Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour (Photo by Tim Hall/Redferns)
Pink Floyd is once again sharing some live footage from their archives.
The band just released video of a performance of The Dark Side of the Moon track “The Great Gig in the Sky,” recorded at their iconic 1989 concert in Venice, Italy.
“Filmed in 1989, this unforgettable concert took place on a floating stage in the heart of Venice,” reads a post on Instagram. “The performance remains renowned not only for the music, but also for its extraordinary setting and ambitious production.”
This isn’t the first archival performance Pink Floyd has shared from the Live in Venice concert, which was a stop on their A Momentary Lapse of Reason tour. Over the past several weeks they’ve posted videos for such tracks as “Time,” “The Dogs of War,” “On the Turning Away” and “Learning to Fly."
The original concert was filmed for Italian TV and broadcast worldwide.
Chrissie Hynde is seen performing on stage at the charity fundraiser "Night For Ukraine" at The Roundhouse on March 9, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Nicky J Sims/Getty Images)
Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde doesn’t seem to be the biggest fan of the hug. In a recent post on social media, she seemed to question why "hugs" suddenly became a go-to salutation in emails.
“Question: When did everyone get so touchy-feely?” she wrote. “It seems like a new thing where people sign their emails: 'Hugs.' Hate to be a spoil sport, but I’m wondering if there’s anyone else out there who isn’t huggy. Surely, it’s not just me.”
"Has this come from the therapy culture? The Grammy culture? Over-sharing?" she questioned.
“I guess we’re like dogs. Some are Lone wolves (me) and others are lap dogs who like a lot of pampering (hugs),” she noted. “( btw …I’m not confusing touchy-feely-huggy people with out-and- out sexy beasts. Two totally different things).”
Hynde also questioned email sign-offs that read “Stay safe,” simply asking “Seriously?" before signing off with, “OK well that’s my thought for the day.”
Hynde later clarified her comments in a second post.
“Suddenly, I seem to be getting a lot of messages signed: ‘Hugs.’ Maybe I was wrong. Maybe everyone really does need a hug,” she wrote. “That was probably mean spirited of me and so I would like to now say, ‘Have a nice day… Hugs.’”
She added, “I’ll write another riveting blog next time I have something unimportant to say In the meantime, Hugs.”
Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman is giving fans a preview of his upcoming album, Return to the Red Planet, with the release of the new song "The Jezero Crater."
Return to the Red Planet, dropping Oct. 16, is the second time Wakeman has released an album inspired by Mars. The first, The Red Planet, was released in 2020.
The new album is described as "a sweeping new progressive work that fuses science, imagination, and musical virtuosity." The description adds that it's inspired by "the remarkable images and research that have transformed our understanding of Mars in recent years."
"Once I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written," Wakeman explained when the album was announced. "There was simply too much more to say about Mars - musically and spiritually - not to return."
On the album, Wakeman is backed by The English Rock Ensemble, made up of bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of English musician Steve Marriott.
Carly Simon is offering up another preview of her upcoming album, Comes in Waves.
The latest is the single "Peaches," which is now available via digital outlets. It is the second song she’s released from the album, following "Howl."
"One day, I turned on the drum function and improvised 'Peaches' on the spot, which is the opposite way I usually compose music," Simon said of the song’s origins. "The lesson here may be that underthinking a song can sometimes guide you down a strange, fearless road."
According to Simon, "Peaches" is about "getting what you always wanted... and realizing you'd rather be home under the covers dreaming about these things."
Comes in Waves, Simon’s first album of original music in 18 years, is due out Aug. 14. Her last album of new material was 2008’s This Kind of Love.
The song release comes just days after Simon announced that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
“So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing,” she said on July 27. “The truth is, I've been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease.”
"Parkinson's is different for everyone, and it can be unpredictable," she added. "Some days I’m so tired I can’t get the day moving at all. On others, it gives me a little more room to move, think, work, and feel like myself."
Pope Leo XIV meets with American singer, songwriter, poet, and author Patricia Lee Smith also known as Patti Smith during an audience at the Apostolic Palace on July 31, 2026 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Musician, poet and author Patti Smith met with Pope Leo at the Vatican on Friday.
Video posted by Vatican News shows the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer almost speechless as she shakes the Pope’s hand. Later in the clip she sits down with him at his desk, and he asks her first if she speaks English and then if she speaks Italian.
“No, I’m sorry,” she says about speaking Italian. “I’m pure American.”
“The agenda of #PapaLeãoXIV begins to pick up the pace again after the rest period,” read the caption of the post. “On the morning of this Friday, July 31, the Pontiff received, in the Vatican, the American singer, songwriter, and writer #PattiSmith.”
Father Antonio Spadaro, who accompanied Smith, also posted video of the meeting on X.
"There are unforgettable moments in life. Today I lived one of these. With #PattiSmith, with whom for years I have shared a simple and deep friendship, and #PapaLeone, the Holy Father, today an indispensable reference for anyone who still wants to hope in this world," he wrote. "Together. Today. For 40 minutes. When every single word had its own weight and its own lightness."
Smith wrapped a European tour on Wednesday in Milan, Italy. She’ll next play the CBGB Festival in Brooklyn on Sept. 26.
Rod Stewart and Stevie Van Zandt perform in Southhampton, New York. (Photo Credit: Lane Oliveri)
Rod Stewart headlined a special charity event Thursday night in Southhampton, New York.
The rocker performed for more 200 guests at the home of philanthropists Bob and Lauren Day Roberts, with the night raising more than $1.7 million for E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt’s national education non-profit TeachRock.
The performance included a collaboration between Stewart and Van Zandt on "We're Having a Party" and "Stay With Me."
"When I started TeachRock, I hoped we'd build a community of artists who believe music belongs in every classroom,” Van Zandt says. “To see someone I've admired for so long lend his talent to this mission and to watch people come together to support teachers, students, and the next generation through music is incredibly moving.”
He adds, “Rod didn't just give us an unforgettable performance this evening, he gave our mission a tremendous boost. Every dollar raised helps us put free arts education into more classrooms, and that's something worth celebrating."
“Playing alongside the legend that is Stevie Van Zandt for TeachRock — what a night,” adds Stewart. “Music changed my life, and TeachRock is making sure it can change theirs too.”
The TeachRock curriculum aims to bring arts-integrated education into classrooms across the country. More than 80,000 educators across all 50 states have used TeachRock to help bring core subjects to life with the help of music and popular culture.
Stewart is set to kick off a new set of North American tour dates on Friday in Wantagh, New York. A complete list of dates can be found atRodStewart.com.
Billy Idol at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Billy Idol will launch a new leg of the It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again! tour in August. He’s getting fans excited for the trek with a funny new promo video, titled “Everybody’s About To Get Their S*** Rocked.”
“Rock icon Billy announces the next leg of his tour with the signature wit, swagger, and attitude that have defined his career for more than four decades,” reads the video’s description. “Along the way, he dishes out a mix of real history, rock 'n' roll wisdom, and a few tongue-in-cheek 'facts' as he spotlights the cities on his upcoming tour—proving that no one announces tour dates quite like Billy Idol.”
After sharing some not-so-well-known facts about the cities he'll hit on the tour, Idol notes, "While all these cities are so different and unique in their own way, there's one thing that unifies them together. They're all about to get their s*** rocked when I come through.”
Billy Idol launched the It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again! tour in 2025. The latest leg, featuring special guests Devo and Susanna Hoffs, kicks off Aug. 7 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and runs through Sept. 27 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A complete list of dates can be found at BillyIdol.net.
Graham Nash performs onstage during the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for FIREAID)
Graham Nash has always stood up for causes he believes in, and in the latest case it has forced him to cancel an upcoming concert.
“We are disappointed to let you know that the July 31st Graham Nash show at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Henrico, VA has been canceled in solidarity with the workers on strike at the Botanical Garden,” reads a post on Nash's Instagram account. “We truly appreciate the loyalty of our audience and will work on a Richmond-area return to the stage in 2027.”
Ticket holders will receive refunds for purchased tickets.
According to the Henrico Citizen, unionized workers at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge back in April as they attempted to negotiate higher wages. They put on a one-day "unfair labor practice" strike on Wednesday, the workers' eighth this year.
Nash is currently on a summer tour that includes some co-headlining dates with Emmylou Harris. His next scheduled show is Saturday in Wilmington, North Carolina. A complete list of dates can be found at GrahamNash.com.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama stands on stage with daughter Sasha Obama during the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center in John Lewis Plaza on June 18, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama is letting folks know what music he’s been into this summer.
Obama just released his 2026 summer playlist, which features such classic tracks as The Police’s “Message in a Bottle,” David Bowie’s “Modern Love,” The Beatles’ “Revolution” and Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.”
He also included “Song of Good Hope,” by Irish singer Glen Hansard, who died Wednesday in a motorcycle accident in Dublin.
“Here are some of the songs I've been listening to this summer,” Obama writes on social media. “It starts with a song Michelle and I love by Glen Hansard, a great musician who passed tragically this week. Our hearts go out to his family.”
Other songs on the list include: “Can’t Hide Love” by Earth, Wind & Fire; “Anyone Who Had a Heart” by Luther Vandross; “Ain’t Nobody” by Chaka Khan; “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye; “Hold On I’m Coming” by Sam & Dave; “The Book” by Sheryl Crow; and “(I Know) I’m Losing You” by The Temptations.
The Grateful Dead has shared another preview of their upcoming live box set celebrating the summer of 1985.
The band has released a performance of "The Other One," recorded during their June 30, 1985, concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. It is available now via digital outlets.
"Dating back to 1967, 'The Other One' was the most consistently played psychedelic-era song in the Grateful Dead's repertoire, played straight through 1967-1995,” Dead legacy manager and audio archivist David Lemiuex writes in the video description. “This is the song that welcomes everyone, to this day, to get on the bus.”
The Merriweather Post Pavilion show is one of seven previously unreleased full concerts that make up the 20-CD box set Summer Magic 1985, dropping Sept. 18. The set celebrates the band’s 20th anniversary tour and includes their three 20th anniversary shows at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, June 14-16.
Summer Magic 1985 is limited to just 10,000 numbered copies and is available for preorder now on Dead.net.
In addition to the box set, the Merriweather Post Pavilion show will be released as a standalone three-CD or four-CD set. It is also available for preorder now.
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Paul McCartney's 'The Boys of Dungeon Lane' (MPL/Capitol Records)
Paul McCartney’s latest album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, has been nominated for the 2026 Mercury Prize, which recognizes the best albums from a British or Irish artist.
“What a brilliant and exciting surprise to be part of such an incredible list @mercuryprize,” McCartney writes on Instagram. “To have ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ recognised alongside so many brilliant artists and albums is a huge honour for me.”
“Thank you to everyone who continues to support and enjoy the album,” he adds. “We have been having so much fun along the way. From making it with @thisiswatt to getting it out there for people to hear. I must say the reaction has been really special. So this news has just totally blown me away.”
The Boys of Dungeon Lane is one of 12 records shortlisted for the 2026 Mercury Prize. Also nominated is Florence + The Machine’s Everybody Scream and the charity compilation HELP(2), as well as albums by RAYE, Olivia Dean, Suede and more.
The 2026 Mercury Prize will be presented Oct. 22 at a ceremony held at Utilita Arena in Newcastle, U.K. The winner receives a trophy and a cash prize of about $33,000.
Roger Taylor, Freddie Mercury, Brian May and John Deacon of Queen (Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns)
Queen has had another video reach 1 billion views on YouTube.
The latest is the performance video for the track “Don’t Stop Me Now,” from their 1978 album Jazz. The song, written by frontman Freddie Mercury, also appeared on the band’s 1981 Greatest Hits compilation.
The clip is Queen’s second video to join the Billion Views Club. The first was 1975's “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which went on to reach 2 billion views back in December 2025, making it the oldest song to ever reach such a milestone.
In other Queen news … The new Freddy Mercury book A Life in Lyrics: The Official Creative Legacy of Freddy Mercury is now available for preorder. The book is described as “the definitive creative record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.”
A Life in Lyrics features material from Mercury's notebooks, some of which has never been published before. It will be released Sept. 1, four days ahead of what would have been the late Queen frontman's 80th birthday.
Bono and Bruce Springsteen are among the artists paying tribute to Oscar-winning Irish singer Glen Hansard, who died Wednesday in a motorcycle accident in Dublin. He was 56.
Bono would often take part in Hansard’s Christmas Eve Busk in Dublin, which raised money for the homeless community. He shared his thoughts on Instagram Wednesday, alongside a video of him performing “Invisible” with Hansard.
“Sometimes I would wonder if Glen Hansard really existed,” Bono wrote. “Seriously, he was such an angelic presence… not otherworldly…in fact, very present this presence… A smiling rascal if you needed him to be… this most musical and mischievous archangel of Ballymun… no airs, plenty of graces.”
Bono ended his lengthy post with, "[A]nd I’m telling myself this morning that if he never existed, then he can never cease to exist. For me, he will always be everywhere I see a coin spinning into an open guitar case. May you rest in the peace you gave to so many.”
“Here on E Street, we are heartbroken over the death of Glen Hansard,” Springsteen wrote in his tribute on Instagram. “We met in Ireland many years ago and he was always nothing but a great musician, a good friend and a generous and gracious man. Always positive, smiling and ready to sing. God bless him and his loved ones.”
The day before his death, Hansard’s social media posted a video of him performing “Drive All Night” with Springsteen in Ireland.
“This week in 2013 Glen had the honor of joining Bruce @springsteen & the E Street Band on stage in Kilkenny for 'Drive All Night', which Glen released his own version of later that year,” the post read. “Were you there?”
Hansard’s version, which featured backing vocals by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder and saxophone from The E Street Band’s Jake Clemons, appeared on Hansard's 2013 EP, also titled Drive All Night.
Bon Jovi performs onstage at the Forever Tour Kick Off - New York at Madison Square Garden on July 07, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Bon Jovi)
Bon Jovi wrapped their nine-show Forever Tour stint at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, and frontman Jon Bon Jovi is reflecting on what he calls the “imperfectly perfect” experience.
The shows were the band’s first since 2022 and the first since Jon underwent vocal cord surgery that same year.
“First, I can not thank you all enough for your friendship, your kindness and your support,” Jon writes on Instagram. “We all shared in a very special experience, something unique to this moment but that’s been building for a decade.”
“Second, I woke up thinking these two words, IMPERFECTLY PERFECT. 9 nights, it was beautiful. It was real, it was human,” he continues. “I looked at each of my bandmates and at as many of you as I could see and I felt that resonance. That connection that can’t be described or felt unless it was experienced in person – to be written about or viewed. I know what happened. If you were there, so do you. It was special.”
“I’ll sleep tonight knowing that a decade of our journey, the highs and the lows, led me to these 9 nights,” he adds. “My reward is that I know I get to shine a light on so many people. All human in their existence, all just looking to find something in common, some connection… I know what it is. It’s light, it’s love. Imperfectly perfect… And I have figured out that somehow I’m lucky enough to still work here.”
Jon ends the post, “I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Bon Jovi next brings their Forever Tour to Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 28. After a show in Dublin on Aug. 30, the tour wraps with three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium Sept. 4-9.
Peter Gabriel performs at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Peter Gabriel has released yet another track from his upcoming album, o/i.
The latest is the song “One by One,” which Gabriel says is part of a side project he's talked about in the past, a show “with the brain as the central core.”
The song features a character called Mozo, which Gabriel says he introduced several years ago. He notes, "I thought, well, let’s give him another blast here. He’s been brought back from the dead."
As he did with his 2023 album i/o, Gabriel is releasing a new song from o/i with each full moon of the year. The entire album will be released by the end of 2026, along with Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes handled by Tchad Blake and Mark "Spike" Stent, respectively.
After teasing fans with news that was “coming soon,” The Beatles have announced a special expanded edition reissue of their 1965 album, Rubber Soul.
The reissue, newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell, will include new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the album, along with the original mono mix and the original Capitol U.S. album version of the record.
The expanded edition will also include a variety of bonus material, including previously unreleased session recordings and home demos. And as a preview of that bonus material, The Beatles have released an early take of “Michelle” to digital outlets.
Released Dec. 3, 1965, Rubber Soul, The Beatles’ sixth studio album, featured such iconic tracks as “Drive My Car,” “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown),” “Nowhere Man,” “Michelle” and “In My Life." The critically acclaimed album, which has made several lists of the best albums of all time, hit #1 in the U.S., U.K. and more, and has been certified six-times Platinum by the RIAA.
The reissue of Rubber Soul will be released on Oct. 2 in a variety of formats, including a special edition super deluxe five-LP or four-CD box set that comes with 68 tracks. The LP version comes with a 7-inch of “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out” in stereo. There will also be a four-CD set, a two-LP or two-CD edition and a Blu-ray edition.
Portrait of British pop group The Beatles (L-R) Paul McCartney, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Ringo Starr and John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at the BBC Television Studios in London before the start of their world tour, June 17, 1966. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
The Beatles appear to be teasing fans with news to come.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band’s website now has a countdown clock that appears to end on Wednesday, along with the tag line, “Good things come to those who Wait.”
The post also includes a video that features a tree and an apple rolling through a field of weeds.
The bottom of the post urges fans to sign up to the official Beatles mailing list, noting, “Exciting news is coming soon.”
So far there have been no other hints as to what the band may be ready to reveal.
The last time The Beatles teased fans about upcoming news was back in August 2025, which turned out to be reissues of their Anthology project. That included the rerelease of the Anthology documentary series, with a new episode; a reissue of the Anthology music collection, with a new fourth album; and a rerelease of the Anthology book.
Taylor Dayne at Harrah's Las Vegas admat (Courtesy of Sequoia Emanuelle)
Taylor Dayne, best known for '80s hits like “Tell it to My Heart,” “Don’t Rush Me” and “Love Will Lead You Back,” is headed to Las Vegas for her first-ever residency.
Dayne is set to headline eight shows at Harrah’s Las Vegas, with shows beginning Nov. 24 and running through Jan. 2.
"This Vegas residency is a profound career accomplishment for me. I get to bring my voice, stories, heart and soul to the iconic Harrah’s Las Vegas stage,” says Dayne. "Decades into my career, filled with radio hits, touring the world, television, film and theatre appearances, the Harrah’s shows feel like a 'Destination Celebration' for my fans."
"I’m excited for the fans to come to Vegas and celebrate the soundtrack of their lives with me nightly," she adds. "I’m honored to have curated a new live show that is filled with the stories, performances and production unlike any other I’ve done before."
Various presales run from Thursday at 10 a.m. PT to Thursday at 10 p.m. PT, with tickets going on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. PT.
Poster for 'Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers' (Green Street Entertainment/Evan Saxon Productions)
A new documentary about Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band is on the way, and fans are getting their first look at the film.
A new trailer has just been released for Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers, which had its premiere at the 2026 Santa Barbara Film Festival in February.
The film, narrated by actor Jeff Bridges, uses rare, never-before-seen archival footage and personal interviews to tell the story of Buffett and his longtime backing band. According to the description, “the film explores the musicians, friendships, touring years, and studio sessions that helped shape Buffett’s legendary sound.”
“The origin story of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band is fundamental for anyone interested in the history of music in this country,” says the film’s director, John H. Cunningham. “Long before the polished, world-renowned band that fans came to know over the last three decades, there was the original cast of fun-loving, irreverent, hard-partying musicians who, in the 1970s, laid the foundation for what would become one of the longest-running, most prolific, and successful touring acts in rock and roll history.”
Occupational Hazard: The First Coral Reefers is set to hit theaters in major cities on Sept. 4, which coincides with the annual Jimmy Buffett Day. The film will then get an On Demand/digital release in October.
Bret Michaels performs prior to Round Two of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Poison frontman Bret Michaels has postponed dates on his Live & Amplified World Tour after undergoing surgery to remove a kidney stone.
According to a post on Facebook, Michaels was diagnosed “with a complicated obstructing kidney stone requiring immediate surgery” on July 19.
“Due to the nature of Michaels’ post-operative condition and underlying health factors (diabetes, lower back compression fracture), he is restricted from performing for the next 3 to 4 weeks and only prescribed light physical activity as part of his recovery,” the post continues. It notes he "must strictly refrain from all live performances" until he's reevaluated by doctors to determine "when he can safely resume touring."
“I’m forever grateful for the amazing medical treatment and ongoing medical attention throughout my personal life and career, and truly grateful for family, friends, fans, band, crew and promoters for their understanding,” Michaels writes in the post. “[A]nd, if all goes well, will hit the road late August back to delivering 1000% energy, intensity and truly nothing but a good time.”
Updates on Michaels’ tour, and any rescheduled dates, can be found at BretMichaels.com. According to the site, Michaels’ next show was supposed to take place July 30 in Interlochen, Michigan.
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