punk stalwarts Social Distortion, which gave them exposure to a wider audience that embraced their bold and energetic live shows. Other famous acts soon took notice as the likes of Rancid and NOFX will give the band even further exposure to crowds hungry for new and raw punk to get behind.

Releasing their third studio album in February on Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Brett Gurewitz’ record label Hellcat, the band from the small isle celebrated their first ever chart success, placing on the official indie charts in March. With most young bands embracing the poppier elements of the genre, Grade 2 have proven that the grittier, punchier old school sound still has plenty of mileage left and the band have been gathering plenty of praise with each new song and each new show.

Grade 2 have been busy but the hard work looks set to pay off, as the band begin a summer tour cycle that has the potential to see them become household names- as one generation of punk hands off to the next.

Grade 2 will headline their own European dates in Scandinavia and Germany this June.

Grade 2 EU Headline Shows:

07/06/2023 – Sveta Baar – Talinn, Estonia
08/06/2023 – On the Rocks – Helsinki, Finland
11/06/2023 – Underwerket – Copenhagen, Denmark
14/06/2023 – Glockenbachwerkstatt – Munich, Germany
16/06/2023 – Conne Island – Leipzig, Germany

Find tickets here.

Grade 2 with The Interrupters:

15/06/2023 – Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Find tickets here.

Grade 2 with NOFX:

02/06/2023 – Pichlinger See – Linz, Austria

Find tickets here.

Grade 2 with Rancid:

20/06/2023 – Ovo Arena Wembley – London, UK
21/06/2023 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester, UK

Find tickets here.

Green Day’s frontman, enjoying some down time from the band’s touring commitments and song writing, happened to be at Slim Jim’s Liquor Store located in Angel, north London. UK Heavy alternative rock band Borderline Toxic was performing a set when they decided to include a cover of one of Green Day’s most well known and popular hits “Basket Case” from their break-out record Dookie from 1994.

Unable to resist the temptation, Armstrong jumped onto the stage to accompany Borderline Toxic front-woman Kerry Glass-much to the enthusiastic surprise of those in attendance.

Judging by the video the band posted across their social media platforms, the London based rockers were visibly thrilled to be joined spontaneously by a man the members consider to be a punk rock hero. Posting later about the event on social media, the band expressed, “the moment your band gets joined on stage by your childhood idol to sing their own song with you…Billie Joe Armstrong, thank you, you legend!”

The excitement and joy of the occasion was not just Borderline Toxic’s to revel in, as Armstrong himself looks to have had an exuberant time performing his own smash hit. The band also took to social media to quip, “when you walk into a pub and the cover band starts playing your song.” Green Day also shared video of the performance across their social media accounts.

Styling themselves as a rock and roll dive bar, Slim Jim’s pride themselves on supporting local London bands, providing them with a stage and atmosphere to rock out. Featuring an impressive selection of whiskies, the bar features live DJ events and, occasionally, international acts- although a surprise cameo from an artist like Armstrong is probably as good as it could ever get for any small bar venue.

Green Day have reportedly began working on a new album. Work has been commencing in Los Angeles and London, which could explain Armstrong’s presence in the city over the weekend. What would be their 14th studio record, the album has a hopeful release date of sometime in 2024.

Green Day took their highly anticipated Hella Mega Tour on the road last summer with support from Weezer and Fall Out Boy, playing stadiums and arenas throughout the United States and United Kingdom. After releasing their last studio album, The Father of All Motherfuckers in 2020, fans will be delighted at the quick turnaround between releases of new music.

The British rock band, Bloc Party, was formed in the 90’s and has a hold on many hearts that grew up in the 00’s. The American rock band Paramore is also one of those bands, formed in 2004 and securing the sound everyone loves from that era.

Kele Okereke came on stage during Paramore’s live show to play a stripped back version of the Bloc Party song. Hayley Williams, the lead singer of the American band, expressed her love for the group and are, to this day, still a great influence on her music; “Bloc Party has been a huge influence on Paramore since we were little kids, you know? Picking up guitars and writing songs for the first time. And we’ve grown up with this band, the same way that a lot of you have grown up with us and probably have grown up with Bloc Party as well. So it only feels right to sing a song together that I used to cry to in my car. And maybe we can all cry together.

The performance turned out to be a very emotional one. Combining Williams angelic voice and Okereke’s unmistakable tone, the outcome created an enthralling harmony and a beautiful version of the song. Their fans feedback was a very welcomed one.

Paramore are currently on tour. Having just finished visiting UK cities, they will be returning to the states. Their next gig is on the 19th of May at the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama. They will be touring their way through until August. Their final destination being in St Paul, Minnesota playing at the Xcel Energy Center.

During Paramore’s tour this year, Bloc Party have been opening as their support act. They will be doing so for the rest of the American post-punk band’s journey around the US, set to kick off next month (May). Alongside Bloc Party, they will be joined by other artists like Genesis Owusu and The Linda Lindas.

They have just announced a rescheduling of said gig, which has been pushed back to the 15th August at the London, Brixton Academy. Consecutively, they will be playing in Manchester the following day at the Victoria Warehouse.

The last time the band set foot in the UK was last July at the Cheltenham festival, 2000 Trees. Their live performances have made quite a name for themselves through an invigorating energy brought to the stage by the band members. The barrier breaking music speaks for itself within a youthful punk band. Not to mention the liberty they transmit to the audience when they welcome their fans to jump on stage to dive headfirst into a swarming moshpit. Who would want to miss that.

Great success has come to kindly greet them since they released their latest album GLOW ON in 2021. It is their third full length studio album, which has proved to be the most successful, landing them top venue and sold-out shows around the globe. A much awaited response from a boundaryless and excavating band. “I think that there’s never really a plan set in place that has the potential to be disrupted if we wake up one morning and want to try something else. We try to never really apply too much structure to it, so it feels as boundless as it possibly can” they mention in an interview.

The Brixton Academy has been shut down ever since the fatal crowd crush during Asake’s gig on the 15th December. In order for the venue to unmuddle the circumstances, to create a safer environment for future events, Brixton Academy had no other choice other than to shut down for three months. A number of artists have had to adapt to the consequences and relocate or reschedule their shows to another time and place, including Turnstile. The venue has been shut voluntarily until April and still awaits an official date for it’s reopening.

Luckily, the punk band have managed to pull through with alternative dates and will be bringing their live sorcery back to the UK. Tickets for both gigs are now available to fetch online.

Click here for tickets.

UK Tour Dates:

15/08/2023 – Brixton Academy – London
16/08 – Victoria Warehouse – Manchester

Tickets to our headlining club shows in Norway and Germany will be refunded. Contact your local promoter for details. pic.twitter.com/4FPZT9zKgt

— Bad Religion (@badreligion) August 1, 2022

The band also stated the following in the same tweet, “Tickets to our headlining club shows in Norway and Germany will be refunded. Contact your local promoter for details”. For UK fans this means their shows at the Rebellion Punk Music Festival 2022 in Blackpool on August 4^th and at the House of Vans London on August 6^th will unfortunately not go ahead.

https://t.co/0LwKwciFhJ pic.twitter.com/SIfcJ5ssym

— Bad Religion (@badreligion) July 28, 2022

Bad Religion was formed by Greg Graffin, along with guitarist Brett Gurewitz and bassist Jay Bentley in high school in the Los Angeles suburbs in 1980 and celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2020. They are regarded as one of the most influential and important bands on the West Coast punk rock scene.

Armed with ferocious guitars, pounding drum beats, insightful lyrics, and an unwavering desire to inspire and disturb anybody who will listen, Bad Religion has continuously pushed social limits and questioned authority and beliefs. The Band’s first major label release, Stranger Than Fiction, included some of the band’s most famous songs, such as the title track, “Stranger Than Fiction”, “Infected”, and “21st Century Digital Boy”.

Age Of Unreason, the group’s 17th studio album, was released in 2019. With tracks addressing various socio-political ills, including conspiracy theories, racist demonstrations, Trump’s election, the erosion of the middle class, and alternative truths.

The critically praised album presents a fierce and highly pertinent musical response to the times. Hard rapid beats, juicy hooks, and spirited choruses are a part of the band’s recognisable and influential sound. Yet, every new song still stands out because it uses composition, melody, and lyrics to tell a particular story that aligns with the band’s long-standing humanist viewpoint.

In December 2020, the band marked its 40 years of recording and performing music with Decades, an event at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, California, that the band streamed live in four instalments. The celebratory episodes featured live performance footage, interviews, and a sneak peek at their rehearsals for the anniversary show.

The band released their official biography, Do What You Want: The Story Of Bad Religion, in August 2020. The irreverent musical memoir stories their beginnings as teenagers growing up in the San Fernando Valley experimenting in their garage, they nicknamed “The Hell Hole” to the worldwide punk rock phenomenon they became.

Joining Graffin, Gurewitz and Bentley in this incarnation of Bad Religion are Brian Baker (one of the founding members of hardcore punk legends Minor Threat) and Mike Dimkich on guitars and Jamie Miller on drums.