Music

The Cult make a career move on Sonic Temple and are briefly promoted to the Big Time

• *Sonic Temple* marked The Cult’s push towards mainstream rock success.
• “Fire Woman” helped take the album into the Billboard Top Ten.
• Billy Duffy and Ian Astbury had different perspectives on its sound.

The Cult’s 1989 album *Sonic Temple* was a bid to become one of the world’s biggest rock bands, pairing their earlier psychedelic and hard-edged sounds with louder production and a more polished hard-rock style. Although it did not make them global superstars, its success briefly carried them into…

US whistleblower scheme draws thousands of tips; Pokémon celebrates 30 years

Yellowstone staff have cleared more than 23,000 pieces of rubbish, while Storm Boelo brought down a tree in Sheffield. Joni Mitchell, Rush and Pokémon also feature in music and entertainment news.

Pitbull says Bon Jovi want another collaboration

• Bon Jovi want another collaboration with Pitbull.
• Their 2024 remix reworked ‘It’s My Life’ as ‘Now Or Never’.
• Bon Jovi announced a 2027 tour, including London.

Pitbull says Bon Jovi are keen to work with him again after their 2024 collaboration on a remix of the band’s hit ‘It’s My Life’. The rapper’s account suggests the partnership has grown beyond a one-off track, as the two musicians have performed together several times. Pitbull’s version,…

Classic Rock Tracks Of The Week: October 26, 2026

• Erk Grönwall won the latest weekly rock track contest.
• The Jailbirds reached the podium for the first time.
• Eight new tracks span rock, blues, metal and psychedelia.

Erk Grönwall’s “Written In The Scars” won the weekly rock track contest, with Cardinal Black’s “Saving Grace” close behind and The Jailbirds reaching the podium for the first time. The article then introduces eight new songs, showing the range of current rock releases across hard rock, blues, metal,…

Sheffield music shop owner calls for parking rule change to help local bands

• Guitar Shack wants Mary Street restrictions to end at 7pm.
• Jackson says tickets are deterring evening rehearsal customers.
• The council warns free spaces could be taken by commuters.

Tom Jackson, owner of Sheffield’s Guitar Shack, has asked the council to bring forward the end of paid parking restrictions on Mary Street from 8.30pm to 7pm. He says parking tickets are putting off bands that use the shop’s rehearsal rooms, threatening income that helps sustain the business…

Nikki Sixx thought the Ramones had everything Kiss had. So why weren’t they bigger?

• Nikki Sixx thinks the Ramones deserved wider success.
• He compared their image and songs with Kiss.
• Their influence outlasted their modest US chart performance.

Nikki Sixx said the Ramones were underrated and should have become one of the world’s biggest bands. He argued that they had the memorable look, unified image and catchy songs associated with Kiss, but never achieved comparable commercial success. The Ramones were influential New York punk pioneers who…

6 HBO Miniseries Endings That Are Genuine Masterpieces

• Six HBO miniseries are praised for memorable finales.
• The endings favour thematic weight over tidy closure.
• The examples span 2001 to the 2020s.

The article argues that six HBO miniseries stand out for endings that feel earned and leave viewers with something to consider. Rather than relying on neat or happy resolutions, these finales bring their stories to a fitting close and underline the themes that made the dramas compelling. It…

Foreigner were rejected so many times that two band members left. Then everything changed

• Foreigner faced repeated label rejections.
• Two original members left before the breakthrough.
• Atlantic signed them, and their debut single reached number four.

Foreigner’s early attempts to secure a record deal were repeatedly rejected, even after the band had a demo of “Feels Like the First Time”, the song that would launch their career. The setbacks were severe enough that rhythm-section members Jay Davis and Stan Williams left, but the group…

In 1991, Drew Barrymore lost a role to Juliette Lewis. 10 years later, they were on opposite sides

• Lewis won the *Cape Fear* role Barrymore auditioned for.
• Barrymore later got a role Lewis wanted.
• The actresses shared their casting near-misses on Barrymore’s show.

Drew Barrymore and Juliette Lewis repeatedly auditioned for overlapping film roles, with one winning parts the other had considered. Their near-misses show how casting choices can shape performances and films, and the pair later discussed the pattern together on Barrymore’s talk show. In 1991, Lewis was cast as…

Greta Van Fleet’s Josh Kiszka reflects on the hate that greeted the band’s early success

• Josh Kiszka recalls hostility towards Greta Van Fleet’s early success.
• He stopped reading online criticism because it weighed on him.
• The band’s tour begins in February 2027.

Greta Van Fleet singer Josh Kiszka says some rock fans greeted the band’s early success with hostility because they feared the young group would intrude on rock’s established traditions. He says the band instead wanted to honour the genre while bringing something new to it. Kiszka stopped reading…