Latest news with #ComeandGetIt
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Huge singer's VE Day 80 performance sparks confusion amongst viewers
Viewers who tuned in for the BBC VE Day 80 concert were left baffled after singer John Newman took to the stage to perform in front of veterans and the Royal Family A huge singer sparked confusion amongst viewers during the VE Day 80 concert on Thursday. Hitmaker John Newman, known for tracks including Love Me Again, Come and Get It and Blame joined the line-up alongside Calum Scott, Tom Walker, Fleur East, Keala Settle and The Darkness. The singer took to the stage at London's Horseguards Parade for a special concert to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe, when the Germans surrendered after their brutal attacks across the continent, marking the end of the Second World War in 1945. The event on Thursday night was the finale of the dozens to mark the historic event. Famous faces from across the entertainment industry, including Strictly Come Dancing stars and soap actors, joined forces for the remarkable event, which was attended by veterans, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate, Sophie, Countess of Edinburgh, Prince Edward and Sir Keir Stamer and his wife, Lady Victoria. While John has recently taken a hiatus from music, with his last studio album being released ten years ago, many viewers were left baffled following his performance. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one viewer said: "WTF was that John Newman on VE80?" "What a row from John Newman," said a second. Meanwhile, a third went on to ask: "Watching the VE 80 celebrations on tv, who is John Newman?" But one fan was left baffled by the decision to have John and The Darkness on the bill for the event. However, some viewers went on to praise John's performance. One fan said: "That was certainly interesting by John Newman, I did actually like the slightly different version of the song." "Wasn't expecting to like this concert but am really enjoying it. Yes, even John Newman #VEDay80," said a second. A third viewer typed: "Kings speech followed by John Newman, not the bingo card I had in mind but flip its brilliant." During the concert, there were also special words from Dame Joan Collins, Dame Mary Berry, Dame Sheila Hancock while Brian Cox also read out Sir Winston Churchill's monumental wartime speech. At the start of the broadcast, Roman Kemp was backstage as he chatted about the show and introduced Zoe Ball. She teased that she would be arriving with special 'props' and said she was excited to be hosting such a special concert. "The atmosphere has been so joyous. I am telling everyone at home, you will cry tonight. The veterans will be telling their story. It means the world - it's utterly terrifying," Zoe said of her hosting role. The Prince and Princess of Wales were the first to arrive, where they greeted veterans who had joined them in the Royal Box. A fanfare was then played as King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived, where they spoke with veterans and evacuees. Zoe then arrived on a sidecar with a Union Jack helmet, as she addressed the crowds. "Good evening and welcome to the VE Day 80. I am thrilled to be with you all here. Together, we can remember a very special day. We have transformed Horse Guards Parade into a special concert venue," she said, "Glorious sea of red, white and blue."
The Guardian
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Novelist Kiley Reid: ‘Consumption cannot fix racism'
When Arizona-raised novelist Kiley Reid, 37, debuted five years ago with Such a Fun Age, she attained the kind of commercial and critical success that can jinx a second book, even landing a spot on the 2020 Booker longlist. Instead, Come and Get It – which is published in paperback next month – fulfils the promise, pursuing some of the themes of that first work while also daring to be boldly different. The story unfolds at the University of Arkansas, where wealth, class and race shape the yearnings and anxieties of a group of students and one equally flawed visiting professor. Reid, who has been teaching at the University of Michigan, is currently preparing to move to the Netherlands with her husband and young daughter. She is also on the judging panel for this year's Booker prize. What inspired Come and Get It?I was teaching an undergraduate fiction writing workshop and was intrigued by my students. They were smart and bizarre and strange, and their voices got stuck in my head. Around that time, my husband gifted me a book called Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality, written by two sociologists who lived on a university campus and tracked young women's finances. I'm fascinated by money and began interviewing students about it, and that's how the novel started. Money also features powerfully in Such a Fun Age, even though that novel was discussed almost exclusively in terms of race, right?Such a Fun Age came out on the last day of 2019, and the following summer George Floyd was murdered. I think a lot of black artists had to contend with the role of their work in the hands of people who believed that if they purchased black art they were solving a bit of racism. The truth is, to separate race from money is to miss the point entirely. The reason that the median income of black families is so low is due to slavery. I will continue to believe that consumption cannot fix racism, but in terms of what my books are doing, that's always up to the reader. Is a novel's theme something you consider as you're writing?Theme always comes last. I never say, I want to write about capitalism or women. What gets me into writing is always this tiny moment of someone saying something that's stuck with me. I also hate polemics within a book. I just want a novel to present fiction as truth to me, and then let me make up my own mind, because life is so complicated. If theme comes last, what comes first?For me, it's always story. When friends recommend books and say the first 50 pages are really boring but then it gets good, I say absolutely not! You have to grab me with a story, that's the only reason I pick up a book. I think it's story followed by character and then voice. You capture your characters' voices so clearly in Come and Get It, the tone almost becomes documentary-like. Did anything that students told you when you interviewed them make it on to the page?A young woman told me that she received paycheques through her father's dentist's office, and I asked her if she worked there and she said no, they're 'practice paycheques'. I said, you know that sounds like fraud? And she was like, 'Oh no, it's totally fine.' That went straight into the book – Practice Paycheques was almost its title. I use things that I hear in the real world in my fiction all the time. It's all up for grabs as far as I'm concerned. You have a gift for finding redeeming traits in characters that it might be tempting to villainise…I hope that I'm generous towards my characters. My favourite kind of heartbreak within a novel is when you know a character knows better. I love characters who you feel like shaking a bit because that rings very true to real life for me. How are you feeling about writing your third book in the Netherlands, immersed in a language other than English?I have to learn Dutch very quickly! Studying other languages is really beneficial for me. When I was writing Such a Fun Age, I took a German class four days a week and honestly, it was good practice to be bad at something first thing in the morning. When I got to my own writing later on, I wasn't making the first mistakes of my day, which took the pressure way down. Talking of pressure, how long is your reading list for the Booker prize?About 160 novels. I allow myself to be very messy with my notes but there's no scope for falling behind with the reading. I try to tackle two books in a day and almost make them compete against each other, spending an hour with one, then an hour with another… It's pretty illuminating in terms of which one is really holding my attention. Tell me about the group dynamic on the judging group is absolutely lovely [the other Booker panellists for 2025 are chair Roddy Doyle, Ayòbámi Adébáyò, Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Power] and I'm the grouch, I have no generosity. It's difficult because some of the books have completely knocked me off my seat so I have a very high bar. Do you have a favourite winner from years past?I, like most people, enjoyed Paul Beatty's The Sellout [2016] very much, and I loved This Other Eden by Paul Harding, which was shortlisted [in 2023]. In your wider reading, is there an author you return to time and again?James Baldwin. On my desk are copies of The Fire Next Time, Notes of a Native Son, and Another Country. From voice to architecture of thought, he's just compelling all round. I did a monologue from Blues for Mister Charlie for an acting class aged 19. I don't imagine my performance was very compelling at all, but it was how I discovered James Baldwin. Did you grow up wanting to be a writer?Cleaning out my childhood bedroom, I found a list from when I was around 10 of things I would like to do before I was 40, and alongside 'kiss a boy at a football game' was 'publish a book'. I'm happy to say that I've done a few of the other ones as well. Is there anything on your bookshelves that readers would be surprised to find?Ginger tea and a ton of index cards. Probably a third of Come and Get It started out on index cards. On days when it seems like there's not enough time or possibly inspiration, it's way less pressure to say I'm going to write six index cards today, that's it. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid is published in paperback by Bloomsbury (£9.99). To support the Guardian and Observer order your copy at Delivery charges may apply
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Badfinger guitar Joey Molland, the band's last living member, has died
Joey Molland, the last living member of Badfinger and longtime resident of Minnesota, died on March 1, the band announced on social media. Molland was 77. Molland was part of the band's best-known lineup, which also featured guitarist Pete Ham, drummer Mike Gibbins, and bassist Tom Evans. When Gibbins died from a brain aneurysm in 2005, Molland became the last living member of the group. Ham died by suicide in 1975 and Evans also died by suicide in 1983. Molland continued to tour as Joey Molland's Badfinger for years afterward. Late in 2024, Molland became ill. A GoFundMe campaign was established by his longitme girlfriend Mary Joyce to aid with his medical experiences. According to the campaign, Molland developed a bacterial infection due to his diabetes. It caused damage to several organs and led to pneumonia. The campaign raised more than $30,000 to help with his recovery. Molland joined the Welsh band as it transitioned from being called The Iveys to Badfinger, releasing a string of hits starting with their debut as Badfinger, Magic Christian Music, which included the Paul McCartney-penned "Come and Get It." From there, the band hit the charts on their next three albums with songs like "No Matter What," "Day After Day," "Baby Blue," and "Apple of My Eye." 'There are times when it all feels like a dream,' Molland told Guitar World in 2020. "Badfinger gave me the opportunity to do everything a musician could want. I got to make records. I heard my music on the radio, and I toured all over. I couldn't believe the luck we were having. For a time, everything was great." Molland died accompanied by his girlfriend, Mary Joyce, his two sons, and other family members, per the band's announcement.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Molland, a guitarist with 1970s Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger, dies at 77
EDINA, Minn. (AP) — Joey Molland, a guitarist with the Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger that was known for such 1970s hits as 'No Matter What' and 'Day After Day,' has died at age 77. Molland was the last to join and had been the last survivor from the most famous lineup of the group, which recorded for the Beatles ' Apple label. His death was confirmed Tuesday by Sam Sheffield-West, the funeral director at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels in Edina, Minnesota. Molland had lived in the state for decades. Additional details about his death weren't immediately available. Badfinger was a quartet that also included singer-guitarist Pete Ham, bassist Tom Evans and drummer Tom Gibbins. They were among the first acts signed to Apple after the Beatles launched it in 1968 and would remain closely associated with the Beatles — not always to Badfinger's liking — throughout their brief years of success. Molland even grew up near Liverpool's Penny Lane, immortalized in the Beatles song of the same name. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Badfinger's breakout hit, 'Come and Get It,' was written and produced by Paul McCartney, and another top 10 single, 'Day After Day,' was produced by George Harrison and featured Harrison's slide guitar. 'No Matter What' was produced by Apple official/Beatles assistant Mal Evans, and another Badfinger song, 'Without You,' became a hit for Beatles friend Harry Nilsson. Molland and his bandmates would also appear at Harrison's 1971 benefit concert for Bangladesh and provide backing on two Beatles member's solo albums: Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' and John Lennon's 'Imagine.' Critics could not stop likening Badfinger's catchy melodies, layered harmonies and tight arrangements to their benefactors: 'It's as if John, Paul, George, and Ringo had been reincarnated as Joey, Pete, Tom, and Mike of Badfinger," Rolling Stone wrote of them in 1970. Even the band's name originated from the Beatles. Badfinger had called itself the Ivies in the years preceding their joining Apple, but, at the suggestion of Apple official/Beatles assistant Neil Aspinall, agreed to change it to Badfinger. (The working title of the Beatles' 'With a Little Help from My Friends' was 'Bad Finger Boogie'). Their time on top ended after 1972. Amid cutbacks at Apple and allegations of financial mismanagement, Badfinger left for Warner Bros., faded commercially and sustained a tragic loss when Ham took his life in 1975. After initially breaking up, the remaining members periodically reunited but never approached their early success. Evans took his own life in 1983 and Gibbins died of a brain aneurysm in 2005. Molland remained active well after Badfinger's prime, touring until his health began to fail last year and releasing such solo albums as 'This Way Up' 'After the Pearl' and 'Be True To Yourself.' 'I was raised to go to work — to get up in the morning and go to work,' he told The Associated Press in 2001.
Associated Press
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Joey Molland, a guitarist with 1970s Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger, dies at 77
EDINA, Minn. (AP) — Joey Molland, a guitarist with the Welsh pop-rock band Badfinger that was known for such 1970s hits as 'No Matter What' and 'Day After Day,' has died at age 77. Molland was the last to join and had been the last survivor from the most famous lineup of the group, which recorded for the Beatles ' Apple label. His death was confirmed Tuesday by Sam Sheffield-West, the funeral director at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels in Edina, Minnesota. Molland had lived in the state for decades. Additional details about his death weren't immediately available. Badfinger was a quartet that also included singer-guitarist Pete Ham, bassist Tom Evans and drummer Tom Gibbins. They were among the first acts signed to Apple after the Beatles launched it in 1968 and would remain closely associated with the Beatles — not always to Badfinger's liking — throughout their brief years of success. Molland even grew up near Liverpool's Penny Lane, immortalized in the Beatles song of the same name. Badfinger's breakout hit, 'Come and Get It,' was written and produced by Paul McCartney, and another top 10 single, 'Day After Day,' was produced by George Harrison and featured Harrison's slide guitar. 'No Matter What' was produced by Apple official/Beatles assistant Mal Evans, and another Badfinger song, 'Without You,' became a hit for Beatles friend Harry Nilsson. Molland and his bandmates would also appear at Harrison's 1971 benefit concert for Bangladesh and provide backing on two Beatles member's solo albums: Harrison's 'All Things Must Pass' and John Lennon's 'Imagine.' Critics could not stop likening Badfinger's catchy melodies, layered harmonies and tight arrangements to their benefactors: 'It's as if John, Paul, George, and Ringo had been reincarnated as Joey, Pete, Tom, and Mike of Badfinger,' Rolling Stone wrote of them in 1970. Even the band's name originated from the Beatles. Badfinger had called itself the Ivies in the years preceding their joining Apple, but, at the suggestion of Apple official/Beatles assistant Neil Aspinall, agreed to change it to Badfinger. (The working title of the Beatles' 'With a Little Help from My Friends' was 'Bad Finger Boogie'). Their time on top ended after 1972. Amid cutbacks at Apple and allegations of financial mismanagement, Badfinger left for Warner Bros., faded commercially and sustained a tragic loss when Ham took his life in 1975. After initially breaking up, the remaining members periodically reunited but never approached their early success. Evans took his own life in 1983 and Gibbins died of a brain aneurysm in 2005. Molland remained active well after Badfinger's prime, touring until his health began to fail last year and releasing such solo albums as 'This Way Up' 'After the Pearl' and 'Be True To Yourself.'
