Who needs the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Clearly not Billy Idol, who rocked Austin’s Moody Center on Sunday with a treasure trove of hits, age-defying ferocity and the same devil-may-care attitude that made him a punk rock pinup more than 40 years ago.
You can see UCR’s exclusive photos from the show below.
Following a high-voltage set from Joan Jett, Idol kept the energy at a fever pitch as he made his entrance to the tune of “Still Dancing,” off his brand-new album Dream Into It. The formidable opener segued neatly into “Cradle of Love” and “Flesh for Fantasy,” combining lush keyboards and Steve Stevens‘ muscular guitar riffs with a dazzling stage and light show to create an enveloping, multisensory experience.
At 69 years old, Idol was robust and ribald as ever, bounding across the stage and leaping up on risers to summon applause from the audience. The black t-shirt and red leather jacket with which he began the show proved a mere formality, as he quickly performed a mini strip tease and changed into a black button-up and red leather vest — essentially the same outfit, only now his sturdy torso was visible, which the audience deemed an improvement.
“This next song is about today and when I was young,” Idol said before playing “77,” his new collaboration with millennial pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne. Then he laughed: “I’m still young. I still got what you need.”
If Idol’s new album struck listeners as especially poppy or slickly produced, they’ll be happy to know the new material sounds more muscular in a live setting and sidles up well next to the classics. “People I Love,” with its buoyant new wave hooks and bittersweetly nostalgic lyrics, made for an especially poignant encore track, sandwiched between the glitzy “Hot in the City” and the show-stopping “White Wedding.”
Idol was in wistful storytelling mode all night, regaling the audience with tales of drinking with the Rolling Stones and finding the inspiration for “Rebel Yell” on a bottle of bourbon, or the attempted ’60s pop-rock pastiche that resulted in Generation X’s “Ready Steady Go.” And if he occasionally got off-key or found himself grasping for a high note, the crowd was more than happy to lend its collective talents — as in “White Wedding,” where the “Start again!” refrain fell squarely on their shoulders.
The rocker made up for any vocal shortcomings with his captivating stage presence and Stevens’ consistently brilliant guitar work. The guitarist — who received an early serenade in anticipation of his 66th birthday today — dazzled with an incendiary solo on Idol’s recently unearthed “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” cover, and his signature raygun squeals in “Rebel Yell” worked the audience into a frenzy.
Judging by the size of the venues on this tour, Idol is having something of a pop-cultural renaissance, and in Austin he offered an impressive blend of patented hard rock showmanship and heartwarming reflections on a life lived to the fullest. He confessed to tearing up while sound checking “Dream Into It,” then unleashed his trademark howl in short order. This mix of virility and vulnerability made him an icon of the MTV generation, and it’s the reason his current tour still feels like vital Idol.
Klaus Meine onstage in Mexico City last month(Image credit: Rodrigo Oropeza/AFP via Getty Images)
German rock legends Scorpions have been forced to cancel three shows on the South American leg of their 60th Anniversary Tour after singer Klaus Meine was diagnosed with a pair of conditions.
The band initially cancelled a single show, at Tecnopolis in Buenos Aires, but this was swiftly followed by a second, at the Masters of Rock festival in Bogotá, Colombia. Now a third show has been pulled, at the Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, Ecuador.
“It is with further regret that Scorpions will be unable to perform in Quito tonight, May 3rd,” say the band. “Klaus has still not recovered from the virus that forced the recent Buenos Aires and Bogota cancellations for Scorpions and was diagnosed with a bacterial bronchitis which caused his unfortunately [sic] inability to sing.
“The band send their deepest apologies to all their loyal fans in Ecuador and are again extremely disappointed not to be able to play in one of their favourite countries.
“They’ll make every effort to return to Ecuador and South America in the future.”
Meine’s illness is the latest health setback for the band, who postponed their then-upcoming Las Vegas residency in January to allow Mikkey Dee to recover from the sepsis he developed after spraining his foot. And last September the band cancelled a run of shows after guitarist Matthias Jabs broke a finger and a heel after suffering a fall at home.
Scorpions have two shows remaining on the current leg of their tour. The first is tomorrow (May 6) at the Feria Nacional de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the second at Feria de Puebla in Puebla, Mexico, this Thursday.
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The European leg of Scorpions’ 60th Anniversary Tour begins in June. Full dates below.
Scorpions: 60th Anniversary Tour 2025
May 06: Aguascalientes Feria Nacional de San Marcos, Mexico May 08: Puebla Feria de Puebla, Mexico
Jun 04: Skive Festival, Denmark Jun 06: Solvesborg Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden Jun 09: Tampere Nokia Arena, Finland Jun 11: Riga Arēnā Rīga, Latvia Jun 16: Gdansk Ergo Arena, Poland Jun 18: Krakow Tauron Arena, Poland Jun 24: Paris Accor Arena, France Jun 27: Cartagena Rock Imperium Festival, Spain Jun 29: Barcelona Rock Fest, Spain Jul 05: Hannover HDI Arena, Germany Jul 10: Lucca Piazza Napoleone, Italy Jul 15: Pamplona Navarra Arena, Spain Jul 18: Vila Nova de Gaia MEO Mares Vivas Festival, Portugal Jul 21: Marbella Starlite Occident, Spain Jul 24: Nîmes Arene De Nimes, France Jul 26: Monte-Carlo Summer Festival, Monaco
Aug 14: Las Vegas PH Live at Planet Hollywood, NV Aug 16: Las Vegas PH Live at Planet Hollywood, NV Aug 19: Las Vegas PH Live at Planet Hollywood, NV Aug 21: Las Vegas PH Live at Planet Hollywood, NV Aug 23: Las Vegas PH Live at Planet Hollywood, NV
Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazinesince 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
Joe Perry and Steven Tyler together at Aerosmith’s final show UBS Arena on September 09, 2023 in Elmont, New York(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
Aerosmith‘s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have appeared onstage together for the first time since the band’s Peace Out… farewell tour was abandoned in September 2023.
The pair took the stage at a private benefit for Tyler’s charitable organization Janie’s Fund in San Francisco last week. Backed by Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, they played five Aerosmith classics including Toys in the Attic, Same Old Song and Dance, Sweet Emotion, Dream On and Walk This Way.
Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander and The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson – who’d both performed earlier in the evening – then joined the party for two songs Aerosmith have covered in the past, Tiny Bradshaw’s Train Kept a Rollin’ and The Beatles’ Come Together. Video shot at the event can be watched below.
Janie’s Fund, which was named after Aerosmith’s 1989 hit Janie’s Got A Gun, was founded by Tyler in 2015 and supports vulnerable girls who’ve suffered abuse and neglect.
Steven Tyler, Joey Perry, Matt Sorum & Nuno Bittencourt – Dream On Janie’s Fund 30. April 2025 – YouTube
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Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazinesince 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.
David Lee Roth has played his first live show in five years. The former Van Halen frontman performed a 16-song set at the 19,000-capacity Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on Saturday, the second night of this year’s long-running M3 Rock Festival.
Roth’s setlist was entirely made up of songs originally recorded during his first stint with Van Halen, with no room for his solo output or – perhaps less surprisingly – from Van Halen’s 2012 Roth reunion album A Different Kind of Truth.
Instead, fans were treated to 15 bona fide Van Halen classics, from the opening Panama to the closing Jump, plus a cover of The Kinks‘ You Really Got Me, famously covered by Van Halen on their debut album. Full setlist and fan-shot video of the full concert below.
Roth’s previous show was at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, TX, in March 2020, but fans won’t have to wait another five years for a show as the singer has another already booked: On September 12 he’ll perform at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA, as part of the venue’s annual Summer Concert Series.
Other acts performing during the series – which kicks off this month – include Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Gogol Bordello, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rick Springfield, Buddy Guy, the Beach Boys, ZZ Top, Three Dog Night, 38 Special, The Marshall Tucker Band, Daryl Hall and Garbage. Tickets are on sale now.
DAVID LEE ROTH – FULL SHOW@M3 Festival Merriweather Columbia, MD 5/3/25 – YouTube
David Lee Roth: Merriweather Post Pavilion setlist
Panama Drop Dead Legs You Really Got Me Unchained Dance The Night Away Runnin’ With The Devil Mean Street Atomic Punk And The Cradle Will Rock… Jamie’s Cryin’ I’m The One Everybody Wants Some!! Romeo Delight Hot For Teacher Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love Jump
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The metal legend has faced an array of health issues in recent years, including multiple spinal surgeries and an ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was unable to perform at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony when he was inducted as a solo artist, and many have questioned if he’ll be able to handle Black Sabbath’s farewell gig. Still, in a recent conversation with The Guardian, Osbourne listed the extensive preparation he’s going through to get back on stage.
“I do weights, bike riding, I’ve got a guy living at my house who’s working with me,” the frontman revealed. “It’s tough – I’ve been laid up for such a long time. I’ve been lying on my back doing nothing and the first thing to go is your strength. It’s like starting all over again. I’ve got a vocal coach coming round four days a week to keep my voice going. I have problems walking. I also get blood pressure issues, from blood clots on my legs. I’m used to doing two hours on stage, jumping and running around. I don’t think I’ll be doing much jumping or running around this time. I may be sitting down, but the point is I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”
Who Is Performing at Black Sabbath’s Farewell Concert?
Black Sabbath’s final concert, dubbed Back to the Beginning, will be a celebration of the heavy metal group’s incredible career and legacy. The long list of performers includes Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Tool, Anthrax and many others. Still, the reunited Sabbath will be the main attraction, even if they’re only able to deliver a shortened set.
“We’re only playing a couple of songs each. I don’t want people thinking, ‘We’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample,” Osbourne noted. “You’re going to get a few songs each by Ozzy and Sabbath.”
Back to the Beginning will take place July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.
Black Sabbath Albums Ranked
From Ozzy to Dio and beyond, we look at all of the band’s studio LPs.
Feature Photo: albes83, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Rising out of Orlando in 2004, Alter Bridge was built by musicians who weren’t ready to stop making music together. Guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips, and bassist Brian Marshall had all been part of Creed, a band that saw massive success but eventually fractured under pressure. The trio knew they had more to say, and they found the missing piece in Myles Kennedy, a skilled vocalist and guitarist who had previously fronted The Mayfield Four. With Kennedy onboard, Alter Bridge was born — not as a continuation of what came before, but as an entirely new voice, formed with purpose and clarity. Their name, inspired by an actual bridge near Tremonti’s childhood home in Detroit, symbolized the transition they were about to make: crossing over into territory that was both musically daring and emotionally unflinching.
Alter Bridge wasted no time getting into the studio. Their debut album, One Day Remains, was released in August 2004 through Wind-up Records. Though Kennedy had just joined the band, the majority of the songs were written prior to his arrival, with Tremonti handling most of the songwriting duties. That didn’t stop the album from hitting hard — it reached number five on the Billboard 200 and eventually earned gold certification. Tracks like “Open Your Eyes,” “Find the Real,” and “Broken Wings” announced the band with clarity, blending heavy instrumentation with a melodic core that became a hallmark of their sound. It was a clear break from their past affiliations and a confident step into a new creative identity.
With their second album, Blackbird, released in 2007 through Universal Republic, the band came into full bloom. It marked the first time Tremonti and Kennedy collaborated fully as songwriters, and the result was a cohesive and emotionally rich body of work that pushed their sound forward. The title track, “Blackbird,” became one of their most beloved and enduring songs, featuring a dual guitar solo that Guitarist magazine readers would later vote the greatest of all time in 2011. The album didn’t chase commercial trends — it chased something deeper, and that pursuit of sincerity and musicianship began to define Alter Bridge’s legacy.
In 2010, the band released AB III, a record that darkened their sound and explored far more introspective lyrical terrain. Themes of spiritual doubt, isolation, and existential reflection ran through the album, giving it a raw and haunted quality that stood apart from their earlier work. The single “Isolation” became a milestone, climbing to the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart — their first number one on that chart. AB III was a declaration that the band wasn’t afraid to take risks, even if it meant going into heavier, more emotionally intense places than before.
Three years later, Fortress arrived in 2013 with a clear sense of urgency and innovation. The album was more progressive, technically daring, and ambitious. Kennedy and Tremonti pushed each other creatively, delivering tracks like “Addicted to Pain” and “Cry of Achilles” that showcased their intricate guitar work and dynamic songwriting. The critical response was overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers praising the album’s complexity and emotional weight. The band had evolved without shedding their identity — they were sharpening it.
The Last Hero, released in 2016, saw Alter Bridge leaning into the political climate of the time, though never in a heavy-handed way. It was a call for accountability in leadership, and a reflection on the disillusionment many fans felt with the state of the world. Songs like “Show Me a Leader” tapped into that unrest. The album maintained their signature sound while charging it with timely urgency, proving they could engage with current events without compromising their artistic integrity.
Their sixth studio release, Walk the Sky, arrived in 2019 with a slightly different edge. It incorporated electronic textures and synth elements into their otherwise guitar-driven palette, expanding the band’s sonic range while preserving their core identity. Songs like “Wouldn’t You Rather” and “Pay No Mind” showed that evolution doesn’t mean abandoning roots — it means building on them. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Current Albums chart, reinforcing that Alter Bridge remained a commercial force as well as a critical one.
In 2022, the band returned with Pawns & Kings, an album that reaffirmed their place in modern rock with lyrical depth and instrumental mastery. The title track’s solo earned accolades from Guitar World readers, a reminder that Tremonti remains one of the most respected players in the business. But this band has never been about one person — it’s about the collective drive to make music that matters. Over nearly two decades, Alter Bridge has built a career on hard truths, technical brilliance, and unwavering commitment to authenticity. Their music speaks to resilience, reflection, and the courage to cross bridges most artists are too afraid to approach.
Complete List Of Alter Bridge Songs From A to Z
Addicted to Pain – Fortress – 2013
All Ends Well – Fortress – 2013
All Hope Is Gone – AB III – 2010
Before Tomorrow Comes – Blackbird – 2007
Bitter End, The – Walk the Sky – 2019
Blackbird – Blackbird – 2007
Bleed It Dry – Fortress – 2013
Brand New Start – Blackbird – 2007
Break Me Down – Blackbird – 2007
Breathe [Bonus Track] – The Last Hero – 2016
Breathe Again – AB III – 2010
Broken Wings – One Day Remains – 2004
Broken Wings (live) [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
Buried Alive – Blackbird – 2007
Burn It Down – One Day Remains – 2004
Burn it Down (live) [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
Calm the Fire – Fortress – 2013
Clear Horizon – Walk the Sky – 2019
Coeur d’Alene – AB III – 2010
Come to Life – Blackbird – 2007
Coming Home – Blackbird – 2007
Cradle to the Grave – The Last Hero – 2016
Crows on a Wire – The Last Hero – 2016
Cry a River – Fortress – 2013
Cry of Achilles – Fortress – 2013
Damage Done, The [Bonus Track] – Blackbird – 2007
Dead Among the Living – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Down to My Last – One Day Remains – 2004
Dying Light – Walk the Sky – 2019
Dying Light (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Fable of the Silent Son – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Fallout – AB III – 2010
Farther Than the Sun – Fortress – 2013
Find the Real – One Day Remains – 2004
Forever Falling – Walk the Sky – 2019
Fortress – Fortress – 2013
Ghost of Days Gone By – AB III – 2010
Godspeed – Walk the Sky – 2019
Godspeed (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Holiday – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Home [Bonus Track] – AB III – 2010
Home [Bonus Track] – Fortress – 2013
I Know It Hurts – AB III – 2010
In Loving Memory – One Day Remains – 2004
In the Deep – Walk the Sky – 2019
In the Deep (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Indoctrination – Walk the Sky – 2019
Island of Fools – The Last Hero – 2016
Isolation – AB III – 2010
Last Hero, The – The Last Hero – 2016
Last Man Standing – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Last Rites [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Life Must Go On – AB III – 2010
Losing Patience – The Last Hero – 2016
Lover – Fortress – 2013
Make It Right – AB III – 2010
Metalingus – One Day Remains – 2004
Metalingus (live) [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
My Champion – The Last Hero – 2016
Native Son – Walk the Sky – 2019
Native Son (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Never Born to Follow [Bonus Track] – AB III – 2010
Never Say Die [Bonus Track] – Fortress – 2013
New Way to Live [Bonus Track] – Blackbird – 2007
One by One – Blackbird – 2007
One Day Remains – One Day Remains – 2004
One Day Remains (live) [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
One Life – Walk the Sky – 2019
Open Your Eyes – One Day Remains – 2004
Open Your Eyes (live) [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
Other Side, The – The Last Hero – 2016
Pawns & Kings – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Pay No Mind – Walk the Sky – 2019
Pay No Mind (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
Peace Is Broken – Fortress – 2013
Poison in Your Veins – The Last Hero – 2016
Rise Today – Blackbird – 2007
Save Me [Bonus Track] – One Day Remains – 2004
Season of Promise – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Shed My Skin – One Day Remains – 2004
Show Me a Leader – The Last Hero – 2016
Show Me a Sign – AB III – 2010
Silver Tongue – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Sin After Sin – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Slip to the Void – AB III – 2010
Stay – Pawns & Kings – 2022
Still Remains – AB III – 2010
Symphony of Agony [Bonus Track] – The Last Hero – 2016
Take the Crown – Walk the Sky – 2019
Tear Us Apart – Walk the Sky – 2019
The End Is Here – One Day Remains – 2004
The Uninvited – Fortress – 2013
This Is War – Pawns & Kings – 2022
This Side of Fate – The Last Hero – 2016
Ties That Bind – Blackbird – 2007
Twilight – The Last Hero – 2016
Walking on the Sky – Walk the Sky – 2019
Watch Over You – Blackbird – 2007
Watch Your Words – One Day Remains – 2004
Waters Rising – Fortress – 2013
Wayward One – Blackbird – 2007
We Don’t Care at All [Bonus Track] – Blackbird – 2007
White Knuckles – Blackbird – 2007
Wonderful Life – AB III – 2010
Words Darker Than Their Wings – AB III – 2010
Wouldn’t You Rather – Walk the Sky – 2019
Wouldn’t You Rather (Live) [Bonus Track] – Walk the Sky 2.0 – 2019
The Last Hero (2016): 15 songs (including 2 bonus tracks)
Walk the Sky/Walk the Sky 2.0 (2019): 21 songs (including 7 bonus tracks)
Pawns & Kings (2022): 10 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Alter Bridge articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Founding Sepultura drummer Iggor Cavalera has discussed the band’s early fascination with Satanism.
Cavalera, who started Sepultura with his brother Max in 1984, says during an interview with podcast White Centipede Noise that the Brazilians shared a Satanic streak with several other artists in the country’s 80s metal scene.
He explains that it wasn’t about worshipping the Devil himself as much as it was about “attacking the [Catholic] Church”, which had strong political power in South America at the time.
“The church is controlling everything in South America,” he adds (via Blabbermouth), “and they’re involved in politics, and as we all know, they’re the most evil thing. They came in and they really raped the land with the colonisation and everything. So for us to go against the church, it was an act of rebellion.”
The drummer later emphasises that neither nor his bandmates have ever been true “Satan worshippers”.
“That wasn’t our thing,” he continues. “Of course, I study a lot of, like, the dark side of things, I read a lot of books, but I was never… ’Cause I believe they’re all the creation of the same thing – the evil and the good and Satan, in my opinion, is also a creation of the church. So for us to worship that, it was almost like, ‘Oh, how come you don’t accept Jesus, but you accept that one, which is kind of like… they’re the yin-yang.’”
Iggor adds that Satanism let the Brazilian scene differentiate itself from the themes of metal in North America and in Europe. “We didn’t like how metal was made in Europe or in America, ’cause it was too polished,” he says. “And they were talking about dragons and slaying castles. And we’re like, ‘That’s not our reality.’”
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Iggor left Sepultura in 2006, 10 years after Max quit the band due to disputes over the role of their manager (and Max’s wife), Gloria Cavalera. The brothers reconnected shortly after Iggor’s exit and started the collaborative project Cavalera Conspiracy.
In recent years, the Cavaleras have re-recorded Sepultura’s first EP, 1985’s Bestial Devastation, and their first two albums: 1986’s Morbid Visions and 1987’s Schizophrenia.
The brothers have been playing early Sepultura material on the road. They will perform songs from the band’s landmark 1993 album, Chaos A.D., together when they support Slayer at the thrashers’ only North America show of the year in September.
Sepultura continue to perform without the Cavaleras and are currently in the middle of their farewell tour, which is set to extend into 2026.
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Perfectionism is big ask, especially after six years away. “You get to hear all the fuck ups that no one else on the tour gets to hear,” says Steven Wilson, three songs into his first full solo show since March 2019. “All the wrong notes, all the malfunctioning technology, all the wrong lyrics.” He grimaces. “There’s been plenty of that already tonight. I hope you didn’t notice.”
He’s shouldn’t worry. A Steven Wilson crowd is a forgiving one, especially when they’ve waited this long for his return. This is the opening night of the tour in support of this year’s The Overview album. A combination of Covid, a Porcupine Tree reunion and a creative rush that produced two albums in little over year meant that neither 2021’s The Future Bites or 2023’s The Harmony Codex got the live treatment, which explains the sense of expectancy in the air.
Tonight’s venue is Stockholm’s 1600-capacity Cirkus. This elegant, circular building has the dimensions of a big top, but tonight it feels more like a grand old planetarium – fitting given The Overview’s to-infinity-and-beyond themes. The album itself is a genuine modern classic, a progressive record that actually looks forward rather than back. Musically and conceptually, it’s built to be played in its entirety from start to finish, two 20-ish minute tracks one after the other – a retro notion, but the very definition of to-the-stars modernity in every other respect.
That comes later, during the second part of a show comprising two distinct halves, separated by an intermission (no support act tonight, unlike his four shows at the London Palladium where, amusingly, his openers will be a different comedian each night).
The first set – nine tracks, an hour long – acts as both a reintroduction and a chance to make up for lost time. The opening two songs, The Harmony Codex (from the album of the same name) and King Ghost (from the brilliant yet divisive The Future Bites), have never been played live before. Both are entirely electronic and performed by Wilson standing centre stage, sandwiched between a pair of keyboards, dwarfed by the massive hi-def screen that looms over him, projecting the films that originally accompanied each song. It’s a challenging introduction, visually and sonically, but it works fantastically – King Ghost, in particular, is darker and colder than its recorded counterpart.
The rest of the first half is more traditional, even if ‘traditional’ is relative in this context. Wilson joined by his full band – guitarist Randy McStine, bassist Nick Beggs, drummer Craig Blundell and keyboard player Adam Holzman – as he winds through his solo back catalogue. It’s an exercise in shapeshifting, from Luminol’s twisting jazz-prog to the graceful art-pop of What Life Brings to Harmony Korine’s exhilarating melodic rush. There’s a run of concrete-encased heaviness in the shape of No Part Of Me, Dislocated Day (the sole Porcupine Tree song aired tonight) and Remainder The Black Dog, though it’s first-half closer Vermillioncore that sees them go full rock beast.
Wilson could have done things differently tonight and started by playing The Overview in its entirety, but that would have stripped away some of the anticipation surrounding the show. As he returns alone to usher in the album’s first track, Objects Outlive Us, with a keening, wordless cry, 1600 people fall silent, not so much in reverence as pure focus.
Steven Wilson onstage at Cirkus, Stockholm, May 1, 2025 (Image credit: Nils Carmel)
The Overview deserves that focus. It’s an album that demands attention as it drifts and whirls, before taking off for the most distant reaches of the universe. Despite its themes of impermanence and perspective. Objects Outlive Us is oddly playful, shifting from rolling piano and stacked vocal harmonies to breezy if existentially heavy pop-rock to McStine’s next-level guitar solo across its 23-minute duration, all precisely delivered here. The Overview itself is different, a musical moving camera that pulls away from earth into deep space, a disembodied voice (actually Wilson’s wife, Rotem) intoning intergalactic markers along the way.
Throughout, the music is accompanied by a vivid animated film, that runs the gamut of imagery from a little grey alien pulling itself out of a swamp to vast, pulsing, imagined ring nebulae billions of miles away. This being Steven Wilson, the ‘audio’ part of this audio-visual extravaganza is equally impressive, courtesy of a pristine sound system. The overall effect is overwhelming, in the best possible way.
He finishes by hitting the last remaining bases he hasn’t already hit in the shape of the emotive Pariah (from 2017’s To The Bone, featuring duet partner Ninet Tayeb singing from the screen behind him) and the contrasting Ancestral (from 2015’s Hand Cannot Erase), the latter an impressive if existentially bleak climax.
And those fuck ups? Yes, they’re there if anyone is listening out for them. A dropped beat, a wrong note, the out-of-tune guitar that Wilson sends back before What Life Brings. They’ll surely be ironed out within a few more shows, but they prove that nobody’s perfect, not even Steven Wilson. Though tonight comes close.
Steven Wilson setlist: Cirkus, Stockholm, Thursday May 1, 2025
Set 1 The Harmony Codex King Ghost Luminol What Life Brings No Part of Me Dislocated Day Remainder the Black Dog Harmony Korine Vermillioncore
Set 2 – The Overview: Objects Outlive Us The Overview
Encore: Pariah Ancestral
Dave Everley has been writing about and occasionally humming along to music since the early 90s. During that time, he has been Deputy Editor on Kerrang! and Classic Rock, Associate Editor on Q magazine and staff writer/tea boy on Raw, not necessarily in that order. He has written for Metal Hammer, Louder, Prog, the Observer, Select, Mojo, the Evening Standard and the totally legendary Ultrakill. He is still waiting for Billy Gibbons to send him a bottle of hot sauce he was promised several years ago.
In 2018 Lifesigns mastermind John Young – whose career includes stints with Jon Anderson, John Wetton, the Strawbs, Steeleye Span and more – offered Prog a glimpse into his musical world.
Where’s home?
Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire. It’s the unconfirmed capital of prog! Loads of people live round here – I can see Nick Beggs’ house from mine…
Your first prog memory?
My dad buying me a copy of The Beach Boys’ Good Vibrations in the mid-60s. That, and Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman playing great stuff on his Saturday Rock Show, like Edgar Winter’s Frankenstein.
First prog gig?
Queen at the Liverpool Empire in 1974. They were still doing stuff from Queen II like Ogre Battle, which I loved.
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The first prog record you bought?
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis. I went to their show at the Liverpool Empire on the Friday night [in 1975], bought the album on Saturday, and went to the show again on the Sunday, by which time I knew all the words.
Favourite piece of technology?
My MacBook Pro is permanently attached to me. It’s like taking your office with you wherever you go.
Any guilty pleasures in your music collection?
Eva Cassidy’s Songbird. Her version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow gets me every time. How did a record company not find her earlier? How could you miss a voice like that? It sums up the state of the business completely.
Queen – Ogre Battle (Live at The Rainbow 1974) [HD 60fps] – YouTube
Maybe Cruise To The Edge. We’ve played it ourselves, but it’s a pure joy to go just to see the other bands.
Your favourite venue?
Trading Boundaries – it’s an exceptional and unique gig. There should be a franchise of them – they do such a great job. And I do wish The Marquee was still there in London.
Outside of prog, what else are you into?
Outside of aviation, country walks and riding my bike. It’s a bit boring really, isn’t it?!
Who is your prog hero?
Patrick Moraz. I loved his creativity, his sense of melody and soul. So much prog is mathematical, but he brought romance to it, and to Yes.
Of nerdy aviation stuff. It’s amazing what people sell on eBay these days: old manuals and things from Imperial Airways and BOAC. There’s a big market for it – there’s a lot of history tied in there.
What was the last album you bought?
Cardington by Lifesigns! We needed to check Amazon was working properly for us, so I bought one. Other than that, Life by Knower, a great pop/jazz/funk band from the US.
What was the last gig you went to?
Cruise To The Edge; we were playing, but the favourite things I saw were Adrian Belew and Focus. I’m gutted I missed Gong.
I used to sing Yes when I worked at the bank. It didn’t go down well and I didn’t last very long
Have you ever been on a prog date?
Is there such a thing? My first girlfriend and I used to go to a club in Liverpool called Le Metro, and once the DJ played all four sides of Tales From Topographic Oceans. He must’ve wanted an easy night.
Who do you call in the prog community for a good night out?
Generally it’s the band. We’re all good friends, as well as being in the group together, which is the beauty of it. The lovely thing about prog is you make such good friends through it.
What’s the most important prog song for you?
Sound Chaser off Yes’ Relayer. I used to sing the opening line when I worked at the till at a bank. It didn’t go down well and I didn’t last very long.
Which prog muso would you love to work with?
Kate Bush. I’d happily watch her bake cakes! She’s genius personified, and I’d love her to hear what we do.
Which is the prog album that always gets you in a good mood?
Garden Shed by England. It’s pure English prog joy.
Who’s the best prog artist you’ve ever seen live?
Gentle Giant. Dave Bainbridge and I both saw them separately during their Playing The Fool tour in 1976. You can hear me screaming on the live record – they blew me away.
Recommend us a good proggy read.
Arthur C Clarke’s Childhood’s End. It’s a beautiful way of looking at the world.
What’s your favourite prog album cover?
I do love the covers that Brett Wilde’s done for us, but I’ll say Frank Zappa’s Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch. It makes me laugh every time I see it. It’s so clever.
“So, what are we doing here? Sniffing glue and shooting heroin?” Zakk Wylde is in typically boisterous spirits after being led into the ‘I Am Anarchy’ suite in London’s swanky Chateau Denmark hotel, so called because it’s where punk legends the Sex Pistols lived and rehearsed during their infamous heyday.
It’s a historic venue, but it takes more than that to faze you when you’re Ozzy’s right-hand man, front Black Label Society, lead Black Sabbath covers band Zakk Sabbath, and are an all-round metal guitar legend. But if the ghost of Sid Vicious can’t rattle Zakk, let’s see if questions from Hammer’s notoriously inquisitive readership can!
What does Zakk Wylde do in his free time when he wants to be Zakk Calm? Chris Baudette, Facebook
“Usually when I’m home, therapy is lifting weights and stuff like that. It’s just as mental as it is physical. You know what I mean? I love lifting. Then, you know, if I’m just chilling, maybe just reading or rolling with the dogs and taking them for a walk.”
Who would be in your ideal supergroup today?Jordy Molnar, Facebook
“Well, I’m in a few of them right now, playing with Rex [Brown, bass], Phil [Anselmo, vocalist] and Charlie [Benante, drums, in the reformed Pantera]. Then obviously when I’m in Black Label Society, I’m playing with Jeff [Fabb, drums], JD [John DeServio, bass] and Dario [Lorina, guitars]. I’m truly a blessed man. All the guys I play with, those are my guys. Without a doubt, they’re all amazing.”
If you could ask Randy Rhoads one question about his guitar playing/ compositions, what would it be? Bhu_0316, Instagram
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“That’s a good question. It’d be like if you could ask Jimi Hendrix something… I think I’d just want to tell him how great he is and how much I love him. That would be about it.”
What’s the most wholesome moment you’ve had ever with The Prince Of Darkness? Danielluscombe, Instagram
“I remember we played the Budokan [Arena] in Tokyo. I’d always have a bag of beer with me, just in case anywhere we were going didn’t have beer. So, Oz comes in the room after the gig. He goes ‘Zakky, Zakky… you got any beers?’ I go, ‘Yeah, but I’m not giving you one here. You’re going to get us fired! Mom’s [Sharon Osbourne] right across the hall – she’s going to come and see the two of us drinking, is that going to be good?’ He goes, ‘Alright, tell you what, I’ll meet you in the bathroom.’
So I go in the bathroom, I’m waiting. All of a sudden, I hear the door open. He comes in the stall right next to me, and I push a Kirin or Asahi under there. I hear the ‘psssst’ of the can, then ‘glug, glug, glug!’ He downs it in one, puts the can down, pushes it back under and goes, ‘Thanks, Zakk. I’ll see you at dinner.’”
Hammer: Um, we’re not sure that’s ‘wholesome’?
“We were like a couple of naughty schoolkids! It was hilarious!”
Who is the best up and coming guitarist right now? Osirisheigh, Instagram
“There’s this young kid called Taj Farrant, hold on… [Zakk gets his phone out and begins to play a video of Taj shredding.] Look at this! It’s not just that he’s fast, he has complete control of the instrument, he’s got soul. He’s phenomenal and, you know what, he’s 15 years old! It’s ridiculous!”
Would you ever cover the Dio-era Sabbath stuff with Zakk Sabbath? Daniel Scott, Facebook
“Yeah, but we’re gonna have to get one of my buddies that could actually sing in the style of Saint Ronnie. What we do is, we just keep it with the Ozz Sabbath. But if we ever did do [the Dio-era stuff], I got a couple of my buddies that can belt that stuff out.”
Hammer: Presumably you’re still a massive fan of that stuff?
“Hell yeah! Ronnie’s amazing. All the stuff with Rainbow, Elf, and then those Sabbath albums. I mean, between Ozzy doing Blizzard [Of Ozz] and Diary [Of A Madman], and Sabbath doing Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules… it was amazing. The first concert I ever saw was [Sabbath on] Mob Rules, forget about it! Those albums are classics. You put them on now, they’re just as fresh as when they came out.”
Black Label Society – Lord Humungus (Official Music Video) – YouTube
How do you feel about the current state of the metal scene? Dante Infernus, Facebook
“I think it’s great. I was talking with Charlie [Benante] about bands. He goes, ‘Yeah, but where’s the… this or that?’ I told him, ‘You’re starting to sound like the, ‘You kids get off my lawn’ guy!’ I don’t feel like that. It’d be like asking Jimmy Page if he felt responsible for keeping guitar going for the younger generation in 1975. Page would go, ‘No, that’s up to the kids.’”
Are you a cat person, a dog person, or both? Tomás Tomis, Facebook
“I’m a dog guy, but cats are awesome too. I love all animals. If it was Desert Island and I had to go either cats or dogs, and the cats are going to survive as well, I’m a dog guy. I got some buddies that are huge cat guys. I mean, I just love all animals. Put a rhino in the backyard, get an elephant, stick them all in the backyard. They can all hang out and have a good time.”
What do you consider the most difficult thing to play on guitar? Michael Hermanson, Facebook
“If you take any guitarist and ask them that question, they’ll say it’s a matter of just applying yourself and working on it. Whether it’s a difficult piece that you have to work on, a classical thing, or if you wanted to learn a jazz thing, it’d just be like cutting down a tree. A little bit at a time, every day you’re going to get better. If you apply yourself and do it over and over, you can always get something down.”
What are the best crisps? George Miller, Facebook
“Kettle chips are real good. All the flavours are kind of insane. The backyard barbecue ones are amazing, salt and vinegar are amazing… Even just the straight-up flavours are great.”
Will you ever tour the [early-90s project] Pride & Glory stuff again? Niels Vinbech Beier, Facebook
“Yes. Uh… I guess that’ll be next, after we do our Barbra Streisand tribute band! Ha ha ha! So, we have that with the rest of our wedding band. But… yeah, I mean, we could always do the PNG thing, for sure.”
What’s your favourite movie and why? Rebornandangry, Instagram
“I love The Exorcist, but then I also love Animal House. Just phenomenal. I love Rollerball with James Caan… I saw it as a kid, never kind of understood it, the corporations running the whole planet plot. So, I never really got the gist, I just remember me and my friends playing rollerball when we were kids, beating the hell out of each other, riding around on bikes and rollerskates. But now I get it, I appreciate it even more.”
Would you rather have legs for fingers, or fingers for legs? Ian Robinson, Facebook
“The answer to that question is: whatever it is they’re drinking, give me some of that! How about that? That’s the answer to that question!”
What is your favourite board game? Anni Kulmala, Facebook
“Axis & Allies. Did you ever play that game? It’s played a bit like Risk, but it’s World War II. If you have five of your friends, it’s like, ‘We’re the Axis and those guys are the Allies. You’re Germany and I’m Japan. You get all your buddies around playing and the game will take literally like 40 hours to play! I mean, you better pack a lunch!”
When will we get a studio recording of [YouTube skit] Toxic Diarrhea? Jon Rhodes, Facebook
“We could put that on the next album. It’s a family classic, without a doubt. I’ll probably make more money off of that thing than I’ve made on anything I’ve ever recorded in my life. If you wrote White Christmas or any holiday thing, lights out. It’s like Mariah Carey; I guarantee you, she makes more money when Christmas comes around than any other time. Say no more Toxic Diarrhea, let’s do this.”
Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.
![Queen - Ogre Battle (Live at The Rainbow 1974) [HD 60fps] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/87fzF1PKBC4/maxresdefault.jpg)
