Latest news with #LiamPhelan
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
As one newsroom legend passes, there are new ones in the making
Hello there. It's Liam Phelan here, filling in for Bevan while he is on leave in France. This week I'd like to delve a little into Herald history to let you know about the passing of one of our great columnists and writers. But I'd also like to highlight the work of the new wave of talent that we have, making sure we remain a crucial part of this city's political and cultural life, both today and into the future. I arrived in Australia in the late 1980s as a teenager to visit my father Seumas, who had been hired from The Irish Times to come and work at the Herald as a newspaper subeditor. In those days, when the Herald was owned by the Fairfax family, the company went on a global hiring spree, luring production staff from around the English-speaking world. The paper then had a mix of politics, state and federal, world news, business news etc, with some heavyweight political commentators who made sense of the big events of the day. But easily my favourite bit of the paper was the irreverent and laugh-out-loud Stay in Touch column, written by David Dale. Dale was a man ahead of his time. He wrote about food, culture and daily life in a cheeky, chatty way that cut through the stuffiness and pompousness of the time. While most of the paper was serious and earnest, Stay in Touch was a fun daily column that told you who was eating where, who was playing up, what new trends were emerging and where you should be heading in Emerald City. The column gave you a sense of the city that was not available in any other publication. Loading These days the Herald has an entire culture team, keeping us up to date with what's happening across music, theatre and the arts, both in Sydney and around the world. But back then Dale, who died last week aged 77, was a sort of one-man culture progenitor, writing in a style no one else could imitate. Damien Murphy, himself another giant of the Sydney newsroom, wrote a wonderful tribute this week, pointing out how the column was a springboard that took Dale to New York as the Herald's correspondent and then the editorship of Kerry Packer's Bulletin magazine. Even in the weeks before he died, Dale was contacting us to alert us to the passing of a pioneering Sydney restaurateur, Doreen Orsatti.
Daily Mirror
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Iconic UK band announce SPLIT after 15 years as they release heartfelt update
The band are set to end their successful 15-year career in the music industry next year. But before they go their seperate ways they have some big gigs lined up for fans An iconic UK band announced their shock split this week after a 15-year run in the music industry. The post-metal band Svalbard shared the sad news as they released their final tour dates in a heartfelt update to fans. They formed in 2011 comprising of five members; Serena Cherry, Liam Phelan, Mark Lilley, Matt Francis and Adam Parrish. Their 2015 debut, One Day All This Will End, gained them a reputation for combining post-hardcore, post-metal and black metal with emotionally raw, socially conscious lyrics. Svalbard have supported heavyweights like Enslaved, Alcest and Cult Of Luna, and appeared at festivals including Hellfest, Summer Breeze, Arctangent and 2000 Trees. The band, based between London and Bristol, are set to end their successful 15-year career in the music industry next year. But before then they have some big gigs lined up. They're also due to make their debut at Download Festival this summer, with a slot booked for Friday, June 13. They have announced their final UK tour dates and a new song before they are due to officially split. The tour is set to begin in November and will put on a show for fans for one final time alongside Cage Fight and Knife Bride. The group has also teased a series of shows across Europe. On Wednesday, May 28 the band shared a post to Instagram in which they also revealed that they will be embarking on a tour across Japan. The post read: "Ater much reflection, we have decided that 2026 will be the final year of Svalbard. "'Our final UK tour will be in November 2025. Following that, we will be doing a final EU tour, a final Japanese tour and a few more select farewell shows in 2026. Thank you to everyone who has supported us during our 15 years as a band. Your support has meant the world to us. "We've shared so many unforgettable moments and we look forward to commemorating our last year as a band with you in 2026". Fellow musician Julian Gage commented: "So sad about this, you guys were the first band to give us a shot as an opener and I have the fondest memories from that tour! thanks for everything legends." A fan wrote: "I hope to see you on the European tour. I wish you much success with your new projects, but my heart breaks a little," another wrote: "I hope you guys will still be making music." A third wrote: "This news sucks but you lot have crushed it for so many years!! Absolute legacy!"
The Sun
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
UK band announce split after 13 years together as they reveal farewell tour
SVALBARD have announced their split after 13 years together. The UK post-metal band will bring their 15-year run to a close with a farewell tour, as well as one final release. 3 The five-piece, who formed in 2011 and are based between Bristol and London, will bow out in 2026 but not before a busy send-off. This November, they'll hit the road for a final UK tour alongside Cage Fight and Knife Bride, with further dates expected in Japan and across Europe. A last single will also arrive before they disband. Singer and guitarist Serena Cherry spoke exclusively to Metal Hammer about the decision to end things on a high note. She said: 'We've always been an all-or-nothing band. And even though it's utterly heartbreaking, we have accepted that our musical journey together is reaching its end. We have one song left within us as a band. We want to finish on a decisive high, having released four albums that we are 100 percent proud of. 'There is no animosity between band members and we wanted to give the band a proper send-off, with a final UK tour and final shows all over the world coming in 2026. It means a lot to us that we can give Svalbard one last year before we musically go our separate ways.' Serena started the band with guitarist and vocalist Liam Phelan in 2011. Their debut, One Day All This Will End, arrived in 2015, and they quickly gained a reputation for combining post-hardcore, post-metal and black metal with emotionally raw, socially conscious lyrics. Over the years, Serena's writing has taken on subjects like rape culture, mental illness and late-stage capitalism, earning the band a loyal fanbase. In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, she explained her direct approach, saying: 'It was a very deliberate choice to be as lyrically direct as possible. SVALBARD - To Wilt Beneath The Weight, OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO "You could listen to a song by most metal bands and it might be about depression or something political but, dressed up in prose and poetry, that message becomes obscured. "If you say something as concisely as possible, you can reach as many people as possible.' Their third album When I Die, Will I Get Better? was hailed by Metal Hammer as 'the most important British metal record of 2020'. Their fourth and final LP, 2023's The Weight Of The Mask received similar acclaim. Svalbard have supported heavyweights like Enslaved, Alcest and Cult Of Luna, and appeared at festivals including Hellfest, Summer Breeze, Arctangent and 2000 Trees. They're also due to make their debut at Download Festival this summer, with a slot booked for Friday, June 13. 3 3
