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The Age
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
These Offspring are all grown up - but the post-punk bangers keep on coming
MUSIC THE OFFSPRING Qudos Bank Arena, May 11 Reviewed by Michael Ruffles ★★★½ What do you do when one of your giant lightning skeleton zombie props fails to inflate properly? When you're The Offspring, you just keep playing because the guitars are electrifying enough. The California rockers tore through a blistering set of pop-punk bangers, barely pausing for breath as they proved why they have survived long enough to morph from the genre's enfants terribles into elder statesmen. They play hard and fast. The crushing and crunchy riffs of Come out and Play, interspersed with the bright licks of 60s surf rock, was the perfect tone-setter. It's an incisive look at youth violence with equal parts anger and wry humour. In short, anarchy. Original Prankster is made for mass appeal and goes down easy, Staring at the Sun is built for speed and is a high-wire act (and the only time the band wobbles a bit) and Hammerhead is relentless (skeleton snafu notwithstanding). Relief comes when frontman Dexter Holland and lead guitarist Noodles become a comedy act; the skits include riffing on Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and (most brilliantly) Edvard Grieg. Have you even heard Hall of the Mountain King unless you've heard it shredded by an ageing skunk-haired punk while the mosh pit heaves? Holland provided the most affecting moments of the night, sitting at a white grand piano as smoke drifted across the stage for a stripped-back rendition of Gone Away. The once-howling lament was made more poignant for its simplicity, before the band ramped up a cathartic finale. Before any tears had chance to dry, the band unleashed the biggest vibe shift of the night and launched beach balls at us while jumping into the one-two punch of Ob la di -inspired Why Don't You Get A Job? and the batty mega-hit Pretty Fly (For a White Guy). Whether it's nonsense or genius, you've had nearly 30 years to make up your mind. What is in no doubt is The Kids Aren't Alright is terrific, a searing indictment on middle America and undeniably rousing.
Sydney Morning Herald
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
These Offspring are all grown up - but the post-punk bangers keep on coming
MUSIC THE OFFSPRING Qudos Bank Arena, May 11 Reviewed by Michael Ruffles ★★★½ What do you do when one of your giant lightning skeleton zombie props fails to inflate properly? When you're The Offspring, you just keep playing because the guitars are electrifying enough. The California rockers tore through a blistering set of pop-punk bangers, barely pausing for breath as they proved why they have survived long enough to morph from the genre's enfants terribles into elder statesmen. They play hard and fast. The crushing and crunchy riffs of Come out and Play, interspersed with the bright licks of 60s surf rock, was the perfect tone-setter. It's an incisive look at youth violence with equal parts anger and wry humour. In short, anarchy. Original Prankster is made for mass appeal and goes down easy, Staring at the Sun is built for speed and is a high-wire act (and the only time the band wobbles a bit) and Hammerhead is relentless (skeleton snafu notwithstanding). Relief comes when frontman Dexter Holland and lead guitarist Noodles become a comedy act; the skits include riffing on Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, AC/DC and (most brilliantly) Edvard Grieg. Have you even heard Hall of the Mountain King unless you've heard it shredded by an ageing skunk-haired punk while the mosh pit heaves? Holland provided the most affecting moments of the night, sitting at a white grand piano as smoke drifted across the stage for a stripped-back rendition of Gone Away. The once-howling lament was made more poignant for its simplicity, before the band ramped up a cathartic finale. Before any tears had chance to dry, the band unleashed the biggest vibe shift of the night and launched beach balls at us while jumping into the one-two punch of Ob la di -inspired Why Don't You Get A Job? and the batty mega-hit Pretty Fly (For a White Guy). Whether it's nonsense or genius, you've had nearly 30 years to make up your mind. What is in no doubt is The Kids Aren't Alright is terrific, a searing indictment on middle America and undeniably rousing.
Glasgow Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
I saw Anastacia live at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall
There is no mistaking the incredible voice of Anastacia. The US singer was a complete powerhouse as she hit the high notes at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall on Friday night. Coming through a door on stage, the petite star oozed with confidence as she belted out One Day in Your Life. READ NEXT: I saw Gabrielle in Glasgow and this 90s singer kicked off the show - my verdict READ NEXT: I saw The Zutons at the Barrowlands in Glasgow - my verdict READ NEXT: I saw Snow Patrol at the Hydro in Glasgow - my verdict (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) Now or Never and Staring at the Sun followed, with the 56-year-old impressing with her pipes from the get-go. Her vocals are soulful, sultry, and rocky all at once—it's a joy to hear. Beaming from ear to ear, she said: 'Well, what's going on Glasgow? 'Oh my gosh. You are all so delicious.' Taking in the reaction of the crowd, who were going wild for the Chicago native, she laughed: 'You're up for it?' (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) Paid My Dues, then delighted the city audience before the singer admitted she had been loving Scottish delicacies. Revealing she had a fried Mars Bar, she told her fans: 'I'm kinda addicted to the fact you guys like to fry a lot of s**t here. 'Do we have to leave here tonight?' And the resounding wish from the crowd was no - they were wanting to soak in every minute of the star who was in the city celebrating 25 years since the release of her debut Not That Kind. (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) (Image: Anastacia live in Glasgow at the Royal Concert Hall April 25, 2025. Calum Buchan picture.) You'll Never Be Alone followed, showing off the prowess of her voice. She could easily slot into a hall of vocal fame occupied by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, or Mariah Carey, she's that good. She proved this on a cover of the Guns N' Roses smash hit Sweet Child O' Mine, she sounded sensational. While Outside Alone, Not That Kind, and the song that made Anastacia a global phenomenon, I'm Outta Love rounded off a spectacular show.
Los Angeles Times
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Tunde Adebimpe explores ‘tenderness and rage' on debut solo album
Nearly 25 years ago, Brooklyn band TV on the Radio took over the airwaves and MTV with their haunting, near-operatic synth-rock. Tracks like 'Staring at the Sun' and 'Wolf Like Me' seduced listeners with melodic hooks upon hooks, and an urgent, insistent percussive drive. Leading man, Missouri-born, L.A.-based Tunde Adebimpe's restless creative spirit never lost momentum, but the intensity and demands of band life lost its lustre until a 20th anniversary re-release and tour for album 'Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes' in 2024 reunited TV on the Radio. Such was their renewed chemistry that the band are now in the throes of a new, sixth album. It will ride on the heels of Adebimpe's debut solo album, 'Thee Black Boltz,' which reinforces the fact that Adebimpe is one of the most adventurous, incisive singer-songwriters of the last few decades, at least. The references to 'boltz' are scattered throughout tracks, brief glimmers of gratitude and joy which emerge from clouds of gloom. Adebimpe tells The Times that the album mirrored his own experiences of being in, and coming through, a series of traumatic events and grief that intensified during the pandemic. '[In 2019], I was doing a lot of free writing to get ideas, to put messy thoughts into a place, and I was visualizing a way out of a pretty heavy period of grief that I was in. I was writing about what had happened, making my way through it, and committing myself to documenting every way to get through it. In the middle of all that writing about grief, there were moments of remembering things that happened before the tragic events, and the gratitude for those little breaks, shots of inspiration, that wouldn't have otherwise come to you without those clouds of depression. Boltz are a metaphor for shocking you out of a bad situation.' Many of these songs were written during the onset and thick of the pandemic, when there was a feeling of panic and something encroaching that nobody with the power to stop it was actually acting on, he said. 'American events, world events, felt intense and still do … It's the feeling of elemental forces versus human beings, and that will never go out of fashion.' A series of studio robberies — first Adebimpe's home garage-studio, then the complex of studios he was working in — could have hobbled his momentum. So, too, could the round of rejections he got after trying to shop around six demos to no avail, but despite the elements putting up a fierce battle, Adebimpe prevailed. 'When TV on the Radio took a break in 2019, it was indefinite, and I was not in a place where I thought I'd be making music for a long time. A couple of things happened,' he said. 'Somebody broke into my garage, which is my studio, and stole 15 years' worth of archives, and my laptop. They unplugged the hard drive in my computer and left that there — a weird act of charity, or something? They took drum machines, my weed — the icing on the cake — but I found my old 4-track recorder and a box of tapes that went from 1998 to 2008.' The singer went through, listened to those tapes, and found half-finished songs that he brought out and re-demoed. 'Since I had only the 4-track to record with, I started playing around with it and writing demos on it.' His solo album hadn't been anticipated by most, since the versatile Adebimpe had been thriving on a busy combination of acting ('Twisters' last year, 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' and TV series 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew'), directing and collaborating across genres as both a guest vocalist or supergroup member. He's also been busy with touring TV on the Radio's first album in celebration of its 20th anniversary. After their 2014 album 'Seeds,' the band had toured on and off and released singles here and there. Outside the band confines, there's been numerous shared projects since 2010 when Adebimpe featured on Dave Sitek's album 'Maximum Balloon.' He's lent his signature urgent, momentous vocals to tracks by Massive Attack, Leftfield and Run the Jewels, and even found time to hook up with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle mastermind Mike Patton and Doseone in the supergroup Nevermen. It seems surprising that it has taken so long for him to set out to make a solo album. 'I thought about it before,' he concedes. 'The thing about being in TV on the Radio is that whenever we've all decided to get together to record a new thing, everyone comes with a bunch of new ideas and a lot of demos, and we always have a surplus of songs.' There have been times over the course of the band being together that they've had a little break, and Adebimpe thought about taking these songs that nobody else — for lack of time or interest — wanted to do anything with. 'I wrote the demos; I don't want to abandon them,' he said. The TV on the Radio DNA is there, undeniably. 'Sometime after 2008, I had a moment where I was like, what does a TV on the Radio song sound like? And that went through the band like a stomach bug, and we all realized we don't really know because we'd never thought about that before. I can't plan something out in that way. I write what sounds good to me and what works to me. I certainly don't mind if people hear similarities, and I am never trying to get away from writing the way that I write.' 'Thee Black Boltz' is Adebimpe with nothing to prove. He's not determined to differentiate his solo voice from his work with TV on the Radio, but there's a definite shift in the mood here. Where there was an urgency and climactic intensity to TV on the Radio tracks, 'Thee Black Boltz' revels in more space for introspection in the instrumentation and lyrics, whimsy and emotional candour. Over a concise 11 tracks, Adebimpe traverses heartbreak, drama, frustration and space exploration. Rewind just over 20 years to Adebimpe crooning about the transience of material possessions, the inevitable human transcendence into light and air on 'Staring at the Sun,' and 'Thee Black Boltz' is merely the extension of Adebimpe's long-running fixation on existence and our relative meaninglessness. New track 'Drop' features Adebimpe's own plea in the face of imminent death: 'We're gonna feel it when we drop / Send no flowers / The visions never stop / Of this life / And a time / We can all come together / Burn so bright / And rise into the night.' 'Drop' opens up with bare-bones looped beatboxing before threading in dramatic melody upon layers of synth and howled refrains. This is not Adebimpe's rebellion against TV on the Radio, but the evidence that in that band, and solo, he only knows how to be fully authentic. ''Drop' came at the time when it felt apocalyptic during the pandemic,' he says. 'I was thinking about people I'd lost, and thinking, what exactly do you feel when you die, when you drop this body that you live in? Is there nothing, not even a consciousness? We don't know. It could be wonderful, or we could all be doomed, but we can think about that because we're here now. What's the best use of our very limited time on our planet?' Adebimpe's ephemeral musings on death became very real when his only relative in the U.S., his younger sister, died in 2021. A week after signing to Sub Pop with a handful of demos, he had to pause everything to react. 'I'd started writing the record, and I didn't know that I was writing a record. It was after all my stuff got stolen … so that was the minor, material stuff that happened. Then in 2021, out of nowhere, my younger sister passed away very suddenly. I don't feel weird talking about this because everyone is going to experience some sort of massive upheaval and tragedy and it's possible to get through it by focusing on the moment in front of you. She passed away very suddenly. I have no other family in the country, so I had to travel to Florida, organize the funeral, deal with her house, in a very short period of time.' When he returned to L.A., 'I didn't want to do anything at all for a long time,' he says. 'But making things is a great way to process. I took the messy feelings, joyous feelings, and downloaded them into free writing, making demos for what eventually became the record as a way to get through it. I'd had losses throughout the years that I hadn't taken the time to think about or make any kind of peace with, not that you ever can. The pandemic gave me a second.' His sister is the focus of the song 'ILY,' or 'I Love You,' on the record. 'That song is entirely for her,' says Adebimpe. 'It's a simple, clear song and it's multipurpose. It's not a Valentine's Day card, but you can use it to love yourself, someone else, as the very simple expression of gratitude for this person you're lucky to land with on the universe. You can't choose your family, but she was the absolute best, and I'm so grateful I got to be … get to be … her brother.' The beauty and liberated spirit of 'Thee Black Boltz' is exemplified in how diverse the musicality and lyrical themes are. It is, exactly as Adebimpe suggested, akin to a mixtape that acts as a time capsule for a portentous period for an individual as much as the collective. Where should listeners begin? Adebimpe says, 'All the songs are so different, but if you were to make your way in, I really like 'Somebody New.' It was a mash-up of two different things we were working on individually — me and [producer Wilder Zoby]. I came into the studio while we were working on a job — writing a soundtrack for a kids' TV show ['City Island' on PBS] — and he was working on this synth thing and I said, 'We should keep that for us.' Then, on a whim, we sewed it together with something I'd been messing with, and while it's changed melodically, it's a good dance track. It's a power-up; you can take it with you.' Now that it's out there, he says, 'I feel great about it. There were a lot of breaks in between working to finish it, but now it's done, I am really glad people are going to get to hear it. I feel like both [Zoby], I and Jahphet [Landis] have just been with it so long that any sort of nervousness or anxiety or uncertainty about what it is has kind of faded away. It feels like being in high school and a friend giving you a mixtape and saying, 'This has a whole bunch of weird s— on it, I made it for you, and I hope that you're into it!' That's exactly how I feel about this record.'
