Classic Rock News

U2 frontman Bono has shared some insight into the band’s upcoming album, which is expected later this year.

In conjunction with the just-released EP U2 – Days of Ash, U2 released a special edition of their magazine Propaganda, and in an interview, Bono revealed that they have plenty of songs in the mix for the record.

“There’s a lot more than 25 songs in the works … but I’d say about 25 are worth considering for U2 projects in the next few years,” Bono says. He notes that songs being considered are “very different in mood” from the tracks on Days of Ash, which was written in response to current events.

“More songs of celebration than lamentation,” he said. “The LP/album we’ve been working on has a very different kind of musical mood and narrative, a more of a defiantly joyful kind of feel to take on these anxious times … almost a carnival vibe.”

Continuing to discuss the mood of the new record, Bono notes, “We’re going to try and make the light brighter real soon. … We’re going try finding it in each other and our fans.”

“We’re gonna try to find that carnival atmosphere in our audience, where hopefully we can both show each other not just where we are at but where we want to be at. … Serious fun is required,” he adds. “We can’t always be letting the bad news drown out the good news of just waking up in the morning and being together in the same place … we’re all much better live!!!”

So far a specific release date for U2’s next album has not been revealed. It will be their first album of new material since 2017’s Songs of Experience.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Journey has added another show to their 2026 schedule.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers have announced they’ll be performing at this summer’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which takes place Aug. 7-16 in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Journey will be performing at the event’s Full Throttle Saloon on Aug. 11.

Journey isn’t the only act booked for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Sammy Hagar, David Lee Roth, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Megadeth, Collective Soul, Rob Zombie, Lainey Wilson and more are all playing the event, either at the Full Throttle Saloon or at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip.

More info can be found at Sturgis.com.

But before they head to Sturgis, Journey will be on the road with their Final Frontier tour. The trek, which has been announced as their farewell tour, kicks off Feb. 28 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and wraps July 2 in Laredo, Texas.

A complete list of dates can be found at Journeymusic.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

U2 has surprised fans with some new music.

The Irish rockers just released a new six-track EP, U2 – Days of Ash. It features five new songs and a poem, with a guest appearance by Ed Sheeran and Ukrainian musician-turned-soldier Taras Topolia.

The EP is described in a press release as “an immediate response to current events and inspired by the many extraordinary and courageous people fighting on the frontlines of freedom.” It comes ahead of a new U2 record, expected in late 2026.

“It’s been a thrill having the four of us back together in the studio over the last year … the songs on Days of Ash are very different in mood and theme to the ones we’re going to put on our album later in the year,” Bono said in a statement. “These EP tracks couldn’t wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world. They are songs of defiance and dismay, of lamentation.”

“I believe these new songs stand up to our best work,” Larry Mullen Jr. added, with Adam Clayton offering, “I’m excited about these new songs, it feels like they’re arriving at the right time.”

Songs on the EP include “American Obituary,” written in response to the death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good at the hands of federal agents, and “Yours Eternally,” which features Sheeran and Topolia. The latter song will be accompanied by a documentary, directed by Ukrainian cinematographer and filmmaker Ilya Mikhaylus. It will be released Feb. 24 to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

U2 – Days of Ash is available now via digital outlets, with lyric videos for all the songs on YouTube. Here is the track list:
“American Obituary”
“The Tears of Things”
“Song of the Future”
“Wildpeace” – by Yehuda Amichai, read by Adeola, with music by U2 and Jacknife Lee
“One Life At a Time”
“Yours Eternally” (ft. Ed Sheeran & Taras Topolia)

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Foo Fighters are headlining the 2026 Bourbon & Beyond festival, taking place Sept. 24-27 in Louisville, Kentucky.

The bill also includes Queens of the Stone Age, Mumford & Sons, Dave Matthews Band, Foster the People, Counting Crows, Of Monsters and Men, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Flaming Lips, 4 Non Blondes, Portugal. The Man, Gary Clark Jr., Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Squeeze, Cheap Trip, Fitz and the Tantrums, Violent Femmes, Jet, Plain White T’s and Our Lady Peace.

For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit BourbonandBeyond.com.

Meanwhile, Foo Fighters have also announced a show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, taking place Aug. 22. They will be accompanied by the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, whose conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, performed alongside Dave Grohl at Coachella 2025.

For ticket info, visit HollywoodBowl.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, Feb 18, 1977…

New York natives KISS headlined Madison Square Garden for the very first time.

The show was part of their Rock and Roll Over tour and featured opening act Sammy Hagar, who was also making his Madison Square Garden debut.

According to setlist.fm, the band’s set included KISS favorites like “Detroit Rock City,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” “Beth” and “Black Diamond.” During the show, Paul Stanley was injured when he was hit by a beer bottle thrown by somebody in the audience.

KISS went on to headline MSG multiple times over the years.

They wrapped their last-ever tour, dubbed the End of the Road World Tour, at the historic venue with two shows that took place Dec. 1 and 2, 2023.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Paul McCartney and Wings will be the subject of a new exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

The exhibit, opening May 15, is described in a press release as “the first major museum exhibit” to explore McCartney’s post-Beatles band, which released its self-titled debut in 1970 and broke up in 1981.

Simply titled Paul McCartney and Wings, the exhibit will feature the largest collection of artifacts from McCartney’s personal archives, including instruments played during recording sessions and concert performances, handwritten lyrics, clothing worn by the band, tour memorabilia and previously unseen photography, plus archival video and audio.

In addition to the exhibit, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is set to host an early screening of the new Paul McCartney and Wings documentary, Man on the Run, on Feb. 21. The documentary, directed by award-winning director Morgan Neville, will hit theaters for one night only on Feb. 19 and debut on Prime Video Feb. 27.

More info on the exhibit and screening can be found at RockHall.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The life and career of Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, who passed away Jan. 10, is celebrated in a new tribute issue of Rolling Stone.

The magazine’s March issue includes exclusive tributes to Weir from bandmates Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann. There’s also an interview with Dead & Company’s John Mayer, intimate photos of Weir taken by his daughter, photographer Chloe Weir, and more.

“The Grateful Dead, for Bob, was freedom. It was a place for him to be Bob — his home,” Hart said of his bandmate. “He had a tough time in his early life, but in the Grateful Dead everyone could be what they wanted to be, and that was freedom. It’s everything.”

“Bob wasn’t one to talk a lot, but this was the way for all of us to fly,” he continued. “We all gave each other space, and at the same time, we all were supporting each other, and the music just started to flow. We all believed in the magic.”

Kreutzmann reflected on the surviving members of the band accepting that it was OK to continue playing Grateful Dead music following the 1995 death of Jerry Garcia.

“It took me a few years to figure that out, but I think it took Bob about five minutes — he played a show in New Hampshire the very night Jerry died,” Kruetzmann told Rolling Stone. “That was also his way of processing it.”

And Mayer told the mag about the connection he felt with Weir.

“We were aligned. Bobby and I both had the same clock — where he knew what I was going to do, and he knew I’d give it back and go, ‘All yours,'” he said. “There were times where Bobby started singing as a way of letting me know, ‘That’s the end of your solo, son.”’

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

The Billy Idol documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead is finally hitting theaters in the U.S. on Feb. 26.

Ahead of the opening, the film will get two special premieres, Feb. 23 in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theatre and Feb. 25 in New York at the Regal Union Square. Both screenings will feature an acoustic performance by Idol, and his longtime guitarist and collaborator Steve Stevens.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival in June 2025. The film explores the rock star’s career and personal life, and features never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, as seen in a just-released teaser for the flick. It also includes interviews with Idol’s family, peers and collaborators.

The film features the new song “Dying to Live,” which Idol wrote with Academy Award-nominated songwriter J. Ralph.

Info on screenings and tickets can be found at billyidolshouldbedead.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Metallica will be honored as the visionary partner of the year at the 2026 Red Cross Gala in San Francisco, taking place March 21.

The distinction comes after the “Enter Sandman” metallers teamed up with the Red Cross in 2025 to set up blood drives alongside stops on their M72 tour.

“Giving back as a united, engaged community has always been at the core of [Metallica’s charity foundation] All Within My Hands, and working alongside the Red Cross has shown us just how powerful that can be,” Metallica says. “From last year’s fan-fueled Red Cross × Metallica blood drive series — which blew us away by hitting more than 1,000 donations in its first month — to years of teaming up on disaster relief, we’ve seen firsthand how acts of kindness can save lives.”

The band adds, “Thank you to the Red Cross for this incredible recognition, and thank you to the #MetallicaFamily, who prove every day that doing good is something we all can amplify. Seeing fans, volunteers, and entire communities show up again and again shows just how much this work matters.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

When Iron Maiden announced dates for their Run For Your Lives World Tour, they revealed that it would include a special show in the U.K. The band has since shared what’s so special about it.

The concert at Knebworth Park on July 11, featuring special guests The Hu, The Darkness, Airbourne and The Almighty, will be part of what the band’s dubbed Eddfest, after their mascot, Eddie. The July 10-11 event is described as the “ultimate once in a lifetime celebration of all things Iron Maiden for their 50th anniversary,” featuring live music, themed areas, immersive attractions and more.

Some of those attractions include the Infinite Dreams Museum Experience, featuring Iron Maiden stage props and relics, plus an area called Maidenville, which will feature a second stage of music, Eddie’s Ultimate Dive Bar, and the Unfair Funfair with rides and Eddie-themed games.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to IronMaiden.Knebworth.com.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.