Author: smngrx01

Fontaines D.C. have recorded an atmospheric, synth-led cover of Bring Me The Horizon‘s 2013 single Can You Feel My Heart for Australian radio station triple j, and artfully blended a snippet of Nirvana‘s 1993 hit single Heart-Shaped Box into their re-imagining of the song.

The song was recorded for indie rock radio station triple j’s popular Like A Version series during the Dublin band’s February/March tour of Australia.

Explaining the band’s decision to cover the Bring Me The Horizon track, originally featured on the Yorkshire band’s fourth album Sempiternal, Fontaines D.C. guitarist Conor Curley says, “It was frontman Grian’s idea initially. I think the sound of that song, the kind of electronic elements and just the general vibe reflects stuff we were touching on on our last album Romance so it kind of seemed like a good place to start. And it’s a moody, beautiful song.”

“Grian just started it when we were getting the sounds and it was almost a thing of ‘DEo we switch it to that?’ and use instrumentation,” he admitted.

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The Dublin band were recently forced to cancel the South American tour they had scheduled to follow on from their visit to Australia and New Zealand, after frontman Chatten suffered a herniated disc. The quintet had shows lined up in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.

In a statement released at the time, Chatten said, “I have been really excited to play these beautiful countries for years and it really hurts to be here in Mexico City and not be able to go onstage, but I have been advised today, that I require urgent medical attention. We are very grateful for all your support and, with all my heart, I am sorry that I can’t play for you.”

The band are due to commence a North America next month, beginning in Seattle on April 17.

At this point, it seems as though the Rolling Stones may have to be dragged off the stage – they’ve been performing live for so long audiences have practically watched them grow up from young, ambitious rock stars to seasoned touring musicians.

“When you go out in front of all those people you get an enormous rush of chemicals in your body — your own chemicals, not chemicals you’ve put in,” Mick Jagger joked in 2018. “Let’s face it, it is a huge buzz. Must be like playing football or something.”

With over 400 songs to their name, there’s plenty to choose from these days when the Stones craft their set lists. Of course, some tracks don’t see the light of day very often, and some have never been played at all. (Though for the purposes of this list, we’re writing about songs that have, at one point or another, made the set list.)

Using data from setlist.fm, we’ve pulled the most and least-played song live off of 15 albums by the Rolling Stones, listed in chronological order. Each of these albums, with their respective songs, have collected 300 plays or more.

Album: Aftermath (1966)
Most-played: “Paint It Black”
Least-played: “Doncha Bother Me”

This list is going to begin with 1966’s Aftermath, which is a crucial turning point in the Stones’ career given it was their first album to consist only of original songs. Over 50 years later, “Paint It Black,” which appeared on the U.S. edition of the album but not the U.K. one, has stood the test of time with over 450 live performances. Quite a few songs from Aftermath have never made a set list — tracks like “Flight 505,” “High and Dry” and “It’s Not Easy” from side two of the U.K. version — but “Doncha Bother Me” did manage to squeeze in two performances in 1966 when the band toured the U.S.

Album: Between the Buttons (1967)
Most-played: “Let’s Spend the Night Together”
Least-played: “She Smiled Sweetly”

Here’s the thing about having been in the music business for basically your entire life: the reality is that there’s a lot of early material you probably won’t touch, as is the case for many of the songs on 1967’s Between the Buttons. “She Smiled Sweetly” got exactly one live performance on Sept. 30, 2002 at the now defunct Roseland Ballroom in New York City, which fortunately someone recorded. On the other side of the spectrum, the upbeat “Let’s Spend the Night Together” has logged over 300 performances.

Album: Beggars Banquet (1968)
Most-played: “Sympathy for the Devil”
Least-played: “Parachute Woman”

It does make sense that “Sympathy for the Devil” would be the most-played song from Beggars Banquet – there’s something awfully fun about a whole stadium of fans singing the backing “woo! woo!” vocal part. There are three songs from this album that have never been played live: “Dear Doctor,” “Jigsaw Puzzle” and “Prodigal Son.” Meanwhile, “Parachute Woman” has gotten two plays — once for 1968’s The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus concert film, and once more in Boston in 2002.

Album: Let It Bleed (1969)
Most-played: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
Least-played: “Let It Bleed”

Here’s where things get slightly confusing. Technically speaking, the Rolling Stones have not played “Country Honk” from Let It Bleed live. They have, however, played the non-country version of the song, titled “Honky Tonk Women,” over one thousand times. The next least-played song then is the album’s title track with a little over 100 plays. The most-played, as you might have guessed, is the seven-minute, choir and french horn solo-including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Album: Sticky Fingers (1971)
Most-played: “Brown Sugar”
Least-played: “I Got the Blues”

The last time the Rolling Stones played “Brown Sugar” live was in 2019. The band decided to omit the song on their 2021 tour on account of lyrics that haven’t aged very well, to put it politely, and since then it has not been heard. There’s still plenty of other great songs from 1971’s Sticky Fingers, though, all of which have been played live at some point or another. “I Got the Blues” only has eight plays to its name though, perhaps because it’s a bit too languid. That’s the blues for you.

Album: Exile on Main St. (1972)
Most-played: “Tumbling Dice”
Least-played: Tie Between “Ventilator Blues” and “Sweet Black Angel”

A medal of some kind should be awarded to the person who recorded the one and only time the Stones performed “Ventilator Blues,” which took place in June of 1972 in Vancouver, Canada. According to Charlie Watts, the band always struggled to get the song right in live settings: “It’s a great track, but we never play it as well as the original. Something will not be quite right; either Keith [Richards] will play it a bit differently or I’ll do it wrong. It’s a fabulous number, but a bit of a tricky one.” The other song from Exile on Main St. that’s gotten one play is “Sweet Black Angel,” which also happened in June of 1972. At the top of the list is “Tumbling Dice,” which has consistently been included on set lists since it was released.

Album: Goats Head Soup (1973)
Most-played: “Angie”
Least-played: “100 Years Ago”

“Angie” served as the lead single to 1973’s Goats Head Soup, and since then it’s been a popular slower number at Stones concerts. And no, there is no real life Angie — it was simply a name that fit the mood and melody of the song. Nearly half of the songs from Goats Head Soup have never been played live: “Coming Down Again,” “Hide Your Love,” “Winter” and “Can You Hear the Music.” At just two logged performances is “100 Years Ago,” which Jagger had written two yeas prior and hadn’t gotten around to using.

Album: It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (1974)
Most-played: “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)”
Least-played: “Dance Little Sister”

Like the previous album, It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll holds four songs that audiences have never been treated to: “Till the Next Goodbye,” “Time Waits for No One,” “If You Really Want to Be My Friend” and “Short and Curlies.” Maybe one day. “Dance Little Sister” only got three plays, but one of those got immortalized on the relatively recent 2022 live release El Mocambo 1977. Meanwhile, the album’s title track, “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It),” has racked up over 800 plays, beginning in 1975 all the way up until the Stones’ most recent tour in 2024.

Album: Some Girls (1978)
Most-played: “Miss You”
Least-played: “Lies”

“Miss You” is another perfect example of a Stones song that you just can’t help “woo” along to. “Do ya feel like singing a little bit?” Jagger says in the clip below, and the audience’s answer is clearly yes. This is the most-played song from Some Girls, an album on which every single song has been played live at one point in the Stones’ tenure. “Lies” is the least-played with 20 performances, and in fact, it did not appear on any set lists after 1978, the year Some Girls was released.

Album: Emotional Rescue (1980)
Most-played: “She’s So Cold”
Least-played: “Dance Pt.1”

Only one half of 1980’s Emotional Rescue has been played live, which isn’t to say there isn’t still time…so if you are a fan of the following songs, we apologize: “Summer Romance,” “Send It to Me,” “Indian Girl,” “Where the Boys Go” and “Down in the Hole.” “Dance Pt. 1” holds the title then for least-played song at seven performances. Even the most-played number, “She’s So Cold,” only had 154 performances, which is small potatoes compared to other album tracks. But this makes some sense when one considers that the Stones did not tour in 1980 at all.

Album: Tattoo You (1981)
Most-played: “Start Me Up”
Least-played: “Tops”

Is there a more fitting choice than “Start Me Up” for a set opener? Debatable but probably not, which is particularly fortunate since the song was tossed aside during sessions for Emotional Rescue and nearly forgotten about. It sure would be hard to forget about it now that it’s claimed over 900 performances. Only three songs from Tattoo You haven’t been played live: “Slave,” “Heaven” and “No Use in Crying.” “Tops” only managed three plays, all in 1981, maybe because Mick Taylor, whose guitar work is featured in it, was no longer in the band by then.

Album: Steel Wheels (1989)
Most-played: “Slipping Away”
Least-played: “Blinded by Love”

The ’80s were somewhat challenging for the Rolling Stones, but by the time the end of the decade arrived, Jagger and Richards had patched things up enough to focus on songwriting and launching another tour. And when we say tour, we should be more specific and say the longest tour the band had ever been on up until that point. No pressure. On that Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, the Stones only left out four songs from the album: “Hold on to Your Hat,” “Hearts for Sale,” “Continental Drift” and “Break the Spell.” The next least-played is “Blinded by Love,” which was performed twice in Spain and once in Portugal. At the top of the list is “Slipping Away,” a song that would continue to find a place on subsequent tour set lists.

Album: Voodoo Lounge (1994)
Most-played: “You Got Me Rocking”
Least-played: “Moon Is Up”

Only nine out of Voodoo Lounge‘s 15 songs have been played live. The album itself sold well, but failed to produce a Top 40 hit in America. “You Got Me Rocking,” the most-played song from it, did make it to No. 23 in the U.K. though, and it even managed to stick around on set lists for the Stones’ 2005–2006 A Bigger Bang Tour. Meanwhile at the low end, “Moon Is Up” got exactly one play in London in 1999 and has not been touched again.

Album: Bridges to Babylon (1997)
Most-played: “Out of Control”
Least-played: Tie Between “How Can I Stop,” “Low Down” and “Might as Well Get Juiced”

Three songs from Bridges to Babylon have yet to see a set list: “Gunface,” “Always Suffering” and “Too Tight.” The three least-played songs haven’t fared much better — “How Can I Stop,” “Low Down” and “Might as Well Get Juiced” each got just one performance. In 1997, the Stones embarked on an enormous tour in support of the album, but weirdly only included four of its songs into the set. One of those was “Out of Control,” which has logged just over 200 performances.

Album: A Bigger Bang (2005)
Most-played: “Rough Justice”
Least-played: “It Won’t Take Long”

Considering that A Bigger Bang boasts 16 tracks to its name, it’s understandable that only half of those have made set lists. At the top is “Rough Justice,” the LP’s opening track and one that Richards said came to him in a dream, or at least the guitar riff did. On the other hand, “It Won’t Take Long” got two plays, which isn’t a lot but is still more than zero.

Shinedown first came together in Jacksonville, Florida, founded in 2001 by vocalist Brent Smith after his previous band dissolved. Determined to create a group driven by emotional authenticity and powerful musicianship, Smith assembled a lineup featuring bassist Brad Stewart, guitarist Jasin Todd, and drummer Barry Kerch. They initially caught the attention of Atlantic Records with their compelling demos, securing a major label deal early in their journey, a pivotal step toward widespread recognition.

The band’s debut album, Leave a Whisper (2003), quickly established them in the modern rock scene. Fueled by successful singles such as “Fly from the Inside,” “45,” and a powerful cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” the album was certified platinum and introduced their blend of heavy rock and melodic introspection to a broad audience. Their second release, Us and Them (2005), built on this momentum, featuring hits like “Save Me,” “I Dare You,” and “Heroes,” further solidifying their reputation for impactful songwriting.

Shinedown continued their ascent with the release of their third album, The Sound of Madness (2008), which marked a significant commercial peak. It included chart-topping singles such as “Second Chance,” “Sound of Madness,” and “If You Only Knew,” each enjoying substantial radio play and cementing their place among rock’s mainstream elite. The success of this album, certified double platinum, was a definitive milestone, reflecting their growing fanbase and critical acclaim.

Their discography now spans seven studio albums, including Amaryllis (2012), Threat to Survival (2015), Attention Attention (2018), and Planet Zero (2022). Each release demonstrates Shinedown’s willingness to evolve sonically and lyrically, exploring themes of personal struggle, resilience, and societal commentary. Singles like “Cut the Cord,” “State of My Head,” “Devil,” and “Monsters” consistently charted high, underscoring their enduring appeal.

Shinedown’s impressive chart performance is matched by substantial recognition within the industry. They have dominated Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart, holding the record for the most number-one singles by any act in the history of the chart—a remarkable achievement. Their accolades include nominations for American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and iHeartRadio Music Awards, reflecting widespread acknowledgment of their contributions to contemporary rock music.

Fans deeply connect with Shinedown because of their emotionally resonant songwriting, relentless energy, and authentic storytelling. Brent Smith’s candid lyricism about mental health, personal battles, and redemption resonates profoundly with listeners, creating a powerful bond. The band’s engaging live performances further amplify this connection, with shows noted for their intensity, sincerity, and audience interaction, solidifying their loyal fanbase.

Outside of their musical career, Shinedown is actively involved in charitable initiatives and advocacy. They’ve supported organizations dedicated to mental health awareness, addiction recovery, and veteran support, demonstrating their commitment to making meaningful contributions beyond their music. The band has frequently participated in benefit concerts, public outreach, and awareness campaigns, exemplifying their dedication to social responsibility.

Shinedown remains a respected and beloved act in modern rock music. Their consistent ability to craft memorable songs combined with their authentic commitment to their fans and community continues to strengthen their legacy and influence.

Complete List Of Shinedown Songs From A to Z

1. 2184 – Planet Zero – 2022
2. 45 – Leave a Whisper – 2003
3. 45 (acoustic) – Leave a Whisper (The Sanford Sessions: enhanced edition) – 2003
4. A More Utopian Future – Planet Zero – 2022
5. A Symptom of Being Human – Planet Zero – 2022
6. Adrenaline – Amaryllis – 2012
7. All I Ever Wanted – Leave a Whisper – 2003
8. Amaryllis – Amaryllis – 2012
9. America Burning – Planet Zero – 2022
10. ANWTD (“A New Way to Die”) – Attention Attention (Japanese/Walmart bonus tracks) – 2018
11. Army of the Underappreciated – Planet Zero – 2022
12. Asking for It – Threat to Survival – 2015
13. Atmosphere – Us and Them – 2005
14. Atmosphere (demo) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
15. Attention Attention – Attention Attention – 2018
16. Begin Again – Us and Them – 2005
17. Better Version – Leave a Whisper – 2003
18. Beyond the Sun – Us and Them – 2005
19. Black Cadillac – Threat to Survival – 2015
20. Black Soul – Attention Attention – 2018
21. Breaking Inside – The Sound of Madness – 2008
22. Breaking Inside (featuring Lzzy Hale) – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue) – 2010
23. Brilliant – Attention Attention – 2018
24. Bully – Amaryllis – 2012
25. Burning Bright – Leave a Whisper – 2003
26. Burning Bright (Sanford mix) – Leave a Whisper (The Sanford Sessions: enhanced edition) – 2003
27. Call Me – The Sound of Madness – 2008
28. Carried Away (demo) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
29. Clueless and Dramatic – Planet Zero – 2022
30. Creatures – Attention Attention – 2018
31. Cry for Help – The Sound of Madness – 2008
32. Crying Out – Leave a Whisper – 2003
33. Cut the Cord – Threat to Survival – 2015
34. Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide – The Sound of Madness – 2008
35. Dangerous – Threat to Survival – 2015
36. Darkside – Attention Attention – 2018
37. Daylight – Planet Zero – 2022
38. Dead Don’t Die – Planet Zero – 2022
39. Delete – Planet Zero – 2022
40. Devil – Attention Attention – 2018
41. Devour – The Sound of Madness – 2008
42. Devour (Live from Washington State) – Amaryllis (Japanese bonus tracks) – 2012
43. Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue) – 2010
44. Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) (Live from Washington State) – Amaryllis (Japanese bonus tracks) – 2012
45. Do Not Panic – Planet Zero – 2022
46. Dysfunctional You – Planet Zero – 2022
47. Emptiness Man (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
48. Enemies – Amaryllis – 2012
49. Evolve – Attention Attention – 2018
50. Fake – Us and Them – 2005
51. Fake (demo) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
52. Falling Fearless (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
53. Fly from the Inside – Leave a Whisper – 2003
54. Fly from the Inside (live acoustic) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
55. For My Sake – Amaryllis – 2012
56. Get Up – Attention Attention – 2018
57. Headcase – Attention Attention (Japanese/Walmart bonus tracks) – 2018
58. Her Name Is Alice – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue) – 2010
59. Heroes – Us and Them – 2005
60. Hope – Planet Zero – 2022
61. How Did You Love – Threat to Survival – 2015
62. I Dare You – Us and Them – 2005
63. I Dare You (acoustic) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
64. I Dare You (Clear Channel Stripped) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
65. I Own You – The Sound of Madness (Deluxe version/2010 deluxe reissue) – 2008/2010
66. I’ll Follow You – Amaryllis – 2012
67. I’m Not Alright – Amaryllis – 2012
68. If You Only Knew – The Sound of Madness – 2008
69. In Memory – Leave a Whisper – 2003
70. It All Adds Up – Threat to Survival – 2015
71. Junkies for Fame – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue) – 2010
72. Kill Your Conscience – Attention Attention – 2018
73. Lacerated – Leave a Whisper – 2003
74. Lady So Divine – Us and Them – 2005
75. Leave a Whisper (Leave a Whisper sessions) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
76. Left Out – Leave a Whisper – 2003
77. Left Out (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
78. Lost in the Crowd – Leave a Whisper – 2003
79. Miracle – Amaryllis – 2012
80. Misfits – Threat to Survival – 2015
81. Monsters – Attention Attention – 2018
82. My Name (Wearing Me Out) – Amaryllis – 2012
83. Never Gonna Let Go – Threat to Survival (Japanese edition) – 2015
84. No More Love – Leave a Whisper – 2003
85. No More Love (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
86. No Sleep Tonight – Planet Zero – 2022
87. Notice Me (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
88. Nowhere Kids – Amaryllis – 2012
89. Oblivion – Threat to Survival – 2015
90. One (Clear Channel Stripped) (U2 cover) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
91. Outcast – Threat to Survival – 2015
92. Persistence (demo) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
93. Planet Zero – Planet Zero – 2022
94. Pyro – Attention Attention – 2018
95. Reject – Threat to Survival (Japanese edition) – 2015
96. Save Me – Us and Them – 2005
97. Save Me (acoustic) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
98. Save Me (Pull mix) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
99. Second Chance – The Sound of Madness – 2008
100. Second Chance (acoustic version) – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue/vinyl reissue) – 2010
101. Shed Some Light – Us and Them – 2005
102. Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover) – Leave a Whisper (The Sanford Sessions: enhanced edition) – 2003
103. Simple Man (live) (Live from the Inside) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
104. Simple Man (rock version) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
105. Sin with a Grin – The Sound of Madness – 2008
106. Some Day – Us and Them – 2005
107. Some Day (acoustic) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
108. Son of Sam – The Sound of Madness (Deluxe version/2010 deluxe reissue) – 2008/2010
109. Soon Forgotten (demo) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
110. Sound of Madness – The Sound of Madness – 2008
111. Special – Attention Attention – 2018
112. Standardized Experiences – Planet Zero – 2022
113. Start Over (Leave a Whisper sessions) – Leave a Whisper (Deluxe edition) – 2003
114. State of My Head – Threat to Survival – 2015
115. Stranger Inside – Leave a Whisper – 2003
116. Stranger Inside (live) (Live from the Inside) – Us and Them (iTunes and Amazon deluxe edition) – 2005
117. Sure Is Fun – Planet Zero – 2022
118. The Crow & the Butterfly – The Sound of Madness – 2008
119. The Crow & the Butterfly (Pull Mix) – The Sound of Madness (2010 deluxe reissue/vinyl reissue) – 2010
120. The Dream – Us and Them – 2005
121. The Energy – The Sound of Madness (Deluxe version/2010 deluxe reissue) – 2008/2010
122. The Entrance – Attention Attention – 2018
123. The Human Radio – Attention Attention – 2018
124. The Saints of Violence and Innuendo – Planet Zero – 2022
125. Thick as Thieves – Threat to Survival – 2015
126. This Is a Warning – Planet Zero – 2022
127. Through the Ghost – Amaryllis – 2012
128. Trade Yourself In – Us and Them – 2005
129. Unity – Amaryllis – 2012
130. Welcome – Planet Zero – 2022
131. What a Shame – The Sound of Madness – 2008
132. What You Wanted – Planet Zero – 2022
133. Yer Majesty – Us and Them – 2005

Album Song Count (Running Total)

Leave a Whisper (2003): 25 songs

Us and Them (2005): 25 songs

The Sound of Madness (2008/2010): 20 songs

Amaryllis (2012): 14 songs

Threat to Survival (2015): 13 songs

Attention Attention (2018): 16 songs

Planet Zero (2022): 20 songs

Check out our fantastic and entertaining Shinedown articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com

Complete List Of Shinedown Band Members

Complete List Of Shinedown Albums And Discography

Shinedown Albums Ranked

Top 10 Shinedown Songs Of All Time

Read More: Artists’ Interviews Directory At ClassicRockHistory.com

Read More: Classic Rock Bands List And Directory

Complete List Of Shinedown Songs From A to Z article published on ClassicRockHistory.com© 2025

Elkie Brooks has been a rock, blues and jazz vocalist since the 1960s, and is best remembered alongside Robert Palmer in Vinegar Joe, the cult favourites who released three albums in the early 70s, and then as a successful solo artist. Salford-born Brooks is currently engaged in a ‘lap of honour’ tour billed as The Long Farewell.

New dates have just been added to The Long Farewell. How much further will it run?

I would like for the tour to run on for many, many years but it’ll depend upon my fitness levels. I’m all fine at the moment, but I’m going on eighty so we’ll just have to see. The voice is still there, but it’s like anything – you must practise. If you don’t use it you will lose it, babe.

After more than six decades in the business, the cessation of touring must be bittersweet.

I don’t really think that way. I just get on with it. The singing is great but the travelling can be exhausting. It used to be night after night [in succession], but we don’t do that any more.

How does the epithet ‘British queen of blues’ sit with you?

Of course, it’s lovely to hear praise like that. My world changed on the day that I heard Ella Fitzgerald for the first time, and then I discovered Dinah Washington and Billie Holliday, so I’m very, very influenced by black music.

What a storied career you’ve had, from supporting The Beatles to duetting with Cat Stevens on Remember The Days Of The Old Schoolyard, and receiving two Brit Awards nominations.

Oh, Cat Stevens is wonderful. He’s a great writer, a lovely musician and a really nice person. It’s so rare for one person be all of those things.

How positive are your memories of Vinegar Joe, a band that really should be far better known than they are?

I loved being in Vinegar Joe. We became quite big on the live circuit, but never really sold too many albums. Like I said earlier we were worked to death. Sometimes there would be two shows in an evening. I recall one being in Sheffield and another in London. I don’t know how we did it. Well, I do actually. We snorted a lot of cocaine [laughs]. But I haven’t done anything like that for almost fifty years.

In Vinegar Joe you were known as a wild woman of rock’n’roll. Confess please, what’s the most rock’n’roll thing you ever did?

I thought I just told you: I did a few lines of coke [giggles]. Back then I drank a lot of brandy before I went on stage to calm me down a bit, but now I don’t drink it at all. I haven’t had a drop since my son, who is now forty-five, was nine months old. I do like a glass of wine, but not until after the show. It’s probably why I’ve lasted so long.

Besides drinking in moderation, is there a secret to carving an enduring career in music?

You must keep on working. Become complacent and you’ll never make it. It’s important to practise. I’m not the greatest singer in the world. I sing quite well and in tune, I’ve got nice phrasing. I try to entertain, I’m happy within myself, and that’s what it’s all about.

Your biggest hits were written by the likes of Chris Rea, Leiber & Stoller and Russ Ballard. Have you been a reluctant writer?

I wouldn’t say that, but I never really thought of myself as a very serious songwriter. Lyrics, to me, are so important, and I was lucky to work with Jerry Leiber, who is one of the all-time greats. I listened to him and Mike [Stoller] and I learned an awful lot from them both.

Covering Stairway To Heaven, which you did on Bookbinder’s Kid in 1988, was a brave thing to do.

Well, I’m like that. When I cover a song I listen to it around a hundred times and decide what to do with it. There’s no point in copying the original.

What can you tell us about your imminent twenty-first studio album?

We’re hoping to release it by the end of the year, but right now I’ve got an unplugged album [Live And Acoustic] out. It’s me singing with just piano and saxophone as accompaniment, and we’ve changed a lot of the arrangements. People seem to really like it.

Apparently you intend to preview some new songs on these dates.

One or two of them, yeah. But not until we are completely comfortable with playing them.

These days society is increasingly obsessed with youth. In music, as well as everyday life, are we guilty of writing off artists of a certain age before their time?

That’s a very difficult question. I mean, the Rolling Stones are still doing pretty well. God, that guy [Jagger] can still move and he’s in his eighties! And look at Paul McCartney. These are all great, great artists and wonderful people.

Who has the right to tell them to stop?

Exactly. Look at Eric Clapton, he’s still incredible. However, I understand your question, and there are several people that I won’t name who should have hung up the microphone a long time ago and stop embarrassing themselves. I personally won’t allow myself to reach that stage.

Elkie Brooks’ farewell tour ends in Glasgow on May 29. For dates and tickets, visit the Elkie Brooks website.

Propagandhi are conflicted on At Peace. When Canada’s punk standouts announced their eighth studio album, singer/guitarist Chris Hannah said its lyrics find him unsure whether to respond to society’s failings by acting like spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle or notorious terrorist the Unabomber. “I am at peace these days,” he howls on the lead single and title track, “give or take a fit of blinding rage!”

It’s understandable why the band don’t know what to do anymore. They’ve been openly antagonising fascist ideologies since they started in 1986, only for that way of thinking to infect mainstream politics over the past couple of years. On top of that, their first new music in eight years came out amidst Donald Trump’s declaring his hopes of making their home country America’s 51st state.

To see how successful Hannah has been at finding comfort amidst the chaos, Hammer caught up with him for a chat about At Peace, as well Propagandhi’s history of sticking it to society’s racists, bigots and oppressors.

When you were making At Peace, you didn’t know Donald Trump would be re-elected and talk about making Canada the 51st US state. How have recent events affected your relationship with the album?

“It didn’t diminish the effect we were going for. It didn’t diminish the sense of chaos and trying to find a sense of personal or political peace within the chaos. It’s added to it. In the sense of Trump and this 51st state shit, it’s interesting the shift I’ve seen in the average person in my neighbourhood, who previously showed no outward opinion about nationalism or anti-Americanism. People across the country are taking this quite seriously, probably in a similar way that people in adjoining states to Russia, like Finland, are genuinely worried about the regimes that are in power.”

You’ve called At Peace “a snapshot of me deciding whether I’m going to live out the rest of my life as Eckhart Tolle or as Ted Kaczynski”. What does that mean?

“I think everyone’s familiar with the adage, ‘Accept what you cannot change and change what you cannot accept.’ There is a sort of Eckhart Tolle movement to accept what you cannot change. On the other hand, how do you change what you can’t accept in a world where it’s been proven time and time again that nothing will change and, in fact, it will just get worse? That’s where the Tez Kaczynski reference comes from: someone hopeless in despair, and they cannot be part of this. They leave society and attack it from the outside.”

Propagandhi have been openly vegan, pro-feminist and anti-fascist since you started in the mid-to-late 80s. The punk scene was obviously hugely different back then. Did being so outspoken ever feel dangerous?

“It did back then because of the skinhead thing that was going on, specifically in North America and the Southern states. Every time we pulled up to play a show, it’d be like, ‘OK, there are skinheads here. They’re out in the parking lot and they’re going to kill you.’ People would be wearing white power shirts and coming to the shows.”

You used to enjoy that, right?

“It was galvanising. It was like, ‘See? Here’s these fuckers!’ When you’re young and full of energy and have a minor deathwish, there is an excitement to it. But I’ve definitely grown weary of that sort of confrontation and conflict. Those sorts of threats take years of your life if you have to live like that, wondering what’s going to happen.”

Were you ever genuinely scared that a death threat was legit?

“On numerous occasions.”

Do you remember the first one?

“When we first started the band here in Winnipeg, we had lots of problems with the skinheads locally. Somebody from the paper of record here in Winnipeg wrote an article about us – we have a song about the KKK that was active here at the time – and they printed a few quotes from me and the picture of the guy who was the local leader of the KKK. I was like, ‘Holy shit!’ These guys were phoning my house at one point and threatening me. Luckily those people were as bumbling and impotent as I am.”

A neo-Nazi group threatened to protest your Australian tour in 2011…

“Nothing really came of that. Like, there’s skinheads outside our shows or whatever, and it’s kind of unnerving when you’re inside wondering, ‘How far is this thing going to go?’”

By 2011, you’ve cultivated a following and released a good few records, so does the concern for yourself disappear and become concern for your audience?

“Yeah. I think about it more now, because people are bringing their kids to shows. People that grew up with the band are bringing six-year-olds wearing headphones. I think about it more, like, ‘What if someone gets out of hand here? What if someone shows up and tries to do something? There’s literal kids on the stage.’ Thankfully, we play more organised venues than we used to.”

In 2025, it feels like fascist behaviour is becoming more and more accepted in the political mainstream. After fighting against that way of thinking for nearly 40 years, do you think humanity is just fucked?

“I think civilisation is a problem. I think the apex of human society probably existed prior to what we call civilisation. I don’t know how we get back there. We’re gonna get back there, probably not in a way that’s gonna be humane and just, but we are on the road to destroying ourselves and we’re gonna get back there in any event. That’s about as hopeful as I can get.”

At Peace is out on May 2 via Epitaph.

In 2017 Roger Hodgson told Prog how it took him three years to assemble 1977 Supertramp track Fool’s Overture, which has stood the test of time as a result of its intensity and beauty – and became a mainstay of his solo career.

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“The art of being an artist is to get out of the way and let something greater than our small little selves take control and run the show,” says Roger Hodgson, the man behind Supertramp classics including The Logical Song, Dreamer, Breakfast In America and Fool’s Overture.

The latter song stands as the most ambitious work in Supertramp and Hodgson’s impressive catalogue. Try Again, from their 1970 debut, might be slightly longer[ but Fool’s Overture has a far grander scope and sweep, composed of three movements bound together by William Blake’s hymn Jerusalem and the voice of Winston Churchill.

“It was unlike other songs I’ve written, where I have a seed of inspiration that comes to me, and for two or three weeks I’m consumed by it; I have to play it every moment I get and it slowly becomes the completed song,” says Hodgson. “But with Fool’s Overture, I had various pieces of instrumental music for a few years that I didn’t really know what to do with. Then one magical day I realised the pieces of music belong together.”

The track reveals the breadth of influences that inform Hodgson’s writing, from the classical music from his school curriculum to being a teenager and watching The Beatles conquer the world. “You talk about ‘progressive’ – they were the first progressive band,” says Hodgson of the Fab Four. “Every album was so courageous in its experimentation. They changed my life when I saw what they did for the world.”

On the classical front, he picks out Debussy and Holst as inspirations. “Holst’s The Planets – I remember listening to that whole thing many, many times thinking, ‘Wow, what a concept!’

“There’s a piece stolen from Holst on the introduction of Fool’s Overture. The Planets sowed the seeds in me for seeing albums as a whole complete journey; a listening experience.”

The song was written and recorded using an Elka Rhapsody String Machine, an early synthesiser with a distinctive sound that became a vital element in Hodgson’s creative alchemy. “I love just letting myself go into the sound of an instrument,” he says. “I just sank into it, and before I knew it there was nothing of me there. It was almost like meditating before I even knew what the word ‘meditation’ meant. That’s when magic happens.”

There’s a distinctly British flavour to the work, although its parent album, Even In The Quietest Moments, was recorded after Supertramp relocated from the UK to California. “My songwriting was always very personal,” says Hodgson. “I was born in 1950, the aftermath – the after-aura if you like – of the Second World War.

“I remember hearing Churchill when I was young. I remember singing Jerusalem at boarding school and loving it, and wondering if Jesus ever reallly did set foot on English shores, like the hymn spoke about.”

Hodgson’s lyrics rival Blake for grandeur, dealing with the decline of humankind in truly Biblical fashion – ‘History recalls how great the fall can be’ is the cataclysmic opening line.

“Looking at Fool’s Overture, I realised I don’t want to really put a meaning on it,” he reflects. “It really was a collage of ideas, of different historical events, and everyone gets something different out of it. I don’t want to limit it to my interpretation , because even my interpretation will change weekly.”

The track remains an integral part of Hodgson’s live sets, whether he’s playing with his own band or backed by a full orchestra as part of Night Of The Proms. “I remember when I wrote it, I dreamed of one day playing it with an orchestra – so every time I do, it’s electrifying. There’s nothing like it. It sounds just humongous!”

My songs don’t feel old… The audience has a relationship with them beyond, ‘That’s a nice song I listened to 30 years ago’

“Music is one of the most powerful forces in the world; you can do anything with it. I witness it every tour. I go out and play these songs, I never get tired of them and they don’t feel old. They feel very current and alive and relevant. They have a quality to them.

“I can feel the audience really has a relationship with them beyond, ‘Oh, that’s a nice song I listened to 30 years ago.’ I love to design a set that’s going to take people from how they feel when they come in the hall, unify them and take them on a journey.

“Fool’s Overture is like a journey in itself within the show, and it takes me on a journey every time. It still gives me goosebumps to this day.”

Iron Maiden‘s iconic Ed Force One aeroplane was scrapped last year, but now it’s back.

The Boeing 747 – which the band used to transport themselves and their crew and equipment around the world of 2016’s The Book of Souls tour – was broken up at Cotswold Airport in Kemble, Gloucestershire, England, but fans can now wear it.

German company Aviationtag, which makes bespoke, wearable tags from scrapped aeroplane material, has launched a tag made from the 747. The company say they’re already sold out of the tags – which are limited to 12,000 and cost €66.66 (of course) – but fans can sign up to be notified when more stock becomes available.

“This a very small piece of a Boeing 747,” says Iron Maiden frontman and Ed Force One Pilot Bruce Dickinson, in a video accompanying the product launch. “Not just any old Boeing 747, but the Boeing 747 which I learned to fly so I could fly on Maiden around the world. So this is a bit of the aeroplane. It’s been turned into something entirely more useful.”

“We have been working on this project for over two years, and we’re proud to finally present our Aviationtag x Iron Maiden Edition,” says Aviationtag CCO Tobias Richter. “Ed Force One is one of the most famous aircraft in the world, and this edition captures its enduring legacy in a truly collectable form.”

Eds Force One entered service with Air France in early 2003 before joining Air Atlanta Icelandic, a charter and lease airline based in Kópavogur, Iceland, in 2015. In addition to being leased by Iron Maiden, the 747 was used as a firefighter by Saudi Arabian airline Saudia.

“She always behaved like the Queen of the Skies that the 747 will always be,” says Dickinson. “There will never be another to occupy her throne.

“The power, the noise of those four engines, the featherlight touchdowns (not my fault – blame good design) and her airborne elegance put the 747 in a unique category.”