Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA could have gone anywhere in the world to celebrate his 56th birthday. But the musical polymath decided that the best place to be was a Phish show at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO on Saturday night […]
Sometimes it’s easy to assume that all famous people know each other. But until Saturday’s (July 5) Back to the Beginning blow-out final show honoring Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath, the Prince of Darkness had never met Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose. Despite both men being hard rock royalty, their paths had somehow never crossed.
Now they have and Ozzy has deemed Axl an “utter gentleman” and friend. Alongside a sweet backstage photo in which a seated Ozzy reached out both hands to shake Axl’s right hand, Osbourne, 76, wrote, “My first time meeting Axl Rose, at my age you don’t get to meet many legends, seriously an utter gentleman.”
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Osbourne followed up with a shot of him smiling and chilling in his dressing room with Rose and GNR guitarist Slash, captioned “Guns N’ Darkness.”
Rose seemed similarly smitten, posting a long note on X about the dark summit, saying, “Wow!! What an EVENT. Extremely overwhelming!! Really great crowd!! Was very emotional for everyone!! MET OZZY!! (Crazy we’d never met [before]. He was really great. It was great to meet Sabbath. [fire and cross emoji].”
Rose added, “Was hard as I imagine it was for anyone to watch his struggles while, at the same time, everyone was rooting for him and massively respecting the challenges he took head on and HE DID IT!!!! Was great to meet Ozzy’s family and see friends and peeps in all the bands in the business,” along with a series of trophy, star and arm flex emoji. “A HUGE THANK YOU again to Ozzy, Sharon, Black Sabbath, and all the fans for having us.”
GNR covered four Sabbath songs at what was billed as original lineup of the iconic metal band’s final-ever gig, rolling out “It’s Alright,” “Never Say Die,” “Junior’s Eyes” and “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,” as well as runs through their own “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City.” They joined the massive line-up of the show at Villa Park in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham that also featured sets from Metallica, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Anthrax, Tool, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, and many more, led by musical director Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
In addition, Osbourne, who has fought a series of health issues, surgeries and a Parkinson’s diagnosis over the past few years, sat on a gilded throne to perform four Sabbath classics — “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “N.I.B.” and “Paraoid” — as well as solo songs “I Don’ Know,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Crazy Train” and the tear-stained metal ballad “Mama, I’m Coming Home.”
In addition to the 40,000-plus metalheads who crammed into the venue for the show, according to The Guardian more than five million fans livestreamed the metal marathon worldwide on a two-hour delay.
Check out the meet metal moment below.
Britpop feuds die hard. Blur’s Damon Albarn has described himself as “prophetic” after he suggested an Oasis reunion could happen two years ago – but he has shut down the idea of going to a show himself.
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Speaking to The Sun in 2023, the frontman said that he could “guarantee” the chances of Noel and Liam Gallagher burying the hatchet. “Oasis are going to reform. In fact, I’ve put money on it,” he said. “They’re brothers and it would be wonderful to see them reconcile.”
The comments were made at the start of Blur’s own comeback tour two years ago, which began in the band’s hometown of Colchester and included two nights at London’s Wembley Stadium. In a separate interview with Consequence at the time, Albarn elaborated on his Oasis speculation, saying that “the road is clear for them to [reunite] now.” He added: I think that’s great. You know what I mean? Obviously I expect an excellent new record to accompany it.”
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Earlier this week, meanwhile, Albarn told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, “The Oasis reunion? Two years ago I was prophetic when I said that they would do it and that the road was level. Well, you can’t think that two brothers can’t reconcile, sooner or later. It’s a good thing, the way I see it.” When asked if he’d be attending the tour, however, he clarified with a laugh, “No: I’m literally too busy.”
Oasis and Blur have a storied history of name-calling and fallouts throughout the 1990s, a rivalry which peaked via a chart battle when the former’s single “Roll With It” came out on the same day as the latter’s “Country House” – dubbed the 1995 ‘Battle of Britpop’. The Albarn-led group eventually nabbed the No. 1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart.
In recent years, however, the relationship between the Gallaghers and Blur has mellowed considerably. Notably, Albarn and Noel teamed up on the 2017 Gorillaz track “We Got The Power.”
Over the coming months, Albarn will be focusing on his Africa Express project, having recently announced their first album since 2019, Africa Express Presents… Bahidora. In September, he will perform a series of one-off live Gorillaz shows in London, joined on stage with the full band and backed by visuals from collaborator illustrator Jamie Hewlett as they play their earliest albums in full.
The Oasis Live ’25 tour will move on to their hometown of Manchester, U.K. next, playing a string of shows at Heaton Park on July 11, 12, 16, 19 and 20. Dates across North America, Australia and Asia will follow in the coming months.
Jessie J has shared an uplifting update on her cancer journey, revealing her latest test results show no evidence of cancer spread.
The British pop star, who first announced her diagnosis in June, took to Instagram with a heartfelt video of her son that was recorded the night before her surgery. In the caption, she told fans: “AND. I AM OK. Results = I have NO cancer spread. Happy tears are real. Thank YOU for the prayers, the love, the well wishes, the joy and all the positive energy.”
The “Price Tag” singer also reflected on the emotional weight of her journey so far. “This video is from the night before my surgery. We called it baby boy. You are my biggest ray of light and with you in my life, the darkness will never win,” she wrote, referencing her young son.
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Jessie underwent her initial surgery on June 23, sharing updates from the hospital as she recovered. While she previously told fans her cancer was “all gone” post-operation, she later clarified that she was awaiting test results to confirm.
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“Lots of healing to go and one more surgery to make these cousins look more like sisters, but for now it’s gratitude time,” she added in her latest post. “I am changing my name to The LopJess monster.”
The Grammy nominee spoke about her diagnosis onstage last month, telling a crowd of 75,000 at Wembley Stadium: “Today, this show is my last show before I go to beat breast cancer! It’s so special to me, you have no idea. I’m so grateful for this life, for you guys, for my career, for my son, my partner, my parents, my band, my crew. We have so much to live for.”
Jessie J has been candid about her health struggles in recent years. In 2020, she revealed a diagnosis of Ménière’s disease, followed by a miscarriage in 2021, and in 2024 she publicly discussed living with OCD and ADHD.
Parkway Drive are ready to bring the storm home. After successfully launching their self-curated Park Waves festival in Germany last year, the Australian metalcore titans have hinted at an Australian edition.
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The Byron Bay outfit and tour promoters Destroy All Lines recently shared a cryptic teaser across social media. The clip shows the band tearing through massive Australian stages, backed by footage of wild crowds and Parkway’s trademark pyrotechnics, before the words “COMING SOON” appear on screen.
“Parkway Drive are up to something 👀 Get ready for the next wave… PARK WAVES IS COMING,” reads the caption. Fans eager for updates can now register at the Park Waves website and follow its social media channels for official announcements.
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Originally debuting in Dresden, Germany, in 2024, Park Waves quickly established itself as a destination festival for heavy music fans. The lineup featured Parkway Drive as headliners, alongside Dying Fetus, Fit For A King, Erra, and fellow Aussies Thy Art Is Murder and Alpha Wolf, blending international acts with a healthy dose of homegrown brutality.
The Australian teaser arrives as Parkway Drive continue to make history. Just weeks ago, they became the first metalcore band to headline the Sydney Opera House, performing a sold-out show with a symphonic orchestra. Earlier this year, they also sold out Australia’s inaugural metal cruise, Hellbound.
Currently co-headlining the Summer of Loud tour across the U.S., Parkway Drive are also celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band—a milestone few in their genre have achieved.
Parkway Drive first formed in the coastal New South Wales town of Byron Bay in 2003, issuing their debut album two years later. They received their first top ten album in Australia with 2007’s Horizons, which also hit No. 27 on the Top Heatseekers charts. 2010’s Deep Blue launched a four-record run which saw the group consecutively charting within the top 40 of the Billboard 200, with 2015’s Ire resulting in a peak of No. 29.
Alongside becoming their first release to top the Top Hard Rock Albums chart, Ire also was their first of three consecutive records to top the Australian charts. Their 2022 album Darker Stil saw them receive their third ARIA Award for best hard rock or heavy metal album
For updates and to register for early info, visit parkwavesfestival.com.au.
Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman has announced he will step away from the band for the remainder of 2025 as he undergoes surgery on his right hand to avoid permanent damage. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]
Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has described Black Sabbath’s final concert as “beautiful and bittersweet,” sharing an emotional tribute to the heavy metal legends following their last-ever performance in Birmingham.
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Held at Villa Park on Saturday (July 5), the monumental show saw Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward reunite for the first time since 2005, with an all-star lineup of rock and metal acts paying tribute to the pioneering band.
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Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, Tool, KoRn, and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler were among those performing, while Jason Momoa hosted and Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello served as musical director.
Corgan joined the celebration as part of a supergroup alongside Tyler, Sammy Hagar, Tool’s Adam Jones and Morello, delivering powerful covers of Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” and Black Sabbath’s “Snowblind.”
In a heartfelt post on social media, Corgan reflected on the significance of the night. “I first heard Black Sabbath on my uncle’s stereo some 50 years ago,” he wrote. “So it was surreal to stand on a football pitch with 45,000 strong to witness the end of this grand, institutional group who has touched me personally, professionally, and at times even intimately in stolen moments of work and camaraderie.”
He went on to thank Sharon Osbourne, who designed the live show, for inviting him to participate, and praised the performances of fellow musicians across the nearly 10-hour event.
“Music is, of course, the soundtrack to our lives, but yesterday in my estimation was something truly special. As a three-dimensional soundtrack was being crafted in real time. All to celebrate this coming home for the band once known as Earth,” he added.
Corgan concluded his tribute with a striking image: “Every great journey has trials and tribulations, tragedies and surprise. Therein lies the magic, therein lie the tears. I both whooped yesterday in sheer exultation to be in the right spot at the right moment, and I wept silently as my heroes fell on their wizardly, mythic sword to bid us farewell.”
“We have the music, and we have them in our hearts. You don’t have to be a musician to understand. But it does help, at least if you’re trying to decode that which is elusive in the cosmos.”
He added, “Now the band is both here and not here; with us, and yet gone. As it should be.”
The farewell concert also featured other standout collaborations, including a drum-off between Tool’s Danny Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith during Sabbath’s “Symptom of the Universe,” and a Led Zeppelin cover from Morello, Tyler, Barker and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood. Yungblud also led a moving rendition of “Changes,” dedicated to late footballer Diogo Jota.
The full concert is available to stream as a one-off event replay.
Alex Cooper, host of the popular Call Her Daddy podcast on Spotify, struck out while singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the Chicago Cubs’ game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Sunday.
Cooper, 30, seemed to thoroughly enjoy her own performance, laughing throughout. But the performance was so sloppy and ragged, many probably didn’t get the joke, if that’s what it was.
Cooper was cheered as she was announced over the loudspeaker as the latest guest to lead the stadium in the song, which is a seventh-inning-stretch tradition.
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“All right, Daddy Gang and Cubs fans, are you ready? You’ve never seen something like this,” Cooper said with a laugh before launching into the song, joined by two companions.
Cooper’s version echoed Roseanne Barr’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a San Diego Padres game in 1990. In both cases, the stars were probably just trying too hard to be funny and irreverent. If humor seems forced, it often falls flat.
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” isn’t the National Anthem, but it’s just as well-known and may be even more beloved.
The song, composed by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer, is pure Americana. Three separate versions of the song, by the Haydn Quartet, Harvey Hindermyer and Edward Meeker, were popular in 1908. The Meeker version was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2010 and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 1949, Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra performed the song in a film of the same name that was produced by MGM and directed by Busby Berkeley.
R&B/jazz instrumentalist Roy Ayers included the song on his 1979 album, Fever, which rode the Billboard 200 for 15 weeks.
In the mid-1990s, a Major League Baseball ad campaign featured versions of the song performed by musicians from several different genres. An alternative rock version by the Goo Goo Dolls was also recorded.
Louisiana singer-songwriter Dr. John and pop icon Carly Simon both recorded the song for Ken Burns’ 1994 PBS documentary Baseball.
In 2001, Nike aired a commercial featuring a diverse group of Major League Baseball players singing lines of the song in their native languages. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire sang lines in English, joined by Alex Rodriguez (Caribbean Spanish), Chan Ho Park (Korean), Kazuhiro Sasaki (Japanese), Graeme Lloyd (Australian English), Éric Gagné (Québécois French), Andruw Jones (Dutch), John Franco (Italian) and Iván Rodríguez (Caribbean Spanish).
In 2008, Andy Strasberg, Bob Thompson and Tim Wiles (from the Baseball Hall of Fame) wrote a comprehensive book on the history of the song, Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’. The book, published by Hal Leonard Books, included a CD with 16 different recordings of the song.
In 2001, the song ranked No. 8 on “Songs of the Century,” a joint project by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2008, the song received the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Towering Song Award.
Eddie Vedder performed the song at Wrigley Field during the seventh-inning stretch at Game 5 of the 2016 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs.
In October 2016, actor and SNL alum Bill Murray, a Chicago Cubs fan, impersonated Daffy Duck as he performed the chorus of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” while at game 3 of the 2016 World Series, held at Wrigley Field. But Murray is a trained comedian.
Barbra Streisand scores her 55th top 40-charted album on the Billboard 200, as the star-studded The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two debuts at No. 31 on the July 12-dated chart. With the arrival, she extends her record for the […]
Big Machine Label Group has launched the cross-genre label imprint Ascend Music in partnership with music industry executive Joel Klaiman. Ascend Music will specialize in breaking and amplifying artists across various musical genres. The label imprint’s initial artist signing is set to be […]
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