Music

 Janet Devlin. Emotional Rodeo.She topped the charts as a shy 16-year-old in the 2001 X Factor ensemble. But fleeting overnight fame was sadly followed by a downward spiral of depression, addiction and suicide attempts.Thirteen years later, older and more self-assured, County Tyrone-born Janet Devlin has found her forte in country music.Catchy, heartwarming songs like Cigarette Sweets come with banjos and more than a hint of Dolly Parton. ‘Now there’s baccy in my lungs, instead sugar on my tongue,’ she sings.Janet’s voice has warmth and nuance; her honest and witty lyrics channel her own experiences. ‘Time supposed to heal ya, I bruise like a peach,’ she confesses.Country Singer, an upbeat foot-tapper, tells of being used by an unnamed man – ‘a washed-up used-to-be, still wants to be a ...

The view from the remote B842 which is thought to have inspired Paul McCartney (Image: Courtesy Jon Combe)Ventura Highway. Route 66. Highway 61. The New Jersey Turnpike. Santa Monica Boulevard. For as long as there’s been cars and rock ’n’ roll, musicians have been inspired to write songs about roads – more often than not in America.And yet, arguably, the most famous road song of them all isn’t about a highway in California, Arizona or Texas. In fact the name, or rather number, of the road which inspired the ballad in question isn’t even mentioned in the lyrics, which probably helps explain why the B842 has yet to enter into rock mythology, let alone the public consciousness.In 1967, right at the peak of Beatlemania, Paul McCartney bought a rural retreat in Scotland as a way of escaping...

Over the past decade, the Royal Albert Hall’s Films in Concert series has made its way through all the Harry Potter films.And last night marked the grand finale with the fifth and final performance of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in concert.Oscar-winner Alexandre Desplat’s score, including John Williams’ original themes, was brought to life by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the English Chamber Choir.Upon the 2011 film’s release, the composer admitted scoring Part 2 was “a great challenge”, but he clearly excelled with the final product.This magical treat opened with Lily’s Theme as the orchestra and a female soloist introduced the weariness of the Second Wizarding War.Moments of quiet tension, like breaking into Gringotts for a heist, are soon followed by th...

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Carrot Top on his friendship with ‘generous’ Queen legends Brian May and Roger Taylor (Image: GETTY/EXPRESS)The American prop comic, famous for his wacky inventions, has been performing in Las Vegas for almost 20 years; most of which has been his residency at the pyramid-shaped Luxor Hotel and Casino.As Carrot Top (real name Scott Thompson) approaches the two decade milestone, Express.co.uk sat down with the 59-year-old in his eclectic dressing room, full of colour and trinkets, to talk about his residency, the impact of cancel culture on comedy, his bizarre interaction with Donald Trump and his friendship with Queen rock stars Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor.Asked how he k...

Following Peter Jackson’s The Beatles Get Back, Disney+ has today announced another documentary film about John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.Beatles ’64, which is produced by Martin Scorsese, “captures the electrifying moment of The Beatles’ first visit to America.“Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, the film gives a rare glimpse into when The Beatles became the most influential and beloved band of all time.“On 7 February 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country.“Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show...

Stereophonics have continued to build a powerful legacy over the past three decades, and now they have some mighty shows lined up.The Welsh rockers will be heading out on a monumental UK stadium tour in summer 2025, where they'll play the likes of Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, London's Finsbury Park and - of course - Cardiff's Principality Stadium.These massive gigs are being titled the Stadium Anthems tour, and they are certainly going to get fans excited with songs on the docket such as Dakota, Have A Nice Day, Maybe Tomorrow and A Thousand Trees.What's more, the band have confirmed new album news is just around the corner, with a potential release of 2025.Tickets for the upcoming tour come out this week, and there is some presale information you need to know if you want to get involve...

Today marks a Queen release that’s half a century in the making, as announced by Sir Brian May today.The 77-year-old rock legend, held up a copy of The Night Comes Down and told fans on Instagram: “Hello folks, y’know I nearly forgot it’s been about 50 years since I wrote this song and finally it’s a single and it’s out today.“So, I will be very happy if you wanna buy it. I love the fact that it’s a physical single. You can touch it, you can put it on your record player.“It’s also available for download and I believe it’s the instant gratification if you order the [newly remixed and remastered] Queen I album.“But I don’t understand the record business anymore, so that’s all I can tell you.”Sir Brian continued: “This is a brand new mix of something I’m very proud of. It was recorded in t...

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more Kaiser Chiefs: Kinda Girl You AreKaiser Chiefs are returning to Leeds in 2025 for a special occasion.The band may have just released their Easy Eighth Album, but they are already looking back.Specifically, they are reminiscing about their debut 2004 record, Employment, and will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with an enormous hometown show at Leeds' Temple Newsham Park on Saturday, May 31, 2025.This one-off show also has an incredible amount of support acts, as well, including The Cribs and Razorlight to name just a few.Tickets come out soon, but you can get presale information before then, as well. Don't miss... Ocean Colour Scene confirm enormous UK tour - how to...

Talk about a gamble. Following rock music biopics like Elvis, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, Robbie Williams has taken the plunge with Better Man.Only in his, he voices himself as a CGI chimp from the same Oscar-winning studio that worked on the new Planet of the Apes movies.According to the official synopsis: “Better Man looks at the rise, fall and resurrection of Robbie Williams – one of the UK’s bestselling artists of all time. Michael Gracey will shine light on the incredible highs and lows of celebrity and the journey to stardom, inspired by Williams’ life and how he sees himself. “The fantastical musical will be filled with reimagined versions of Williams’ musical hits and iconic performances, with spectacular set pieces and stunning visual effects.”Directed by The Greatest Show...

More than £3.8 million was reported as stolen from Santander UK customers in romance scams in the past six months, marking a 27% jump compared with the previous half-year period. Customers aged 18 to 93 were affected, the bank said.The average loss to romance fraudsters was £4,500. Santander customers lost £6,826,748 to romance scams in the 12 months running from August 2023 to August 2024.Some £3,813,410 was lost between March and August this year. Half (50%) of people have received unsolicited online romantic or flirtatious messages, which they suspected or have confirmed to be a scam, according to an Opinium survey of 2,000 people for Santander in July.Nearly a third (29%) said they would offer financial help to a romantic partner they have known for less than six months. But nearly ...