Radiohead @ Roseland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Coachella which is taking place over the course of two weekends this year (April 13-15 and 20-22) revealed their 2012 lineup. Last week, Azealia Banks was the first artist confirmed, and earlier today they confirmed The Weeknd (maybe he found a band?), and before that, Jimmy Cliff, Breakbot, and Housse De Racket. The reunited Pulp then announced itself. The full lineup also includes headliners The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, not to mention, as predicted, the reunited At the Drive In and the reunited Mazzy Star (!), and Madness and Refused (!) and Jeff Mangum and many, many more that you can see below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2012 lineup announced (two weekends worth)"

Kaiser Chiefs @ Mercury Lounge, 2005 (more)

Kaiser Chiefs have postponed their 2011 tour. Though it's still on Ticketmaster, their September 15th Roseland Ballroom show is now listed as "date TBA", it is in fact postponed and happening at a different venue. The band writes:

If you plan to attend Kaiser Chiefs Terminal 5 show, March 8th 2012, and have a purchased a ticket for the Roseland Ballroom show in Sept 2011, we are working on a way for your ticket to be honoured, and not pay a second ticketing fee, as both these rooms are Ticketmaster venues. Stay tuned for updates, in the meantime, please hold onto your ticket.

Continue reading "Kaiser Chiefs postpone tour due to closure of US label"

photos by Tim Griffin

"Tony Award-winning orchestrator and composer Tom Kitt, whose Next to Normal is playing Broadway, has joined the creative team of the new Green Day musical American Idiot, as music supervisor.

On July 28, Berkeley Repertory Theatre in California announced the creative team for the September-October world premiere of American Idiot, inspired by Green Day's Grammy Award-winning album of the same name and directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer, who collaborated with Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong on the project's story." [Playbill]

Continue reading "Green Day & Kaiser Chiefs @ MSG (night 2) - pics & setlist "

"For the first time ever, Green Day will be performing an exclusive show for their IDIOT CLUB members at New York's Bowery Ballroom on May 18th. This is the show you have been waiting for, join your fellow IDIOT CLUB members for a performance you will never forget! Head over to www.idiotclub.com and get more info!" (thx Brian)

May 15 - Best Buy signing (529 5th Avenue) (flyer below)
May 18 - Bowery Ballroom
May 19 - Webster Hall (sold out)
May 20 - PC Richard & Son Theater (tickets)
May 22 - Good Morning America (Rumsey Playfield - 69th St / 5th Ave)
Jul 27 - Madison Square Garden w/ Kaiser Chiefs

Continue reading "Green Day confirms Bowery Ballroom (for fan club) + PC Richard Theater (contest) & Summerstage (GM America)"

"Though promoters around the country report strong early ticket sales for festivals and summer tours, the recession is causing jitters. This year Coachella, which has the most glamorous reputation of all American festivals, began selling tickets on layaway, and 18 percent of its customers took that option, Mr. Tollett said.

The proliferation of big festivals, like Bonnaroo near Nashville and Lollapalooza in Chicago, has not been without casualties. This year Langerado in Miami shut down, citing the economy. The Pemberton Festival in British Columbia is on hiatus after only one year, although its promoter, Live Nation, said the problem was permit delays." [NY Times]

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2009 - the official & complete lineup"

Foals @ Silent Barn (more by Leia Jospe)

Foals tour manager Nick Jenkin today called Lydon's description of the event at Barcelona's Summercase Festival "totally untrue," and said he watched Okereke being punched by the Sex Pistols' entourage while the band's frontman, known as Johnny Rotten, taunted the Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson, after he went to the aid of the Bloc Party singer.

Jenkin also told Times Online that Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis tried to help Okereke but was put in a sleeper hold by a security guard until he passed out and was then handcuffed as he lay on the ground. "He had a boot on his back," Jenkin said.

Foals bassist Walter Gervers suffered a black eye and guitarist Jimmy Smith was shoved through a barrier during the brawl on Saturday afternoon, Jenkin said. [Times Online]

Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke claims he was left with severe facial bruising and a split lip following what he alleges was a racist attack by Sex Pistols singer John Lydon [aka Johnny Rotten]. The incident occurred on Saturday evening at the Summercase festival in Barcelona while the bands were socialising backstage.

In an official statement released by Okereke, who is of Nigerian descent, the singer says he approached Lydon and asked him about the possibility of a reunion for Public Image Ltd, the band Lydon formed following the Sex Pistols demise in 1978. In Okereke's words, Lydon became "intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade, including the statement, 'your problem is your black attitude'." An assault allegedly ensued in which three people attacked Okereke.

Several other bands witnessed the incident, with members of the band Foals and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson intervening on the Bloc Party singer's behalf. Both have confirmed to the Guardian that the incident occurred but could not confirm or deny reports that the assault was racially motivated. Following his involvement, Foals singer Yannis Philippakis was arrested. He is expected to make a statement shortly.... [The Guardian] (thx J M)

but all their other upcoming North American tour dates are cancelled.

presale for these dates now. (thx MS)

I think a new law has been enacted in the city of NY, and I guess everywhere now. It states that White Rabbits (who by the way recently recorded a Daytrotter session, and are playing Letterman Thursday night) must be regularly placed on the same bill as popular UK artists - whether it be Mystery Jets, The Cribs, Art Brut, M.I.A. (I know, that's a stretch), or even Kaiser Chiefs. White Rabbits, Datarock, and Kaiser Chiefs play the Beacon Theatre in NYC on September 29th. Tickets go on sale Friday. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Kaiser Chiefs, White Rabbits, Datarock - 2007 Tour Dates"