Robert Smith: Celebs Rumors

The Cure’s Robert Smith and Simon Gallup picked up the Icon Award at tonight’s (May 19) Ivor Novello awards in London.The frontman and the bassist have been part of the band’s lineup since 1978 and 1979 respectively, helping to turn the band into one of the UK’s most beloved and iconic indie acts.During the ceremony at Grosvenor House tonight, Smith and Gallup were presented the Icon Award by their long-time agent, Martin Hopewell from Primary Talent. “The best part of half a century ago when I was a young whippersnapper booking agent, I was persuaded to get down to a small hotel in Crawley, of all places, to see a new and even younger band called The Cure, who were playing halfway up the bill of some sort of talent night,” Hopewell reminisced as he introduced the musicians.“I wish I could say it was some kind of blinding light, road to Damascus experience but nevertheless… when we met up on the street outside afterwards, I agreed to start helping them get some gigs and that makes one of very few decisions I’ve made in my life that I don’t want to go back in time and give myself a clip around the ear for making.”Noting that The Cure had gone from playing “the smallest clubs and colleges to the biggest arenas and festivals”, he celebrated their “famously epic live shows and timeless songs that have inspired countless other artists and embedded themselves into the lives of millions of people”.Hopewell continued to highlight the friendship between Smith and Gallup, while also praising The Cure as a whole for their “unique” artistry.

The Cure‘s albums are set to go up for auction.The LPs, which will go under the hammer in Manchester on June 7 in aid of the BRIT Trust charity, include the band’s albums ‘Disintegration’, ‘Pornography’, ‘Seventeen Seconds’, ‘Head On The Door’ and ‘Acoustic Hits’.

Violet Chachki is a video vixen!

A woman was raped in Stalybridge town centre after a suspected spiking earlier in the night, a jury has been told. Dale Garlick, 29, has admitted to having sex with the woman in the early hours of September 25 2021 but claimed that it was consensual.

A body has been found in the search for missing man Robert Smith.

Fontaines D.C. have shared the brand new single and title track from their forthcoming new album ‘Skinty Fia’ – listen to the track below.The song is the third to be lifted from the record, which is set for release on April 22 via Partisan Records, after previous singles ‘I Love You’ and ‘Jackie Down The Line’.According to a press release Skinty Fia is an Irish phrase which means “the damnation of the deer”, which is used to display disappointment or annoyance.

Fontaines D.C. covered The Cure‘s ‘Just Like Heaven’ during a live show yesterday (March 17) – check it out below.The band performed the cover during a livestreamed St.

CHVRCHES have brought out The Cure’s Robert Smith at their gig this evening (March 16) in London – watch footage of the moment at Brixton Academy below.Exactly two weeks ago, the two acts performed together at the same venue during the NME awards. That was the first time the two acts had performed together and physically met, having duetted virtually on a track during lockdown.That song, ‘How Not To Drown’, won the Best Song By A UK Artist prize at the NME awards.

The Cure have shared details of a new charity band t-shirt that provides support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion of the country.Blue-and-yellow-coloured t-shirts bearing the band’s logo are now available to purchase for £20 here. The hues reflect the colours of the Ukrainian flag.All net proceeds will go to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a UN agency mandated to aid and protect refugees.

CHVRCHES have announced details of a huge new North American tour for 2022 – check out the new list of dates below.The Scottish trio are fresh off a three-song performance at this week’s (March 2) BandLab NME Awards 2022 in London, where they performed with The Cure‘s Robert Smith.After a UK tour that begins next week (March 10), the band will head to the US and Mexico from the end of April, playing a host of shows that take them up until the end of June. The new headline dates begin in late May.See the band’s full list of tour dates below.MARCH 202210 – Dundee, Fat Sam’s12 – Glasgow, SWG3 Poetry Club14 – Edinburgh, O2 Academy15 – Newcastle, City Hall16 – London, Brixton Academy18 – Birmingham, O2 Academy19 – Manchester, AcademyAPRIL 202229 – Atlanta, Shaky Knees FestivalMAY 202213 – Mexico City, Tecate Emblema18 – Monterrey, Showcenter21 – Guadalajara, Corona Capital27 – Napa, BottleRock Festival30 – Tampa, Jannus31 – Miami, Revolution LiveJUNE 20221 – Orlando, House of Blues2 – Raleigh, The Ritz4 – Charlotte, The Fillmore5 – Washington, DC, 9:30 Club9 – Buffalo, Artpark10 – Grand Rapids, 20 Monroe Live11 – Indianapolis, WonderRoad Music Festival13 – Madison, The Sylvee15 – Omaha, The Admiral16 – Kansas City, Uptown Theater18 – Manchester, Bonnaroo FestivalDuring their set at the BandLab NME Awards 2022, the band performed their track ‘Asking For A Friend’ from 2021 album ‘Screen Violence’ and then teamed up with Smith for a world exclusive live premiere of ‘How Not To Drown’.

Feel Good have reflected on their win at last night’s BandLab NME Awards 2022, and said how they “all wish we were musicians”.The Netflix show won Best TV Series Supported By 19 Crimes at the London ceremony last night (March 2).After winning the award, Martin and co-star Charlotte Ritchie, writer Joe Hampson and director Luke Snellin headed to the winners’ room backstage at the O2 Academy Brixton to chat to NME.Speaking of the award, Hampson said: “It feels nice to be given an award by the music industry, not TV. I don’t know what that means, but it feels nice.”Martin added “I think we all kind of wish we were musicians,” with Hampson saying musicians are “so much cooler than us”.“There’s music in the show, as well,” director Snellin clarified.After it was announced that Feel Good won’t be returning for a third season, the cast were asked whether this makes their award win feel like a nice ending to the story.“That’s a really nice way to think about it!” co-star Charlotte Ritchie responded.

Nova Twins have told NME about what to expect from their new album ‘Supernova’, describing it as “a journey of lockdown and coming out the other end a winner”.The pair performed with Bring Me The Horizon and presented BERWYN with the Best New Act From The UK Supported by the Music Venue Trust award at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 in London last night (March 2). They were also nominated for Best Band In The World.Ahead of the ceremony, the duo talked to NME on the red carpet at the O2 Academy Brixton and looked ahead to the release of their second album, which is due out on June 17.Asked how the album pushes their sound forward, guitarist and vocalist Amy Love said it does so “in a lot of emotional, moody ways”.“It’s dark, but it’s also quite sinister.

Jehnny Beth has told NME what to expect of her upcoming new music, teasing that it’s both “fun” and “punk”.The Savages vocalist was speaking on the red carpet at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 at London’s O2 Academy Brixton last night (March 2), where she presented CHVRCHES and Robert Smith with the award for Best Song By A UK Artist.Discussing her plans for the rest of 2022 and beyond, Beth said: “I’ve been acting in a few movies in France, so that’s carrying on, and films are coming out.”She added: “And then I’ve done some new music, and that will come out pretty soon, I hope.”Asked what we can expect in terms of the stylistic direction of the new music, Beth said: “It’s fun, it’s punk, but electronic as well.”Beth’s last new music came in the summer of 2021 when she released a collaborative album with Primal Scream‘s Bobby Gillespie called ‘Utopian Ashes’.

Gallery: Singer, inspiration, icon: Learn what makes Carole King so special at 80. . . (BANG Showbiz)Lorde – ‘Solar Power’ BEST SONG BY A UK ARTIST CHVRCHES Robert Smith – ‘How Not To Drown’ BEST LIVE ACT: SUPPORTED BY GROLSCH Rina Sawayama BEST FESTIVAL IN THE WORLD Life Is Beautiful BEST FESTIVAL IN THE UK: SUPPORTED BY WHITE CLAW Reading Leeds BEST SMALL FESTIVAL Wide Awake BEST FESTIVAL HEADLINER Wolf Alice BEST BAND IN THE WORLD Fontaines DC BEST BAND FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY PIZZA EXPRESS Bring Me The Horizon BEST SOLO ACT IN THE WORLD Burna Boy BEST SOLO ACT FROM THE UK Little Simz BEST NEW ACT IN THE WORLD: SUPPORTED BY CANO WATER Olivia Rodrigo BEST NEW ACT FROM THE UK: SUPPORTED BY MUSIC VENUE TRUST BERWYN BEST MIXTAPE Holly Humberstone – ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ BEST COLLABORATION Griff x Sigrid – ‘Head On Fire’ BEST PRODUCER: SUPPORTED BY BANDLAB Arca Fred again.

Fontaines D.C. have reacted to winning Best Band In The World at the BandLab NME Awards 2022: “About time!”The Irish band beat out Amyl & The Sniffers, Ben&Ben, Bring Me The Horizon, CHVRCHES, Glass Animals, HAIM, Måneskin, Nova Twins and Wolf Alice for the trophy.In their acceptance speech, they gave props to CHVRCHES and Robert Smith for their performance of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ earlier in the night, and poked fun at the government: “We’re gonna party like Number 10 tonight!”Speaking to NME in the winner’s room at the O2 Academy Brixton on March 2, frontman Grian Chatten had a succinct response to their win: “About time.”He added: “We’ve never really won an award before, so I don’t know, I’ve never seen people so elated in my whole life.”Carlos O’Connell quipped: “We had to keep telling ourselves we were the best band in the world from the moment we started.

BandLab NME Awards 2022, Robert Smith gave NME the lowdown of The Cure‘s next album and exclusively told us the title. Watch our full video interview with Smith above.Having long teased the band’s long-awaited “merciless” new record – having told us that two new albums were on the way back at the last NME Awards back in 2020 – Smith tonight revealed that one of them would be “real very soon”, as well as sharing more about its sister record and his anticipated solo album.“So I’ve been working on two Cure albums, and one of them is finished,” Smith told NME. “Unfortunately, it’s the second one that’s finished.

Life Is Beautiful returned last year with headliners Tame Impala, Green Day and Billie Eilish.During the festival, Eilish used her time on stage to debut three tracks from her album ‘Happier Than Ever’ for the first time, and told the crowd it felt like “a dream I’ve had many, many times in the last year… I can’t tell you how excited I am to be with you guys and to see all of your beautiful faces.”You can see NME’s photos from the 2021 festival here.

Burna Boy has been honoured at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 with the title of Best Solo Act In The World.The Nigerian star beat Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Dave, Little Simz, Pyra, Rina Sawayama, Sam Fender, Tkay Maidza and The Weeknd to pick up the accolade.Aitch and Big Zuu presented the award to Burna Boy, who accepted the trophy virtually. “Thank you guys very much for this.

CHVRCHES and Robert Smith treated the BandLab NME Awards 2022 this evening (March 2) to a stunning performance of ‘Asking For A Friend’, their collaboration ‘How Not To Drown’ and The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’.The Scottish trio and Smith’s performance on the O2 Academy Brixton stage midway through the Awards marked the first time that they had all performed ‘How Not To Drown’ live together, which earlier in the night won the Best Song By A UK Artist prize.The collaboration appeared on CHVRCHES’ 2021 album ‘Screen Violence’, as did the band’s set opener ‘Asking For A Friend’.After performing ‘Asking For A Friend’, frontwoman Lauren Mayberry then introduced Smith on stage. Smith displayed a sticker of the Ukrainian flag on his guitar in a show of support to the nation as they then delivered a storming rendition of ‘How Not To Drown’.“The NME were really nice to us and gave us a miniature gig during their ceremony,” Mayberry said of their performance, before introducing ‘Just Like Heaven’ by saying: “I’m sure you’ll know this one.” Mayberry and Smith then shared vocals on the Cure classic.Also performing at the ongoing BandLab NME Awards 2022 are BERWYN, Rina Sawayama and Bring Me The Horizon.

Holly Humberstone has won Best Mixtape at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 for her intimate project ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’.BERWYN (‘Tape 2/Fomalhaut’), Central Cee (‘Wild West’), FKA twigs (‘Caprisongs’) and PinkPantheress (‘To hell with it’) were also up for this year’s award.“I’m really nervous,” Humberstone said while accepting her Best Mixtape gong, before talking about how NME had an impact on her growing up.“I used to listen to the NME demo CDs with my family when I was a kid,” she went on to say that’s how she “discovered so many of my favorite artists when I was a kid.”She added: “Thank you so much NME.”The Grantham singer-songwriter released ‘The Walls Are Way Too Thin’ last November. In a four-star review, NME said the EP had “a sense of warmth and levity” with “more adventurous” production than Humberstone’s 2020 debut, ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’.Speaking to NME at this year’s BRIT Awards red carpet, she opened up about the “scary” task of writing her debut album.“For some reason, the idea of an album is so intense, quite scary, and quite official,” Humberstone said.

Bring Me The Horizon have won Best Band From The UK Supported by Pizza Express at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.The Sheffield band were up against CHVRCHES, Glass Animals, Nova Twins and Wolf Alice for the title.While collecting the award on stage from Ivorian Doll and Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon, Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes said: “We didn’t think we were gonna win owt, so I don’t know what to say!He added: “Our first album got two out of 10 in NME, so… follow your dreams!”Bring Me The Horizon are also up for two other categories tonight at the BandLab NME Awards 2022: Best Band In The World and Best Live Act Supported by Grolsch.BMTH are also expected to close out the ceremony with a multi-song set, which follows on from their memorable outing at the NME Awards in 2016 when they smashed through Coldplay’s table during their performance.Speaking to NME earlier about their return to the Awards, frontman Oli Sykes said: “To be honest we’re surprised we’ve even been asked back at all! What a huge honour it is to be asked to close the prestigious NME Awards show, we’re literally buzzing.”Taking place now (March 2) at the O2 Academy Brixton and co-hosted by Daisy May Cooper and Lady Leshurr, the BandLab NME Awards 2022 opened with a performance by Sam Fender and also saw joint performances by Griff and Sigrid, and CHVRCHES and Robert Smith.Check back for the latest news, interviews, winners and more from the BandLab NME Awards 2022.

Rina Sawayama has been honoured at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 with a win for Best Live Act Supported By Grolsch.INSERT GUEST PRESENTER INFO AND QUOTES HERE IF POSSIBLESawayama – who is also due to perform at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 – pipped fellow nominees Megan Thee Stallion, IDLES, Tomorrow x Together and more to the win.Presented the award by Monroe Bergdorf and Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Sawayama said “I can’t believe I’m getting a middle finger, this is so sick.” She went on to share “story time” telling the attendees, “when I was 15, I posted an ad in the back of NME trying to get some bandmates.”She went on to joke that she ended up with a drummer and guitarist she wasn’t exactly pleased with.She added: “It’s so fucking crazy that now I’m getting this. Thank you so much to anyone who helps me with live shows, thank you everyone here.

Griff has picked up the NME Radar Award at the BandLab NME Awards 2022.The award was presented by Griff’s ‘Head On Fire’ collaborator Sigrid, who said “I’ve got one more thing for you” before running to retrieve the trophy after the pair’s performance.“I count it as a privilege that every day I get to do this,” Griff said upon receiving the award.Griff was presented her trophy just after she and Sigrid performed their collaborative single ‘Head On Fire’ at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The song is also nominated for Best Collaboration alongside Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay and BTS, FKA Twigs and The Weeknd, and Rina Sawayama and Elton John. NME 100 alumnus Griff joins the likes of Beabadoobee, Pale Waves and Fat White Family as an NME Radar Award winner.Other winners at the ongoing BandLab NME Awards 2022 so far include Lorde (Best Song In The World for ‘Solar Power’) and CHVRCHES and Robert Smith (Best Song By A UK Artist for ‘How Now To Drown’).

Charli XCX has shared another new single from her forthcoming album ‘CRASH’.The disco pop track – Baby’, sees the singer accompanied by two backing dancers in a new video, which you can view below.The single, which follows her recent collaboration ‘Beg For You’ with Rina Sawayama, is “about great sex” according to the singer and it was one of the first she wrote for her new album.She told Zane Lowe on Apple Music: “It’s probably the most sexy song I’ve ever made. It’s about sex and sexuality and having good sex and just feeling yourself essentially.

Fred again.. and India Jordan have teamed up on a brand new track – check out ‘Admit It (U Don’t Want 2)’ below.The new track follows Fred again…’s two albums from 2021 – April debut ‘Actual Life (April 14 – December 17 2020)’ and November’s follow-up ‘Actual Life 2 (February 2 – October 15 2021)’ – while Jordan released new EP ‘Watch Out!’ last spring.“The track started as a couple of stems from some old loops I had that I sent to Fred, last year – then I eventually went over to his a couple of times in December and we made the track together, accompanied by some lovely walks down the River Thames and lots of cups o’ tea,” Jordan said of the process of creating the track.

Robert Smith has given an update on The Cure‘s upcoming new album.Taking to Twitter, Smith said that the group will be performing songs from their new album the next time they play.He explained: “We will be performing songs from a new album when we next play…or we won’t be playing at all! And I really want to play…so that means…”He continued: “It means my desire to release a new album is overwhelming!”WE WILL BE PERFORMING SONGS FROM A NEW ALBUM WHEN WE NEXT PLAY… OR WE WON'T BE PLAYING AT ALL! AND I REALLY WANT TO PLAY… SO THAT MEANS… X— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) February 4, 2022…IT MEANS MY DESIRE TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM IS OVERWHELMING! X— ROBERT SMITH (@RobertSmith) February 4, 2022In 2020, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell described the long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s ‘4:13 Dream’ as the band’s “most intense, saddest and most emotional record” yet.Speaking to NME the previous year, frontman Smith said The Cure were looking to finish their “merciless” new album that year. He said the project had the working title of ‘Live From The Moon’ and explained that it was one of three new Cure albums in the works.Robert Smith then revealed at the NME Awards 2020 that “there are only really two [new records]”, calling the reported third instalment “literally just an hour of noise”.“The first one will definitely be out,” he told NME.

Griff has announced that she is supporting Ed Sheeran on a number of his European tour dates this September.The singer-songwriter, who has been nominated in the Best Collaboration category at the BandLab NME Awards 2022 where she is also performing, shared the news earlier today via her Twitter (February 2).“Ed asked if I could join him on some of his European tour dates. I said I’d check my schedule.

Like most people you probably have a favourite song and a favourite artist or band.

Gaz Coombes has announced details of a solo UK tour.The Supergrass frontman will be road-testing his new solo material on the tour, while also treating fans to cuts from his ‘Matador’ (2015) and ‘World’s Strongest Man’ (2018) records.Kicking off in London at The Lexington on April 14, Coombes will then visit intimate venues in Bath, Tunbridge Wells, Hebden Bridge and York before the tour concludes on April 23 at the Brudenell in Leeds.You can see Coombes’ upcoming solo tour dates below, and find tickets here when they go on sale at 10am on Friday (January 28).April14 – The Lexington, London15 – Moles, Bath16 – The Forum, Tunbridge Wells21 – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge22 – Crescent Community venue, York23 – Brudenell Social Club, LeedsThese solo dates will follow on from a pair of Supergrass gigs which will take place on April 4 and 5 in London and Oxford. Those shows were rescheduled last month due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the UK.“A lot has changed over the last few days with the rise in Omicron cases,” Supergrass said in a statement at the time.

An ex-firefighter who plied two women with alcohol and drugs before luring them back to his flat and raping them has been jailed.

A retired Thai boxing instructor has been jailed for sexually assaulting one of his underage students in the early 1990s.

Gaz Coombes has spoken about taking Valium on a flight with The Cure‘s Robert Smith, who was his hero growing up.The Supergrass frontman and soloist in his own name was being quizzed in NME‘s Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! feature recently when he recalled hanging out with Smith while on a flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.When NME asked Coombes (who formerly covered The Cure songs in his old band, The Jennifers) what it felt like to learn that Smith regarded him as a younger version of himself, he answered: “It means loads, man! He was on a bedroom wall when I was 10/11-years-old.”Coombes continued: “Seven years later, I’m sat next to [Smith] on a flight to Rio.

Gorillaz have announced an official art book with over 40 guest artists teaming up alongside the band’s co-creator Jamie Hewlett.Released April 2022 via Z2 Comics, The Gorillaz Art Book promises to give fans “new interpretations of 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs in one expansive volume”, with the likes of Jack Black, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Little Dragon all contributing. See the complete list of guests below.Speaking about the project, Hewlett said: “Gorillaz have always collaborated with music but this is the first time we’ve done an art collaboration.

Gorillaz have teased footage of ‘Désolé’ from the forthcoming Song Machine Live cinema release next month.The clip, which you can watch below, features Fatoumata Diawara and was recorded at the band’s London-based Kong Studios HQ in 2020.

The Twilight Sad‘s James Graham has launched a new project under the moniker Gentle Sinners.READ MORE: The Twilight Sad on the legacy of Scott Hutchison and being Robert Smith’s favourite bandThe Scottish band, whose most recent album ‘It Won/t Be Like This All The Time’ arrived in 2019, took to Instagram today (November 18) to announce that their frontman is now part of a new project.The announcement comes with the release of the project’s first single, ‘Killing This Time’.“Am I telling you everything?/ No I’m not/ Standing in the same place how am I lost/ Taking on their problems but at what cost?/ Am telling you everything/ No I’m not,” Graham sings on the song.“This is where you wanted me/ You’ve lucked out you can’t believe/ Hanging

Gorillaz have confirmed details of Song Machine Live From Kong, a live film that will screen in cinemas and movie theaters across the globe for one day only. The live performance was captured at the virtual group's Kong Studios in London and comes with a behind the scenes featurette with unseen interview footage and commentary from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett.