The Rolling Stones have spoken about the experience of recording their forthcoming album Foreign Tongues, and expressed their love, respect and admiration for their late friend and bandmate Charlie Watts, who makes a posthumous appearance on the record.
Although Watts passed, aged 80, away in 2021, his drumming – taped at one of his final studio sessions with the group he joined in 1963 – powers new album track Hit Me In The Head, and his old friends suggest that his spirit hovered over their most recent sessions with producer Andrew Watt at London’s Metropolis studios.
In a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood pay tribute to American producer Watt for his passion and enthusiasm for the project, and acknowledge his pivotal role in encouraging their band to play and record songs together in one room, unshackled from the rigid structures imposed by modern digital recording.
“Everyone has their own idea of the basic structure,” explains guitarist Wood, “but as long as it came back to that, it’s fine. You could do anything you wanted.”
“If the only thing you’re fighting is the room and the song, you’re okay,” adds fellow guitarist Keith Richards, “as long as you’re not fighting each other. It was fun to make. Everybody was right on it, [including] Steve Jordan and Darryl Jones, the ‘new’ rhythm section. I’m sure Charlie Watts was beaming down on us, so I feel good about that.”
When Zane Lowe tells Ronnie Wood that he finds it “moving” hearing Charlie Watts on the record, the guitarist reveals that the band have still got “a few beats of his in the bag”, recorded in Paris, for potential future use.
Mick Jagger tells Lowe that the drum track for Hit Me In The Head was actually recorded with producer Don Was at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, during pre-production for the band’s 2023 album Hackney Diamonds.
“If I ask you what did you love about the way Charlie plays drums, what would you say?” Lowe asks the singer.
“Whatever style he played always had swing,” Jagger replies. “It wasn’t like a loud powerful drummer, he was a more subtle, he was a jazz drummer really, that played rock very well… Steve’s very loud in the room compared to Charlie.”
“The albums are getting more and more energetic, punchy, and we’re still raising the bar,” says Ronnie Wood. “That’s the evolution of the band. you know, it’s got that new youth and the new kick in it. Maybe Charlie is overlooking us and giving us some more inspiration.”
You can watch the full Apple Music interview below.
Philadelphia blackened crust punk outfit Devil Master have released a brand-new single, titled “You Worms’ Vain Delusions,” alongside the announcement of their fourth studio album, Bloody Dreams. Read moreâŚ
New York’s Starcleaner Reunion have been on our radar for a couple years now. In 2024, we named them one of the year’s Best New Artists and dubbed their sophomore EP Cafe Life as one of our favorite EPs. Last month they returned with new music via the single “Weather Instrument.” Today, they’re back with another single “Never Odd Or Even” to announce their debut album Umbrella that’s out in September.
EDDFEST kicks off tomorrow at Knebworth House, part of a big weekend that sees Iron Maiden and their fans continue the 50th Anniversary celebrations. For Chop Pitman and Airforce to be part of this is very special. The Friday Maidenville Stage is packed with Maiden history, as Tony Moore, Gypsy’s Kiss, Maiden United, Stray and Blaze Bayley join the Hertfordshire party.
For Chop, the EDDFEST story began with a phone call from long-time friend Steve Harris. “He invited us to play there,” Chop told MetalTalk’s Steve Kenton. “It is a big honour for us. We’re not going to say no to that.”
When Chop Pitman passed the message along, the rest of the Airforce band were over the moon. “To be invited to this historical event is a big thing,” Chop said, “because of the 50th Anniversary. I jay thanks to Steve for the invite.”
The connection between Steve Harris and Airforce runs to support slots on British Lion Tours. Airforce have played the same bill as Iron Maiden too, but not on the same day. “It was the Hills Of Rock in Bulgaria,” Chop says. “Three days of Metal. We were there on the first day when Sabaton were headlining. The next day was Judas Priest, and the third was Iron Maiden.”
Airforce – The Underworld. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk
The EDDFEST weekend has been growing, with the Infinite Dreams Museum Experience recently added to whet the appetites of Maiden fans. “It started off as a camping ticket event,” Chop says. “But it’s run away with itself, and now everybody wants to come.” Chop has no idea of the number of people who will be there on Friday.
“Maiden are like a religion,” Chop says. “People love them. You get the odd one that’s moaning about everything. But they’re a great band, and they’re survivors. They’ve been going 50 years now. But they’ve proved their worth. They’re a great band, great guys, and they churn out some good stuff.”
Airforce recently released the single Strange World. “I remember seeing Maiden in the early days when Dave Sullivan was playing guitar with Terry Rance,” Chop Pitman says. “I love that track. I’ve always liked that track. I’ve always liked Remember Tomorrow as well. Those are two of my favourite tracks from the early days.”
The seed of the Strange World idea came from bass player Tony Hatton when the band were talking about maybe covering a Maiden track. “I thought, well, I’ve got to do it,” Chop says. “We didn’t want to do it the way Iron Maiden do it. We wanted to Airforce it, make it our own sound. We used the lyrics and basically the chords.
“I phoned up Steve Harris to find out what he thought about the idea. Steve liked it. He said maybe I should ask Dave Sullivan to play on it to give it some clout. So now we have two Maiden members on it. Doug Sampson played on the original version of that on the Soundhouse tapes, which was never really released for some reason.
“Dave Sullivan hadn’t picked up the guitar for quite a long time. So it got Dave back into it. Dave came to my studio and did a great job. It grew and grew. Different ideas.
“Strange World and at the end of it, goes into Remember Tomorrow, in the outro. I loved it, and I thought I would send it to Steve again, to confirm that he was happy with it. We got his permission to do it. He said he liked that bit where it goes to two tracks in one.”
AI these days is a dirty word, but for Chop Pitman, the film is not attempting to show things that are supposed to be real, so he is comfortable with that. “You can see it’s AI, but it’s still got that cartoony feel,” he says.
Airforce had planned to play the song at the Cart & Horses recently, but decided to show the video created by Chops’ nephew Lee Heffron. “I sent that to Steve, and he liked it.”
Chop was a driver who would pick up shifts that needed covering when he first met Steve Harris. Harris was a draftsman, but both were covering shifts for Waltham Forest Council in between jobs. Steve was working the North Circular Road area, and Chop was tasked with collecting the bags.
“Steve’s a brainy, very bright person,” Chop says. “When I first saw him, I thought he must look like the coolest road sweeper I’ve ever seen. I’m not kidding you. I thought there was something about him.
“I pulled up for his bags, and we started to talk. He was telling me he’s in bands, and at the time, I was in bands. We had a bit of talk, and he mentioned to me that he’s got a new band together called Iron Maiden, and they’re going to play the Cart & Horses. Would I go to add a little bit of support?
“I didn’t know what to expect. I went along to the Cart, and I was actually blown away.”
Iron Maiden’s first gig was at the St. Nicholas Hall, with a show at Dave Light’s house and the Cart making up the trio. Chop had been invited to Dave Light’s party.
“They were doing a few covers like Thin Lizzy covers, Montrose,” Chop says, “but when they did their own stuff, it made your ears prick up. Along the line, they started to change their set into more original stuff. That was when Dave Sullivan was on guitar with Terry Rance, Ron Matthews was on drums, and Paul Mario Day was the singer.” At this point, there were some chuckles around the recent Metal Hammer interview inaccuracies.
Chop Pitman – Paul Mario Day – Cart & Horses. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk
Steve Harris and Chop Pitman began to “knock about together. I was going to pick him up from his nan’s house. He had no gear in those days. He had no amps, no cabs, nothing. Me being a guitarist, he asked if I could lend him my cab and my amp. I had a Marshall Super Lead, which I’ve still got.”
A bond was made, and Chop would sometimes help take the gear to shows. “When we first went down the Cart, there were 20 people there. People got to know the band, and they heard about the band by word of mouth.
“At that time, there were three bands that were filling up the Cart & Horses. There were Slowbone, Dog Watch, and Iron Maiden. Steve Harris even asked the bass player from Dog Watch, “How did you learn to play bass?” Steve’s always, to this day, never forgotten what that bloke said. He says, ‘You never stop learning.’
The Iron Maiden shows are the Cart were getting busier and busier. “You would queue up outside, but then they couldn’t play the Cart anymore. It was getting too packed. Then they moved to the Ruskin Arms.”
The Cart in those days had a different layout, on one floor. There was a small stage for the drums, so the rest of Iron Maiden had to stand on the floor.
“I knew Terry Rance from before the Maiden days too,” Chop says. “I knew him from a band called Tinted Aspects. They were the local band in the ’70s. I worked with his mum. She said to me that Terry’s in Iron Maiden. I thought, well, Steve just told me to go and see them, so I thought I’ve got to go now.”
Iron Maiden – The Legends – Terry Wapram – Terry Rance. Cart & Horses – 28 April 2024. Photo: Steve Ritchie/MetalTalk
With the changing of guitarists in those early days, Chop was never an option to join the band. “At the time, I was in a band, and we were doing more than Iron Maiden,” he says of his time with EL-34. “We had a lot more gigs. We were playing in Luton, Milton Keynes.”
EL-34 were playing the Ruskin Arms before Iron Maiden. “I was putting Steve’s name, Iron Maiden’s name forward to some of the venues we played,” Chop says. “I don’t know if that helped or not. He knew I was in a band when he formed a band with Dave, Terry, Ron and Paul. So why would he ask anyone then to join?
“Then they got Dave Murray in the band. Amazing guitarist. Then they got Paul Di’Anno. Before that, they had Bob Sawyer, who is another nice geezer. I still see him. Great guitarist, a bit of a blues man.
“But it got better and better. Steve mentioned to me once, because they both had Les Pauls, ‘We’re getting a bit like Thin Lizzy, Chop.’ I don’t know if he remembers that, but I remember it.”
Chop saw the move through Paul Mario Day and Dennis Wilcock, to Paul Di’Anno. “When Paul Di’Anno joined the band, it took the band to another level. They come out of being a pub band. Then they started doing the venues. It was a proper band. Paul Di’Anno had big charisma. He had that voice.
“In those days, it was the punks. A lot of Metal bands were going under because of the punk bands. That’s why it became the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal to try and compete with the punks.”
The late Paul Di’Anno performing at Stonedead Festival 2024 while using a wheelchair – Photo: Paul Hutchings/MetalTalk
Remember Tomorrow is a track where Paul’s Di’Anno’s voice changed from being melodic to raw. “He had that thing about him,” Chop says. “Paul was his own worst enemy. We all love Paul. Steve loved Paul, and he was a big, big part of Maiden.
“Everyone who’s been in the band, it’s all evolved to what it is now. Paul was the bad boy. He wouldn’t turn up for rehearsals. If they had a matinee gig and a nighttime gig, he said he couldn’t do both gigs. So he used to not turn up. One gig Steve Harris had to sing.”
Since the days when Chop Pitman and Steve Harris would hang out with their girlfriends as a group, they have been friends ever since. “We used to go to the Cart & Horses to watch Slowbone and Dog Watch,” Chop says. “Sometimes we would go to the brewery Tap. We just hung about together.”
The gear swap has been reversed, too. “He’s given me a lot of support with British Lion,” Chop says. “He’s always looked after me with tickets and backstage passes. The geezer always, he’s never outgrown himself. He always remembers his friends. That’s why people like Steve, because he’s still down to earth.
“He’s still the same geezer now as he was when he was picking up rubbish down the North Circular Road. He hasn’t really changed. He changed his clothes, obviously, but he hasn’t changed his personality.”
“He knows what he’s doing. I don’t care what anyone says. Steve had a dream with Iron Maiden. And it wasn’t for Steve pushing it and pushing it and pushing it, it might never have happened.
“He is Iron Maiden. I don’t think Iron Maiden would even survive without Steve Harris.”
With fans guessing over the weekend that Knebworth House was to be the location for the mystery Iron Maiden show on 11 July 2026, hotels
Event Details
With fans guessing over the weekend that Knebworth House was to be the location for the mystery Iron Maiden show on 11 July 2026, hotels were snapped up, and the rumours have now proved to be correct. Following in the footsteps of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Queen, Iron Maiden will join the historic roster that have played what Knebworth House custodian Henry Lytton Cobbold describes as The Greatest Rock Venue In The World.
“We knew that we had to bring the Run For Your Lives show back to the UK again next summer as there was such a phenomenal demand for tickets this year,” Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said. “But we wanted to do something a bit different, especially as it would be hard to top the show at London Stadium.”
Friday Maidenville Stage Line Up Tony Mooreâs Awake 15:00 â 15:40 Gypsyâs Kiss 16:10 â 16:50 Airforce 17:20 â 18:00 Maiden United 18:30 â 19:10 Stray 19:40 â 20:20 Blaze Bayley 20:50 â 21:50 Hair Metal Glamageddon 22:20 â 23:00
Saturday Main Stage Line Up The Almighty 15:05 â 15:45 Airbourne 16:20 â 17:00 The Hu 17:35 â 18:15 The Darkness 18:50 â 19:40 IRON MAIDEN 20:15
Gates open at midday on Friday 10th July for weekend camping and campervan ticket holders, with the Maidenville arena starting its full programme of entertainment at 2.30pm and running through until 11pm. Saturday camping ticket holders can arrive from 10am on 11th July, with the main EDDFEST arena opening at 1pm.
The Saturday night entertainment has a strict site curfew and will end at 10:30pm, with both the Eddfest arena and Maidenville closing at 11pm. Unfortunately, due to these curfew conditions, which the police and licensing authorities have re-confirmed need to be adhered to, Knebworth House will be unable to screen the England vs Norway World Cup quarter final match on-site once Iron Maiden band finish their set.
Hard rock supergroup Iconic – featuring Michael Sweet on guitars, Joel Hoekstra on guitars, Marco Mendoza on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and Nathan James on vocals â are pleased to share the new single and lyric video for âValley Of Lost Souls,â ahead of the release of their upcoming album II, out on July 31, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl.
Michael Sweet comments: âWhat a thrill it is to create and release music with such legends. ‘Valley Of Lost Souls’ is another song that solidifies who we are as a band and perfectly represents our goal – to remind people of the power of rock.â
Joel Hoekstra adds: âBig thanks to Frontiers for the opportunity to make music with these guys! I hope you enjoy ‘Valley Of Lost Souls’ as much as I enjoyed playing/recording it!â
Marco Mendoza states: âHereâs another killer track! Flying high with the Iconic flag, great band! Enjoy!â
Iconic returns with II, a second album that doesnât just continue the bandâs journey – it defines it. Where their debut introduced the chemistry between five world-class musicians, II sharpens that vision into a clearer, heavier, and more confident sonic identity, delivering a sound that is more powerful, more direct, and unmistakably rock.
At the heart of the album lies the electrifying guitar partnership of Joel Hoekstra and MichaelSweet, delivering a masterclass in soaring melodies, blazing solos, and muscular riffs that perfectly balance technical brilliance with pure hard-rock attitude. Beneath them, the rhythm section of Tommy Aldridge and Marco Mendoza drives the record with thunderous authority, creating a groove that is both massive and relentless.
The album kicks off with âCry No More,â a high-octane opener that immediately sets the tone – an energetic slice of hard rock packed with driving riffs, explosive drums, and a chorus built to stick.
On the other side of the emotional spectrum, âTears Keep On Fallingâ showcases the bandâs dynamic range, unfolding as an electrifying power ballad where melody, atmosphere, and intensity come together in dramatic fashion.
Towering above it all is Nathan James, whose performance on âIIâ is nothing short of extraordinary – powerful, soulful, and commanding, elevating every track with unmistakable presence.
With bigger riffs, deeper grooves, and a stronger sense of identity, II captures Iconic at full force: a band no longer introducing itself but fully owning its sound.
Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien released his second solo album, Blue Morpho, back in May. Today he’s sharing a song from those sessions that didn’t make it onto the tracklist. The engaging instrumental “Abbeycwmhir,” previously available only as the B-side on the “Blue Morpho” 7″ single, translates to “Abbey in the Long Valley.” It’s named after a village in the valley of the Nant Clywedog in Powys, Wales. When we spoke this spring, O’Brien told me about how much his mental and spiritual health has benefitted from the natural beauty in his adopted home of Wales. You can hear it in this track.
When the Southern California band Initiate plays down-the-middle hardcore, they’re absolutely exemplary at it. Their riffs bring bounce and energy, and frontwoman Crystal Pak has an absolutely elemental scream. But Initiate haven’t really made down-the-middle hardcore since the release of their incredibly sick 2020 EP Lavender. Instead, Initiate inject their style with soaring melodies and unexpected instrumental touches, and their scope sets them apart. They don’t make new music too often, but whenever they do, I get excited.
Miami, Florida death metal force HEXORCIST have released âExordium of Profanationâ, the final track from their upcoming second full-length album, Crucificial Imprecations. The record is set for release on July 31, 2026 via Invictus Productions. A bludgeoning burst of death metal from the depths of hell, âExordium of Profanationâ captures the bandâs uncompromising approach in […]
