nme.com Celebs Rumors

Slipknot fans have begun referring to the mystery member who replaced keyboardist and sampler Craig Jones last year as ‘Samples’ following the reveal of the band’s new masks this week.Jones’ departure was announced almost a year ago with his replacement introduced almost immediately after, just prior to The Nine’s headline slot at that year’s Download Festival.Impressively, Mr Samples’ identity still remains unknown. At the time of them being brought into the band, they were christened ‘Greg Bones’, ‘The Gimp’, ‘Leatherface’, ‘Zipper Dude’ and ‘Hoodie Guy’ by fans.The new nickname came about, however, when Slipknot posted photos of each member’s new mask to Instagram.

Slash has said that Guns N’ Roses are currently “trying” to make a new album, and that he is “working with them in that capacity”.The hard rock legends have not released a full-length record since 2008’s much-delayed ‘Chinese Democracy’, on which Slash did not appear. Since he rejoined in 2016, they have released a handful of new tracks, including ‘Absurd’, ‘Hard Skool’, ‘Precious’ and ‘The General’, but there has been no confirmation of a further album.But now Slash has now told the Daily Star (via Music News) that plans are afoot to change that.“Guns N’ Roses are trying to make their own record,” he said, when asked why he didn’t invite Axl Rose onto his own solo album.

Ozzy Osbourne‘s daughter Aimee not being a bit of their hit ’00s reality series The Osbournes. The MTV series, which starred Ozzy, his wife Sharon, and children Jack and Kelly, aired from 2002-2005 and paved the way for personality-driven reality TV shows. Although the show helped Jack and Kelly to launch their own careers, the eldest sibling made the decision to opt out of participating.In an appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, Osbourne was asked how she handled Aimee’s decision to stay out of the limelight.“Yes it was [a discussion] in the beginning,” she said.

Sabrina Carpenter made her debut appearance on Saturday Night Live last night (May 18), where she performed numerous songs including her recent smash hit ‘Espresso’ – check it out below.The song arrived last month, and came as the follow-up to her hit 2022 album ‘Emails I Can’t Send’ and recent singles ‘Nonsense’ and ‘Feather’.It also followed the singer dropping a Christmas EP, and hitting the road with Taylor Swift, where she joined the pop icon as the support act for her recent run of ‘Eras’ tour dates across the US and Asia.Now, in her first appearance on the late night show, Carpenter performed ‘Espresso’ in a mock cocktail bar, fending off the attention of two dancing waiters as she sings.She also performed her earlier singles ‘Feather’ and ‘Nonsense’. During the performance, she declared: “I’m on SNL and you’re not!”Carpenter has also had the recent tendency to catch fans off guard by changing the outro to ‘Nonsense’ when playing it live.

Kelly Clarkson joined Rivers Cuomo and Patrick Wilson on a version of Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’ on her show this week – watch the footage below.The 2002 American Idol winner has been hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show on US syndicated television since 2019, and for the last few years the show has included ‘Kellyoke’, where she performs versions of her favourite songs.On Wednesday’s (May 15) show, she was joined by members of the beloved ‘90s band, as well as actor Brooke Shields, and she took her chance to sing one of their signature songs alongside them. “I’ve literally never been cool in my life until now!” Clarkson exclaimed at the end of the song.Weezer posted the following day that Clarkson “gave us a run for our money on Kellyoke”.

Paul Weller has said that age has made him more “experimental” and “open-minded”, ahead of the release of his new album. Weller’s new record ‘66’, announced back in February, is set to be released on Friday (May 24), the day before the Modfather’s 66th birthday. It is the former frontman of The Jam’s 17th solo album and his 28th LP in total since launching his career back in 1977.

Emma Stone is set to team up with Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos again on the upcoming film Bugonia.Stone and Lanthimos are currently in Cannes to attend the premiere of another new collaboration, Kinds of Kindness, where they have announced their next project.Bugonia will be the pair’s fifth combination, following on from The Favourite, the short film Bleat, Poor Things and Kinds of Kindness. It is set to co-star Jesse Plemons, who also appears in Kinds of Kindness, which gets a UK release on June 28.Bugonia will be based on a 2003 sci-fi film from South Korea named Save The Green Planet!, and it will tell the story of a group of conspiracy theorists who kidnap a CEO that they believe is trying to destroy the Earth.Earlier this year, Stone picked up her second Oscar for Poor Things, following on from her success for La La Land in 2017.Promoting the film, Stone went out of her way to respond to those who suggested that it was sexist and exploitative.

BBC newsreader known for his ‘explainer’ videos, has revealed he is “astonished” to be DJing at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Glastonbury returns to Worthy Farm in Somerset from June 26 to 30, with Dua Lipa, Coldplay, and SZA set to headline. The final tickets for this year’s bash went on sale in the re-sale on April 21 and sold out in 20 minutes.

Lana Del Rey brought out Jelly Roll during her headline set at Hangout Festival last night for a version of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’.The singer was headlining the first night of the festival at Gulf Shores, Alabama, and after singing alongside other guests Tommy Genesis, Benson Boone and Nessa Barrett, she opted to round out her 16-track set with a cover of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic with Jelly Roll.Watch footage of the performance below:It is Lana’s second on-stage collaboration with a country star in recent weeks, after she sang a version of ‘Unchained Melody’ with Paul Cauthen at Stagecoach Festival in California in April.Jelly Roll, meanwhile, recently joined forces with Limp Bizkit at Welcome To Rockville to perform a version of The Who’s ‘Behind Blue Eyes’.Del Rey recently headlined both weekends of Coachella 2024, and was joined by guests Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, Jack Antonoff and Camila Cabello.On weekend one, Del Rey brought out Eilish to perform a duet of ‘Video Games’ and ‘Ocean Eyes’, as well as Batiste to perform ‘Candy Necklace’, and Antonoff to play piano for ‘Hope Is A Dangerous Thing For A Woman Like Me To Have – But I Have It’. For weekend two, she turned to Cabello to perform the latter’s ‘I Luv It’.She subsequently revealed that she had only recovered from laryngitis “a few hours” before taking the stage for the first weekend, while also hitting out at her former tour manager, who she said had “quit for no reason” just over a month before the set.In a four-star review of the weekend one set, NME wrote: “Some festival-goers and critics have pointed to Del Rey as an “odd” choice of headliner – someone not exactly known for putting in energetic, flashy performances.

Billie Eilish has described her ex-boyfriend and The Neighbourhood frontman Jesse Rutherford as “one of my favourite people in the world”.The two dated for around seven months in 2022 and 2023, but it appears that they remain on good terms.Eilish, who released her third studio album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ yesterday (May 17), was speaking to Rolling Stone about Rutherford. “That’s my guy, truly one of my favourite people in the world,” she said.She went on to say that after the split, she is not about to launch into any new relationship.

Lil Yachty has said that he believes that neither Drake nor Kendrick Lamar “won or lost” their epic recent beef.The Atlanta rapper himself was dragged into the feud when he was namechecked on Lamar’s ‘Euphoria’ (“Yachty can’t give you no swag neither, I don’t give a fuck ‘bout who you hang with”), which he has said he “didn’t really want anything to do with”.“I knew that my name was mentioned before it came out,” he said on his podcast A Safe Place. “I didn’t hear the record but I had got word that I was mentioned. I wasn’t surprised.”A post shared by 2Cool2Blog (@2cool2bl0g)He went on to clarify that he has appreciated the work that has been put into the back-and-forth.

John Oates has opened up about his friendship with former bandmate Daryl Hall, saying it “wasn’t as tight as people might imagine”.The pair are currently embroiled in a legal battle after Hall announced he was suing Oates after claiming that he was left “blindsided” by his plan to sell a business stake last November – which Oates described as “inaccurate”.Now, in a new interview with Good Morning America, Oates has claimed the pair’s working relationship has been distant even before the lawsuit, limited only to playing onstage where they “trotted out the hits”.Though there was no animosity, Oates claimed they “never really talked to each other”, adding: “Over the past 20 years, we’d show up at a show individually, walk on stage, play, and then we’d go our separate ways. It really wasn’t as tight as people might, you know, would like to imagine in their kind of a fantasy imagination of our relationship.When asked if Oates had a message for Hall should he be watching the interview, Oates responded: “I love you like a brother… but you know what? Brothers have disagreements, families grow apart… [I] would say, I wish him the best.“I hope that he has everything he wants in life.

Wunderhorse will be heading out on tour for their biggest shows to date later this year.The news follows the announcement earlier this week of their second album, ‘Midas’, which will land on August 30 via Communion. The album has been preceded by the single ‘July’ and the title-track.They will be supporting the album with an extensive run of UK and Ireland dates in October.

Girls Aloud began their reunion tour in Dublin last night (May 17) with a setlist packed with their greatest hits – check out footage and the setlist below.The show marked the first time the girl group have performed together for 10 years, as well as their first reunion since the death of bandmate Sarah Harding, who passed away in 2021 due to breast cancer.Announced back in November, the initial run of fifteen dates sold out so fast, the band were ended up adding another fifteen shows.The first show of their reunion tour featured numerous tributes to Harding throughout, including during ‘The Promise’, where she appeared on a video screen singing her solo.

Glassjaw’s Daryl Palumbo, have returned with their first new music since 2006 in the form of ‘Bear The Cross’.The band resurfaced after a long absence in 2023, playing a series of shows around the US. The current line-up features Palumbo alongside Richard Flesh (bass), Craig Bonich (guitar), Chad Hasty (drums) and Eric Mitchell (electronics).And now, they are back with new material.

Cillian Murphy has been confirmed as returning to the franchise that launched his career, in 2025’s 28 Years Later.News of the new film was first announced earlier this year, with confirmation that director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who helmed the 2002 original 28 Days Later, were both returning to the franchise.Earlier this month, the film was given the official release date of June 20, 2025. It had already been confirmed to star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell.And now Murphy, who had his breakout role in 28 Days Later, has been officially added to the cast.

Billie Eilish has just released her new album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ – but according to fans, it might actually be a secret double album.Those who have listened to Eilish’s brand new album, which dropped yesterday (May 17), may have heard its final line: “But when can I hear the next one?”That line – along with some other hints – have fans convinced that Billie Eilish will make a similar move to Taylor Swift. The popstar recently released ‘The Tortured Poets Department‘, revealing a surprise release a double album dubbed ‘The Anthology’ hours after.Billie Eilish could release a double album as the ending of credits of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT stating the phrase:"but when can I hear the next one" pic.twitter.com/8BTboyadY6— Billie Eilish Daily (@billieeilishdly) May 15, 2024On top of that, fans think Eilish’s use of colour might be a second hint to a double album.

AC/DC kicked off their huge European stadium tour in Germany last night (May 17), marking their return to touring for the first time in 8 years.The tour, in support of their 2020 comeback record ‘Power Up’, began at the 62,000-capacity Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen and was the first featuring new bassist Chris Chaney, who is best known for his tenure in Jane’s Addiction. He replaced Cliff Williams after he retired from touring.Their setlist was almost identical to the one in their comeback gig at Power Trip Festival in October, albeit with the order of some of the songs changed.

Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga and re-sell them at inflated prices on secondary ticketing sites such as Viagogo. TQ Tickets sold £6.5million worth of gig tickets between 2015 and 2017, but this does not include the hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of unsold tickets that trading standards officers found when they raided its offices in Dickleburgh, Norfolk.Judge Simon Batiste said Chenery-Woods acted “out of greed” and aimed to “rinse or fleece customers out of as much money as you could”.He went on to explain that TQ Tickets used a file of more than 100 identities to buy tickets from primary selling sites like Ticketmaster.

Lewis Capaldi back in the recording studio with Noah Kahan after his mental health hiatus.Almost a year ago, Capaldi announced he was taking a break from music following his Glastonbury 2023 performance, which saw him struggle with his voice several times. In January this year, he gave an update on his health, saying “it’s been going great!”Now, it seems the Scottish artist might have some new music up his sleeve, thanks to an Instagram post from breakout folk star Noah Kahan.

Olivia Rodrigo has brought out Lily Allen at her London show to duet ‘Smile’ – listen to the cover down below.On her third night playing at London’s O2 Arena yesterday (May 17), Rodrigo announced she had a special guest for the audience, who she called “the most clever songwriter. And the coolest girl in London.“I think the best day of my whole career was when I got to sing with her at Glastonbury,” she continued.

Les Savy Fav frontman Tim Harrington has spoken to NME about the band’s return to recording with their new album ‘OUI LSF’, their first in 14 years – and how it was shaped by his bipolar diagnosis.The New York veterans’ sixth LP comes following an extended hiatus, that saw Harrington turn his hand to writing children’s books and getting a “jobby” job as a creative director, while bassist Syd Butler and guitarist Seth Jabour joined the 8G Band (house musicians on the talk show Late Night With Seth Myers), drummer Harrison Haynes focussed on fine art, and guitarist Andrew Reuland worked in film and television as a writer and editor.Harrison, however, alo endured “a rough period with mental health” after being diagnosed with bipolar during the time between Les Savy Fav albums.“I hear a lot of creative people, when they talk about mental health and getting it together and finally getting on meds, they’re like, ‘Oh, [the creativity] is gone, I can’t find it.’ For me, I had to come to the realisation that it’s always there. I’m always me.

previously responded to abuse from her TV appearances in February this year.In December 2023, Jones, who has cerebral palsy, said that she was “lying low” after having received abuse following her appearance of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. The comedian was a panellist on the year-end Channel 4 quiz on Boxing Day alongside Katherine Ryan, Mo Gilligan, Richard Ayoade, Mel Giedroyc and Kevin Bridges.Speaking to The Guardian about the incident, Jones shared: “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t upset me, but luckily, I am surrounded by such a strong network of brilliant friends, family, colleagues who support me.”“Do I need a thick skin? Yes, I bloody do.

Billie Eilish has revealed that her new album was almost named after a legendary quote from The Office.The singer released her third studio album ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft‘ today (May 17). In an interview with Rolling Stone, Eilish revealed that before landing on the official title of the album – which was taken from what she misheard as the name of a Logic Pro synth – she nearly named it ‘Patheticville’ from a scene in The Office.The term is used by the character Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) in the third season of the US TV series when she and the rest of the crew from the show are making fun of a speech given by Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) at Dunder Mifflin’s “beach games.”“I thought it was patheticville.

Emily Blunt has been revealed to be behind the ‘documentary’ about Jim and Pam in the US version of The Office.On the Office Ladies podcast, where John Krasinski (who plays Jim) was a guest on May 15, Pam actress Jenna Fischer unveiled Blunt as the mastermind behind Jim surprising Pam with footage of their relationship from The Office‘s fictional documentary team.Fischer said that Krasinski suggested the idea that would “bring [Jim and Pam] back together” as the show ended, all thanks to his wife Emily Blunt. “I remember saying, ‘Greg [Daniels], we have to reveal what is in the teapot note before we end this show.

Billie Eilish has shared a brand new feel-good video for her song ‘LUNCH’. Check it out below.The ‘Bad Guy’ singer previously previewed the track at Coachella during a secret DJ set at the festival.

Mystery Jets’ Blaine Harrison has said he has “huge respect” for those boycotting The Great Escape, but insists there is “no shade on those who haven’t”.The 2024 edition of the event – which showcases new and rising artists – is currently taking place across various music venues in Brighton until Saturday (May 18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.Harrison has weighed in on the topic now, writing in a lengthy social media post: “Huge respect for the 100+ artists who have pulled out of The Great Escape in Brighton this weekend on the grounds of its sponsorship by Barclaycard, who are actively supporting the genocide and horrific war crimes in Gaza by investing in companies supplying arms to Israel.”As The Great Escape kicks off in Brighton today, huge respect for the 100+ artists who have pulled out due to the sponsorship by barclaycard. But no shade on those that haven’t.

Chris Pratt has paid tribute to his Guardians of the Galaxy stunt double Tony McFarr, who died aged 47 on May 13. No cause of death has been given.McFarr passed away at his home in Orlando, Florida; according to TMZ, his mother Donna reported that toxicology reports for his death were still pending. He acted as Pratt’s stunt double for both the Guardians franchise and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.Pratt announced the news of McFarr’s death on Instagram stories, writing on May 16: “Devastated to hear about the loss of my friend and former stunt double Tony McFarr.”“We did several movies together,” Pratt continued.

Shellac have just released their final album ‘To All Trains’, nine days after the band’s lead guitarist Steve Albini passed away.The legendary record producer, or audio engineer as he preferred to be described, was the mastermind behind iconic albums such as Nirvana‘s ‘In Utero‘, Pixies’ ‘Surfer Rosa’ and Manic Street Preachers‘ ‘Journal For Plague Lovers’. He died on May 8 of a heart attack while at Electronic Audio, his recording studio in Chicago.He also had a highly influential and accomplished recording career, notably as part of the bands Big Black (1981-1987) and Shellac, a noise rock and hardcore band that had been together since 1992.Their new album is their first in 10 years, and was first announced in March.

Dead & Company opened their residency at Las Vegas’ Sphere last night with an epic visual feast that drew on 60 years of history.The band – who are made up of Grateful Dead‘s Bob Weir and Mickey Hart alongside John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane – announced the run of shows at the venue in February, teasing it with a video of Grateful Dead’s ‘Steal Your Face’ logo being projected onto the outer sphere of the cutting-edge new arena.The opening night of the run took place yesterday (May 16), with three shows a week now scheduled up until the residency ends on July 13.In a set that ran through 19 tracks and over three hours, the band made use of the state-of-the-art technology in the venue to project familiar imagery and characters from the Grateful Dead’s history onto the giant LED screens, including the skull and roses and the dancing bears.In front of the 240-foot screens, the band rounded out the show with an extended jam of the Dead’s ‘Hell in a Bucket’, followed by covers of Bob Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ and ‘Not Fade Away’, made famous by The Rolling Stones.Check out fan-captured footage of the show’s spectacular visuals below:‘Feel Like a Stranger’‘Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo’‘Jack Straw’ ‘Bird Song’‘Me and My Uncle’‘Brown-Eyed Women’ ‘Cold Rain and Snow’‘Uncle John’s Band’‘Help On the Way’‘Slipknot!’‘Franklin’s Tower’‘He’s Gone’‘Drums’ ‘Space’‘Standing On the Moon’‘St. Stephen’‘Hell In a Bucket’‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’‘Not Fade Away’Kreutzman has said of the shows: “Historically, it was always a psychedelic circus when the Grateful Dead pulled into Las Vegas.

Diddy attacking his former partner Cassie in 2016 has surfaced following his ongoing sexual assault allegations.Diddy – real name Sean Combs – is currently facing a series of ongoing investigations regarding alleged sex trafficking, sexual assault and harassment. The rapper’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March, seemingly in connection with the accusations.Back in November, the rap mogul’s ex-girlfriend Cassie – real name Cassandra Ventura – filed a lawsuit in federal court against Diddy, accusing him of rape and physical abuse (per The New York Times).

Kathleen Hanna has spoken to NME about her brand new memoir Rebel Girl: My Life As A Feminist Punk – tackling her life and experiences with the riot grrrl movement, Fugazi and Courtney Love. Having risen to fame fronting the legendary punk band Bikini Kill – who pioneered the riot grrrl movement with their fiery lyrics and electrifying live performances – Hanna worked to make the punk scene a safe and inclusive space for women. Upon the band’s breakup, Hanna went on to front seminal bands Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin.Rebel Girl: My Life As A Feminist Punk – released this week – provides an in-depth look into the story of Hanna’s tumultuous childhood and the realities of being a feminist on the frontlines of the male-dominated punk scene; facing violence and antagonism that threatened at every turn.“I did an interview with Sarah Marcus, who wrote the book Girls To The Front and when I was telling her about some of the stuff, she was shocked,” Hanna told NME.

Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has revealed that he has a “weird” version of ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’ that has never been released.In a new interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the musician was reflecting on the band’s 2013 album AM, as part of the channel’s series 100 Best Albums.“There is a weird version that I’ve got somewhere of ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’ that sounds a bit like ‘R U Mine’,” Helders said. “It is really fun to listen to but it just wouldn’t have worked.”“I think once [frontman Alex Turner] is done with something, he really has to feel like he can move on to the next thing, because he has given everything to that moment and there’s nothing left after that, I don’t think.”‘R U Mine’ had been released in early 2012 and saw the band embrace a more raucous, rock-oriented sound.

Francis Ford Coppola has lamented the state of modern cinema, claiming some major studios no longer focus on making high quality films.Speaking at a press conference at Cannes Film Festival following the world premiere of his new dystopian drama Megalopolis, Coppola expressed his view that studios are mostly focused on making money due to their high levels of debt.“I fear that the film industry has become more of a matter of people being hired to meet their debt obligations because the studios are in great, great debt. And the job is not so much to make good movies, the job is to make sure they pay their debt obligations,” Coppola told Variety.However, The Godfather director believes streaming services could interrupt the old system and potentially have a positive impact on the industry.

Barry Keoghan‘s forthcoming film Bird received a seven-minute standing ovation following its premiere at Cannes Film Festival.The Saltburn actor stars in the new drama directed by Andrea Arnold (American Honey, Fish Tank).Also starring Bafta-winning Top Boy actor Jasmine Jobson, Passages star Franz Rogowski, and child actor Nykiya Adams, Bird centres around a 12-year-old named Bailey (Adams) who, after searching for attention and adventure outside of her family, comes across a mysterious stranger named Bird (Rogowski) who asks for her help.The film premiered at Cannes on Thursday (May 16) and received a seven-minute standing ovation from the audience upon its conclusion. The festival is known for its lengthy applauses, with the longest-ever thought to last 22 minutes for Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 fantasy-horror Pan’s Labyrinth.Elsewhere at the festival, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga received a six-minute standing ovation.

Sabrina Carpenter has explained the meaning behind the lyrics to her new song ‘Espresso’.The song arrived last month, and came as the follow-up to her hit 2022 album ‘Emails I Can’t Send’ and recent singles ‘Nonsense’ and ‘Feather’.It also came following the singer dropping a Christmas EP, and hitting the road with Taylor Swift, as she joined the pop icon as the support act for her recent run of ‘Eras’ tour dates across the US and Asia.Now, Carpenter has opened up on the meaning behind the lyrics to the song, and explained that it’s about embracing the times when your confidence is skyrocketing.“Now he’s thinkin’ about me every night / Is it that sweet? I guess so / Say you can’t sleep, baby, I know / That’s that me, espresso / Move it up, down, left, right, oh / Switch it up like Nintendo”, she sings in the chorus, also making more references to the feeling of someone being addicted to you in a relationship.Explaining how she came to write the song in a new interview with Apple Music, the pop star revealed that she began work on the track while she was in France and looking to create a song that would be ideal to play live, but also have a sense of humour to it.“There was something really exciting about the fact that there was so much personality throughout the entire song, because those are the ones that are really, really fun to sing live with a crowd,” she explained.“Those are the ones that people, I think when they don’t know my music or who I am or anything, they can just tune in to a single song and kind of leave with a better idea of my sense of humour.”She also made reference to the empowering lyrics throughout, and explained that she was looking to capture the time when she felt confident in herself.“This was