Music

Iconic pop punk band Bowling for Soup are preparing to headline their biggest gig ever at Wembley this weekend (December 13), and Express.co.uk sat down with frontman Jaret Reddick ahead of the big day. Famed for hits like 1985, Girl All the Bad Guys Want and High School Never Ends, the band have been around since 1994, though they’ve experienced a shifting line-up since then.With Jaret as the only remaining founder – though he credits drummer Gary Wiseman as an “OG” member – the band got their start in Wichita Falls, Texas. But they’ve since recorded a series of live albums in the UK; where, Jaret says, the music fans are the “best in the world”.Though I’ve been a fan for decades, the origin of the band’s name has always been somewhat of a mystery. Thankfully Jaret was happy to clear i...

Black Stone Cherry fans were anticipating a tour announcement for 2026, but this is likely not what they were expecting. The American hard rock icons have just confirmed a string of tour dates throughout the UK in October 2026 they've titled An Evening With... Black Stone Cherry. These intimate shows will be taking place at a slew of smaller venues, including the likes of London's O2 Forum, Cardiff's Great Hall and Manchester's Academy. And, all of these shows will include two distinct special setlists.Not only will Black Stone Cherry be playing their legendary 2006 self-titled debut LP in full to mark its 20th anniversary, but they will also play select songs from their repertoire, including tracks from their new EP Celebrate (which is due out on March 6, 2026). Tickets for these shows...

Raul Malo, the operatic vocalist and member of Grammy award-winning country band the Mavericks, died on Monday, aged 60. A representative for the band confirmed he died following a battle with cancer. The band said in a statement: “It’s with the deepest grief we share the passing of our friend, bandmate and brother Raul Malo. “Anyone with the pleasure of being in Raul’s orbit knew that he was a force of human nature, with an infectious energy."They added: "Over a career of more than three decades entertaining millions around the globe, his towering creative contributions and unrivalled, generational talent created the kind of multicultural American music reaching far beyond America itself.”The star's wife Betty added: “No one embodied life and love, joy and passion, family, friends, mus...

“We’ve missed this so much!” Don Broco’s frontman Rob Damiani shouted, and it was clear from the sheer enthusiasm of the crowd as the lights went down that they did too. It’s been four years since the release of the band’s chart-topping album Amazing Things, and while Bedford’s finest haven't been completely absent from live music — they've still done a handful of shows in the UK and abroad, including a standout slot at Download Festival — their return to London’s Wembley Arena, as part of their UK tour was special. Armed with five new singles and a renewed sense of energy, the band gave fans more than they could have hoped for.Wembley is familiar territory for the band, who last played the venue in 2019 following the success of their third album Technology, where they rolled in with Ne...

Our campaign is urging all arena-sized shows to make a voluntary £1 donation from every ticket sold to support the grassroots and protect the world-leading £7.6bn industry. Some artists including Coldplay and Katy Perry have already agreed to this but they are a tiny minority. Last month the Express revealed how as many as 10,000 late night venues are at risk of closure with the loss of 150,000 jobs unless urgent action is taken.This year alone, The O2 has hosted over 50 first-time performers and is making an initial six-figure donation to Music Venue Trust in celebration of this record milestone. This single donation underscores the volume of talent flowing from small stages to the arena and highlights the critical need for a sustainable pipeline.Every new headline act to perform at th...

A leading music expert has developed the world’s happiest Christmas car playlist, said to be ‘guaranteed’ to keep everyone smiling. Dr. Claire Renfrew, a music psychologist, sifted through hours of festive tracks to find the perfect songs, with each one adhering to a scientific formula.The tune that scientifically hits all the right notes is Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’—although a survey of 2,000 motorists who celebrate Christmas found that Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ (45%) is the track that makes them happiest.Other songs that fit the formula include ‘Feliz Navidad’ by José Feliciano, ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ by Bobby Helms, and ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ by Michael Bublé, along with classics like ‘I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday’ by Wizzard.As a r...

The last few years for Eurovision have been brutal. Not for the United Kingdom, where we have got used to the dreaded ‘nul points’ and picking up the undesirable position of last place, but for the whole of the contest itself. The recent boycott from countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain chronicles a terrible year for Eurovision. Earlier this year, it was reported that more than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a letter calling on organisers to ban Israel from participating in the 2025 singing contest. What's more, Russia has been excluded from the song contest since 2022 following the country's invasion of Ukraine. I never cared for Eurovision, but due to all this chaos, I've become invested in it over the last few years. Could this be the end of Eurovision - or ...

Eurovision 2026 has been thrown into chaos after multiple countries have boycotted the competition due to Israel's participation. The annual singing competition, which Austria won this year, will take place in Vienna in May 2026. Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, and the Netherlands have announced their withdrawal after it was revealed Israel will participate in the Eurovision 2026 contest. The European Broadcasting Union's general assembly met on Thursday, which organises Eurovision, and it was reported that members had shown "clear support for reforms to reinforce trust and protect neutrality". Notably, Spain is one of the Big Five countries that contribute the most financially to the contest. The others are France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy. Spanish national broadcaster RTVE has...

Rock icons Evanescence have just confirmed perhaps the most exciting tour of 2026. The American stars, who shot to fame with their 2003 song Bring Me Back To Life, will be going on a massive arena tour in the UK 2026. During this tour, they'll be playing Manchester's Co-op Live, London's O2 Arena, Leeds' First Direct Bank Arena and more. And they aren't doing it alone, either.Evanescence will be joined on this tour by fellow American star Poppy, as well as British duo Nova Twins. That's on top of metalcore stars Spiritbox joining them on their US tour, making this a real world tour full of hitmakers. And while tickets are about to be released, there is still one more presale event to happen first. We've got all the details below.Evanescence are holding one presale event before their off...

Simple Plan have barely left the country, but they have already made plans for a comeback. The Canadian pop-punk legends have just confirmed two massive shows in the UK in October 2026. First, they'll be hitting Manchester's O2 Apollo, and then they'll move on to London's Wembley Arena. Here, they'll perform to upwards of 12,000 people in one enormous show. And after that, they'll be journeying through Europe to continue their adventure.Excited Simple Plan fans can get involved this week, as well. Tickets for these shows are about to be released, but there is also a presale ahead of that, as well. Below we've detailed everything fans need to know.Simple Plan tickets will be released on general onsale from Friday, December 5, 2025, at 9am.Before that, however, tickets are already on sale...