Stray Kids: K-Pop Titans Offer Jaw-Dropping London Spectacle

Photos: Jennifer McCord News broke at the start of the year that Stray Kids were returning to London for the first time since 2019, sending their massive fanbase — known as Stays — into a heightened state of anticipation as their headline performance as the closing act for BST Hyde Park’s 2024 season loomed large. And, make no mistake, the K-pop titans delivered on that promise in truly jaw-dropping style.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Thursday, 18 July 2024

The Stevie Nicks Songs We'd LOVE to See Her Hyde Park Supporting Cast Cover

There’s only one Stevie Nicks, as we’re about to discover all over again when she touches down for massive shows in Dublin, Glasgow and Manchester ahead of a London headline set as part of the British Summer Time series. On July 12 at Hyde Park, Nicks will top a bill studded with women — much like Taylor Swift — whose own music owes something to the trail she blazed while fronting Fleetwood Mac or, later, drawing up blueprints for high-sheen pop-rock as a solo artist.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Monday, 08 July 2024

'Our Memories of Things Matter': Rap Trio Previous Industries On Their Singular Debut

Photo: Robyn Von Swank The pandemic was a well-documented time of upheaval. It was a period when things either came together or broke apart, with little in between. Comprising Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave and STILL RIFT, the inventive, reflective rap trio Previous Industries fall into the former camp.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Thursday, 04 July 2024

Macca, Billy, AC/DC And Me: Stereoboard's Guide To The Best Tours In The Second Half Of 2024

That’s half a year in the books. Mad, right? But, fret not, that just means it’s time to look forward to all the fun, noise and chaos accompanying the biggest, best tours still to come in 2024. You’ve got pop megastars new and old, rock legends, rock innovators and hip-hop royalty all set to land in the UK and Ireland before Santa packs his sleigh (it’s July, I know). Dig in below as we run through a handy list of what’s on offer in the next six months.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 02 July 2024

'I'm Ready Now': Sananda Maitreya on Making His UK Live Return After 22 Years Away

Photo: Manuel Scrima Sananda Maitreya’s journey through music has been a Promethean odyssey for an artist focused on following his own direction and sense of integrity even when others failed to support or recognise his vision. Now, after 22 years away, he is ready to make a triumphant live return to the UK when he steps on stage at Love Supreme Jazz Festival, which runs from July 5 to 7 at Glynde Place in East Sussex.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 01 July 2024

'The UK Represents': Ice-T On Body Count's UK Tour, New Music and The End of The World

Photo: Alessandro Solca There’s no better way to describe Ice-T than as a seasoned veteran. The New Jersey-born, LA-raised rapper and actor’s 42 year career is bursting with stories, controversies, accolades and accomplishments in hip hop and heavy metal.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Thursday, 27 June 2024

The View From The Merch Table: Spanish Love Songs

Photo: Hannah Hall If you love music, your wardrobe is likely stuffed full of band shirts. You might have a bunch of hoodies or a cap or two as well, or maybe something even more eclectic than that — a keychain or a bottle opener or a coffee mug. All this stuff is a conversation starter with fellow fans, a way of announcing that you belong to a certain scene, and a way of shouting about bands you love. On top of that, it’s also a vital way of putting money in artists’ pockets at a time where making enough to survive and keep creating is harder than ever. Put simply, it’s the lifeblood of music.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Wednesday, 26 June 2024

Goat Girl: The Journey, Not The Destination

Photo: Holly Whitaker Goat Girl’s ‘Below The Waste’ finds the south London band taking a voyage of discovery into the personal and political, where the journey itself is more important than the destination. Pieced together like a collage, the record explores different soundscapes and genres, transitioning effortlessly between expansive, industrial-tinged noise-rock, psychedelia, delicate folk experimentation, stark minimalism, candid, fragile ballads and engaging electronica.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Tuesday, 25 June 2024

The 10 Songs We NEED To Hear At Cyndi Lauper's Upcoming Shows

Photo: Ruven Afanador For more than 40 years, Cyndi Lauper’s idiosyncratic sense of cool has maintained her spot as one of pop’s most unique figureheads. With a voice you could pick out of a 1000-person choir and a body of work that boasts iconic singles, global-hit musicals and needle drops in cinema classics, she recently announced that her forthcoming tour would be her last as she hangs up the mic (bar the occasional hometown show, maybe). So, with just a handful of opportunities remaining to see her live — including a slot at this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival and a newly announced European tour next February — we have rounded up the 10 songs we NEED to hear at her upcoming Royal Albert Hall show and beyond.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Monday, 24 June 2024

One For The Books: Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Pairs Spectacle With Sincerity In Cardiff

All photos: TAS Rights Management I’ve learned that red lipstick and a confident stomp are all it takes for a couple of strangers to throw their lot in with someone. I’ve barely taken 10 steps off the bus and a mother and son from Gloucester have pegged me as someone who knows where they’re going — luckily I’m Cardiff born and bred, so I do — and soon I’m guiding them through the droves of pink cowboy hats on sequin-flecked streets towards the Principality Stadium, where Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is about to light up the Welsh capital. As we walk, I hear about how tonight will be the 10-year-old boy’s first gig — mum surprised him with tickets and took him out of school that day. Cool points: maximum.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Wednesday, 19 June 2024

The 10 Songs We NEED To Hear At P!nk's Summer Carnival Shows

Almost 25 years on from the release of her debut album, P!nk has become a multi-hyphenate. As well as being a stadium-filling songwriter and performer, she’s also now an acrobat, daredevil and human cannonball thanks to the high-flying exploits that drive her stage show.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 11 June 2024

Richard Hawley: Kindness as an Act of Resistance

Photo: Dean Chalkley Sheffield is in Richard Hawley’s DNA, his albums infused with the indefatigable spirit of the proud northern industrial city even as he plays music inspired by American rock and roll, country, bluegrass and gospel. While many of his albums have borne the names of its landmarks, it is from the camaraderie and resolve of the place’s people that the songwriter draws the most inspiration.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Monday, 10 June 2024

The Setlist Draft: Curating Our Perfect Foo Fighters Show

Foo Fighters don’t really do downtime. This summer they’ll return to Europe for another run of truly massive shows, including enormous stadium dates in Manchester, Glasgow, London, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 06 June 2024

'I Enjoyed the Heck Out of It': Reflecting on The Beach Boys With The Beach Boys

Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios For more than half a century The Beach Boys have represented the endless sound of summer against a backdrop of the Californian surf, set to some of the most gloriously transcendent harmonies ever committed to tape. In a remarkable run of success that produced some of the 60s’ most memorable and beloved hit singles, the band also produced one of that decade’s most revered albums in ‘Pet Sounds’, one that rivalled even The Beatles in ambition and creativity.

Written by: Jeremy Blackmore | Date: Thursday, 30 May 2024

Summer Noise: Stereoboard's Ultimate Guide To Festival Season 2024

Festival season is almost upon us (again) so it’s time to dust off your tent/flags/Doc Martens/wellies/fold-away chair/cooler/camping stove/disregard for societal norms and get back in a field. Here’s our one-stop selection of the best this year has to offer.

Written by: Huw Baines & Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 22 May 2024

Bruce Springsteen Delivers a Celebration of Life and Rock and Roll At Euro Tour Opener

Photo: Rob DeMartin Fancy mulling over the passing of time, grief, and death for three hours or so? Normally, probably not. But if you’re spending a Sunday night with Bruce Springsteen at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium? Hell yes.

Written by: Jon Stickler | Date: Wednesday, 08 May 2024

'It's a Perfect Ending': Ville Valo on Signing Off From His 'Neon Noir' Era At The Royal Albert Hall

Ville Valo isn’t quite sure what to do with himself. When he speaks to Stereoboard, he’s had his feet in one place – home, specifically — for longer than normal, such is the fast-moving nature of touring life. The ordinariness is unsettling. Should he sing? Should he hoover? Both at once? (The latter is our suggestion, and as he laughs he promises to take note, thinking it could be a good vocal exercise).

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Tuesday, 07 May 2024

The Setlist Draft: Curating Our Perfect Bruce Springsteen Show

Life is full of thankless tasks. Chief among them used to be guessing where Bruce Springsteen might wander during one of his marathon setlists. Of late, though, the Boss has wound in the grand deviations in favour of something more streamlined and, one can assume, kind to 74-year-old joints. But that doesn’t mean he’s misplaced his appetite for the odd surprise.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Thursday, 02 May 2024

Blueprints: The Nuts and Bolts of Olivia Rodrigo's Stardom

Photo: Supplied by the label Olivia Rodrigo occupies an interesting spot in our collective consciousness — she is both young and of the moment but also a keen observer and interpolator of classic tropes from the past four decades of pop music. It’s a heady mix that has made the California native one of the biggest stars on Earth, capable of internet-shattering virality seconds after talking about Bikini Kill with someone from a broadsheet newspaper. Basically, she’s an ideal candidate for the latest edition of Blueprints, our ongoing series that pulls apart the backstories of interesting writers to see what makes them tick.

Written by: Huw Baines | Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2024

Thirty Years in the Sun: Grant Nicholas Reflects on Feeder's Past and Present

Photo: Steve Gullick “If you’d asked me if we’d still be doing this at 56, I would have said we’d be retired by 40,” Grant Nicholas says with a laugh. His back wishes he’d stuck to that. The band’s frontman is speaking from a hotel room in Birmingham, midway through a month-long tour of the UK promoting their new double album, ‘Black/Red’. “I’m going to be walking about a lot if that’s okay,” he adds. “Every time I sit down, it seizes up again and, well, I have to play tonight.”

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 24 April 2024