Devo is set to play the 2025 Cruel World Festival, happening May 17 at Brookside at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
Cruel World will be headlined by New Order and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, with a lineup that also includes The Go-Go’s, Buzzcocks, Garbage, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Madness and Alison Moyet.
Passes for the festival go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. PT. A complete lineup can be found at cruelworldfest.com.
Next up, Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale and Robert Mothersbaugh will sit down for a Q&A following screenings of De-evolution is Real: The Restored Films of Devo at AFI Fest 2024.
The screenings will take place Wednesday and Saturday at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The screenings feature a selection of the band’s film, video and audio archives, which were restored for their 50th anniversary.
Billy Joel took his family to see Taylor Swift at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium over the weekend, which apparently helped Taylor break one of his attendance records.
Prior to the show, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared a Reel of the fam headed to the concert, with Billy wearing a T-shirt that read “I’m The Dad It’s Me,” a reference to Taylor’s song “Anti-Hero.”
On Monday he shared a photo of them at the concert with Taylor’s mom, as well as an older photo of him with Taylor, his wife and his daughters, Della Rose, 9, and Remy Ann, who turns 7 on Tuesday. In the caption he gave the pop star props for breaking a record he had previously set with Elton John.
“Our family attended the Taylor Swift concert at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami where Billy Joel/Elton John’s ‘Face to Face’ concert previously held the seating record,” he shared. “Taylor’s second concert at Hard Rock Miami set a new record and ushered in a new era at Hard Rock Stadium. We were so happy to be a part of this record-breaking concert!”
He also shared, “Celebrating someone’s success does not negate your own. She is showing our girls all that is possible. Onward and upward #swifties.”
Billy is set to play San Antonio with Sting on Friday. He also just added a new tour date to his schedule, March 15 at Toronto’s Rogers Arena. A complete list of dates can be found at billyjoel.com.
Kevin Nixon/Metal Hammer Magazine/Future via Getty Images/Future via Getty Images
Former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, who sang on the metal band’s first two albums, has died, according to his record label, Conquest Music. He was 66.
“On behalf of his family, Conquest Music are sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di’Anno,” reads a statement posted to the label’s Facebook.
Di’Anno joined Maiden in 1978, and provided lead vocals on their 1980 self-titled debut and its 1981 follow-up, Killers. He was dismissed from the band in 1981 and was replaced by current Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson.
Following his stint in Maiden, Di’Anno launched bands including Battlezone and Killers, and also started a solo career.
In recent years, Di’Anno had been dealing with various health issues, which, as Conquest notes, “restricted him to performing in a wheelchair.”
“Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023,” the label’s post reads.
In July, Di’Anno met Dickinson for the first time while they were both in Croatia.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame
Jeff Lynne’s ELO has announced they will play their last ever concert next year in London.
The band is set to headline BST Hyde Park on July 13, and it’s being billed as “the final show.”
“My return to touring began at Hyde Park in 2014,” Lynne shared on Instagram. “It seems like the perfect place to do our final show. We couldn’t be more excited to share this special night in London with our UK fans. As the song goes, ‘we’re gonna do it One More Time!’”
Lynne will be joined by other artists for the outdoor show, with a full lineup to be announced at a later date.
An artist presale kicks off Wednesday, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday.
Lynne announced back in March that ELO would be heading out on their final tour. Dubbed The Over and Out Tour, the U.S. dates kicked off in August and are set to wrap Oct. 26 in Los Angeles.
The Who wrapped a North American tour at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, which would turn out to be drummer Keith Moon’s final concert with the band.
The Who took a break from touring following the end of the trek, with the band noting that Moon’s health had been so bad he wouldn’t have been able to perform.
The Who returned to the studio in 1978 to record Who Are You, which would wind up being Moon’s last record with the group. He died in September 1978 from an overdose of a drug that was supposed to prevent alcohol withdrawal.
The Who later announced that they would go on following Moon’s death and returned to the stage in May 1979 with a concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London. Kenney Jones, who had previously played with the Small Faces and Faces, took over behind the drum kit.
Jake E. Lee has shared more details about the circumstances that led to his shooting on Oct. 15.
As previously reported, the former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist was walking his dog early in the morning in Las Vegas when he was shot three times.
In an initial statement, Lee’s management said, “Las Vegas authorities believe the shooting was completely random.” Lee now writes in a Facebook post, “I crossed paths with a couple of thieves.”
“Dressed darkly, hoodies pulled down their faces and masks covering their mouths,” Lee says. “Standing in a neighbor’s driveway checking out his motorcycle. There was a verbal confrontation which ended with an agreement that I would walk one way and they would walk the opposite. That didn’t work out.”
Lee adds that he’ll “probably talk in more detail about it later but right now I can only comfortably do a little at a time.”
Elton John/Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Disney; Joni Mitchell/Taylor Hill/WireImage
When Elton John and Bernie Taupin received the Gershwin Prize for Popular Music earlier this year, Joni Mitchell helped pay tribute to them by performing their song “I’m Still Standing.” And on Oct. 20, Elton returned the favor, singing backup as Joni did the song during her concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
The concert was one of two that Mitchell performed over the weekend, and they were her first two shows in LA in 24 years. For each, the legendary singer/songwriter, 80, was joined by an all-star lineup that included Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox and members of the bands Dawes, Mumford & Sons, Lucius and Fleet Foxes.
In addition to Elton, Meryl Streep joined in the performance of “I’m Still Standing,” according to multiple reports. Mitchell’s concert also included renditions of some of her most famous songs, including “Big Yellow Taxi,” “The Circle Game,” “Both Sides Now” and “A Case of You.”
On his Instagram Story, Elton posted a video of himself embracing and kissing Mitchell. Brandi Carlile popped into the frame and joked, “Mom and dad,” indicating that Elton and Joni are her musical “parents.”
Elton’s surprise appearance comes just a few days after he made a cameo at London’s Royal Albert Hall, joining Dua Lipa for a performance of their hit duet “Cold Heart.”
Toni Cornell, daughter of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, has shared a statement criticizing TMZ for its coverage of the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne.
In its original story, TMZ posted cropped photos of Payne’s body after he fell from the third floor of his hotel room in Argentina on Oct. 16. In a since-expired Instagram Story captured by Billboard and NME, Toni called the photos “disgusting” and “distressing,” noting, “I can’t help but reflect on my own experience when graphic images of my father’s death were also published by TMZ.”
Toni, who was 12 when Chris passed away in 2017, writes that accidentally stumbling upon those photos was “indescribably traumatizing, and something I still carry with me to this day.”
“TMZ still has not chosen to have the decency, seven years later, to remove those photos from the internet, and it is something I believe should be done,” Toni writes. “While the images of Liam have since been taken down, it means nothing. They should never have been put up in the first place, and it breaks my heart to think that his 7 year old son, Bear, might one day come across them and suffer exactly as I did.”
“This isn’t how an artist or a father should be remembered,” she concluded. “I’m sending so much love and support to Liam’s family and loved ones during this incredibly painful time.”
Bruce Springsteen asks a lot of his E Street Band members, but it turns out they’re very well compensated for their hard work.
At a London screening of his new documentary, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on Oct. 18, The Boss opened up about one of the secrets to his success with his band: cold, hard cash.
“I pay them a tremendous amount of money. That greases the wheels pretty good,” the 75-year-old rocker said, according to Business Insider. “And then, I’m a pretty nice boss. The truth is, you need to cast your band well.”
He added, “If you get the art right, the music right, and the band right, you go out and play every night like it’s your last night on Earth. That was the serial philosophy of the band, and we’re sticking to it.”
But according to E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt, money isn’t the reason why they got into the music business in the first place.
“It was never a commercial enterprise,” Van Zandt said. “This has been an artistic adventure from the beginning.”
He added, “So anyone joining knew that was what they were getting into. Now, luckily, we found some commercial calling ground along the way, which was great.”
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band debuts Friday on Hulu and Disney+.
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony took place Saturday in Cleveland and streamed live on Disney+.
Ozzy Osbourne was enshrined in the Rock Hall for the second time, after previously being inducted in 2006 with Black Sabbath. Jack Black did the inducting honors, and Ozzy, who has been dealing with various health issues over the past couple years, took the stage in a giant, demon-adorned throne.
While the Prince of Darkness didn’t perform, he did yell the iconic “All aboard!” opening for his song “Crazy Train,” which was then sung by Tool‘s Maynard James Keenan, backed by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and producer Andrew Watt, as well as a guitar solo from Wolfgang Van Halen.
Smith, Trujillo and Watt were then joined by Jelly Roll and Ozzy’s longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde for “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and Billy Idol for “No More Tears.”
Dave Matthews Band was inducted by Julia Roberts, who starred in the DMB video for the song “Dreamgirl.” The jam outfit performed their songs “Ants Marching,” “Crash into Me,” “So Much to Say” and “Too Much.”
Matthews delivered a speech thanking DMB’s notoriously devoted fans and band members past and present before closing the night with a cover of Talking Heads‘ “Burning Down the House.”
Foreigner was inducted into the Rock Hall by former Valen Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar. Guns N’ Roses shredder Slash andChad Smith joined members of the current touring incarnation of Foreigner, while Demi Lovato, Hagar and Kelly Clarkson sang “Feels Like the First Time,” “Hot Blooded” and “I Want to Know What Love Is,” respectively, the last of which also featured original vocalist Lou Gramm.
As previously reported, guitarist Mick Jones, who has Parkinson’s disease, did not attend the ceremony, and neither did drummer Dennis Elliott. Jones’ daughter gave a speech on his behalf, followed by remarks by Gramm.
The Who‘s Roger Daltrey inducted Peter Frampton, and Bryan Adams also called in from a concert to congratulate him.
Frampton, who has the degenerative muscle disease inclusion body myositis, performed while seated, delivering renditions of “Something’s Happening” and a particularly shred-heavy version of “Do You Feel Like We Do” alongside Keith Urban.
Influential proto-punk outfit MC5 and late “Margaritaville” singer Jimmy Buffett were both inducted with the Musical Excellence Award. They were honored with speeches by Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello and James Taylor, respectively.
The other inductees included Cher, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & the Gang, Mary J. Blige, Dionne Warwick, Norman Whitfield, Big Mama Thornton, John Mayall and Alexis Korner.
On Jan. 1, ABC will air the special 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, featuring performance highlights.
