Brit Floyd, “widely recognized as the world’s premier Pink Floyd experience” (Rolling Stone), will return to the road September 18 for the final leg of 2026 dates of The Moon, The Wall and Beyond tour. They’ve also just announced next year’s concert spectacular: Animals 50—an unforgettable journey through the music, imagery and provocative ideas of Pink Floyd’s landmark masterpiece, brought vividly to life on stage in an ambitious new production.
Produced by Palladium Entertainment, Animals 50 is a magnificent new production celebrating the 50th anniversary of Animals, one of Pink Floyd’s most powerful, provocative, and enduring albums. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 18, for the first leg of North American performances encompassing more than 39 shows, including two in the New York City area, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and more. An additional 2027 shows will be added both in North America and Europe, details of which will be announced in the coming months.
For the 2027 shows, the nearly three-hour performance will encompass highlights from Animals and a journey through Pink Floyd’s extraordinary catalogue, featuring many of the band’s greatest songs and fan favorites, including “Time,” “Money,” “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Comfortably Numb” and “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2.”
The extensive 2026 123-date The Moon, The Wall and Beyond tour celebrates 15 years of BritFloyd, a milestone that underscores the band’s evolution into a global phenomenon, having performed over 1,600 shows worldwide. These dates showcase a powerful creative concept celebrating two of Pink Floyd’s most iconic and best-selling albums of all time, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.
Visit here for the most up-to-date information about The Moon, The Wall, and Beyond world tour.
Over the past few months and years, Kai Hansen has hardly been sitting around twiddling his thumbs. Much of his time has been taken up by Helloween, who released a solid new album in 2025 and have been on their ongoing 40 Years Anniversary Tour ever since. Still, Hansen somehow managed to carve out enough… Continue Reading →
Styx is heading back to The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas for a seventh straight year, with a five-show run set for Jan. 29, 30 and Feb. 3, 5 and 6, 2027. All five performances kick off at 8:30 p.m.
Citi is the official card partner for the engagement. Citi cardmembers get first crack at tickets through a presale running Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. PT through Thursday, Sept. 17 at 10 p.m. PT via the Citi Entertainment program; full presale details are posted here.
More presale windows will open throughout the week before general tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. PT. Prices start at $55 plus fees, available here, at any box office at The Venetian Resort, or by phone at 702.414.9000 or 866.641.7469.
The Las Vegas dates arrive on the heels of Circling From Above, Styx‘s 18th studio album, released via Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. The 13-track record digs into how technology and nature shape modern life, and critics have already slotted it alongside 2021’s Crash Of The Crown and 2017’s The Mission as the band’s third consecutive high-water mark. All seven current members appear on the record: founding guitarist and vocalist James “JY” Young, longtime guitarist and vocalist Tommy Shaw, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist and vocalist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist and vocalist Will Evankovich, and bassist Terry Gowan.
Onstage, that same seven-piece lineup draws from a catalog that stretches back more than 50 years, mixing anthemic singalongs with deep cuts built for a full band workout. A typical set pulls from every era: the sprawling ambition of “The Grand Illusion,” the working-class grit of “Blue Collar Man,” the tender devotion of “Lady,” the pointed jab at pageant culture in “Miss America,” the isolation of “Man In The Wilderness,” the searching drive of “Crystal Ball,” the sweeping reach of “Come Sail Away” and the outlaw swagger of “Renegade.”
The Bowl For Ronnie celebrity bowling party, the annual fundraiser for the Ronnie James DioStand Up And Shout Cancer Fund, returns Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. As in years past, the event will be held at PINZ Bowling Center in Studio City, California, with television and radio host Eddie Trunk of SiriusXM‘s Faction Talk channel running the show.
The night pairs a celebrity bowling tournament with a raffle for prizes and memorabilia. Last year’s edition sold out ahead of time and pulled in more than $85,000 for the cause, which funds cancer research and awareness efforts.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with open bowling and a VIP pre-party for lane sponsors, celebrities and their guests, ahead of a night of food, bowling and competition for trophies. The event has previously drawn names like Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D; Phil Buckman and Brett Scallions of Fuel; John Bush and Joey Vera of Armored Saint; Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath; Gilby Clarke of Guns N’ Roses; Fred Coury of Cinderella; Robbie Craneand Ricky Warwick of Black Star Riders; Phil Demmel of Kerry King, Vio-Lence and Machine Head; Lita Ford; Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters; Jesse Hughes and Jennie Vee of Eagles Of Death Metal; Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine; Slim Jim Phantom of Stray Cats; Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi; Shavo Odadjian of System Of A Down; George Thorogood; Brian Tichy of Whitesnake; and the members of Yachtley Crew, who topped last year’s celebrity-team standings.
This year’s bowler lineup is coming soon, alongside an eBay auction for a spot on Trunk‘s celebrity team.
Lane sponsorships and spectator tickets are on sale now here.
An “Early Bird” team or corporate lane sponsorship runs $2,500 through Oct. 15 and includes a private lane for six bowlers, team or corporate logo placement on the lane and event screens, six VIP passes to the Artist/VIP lounge, two drink tickets per bowler, six “Bowl For Ronnie” t-shirts, pizza and shoe rental. The price rises to $3,000 per lane after Oct. 15. A limited number of $75 spectator tickets are also available.
The Ronnie James DioStand Up And Shout Cancer Fund was established in memory of the singer, who died of gastric cancer in 2010. The privately funded 501(c)(3) charity has raised more than $2 million since it launched, with funds supporting the T.J. Martell Foundation‘s cancer, AIDS, and leukemia research, the gastric cancer research unit at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where Dio was treated during the final six months of his life, and other cancer research initiatives. Since 2016, the fund has also backed Dr. David Wong and his team at the UCLA School of Dentistry in developing a non-invasive saliva test for early cancer detection.
All net proceeds from Bowl For Ronnie go to the fund, now in its 16th year of supporting cancer prevention, education, and research. The organization also runs the annual “Rock For Ronnie” park concert, scheduled for Sunday, May 23, 2027.
Falling In Reverse is back with its first new track in more than a year, and the band didn’t waste the occasion.
The band released the new single “Joseph” today, bringing in two of hard rock’s biggest voices for the ride: Slipknot‘s Corey Taylor and System Of A Down‘s Serj Tankian. It’s the first time the two have ever appeared together on a song, which makes the pairing a genuine event.
The official video for “Joseph,” directed by Jensen Noen and featuring appearances from both Taylor and Tankian, is posted below.
The title comes from frontman Ronnie Radke‘s middle name. “Joseph” follows last year’s “God Is A Weapon,” the Marilyn Manson-featuring single that has since pulled in 350 million streams and picked up serious traction on TikTok.
Falling In Reverse has made a habit of landing big-name collaborators. The band’s 2024 single “All My Life,” featuring Jelly Roll, spent five weeks atop the rock radio charts, debuted at No. 1 across Billboard‘s hard rock rankings, and logged an 11-week run as the country’s top Hot Hard Rock Song.
The band’s 2024 album Popular Monster has racked up four billion streams to date and sits just shy of platinum certification.
Kiss is marking the 50th anniversary of Rock And Roll Over, the band’s fifth studio album, with a super-deluxe box set due out Nov. 6.
The package spans four CDs and a Blu-ray Audio disc and runs 130 tracks deep, with 100 of those never before released.
CD 1 carries a freshly remastered version of the original 1976 stereo mix, pulled straight from the original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman, who handled mastering on the whole set. CD 2 brings something new to the table entirely: a 2026 stereo remix from original producer Eddie Kramer, who put 50 years of additional engineering experience to work updating the album’s sound. CD 3 digs into the vault for 22 previously unheard demos, outtakes and alternate mixes, among them nine Gene Simmons demos, sessions recorded at Davlen Sound Studios, extended versions of album cuts and the unfinished instrumental “Queen For A Day.”
CD 4 heads to Japan, where Kiss closed out the Rock And Roll Over tour in April 1977 with the band’s first-ever shows in the country. The disc collects highlights from all four nights at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan, newly mixed by Kramer from the original multi-track tapes he recorded on-site nearly 50 years ago.
The Blu-ray Audio disc rounds things out with Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mixes of both the original 1976 album, handled by David Frangioni, and the new 2026 remix, done by Kramer. It also includes high-resolution 192kHz and 96kHz 24-bit versions of the remastered 1976 stereo mix, plus a 96kHz 24-bit version of Kramer‘s new 2026 stereo mix.
A full track listing and additional details are available here.
Kiss hasn’t put out a full album of new material since 2012’s Monster, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 after moving 56,000 copies in its opening week in the United States.
The band wrapped its five-year, 250-date End Of The Road farewell tour with a pair of shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, then returned to the stage roughly two years later for KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas at the Virgin Hotels resort and casino complex in Las Vegas in November 2025. An hourlong acoustic set on November 14 was followed the next night by an 85-minute electric show, the band’s first unmasked performance on land in 30 years, with former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick sitting in on “Lick It Up” and “Rock And Roll All Nite.”
KISS Kruise: Landlocked In Vegas returns to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas November 13-15, 2026, with an expanded KISSperience add-on featuring artist panels and Q&As, a look-alike contest, Kiss karaoke, “Ask Doc” sessions with longtime manager Doc McGhee, meet-and-greets and late-night DJ sets, along with interactive exhibits, a merch store and a “Future Of Kiss” panel.
The event will also include an Ace Frehley all-star tribute. The original Kiss guitarist died at age 74 on Oct. 16, 2025, weeks after suffering a fall at his home.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are taking place tonight at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. The Emmys don’t have Best Original Song and Best Original Score categories like the Oscars (though they should totally honor television’s best needle drops), but the ceremony intersected with the music world in at a couple of ways.
More than 10 years removed from Van Halen‘s last show, and six years after losing guitarist Eddie Van Halen, singer David Lee Roth and drummer Alex Van Halen stood on the same stage again this past July 30. The occasion was TEDx Talks titled Beyond Boundaries: How Human Experience Informs Art And Music, staged as part of TEDxFargo at Brewhalla in Fargo, North Dakota, with painter Robert Vargas running moderation duties. The 15-minute sit-down was Roth and Van Halen‘s first joint public appearance since Van Halen closed out its touring history at the Hollywood Bowl on Oct. 4, 2015.
Footage of the full conversation has since landed on YouTube and is embedded below.
Alex Van Halen spent decades reshaping what rock drumming could sound like. Born in Amsterdam in 1953, he relocated to Pasadena, California with his family in 1962, setting up the partnership he’d share with his younger brother Eddie for the rest of their lives. He came up trained in classical piano and guitar before settling behind a drum kit, and in 1972 the two brothers put Van Halen together, building it into one of the most influential bands in rock history. Alex‘s thunderous, double-bass-driven style and oversized custom kits anchored staples like “Hot For Teacher”, “Jump” and “Runnin’ With The Devil”, and he remained, alongside Eddie, the only member who never left the band across its four-decade existence. In 2024 he released Brothers, a memoir centered on family, music, grief and the bond he had with Eddie.
David Lee Roth built his name on razor-sharp charisma and a stage show built for arenas. He crossed paths with Alex and Eddie Van Halen while attending Pasadena City College and stepped in as Van Halen‘s lead vocalist in 1974. His acrobatics and showmanship helped push the band toward global stardom, a trajectory that hit its high point in 1984, when the album carried by “Jump” to diamond certification and pop-culture ubiquity. Roth stepped out on his own in 1985 and landed hits with covers of “California Girls” and “Just A Gigolo.” A 2007 Van Halen reunion sent the band back out on massive arena tours and eventually into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, adding another chapter to Roth‘s legend.
Robert Vargas has made a career out of turning walls into art on a massive scale. Raised in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, and trained at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute, Vargas works freehand, without grids, projections or stencils, on murals that span entire buildings. His portfolio includes Angelus, a 14-story piece in Downtown Los Angeles, and a 150-foot portrait of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. In 2021 he painted Long Live The King, a 17-foot tribute to Eddie Van Halen on the side of Guitar Center‘s flagship Hollywood store on the Sunset Strip.
A delayed flight, a long queue in the supermarket, a postponed meeting, or an appointment that starts later than planned can suddenly leave you with some free time. While these moments may initially feel inconvenient and even irritating, they can also become welcome opportunities to relax or recharge for a while. Instead of counting the minutes until your schedule resumes, you can indulge in a few enjoyable activities. After all, there are plenty of ways to make idle moments feel worthwhile without requiring much preparation.
The next time your plans hit a pause, you don’t have to let boredom take over. Here are several simple ways to stay entertained whenever unexpected downtime comes your way.
1. Play Games That Keep Your Mind Engaged
Games are an excellent way to stay mentally active while filling small pockets of free time. Depending on what you enjoy, you might choose crossword puzzles, Sudoku, trivia quizzes, word games, strategy titles, or card games that encourage quick thinking. You can complete a level or solve a challenge without committing a large part of your day.
If you’re looking for a wider variety of digital entertainment, online casino games like popular JILI games or even table games like poker or baccarat can also provide engaging experiences that are easy to enjoy responsibly. You can rotate between different types of games to help keep the experience fresh whenever downtime unexpectedly appears.
2. Read or Listen to a Good Story
A good story has a way of making time pass naturally. Even a short reading session can transport you somewhere completely different, making a lengthy wait feel much shorter. You can also explore nonfiction titles that teach practical skills, biographies that introduce fascinating people, or short stories that fit neatly into a brief break.
If carrying physical copies isn’t practical, e-books offer a lightweight alternative that puts an entire library right in your phone, tablet, or e-reader. Since most digital reading apps automatically save your place, it’s easy to stop and continue whenever your day resumes.
On the other hand, if you need to keep your hands and eyes completely free, audiobooks provide that same immersive experience without requiring your full visual attention. They’re especially useful while commuting, walking through an airport, or relaxing in a waiting area.
3. Discover a New Topic or Skill
Sometimes, an unexpected break gives you the perfect opportunity to explore subjects you’ve always wanted to learn more about. Podcasts are ideal and particularly flexible options for this because many of them are designed for quick listening sessions. Whether you’re interested in personal finance, comedy, sports, history, or true crime, there’s likely a podcast that matches your interests.
Short educational videos, documentaries, and apps can be equally rewarding. You can learn a few important phrases in another language or watch a documentary about a topic related to your job. Rather than watching whatever happens to appear on your feed, choosing content intentionally can leave you feeling that your spare time was well spent.
4. Exercise Your Creativity
Unexpected free time can be an opportunity to create something instead of simply consuming entertainment. Journaling is one of the easiest places to start. You might write about your day, jot down ideas you’ve been thinking about, or record observations about the people and places around you.
Meanwhile, if you enjoy visual hobbies, a drawing app on your phone or a small, physical sketchbook lets you complete quick illustrations wherever you are. Another accessible option is photography. You can look for interesting lighting, architecture, or everyday moments and take pictures with your phone. This can make familiar surroundings feel more engaging. You might even take a photo that you can enter in a contest or two.
5. Explore Your Surroundings
Sometimes the most interesting entertainment isn’t on your phone at all. In fact, looking up from your screen may reveal opportunities you would have otherwise overlooked. So, if time and location allow, take a short walk around the area instead of remaining seated. You can browse through the items in a nearby bookstore, sample local food if you’re visiting a new place, or explore a small park you’ve never noticed before. Even people-watching while savoring a cup of coffee in a local café can become surprisingly entertaining as you observe the variety of conversations, routines, and personalities around you. These small discoveries add variety to your waiting time and can turn an ordinary delay into an interesting and unexpectedly enjoyable experience.
Keep Your Entertainment Kit Ready
One of the simplest ways to prepare for unexpected downtime is to build a small entertainment kit that travels with you. It doesn’t have to take much space, but having a few essentials readily available can make idle moments feel far more enjoyable. Your kit might include wireless earbuds, a portable charger, a fully charged phone, a downloaded playlist, an e-book, or a favorite puzzle app. If you enjoy reading on paper, slipping a slim novel into your bag can be just as useful.
Preparing these items ahead of time means you’ll spend less time wondering how to stay occupied and more time actually enjoying your break. With a little planning, unexpected downtime becomes less of an interruption and more of an opportunity to enjoy a few moments for yourself.
Unlike most musicians, when Billy Morrison asks the dreaded question: “Do you know who I am?” he’s expecting a shake of the head. For 57 years, the British guitarist has slipped expertly below the radar, managing to be both phenomenally successful and able to walk the streets unmolested – despite a solid-gold resumé that includes Billy Idol, The Cult, Camp Freddy and a talk show with best friend Ozzy Osbourne.
It’s a dual existence that the good-humoured Morrison nodded to on the title of his recent documentary Who The F%@k Is Billy Morrison?. But with his excellent new solo album Hollow building on the massive success of 2024 single Crack Cocaine, the guitarist might soon join the ranks of the A-listers he’s here to talk about.
Duff McKagan
I didn’t meet Duff when he was doing that [debauchery] shit. I met him after he had become an investor and a business brain. Early in our relationship, we were both on an overnight Virgin Atlantic flight from LA to Heathrow. Most of the plane was asleep, but in Upper Class there’s a bar. And Duff spent the whole flight teaching me about financial investments. I’m looking at him, thinking: “You’re Duff McKagan – the one whose fucking pancreas exploded – and I’m talking to you about how to invest.” But he knows his shit. It’s common knowledge that he invested in Starbucks, because he comes from Seattle. So if ever I need financial help, I call Duff.
Billy Morrison and Duff McKagan (Image credit: J. Vespa/WireImage)
Lemmy
I do these occasional all-star shows in LA, where we play covers with a bunch of famous people. About twenty-five years ago, Ozzy gave me Lemmy’s cell number and said: “Drop him a line, he’s easy to deal with.” So I cold-texted Lemmy Kilmister. And I’m terrified. Because I don’t know how this legend of debauchery is going to respond. I just wrote: ‘Hey Lemmy, I’m a friend of Ozzy’s. I’m doing this gig at the Roxy. Would you come down and play Ace Of Spades and Bomber with us?’ Within seconds, he responded: ‘If you have a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and an eighth of Beryl’ – that’s Beryl Reid, which is Cockney rhyming slang for speed – ‘I’ll be there.’
At that show he was everything you would want Lemmy to be. His tech brought down his famous Marshall amp. It was ridiculously loud. The cowboy hat, the voice, the volume – he killed it. I don’t think [playing under the influence] made any difference. This is where everyone goes wrong in the music business, me included. You think you’re great, but you’re shit. There are precious few – Keith Richards being one, Lemmy being another – where, actually, it makes no difference. I’ve seen the man drink a bottle of Jack and snort three grams of speed, then I’d have a conversation with him.
Lemmy and Billy Morrison during a Camp Freddy Benefit Concert for South East Asia Tsunami Relief at Key Club in Hollywood, California, 2004 (Image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
Ozzy Osbourne
We were friends for twenty-eight years. Best friends, life shit, y’know? The first night I met him was at one of Sharon’s parties – this was when The Osbournes was on TV – and it was the most lavish party you’ve ever seen. I mean, there were real reindeer walking around, in real snow – in LA, when it’s eighty degrees outside! I don’t know how she pulled it off.
So I’m wandering around this beautiful Beverly Hills house, just so intimidated by the opulence. I’m not very good in those social circumstances. So I just opened this door off the kitchen, walked in and shut it behind me. The room was dimly lit, but I looked over and Ozzy was sitting on the couch by himself. He just said: “Hello, mate. You’re English? Sit down.” It was the most welcoming thing. And his first gesture was saying: “Want some chocolate?” He had this huge tray full of Topics, Flakes, Marathons, every English chocolate. He was like: “You like Topics? I fucking hate ’em!”
He was the funniest man I’ve ever known. We’d be like nine-year-olds, shaking with laughter at the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame – Sharon would be like: “Shut the fuck up!” Late at night we’d be texting each other stupid, immature shit, then I’d get a text from Sharon saying: ‘Stop texting my old man, he’s laughing so much the bed’s shaking!’
Billy Morrison and Ozzy Osbourne (Image credit: Robert Knight Archive/Redferns)
Billy Idol
I’ve been playing with Billy for eighteen years. He’s a cool motherfucker. And he knows he’s a cool motherfucker. Y’know, he comes to rehearsal on a fucking Harley. He’s Billy fucking Idol, that’s who he is. Let me tell you how cool Billy Idol is. Every singer on the planet forgets the words – if you’re not miming. Or they go out of tune. Because it’s noisy up there. But not many rock stars are cool enough to go: “Hold on, stop playing.” More than once I’ve seen Billy turn around to the band and say: “I fucked that up. Let’s go from the top.” Like, the audience deserves to hear it played right, y’know?
Billy Idol and Billy Morrison (Image credit: Paul Redmond/WireImage)
George Clinton
This is no word of a lie. The all-star band I was telling you about had a corporate gig at an old theatre in Hollywood. So around three o’clock in the afternoon, we’re soundchecking, and I see this homeless guy wander in. As he walks closer, I’m like: “That’s fucking George Clinton.” He’s got all the multi-coloured dreads and all of that. He walks right up to the stage and goes: “I want to play.” So I ask him: “Do you know The Clash, Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” And he says: “Yeah.” Which he didn’t. He had no idea how it goes. So we play it in soundcheck, and he’s just doing some shit in the mic. Then he says: “I’ll be back later.” So off he goes, and we’re all like: “There’s no way George is coming back.”
But I kid you not. I’m in the dressing room at eight-thirty p.m., when George walks in and says: “I’m ready.” And he got up and did Should I Stay Or Should I Go. Did he pull it off? I don’t remember, but probably not. Two days later, he got arrested for crack.
Nick Cave
Nick Cave won’t know who I am. But back in the day – I’m talking mid-eighties – the drug scene was in Brixton. Nick has given many interviews about his heroin addiction. I’ve given interviews about mine, and we were all in the same place. In the heroin scene, you had a dealer and he would be living in a squat, and that squat would have thirty people in it at all times, rotating, just a constant stream of people knocking at the door. This person sold heroin to not only me, but Nick Cave, Nico from the Velvet Underground and a few others.
I mean, I’ve stepped over Nick Cave shooting smack. He’s stepped over me shooting smack. But what gives me pleasure is to see people get out of that. Nick was way too talented to just die in a squat in Brixton. It was obvious he was one of the most intelligent people. A lot of heroin addicts are, man, and that’s the sad thing. There’s a lot of lost intelligence in heroin addiction.
Shirley Manson
The way I met Shirley was at a rehearsal complex in LA when we were getting ready to go on a big Billy Idol tour. I’m a bit of a flightcase whore. I like them to look sharp. It’s ridiculous, they get banged about on trucks. But you would be shocked at the level of bling that goes into my flightcases. I’m a visual artist as well. So I was spraying a stencil of a Playboy bunny with a Star Wars Stormtrooper face onto one of my cases. And I turn around and Shirley Manson’s there. She’s down on her knees, looking at the stencil, and she’s like: “That’s fucking brilliant. Can you do one on my guitar case?” So we exchanged numbers.
She’s a female Lemmy – she takes no shit. I’ve been on the receiving end of that too, but in a very loving way. I’ve been at dinner with her, and I’ve said something, and she’s turned around and said: “Don’t talk shit.” She’ll tell you how it is. And what’s not to love about that?
The Cult
Billy Duffy has known me since my heroin addiction. And because Billy lived in Brixton, he has a story about stepping over me to get out of his house. I had OD’d in his living room, apparently. But that’s not my story, because I don’t fucking remember it.
I had a baptism of fire when I joined The Cult. I auditioned, and Duffy said: “You’ve got the gig. We’re going on tour in a month.” But the first day, I show up early for pre-production rehearsals in this huge warehouse, and Ian [Astbury] and Billy have a massive argument. No idea what about. They’re like brothers, so they argue fiercely and often. And I’m standing there, like, “Fuck, what’s going on?” Both of them walk out, they go home.
The manager texts me later, saying: ‘We’re cancelling the rehearsals.’ So my first gig is at RFK Stadium in Washington, which is seventy thousand people. It’s just: “See you on stage in Washington”, and that’s what happened.
Adam Ant
I was a huge Adam And The Ants fan, but I’m not talking about the white-stripe-across-the-nose era. Way before that, they were one of the coolest punk rock bands on the planet. The guitar player was Matthew Ashman, and he was also in Bow Wow Wow and the Chiefs Of Relief. Unfortunately, he’s no longer with us. But on the fifteenth anniversary of Matthew’s death – and this shows how stupid I am, or tenacious – I had a thought: “What would be fun is if I resurrect all three of Matthew’s bands for one night only.”
Well, I did it. I organised a one-off night at the Scala, from a tour bus in America. And Adam agreed to do the gig. But… I’m gonna try and phrase this as nicely as I can. Adam has had [mental health] episodes in the past. And on the run-up to that gig I’m not sure whether he was having an episode, but there were some really anxious phone calls between me and him about the charitable nature of this show.
It was a charity show, I donated the money. But he wasn’t sure that that was gonna happen, based on his experience at Live Aid or something like that. So there were these really heavy twenty-five-minute phone calls where I didn’t speak, and Adam ranted down the phone. But, God bless him, we did the gig, he showed up, he was fucking brilliant.
About a year later, I ran into him again at Heathrow, and he was completely different. He was like: “Oh, hello, mate, how are you?” Chit-chat, chit-chat. So I still love Adam, but it was touch-and-go there for a second.
Cypress Hill
I’m mainly friends with B-Real and Sen Dog. We invited them to come and do (Rock) Superstar with us. So we had a trailer backstage just for Cypress Hill. We were on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, doing a PlayStation party, and they’d shut the whole street down. About an hour before showtime, I went to knock on their trailer. And this door opened, and a nuclear-sized cloud of weed smoke enveloped me.
The next thing, about thirty people start coming out of this trailer that’s built to hold ten. These guys travel with an entourage. They are the epitome of hip-hop royalty. So they’re piling towards the stage, and one of them’s got a big glass bong that he’s walking down La Brea smoking. They hadn’t even legalised weed yet.
So I’m panicked. I’m looking around. But they don’t give a shit, y’know? When you first meet them, you don’t want to be the guy that’s like [coughing]. But since then I’ve learned that I’m allowed to say: “I’ve got to get some fresh air.” Y’know, B and Sen, they respect the fact I’m sober, and when I’ve worked in their studio I literally walk out every fifteen minutes and take a deep breath.
Al Jourgensen
The first time I met him, we were doing a charity show, and it was my idea that Ministry should do Iggy Pop’s Search And Destroy. Al was like: “I love Iggy Pop, no problem.” So he comes down, he’s great, he’s gracious, he does the soundcheck and nails it. But between soundcheck and the gig, Al takes some mushrooms and smokes the strongest weed. Even he’s not sure what was in that joint. So he comes on stage and he takes the microphone, and I’m like: “This is fucking awesome.”
Dave Navarro, Al Jourgensen and Billy Morrison onstage during the second annual Above Ground concert benefiting MusiCares at The Fonda Theatre on September 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California (Image credit: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
Then he starts singing at half-tempo. We’ve all learned to follow the singer. So, with no rehearsal, we go half-time. And we do this weird fucking version of Search And Destroy. Now, every time I see Al he tells that story and says: “I’m so sorry.” But I say: “Dude, what you did is inspire me to record it like that.” There’s a heavy version of Search And Destroy on the Ministry album Moral Hygiene, and that’s where that came from. Al is one of the greatest guys I’ve ever worked with – even through drug-fuelled mistakes.
Billy Morrison’s Hollow is out now via TLG | ZOID.
