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Boston Globe
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
On Sunday, Boston Calling went back to school
But if it felt like October during commencement season, several artists took the opportunity to note how their work has been fueled by higher learning. Tom Morello, the politically motivated former Rage Against the Machine bandleader, recalled how he taught himself to play guitar in the stairwell of his Harvard dormitory. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Advertisement Across the grounds, Vampire Weekend brought its bright college rock to the Green Stage. And on the midway, Berklee's curated lineup on the revived Arena Stage inside the Bright-Landry Hockey Center won some new fans for artists such as the powerhouse singer Aniyé, who bills herself as 'Ya Favorite Soul Sister.' Copilot, an exuberant group of friends who came together from various other college-era musical projects, anchored the day's lineup of local bands on the Orange Stage. Their soulful trio of lead vocalists (Maggie Hall, Ry McDonald, Jake Machell) combined to build an overall vibe like a millennial version of Delaney & Bonnie. Advertisement Before them, Nate Perry & Ragged Company previewed a busy summer with their sure-footed roots rock, while the all-female band Vivid Bloom beguiled with a heavy, effects-laden brand of shoegaze. Jakob Nowell performs with Sublime. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff The 'The sun will come out again,' he said. In fact, the sun did make a fleeting appearance, aptly during a set from the Florida-based beach-party band the 502s. Their relentless zeal, epitomized by their song 'Something's Gonna Go Our Way,' felt like a tipsy detour into Margaritaville. Griff Washburn of Goth Babe. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Combined with Goth Babe's upbeat set on the Green Stage — which wrapped with main man Griff Washburn tossing inflatable promo rafts (Pop-Tarts, Cheez-Its) to an enthusiastic fan base — it seemed, for a moment there, as though spring break had broken out. Morello, accompanied by his current electric band, brought the crowd back to reality with an hour-long set that was calculated to tick off the White House. 'Welcome, brothers and sisters, to the last big event before they throw us all in jail,' he said from beneath the bill of his black Malcolm X hat (those '90s again). Advertisement Beginning with 'Testify,' Rage's wrecking-ball anthems got plenty of air time in the form of multiple instrumental medleys. Morello played a searing slow blues, paid tribute to the late Chris Cornell (his band mate in Audioslave), and covered his friend Bruce Springsteen's 'The Ghost of Tom Joad.' He brandished his guitar like a rifle and brought on Chuck D for a cameo. His drummer paid tribute to Boston, wearing a Modern Lovers T-shirt. 'We learned an old college fight song for the occasion,' Morello said when he was almost done. 'Killing in the Name,' from Rage's 1992 debut, is a song about police brutality with an all-purpose refrain about refusing to obey. The mob bounced up and down, middle fingers raised. Dave Matthews performs on the Green Stage during Boston Calling on May 25, 2025. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Matthews's headlining set was not without social commentary — 'We should stop calling them leaders and start calling them 'misleaders,'' he said. But his 110 minutes onstage were dominated by his veteran band's proficiency and his own bittersweet lyrical theme, which amounts to 'Let's live life to the fullest, because we're all gonna die.' 'Tripping Billies' and 'What Would You Say' certainly fit the bill. 'Madman's Eyes' made a statement inside the fatefulness: the song is about mass shootings. Alongside their own material, Matthews and his band offered their time-tested version of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower' and a fun showcase for sideman Rashawn Ross on Cameo's party song 'Word Up!' 'Did we have a good time or what?' Ross chanted, deadpan. At least we could say we gave it the old college try. James Sullivan can be reached at .
Powys County Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
David McAlmont to support Erasure's Andy Bell in Powys
A cult indie star from the 1990s will be appearing in Llandrindod Wells with a 1980s legends Erasure's Andy Bell. HiFi Sean and cult indie favourite David McAlmont will be coming to the Albert Hall in Llandrindod Wells on May 17. The pair will be supporting headliner Andy Bell the lead vocalist in the 198os duo Erasure who will be performing at the venue as part of his tour. These two artists both have a rich history in the music industry, Sean as a member of The Soup Dragons and more recently as a DJ and electronic artist HiFi Sean, and McAlmont as a renowned solo artist and vocalist on what is consider to be one of the most underappreciated pop songs of the 1990s, 'Yes' by McAlmont & Butler. The two met when Sean invited David to feature on his 2019 album FT, which also featured Alan Vega, Bootsy Collins, Crystal Waters, Little Annie, Paris Grey (formerly of Inner City) and more - the single Testify (ft Crystal Waters) was a US Dance Chart topper and Radio 2 A List record. Their collaboration developed via WhatsApp, email and eventually Dropbox, with Hifi uploading arrangements and McAlmont returning demos. RECOMMENDED READING: The record was completed with 'No studios. No engineer.' Just McAlmont and Hifi on the eighteenth floor of a London tower block within hearing distance of the Bow bells. The lofty setting with "spectacular 270-degree views of the city", complete with sunsets, sunrises and murmurating ravens when storms approached was perfect for McAlmont who detests studios. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app Hifi, on the other hand, 'armed with a laptop and progressive plug ins, can make music anywhere'. The result is an 'exciting collection of songs' on their debut album HAPPY ENDING which is described as 'an electronic, psychedelic soul adventure featuring an eighty-piece Bollywood orchestra recorded in a film studio in Bangalore India on some of the tracks'. The current sister album and 3rd album by the duo is TWILIGHT was released on Valentines day and depicts the darker winter months 'but with a warm hue that gets you completely sonically bathed in sound'.
Khaleej Times
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
'I'm not hungry for it anymore': Genesis star Phil Collins on returning to music
Phil Collins has reportedly lost interest in music. The Genesis star spent the band's final tour several years ago singing from a seated position while his son handled percussion duties. Now, shedding light on his present physical condition and future plans for a comeback, the singer said he has no inclination to return to a recording studio in any capacity due to physical limitations that have taken away his desire to create new music. In an interview with Mojo Magazine he said, "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick, I mean, very sick." A spinal injury in 2007 caused Collins severe nerve damage, and after a back operation, he suffered 'drop foot', a condition which makes it difficult to walk. He also suffered a head injury in 2017. His son Nic played drums when Genesis did a final tour that ended in 2022. In an interview in 2021, Collins announced that he wouldn't be returning to drumming on the group's farewell tour. He said, "I can barely hold a stick with this hand. I'm kind of physically challenged a bit, which is very frustrating." Collins last released an album called Going Back in 2010. His last album of original material, Testify, was released in 2002.
USA Today
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Phil Collins isn't 'hungry' to make new music while he's 'very sick'
Hear this story Former Genesis frontman Phil Collins hasn't felt "hungry" about making new music lately, and he is attributing the problem to his health issues. In a rare interview for the U.K. music magazine Mojo's April issue, 74-year-old Collins described the mental block he experiences when he tries to create new works. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens," he said in an excerpt of the interview, which published on Mojo's website Tuesday. 'But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick." The interview excerpt did not clarify Collins' current ailments. In Mojo's cover story — which is available on newsstands in the U.K. and boasts interviews with Genesis' "classic lineup" 50 years since the English band's "watershed split" — Collins, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford recall "the lean years, mad costumes and tricky time signatures of a rock one-off." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. 'Phil wasn't in as great a shape as he used to be, but they did a great job,' Gabriel said of the group's final show at London's O2 Arena in March 2022. 'Me going was a rite of passage, really. I'd been part of the creation of Genesis, so I wanted to be there at the end.' Drumming has taken its toll':Phil Collins reveals 'shock' of being unable to play drums Phil Collins feels like 'I've used up my air miles' Collins' last original works came in 2002's "Testify." "Going Back," released in 2010, saw him covering the Motown and soul music that influenced him in his childhood In the "Phil Collins: Drummer First" documentary that was released in December, the musician and his son, Nic Collins, opened up about the toll that performing for so many years has taken on Collins' health. Nic, who helped create the documentary and sometimes performs alongside his father, told the cameras his dad had suffered several injuries in recent years. Pain in his back and neck and trouble with posture can be traced to years of drumming, Nic said, revealing his father had undergone a major neck surgery. Collins also suffers from drop-foot, Nic revealed, a condition the Mayo Clinic describes as "difficulty lifting the front part of the foot." "In one of his feet, he has like no sensation, which is why he can't really play drums and why he has to walk with a cane, because he doesn't have that control that he used to anymore," Nic said. That Collins struggles to make a drum kit his own the way he once did was reason enough to step away, the singer revealed. "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything," he told the filmmakers. "If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks then I will have a crack at it," he said, "I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Genesis embarked on their final tour in 2021, their first in the U.S. since 2007. Throughout the tour, Nic replaced his father on the drums while Collins performed seated. Speaking with USA TODAY in 2022 about The Last Domino? tour, Banks and Rutherford more or less confirmed it would be their final venture as a group. "We'd always say never say never, but there comes a point," Banks said. He added, "We thought the 2007 tour would be the end, and this was never planned, so it was a nice thing to have happened. But it's important to know when to stop something."
Fox News
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Phil Collins isn't 'hungry' to make new music while he's 'very sick'
Phil Collins isn't "hungry" to make new music due to his ongoing illness. Back in 2022, the legendary musician revealed he could no longer play the drums because it was too difficult to pick up his drumsticks. Now, Collins is shedding light on the current state of his health — and it hasn't been much better. The singer-songwriter and longtime Genesis member has considered making new music, but he doesn't have the drive to do so anymore. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick. I mean very sick," Collins said in an interview with Mojo. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick. I mean very sick." The most recent original work Collins did was in 2002 for his solo album, "Testify." In 2010, he released "Going Back," which consisted of covers from Motown, but he has not released any material since. Genisis went on tour in 2022 and Collins joined. He sat in a chair to sing during the performances and his son Nic played the drums. At the end of the final show of the tour, Collins announced that it would be the last performance for Genesis. "Tonight is a very special night. Of course, we're playing in London. It's the last stop of our tour, and it's the last show for Genesis," he said during the show. "It's difficult for us to believe that you still came out to see it. I guess after tonight we've all got to get real jobs." In December, Collins released the documentary "Phil Collins: Drummer First," in which he discussed how difficult it was for him to continue to play. "It's still kind of sinking in a bit. I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock," Collins said in the documentary, which was filmed in 2022. The star, who has been playing drums since his early childhood, believes playing for so long has "taken its toll on my hands, legs." He added, "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I'll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I've used up my air miles." Collins has not shared any additional information about his health condition, but a post on Facebook in 2017 said that he suffered from drop foot "as a result of a back operation which makes it difficult to walk." According to the Mayo Clinic, drop foot, or foot drop, "is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, the front of your foot might drag on the ground when you walk. Foot drop isn't a disease. Rather, it is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem." Collins has had more than one injury over the years that has affected his drum playing. In 2007, he suffered a spine injury that left him with nerve damage. "My vertebrae have been crushing my spinal cord because of the position I drum in," Collins told the Daily Mail in 2009. "It comes from years of playing. I can't even hold the sticks properly without it being painful, I even used to tape the sticks to my hands to get through," he continued. Collins talked again about his health struggles during a 2021 interview on "BBC Breakfast." "I can barely hold a stick with his hand, so there are certain physical things, which get in the way," he said. Collins joined Genesis in 1970, when the band was fronted by singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel. In 1975, Gabriel left the band, and Collins took over as the lead singer and face of the band. In 1996, Collins officially left the band to pursue a solo career, although he had had massive solo success in the 1980s. His first solo hit was the tune "In the Air Tonight," which is still one of his most famous songs.
