Entertainment News
Rammstein Drummer’s Early East German Band Had Two Government Spies in Its Lineup
Drummer Christoph “Doom” Schneider was an active member of the East Berlin music scene prior to the formation of Rammstein in 1994. In the ’80s, he was the drummer of new wave act Die Firma (The Firm), and it turns out he had two government spies in his band. When asked by Metal Hammer about playing music prior to the take down of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Schneider recounted his time in Die Firma. The band’s music had dark goth influences, indicative of his latter work with Rammstein, featuring protest lyrics that were poignant, if incriminating, given who might be listening or in the case of Die Firma, literally singing them. “Die Firma was like a new wave punk band,” Schneider said. “The style was a little dark, with gothic influences. We had lyrics that protested against the system...
Bill Callahan Releases Gentle New Song “Pigeons”: Stream
This September, Bill Callahan will drop a new album titled Gold Record. The esteemed folk songwriter is teasing the project today with the first single and opening track, “Pigeons”. Set in the heart of Texas, the gentle tune sees Callahan reflecting on marriage from the perspective of a limo driver who often shuttles around newly hitched couples. “Well the pigeons ate the wedding rice and exploded somewhere over San Antonio,” he sings. “I picked up the newlyweds and asked them where they wanted to go/ They said, ‘We don’t know, we don’t care, anywhere… just go.’” Ride along by streaming it below. Editors’ Picks Gold Record, the follow-up to his solid Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest from 2019, officially arrives September 4th through longtime label Drag City. As promised, Call...
Activists Call for John Lennon’s “Imagine” to Replace US National Anthem
“The Star-Spangled Banner” doesn’t seem that racist, as long as you skip the later verses and ignore the white supremacist who wrote it. Taking those aspects into account, however, some activists are calling for America to find a new national anthem, and one popular proposal has put forth John Lennon’s “Imagine”. “But wait,” you may be saying. “I’ve sung ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ for years, and I’m not racist. Besides, those patriotic high notes really make my rocket glare.” And it’s true, the one verse that we trot out at sporting events is merely unsettlingly violent, rather than outwardly prejudiced. If that’s the only part of Francis Scott Key’s 1814 poem that you’re familiar with, then the history behind the third verse will be a bit of a shocker. In the offending passage, Francis Sc...
Simon Pegg Tells Black Lives Matter Haters to “Shut the Fuck Up”
This past month has been filled with Black Lives Matter marches and protests against police brutality that have gained massive support as well as ignorant criticisms. In a new interview, Shaun of the Dead actor Simon Pegg made his position abundantly clear, saying that he supports Black Lives Matter and that anyone complaining about them “should just shut the fuck up.” In an interview with The Observer, Pegg shed some light on the diversity initiatives being undertaken by Stolen Pictures, the production company he co-founded with Nick Frost. Pegg spoke about the changes coming to Stolen Pictures — particularly how he’s been scheduling meetings to better connect Black actors, writers, and directors to the resources and opportunities they need — and why he’s fed up with h...
Friday the 13th’s Jason Voorhees Promotes Face Masks in New PSA Video: Watch
After decades of slaughtering camp counselors and teenagers, Jason Voorhees is promoting … safety. In a new PSA video by Ogilvy Health and the Chimney Group, the Friday the 13th movie monster is insisting on masking up against COVID-19. “It’s not easy,” Voorhees says in a funny voice over. “The mask kind of makes people feel uncomfortable. I wish everyone could see me for who I am. I’m just trying to fit in. I know … the whole chainsaw thing … I get it. But behind the mask, I’m just a regular guy.” To be fair, Voorhees is more of a machete guy, but we’ll let it pass, especially since it’s for such a good cause. After all, we’re living in Trump’s America, where science has become politicized and health is selfishly up for debate. Watch below. “How can we get them to pay attention to this li...
Corey Taylor Responds to Slipknot Tribute Band’s Craigslist Ad Seeking New Singer
Corey Taylor is one of the hardest-working dudes in metal, but apparently he has time to consider a gig impersonating himself in a Slipknot tribute band. The singer actually responded to a Craigslist ad from a Slipknot tribute act seeking a new vocalist. Taylor has his hands full with Slipknot and Stone Sour, not to mention his upcoming solo album, and his work as a best-selling author. But the fact of the matter is that he fits the description in the Craigslist ad to a tee. And, with his bands currently sidelined from the road due to the pandemic, perhaps he’s looking for some new ventures to conquer. The Craigslist ad is titled “Established Slipknot tribute seeking accurate, dedicated Corey Taylor.” It comes from New Jersey-based Of the (Sic), who promote themselves as the “most accurate...
AMC Theatres Delays Reopening Until July 30th
With new coronavirus cases spiking across the US, AMC Theatres is pushing back its reopening date by two weeks to July 30th. The move follows the recent postponements of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and Disney’s live-action Mulan remake, both of which are slated to be the first new tentpole titles to screen in theaters. Tenet was recently moved back to July 31st, while Mulan was postponed until August 21st. As of now, AMC expects to open most of its 600 theaters across the country by July 31st. There will of course be numerous safety protocols in place, including limited theater capacities, contactless ticketing, and limited vending options. At one point, AMC had planned on not requiring guests to wear face masks, citing a desire to avoid “a political controversy.” However, following public o...
2020 MTV VMAs to Take Place in NYC with “Limited or No Audience” Due to Coronavirus
Despite the country’s recent surge in coronavirus cases, the 2020 MTV VMAs is officially a go. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York made the announcement on Monday, revealing that this year’s ceremony will take place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on August 30th. The news came during a larger press conference regarding Phase III of NYC’s reopening process, which begins July 6th and includes eased restrictions on things like indoor dining. Social distancing will still be required during this phase, and as such, the 2020 VMAs will include “limited or no audience” allowed in the Barclays arena. Under normal circumstances, the multi-purpose venue can seat up to 19,000 people for concert events. Last year’s VMAs happened at a packed Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was highlighted by mem...
Glass Animals Share New Single “Heat Waves”: Stream
UK psych pop band Glass Animals have shared a new single called “Heat Waves”, taken from their forthcoming album, Dreamland. Originally set for a July 10th release, Dreamland has been pushed to August 7th “in order to respect and support the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement,” according to a press release. (Yes, the movement has even hit Europe.) Previously, Glass Animals previewed the album’s release with “Tokyo Drifting” featuring Denzel Curry and the album’s title track. The latest teaser, “Heat Waves”, is a thumping, bass-y daze that finds frontman/producer Dave Bayley trying to untwine himself from a partner. In the accompanying music video, Bayley drags a wagon full of old TVs through an empty London street as quarantined onlookers take cellphone footage from in...
Phoebe Bridgers Releases Proper Studio Recording of John Prine’s “Summer’s End”: Stream
Back in April, legendary songwriter John Prine passed away after a battle with COVID-19. Dozens of artists covered his songs to pay tribute to his life and long-lasting influence. One of those musicians was Phoebe Bridgers, who performed his late single “Summer’s End” on Instagram earlier this spring. Now, months later, she’s unveiled a more polished up version for SiriusXM. Listen below (via Stereogum). In her original cover of “Summer’s End”, Bridgers could be seen in her house playing the song live to a computer camera while dressed in pajamas. The setting may have been extremely casual, but her vocals — however poorly mic’d they were, if at all — sounded gorgeous and empathetic. It seems like she was quite moved by Prine’s track, because this new touched-up take sounds much fuller and ...
#MetallicaMondays: Watch Metallica’s First-Ever Show in Colombia
Metallica’s weekly concert-streaming series #MetallicaMondays continues with a 1999 show in Bogotá, which marked the band’s first-ever gig in the country of Colombia. The 20-song set at Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park featured a healthy helping of songs from “The Black Album” and other staples. The trek was dubbed the “Garage Remains the Same Tour” in support of Metallica’s covers compilation Garage Inc., and the show included a rendition of the Misfits’ “Die, Die My Darling” that appeared on the LP. As the band wrote on Instagram while announcing this week’s stream, “#MetallicaMondays takes a trip back to 1999! We dug through the dusty, old VHS tapes in @larsulrich’s vault to uncover Live in Bogotá – May 2nd, 1999, which happens to be the first gig we ever played in Colombia.” Of cou...
Chase Rice Isn’t Apologizing for His Coronavirus Concert
Country singer Chase Rice drew the ire of the music industry and potentially put hundreds of his fans at risk when he played a packed concert in East Tennessee on Saturday. Nearly 1,000 people were in attendance, standing shoulder to shoulder, with not a face mask to be seen. Rice encouraged the audience to sing along, and even marveled at the size of the crowd in a post-show Instagram video. Understandably, many of his fellow musicians were angered by images and video from the concert, worrying that it could exacerbate the spread of coronavirus and delay their own return to touring (which is a chief source of income for many artists). “The people in this audience, along with the presenters of this show, are assuring that conscientious musicians won’t be able to work their jobs for a while...
