
Kneecap support: Kevin Rowland says freedom of speech is threatened
The frontman of Dexys Midnight Runners has said people trying to "shut down" Kneecap is an "overreaction".Kevin Rowland, whose band's hits included the 1982 number one hit Come On Eileen, said the controversy over the last week shows that freedom of expression is "under threat".Footage of a member of the rap trio Kneecap calling for MPs to be killed is being assessed by counter-terrorism police, and they have faced a slew of concert cancellations, with growing calls for Glastonbury to cancel their appearance there next month.
Mr Rowland is one of the 40 artists that signed an open letter supporting Kneecap and freedom of expression through both bands label Heavenly Recordings. He said: "This is about freedom of speech and artists' freedom of expression."The independent record label said in the caption: "These artists support the right to Freedom of Expression. This is an ever expanding list. If you are an artist who wishes to be added please DM us."

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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Heading to Glastonbury or Wireless? Here's 10 stylish festival outfit ideas our fashion writer is loving for this summer (and beyond)
Festival season in the UK is officially about to kick off, with major events such as Glastonbury and Download taking place in June, followed by Wireless and Latitude in July. Second most important to securing tickets and sorting your camping gear is finding the perfect festival outfit, and it's important to strike a balance between cute and comfortable (after all, you will be dancing all day long, so comfort is key). Luckily, women-founded brand Mint Velvet has everything you need to get ready for festival season, from staples such as biker jackets and denim shorts to accessories such as cowboy boots and cross body bags. And because we advocate for wearing an outfit far more than once, everything in Mint Velvet's festival edit will pair well with almost anything in your wardrobe, so you'll get your wear out of whatever you choose. Take the stress out of festival outfit planning and browse our top picks from Mint Velvet below. Now all you need to worry about is remembering your tent pegs. Mint Velvet Silver Sequin Vest Top A grown-up take on sequins, this luxe feel vest boasts a scoop neckline and sheer, raw edge trim, with fringed sequin detailing. For the ultimate festival 'fit, we'd pair this with distressed denim shorts and your most comfortable cowboy boots - because if you can't pull out sequins for festival season, when can you? £69 Shop Mint Velvet Neutral Floral Ombre Print Midi Dress A dress that's as perfect for summer evenings as it is for your upcoming festival, this western-summer-inspired design boasts a floral ombre print alongside a flattering v-neckline and bias cut hemline. For a festival look, pair it with a denim jacket and cowboy boots, and for summer evenings, dress it up with a pair of open-toe sandals or down with your favourite white trainers. It's a wardrobe must-have. £130 Shop Mint Velvet Neutral Suede Shirt The perfect transitional layering piece, this oversized suede shirt is sumptuously soft and comfortable - perfect for throwing on over your festival outfit as the night draws in. Made from neutral-toned fabric with a button fastening, flap pockets and buttoned cuff, we'd match this with a tiered-white skirt and graphic tee. Also a great addition to your transitional wardrobe, you'll grab this over and over as summer draws to a close. £235 Shop Mint Velvet Light Indigo Denim Shorts A festival essential, these denim high-rise shorts are a summer staple - and pair seamlessly with the rest of your warm weather-wardrobe. Featuring belt loops so you can add your own spin on your final look, as well as five pockets and a raw hem, wear this with an oversized band or graphic tee and a pair of wellies or boots (weather dependent), for a low-key, casual festival look. £59 Shop Mint Velvet Black Casual Leather Jacket If you don't yet have a leather jacket in your wardrobe, you'll want to add one ASAP in time for festival season. Crafted from buttery-soft leather in a black hue and cut in a signature biker silhouette, the jacket is finished with gold hardware and zipped detailing for a slight edge. The type of layering piece you'll make use for throughout all the seasons, for festival looks, simply pair with denim shorts and a simple tee for an understated yet timeless look. £299 Shop Mint Velvet Etta Black Stitched Cowboy Boots As we've talked in length about cowboy boots, it wouldn't be right if we didn't include a pair - and these ones are at the top of our wish list. Western style is huge this year (thanks to Bella Hadid), and this classic design will help you nail the trend. With a painted toe, wooden block heel, contrast stitch detailing and a zip fastening, they pair well with anything from tiered skirts and denim shorts to midi dresses and jeans - and we're totally obsessed. £180 Shop Mint Velvet Tan Suede Fringe Crossbody Bag Keep your belongings and essentials close by with this stylish yet practical cross-body (that also compliments the Western trend perfectly). With fringe and studded detailing throughout, the bag also boasts zipped pockets for the safe keeping of your festival essentials - phone, power bank, gum, etc. And when the festival season is done, it's ideal for weekend outings! £99 Shop Mint Velvet Brown Tortoiseshell Rectangle Sunglasses Hide tired eyes the morning after a long night with these essential tortoiseshell sunglasses, a must-have for your handbag this festival season. The perfect finishing touch to any summer (or festival) outfit, the glasses also come with their own case, so you can keep them in tip-top condition. £59 Shop Mint Velvet Black Cotton California T-Shirt Pair this graphic t-shirt with jean shorts or a boho skirt for the ultimate festival look this summer. With a standard fit and crew neckline, the design boasts a 'California' slogan across its front, so although you'll be standing in a muddy field rather than at Coachella, you'll certainly feel like the latter - and even Kendall Jenner opted to wear a simple black tee to the iconic festival this year, so you'll be right on trend. £45 Shop Mint Velvet Tan Suede Waistcoat Finish off your festival look with this boho-inspired waistcoat, boasting a V-neckline, square pockets and an easy button fastening. In a flattering muted brown hue, throw this on over a tee and shorts, or your favourite dress or co-ord, to add an instant, festival-ready spin to any outfit. £159


Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Sugababes admit comeback 'obstacles' as fans deserved 'different ending'
EXCLUSIVE: The Sugababes have opened up about their meteoric comeback and gaining the right to use their band name again, but admit their fans deserved the reunion The Sugababes admit facing "obstacles" during their comeback without having the iconic band name. Original members, Muyua Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy left fans gobsmacked in 2011 when it emerged that they would be reuniting for the first time since Donaghy's departure in 2011. But after Keisha's exit from the group in 2009, the original members joined forces under the name MKS and performed a string of sell-out shows across the country, as well as releasing original music. But it was in 2019 that the band won back the legal rights to use their name, which propelled them to fame. Reflecting on their comeback during an exclusive chat with the Mirror, Siobhán admits that the legacy behind the iconic girl group is "amazing". She said: "On one hand, it makes everything super easy when you're doing a show, everyone sings along to every show. Also, it's a lot to live up to, so it's a bit of good pressure in terms of new music – I think that's a good pressure and it motivates us." Keisha added: "It's always been important to us, and I think that was one of the main things for us getting back together, is that we wanted to pick up where we left off." Mutya added: "And give back to the fans as well, I think we've had such great supporters from then til now." Keisha added: "They deserved a different ending." Speaking about the bombshell MKS reunion, Keisha said: "That was amazing." Mutya added on their reaction from fans: "Like they still cared and we were still relevant because when you haven't done something for so long, you don't know how the tickets are going to sell, you don't even know if people still like you." Keisha added: "That was incredible, we hadn't had the name back yet. And so we were meeting all these different obstacles of 'Can you do it without the name? Can you do this?' We always knew that with us, it was about the music, and our voices were the most recognisable thing, even without the name. "So being able to come back and having all these obstacles and still being able to have sell-out shows and the support we had was really great." But the band admit it has been a "long journey" since they reformed, revealing that the past three to four years have been the most hectic for them. "It was a whole ten-year journey before that," Keisha said, adding: "When it was starting to happen, it was everything that we dreamt of and more." The band are now busier than ever, having recently performed a sell-out arena tour across the UK, as well as appearing at dozens of festivals. Two of those festivals were Glastonbury, which saw an unprecedented demand for the group, with the fields being closed down on both occasions. Siobhan admitted that the band would have loved to shut the fields down but had no idea it would actually happen on both occasions in 2022 and 2024. But how do the band get their heads around the staggering success of the band? "We kind of embrace it," Keisha explained. She went on to add: "Like Siobhán was saying, it's such a big legacy and it's great when we're on stage, the hardest thing when you're performing is trying to reintroduce new stuff. "Even when we were first performing the Round Round's and Overload's, I think really, the goal is what legacy you leave. The fact that we can come back 25 years later, we started so young, and reintroduce things in a different way. Everything is reimagined in the music, and it sounds very current." One thing they have reintroduced is a new version of Too Lost In You, with a garage aspect on the classic ballad, which has since become a fan favourite at Sugababes concerts. Siobhán said: "It's not as mentally daunting being in your mind as when you're a teenager." The band were in their early teens when they were signed by Ron Tom and Sarah Stennet before going on to release their debut single, Overload, in 2000 – which peaked at Number 6. "We're very humble," says Mutya, adding that they count their blessings. Despite their current and rather hectic schedules ahead of festivals, the band admit that there will be new music soon". "More festivals, singles and an album," said Keisha, before Siobhán joked they needed to "hurry up." She added: "The body of work is there, we just need to finish it off, we've gone straight from touring to festival season, we're finding the slots where we can get the opportunity," before confirming the singles are "lined up." Although the band are leading the industry with their top-tier vocals, Keisha admits that there are "so many talented" female vocal groups. She added: "It's so good that we get to be amongst them. Back then, it was really about the harmonies; we did have a unique way of doing our harmonies. Even the boy bands are singing now." "We've got some great British groups and vocalists," said Mutya. One thing Mutya doesn't understand is why the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry, Remember Mondays received no points. "I actually thought they were good, they got zero," she said, adding: "I think people were just being really mean. Vocally, they were really, really good. "They didn't deserve zero." Since finding fame in 1998, what has been their favourite look and fashion highlight? "I really liked my Glastonbury look," said Siobhán, adding: "I used to wear a lot of Vivienne Westwood, I'm a massive fan." Mutya went on to say: "I don't know, I always seem to like a baggy look, cropped jacket, I don't mind where it's from. On the tour, I did Evisu, I kind of brought that back out for myself." Keisha said: "For me, I feel like braids, the chunky ones. "I didn't really do braids throughout the Sugababes. I had one nightmare, I had this bobbed braid in Year 7, and it was done really badly by someone. I walked in, and one of the boys was like, 'Your hair looks like worms.' It was just done terribly. There's a knack to how you do it. "I was obsessed with Brandy [Norwood], so that's why I had it done. Looking back, when I had that moment, I didn't do it again until I we did the video for Round Round – my cousin was really good with braids, so I did it that one time and that was it. I do like the braids." Mutya added: "I love Keisha with braids." The Soundtrack of Style — Celebrating 30 Years at Cheshire Oaks. Sugababes were unveiled as the secret headliner of Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet's 30th anniversary event, providing shoppers and the local community with the ultimate surprise and delight moment to celebrate three decades in fashion and business. The iconic pop group performed at the one-off non-ticketed event, supported by Take That 's Howard Donald and Hits Radio DJ and former Pussycat Dolls star Kimberly Wyatt to honour the outlet's 30-year legacy.


BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Lorde ‘pretty keen' to ‘pull some strings' and make Glastonbury appearance
Lorde has said she is 'pretty keen' to see if she can 'pull some strings' and make an appearance at this year's Glastonbury Festival. This draws speculation as to whether the singer from New Zealand, who does not feature on the official line-up, will play during one of the slots marked TBA. Advertisement The full scheduling for this year was announced earlier in the week and includes sets from Irish rap trio Kneecap and singer Charli XCX, as well as headline performances from British pop band The 1975, Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop singer Olivia Rodrigo. Asked if she would be playing at the festival, Lorde told Jo Whiley's BBC Radio 2 show: 'You know, I'm pretty keen, honestly. 'I feel like, because the album's going to be coming out, I am quite tempted by what's going on, because I've got lots of friends playing as well. We'll see if I can pull some strings and get there.' Lorde performing during the Glastonbury Festival in 2022 (Yui Mok/PA) The 28-year-old is friends with a number of singers including Brat star Charli XCX, who is playing the Other Stage on the Saturday night. Advertisement Earlier in the year, the British singer played at US festival Coachella where Lorde made an appearance to perform their collaborative version of Girl, So Confusing. The singer, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, has played at Glastonbury before and performed on the Other Stage in 2017 and the Pyramid Stage in 2022. Asked what it was like to walk onto the Pyramid Stage, she said: 'Absolutely unbelievable, enormous. I was shooketh at the scale. So many cameras … oh goodness. So beautiful, so amazing. 'In 2017 we played the Other Stage, which was so amazing, that was kind of sunset and very moody and just the best. It's the best festival in the world.' Advertisement Entertainment Katie Price faces wait over further bankruptcy-rel... Read More The singer shot to fame with her chart-topping single Royals in 2013, which was included in her album Pure Heroine. She has since released the albums Melodrama (2017) and Solar Power (2021), with her fourth studio album, Virgin, to be released on June 27th. Glastonbury is running from June 25 to June 29 with performances from the likes of US rapper Doechii, UK singer Raye and veteran rocker Sir Rod Stewart, who will be playing during the coveted legends slot.