Latest news with #BeachBoys'
Los Angeles Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
San Clemente looks to form Olympic committees ahead of being a host city
With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games three years away, San Clemente is starting to plan for its role as a host city with surf competitions set to take place at Lower Trestles. San Clemente City Council Tuesday discussed the merits of forming a local Olympic committee to work on logistics, economic opportunity and host city duties ahead of the games. San Clemente is one of two Olympic host cities in Orange County with Anaheim as the other, thanks to indoor volleyball coming to the Honda Center. An April 15 Olympics news release praised the selection of Lower Trestles for surfing. 'The venue is synonymous with surfing culture, playing host to numerous World Surf League competitions and earning a mention in the Beach Boys' 1963 hit 'Surfin' U.S.A.,'' it read. Ahead of surfing competitions, Olympic committee duties outlined in a San Clemente staff report included coordinating logistics with the Orange County Transportation Authority, Metrolink, LA28, law enforcement and other agencies. Members would also work with the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, local businesses and the media to expand economic opportunities that come with being a host city. Helping to organize Olympic watch parties and medal ceremonies as the games commence rounded out the list of future responsibilities. With San Clemente's world-renowned surf at Lower Trestles set to be showcased on such a grand stage, the City Council wrestled with the decision of forming one Olympic committee or several subcommittees, as everyone on the dais displayed enthusiasm about being a host city. Councilmember Victor Cabral favored creating just one ad hoc committee with two of his council colleagues appointed to it, which would streamline its activities outside of the state's open meeting laws. 'All of us will be involved in some way or another,' he said. 'Just having one committee is the right approach. The question for me is, who's on that committee?' Councilmember Mark Enmeier supported forming three subcommittees so that everyone interested would have a meaningful chance to participate. 'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,' he said. 'I would hate for any one of us to be sidelined with this process.' Mayor Steve Knoblock wanted to appoint Cabral to a single Olympic committee alongside a permanent seat for the city's mayor, a position electorally up for a two-year term next year, until the games conclude. Even though Cabral supported forming one committee, he appeared hesitant to accept Knoblock's appointment with three other colleagues on the dais looking on. Knoblock argued that a majority of the council are ultimately going to vote on Olympic-related initiatives that arise from a committee. 'There's just too many things [for] two council members [to] handle,' Councilmember Zhen Wu said. 'Some of you will run a campaign next year.' 'That's the nice thing about having two people on every subcommittee,' Enmeier echoed in agreement. 'If one can't make it [to a meeting], then there is a second person there to fill that spot.' Councilmember Rick Loeffler has past experience with the Olympics. When Los Angeles last hosted the games in 1984, he received a medal for working security and surveillance. Cabral moved to appoint the mayor and Loeffler, given his credentials, to a single committee, but his colleague's deference defined the dynamics of the evening's discussion. Loeffler wanted to postpone a vote to a future council meeting until after council members have had a chance to converse with staff on how best to move forward, which they unanimously agreed to do. 'This city is going to have an opportunity to shine,' Knoblock reassured. 'We're all going to have an opportunity to shine.'
Scottish Sun
17-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Inside hidden gem Caribbean island with perfect beaches and city centre that's like stepping back in time
Its lives up to the Beach Boys' classic tune THE BEACH JOYS Inside hidden gem Caribbean island with perfect beaches and city centre that's like stepping back in time STEPPING out of the airport into the warm, almost bath-like climate of Aruba, I wasn't sure what to expect. On paper this was far from the usual type of holiday I would go for. Advertisement 8 Aruba Marriott Resort Credit: Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino 8 Palm Beach at Aruba Credit: Alamy 8 The main pool area of the Stelaris I've never been great at the whole idea of 'relaxation', so a beach break is an absolute foreign concept to me. I'm much more at home discovering new cities or out on the hillsides, rather than lounging next to the sea. But after tucking into a delicious dinner watching the sunset dip over the gentle waves on a table just inches from the shoreline, something started to click. If you haven't heard of Aruba, the stunning sunshine island is located right in the very south of the Caribbean, just off the north coast of Venezuela. Advertisement Known for its appearance in the legendary Beach Boys song Kokomo, it lives up to the ideal imagery conjured up in the sun-soaked lyrics of Brian Wilson. Sister islands with both Bonaire and Curacao, the Dutch colony feels like a tiny stretch of paradise. My partner Katie and I stayed at the stunning Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, a luxurious lodging located directly on the beautiful Palm Beach. Our garden view suite had a lovely, spacious balcony overlooking the main pool area, silhouetted by the looming ocean in the distance. Advertisement The resort has a bustling bar area with excellent nightly performances from musicians, a decently-sized casino, two pools (one of which featured an incredible swim-up bar) and several other bars and restaurants with a great selection of food and drinks. Most notably for us was their beach side restaurant Atari and their stunning sunset dining experience which we enjoyed on our first night. Traveller has great money saving hack that also allows you to experience destinations better The Stelaris has everything you could want from a resort, with its spacious roster of sun loungers and bookable pallapas, to easy access to nearby activities if you feel like trying out something more adventurous. On our first morning we headed out to do just something completely different. Advertisement Making our way to a bay just outside the colourful island capital of Oranjestad, we met up with the lovely crew at Tropical Sailing Aruba. Laying sunbathing on the nose of the yacht with a Caribbean rum in hand as we sailed up stream to the south east side of the island, it was hard not to be taken aback by the beauty of the shifting colour of the ocean. Literally shimmering and shifting from teal to a deeper sapphire, it was absolutely breathtaking. And getting right into that sea was next on the agenda, as we dived off the boat into the crystal clear waters to snorkel and join the amazing aquatic life, including the beautiful blue tang, better known as the Dory fish to Finding Nemo fans! Advertisement GO ARUBA Getting there: Daily flights with KLM via Amsterdam, fares start at £1046 return. Visit Staying there: Marriott Bonvoy, Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, for the best rates visit More Info: For more on visiting Aruba see The strong current helped us work up a healthy appetite and as we very slowly made our way back into shore we were presented with a brilliantly tasty barbecue, grilled to perfection by the boat's private chef. Back at the hotel we took to the water again as we tried out some stand up paddle boarding and windsurfing. Of the former there really is nothing more peaceful than gently cresting pale blue waves towards distant palms, with the cooling island breeze at your back. That is until you end up backside over elbow flying into the water. That didn't stop us from getting back on the board and trying again though! Advertisement The following day we enjoyed an excellent private jeep tour of the island with the brilliant Ross from Isla Aruba tours. Catering the stops to match our vibe, he gave us a great sense of the history and community on the island and let us in on local hidden gems far away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist crowds. From ancient cave paintings, to animal sanctuaries where you can feed adorable donkeys and secluded secret beaches, it felt like being passed a set of hidden secrets from a friendly, local expert. 8 ORANJESTAD, ARUBA Credit: Alamy Advertisement Now, although it first it didn't sound like my kind of thing, stopping in for a tour of Aruba Aloe company's factory was fascinating. The miracle gel is one of the island's primary exports, right, and an essential to help in recovering from the effects of the sun. As the locals say, it's no joke out there, with even the intermittent clouds between the glorious bursts of blue a bit of a burn risk, as Katie sadly found out on the first day. The capital Oranjestad is a feast for the eyes, with it vibrant coloured buildings — it's like Tobermory on steroids! Advertisement The blend of the modern with traditional gives the city a lot of character and its got a good mixture of big brand name bars and restaurants to make it worth a trip away from your luxury hotel and the glorious beaches. 8 Palm beach in Aruba We loved exploring the local businesses being built up and thriving away from the main resort strip, with places like the excellent Pepe Margo distillery and its collection of rums, gins and other delicious Caribbean favourites a must see. We loved the delicious aloe liqueur (yes that eponymous plant again) which tastes unlike any drink I've had. Works well in a Mojito or mixed with lemonade. Advertisement Despite its tiny size, Aruba packs a punch when it comes to food and has a phenomenal up-and-coming culinary scene. Sure, there's lots of familiar fast food haunts to satisfy its main tourist population of Americans, but why settle for that when the local restaurants are as incredible as they are. For upscale and elegant dining Wilhelmina and Pappillion are the places to be, with the fantastic combination of European and Caribbean flavours. For South American and island fusion, Caya melds a more casual vibe with some out of this world dishes. Advertisement 8 Me and my partner Katie couldn't get enough of the beautiful beaches The top of the list however is the truly incredible Ever Chef's Table, where a group of culinary geniuses guide diners through a stunning eight-course tasting menu with excellent paired wines. Each chef was friendly and chatted to us throughout the dinner, making sure each and every diner got the best experience possible. Having been lucky enough to have eaten at Michelin star restaurants in the past, I can confidently say Aruba is a true hidden culinary gem but I reckon its secrets won't last for long. Advertisement Easily the best part of a holiday here however, is the people. Everywhere you go they are genuinely happy to stop, chat and make sure you're having the best possible time. It never felt forced or fake during our stay and Aruba sure lived up to its name of 'one happy island'. And as for me and beach holidays? With the glorious sunshine, amazing food, and lovely people it's safe to say, Aruba has converted me. Advertisement 8 Chef Christopher preparing our steak
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Yungblud on keeping fans safe, and his 'shirt off era'
The Netherlands, March 2025. Yungblud is leaving his hotel in Amsterdam when he's approached by a fan in floods of tears."You saved my life," she sobs."No, you saved your own life," he replies, quietly. "Maybe the music was the soundtrack, but you saved your own life, OK?"Leaning in for a hug, he adds, "Don't be sad, be happy. I love ya."It's a remarkably touching moment, full of compassion and devoid of rock star weeks later, after a video of the encounter goes viral, Yungblud is still moved by the memory."I didn't think people would see that, except me and her," he says, "but it was such a moment for me."The interaction crystallised something he'd felt for a while."I always said that Bowie and My Chemical Romance saved my life, but ultimately you have to find yourself," he says."Like this morning, I put my headphones on and I listened to [The Verve's] Lucky Man, and it made me go, 'Oh, I'm ready to face the day'."But Richard Ashcroft didn't tell me I was ready to face the day. I said that to myself. "That's what I was trying to tell that girl in Amsterdam." Self-assurance is a lesson he learned the hard the surface, Yungblud, aka 27-year-old Dominic Harrison, had it all. Two number one albums, an international fanbase, a Louis Theroux documentary and enough clout to run his own if you looked more closely, there were chinks in the armour. Those number one albums both fell out of the Top 30 after one week, a sign of a strong core fanbase, with limited crossover the first year of his Bludfest in Milton Keynes was criticised after long queues and a lack of water caused fans to pass out and miss the was keenly aware of it all. As he released his self-titled third album in 2022, he hit a low."Yungblud was number one in seven countries, and I wasn't happy because it wasn't the album I wanted to make," he says."It was a good album, but it wasn't exceptional."The problem, he says, was a record label who'd pushed him in a more commercial direction. But in polishing his sound, he lost the angry unpredictability that characterised his best work."It's funny, my-self titled album was actually the one where I was most lost," he observes."I felt like I compromised but, because of that, I was never taking no for an answer again."Nowhere is that clearer than on his comeback single, Hello Heaven, nine minutes and six seconds it achieves Caligulan levels of excess, full of scorching guitar solos, throat-shredding vocal runs, and even an orchestral coda."Do you still remember, or have you forgotten where you're from?" Harrison asks himself, as he re-ignites his song's purposefully unsuited to radio – unlike the follow-up single, Lovesick Lullaby. Released today, it's a free-associating rampage through a messy night out, that ends with epiphany in a drug dealer's Liam Gallagher's sneer with Beach Boys' harmonies, it's uniquely Yungblud. But the singer reveals it was originally written for his last album. "We were actually discouraged from doing it," he says."My advisor at the time, a guy called Nick Groff [vice president of A&R at Interscope, responsible for signing Billie Eilish], was like, 'I don't get it'."Warming to the theme, he continues: "The music industry is crap because it's all about money but, as an artist, I need to make sure that anything I put out is exciting and unlimited. "It can't be like a 50% version of me."To achieve that, he shunned expensive recording studios and made his new album in a converted Tetley brewery in Leeds. Professional songwriters were banished, too, in favour of a close group of collaborators, including guitarist Adam Warrington, and Matt Schwartz, the Israeli-British producer who helmed his 2018 debut."When you make an album in LA or London, everything is great, even if it's mediocre, because people want a hit out of it," he argues."When you make an album with family, all they want is the truth." 'Sexiness and liberation' One of the most honest tracks on the record is Zombie, a lighters-aloft ballad (think Coldplay, sung by Bruce Springsteen) about "feeling you're ugly, and learning to battle that"."I always was insecure about my body, and that got highlighted as I got famous," says the singer, who last year revealed he'd developed an eating disorder due to body dysmorphia."But I realised, the biggest power you can give someone over you is in how you react. So I decided, I'm going to get sober, I'm going to get fit, and I discovered boxing."He ended up working with the South African boxer Chris Heerden - who was recently in the news after Russia jailed his ballerina girlfriend, Ksenia Karelina."I met him before all that," says Harrison, "but he's been extremely inspirational. Boxing's become like therapy for me."If someone says something bad about me, I go to the gym, hit the punch bag for an hour and talk it out."Fans have noticed the change… drooling over photos of his newly chiseled torso, and declaring 2025 his "shirt-off era"."Maybe the shirt-off era is a comeback to all the comments I've had," he laughs."I'm claiming a freedom and a sexiness and a liberation." He's clearly found a degree of serenity, without surrendering the restless energy that propelled him to of that is down to control. In January, he created a new company that brings together his core business of recorded music with touring operations, his fashion brand and his music festival, event kicked off in Milton Keynes last summer but suffered teething troubles, when fans were stuck in long queues. "I will fully take responsibility for that," says the star, who claims he was "backstage screaming" at police and promoters to get the lines moving."The problem was, there were six gates open when there should have been 12," he says, suggesting people underestimated his fans' dedication."When Chase and Status had played [there] a day before, there were 5,000 people when the doors opened, and another 30,000 trickled in during the day."With my fans, there were 20,000 kids at the gate at 10am. So we've learned a lot for this year. There'll be pallets of water outside. It'll be very different." Dedication to his fans is what makes Yungblud Yungblud. He built the community directly from his phone and, whether intended or not, that connection has sustained his career - insulating him from the tyrannies of radio playlists and streaming a personal relationship becomes harder as his fanbase grows but, ever astute, he hired a fan to oversee his social accounts."She's called Jules Budd. She used to come to my gigs in Austin and she'd sell confetti to pay for gas money to the next city."She built an account called Yungblud Army, and she's amazing at letting me understand what are people feeling."If people are outside and security aren't treating them right, I know about it because she's in contact with them. So I brought her in to make the community safer as it gets bigger."With his new album, he wants to make that community even bigger. Harking back to the sounds of Queen and David Bowie, he says it'll "reclaim the good chords" (Asus4 and Em7, in case you're wondering)."The shackles are off," he grins."We made an album to showcase our ambition and the way we want to play. "Can you imagine seeing Yungblud in a stadium? 100% yes. Let's do it."
Los Angeles Times
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Stewart Copeland plays with the animals on latest project ‘Wild Concerto'
Stewart Copeland is best known as one-third of the Police, the chart-topping trio that called it quits after five acclaimed albums released between 1978-1983 and launched Sting to solo stardom. With the Police, which also included guitarist Andy Summers, out of the picture, the drummer-percussionist changed course and became an in-demand film and TV score composer, working on such notable films as 'Rumble Fish' and 'Wall Street' as well as TV's 'The Equalizer,' 'Dead Like Me' and more. After a worldwide Police reunion tour, which was the highest-grossing trek in 2007, Copeland again pivoted, scoring live orchestra music for the classic film 'Ben-Hur' in 2014. He later also reimagined the Police catalog with a pair of releases, 2023's 'Police Deranged for Orchestra' and the world music exploration 'Police Beyond Borders' with collaborator Ricky Kej, whom he also worked with on the 2021 album 'Divine Tides,' which won a Grammy for new age album. Our chat with Copeland, 72, was originally tied to his speaking tour, 'Have I Said Too Much? The Police, Hollywood and Other Adventures,' but the Los Angeles date was scrapped in wake of the Palisades and Altadena wildfires. Ever the raconteur, Copeland is taking the speaking tour to Europe this spring and fall. He also has a new album, 'Wild Concerto,' which is out April 18. We spoke to Copeland, first via Zoom and then a follow-up phone call, about his new project and his busy creative life outside of the Police. Tell me about your new album. This isn't the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' or Pink Floyd's 'Animals' with just a few random animal sounds sprinkled in. You seem to be more committed. Stewart Copeland: Well, yeah, the animals get a much bigger dressing room on this. It's not just called animal sounds. It is animal sounds. How did it come about? Incoming phone call. Platoon Records, which is owned by Apple. They acquired this library from a naturalist, Martyn Stewart, who is like the [British biologist and TV host] David Attenborough of sound. That's how he's been described. He spent his life on his hands and knees out in the jungles and in the mountains recording mostly bird sounds, but all these other animals as well. He has this huge library of these sounds and they're wondering what to do with it. They said, 'How about we do some music?' So they called me and said, 'Can you work with this?' And I said, 'Why yes, I can. Perhaps the reason they called me was because I have been using found sound, beginning with 'Rumble Fish,' where Francis [Ford Coppola]'s ears pricked up when I started talking about doing loops with machines, billiard ball breaks, with dogs barking, all kinds of sounds in 1984.' So how did you compose music using the recordings of animal sounds? The folders that Martyn would send me were from different locales where the birds might have stopped, ecospheres of these different zones. I'd start with the background sounds, which are just a forest-scape or a wind-scape, and then I would look for the rhythmic elements, certain birds, which are rhythmic, and I'd build rhythms out of that. I didn't alter any of the sounds. I didn't change the pitch. I didn't change the rhythm, but I placed them all very carefully so I build up a rhythm with these rhythm animals, the rhythm section. And then I looked for the long lines, mostly birds, the wolves also have some very long soloistic melodic lines, which are on pitch. But I put a trombone next to those bad boys. And now we've got your [John] Coltrane wolves. Interesting. So, you didn't autotune any of the animal sounds? No autotune. No time stretching. You mentioned 'Rumble Fish.' When I put on the album for the first time, I definitely felt those 'Rumble Fish' vibes. Well, that's all the percussion that I did all by myself here in the studio. After doing two albums of reinterpretations of music by the Police was back to nature the only place to go from there? I forgive myself for looking backwards and doing Police stuff because I'm confident in my forward motion. Right now, I'm running a gigantic opera I wrote and this album about animals, so I'm moving forward doing cool stuff, which makes me more relaxed about looking over my shoulder. It seems like this is sort of a natural progression from your film composing and orchestrated work. Yes, absolutely. The other love of my life is the orchestra and all the amazing things it can do. The orchestra has such a huge vocabulary. In my short lifespan, I probably won't do more than scratch the surface of what an orchestra can do, but I'm working on it. This album was produced by Ricky Kej, who you've worked with in the past. What did he bring to the project? He's an incredible musician and a great producer and he works way over there in Bangalore. He came to Abbey Road [in London], which is where we recorded the orchestra and produced a session. Having a producer is a very new thing for me. I went through my whole career never having a producer. The Police never had a producer. We just had recording engineers. And so recently I had an experience with a producer and, man, what took me so long? This is great. Somebody else to lean on, to carry the load and to hit me upside the head when I need to be hit upside the head. But didn't the Police have producers listed along with the band, like Hugh Padham on 'Synchronicity'? He was used to producing Genesis and other civilized, well-behaved, respectful musicians not to be stuck on an island with three a— going at it. He did know where to put the microphones while dodging pizza. He did actually get a good recording. If there was a [more] active producer, he could have helped sort of break up those fights or keep things civil, but maybe not. Are you still playing polo? [Copeland's logo on his website is a polo player riding a horse] No. I traded all the horses in for children, and they turned out to be even more expensive. I've got seven kids, which is more expensive than 12 horses. Wow. What's the age spread of your kids? [Starts to say 50 but slurs his words to make it undecipherable] down to 25. And then I've got five grandchildren. When you start lying about your kids' age you know you're getting up there. What was the oldest? I didn't quite make that out? [Once again starts saying 50 but slurs his words]. Fifty-something? Yeah, 50-something. We'll go with that. But you still seem young and spry. My kids became middle-aged before I became decrepit. I could always outrun, out-climb, out-sport all of my kids. And then I started to get creaky around age 70. Are any of your kids involved in music or showbiz? Just one. He's in London. He's actually a filmmaker but he has the gift of music. He picks up any instrument and the music just falls out of his fingers. And one of my grandchildren, who is 8. Young Arthur hasn't got any musical chops, but whenever they come over he goes straight to the grand piano and he's looking for cool stuff on there. You can see that it's just there in his DNA.
The Guardian
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Dreamin' Wild review – Walton Goggins and Casey Affleck star as rediscovered 70s rockers
Newcomer-fans of Walton Goggins, sharing gifs of his stunned expression in The White Lotus, might want a look at this interesting but flawed movie: a heartfelt but frustratingly ponderous true-life story from the music world in which Goggins stars with Casey Affleck. Donnie and Joe Emerson were two brothers from Washington State who self-recorded an album in their teen years in 1978 called Dreamin' Wild; it bombed, leaving crippling debts for their poor dad (played by Beau Bridges), who'd taken out bank loans to build them a log-cabin recording studio – but the record is then rediscovered 30 years later by vinyl hipster connoisseurs who can hardly believe the Emerson boys' untutored rock genius. The film insightfully shows how this deferred fame is not all good news; it has come too late for them really to enjoy it and Donnie (Affleck) has grown into a prickly, demanding creative personality who has been working desperately hard on his music career in the intervening years. He doesn't know how to feel about being at last feted for a record he now thinks of as immature and outmoded and its belated celebration leaves no room for his wife and musical partner Nancy (Zooey Deschanel). Like many who finally get a break after decades of hard work, he reacts with strange indignation to the fact that he's had to do without success for so long. As for his brother Joe (Goggins), who was only the humble drummer while Donnie did all the composing and playing and arranging, and now just works on the family farm, the resurgence of interest in Dreamin' Wild simply re-awakens his inferiority complex. Writer-director Bill Pohlad made the interesting Love & Mercy, about the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, and this has a similar before-and-after structure. The present day action is interspersed with scenes of the young Joe and Donnie, played by Jack Dylan Grazer and Noah Jupe. Yet however earnest and heartfelt, the film doesn't tell us nearly enough, or really anything, about Joe. He has real heartbreak in his life and seems on the point of explaining this to a New York Times reporter – but is interrupted at the crucial moment. It is a powerful moment, but for some reason the followup never arrives, perhaps lost in the edit, and Goggins doesn't have enough to get his teeth into. A shame. Dreamin' Wild is on digital platforms from 14 April.
