Nick Cave shares advice for artist considering boycotting The Great Escape in solidarity with Palestine: “Play”

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Katie Kimmel says her parents – Jimmy Kimmel and his first wife, Gina – didn’t blink when she told them she wanted to be an artist. “There was no shock,” says Katie, a ceramist who is best known for her whimsical dog and cat sculptures. (Full disclosure: This reporter commissioned a vase of my pooches earlier this year.) “My dad is a really great artist.

Soft Play – FKA Slaves – have dropped out of the Great Escape Festival in solidarity with Palestine.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is currently being held across various music venues in Brighton until Saturday (May 18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel with over 35,000 Palestinians killed since the October 7 attacks. Over 100 acts have now dropped out of this year’s event with Soft Play, who were due to perform at The Paris House on Saturday, becoming the latest.Posting on Instagram, they wrote: “We will not be playing at the great escape this weekend.

The Great Escape Festival 2024 line-up have pulled out of the festival with over 125 artists joining the boycott, a number of the acts have spoken to NME about their decision and showing solidarity with Palestine.The Great Escape kicked off last night (May 15), but every artist booked to play the opening party canceled their appearance at the festival, alongside more than 100 others including Picture Parlour, Miso Extra and Alfie Templeman – while Big Special will be playing but donating their fee from the festival to the Palestine Child Relief fund.Festival sponsors Barclays are accused of investing in a number of companies that supply arms to Israel, with over 35,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since the historic conflict escalated last year, with Hamas committing the October 7 attacks. The bank also sponsors a number of other festivals, including Latitude, Download and Isle Of Wight.We've pulled out of this year's @thegreatescape due to their ongoing partnership with Barclays- who have, and still are, investing billions in arms companies involved in the genocide on Palestinians.

Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall are reuniting on screen once again!

Big Special have shared a statement explaining why they have decided to play The Great Escape amidst the boycott.The gothic Black Country duo – comprised of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – took to their official Instagram account to explain why they will go ahead with performing at this year’s edition of the Brighton-based music festival.The 2024 event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from today (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.“We will still be performing at The great escape this week and donating our fee to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, of which our label will also match the donation. Here is our statement,” wrote the duo in an Instagram post.A post shared by BIG SPECIAL (@bigspecial_)“There’s been a lot of chat about The Great Escape festival recently and their sponsorship from Barclays, who are helping fund arms sales to Israel, weapons being used to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people.“A lot of bands have boycotted the event in solidarity.

The Loose Women panel sent their warmest congratulations to Ant McPartlin on the arrival of his first child during Wednesday, 15 May's episode. Ant, 48, and his wife Anne-Marie, 46, were overjoyed to welcome their baby boy into the world on Tuesday, 14 May.The couple, who exchanged vows in 2021, shared their delightful news on Instagram, having kept their pregnancy journey away from the public eye. Anne-Marie gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, and the couple took to Instagram with a charming black-and-white snapshot of Ant cradling their new addition.

Picture Parlour are the latest band to announce that they are boycotting The Great Escape this year, joining over 100 other acts that have done so.The band took to their official X/Twitter account to share that they will no longer be performing at the Brighton-based festival. “Hey guys, we have made the decision to pull out of this year’s Great Escape festival,” they began.“We will be putting on a show next month and all ticket & merch sales will be donated to charities for Palestinian relief.

Lizzo has spoken out and shared her support for Palestine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and college protesters.The musician took to Instagram yesterday (May 13) to show her support in a video addressing the various conflicts taking place.“I just want to take a second and give a personal thank you to all of the activists who have been working tirelessly to help the liberation and the freedom of the people who have been genocided all over the world, specifically Palestine, Sudan and the Congo,” she said.“As someone who has worked closely with activists, I know the toll it can take on your mental and your physical and it can feel thankless so if you have not heard it today, thank you. Your work is not in vain.

Great Escape Festival in solidarity with Palestine, with Massive Attack also speaking out in support of the boycott.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from tomorrow (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.The issue was first highlighted in a petition started by the promoter How To Catch A Pig and the band The Menstrual Cramps – which has since been signed by musicians including Kneecap, Lambrini Girls, Alfie Templeman, Lip Critic, Wunderhorse and Mary In The Junkyard.Last month, Cherym pulled out of The Great Escape as a result of the festival’s connection to Barclays, before record labels Alcopop and Big Scary Monsters joined the boycott and withdrew from the event.Dozens more acts soon followed suit, with over half the line-up demanding that The Great Escape drop its sponsorship deal with Barclays.Speaking about their decision not to play the festival, Lambrini Girls said: “We will not be appearing at The Great Escape festival this year. This is a targeted approach of a cultural boycott, considering Barclays sponsorship.“Barclays provide financial services of over £1BN pounds to companies supplying military technology and weapons to the IDF, perpetuating the horrors unfolding in Gaza.”Now, 106 artists have cancelled their scheduled appearances at The Great Escape 2024 in total – constituting approximately a quarter of the full programme.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds have shared part one of ‘The Making Of Wild God’ featuring Radiohead‘s Colin Greenwood.Directed by Megan Cullen and recorded at Miraval Studios in France, the new exclusive footage provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds created their upcoming 18th album ‘Wild God‘.The first part of the docu-film sees Cave at a grand piano, playing chords. “We’ve just got to get this right ok? Don’t fuck it up at the 11th hour. Is that one of the things we thought was good? Sounds like a mad-man walked in to it,” Cave says during the first clips.Greenwood also makes an appearance while laying down parts of a bass track in the studio.

K.J. Yossman The Ukrainian edition of “The Bachelor” is set to return with 28-year-old war veteran Oleksandr Budko as the lead. Produced by Starlight Media (an STB channel) and Warner Bros.

Alex Ritman Ed Harris — recently seen starring alongside Kristen Stewart in “Love Lies Bleeding” — is getting back behind the camera to direct his own adaptation of Kim Zupan’s acclaimed novel “The Ploughmen.” Owen Teague, currently playing the lead in “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Nick Nolte and Bill Murray have come on board to star in the neo-noir crime thriller, which will go into production in Montana this Fall. Amy Madigan and Lily Harris are also set for the film. “The Ploughmen” will mark Harris’ third feature as director after his Western “Appaloosa” and multi-Oscar nominated “Pollock.” Described being in the vein of “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River,” the film is set in the wilderness of Montana, where a strange friendship develops between a haunted young deputy sheriff and a notorious old murderer.

went on a bizarre Twitter rant falsely claiming Chelsea ​Clinton ​is married to George Soros’ nephew​, repeated a false rumor that the billionaire is a Nazi sympathizer​ and made a racist comment about then-President Obama’s adviser, Valerie Jarrett.ABC subsequently fired her, and killed her off — her eponymous sitcom. Barr also proceeded to slam her co-stars, saying that her TV daughter, Sara Gilbert, “stabbed me in the back.” Following that incident, “The Conners” premiered, following the family sans the matriarch.

Amazon is getting into the talk show game.

Eurovision entry Bambie Thug has shared an eerie cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’ and spoken out in support of Palestine ahead of this weekend’s finale.The non-binary singer will be representing Ireland at the final of the song contest in Malmö, Sweden, and has become Ireland’s first finalist since 2018. They won their place in Saturday’s final (May 11) with a performance of ‘Doomsday Blue’ at Tuesday’s (May 7) semi-finals.They have been listed as in the top 10 favourites to win the competition this year, and told NME that they are hoping to “give the best performance I can and try to connect in those three minutes to those millions of viewers”.That being said, there has been pressure on contestants, including Thug and UK representative Olly Alexander, to boycott the event in solidarity with Palestine.

Peter Oosterhuis, a CBS golf analyst and two-time winner of the European Tour money title, died Thursday. He was 75 and no cause was given by the PGA Tour, which announced his passing.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Swindell, a former pro skater who is set to be the central subject of a forthcoming skating biopic from MindRiot Entertainment, has signed with The BKS Agency in London. 

Nick Cave has expressed his “great elation” over becoming a grandfather.For the most recent entry to his Red Hand Files Q&A website, the Bad Seeds frontman responded to a post from a fan who is “expecting a baby boy next week”.Marius, from Lockport, New York, added: “All the tests are normal but I seem to swing from terror to euphoria and back again by the minute. Mostly terror! […] No real question, I just wanted to let you know.”Replying to the message, Cave revealed how he had “considered” the post while enjoying “a dazzling sun-filled day” in Melbourne, Australia.“As I drank my coffee and ate my sandwich, I thought of my son, Luke, and his wife, Sasha, who had welcomed their own baby boy into the world last night, and I experienced a wave of great elation,” he wrote.“A breeze rippled across the lawn, the birds cawed, the sun shone high in the sky, and the great gum trees seemed to burst from the ground – all for my own momentary enjoyment, for a new grandfather, sitting on a park bench, on this most happy day.

Nicki Minaj surprised fans at a recent live show by bringing out Drake as a surprise guest and performing the live debut of ‘Needle’.The moment took place on Tuesday (April 30), as the ‘Super Freaky Girl’ rapper took to the stage in Toronto as part of her ongoing world tour, celebrating the release of 2023’s ‘Pink Friday 2’.While on stage at the Scotiabank Arena, she told the audience midway through the set that she would be bringing out a special guest. “Make some noise for the king of Toronto,” Nicki told the crowd, “Make some noise for this icon, this legend.”It was there that the ‘Trust Issues’ rapper took to the stage, and performed the first-ever live performance of the two’s collaborative track ‘Needle’ together in front of his hometown audience.The song was featured on Minaj’s recent album ‘Pink Friday 2’, and peaked at Number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 after its debut.

The Great Escape in solidarity with Palestine.The talent discovery and development programme took to its official X/Twitter account to reveal that they will no longer be hosting a stage at the Brighton Festival. The reasoning behind the decision to drop out of the festival is due to The Great Escape being sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the current events in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.“We will not be hosting a stage at The Great Escape Festival 2024.