Latest news with #IsleOfWightFestival
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Gilberto Gil Steps Away From the Stage, Vowing ‘My Music Will Continue'
Gilberto Gil had been living in exile for a month when he first saw Bob Dylan take the stage. That was in August 1969, when Gil, who is now a revered international figure with a 60-year career behind him, had just turned 27. The military dictatorship in Brazil had 'invited' him to leave the country after an arrest on charges of 'inciting youth to rebel' during a show in Rio de Janeiro, among other accusations. Forced to flee, Gil chose London — a meeting point for musician and artist expats, with its vibrant cultural scene and artistic freedom — as his new home. He arrived just in time for the Isle of Wight Festival and knew he couldn't miss his chance to see Dylan play his first show since a motorcycle accident had nearly taken his life. 'It's that passivity, almost,' Gil said in a recent interview. 'That calmness he has onstage, without many exuberant gestures. That's what I wanted to soak up and apply to my own performance.' And through the years, whether his image was as an inciter of youth or an insightful philosopher, he did. Even as Gil stood onstage in São Paulo this April on his farewell tour, it was the eloquence of his words and the memories his music evoked that captivated 40,000 fans. A chorus of voices accompanied Gil as he guided concertgoers through the many genres of his career — samba, baião, jazz, reggae, rock and international pop, among them. An innovator with a knack for preserving his country's classic styles while building on them, Gil has used both his music and his voice to help fellow Brazilians feel pride in where they come from and hope in where they're going. In addition to releasing dozens of albums, he has worked in politics since 1987 and served as Brazil's Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2008. Gil, now 83, admits that it's time to slow down. He doesn't shy away from talk about aging: It's just another change in a life of metamorphosis. And the name he gave his final stadium tour — Tempo Rei (which translates to Time Is King), borrowed from his 1984 song about the passage of time, the brevity of life and the necessity of transformation — alludes to just that. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Watch moment pop star slams festival crowd as he launches into sweary rant mid-show
BUSTED'S Matt Willis was met with boos at the Isle of Wight Festival on Saturday after launching into a sweary rant mid-show. Midway through the band's set, bassist Matt, 42, addressed the crowd in an attempt to raise the energy levels, but sparked backlash with his comments. He said: "We've played a few festivals this year so far and they've been mediocre. Boom! Yeah, f*** you Chester.' The comment appeared to refer to a previous performance in Chester earlier in the summer. While some festivalgoers laughed, others booed the remark, prompting Matt to quickly redirect his focus back to the Isle of Wight crowd. He said: 'But the Isle of Wight is gonna have it, right? Let me hear ya.' Footage of the moment circulated online after being shared by Blunt Magazine on Instagram, with the caption: '@mattjwillis tried to hype the crowd at @isleofwightfest on Saturday night — and instead found himself on the wrong end of a chorus of boos.' Busted, known for hits including Year 3000 and What I Go to School For, are currently performing at festivals across the UK. Despite the boos, Busted powered through with crowd pleasers like Year 3000, Air Hostess and Crashed the Wedding. The three-piece — made up of Matt, Charlie Simpson and James Bourne — first shot to fame in the early 2000s with their mix of pop-punk hooks and cheeky lyrics. Their 2002 self-titled debut album went four-times platinum, and follow-up A Present for Everyone cemented their status as teen idols. Despite splitting in 2005 after Charlie left to focus on his rock band Fightstar, the trio reunited in 2015 to huge fanfare. Matt Willis brings joy with free coffee giveaway - M&S Since then, they've enjoyed a full-fledged comeback with new music, anniversary tours and a fresh generation of fans discovering their early hits. Last year, they marked 20 years of Busted with a greatest hits tour — and even collaborated with bands like Simple Plan and Hanson on reimagined versions of their biggest tracks. 4 4 4
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Rory Gallagher remembered 25 years on in five iconic gigs
As the 25th anniversary of the death of the beloved Cork guitarist occurs on Sunday, Des O'Driscoll looks back at some of his seminal performances Cavern Club, Cork, 1966 By the time Rory Gallagher moved to Cork in 1956 at the age of eight, a combination of hearing US armed forces' radio in Derry where he'd been living, and growing up in a household where both parents loved music, ensured the seeds of his future career were well and truly planted. Even in his childhood years Rory had the self-discipline to spend hours practising on his acoustic guitar. His big 'breakthrough' came when he won a talent competition at Cork City Hall around 1960. In what was the first of his many encounters with the media, a delighted 12-year-old came into the offices of the Cork Examiner and Evening Echo on Academy Street in the city to proudly pose for a picture holding his guitar on the roof of the building. The first album he ever bought, The Buddy Holly Story, was purchased from a bookshop on Shandon Street, and the emergence of the new wave of British bands from 1963 onwards had spawned a small 'beat' scene in this country that provided an alternative to the dominant showbands. It was a movement the teenage Gallagher identified with, even though it was the showbands that provided an important outlet for him to hone his skills as a musician. A huge gig for his generation came in 1965 with the visit by the Rolling Stones to the Savoy, and Gallagher had saved for weeks for a ticket. That Stones gig helped inspire the burgeoning music scene in Cork, and by 1966 Rory, his brother Donal were involved in a new club on Leitrim Street in Cork. Rory Gallagher with The Taste in The Cavern in Cork in 1966. Picture: Courtesy of Donal Gallagher A labyrinth of a building, The Cavern catered for a mostly 15-to-17-year-old age group. With just a mineral bar forrefreshments, and luminous paint on the wall to up thecool-factor, that early club provided the main venue in the city for the kids who wanted to take a different path to the showbands. Donal had even set up a primitive set of record decks — basically, two record players rigged up inside a box from Harrington's bakery — and he'd play records during the breaks in between bands. By 1966, one of the most popular attractions at the venue were The Taste, fronted by his brother. By then, 18-year-old Rory had already clocked up an impressive CV of experience with other bands, touring to the UK and Spain. But this new three-piece really gave him an opportunity to forge his own path, and some of those early gigs in The Cavern are still an 'I was there' moment for Corkonians of his generation. Isle Of Wight Festival, August 28, 1970 by Ed Power Taste's acclaimed performance at the 1970 Isle Of WightFestival, saw Gallagher's band share a bill with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis and Leonard Cohen. Watching Gallagher, bassist Richard McCracken and drummer John Wilson proceed, loosely and louchely, through a repertoire of rollicking blues numbers at Isle of Wight, it is clear you are witnessing an outfit at the very height of their abilities. At the time, they were regarded as peers of Eric Clapton and Led Zeppelin — Live At The Isle of Wight makes clear why this was so. The documentary, by respected director Murray Lerner, follows Gallagher and his crew in the days preceding the festival, providing a revealing snapshot of a young artist shortly to claim an enduring slice of rock immortality. For admirers of Gallagher — and students of early ''70s rock generally — it makes for fascinating viewing. 'When Taste hit the stage the festival ignited,' recalls Donal Gallagher. 'Murray Lerner had come to the Isle of Wight planning to shoot one of two numbers per band because he had a limited quantity of tape and he wanted to save it for The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Joni Mitchell. When he saw Taste, he kept the cameras rolling for over an hour, which was extraordinary and speaks to the impact they had. They electrified the festival.' Alas, the wheels came off shortly after Isle of Wight as Taste split suddenly. Ambitious but also loyal and decent minded, Gallagher was scarred by the experience, his brother reveals. He'd never had any interest in a solo career. For him, Taste had been the vehicle by which he hoped to make his dreams reality. 'They broke up for managerial reasons,' says Donal. 'Rory was keen to get out of his management contract. It was a conflict between Rory and the manager. Rory knew exactly where he wanted to go. The other two sided with the manager and formed a band called Stud, which was very short-lived. They found out the hard way what Rory was trying to tell them.' With his group fallen apart and a rosy future plunged into sudden uncertainty, Gallagher faced the biggest crisis of his short career. 'At the time he felt as if the world was falling in,' says Donal. 'Here was a band that had stolen the show at the Isle of Wight. And yet he felt his hands were tied contractually. He felt betrayed — and never looked back at Taste again.' Macroom Mountain Dew, June 26, 1977 Rory Gallagher in Macroom in 1977; top, the stage at the gig. Pictures: Irish Examiner Rory Gallagher didn't just headline Ireland's first majo routdoor rock festival – he also had a big hand in organising it. At least, he did via his brother Donal who was drafted in to ensure Rory's set would be a success. The guitarist had been reluctant to sign up to play at Macroom, a town which even by the standards of Ireland at the time had little experience of putting on such events. However, the fact that his mother Monica de Roiste's people were from the nearby area of Cúil Aodha was used to put some pressure on to convince him to play. The trade-off was that his trusty brother, who had been with him through his career and possessed a wealth of technical and organisational experience, would be hands on for the festival. Donal drafted in the likes of Mike Lowe, a sound system expert from Liverpool who went on to design rigs for of Pink Floyd and U2; and Joe Herlihy, the Cork man who would end up as U2's sound engineer for decades. Their hard work got the nod of approval from Rory, and the 10,000 fans who paid £2.50 a ticket for the gig were treated to a proper sound system for a typically energetic gig. It was a productive era for Rory, the gig came in the year following his Calling Card album, often ranked by fans as among his best. See the book, Macroom Mountain Dew, by Roz Crowley Rockpalast, Germany, August 28, 1982 Rory Gallagher on stage at Rockpalast in 1982. At the picturesque spot of Loreley on the Rhine, there's a legend about an enchanting woman who distracts boatmen and leads them to their death. In 1982, however, Rory Gallagher was the one doing the seducing with a storming set that was also broadcast across the continent. As with his first appearance at a Rockpalast concert in 1977, it was an event that was groundbreaking in terms of broadcasting technology, as it was among the first live broadcasts of an outdoor gig in stereo. The concert had come two years after the release of Jinx, an album that had marked the end of a six-album deal with Chrysalis. Being off the road in later years was a mixed blessing for Rory, but his brother Donal Gallagher recalls his brother being happy at that time to be free of the pressures of the annual album-and-tour grind. 'It gave him the freedom and time to work on his music and just to breathe,' says Donal. Rory was also happy to be sharing the bill with Eric Burdon, a longtime hero of his, and the two had an association that went all the way back to the Acadia in the mid-1960s when Rory and The Impact showband had supported The Animals at the Cork venue. Footage from the Rockpalast gig has been re-shown on German TV this week to mark the anniversary of Rory's death and shows Burdon and Gallagher playing together on 'Knocking On Heaven's Door' at a mass jam to finish the concert. The Marquee, New York,March 30, 1991 Rory Gallagher's final gig in the US came at a mixed time in his life. A world tour had turned into a logistical nightmare because of the outbreak of the first Gulf War, and personal issues had come to the fore that had seen him spend a few weeks in a rehab clinic. While booze seemed to be an obvious issue to those around him, it had also emerged around this time that prescribed drugs were causing even more of a problem. Medication to ease his anxieties around flying, and sleeping pills to fight his insomnia, became part of a serious issue that would take its toll on his body and eventually lead to his death following a liver transplant barely four years later. 'I thought keeping Rory on the road was better than keeping him off the road,' recalls his brother Donal of a difficult time for all concerned. But there were reasons for optimism as the band flew from Australia to California on March 2. Rory had been 'on the dry' for a few weeks, and got a kick out of having two birthdays as he crossed the International Dateline on his 43rd birthday. As the tour began, he was also reminded of the esteem he was held in by the music world when Slash from Guns N'Roses showed up backstage to pay homage at the Hollywood gig. By the time they reached New York a month later, word had seeped out that Rory was going to part company with Gerry McAvoy and Brendan O'Neill, the rhythm section who had been at the heart of his line-up for the previous ten years (with bassist McAvoy going all the way back to 1971). That news had increased the hype for the gig, and the promoter was happy to make the most of the huge demand for tickets. 'It was absolutely packed,' recalls Donal Gallagher. Somehow, the New York Fire Department got wind of how crowded the venue was and soon showed up amidst a wail of sirens. As the gig continued, Donal found himself negotiating between the fire department, the police who were threatening to arrest the promoter, and Rory who was having a great time on stage. 'I said, 'Look, if you pull the plug and he has to go off the stage, that's going to cause even more damage',' Donal recalls. 'I asked the fire department guy if he could just do two more numbers, and he replied: 'OK, he can do two more numbers, as long as one of them is 'Messin With the Kid'!' Rory duly obliged, and then finished out his set with 'Bullfrog Blues', the classic Mississippi Delta number that was a fitting choice to bring the curtain down on his association with a country that had done so much to inspire his music from an early age.
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sting opening act member collapses mid-concert after suffering cardiac arrest
The Christians drummer Lionel Duke suffered a medical emergency at a concert over the weekend. The British band was opening for Sting at Liverpool's On The Waterfront music festival on Sunday night when Duke, 58, collapsed on stage from cardiac arrest. Eyewitnesses claimed that frontman Garry Christian urgently called for medics to rush to the stage to help Duke, according to The Mirror. 7 Lionel Duke performing with The Christians. Moments later, a privacy screen was reportedly installed around Duke and the medics to hide the scene from the crowd. A notice was put up on the festival's screens that read, 'We appreciate your patience and understanding. Medical staff are with the performer, and we will provide an update as soon as we can.' 7 Sting in the Royal Theatre Carre in Amsterdam on June 6, 2025. Bruno Press/Abaca Press/INSTARimages 7 Sting performs in Germany on June 14. Eventually, a spokesperson for the band reportedly addressed the crowd and confirmed Duke suffered a cardiac arrest. 'We're really hoping he is going to make it,' the spokesperson told the audience, per The Mirror. 'He didn't have a pulse, he's got one now, we think. Thank you so much.' 7 The Christians. Despite the crisis, The Christians reportedly encouraged Sting, 73, to continue with his headline set. Once the Grammy Award winner took the stage, he told the crowd, 'The drummer in the band before is OK. He's in hospital. All of us are praying he's going to be fine. Our thoughts are with him.' 7 Sting in London on June 11. The Christians posted a statement on Facebook after Duke was rushed to the hospital. 'Thank you so much to all the many many messages regarding our drummer Lionel Duke who suffered a cardiac arrest while performing at tonights amazing concert ahead of Sting,' the band wrote. In a Tuesday update, the group said: 'Lionel will be kept on ventilation in a medically induced coma in ICU for the next two days at Broadgreen Heart & Chest Hospital at which point we will know more.' 7 Sting performs in Amsterdam on June 5. ANP/AFP via Getty Images The band also thanked 'the phenomenal team of medics present from On The Waterfront Liverpool team who stepped in so swiftly to help our poor Lionel.' The Post has reached out to The Christians' rep for comment. On social media, fans reacted to witnessing Duke's medical emergency. 'It was terrifying to see poor Lionel slump forward,' a fan wrote on The Christians' Facebook post.' I was so proud of the respect the Liverpool crowd showed falling silent, no photos and many people turned around.' 7 Sting performs at the Isle Of Wight Festival on June 20. Dan Reid/Shutterstock 'Was there, right near the front last night. The reaction of everyone was amazing, we had a doctor jump over the fence next to us to go and assist,' another fan shared. 'Crowd reaction was so respectful too. Big shout out to Sting as well.' A third concertgoer praised the venue for shielding Duke while he was getting medical attention on stage. The Christians were formed in 1985 by brothers Garry, Roger and Russell and fourth member Henry Priestman. The band's self-titled debut album hit No. 2 on the charts in the UK at the time of its 1987 release.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Isle of Wight Festival: Search for swimmer on River Medina
A person attempting to swim to the Isle of Wight Festival site sparked a coastguard and lifeboat RNLI said a person had been reported getting in to the River Medina near the festival site shortly before 20:30 BST on Saturday, but had not lifeboat, along with police, coastguard and festival security vessels carried out an "extensive search" of the shoreline. The individual was later found safe within the festival grounds at Seaclose RNLI carried out patrols on the river over the festival weekend, which saw more than 50,000 music fans see acts including Sting, Stereophonics and Justin Timberlake. An RNLI statement said the man had been seen entering the water near Newport Rowing Club."In fading light on the longest day of the year, with an outgoing tide, the Cowes RNLI crew conducted a thorough search along the shoreline."Just as the crew were directed to stand down, the person in question was located safe within festival grounds."During the weekend, the RNLI's festival patrols also came across a rigid inflatable boat with faulty navigation lights and with crew members not wearing lifejackets. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
