Indie Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Pete Doherty has announced plans to curate a trio of UK shows next month.The Libertines man will host three nights in Manchester and London to mark the fifth anniversary of his record label Strap Originals.Over the three nights at The White Hotel (May 28) and the 100 Club in the capital (29,30) Doherty will take part in a Q&A about his life, his music and his vision for the label.A host of the label’s artists including Trampolene, Andrew Cushin, Vona Vella, Evan Williams will also perform over the three day period. You can view the full line-up below and purchase tickets here.Strap Originals was launched in 2017 with the release of Doherty & The Puta Madres’ self titled album.

Fontaines D.C. have announced details of a huge UK and Ireland tour, set to kick off later this year.

Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie has teamed up with Eric Cantona on a song the ex-footballer penned for Palestinians.The pair joined forces on vocals at a concert at King’s Place in London for the track ‘Give Us A Ticket’. You can view the footage below.Writing on the official Primal Scream Instagram, Gillespie wrote: “Last night I was honoured to sing with my friend @ericcantona on a song he has written about Palestine titled ‘Give Us a Ticket’.“Eric is on tour just now with his band – Their sound reminds one of Serge Gainsbourg, Tom Waits and Charles Baudilaire ( if he wore the number 7 shirt ) What a great concert.

The Smiths tribute band set to play at the re-opening gig of the O2 Academy in Brixton tonight (Friday April 19) have spoken to NME about what to expect from the show and what it means it be gracing the stage at the iconic London venue after tragedy closed its doors.The legendary South London venue has been shut since December 2022 after a fatal crowd crush that left two people dead. The tragic incident occurred at an Asake concert, which resulted in the deaths of Gabrielle Hutchinson, aged 23, and 33-year-old Rebecca Ikumelo.

Been Stellar have shared their mesmerising new single ‘Sweet’ – the latest taster of their forthcoming debut album. Check it out below.The melancholic track features frenetic, interlocking rhythms paired with frontman Sam Slocum’s soft yearning vocals as he sings: “Feel at the root / That I need you, and I need you / I don’t mind all the words / They just sound like, like the feeling / And it’s all getting old / Cause I need you, and I need you / You let it take up every moment / Just a life to hear you say,” explaining the struggle to find the right words to sum up the moment.‘Sweet’ marks the third track to be released as a single from the band’s forthcoming debut LP ‘Scream from New York, NY’.

Arcade Fire have announced a second ‘Funeral’ 20th-anniversary show at London’s Brixton Academy.The additional London date was added “Due to demand” and will take place on Friday July 5 at the famous venue. Tickets will go on general sale tomorrow (April 19) at 10am local time.

Pom Poko have announced details of a new album titled ‘Champion’, and shared the intriguing new title track. Check it out below.Announced today (April 18), the new album will mark the Norwegian four-piece and NME 100 alumni’s third studio album, following on from their blistering debut ‘Birthday’ in 2019, and 2021’s critically acclaimed sophomore album ‘Cheater’.Set for release on August 16 via Bella Union, the LP is set to see vocalist/lyricist Ragnhild Fangel Jamtveit, bassist Jonas Krøvel, guitarist Martin Miguel Almagro Tonne, and drummer Ola Djupvik reach new heights, as they learn from their time in the industry so far and push their sound in new directions.“It feels like we’re maturing and growing up together,” explained Jamtveit.

Kraftwerk, The National and Raye set to perform.The 58th edition of the prestigious Swiss event is due to take place on the Lake Geneva shoreline between July 5-20. Tickets go on general sale at 11am BST tomorrow (Friday, April 19) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.The aforementioned acts will all grace the Lake Stage along with The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice Cooper, PJ Harvey, Justice, Jessie Ware, Massive Attack, Air, Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Janelle Monáe, Michael Kiwanuka, Duran Duran, Paolo Nutini, Soft Cell and more.Artists for the stage’s opening day are yet to be confirmed.The Casino Stage programme, meanwhile, “blurs the lines between jazz, afrobeats, pop and rap”.

Girl In Red has opened up on the paintings that Taylor Swift gifted her sharing, describing it as “a very cute little thing”.While appearing as the latest guest as part of NME‘s In Conversation series, the Norwegian singer – real name Marie Ulven – discussed the gifts that the pop star gave her after the release of ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet‘.“That was right after my first album came out and she reposted my album, and I was like, what the hell? That’s insane,” began Ulven. “I sent her my album as a thank you, and she emailed me being like, ‘oh my God, you sent me your album.

IDLES have revealed which song in their back catalogue is the one they now feel is like “a bad haircut”, explaining why they never play it live.The Bristol band, who released their fifth studio album ‘Tangk’ earlier this year, were talking to The Independent while reflecting on their earlier, angrier years.Frontman Joe Talbot and guitarist Mark Bowen talked about how they once believed in the beauty of violence in their lyrics, and how they now believe them to not be “the words of a healthy man”.“I was scared and lost and angry,” Talbot added.When Bowen interjected that, “at least it was honest”, Talbot agreed: “I never lie – well apart from ‘Great’ on ‘Joy As An Act Of Resistance’. That song is like a bad haircut, which is why we don’t play it.

A post shared by 4AD (@4ad)Naysmith co-founded Pale Saints alongside singer-bassist Ian Masters and drummer Chris Cooper in Leeds and played a vital role within Pale Saints’ sound. They blended together Masters’ shoegazy vocals with noisy indie-pop.Pale Saints signed to 4AD records and released 1990’s ‘The Comforts of Madness’ and 1992’s ‘In Ribbons’, which are some of the best albums of 4AD’s original era.

Kate Nash has shared a new single called ‘Space Odyssey 2001’ – you can listen to it below.The track will appear on the singer-songwriter’s first studio album in six years, ‘9 Sad Symphonies’, which is due for release on June 21 via Kill Rock Stars (pre-order/pre-save here).The cinematic love song sees Nash recall her first date with her partner, and poke fun at her movie choice.“It’s the wrong film for a date, but I love the film. I like making jokes in songs,” she explained in a statement.“I like that there’s this beautiful love song but it’s also complaining about this critically acclaimed film being too long.

Lush co-founder Emma Anderson has shared a new remix of her 2023 song ‘Inter Light’ – you can listen to it below.The original version of the track appears on Anderson’s acclaimed debut solo album, ‘Pearlies’, which was released last October.Now, Brighton-based duo Memorials – aka Matthew Simms and Verity Susman – have brought some “’60s spy movie vibes” to ‘Inter Light’ by adding “fuzzed out guitars, drums and distorted tape noise for a much more exhilarating listen”.Speaking about the reimagining, Anderson explained: “It kind of slims down the structure but increases the dynamics of the track overall which I love.“There are real drums and more overdriven guitars. Also, the original fades but Matthew and Verity have put an ending on it which is almost my favourite part of the track.

Liam Gallagher has said his collaborative album with John Squire is “just the starter”, hinting that further music from the pair is on the horizon.The former Oasis frontman and ex-Stone Roses guitarist released their self-titled, UK Number One record last month before embarking on a joint UK, Ireland and European headline tour.Following the recent live dates, Gallagher said it would “be rude not to do another album” with Squire. “I think it’s got legs, man,” the singer explained of the team-up.

The 1975’s “carbon-removed” shows at the venue.The run of four shows in February this year have been billed as the world’s first such green-conscious large-scale concerts.AEG Europe, which owns the venue, worked with carbon removal experts CUR8 and sustainable event specialists A Greener Future on the shows, using a portfolio of scientifically viable carbon removal methods, including rock weathering and biochar.A total of 545.9 tonnes of residual carbon were extracted and removed during the shows, the equivalent of the average yearly electricity usage of 395 homes.

Public Service Broadcasting have announced details of a huge tour across the UK and Europe – set to take place later this year. Find dates and ticket details below.Set to kick off this winter, the London-based band will travel across the UK and Ireland for the first leg of the 2024 tour, before making their way over to mainland Europe for the latter half of the new dates.The shows will launch with an opening night at the Cyprus Avenue venue in Cork on October 11, followed by a stop at the Telegraph Building in Belfast the following night.

Belle & Sebastian have shared their latest single, ‘What Happened To You, Son?’ ahead of their North American tour.The jangle-pop track features a retro-sounding guitar riff, a thumping bass line and crisp keys. “Son, you’re a mystery / all your precious words don’t mean so much to me” sings frontman Stuart Murdoch during the opening of the song. The track was originally meant to be on the band’s 2023 LP ‘Late Developers’ but was pulled last minute.Speaking of the track in a press release, Murdoch shared: “‘What Happened to You, Son?’ got pulled rather randomly from the last LP because the LP felt one track too long.

MUNA‘s Naomi McPherson has landed their first acting role as Janis Ian in Jason Reitman’s forthcoming film SNL 1975.The film centres around the first episode of Saturday Night Live, which aired in October 1975, focusing in particular on the behind-the-scenes moments before it first came to the small screen. Ian appeared on the show as one of its first musical guests, alongside Billy Preston, who will be portrayed in the film by Jon Batiste.

Nick Cave has recalled making peace with the artists that have “disappointed” him, explaining that he is willing to look beyond their personal decisions if the art they make is “authentic”.The Bad Seeds frontman discussed the topic in a new update on his blog, The Red Hand Files, after a fan got in touch with him to question him about his “religious turn” and asked if he ever feels like he is “letting down [his] queer and female fans”.Responding, Cave went on to share his own experience of being disappointed by artists he once admired and explained how he was able to look beyond their personal choices and enjoy their artwork for what it is.“When I think of the artists that I truly admire, those that I have stuck with over the years, at some point in their lengthy careers they have all disappointed me,” he began.“Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Nina Simone, Kanye, Van Morrison, Morrissey, Brian Eno, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith – these are artists that, for me, form a kind of confederacy of excellence, but at one time or another they have each alienated, confounded or displeased me. They have often not travelled in the direction I would have hoped or wished for, instead following their own confounding paths (damn them!) to their own truths.“In the course of this I have sometimes been discomforted by things they have done, disagreed with things they have said, or not liked a particular record they have made.

Foals‘ Yannis Philippakis has shared the first taster of his long-awaited project with late Fela Kuti legend Tony Allen – as well as launching new collaborative project Yannis & The Yaw. Check out the single ‘Walk Through Fire’ below, and watch our interview with the frontman above.Philippakis has been teasing the project for some years, first revealing news of sessions with the drummer to NME back in 2017.

English Teacher‘s Lily Fontaine has given credits to her mother for the band’s debut album artwork on ‘This Could Be Texas’.The frontwoman took to social media to give the backstory on English Teacher’s debut album art, which was just released last Friday (April 12). The band are currently on track to land in the Top Ten on the Official Charts this week.Writing on X/Twitter, Fontaine shared: “To feel understood potentially takes the number one spot in the chart of experiences.

Morrissey has announced details of a new live album reissue, and teased that he plans to announce two “special event concerts”.The announcement was shared by the vocalist and former Smiths frontman over the weekend (April 13), as he took to his Morrissey Central blog to tease a new release with fans.“On Friday 26 July, Warner Records will re-issue Morrissey’s 1993 live in Paris album, ‘Beethoven Was Deaf’,” the brief post stated. “The release is global, and the album will be available on CD, black vinyl, and orange vinyl.”“The album originally reached #13 in England, but was not released in the U.S.

Glastonbury 2024 line-up, including Caity Baser, Lulu, Frank Turner and Skindred.Last month, the iconic Worthy Farm festival shared its official 2024 line-up for Glastonbury – with Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA being confirmed as headlining the iconic Pyramid Stage this summer, while Shania Twain will perform in the legends slot on the Sunday instalment.Now, following the main announcement, the organisers have begun counting down the weeks to this year’s edition by gradually announcing the artists playing at other stages around the site.This kicked off last week with news of new artists set to headline the Acoustic Stage later this summer, and now Glastonbury has shared details of its Field Of Avalon line-up.Announced this morning on the festival’s official X/Twitter page, the full bill for the stage has been shared, with performances from Baby Queen, Skindred, Frank Turner and Lulu all being locked in.For Lulu, the announcement comes following speculation of an upcoming Glasto slot that emerged last week. According to an anonymous source at the time, the 75-year-old singer would be playing at the festival to close off her ongoing ‘Champagne For Lulu’ farewell tour.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn has revealed that he didn’t want to perform during the band’s second Wembley show last year.In November 2022, Blur announced a reunion gig at Wembley Stadium for July 8, 2023. Due to overwhelming demand, the reunion gig turned into a two-parter, with a second show announced shortly after.That second show – which took place on July 9 – went on to become their “best ever” gig, according to Albarn himself. However, the July 9 show was on the verge of being cancelled by Albarn, who didn’t want to perform.Albarn revealed the near-cancellation during an interview with KROQ during Coachella‘s opening weekend, sharing: “I never thought I’d love Wembley.

Lana Del Rey‘s epic blockbuster entrance from Coachella 2024 has been making its rounds all over social media.The ‘Summertime Sadness’ singer arrived in style at Coachella’s main stage on Friday (April 12) for her headlining set. Del Rey and her backup dancers showed up standing on the back of a black motorcycle, sporting a sparkly light blue dress.Her unreleased track ‘Jealous Too’ served as the score for the epic moment as the trail of motorcycles made their way through the barricaded path to the stage.

Fontaines D.C. are continuing to tease new music with a Stanley Kubrick-inspired clip ahead of their new album ‘Romance’.The Irish post-punk group started to hint at new music last week with a 30-second clip in which frontman Grian Chatten is seen topless and in bright green trousers, with a black, swollen eye and heavy cuts and bruises all over.

Vampire Weekend closed out their Coachella set over the weekend by bringing out Paris Hilton for a game of ‘Cornhole’. Find footage of the moment below.Ezra Koenig and Co.

Arcade Fire have announced the latest gig in their “limited number of” shows, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘Funeral’.The band – comprised of frontman Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara – will be playing at Brixton’s O2 Academy in London on July 4. Warmduscher will be serving as opening support.A ticket pre-sale will commence on Wednesday (April 17) at 10am local time.

Liam Gallagher has shared footage of his son’s band, after denying claims of nepotism and announcing the band as the support for his upcoming tour.The update was shared on the former Oasis frontman’s X/Twitter page last night (April 14), and comes following the announcement that his son Gene’s band – called Villanelle – will be the support act for the ‘Definitely Maybe’ 30th anniversary tour.He previously said that he thought that the band were “good” and added: “I’m gonna put them on first for [the ‘Definitely Maybe’] tour”. Villanelle will join Cast and The View as support acts on the upcoming dates.Now, following what seems to be some mixed responses to the announcement, Gallagher has hit back at accusations of nepotism, and shared footage of the band performing live to explain why they were chosen.Posted last night, the video appears to be screen-recorded footage of the band playing during a live show, which they originally shared on their Instagram Stories, and comes with the simple caption: ‘Cmon’.Cmon pic.twitter.com/iWIJ8vklH7— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) April 14, 2024Whilst they currently don’t have any official music out, Villanelle have recently been spotted supporting Brummie rockers Overpass on tour – presumably where the footage was captured.

Blur rocked day two of the first weekend of Coachella 2024 last night (April 13), with a set spanning their long career. Stream the whole thing below.The Britpop greats played a 13-song set, ranging from ‘90s classics like ‘Girls & Boys’, ‘Popscene’ and ‘Song 2’ to tracks from their 2023 album ‘The Ballad of Darren’, including ‘The Narcissist’ and ‘St.