Simon Neil: Celebs Rumors

Frank Turner‘s touring band — have debuted their first single, titled ‘Liar Lover’.The four-piece outfit released the track on Friday (October 14), featuring Turner’s guitar technician Cahir O’Doherty on vocals. It’s a tender acoustic cut that captures a soft rock sound, with lyrics that reflect on a relationship breakdown.“We lie to ourselves and each other as easy as drawing breath,” the band commented in a statement.

Empire State Bastard have shared their vicious new track ‘Tired, Naw?’ – check it out below.The song – the original version of ‘Tired, Aye?’ from 2023 album ‘Rivers Of Heresy‘ – opens with a wall of harsh instrumentals and screeching vocals from Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil.According to a press release, much of the album was written remotely, with Mike Vennart laying down guitar, bass and guide drums before Simon Neil added his vocals.However, with ‘Tired, Aye?’, while Neil added his vocal parts, he also removed everything else bar the drums in the process. Now, ‘Tired, Naw?’ re-introduces the track as Vennart had originally intended it.“We’re delighted to share the fully suited, original version of ‘Tired, Aye?’: ’Tired, Naw?’,” Empire State Bastard shared in a press statement.

Empire State Bastard have announced details of a new UK and European tour. Check out a full list of tour dates below.The blistering project is the side-project of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, and their touring guitarist Mike Vennart (Oceansize), and the tour will celebrate the release of their upcoming debut album, ‘Rivers Of Heresy’.Set for release on September 1, the album will see the duo team up with Slayer and Testament drummer Dave Lombardo and Bitch Falcon’s bassist Naomi Macleod.Already three songs have been shared from the forthcoming LP.

Empire State Bastard have shared a dystopian video for their recent single ‘The Looming’ – check it out below.The side-project of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, and their touring guitarist Mike Vennart (Oceansize) will release debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ on September 1 (pre-order/pre-save here).‘The Looming’ was shared last month as a follow-up to the singles ‘Harvest’ and ‘Stutter’, and its video continues the dystopian themes of the track.Of the video, the band said: “ESB x Mike Bourne. The end is looming!”Watch the video below.Speaking to NME earlier this year, Neil said that ESB were “going for extremity at all costs” while embarking on what he described as a “hideously horrific musical journey”.“Because we play together in Biffy, there’s no point in us doing another project that doesn’t feel miles apart,” he explained.

Empire State Bastard have shared a new single called ‘The Looming’ – listen to it below.The song will serve as the closing track on the group’s debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’, which is due for release on September 1 (pre-order/pre-save here).Following on from the cuts ‘Harvest’ and ‘Stutter’, the latest offering from ESB – the side-project of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, and their touring guitarist Mike Vennart (Oceansize) – strikes an apocalyptic tone, building in intensity over its almost-seven-minute duration.“They can’t control you/ They can’t control you,” Neil screams midway through over brutal, crunching guitars. “Fuck what they told you/ Fuck what they told you/ Let’s take it over/ Something to live for/ Something to live for.”At the end of the fuzz rock-inspired single, Neil repeats a sinister warning of impending doom from the opening verse: “I’ll never grow old in a graveyard/ Do any little thing that’s not too hard/ The devastation’s looming like Jesus, just like Jesus/ What’s it gonna take to believe us?”In a brief statement, Empire State Bastard said: “The end is nigh! The end is looming! Fuck what they told ya!”Check out the official lyric video for ‘The Looming’ below.Speaking to NME earlier this year, Neil said that ESB were “going for extremity at all costs” while embarking on what he described as a “hideously horrific musical journey”.“Because we play together in Biffy, there’s no point in us doing another project that doesn’t feel miles apart,” he explained.

Empire State Bastard have revealed how former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo got involved with their extreme metal band – and why they took him to Greggs.Empire State Bastard is the new extreme metal project created by Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and former Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart, and features Lombardo on drums alongside Bitch Falcon’s bassist Naomi Macleod.Speaking in a recent interview for NME’s In Conversation series, Neil revealed that the pair spent two weeks talking about drummers who could “play like Dave Lombardo” before one day during the pandemic they said: “Shall we just fucking get Dave Lombardo’s address and email him?”“Within 24 hours he got back and was like, ‘This is fucking great, what are you thinking?’ We’d never even met him, but ended up with this on-the-phone relationship for about a year or so,” Neil continued.“He really understood what we were trying to do with this album and band. He’s so busy and gets approached for a lot of things, but as soon as he came back and said, ‘This is special, I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna play with you and make this record’ – that’s when we went, ‘Right, this is fucking happening.'”“We had to shift into gear, because if Dave Lombardo says it’s a good bunch of songs then you know you’re onto something! We’ve been doing this for two decades, but he makes us want to do it for another two decades,” said Neil.

Empire State Bastard have announced their newest single ‘Stutter’. Check it out below.The band is the latest project from Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and touring guitarist and former Oceansize musician Mike Vennart – who launched back in March with the debut single ‘Harvest’.Enlisting Slayer and Testament drummer Dave Lombardo and Naomi Macleod of Bitch Falcon on bass, the band recently embarked on a sold-out headline tour across the UK and this week announced their debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’.Now, the band have shared their second single, ‘Stutter’.

Empire State Bastard have announced details of their debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’.This new project is the work of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and touring guitarist and former Oceansize musician Mike Vennart, who formally introduced the band with the release of their debut single ‘Harvest’ back in March.The pair are now gearing up to release their debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ on September 1, which, in a press release, has been described as “pure sonic annihilation”.“I set about making the most fucking poisonous vile music I possibly could, just unabridged hatred in musical form,” Vennart is quoted as saying about the record, while Neil added: “Lyrically, it’s as misanthropic and nihilistic as I’ve ever written.”The new record features drumming by Slayer, Testament and Dead Cross drummer Dave Lombardo.

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil has shared an update on new albums from Marmaduke Duke and Tippie Toes.Back in August 2020, the musician said he said he had four albums lined up with his various musical outfits – Biffy Clyro, Marmaduke Duke, Empire State Bastard and Tippie Toes.Now, the Scottish musician has told NME exactly what stage the new albums are currently at.“Well believe it or not, I did just spend two weeks working on Tippie Toes. We do have an album’s worth of material, we just need to edit it,” he said in a recent In Conversation chat.“I don’t want to be flippant with music and would never put it out because it’s almost ready.

Empire State Bastard have shared a new video for the debut single ‘Harvest’. Check out the footage below.The video arrives following the band’s recent debut headline tour — which featured three dates across the UK and sold out almost instantly.The band was founded by Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and their touring guitarist Mike Vennart, and also enlists Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo and Bitch Falcon’s Naomi Macleod.

Empire State Bastard – the side project of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil – have played their first-ever live gig. Check out fan-captured footage and the full setlist below.The gig took place at the Cathouse venue in Glasgow last night (March 26), and saw the Extreme Metal band perform some of their heaviest hits to date.Founded by Biffy Clyro frontman Neil and former Oceansize guitarist Mike Vennart, the band features the iconic Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Mr Bungle) on the drums, and Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) on the bass.The band opened the show with the first live performance of their debut single, ‘Harvest’, which was released last week.

Empire State Bastard have released their debut single ‘Harvest’ – you can listen to it below.The group, which is the side-project of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and Mike Vennart (Biffy live guitarist, solo artist, and ex-Oceansize singer), teased the track earlier this month after announcing a brief UK tour.“Empires fall, States rise, B*stards sing…it’s Harvest time mother*ckers!” the group said in a statement upon the brutal noise/metal song arriving today (March 24) via Roadrunner Records.Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Fantomas) played drums on the single, and will perform in ESB’s live band alongside Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) on bass.Per a press release, ‘Harvest’ “emerged from the dark recesses of the duo’s mind, inspired by spending downtime during Biffy Clyro tours by sharing the heaviest, most avant-garde or the most sickeningly confrontational music they could find”.In turn, Empire State Bastard ended up with a collection of tunes that “adventurously probes almost every dark crevice imaginable from the myriad sounds of metal and genre-adjacent extremity”.This month will see the band play a trio of intimate sold-out gigs in Glasgow (March 26), Manchester (27) and London (28).

Snow Patrol guitarist Nathan Connolly has launched his solo career with single ‘Fires’ –  featuring Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil.The first single to be taken from Connolly’s debut solo album ‘The Strange Order Of Things’ was co-written by Neil.‘Fires’ features the lyrics “I’m ready for the sunshine, I’m ready for your peace sign, my love – I’m ready for the bass line / I’m ready to be kissed like your room with a spark,” matching the harmonious dual vocals.Connolly began working on his debut album back in 2017 with producer Rocky O’Reilly. The project was completed in early 2021 due to a lockdown-imposed hiatus that paused Snow Patrol’s touring plans.

Empire State Bastard have teased their debut single ‘Harvest’ – listen to a clip below.The band, which is the side project of Biffy Clyro singer and guitarist Simon Neil and Mike Vennart (Biffy Clyro live guitarist, solo artist, and ex-Oceansize frontman), shared the teaser on Instagram today (March 16).In the accompanying caption, they shared that the single would officially be released on March 24, featuring Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Fantomas) on drums.The band previously shared a first teaser of music in February, before going on to announce a spring tour.Empire State Bastard kick the shows off in Glasgow on March 26 at Cathouse before heading to Manchester’s Rebellion on March 27 and London’s The Underworld on March 28. Tickets for shows are available here.A post shared by Empire State Bastard (@esb666_)Elsewhere, the band have announced that they are set to appear at French metal festival Hellfest alongside Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Iron Maiden and Slipknot in Clisson from June 15-18.

Biffy Clyro singer and guitarist Simon Neil and Mike Vennart (Biffy Clyro live guitarist, solo artist, and ex-Oceansize frontman), have announced a spring tour before releasing any music.They will be joined by Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Testament, Fantomas) on drums and Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) on bass.Empire State Bastard kick the shows off in Glasgow on March 26 at Cathouse before heading to Manchester’s Rebellion on March 27 and London’s The Underworld on March 28. Tickets for the Glasgow show will be available here from 10am GMT this Friday (March 3) and tickets for the other shows here.Empire State Bastard intimate UK tour 2023:MARCH26 – Glasgow, Cathouse27 – Manchester, Rebellion28 – London, The UnderworldThe news follows the band sharing a first teaser of music last week – listen below.A post shared by Empire State Bastard (@esb666_)Neil previously spoke about the project during an In Conversation video chat with NME, where he said he had four albums lined up with Biffy Clyro, Marmaduke Duke, Empire State Bastard and Tippie Toes.He said at the time: “We’ve got the new Biffy record, Marmaduke Duke’s ‘Death Of The Duke’, then we’ve got Tippie Toes which is a mong-ageddon drone project where you can just take some valium and chill out, and then a grindcore extreme metal album called ‘Empire State Bastard’.

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil’s new side project Empire State Bastard have shared their first teaser of music.The project, which also includes Biffy’s touring guitarist Mike Vennart, posted a short clip on Instagram today (February 24), which you can listen to below.Neil previously spoke about the project during an In Conversation video chat with NME, where he said he had four albums lined up with Biffy Clyro, Marmaduke Duke, Empire State Bastard and Tippie Toes.He said at the time: “We’ve got the new Biffy record, Marmaduke Duke’s ‘Death Of The Duke’, then we’ve got Tippie Toes which is a mong-ageddon drone project where you can just take some valium and chill out, and then a grindcore extreme metal album called ‘Empire State Bastard’. Honestly, it’s the one thing getting me through not touring – just knowing I can spend the year making new music.”A post shared by Empire State Bastard (@esb666_)Neil continued: “I like putting myself in these positions where I’m like, ‘I should never be doing this, so this is what I’m going to do’.

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil has guested on a new version of Goldfinger‘s classic song ‘Superman’ – you can listen to the track below.The song, which originally featured on Goldfinger’s 1997 album ‘Hang-Ups’, is part of a new deluxe edition of the band’s 2020 LP ‘Never Look Back’, which was their eighth studio album.This extended version of ‘Never Look Back’ also features a collaboration with Avril Lavigne in the form of a reworking of ‘Here In Your Bedroom’, the lead single from Goldfinger’s 1996 self-titled debut studio album.Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker – who has co-written four new songs for the deluxe edition – plays drums on both of the tracks, as well as on an updated version of Goldfinger’s popular cover of Nena’s ’99 Red Balloons’.You can listen to Goldfinger and Neil collaborating on ‘Superman’ above.IT’S OUT! Never Look Back (Deluxe) is available everywhere featuring 4 new songs and a few older ones with a twist! Huge thanks to @AvrilLavigne, Simon from @BiffyClyro and everyone else who helped make this possible

Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz are enjoying their St Tropez honeymoon and are looking more loved up than ever.

Sam Heughan has been eyeing up some iconic British reality TV shows, and even admits he'd like a shot on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Biffy Clyro‘s Simon Neil is set to be presented with an honorary degree from Glasgow Caledonian University next week.The vocalist, guitarist and songwriter will receive a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) from the University for “his continued inspiration to all creatives the world over”.Speaking about the honour, Neil said in a statement: “To receive this doctorate is an honour I could never have expected. To receive it in Glasgow, a city which has featured so long and so supportively in the band’s story, is the stuff of dreams.“I am also proud to be connected to such a forward-thinking institution as Caledonian University, and accept this honour gratefully.”Neil will be honoured along with Vicky Wright MBE during a ceremony on July 7, which will begin at 10:40am.“Graduations also afford us the opportunity to welcome distinguished individuals into our GCU family as honorary graduates,” the university’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Pamela Gillies CBE FRSE, said in a statement.“This year we are privileged indeed to honour many worthy recipients.

Biffy Clyro fans in America were gutted after frontman Simon Neil had to pull out of the Arizona date after losing his voice.

Metro Weekly, Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil gave voice to the sentiments of progressive-minded people the world over still reeling from Trump’s hate- and fear-fueled rise to power.“It’s really scary to see people that don’t share our values [about] love, togetherness, people being what they want to be, doing what they want to do,” the Scottish rocker said. “As long as you’re not hurting anyone else, who gives a fuck? And that’s what’s really scary: there are lots and lots of people in this world who feel the exact opposite.”As lead vocalist and guitarist, Neil founded the Scottish rock trio more than 25 years ago with twin brothers James and Ben Johnston, who play bass and drums, respectively.Although the origin of the band’s name remains a mystery — the members notoriously give a different answer each time they’re asked — there’s nothing mysterious about their appeal, given their output of addictive pop riffs powered by raw, forward momentum and elaborate, skillful songwriting, and — secret sauce — Neil’s Scottish accent, which provide his vocals an alluring and distinctive hard edge.During the 2017 Metro Weekly interview, Neil also shared that, during his university days in Glasgow in the late ’90s, he worked at a gay bar.“It wasn’t a full-on leather and chains kind of place,” the straight Scot laughed.

Scots rockers Biffy Clyro have announced details of an incredibly exciting documentary set to be released on Amazon Prime next week.

Biffy Clyro have announced details of a new documentary called Cultural Sons Of Scotland, premiering on Amazon Prime Video next week (February 25).The new film is described as an “intimate documentary film showing the back-to-basics recording process they adopted to create their ninth studio album, ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’.“With unprecedented access to the band, the new feature length film takes viewers on the journey with Simon, Ben and James as they return to their home in Ayrshire to create their latest, critically acclaimed album in the most unusual of studio environments.”The synopsis adds: “The film explores how the experience of recording an album in Scotland for the first time prompted the band to reflect on the importance of where they’re from, how this has influenced their career to date and reinforced their lifelong bond as friends and bandmates.”Watch the first trailer for Biffy Clyro: Cultural Sons Of Scotland below.Speaking of the new film, which also traces Biffy Clyro’s 20-year history and sees them return to Glasgow for a massive 2021 show at Glasgow Green, frontman Simon Neil said: “In the same part of the world as I wrote my very first song is where we’re making this record, and there’s something really pure about that.”Drummer Ben Johnston added: “We don’t need all the bells and whistles for us to be fulfilled and happy, we just need the three of us to be making music together and have that vibe in a room – and that’s what keeps our hearts beating.”“Everyone should join a band…” bassist James Johnston said.

Frank Turner has shared the final teaser of his upcoming solo album ‘FTHC’ – listen to ‘The Resurrectionists’ below.The musician shared the news in a post on social media, writing: “One last song before FTHC is yours next week. ‘The Resurrectionists’ feat Simon Neil @BiffyClyro is out everywhere now”.The new album is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘No Man’s Land’, and is set for release on February 11 via Xtra Mile Recordings/Polydor.‘The Resurrectionists’, featuring Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, follows the previously released ‘The Gathering’, which features Muse drummer Dom Howard and Jason Isbell; ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’; and ‘Non Serviam’.“It’s exciting to finally get the new music I’ve been working on out into the world after the last miserable 18 months,” Turner said in a statement on announcing the album last year.Speaking of ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well’, he said: “It’s been a difficult time for a lot of people and their mental health, myself included, and discussing that openly is important to me, so this is a song about anxiety and the struggles that come with that.”Turner also shared ‘Miranda’ in November, a song through which he examines his relationship with his trans parent.

Biffy Clyro will perform a special acoustic gig in London next month.The three-piece will perform at Hackney Church on January 18, 2022 ahead of the start of their rescheduled European tour.The show, titled ‘Radio X Presents Biffy Clyro with Barclaycard’, will be one of Biffy’s first live performances of tracks from ‘The Myth Of The Happily Ever After’, which came out in October.“We’re delighted to be playing an acoustic show for Radio X in Hackney Church,” Biffy frontman Simon Neil said in a statement.

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil has shared details about his new ‘BOOOOOM BLAST’ guitar pedal.The 2.0 version of the distortion pedal follows the release of the original version earlier this year, which is said to capture Neil’s signature sound.It is built to the same specifications as the first, the only change being aesthetic – the painted stripe across the white case has been changed to peach. It has again been hand-built by co-designer and long-term Biffy Clyro guitar tech Richard ‘Churd’ Pratt.Each has been hand-painted and signed by Neil and they go on sale from 11am GMT next Tuesday (November 30).

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil has praised Yungblud and said that he admires “him a lot”.The Scottish trio were recently supported by the Doncaster punk star at Glasgow Green and Neil said they were quite taken by him in a new interview with NME.“I love seeing anyone who’s inspired by rock and metal making their way in the mainstream,” he said. “There’s an era of your teenage years where you should be like, ‘I’m not doing what everyone else is fucking doing or what my parents tell me’.“If I was 15 I would be all-in on Yungblud.

Biffy Clyro have shared the combined video for their two recent singles ‘Unknown Male 01’ and ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt’ – you can watch the clip below.The two tracks are both taken from the trio’s upcoming new album ‘The Myth Of The Happily Ever After’, which is set for release on October 22.A 10-minute long video for ‘Unknown Male 01’ and ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt’ has been released this afternoon (September 28).Initially focusing on Biffy Clyro as they perform ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt’, frontman Simon Neil then covers himself, his fellow bandmembers and their instruments in blue paint.The clip then shifts location to the remote countryside as ‘Unknown Male 01’ rings out, with the latter part of the video showing the band performing the song

Biffy Clyro‘s Simon Neil has recalled the impact that Nirvana‘s genre-defining second album, ‘Nevermind’, has had on him and the rest of the band on its 30th anniversary.The iconic LP, which was released on September 24, 1991 and featured hit singles such as ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and ‘Come As You Are’, saw Nirvana – comprising Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic – bring alternative music into the mainstream, inspiring legions of music fans and three generations of musicians along the way.One said musician greatly affected by Nirvana’s magnum opus is Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil, who spoke to NME about the album’s importance and its hidden track, ‘Endless Nameless’.“‘Endless Nameless’ was the first hidden track that I ever

Biffy Clyro have announced details of a new album – ‘The Myth of the Happily Ever After’ is out next month.The album, out October 22, is being billed as “a reaction” to the band’s 2020 record ‘A Celebration Of Endings’, and is being previewed today (September 3) by six-minute first single ‘Unknown Male 01’ – listen to that below.“This album is a real journey, a collision of every thought and emotion we’ve had over the past eighteen months,” frontman Simon Neil said of the new record. “There was a real fortitude in ‘A Celebration’ but in this record we’re embracing the vulnerabilities of being a band and being a human in this twisted era of our lives.“Even the title is the polar opposite.

Laura Mvula has shared her latest track ‘What Matters’, which features vocals from Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil – you can hear the song below.The new offering is taken from Mvula’s forthcoming third studio album ‘Pink Noise’, which is set for release on July 2 via Atlantic Records.A video for ‘What Matters’, which features both Mvula and Neil performing their collaborative track together, has been released today (June 17).The clip is taken from Mvula’s livestream show Laura Mvula Presents… Under A Pink Moon, which was first broadcast online back in February. You can watch the video for Laura Mvula’s ‘What Matters’ below.Speaking about ‘Pink Noise’, Mvula said in a statement: “This is the album I always wanted to make.

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil is to host six specialist shows on BBC Radio Scotland, starting this month.READ MORE: Biffy Clyro: “Life can be yours – just don’t let it pass you by”The Simon Neil Experience will hear Neil “explore his love of music and share tracks from artists that have inspired him as a musician and music fan”. Each show will focus on a particular genre including rock, pop, experimental, heartbreak, soundtracks, and metal.The new six-part radio series, which will have special guests, kicks off next Wednesday (June 9) at 10pm BST and will broadcast at the same time weekly.

give donations in the current climate. “British Heart Foundation saw their donations halve because of the pandemic so anything at all we can raise for them would be magnificent.”The group’s auction went live on May 16 and includes items such as signed boxing gloves from Mike Tyson and Tony Bellew, as well as a pair of trousers worn by Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil during the band’s ‘Opposites’ tour and a number of fourballs at some of Scotland’s top golf courses.

Biffy Clyro have revealed that they’re hard at work on a “sister record” to ‘A Celebration Of Endings’.The Scottish rock titans revealed on social media that they are set to follow up their 2020 LP with a new record that currently has the initials ‘RMV’.

While She Sleeps have released a new single called ‘Nervous’ featuring Biffy Clyro‘s Simon Neil – listen to the track below.The track, which explores struggles with mental health and draws upon guitarist Sean Long’s own experiences with anxiety, is set to feature on the Sheffield metal band’s forthcoming fifth album ‘Sleeps Society’ (due out April 16) and follows last month’s single ‘You Are All I Need’.Explaining that ‘Nervous’ is a song the band had been talking about ever since its first demo, Long said: “It’s completely infected us since the start and we all knew instantly that something really special had happened.