The Blasters’ singer and guitarist Phil Alvin speaks like the band plays: short, fast and furious. “My father was very upset when I quit school,” he said, trying at breakneck speed to make his words catch up with his thoughts. “He took the neck of my guitar and screwed it to the dustpan. Then he scooped the dog crap with it, and left it in the garage. Every time I turned on the light on, I’d have to walk past it.” But Phil ignored his father’s exhortations, and with the help of his younger brother Dave, formed one of the… Read more »
The seminal album of British punk rock celebrates its 25th birthday on Monday and shows no sign of growing old gracefully. On October 28, 1977, the Sex Pistols unleashed their debut album, “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols,” on an unsuspecting world. It shot straight to the top of the album charts and stayed there for an astonishing 47 weeks. Everything about the album was designed to shock, from its provocative title, its 12 short, explosive songs and its garish pink and yellow pop art album cover. The names of the tracks were printed on the album sleeve… Read more »
A quarter-century after they shot to infamy with the scathing anti-royal song “God Save the Queen,” the Sex Pistols are reuniting in the summer of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. The legendary punk band will perform July 27 at London’s Crystal Palace sports center, singer John Lydon said today (May 16). The 76-year-old monarch is marking 50 years on the throne with a series of public events around the country, including a pop concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace on June 4. The Sex Pistols have not been invited. Lydon – formerly known as Johnny Rotten – gave details… Read more »
April fools were on the loose at the kick-off date of the Sum Like It Hot Tour Monday night at the Electric Factory. At the head of the parade was Deryck Whibley, who led his band, Sum41, in an hour’s worth of snotty punk rock, heavy metal reverence and irreverent shtick. The singer donned a Nike headband thrown onto the stage from the audience. “Does this make me cool?” Whibley asked before taking it off. “I’m just not cool – sorry.” Dave Baksh, Sum41’s lead guitarist and stage foil to Whibley, replied, “Nothing will make you look cool.” Maybe not… Read more »
British punk legends the Sex Pistols are to reissue their anarchic song “God Save the Queen” to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 50 years on the throne, their record company said Thursday. “(The record) is to be reissued around the Golden Jubilee celebrations on May 27,” Virgin Records said in a statement. “It will feature the original artwork.” The single’s anti-royal lyrics and cover image of the queen with a safety pin through her nose caused outrage on its first release in 1977. The song includes the verse: “God save the Queen/She ain’t no human being/There is no future/In England’s dreaming.” While… Read more »
Radiohead was named the world’s best band at a major music awards ceremony in London on Monday. The Oxford-based quintet beat U2, R.E.M., Stereophonics and last year’s winners, Travis, at Q magazine’s music awards. Radiohead has evolved from recording gloomy rock to soaring epics in a career spanning 14 years and five albums. Irish rocker band Ash won the best single award for “Burn Baby Burn,” taken from its No. 1 album “Free All Angels.” Travis, the Glasgow quartet fronted by Fran Healey, picked up the best album award for “The Invisible Band,” which features hits including “Sing” and “Side.”… Read more »
British punk legend Johnny Rotten’s famous “Anarchy” shirt sold at auction for 4,000 pounds ($5,860) Thursday. Rotten wore the stained and ripped shirt bearing the slogans “No Future” and “Antichrist, anarchy” on stage during the Sex Pistols’ infamous 1970s shows. It was sold to an unnamed telephone bidder at a west London sale held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the “Punk Special” concerts that helped launch the alternative music scene. “I had good feedback from the Sex Pistols-related pieces, but the results were much better than I expected,” said Stephen Maycock of British auction house Sothebys. Johnny Rotten’s shirt… Read more »
John Lydon, the former Sex Pistols vocalist, also known as Johnny Rotten has compared Eminem to Sid Vicious. He says that there are similarities between the two although Eminem has more kudos. Speaking to Belgian magazine Mao he said, “Yeah, there are similarities, but I give him more kudos than Sid, I think he’s a little bit more clued in. Some of his poetry is quite great – it’s really clever, shifty stuff and he can run with it at the speed of lightning.” “There’s not many rappers out there that can be that fast. It’s not all of us… Read more »
He was Rotten … and now he’s Death. John Lydon, aka punk rock pioneer Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame, has been cast as the grim reaper in “Bad News, Mr. Swanson,” a comedy pilot for FX from Columbia TriStar Television Distribution. The pilot stars Frank Whaley as a guy whose life is falling apart. When he learns that he has incurable cancer, he ditches all of his obligations and problems and goes wild. The role of Death won’t be any holiday in the sun for Lydon. The character becomes an edgy and taunting presence in Clark Swanson’s life, one… Read more »
Today we talk about the court case between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, the new Face the Music Foundation, and Billie Eilish bringing out Hayley Williams at Coachella. Heard v Depp It seems like the entirety of the internet has been sitting in on the court case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. In case you missed it, Depp has taken his ex wife to court over defamation after she accused him of abuse in their marriage in 2018. After the article she wrote making this accusation was released, Depp lost work including his involvement with The Fantastic Beast and… Read more »
