Author: Amanda Collins
Attendees of All Points East 2025 have been complaining about high levels of dust at Victoria Park. The East London festival kicked off last week with headline slots from Cleo Sol and SAULT, who performed last Friday (August 15), and Chase & Status on Saturday (16). There was also a free community event headlined by legendary DJ Pete Tong on Sunday (17). Last night (August 22), Barry Can’t Swim headlined, and tonight (August 23) will see BRIT Award-winning singer and songwriter RAYE top the bill of an all-female line-up which includes Tyla, JADE, Nao, Cat Burns, Eliza Rose, former NME Cover star Chloe Qisha, NME 100 alumni Nia Smith, and more. FKA Twigs was…
For everything he throws at it – the fireworks, the army of musicians onstage, his impeccable vocals – Hozier’s headline Reading 2025 set will probably be remembered most for what he says. During an astonishing four-minute speech, the Irish musician speaks passionately and eloquently about the civil rights movement, the fight for democracy, the plight of the Palestinian people and the bravery of artists who speak up in the face of oppression. “Safety and security for everybody in the Middle East means seeing a Palestine that’s free from occupation,” he explains, pacing up and down the stage as the band…
Lerocque, the moniker of Portuguese-born, Swiss-raised/based singer and songwriter Pedro Rodrigues, shares his brand new single Like You, a feel-good pop song. A captivating song about falling in love, Like You tells a tale that combines how love can emerge from unconventional circumstances and how unexpected stories are often the best. It draws inspiration from the moment he met his now wife and it celebrates their love and story together after all these years. A beautiful declaration of love that is flawlessly conveyed through Lerocque’s passionate vocals which soar effortlessly over an infectious pop production that pairs intricate guitar riffs with…
A charismatic alt-pop success from Joshua Pearlstein, “Just the Feeling” pairs grooving rhythmic and buzzing synth infectiousness with a standout vocal performance — recounting the addictive nature of a toxic yet stimulating romance. Originally from Atlanta and now based between Boston and Los Angeles, Pearlstein’s pop influences are those with both style and inventiveness — names like Michael Jackson, Prince, Justin Timberlake, The Weeknd, and Lady Gaga. These artists’ abilities to maintain infectious immediacy and vibe-y soundscapes, with relatable thematic strides, results in a timeless pop feeling; “Just the Feeling” feels very much in that mold, with its club-ready production…
Sammy Hagar has announced a new live album that will capture his band’s Las Vegas residency from earlier this year. The former Van Halen frontman played nine shows at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in April and May, backed by guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Kenny Aronoff. Now, it has been confirmed that the 19-track live album ‘Sammy Hagar & The Best Of All Worlds Band – The Residency’ will be released on October 10. The first taster of the record has been shared in the form of ‘Summer Nights’, the track from Van Halen’s 1986…
Hozier used his set at Reading Festival 2025 to speak out in support of Palestine Action, Kneecap, free speech and equality. READ MORE: Reading & Leeds 2025 liveblog: Check out the action as it happens The Irish musician performed on the main stage last night (August 22), and gave an impassioned speech, which began by referencing artists with an “instinct to tell the truth in their music”, listing Nina Simone, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and Ewan MacColl. He then spotlighted Mavis Staples and her family, The Staples Singers, who “used to sing before speeches during the American Civil Rights movement that…
BTS’s RM has said the band are “working diligently” on new music. READ MORE: BTS at 10: how the world-conquering boyband evolved from hip-hop rookies to eclectic icons The K-pop juggernauts reunited in early July for the first time since 2022, with all seven members having completed their mandatory military service in South Korea. During a special livestream, the band confirmed rumours that they were preparing to release new music. Now, RM has given an update on the album and his experience adjusting to life after completing his military service, in a statement shared with fans on Weverse. “It’s already been a…
The Pretty Reckless have released their first new music in four years in the form of the single ‘For I Am Death’ – check it out below. The New York band were last active with their fourth album ‘Death By Rock And Roll’, which was released in 2021 and included the Tom Morello-featuring single ‘And So It Went’. Since then, they have released a compilation of acoustic recordings and cover songs named ‘Other Worlds’ and played huge shows supporting The Rolling Stones and AC/DC, and now they are back with ‘For I Am Death’, a track powered by muscular riffs…
Lil Nas X will remain in prison this weekend after his arrest and hospitalisation this week in Los Angeles. On Thursday (August 21), the rapper was reportedly spotted walking down the street in his underwear in Studio City in the early morning hours. Los Angeles Police Department officers attempted to approach him, at which point Lil Nas X reportedly charged at them. He was placed in handcuffs and escorted to hospital to be treated for a possible overdose. A video shared by TMZ appeared to show the rapper – real name Montero Lamar Hill – speaking incoherently as he walked…
By now, it’s a familiar scene: the screens on the side of a festival main stage cut to the crowd and the sea of bodies is endless, not a millimetre of grass between them, and seemingly filling the entire site. After a dizzying 14 months since Chappell Roan’s major breakthrough moment last summer, where she smashed crowd size records at festivals across the US, that’s the case again at Reading 2025. Where last summer often saw Roan theme her festival sets to the city she was in, now she’s headlining a series of events across Europe, she’s sticking to one…