Latest news with #Squeeze
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ryan Tubridy makes return to UK festival with Virgin Radio star Chris Evans
Ex-RTE star Ryan Tubridy is set to return to CarFest in the UK with Virgin Radio star Chris Evans. The Dubliner made his debut at the Hampshire festival last year and organisers have announced the Virgin Radio host will return again this year. CarFest, which takes place between August 22 and 24 at Laverstoke Farm, will host live music, cars, comedy, food, wellness and more, all while raising vital funds for UK children's charities. The main stage line-up features Busted, Rita Ora, Travis, Madness, Tom Walker, Sam Ryder, Kim Wilde, Squeeze, The Boomtown Rats and Seasick Steve. Tubridy will return to The Author's Stage in StarFest to chat with literary and cultural voices; including Ben Miller, Dom Joly, Ed Byrne, Rev. Richard Coles, Cecilia Ahern and Adele Parks, amongst a host of others. Author and journalist Bryony Gordon will join Tubridy to co-host this increasingly popular stage and offering festivalgoers a packed weekend of insightful and entertaining discussion. Now in its 13th year, and founded by Virgin Radio presenter Chris Evans, CarFest offers more than just cars. Festival-goers can experience six distinct festivals sited across the 500-acre site: StarFest (celebrity guests and expert talks), FoodFest, SpaFest, KidsFest, RetroFest and CarFest itself - showcasing breathtaking vehicles and high-octane experiences. SpaFest returns with a revitalised wellbeing programme featuring experts such as Jason Grayston, Julia Bradbury, Sally Gunnell OBE DL and Dr Julie Smith. FoodFest brings a mouth-watering schedule of live cooking shows, tastings, and chef Q&As led by Si King of The Hairy Bikers, with culinary legends like Rosemary Shrager, Atul Kochhar, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Glynn Purnell, and Tom Parker Bowles appearing across the weekend. CarFest remains committed to raising money for vital UK children's charities. Since its launch in 2012, the festival has donated 10 per cent of the ticket price, as well as 100 per cent of its profits, raising an impressive €1.5 million in 2024 alone. The 2025 edition will continue to support BBC Children in Need, Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Rainbow Trust Children's Charity, Starlight Children's Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Epilepsy and local Hampshire hospice Naomi House & Jacksplace. Tickets are on sale now at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary '70s Singer, 78, Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Iconic Album That 'Made History'
is celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of his most iconic albums. Fifty years ago, on May 23, 1975, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, was released. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 In an Instagram post to celebrate the album's anniversary, Elton shared some information about the history of the record, named after the nicknames for himself and his longtime collaborator, lyricist . 'An autobiographical album telling the story of how Bernie and I met and strived for success in the late 60s,' Elton shared. 'It made history as the first album ever to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart and stayed there for seven weeks, featuring 'Someone Saved My Life Tonight' and the iconic Alan Aldridge artwork - it's one of the albums I'm proudest of.' The caption accompanied some professionally shot photos of Elton from that era along with the album's iconic cover and some news clippings, including a shot of the Billboard album chart with Captain Fantastic entering at No. album ended up topping the Billboard 200 for seven non-consecutive weeks. It was produced by Elton's longtime collaborator producer , who said that he used the lyrical concept for a guideline to the actual recording of the album at the Caribou Ranch in Colorado. 'We recorded the songs in running order,' Dudgeon said in an interview for The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. 'In most cases, I did the overdubs in running order, and I mixed them in running order. All the time we were doing it, we knew exactly what was going to occur in the running order, so we knew how to make everything adjust to what came before and what came after.' Fans, and some music industry insiders, on Instagram shared their love of the album in the comments. 'One the absolute best albums of all time! 'We All Fall in Love Sometimes' will forever be my favorite song and Elton John one of the best vocalists and performers to ever live 🙌🏼🎼🎤🎹👏🏼,' wrote one fan. 'My absolute fave. The first real album I ever owned. ❤️,' added another. 'Top 10 greatest albums of all time ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,' write noted music executive Merck Mercuriadis. Chris Difford of Squeeze added, 'It lit my lyrical flame ❤️✍️.' Legendary '70s Singer, 78, Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Iconic Album That 'Made History' first appeared on Parade on May 24, 2025
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock Rally Nobody Is Comfortable With Makes It Hard to Chase
(Bloomberg) -- Equity investors pushed back into the market by a relentless rally are about to find out that the real challenge is just beginning. As Coastline Erodes, One California City Considers 'Retreat Now' What's Behind the Rise in Serious Injuries on New York City's Streets? A New Central Park Amenity, Tailored to Its East Harlem Neighbors How Finland Is Harvesting Waste Heat From Data Centers Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Policy on Migrant Children A sharp rebound in risk assets — fueled by progress in trade talks, economic resilience and receding volatility — is turning skepticism into a trade that nobody's really comfortable with, following a month in which the consensus was to brace for the worst. The three-month pause in US-China trade tensions is reassuring investors, yet lurking in the background is the risk that stocks get so extended that they're vulnerable to any fresh surprises. 'Markets are in limbo as world leaders scramble to agree deals within the 90-day tariff pause,' notes the TS Lombard research team including Steven Blitz and Davide Oneglia. 'What matters is the potential for permanent damage during and after the trade war purgatory.' The powerful move off the April lows was almost impossible to predict or to fully participate in. A mix of out-of-the-blue headline risk, blurry data and a flip-flopping narrative created an unprecedented rebound. The speed of the drop and the still-unfolding rebound resembles the Covid market of 2020. Hence, a full recovery for the S&P 500 might be much quicker than other bear markets. Feeling the Squeeze Monday's surge offered a stark example of the squeeze facing underexposed investors. Stocks leveraged to global growth and China-sensitive sectors surged on a wave of fast-money buying. Data compiled by Bloomberg shows that many risky themes, which suffered losses of as much as 60% since the S&P 500 peaked in February, are back in favor. 'Stocks are bid on the back of the cooling trade war temps, but it's the low-quality themes that are pacing stocks,' note the traders at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s equity trading desk. They add that client activity levels were up by 71% on Monday. Systematic strategies are adding to fuel to the rally. This cohort of investors uses quantitative models to buy stocks and cares not one bit about headline risk. Those flows push the market higher into areas where risk/reward becomes thin for everyone using classic valuations or a lack of conviction due to economic uncertainty. Even retail investors — often the first to give up and the last to join rallies — were constantly buying during the selloff. Mindful of Risks Professional investors, however, seem far from all in on stocks. Data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission shows that asset managers remain light on S&P 500 futures. UBS Group AG strategists including Nicolas Le Roux said trend following strategy funds, or CTAs, have been supporting the rebound in risky assets but are in no rush to add significant exposure. 'Given the speed and strength of the rebound, CTAs are not rushing to add,' the UBS team said. 'They prefer smoother trends, and will wait for price confirmation before pressing the buy button hard.' Meanwhile, data from Goldman Sachs' Prime Desk showed global equities had the second-largest notional net buying from hedge funds in five years on Tuesday. That was 'driven by short covers and to a lesser extent long buys,' the desk wrote in a note to clients. That positioning disconnect means the squeeze may not be over. Deutsche Bank AG strategists argue that the US-China trade announcement alone justifies a re-risking shift. 'It exceeds anything the market could have anticipated back in March,' they wrote. 'Stay bullish.' Technical indicators also suggest the rally could run further. Market breadth isn't overextended, and potential turning points such as the 200-day moving average posed little resistance. Also, V-shaped recoveries have a habit of leaving cautious investors behind. Data complied by SentimenTrader shows that performance, while weak in the short-term, is offering good returns for steady hands. 'Based on behavior since the April low, the rally does seem more likely than usual to be sustainable,' SentimenTrader said. 'Of course, nothing is guaranteed, and all we're dealing with are probabilities. The good news is that the probabilities shifted in bulls' favor.' But this chase has its own risks. The stronger the rally, the more asymmetric the setup becomes - higher prices and lower volatility increase the chance of a painful reversal if good news stalls. The risk-reward balance is thus pivoting back toward unappealing levels for many. That's especially true as many of the tailwinds fueling this surge aren't rooted in hard data just yet. Signs that the economy did get hit even from the very short-lived punitive tariffs could cause optimism to fade quickly and stocks to eventually face a buyer's strike. 'It's not all perfect out there,' warned Charlie McElligott, managing director of cross-asset strategy at Nomura Securities International Inc. Things could get turned upside down again when moving closer to the tariff pause deadline in case President Trump 'can't help himself and risks twisting the knife again.' --With assistance from Michael Msika. (Updates with commentary on CTAs from UBS in 9th-10th paragraphs.) Cartoon Network's Last Gasp DeepSeek's 'Tech Madman' Founder Is Threatening US Dominance in AI Race Why Obesity Drugs Are Getting Cheaper — and Also More Expensive Trump Has Already Ruined Christmas The Recession Chatter Is Getting Louder. Watch These Metrics ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Party at the Palace festival audience will be rocking and rolling as comedy line-up is announced
Revellers at this year's Party at the Palace will be splitting their sides with laughter thanks to a host of fantastic comedians. Host Des McLean will bring together the best of Scottish talent and his picks from the Fringe for this year's comedy stage line-up. While the family fun weekend will see Boney M, Squeeze, The Hoosiers and Tom Meighan rock the music stage, Party At The Palace has also built a reputation as hosting the most unique open air comedy club in Scotland. Funny man Des McLean will host an expertly curated comedy line-up over the weekend of August 2 and 3 in Linlithgow, which will include international TV stars like Glenn Wool, Susie McCabe, Tiff Stevenson, Liam Farrelly, Kim Blythe, Ray Bradshaw, Josie Long, Rosco McLelland, Chris Forbes and Tei Boyd. With the iconic Fringe going on in August too, Des picks out his favourites from the programme there, alongside the turns he feels have to perform whether they're doing Edinburgh or not. If this was a gig this is a 40-quid ticket for this line-up, they're all headline acts. 'I know it's a cliché but there is genuinely something for everyone, for every taste – international comics, current and previous award winners, big box office hits and then really offbeat stuff too. 'I'm compering and hosting bits in between as usual because I know the audience and we have regulars who come every year – we must be only comedy tent at a festival where we have our own regulars. 'Punters come an hour early to get their bales of hay to sit on, it's a real part of why they're at the festival not just a passing interest to tune in and out of – usually comedy can be a background thing at an event like this but this is a comedy club in the fresh air. 'It reminds me of the beer garden tour Susie McCabe and I did after lockdown. 'People can sit back relax and enjoy it – it's a real cracking event and experience with a certain demographic, family vibes, it's such a nice not up itself event. I love it. 'Often with music festivals, there's a tent in a corner and it's an afterthought but this has a following and a purpose, people come for it as an attraction in its own right.' Des is thrilled at the line-up he has managed to put together this year and he's confident it rivals anything at any major comedy event. Sunday is headlined by Susie McCabe who just sold out three Kings Theatre shows and won the Sir Billy Connolly award last year. Ray Bradshaw from Off The Ball headlines Saturday. Canadian comic Glenn Wool, who has six comedy albums, will also feature, as will Tiff Stevenson who starred alongside Ricky Gervais in The Office, and stars of social media such as TikTok star Kim Blythe. Party at the Palace Festival Director John Richardson said: 'This isn't a case of festival bookers throwing together a comedy line-up or trying to pull in some names we think might work. 'Comedy is more than that, there's real science and art to programming both the right line-up and how that flows through the two days. 'We have known and respected Des for a long time and he was always a lynchpin of our comedy stuff, so it made absolute sense to hand the whole thing over to him – he's in charge, it's his thing. 'It's been a huge success and we're thrilled to have him on board – it's essentially his picks of the best in comedy both at the Fringe and just in general. 'We really believe in bringing the very best to the festival whether that's music, comedy, food, drinks, all of it – and we are really happy with the line-up across the board this year.' For more info and tickets visit: Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .
The Independent
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bryan Adams reveals the surprising origin behind his ‘first real six-string'
Bryan Adams has shared the surprising true story behind the guitar that inspired his iconic hit 'Summer of '69' and why the Covid -19 lockdown ended up being a 'lifesaver' in a revealing podcast episode. Speaking on the season opener of I Never Thought It Would Happen, hosted by Squeeze co-founder Chris Difford, Adams joins a lineup of major artists for the fifth series of the podcast from the music charity 'Help Musicians.' The Canadian singer - who holds the record for the longest-running UK No.1 single with 'Everything I Do (I Do It for You)' - set the record straight on one of his most famous lyrics. While 'Summer of '69' begins with 'I got my first real six-string / bought it at the Five and Dime,' Adams now admits the truth is less Americana and more Berkshire. Adams was just 12 years old when he bought the guitar - a Stratocaster imitation - from a music shop in Reading in 1970. His family moved frequently due to his father's job with the Canadian embassy, and when they left Israel, the guitar was left behind with a neighbour. Years later, Adams received an unexpected email from someone claiming to have found the long-lost instrument. The trail went cold - until, years later, someone approached him in a Berlin nightclub with the same message. The man turned out to be a friend of the original emailer, who had tragically died in a plane crash. The guitar was passed down to him and, honouring his friend's wishes, he returned it to Adams. In the wide-ranging interview, Adams also reflects on his experience during the Covid pandemic. While the sudden stop in touring brought fears that his career might be over, the time at home turned out to be a blessing. 'It was the best time for us as a family,' he said. 'It was great… a lifesaver.' Still, though, he worried about the future of live music: 'I had convinced myself I was not going to work again... we're done.' When touring resumed, Adams recalled playing a show in Portugal where the masked audience left the sound feeling 'muted.' He added that he believes that if a pandemic were to happen again, 'people wouldn't be as compliant.' Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Adams also spoke about writing the music for the West End adaptation of Pretty Woman with long-time collaborator Jim Vallance. Though the project included 20 songs, Adams revealed around 40 were written in total, many rejected in a 'songwriting by committee' process. I Never Thought It Would Happen continues its tradition of intimate conversations with music's biggest names. Previous guests have included Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sting, Robbie Williams, and Olivia Dean. Spandau Ballet's Gary Kemp is among those lined up for the new series. Difford, who also serves as an ambassador for 'Help Musicians', said: 'It's so much fun to uncover these untold stories from across music, and we've started with a cracker. Both Bryan and I are ambassadors of Help Musicians, so it was a special start to the fifth season.' Sarah Woods, CEO of Help Musicians, added: 'Being a musician is a truly rewarding career, but it also comes with challenges and barriers that can be difficult to navigate. In 2024 alone, Help Musicians delivered over 17,000 interventions to support musicians across the UK.'
