The label boss, who died on Monday, had a passion for hits — especially ones he masterminded — during his formidable tenures at Columbia, Arista and J Records.
The iconic painted floorboards that graced the cover of Syd Barrett‘s debut solo album, The Madcap Laughs, are to go on display at The Piper in St. Leonards, near Hastings on the East Sussex coast in July as part of the venue’s celebration of Barrett, who would have turned 80 this year. The venue was named in honour of Pink Floyd‘s 1967 debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.
Barrett legendarily painted the floorboards of his bedroom in Wetherby Mansions in London’s Earl’s Court orange and purple and they featured in Mick Rock’s photoshoot that was used for the cover of 1970’s The Madcap Laughs.
A full programme of gigs and talks featuring Ozric Tentacles, Bernard Butler, Twink and more will take place at the popular venue from July 4-11 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Barrett’s death on July 7 on 2006.
Events include:
Syd’s Last Stand: An evening with Syd Barrett biographer Rob Chapman in discussion with Tony Higgins – July 4, 7.30pm
Speech and ribbon-cutting ceremony with Jill Drower (former habitué of the UFO club, Exploding Galaxy member and film-maker) and venue owner Chris Barnett . The unveiling of the floorboards and a one-time-only chance to see the full set in place. Timed photo opportunity slots – July 5, 1.45pm
Twink plus David Catlin-Birch: Music and memories with Syd Barrett’s old friend and bandmate. Ex-Pink Fairies and Pretty Things drummer – July 5, 7.30pm
Shine On You Crazy Diamond: A panel discussion and celebration with old friends, partners, family members, bandmates including: Twink, Ian Barrett, Rob Chapman and other guests. Plus a screening of Exploders – introduction from director and former UFO-er: Jill Drower – July 6, 7pm
Ozric Tentacles – July 9
Bernard Butler – July 10
Sydfest: featuring The Black Doldrums, Index For Working Music, The Embrooks, The Great Silkie, Plus DJ sets from Telegram Sam & Charlie (Toy) – July 11, 5-12pm
Iron Maiden‘s June 22 performance at Paris’s La Défense Arena will serve as the backdrop for a professionally filmed and recorded concert feature tied to the band’s ongoing Run For Your Lives tour.
To assist with the production, the British metal veterans will implement a phone-free policy for fans in the standing/general admission section. The measure will use Yondr pouches, lockable storage devices designed to prevent concertgoers from accessing their phones during performances while still keeping the devices in their possession.
In a message shared on social media, Iron Maiden explained the decision: “Tomorrow’s show at La Défense Arena will use Yondr pouches to make the standing/General Admission floor entirely phone-free while we record the ‘Run For Your Lives’ Tour film. This will enable us to create the optimal viewing experience for our fans on release and a unique viewing experience for our standing fans in Paris.
“If you have a standing ticket, your device will be locked in the pouch on arrival and unlocked when you leave at the end of the night.
“Bring a physical payment card to use at the bars and merch stands.
“There are areas within the arena where you will be able to access your phone for emergencies.
“Your pouch will stay with you for the duration of the show – no one else will be handling your device.
“Head to the venue early to make sure everything goes smoothly.
“This is ONLY for the standing area at tomorrow’s show. No other show will use Yondr pouches. This was declared when the tickets went on sale last year. Adjustments for disabled customers are available with proof of disability. Pouches can be unlocked in designated areas for you to access your phone should you need to.”
The policy applies only to the standing area of the Paris concert and is being introduced specifically for the filming of the upcoming tour movie.
Iron Maiden are not the only major act to adopt this approach. Tool have regularly asked audiences to keep phones out of sight until the closing song of their sets, creating a more focused concert environment.
The move also follows a similar policy introduced by Ghost during the band’s recently completed Skeletour, where attendees were required to experience the show without access to their phones.
With the Paris performance being documented for future release, Iron Maiden are aiming to capture both the band and the crowd in an environment free from raised screens, while giving fans in attendance a different live experience for one night only.
(written by Islander) After the release of their self-titled debut album in 2017, the Saskatchewan-based doom/sludge band Destroy My Brains embarked on a four-record sequence whose titles (the first letter of each one) spelled out the word “W.I.L.T.”. The last of those albums, Tormented, was released in 2022. And now Destroy My Brains are following […]
The alternative metal underground has been thrust into absolute chaos following the possible, sudden online leak of heavy metal’s most elusive holy grail: Deftones’ long-shelved 2008 studio album, Eros. In what is rapidly developing into one of the biggest viral internet eventscirculating on social media, eleven fully tracked demo recordings—featuring the final bass lines of the late Chi Cheng—have been supposedly dropped onto underground message boards alongside the entire unreleased demo sessions for the band’s 2020 album Ohms.(Editor’s note – Please remember to take anything like this with a grain of salt until there is actual confirmation from the band or it’s management team.)
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DEFTONES: THE HISTORICAL BLUEPRINT OF SCARCE & SHELVED SESSIONS
The Holy Grail Unsealed: The Shocking Message Board Breach
The global Deftones fan community woke up to an absolute frenzy on the morning of June 22, 2026. A massive cache of high-quality audio files was unceremoniously dumped onto popular alternative music message boards and quickly syndicated across Reddit and YouTube. The centerpiece of the leak is an 11-track compilation representing the foundational framework of Eros, the experimental studio album the band was actively tracking with legendary producer Terry Date throughout 2007 and 2008.
The tracking titles circulating within the leak appear to reflect the original working names assigned by the band during production:
“Destiny”
“Brenda”
“Melanie”
“Smile” (Previously released by Chino Moreno in 2014)
“Margot”
“Candy”
“Sable”
“Electra”
“Trempest”
“Diamond”
“Briana”
The structural validity of the tracks has sent intense debates through the scene. While some skeptical fans are questioning whether the collection is a highly sophisticated, AI-assisted ruse, longtime listeners have pointed out that the leaked version of “Melanie” matches the exact chord progressions and vocal hooks from the band’s rare 2008 live performances in Los Angeles, indicating a high probability that these are authentic, unmixed, and unmastered studio demos.
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The Ghost of Chi Cheng: A Bitter Sweet Moment for Fans
The emotional weight of this leak cannot be overstated. Eros was permanently shelved by Deftones management following a catastrophic November 2008 car accident that left the band’s beloved founding bassist and backing vocalist, Chi Cheng, in a semi-comatose state. The alternative metal icon fought for his life for nearly five years before tragically succumbing to his injuries on April 13, 2013.
While core listeners are celebrating the opportunity to finally hear Cheng’s heavy, rhythmic bass grooves one last time, a massive faction of the fanbase is expressing serious ethical guilt. Deftones frontman Chino Moreno has consistently maintained that Eros remains largely unfinished, recently reiterating that the band fundamentally preferred to keep the record locked away in the vault.
If these are indeed the unreleased tracks from the iconic alternative metal band, then it should be noted that a direct breach of these files directly violates the explicit wishes of the creators, who buried the sessions to record Diamond Eyes as a form of collective structural healing.
Compounding the severity of the leak is the simultaneous distribution of the entire 2020 Ohms demo sessions. This secondary cache includes early, raw studio tracking maps of the band’s critically acclaimed ninth studio album, capped off by a completely unreleased, unheard studio B-side titled “Sensations”.
As copyright representatives move rapidly across YouTube and file-hosting platforms to deploy aggressive takedowns, fans continue to download and re-upload the materials at a blinding pace. Thus far, Deftones and their management team have yet to issue a public statement addressing the validity of these tracks, or the massive security breach, leaving the community to debate whether this holy grail should finally be embraced by the masses, or left in the dark out of respect for the band’s wishes.
Is the leaked Deftones album ‘Eros’ real or AI-generated? While the band has not officially verified the authenticity, extreme music fans state that the unmixed audio characteristics, raw vocal scratches, and structural alignments with known 2008 live performances indicate these are highly authentic studio demos, though some still speculate it could be an AI ruse.
Why did Deftones originally shelve the ‘Eros’ album? The production was indefinitely halted in November 2008 after founding bassist Chi Cheng suffered severe, life-altering injuries in a tragic automobile accident. The band chose to lock the material away, moving forward with new bassist Sergio Vega to record Diamond Eyes.
What is the unreleased ‘Ohms’ song that leaked? Alongside the 11 Eros tracks, an unreleased demo session track from the 2020 Ohms recording cycle titled “Sensations” has surfaced online.
The Massive Breach: Deftones’ legendary, unreleased 2008 studio album Eros has reportedly leaked across public message boards in an unmixed, 11-track demo format.
The Sonic Ghost: The leaked material represents the absolute final recorded bass tracks of founding member Chi Cheng before his fatal 2008 car accident.
Bonus Leak: The data breach also contains raw demo stems from the band’s 2020 album Ohms, including a completely unreleased track titled “Sensations.”
The Dilemma: Fans remain deeply divided on the ethics of listening to the unconfirmed files, which the band has openly preferred to keep shelved.
The vault has been possibly forced open, and heavy metal history has been rewritten in the dark. While the ethical debate over accessing an artist’s unfinished, deeply personal mourning project will rage on for months, the haunting beauty of Chi Cheng’s final notes is officially out in the wind.Keep in mind, today’s AI capabilities are growing at exponential rates and creating music that sounds like Deftones unfortunately in 2026 doesn’t immediately mean they are actual band’s songs.
Where do you stand on this monumental leak? Do you believe it is ethically wrong to stream Eros against Chino Moreno’s explicit wishes, or do you view this leak as an invaluable piece of musical history that deserves to be heard by the fans who loved Chi? Sound off with your thoughts, tracking reviews, and respect for the Deftones legacy in the comments section below!
Look who’s back! Carly Rae Jepsen, queen of critically acclaimed cult-favorite pop stars, has recently been teasing a return, and it’s about time. Jepsen never stops touring, but she hasn’t dropped a new album since 2022’s The Loneliest Time and its 2023 companion piece The Loveliest Time. She’s back in a few months with a big new double album called Day And Night.
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