Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds and Cercle reveal the outstanding live performance recorded on the occasion of Cercle’s First Show in Iceland, a suspended moment in one of the island’s most remote locations.

It’s a gentle, poetic moment, with no hint of the difficulties involved in staging a concert broadcast live from a remote location without an internet connection.

The Show offered a moment at the crossroad of genres: “Because we were doing this Show with Cercle, it was appropriate to play more upbeat songs. We had so much fun doing it, rearranging our tracks so they sound more like dance music… but with a string quartet!”, explained Ólafur Arnalds. A challenge met with flying colours, it resulted in a fulfilling moment alternating between acoustic sounds and electronic rhythms. It’s the outcome of a real collaboration, in which both parties worked hand in hand.

Alongside his project with Cercle, Ólafur continues his highly loved Ultimate Calm series for BBC Radio 3. In Series 2, he invites the listener on a journey of calm meditating on a different theme. Each episode includes a curated selection of tracks around the particular theme and features a special guest who offers their sonic inspiration for calm. In Series 2, the diverse set of guests includes Arlo Parks, Ibeyi, AURORA, Alfa Mist and James Acaster.  Listen to the latest episodes of Ultimate Calm here.

Ólafur Arnalds also renews his exclusive artist deal with Mercury KX (an imprint at Decca Records) following 10 years of a successful global partnership. The label began working with the pioneering artist back in 2013 with the album For Now I am Winter and his BAFTA winning soundtrack Broadchurch (starring David Tennant and Olivia Coleman). Throughout the partnership, Arnalds has released five critically and commercially successful albums, short films and soundtracks amassing over 1.5 billion streams, 150k physical units and selling out live venues across the globe.

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Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer, performer, and international pop icon P!NK announces her highly anticipated return to Australia with a massive tour in February and March, 2024.

P!NK’s Summer Carnival 2024 will commence in Sydney at Allianz Stadium on February 9, followed by Newcastle’s McDonald Jones Stadium on February 13, Suncorp Stadium Brisbane on February 16, Metricon Stadium Gold Coast on February 20, Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on February 23, Adelaide Oval on February 27, and concluding at Perth’s Optus Stadium on March 1. Special guests will be announced at a later date.

The announcement of P!NK’s Summer Carnival tour of Australia coincides with the release of her highly anticipated new album, “TRUSTFALL”, available from February 17, 2023 via RCA Records.

P!nk said to us,” I am so excited to finally get a chance to tour Australia and New Zealand in the summer!! I can’t wait to bring the Summer Carnival Tour to my home away from home, and smile and sing together until our cheeks hurt. Summer 2024 can’t come soon enough!”

P!NK is a 3 time Grammy Award winner and has had 5 #1 albums in Australia, including Hurts 2B Human, Funhouse, Greatest Hits…So Far!!!, The Truth About Love and Beautiful Trauma.

Produced by Live Nation, the Australian tour follows P!NK’s 21-city UK / European tour commencing June 7 until July 16 and her 23-city North American/Canadian tour commencing July 24 through October 9, 2023.

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When I saw a Blu-Ray release for Paul McCartney’s Get Back I had to get my Google on because I remember a Beatles documentary with a similar name.

It turns out I was right, the Beatles doco chronicling the breakup of The Beatles does share the name, but this movie is a very different beast, in all the right ways.

Paul McCartney’s Get Back covers his first solo tour so I figured I would go into it blind.  Was it going to be backstage and show all the events of the tour? Was it going to deep dive into his choices? Was there going to be a small handful of songs, or just snips of songs?

Basically the movie, originally released in 1991, is just a mash up of songs from his tour. That’s it.

The live songs are from heaps of different concerts from The Paul McCartney World Tour, and they are mashed together that you don’t get a strong feeling that they are from different shows. You clearly tell from some of the shots that they are in different venues, and sometimes the clothes changes make that apparent.  But the stitching has been done brilliantly to make it feel like you are just chucking on any other live Blu-Ray.

What makes this more of a movie and less of just a live concert is the awesome use of other video footage as the songs played.  Shots and videos from things like the Vietnam War and other major moments in history help place the writing of the songs and their context. Throws in some video footage of the Beatles and Beatlemania are a great reflection of the songs being performed.

Speaking of which, you may be thinking I don’t know that many Paul McCartney solo songs.

Well that’s all good, neither did I.

A massive chunk of the songs are The Beatles jams and they sound fantastic live. Hell I prefer some of these versions to their originals. I know, sacrilege, but ah well. I said it now, you can’t stop me.

There aren’t any special features or anything on the disc.  It’s just a damn good looking, damn good sounding re-release of a damn good concert movie.  Fans of The Beatles or Paul McCartney would be crazy not to pick this gem up.

The post Paul McCartney’s Get Back (Blu-Ray) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

On this day, exactly 47 years ago, Elton John’s legendary performance at Dodger Stadium launched him into global stardom, and next month, he will come full circle, returning to Dodger Stadium to grace us with his final North American show.

Exclusively streamed live on Disney+ on Monday, November 21, 2022, “Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” will be the first-ever livestream event for Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand.

“Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” is a once-in-a-lifetime live, global original concert event that offers fans from around the world a front-row seat to witness the groundbreaking magic of the Rocket Man back at Dodger Stadium.

The historic three-hour livestream, from Disney Branded Television and produced by Fulwell 73 Productions and Rocket Entertainment, will showcase Elton John as audiences have never seen him before, paying tribute to the icon and the seminal moment in 1975 that cemented his global success.  The concert will begin with “Countdown to Elton Live” from Dodger Stadium.

“To feel the energy from the best fans, not only in Dodger Stadium again, but this time around the world from those watching live at home, will be truly extra special for me,” said Elton John. “I’m thrilled to celebrate this momentous evening globally. I hope everyone feels the power and joy of performing on a stage as iconic as Dodger’s. Just like I did almost 50 years ago.”

“Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” will commemorate a watershed evening in music history as it unfolds in real-time at Dodger Stadium, giving fans 50,000+ fans in person and countless admirers worldwide, the rare chance to experience his biggest hits from the past 50 years. The extraordinary night also will feature several yet-to-be-announced big-name artists who will honour the legendary megastar on stage.

“Sir Elton John’s impact on music and culture is unparalleled, and this concert event is sure to be one for the history books,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “We’re thrilled to bring this exclusive, up-close, backstage-to-front-row-seat experience to audiences around the world, live on Disney+.”

“Having grown up in England in the 1980s and 90s, we like everyone else of our generation, can think of countless moments where Elton’s music was the soundtrack to our lives” said Fulwell 73 Productions’ Gabe Turner and Ben Winston, in a joint statement. “To be able to work with Sir Elton and the Disney team on what will undoubtedly become a cultural milestone is both a personal and professional highlight that we are so thankful for.”

This spectacular evening will serve as a prelude to the highly anticipated 2023 Disney Original Documentary “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend,” from Academy Award nominee R.J. Cutler and filmmaker David Furnish. As the official feature on Elton John, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” will unveil unseen rehearsal and concert footage over the last 50 years, along with exclusive personal archives and interviews. The definitive portrait of Elton John also will spotlight his final months on the road and a look back at the extraordinary first five years of his career between 1970 and 1975, when he released 10 iconic albums, seven of which went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts to become a global phenomenon. The film will play festivals and have a theatrical run before it streams on Disney+.

“Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium” is produced by Fulwell 73 Productions and Rocket Entertainment. Fulwell 73 Productions has executed and captured some of the biggest moments in music history, including Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Party, “Adele: One Night Only,” “Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at The Apollo,” “GRAMMYS,” and many more. Executive producers for Fulwell 73 Productions are Gabe Turner, Ben Winston, Emma Conway and Sally Wood, who also serves as showrunner. For Rocket Entertainment, Elton John, David Furnish and Luke Lloyd Davies are executive producers. RJ Cutler is executive producer. For Disney Branded Television, Marc Buhaj is vice president, unscripted and nonfiction, and Nicole Silveira is vice president, unscripted.

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GRAMMY award winning and chart-topping artist Billie Eilish will make her Disney+ debut with “Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” a cinematic concert experience.

Directed by Robert Rodriguez and by Oscar-winner Patrick Osborne the special will also include animated elements, taking viewers on a dreamlike journey through Billie’s hometown of Los Angeles and its most iconic backdrops.

“Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” features FINNEAS, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, and world renowned Brazilian guitarist, Romero Lubambo, with Orchestra Arrangements by David Campbell.

“Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” was produced by Interscope Films and Darkroom Productions, in associate with Nexus Studios and Aron Levine Productions, with Kerry Asmussen as the Live Concert Director and Pablo Berron as Director of Photography.

Seven time GRAMMY award winning artist Billie Eilish’s brand-new album “Happier Than Ever” was written by Billie and her brother FINNEAS, who also produced the album.

The album debuted at No. 1 in 19 countries and has since spent a total of three consecutive weeks in the U.S. Previous to “Happier Than Ever” Eilish’s breakout album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release in 2019, and was the most streamed album of that year.

She later went on to make history that year as the youngest artist to receive nominations and wins in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY Awards. Most recently, she took home both Record of the Year for “everything i wanted,” and Best Song Written For Visual Media for “No Time To Die” at this year’s 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards.

Writer / Director Robert Rodriguez directed the action films “Desperado” and “From Dusk Til Dawn.” Additional film credits include “Sin City,” “Alita Battle Angel,” “We Can Be Heroes,” and the “Spy Kids” films, all of which were produced at his Troublemaker Studios facility in Austin, Texas.

Patrick Osborne is an American animator, screenwriter and film director. In 2014 he won the Academy for Best Animation Short Film for “Feast” his directorial debut, and followed this up with the innovative Emmy winning and Oscar nominated VR short Pearl in 2017.

He served as the animation director for ABC’s comedy series “Imaginary Mary.” Previous to that, Osborne was an animator for films such as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wreck-It-Ralph” and “Bolt.”

Under the leadership of Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil offers live performances, media initiatives and learning programs that inspire and strengthen communities in Los Angeles and beyond.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra is the foundation of the LA Phil’s offerings, which also include a multi-genre, multidisciplinary presenting program and such youth development programs as YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles).

Performances are offered on three historic stages, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford, as well as through a variety of media platforms. In all its endeavors, the LA Phil seeks to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through musical, artistic and learning experiences that resonate in our world today.

“Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” will premier globally on Friday, September 3rd, 2021.

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Pseudo Echo take you back in time with their ninth studio album “1990 The Lost Album Demos” which was released in June this year.

This body of work is an extraordinarily unique time capsule, preserved in its original format, filling an important missing link in the history of Pseudo Echo.  Brian Canham felt it equally important to make this album available to the people… the fans…

Pseudo Echo are one Australia’s leading recording and touring acts, having pioneered the eighties with their stylized look and electro sound, establishing themselves as one of the most iconic and influential, multi award-winning bands in the country. At their peak they were awarded “Australia’s Most Popular Band”, as well as Brian Canham taking the crown for “Australia’s Most Popular Male Performer”.

Famous for their world-wide No.1 smash hit “Funky Town”, the band has also released a string of Gold & Platinum albums, featuring unforgettable Top 10 electro-pop hits including “ Listening”, “A Beat for You”, “Don’t Go”, “Love An Adventure” and “Living in a Dream”.

It is with extreme disappointment that Pseudo Echo need to postpone their national tour and move it to 2022. Ticket holders can use their tickets for the next shows or get a full refund from place of purchase.

AFFECTED LOCATIONS: SYDNEY, PERTH, ADELAIDE AND BRISBANE

This is due to the delayed national vaccination program and the developing situation across several key locations who are now responding to the COVID DELTA variant.

“To our loyal fans, due to border closures and COVID restrictions beyond our control, Pseudo Echo have been forced to reschedule our 2021 National Tour.  Due to limited venue availability, all dates (excluding Melbourne which is going ahead as planned) have been moved to February 2022. We hope we can see you all again soon. Until then, stay safe and keep up to date with us on our socials.” – Brian Canham.

REVISED TOUR DATES

AUGUST 2021
Saturday 14th              Palms at Crown, Melbourne, VIC (REMAINS UNCHANGED)

FEBRUARY 2022
Friday 4th                     The Astor, Perth, WA
Friday 11th                   The Triffid, Brisane, QLD

Saturday 19th              The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Saturday 26th              The Factory, Sydney, NSW

The post PSEUDO ECHO POSTPONE ‘1990 THE LOST ALBUM DEMO’S’ TOUR appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Bon Jovi, Encore Nights and Trafalgar Releasing announce an exclusive new concert experience will air at cinemas around the world on Thursday 10th June 2021.

The concert film will be shown for one night only at venues globally.

Following cancelled tour dates due to COVID, the legendary live performers wanted to reach fans globally and give us all a taste of what we have to look forward to as live music returns. As one of the planet’s biggest rock bands, Bon Jovi are known for their incredible live shows and this June they will be bringing fans every ounce of that live energy. Captured at the Paramount Theater in Jon Bon Jovi’s home state of New Jersey, the band will perform all-time classics like “You Give Love A Bad Name”, “It’s My Life”, “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, “Bad Medicine”, and of course, “Livin’ On A Prayer”. Plus they will debut new songs from their hugely successful fifteenth studio album 2020.

The Bon Jovi experience is part of the 2021 Encore Nights concert series and follows the massive success of Encore Nights 2020.

Last year, Encore Nights pioneered in-person COVID-era entertainment, producing concert events with superstars acts Metallica, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Kane Brown that safely entertained nearly a million fans at drive-in and outdoor theaters across North America. As the world begins to reopen, Encore Nights is continuing to reinvent live entertainment by bringing the experience to fans around the world.

Through an exclusive new distribution agreement with Trafalgar Releasing, Encore Nights will screen its future slate of programming to a global network of indoor theaters providing fans with amazing concert experiences at their local cinema.

“Our Encore Nights series was dreamt up and kicked off last year to provide fans across North America a fun and safe new way to watch their favorite acts perform amid the pandemic,” said Encore Nights CEO Walter Kinzie. “Little did we know at the time that there would be global enthusiasm for these concert experiences! We can’t wait to bring fans all over the world Bon Jovi like they’ve never seen ‘em before for this one-night-only event. Grab some friends and get some popcorn because it’s going to be a great time!”

“Bon Jovi has always been supportive of reaching fans through event cinema since the early 2000’s,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP of Content Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing. “With most concert tours still halted, and fans missing live concerts, we are thrilled that Bon Jovi fans will have an opportunity to come together and share this experience as a community in their local cinemas across the globe.”

Over an illustrious career spanning more than three decades, Bon Jovi has earned their place among global rock royalty. With over 130 million albums sold worldwide, an extensive catalog of hit anthems, thousands of concerts performed in more than 50 countries for more than 35 million fans, and ticket grosses well over $1 billion around the world in the last decade alone, Bon Jovi is the consummate rock & roll band.

The band features Bon Jovi originals David Bryan and Tico Torres alongside Jon, plus long time bassist Hugh McDonald, lead guitarist Phil X who joined the band on the road beginning in 2013, co-producer and co-songwriter John Shanks, and multi-instrumentalist Everett Bradley.

Tickets for the Bon Jovi From Encore Nights show are on sale now at bonjovievent.com. For more information and to see if a venue near you is presenting the show, visit the website for details. North American venues will broadcast the event on May 22, 2021, all other territories will screen on June 10, 2021 or later. Additional acts and screenings will be announced at later dates.

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Spark in partnership with Eden Park will be switching on 5G at New Zealand’s national stadium this Saturday, where thousands of fans are expected to attend Eden Park’s first ever concert – SIX60.

Eden Park will become the first 5G-connected stadium in Auckland, giving guests who have a 5G compatible phone access to super-fast speeds and outstanding reliability to share videos and photos of the long-anticipated event.

Spark’s Technology Director, Mark Beder says that this is an exciting extension to our partnership with Eden Park and that while the immediate benefit of 5G will be faster and more reliable connectivity compared to 4G, it’s only the start of how 5G will enhance the way New Zealanders watch their favourite sporting match or experience a world-class event.

“One of the key differences between 4G and 5G is its ability to enable mass connectivity, which will take us from a world of not just connecting people, but to a world of connecting almost anything.

“In the future, 5G will completely transform the way we experience live events. This could be anything from using virtual reality to provide fans with front-row concert experiences from their couch, improving in-person experiences with augmented reality, or reducing the time waiting in a queue for drinks and food with artificial intelligence self-service checkouts. The opportunities to improve customer experience and business efficiency are endless.”

At this stage, coverage extends over 75% of Eden Park with 5G available in the East and West Stand, the No.1 Field, the lower South Stand and part of the lower North Stand, with the view of expanding this further over the coming months.

Eden Park CEO Nick Sautner says the initiative will further align the 118-year-old stadium with some of the world’s best venues.

“We are thrilled to work alongside Spark to enhance the experience at New Zealand’s national stadium with 5G for both fans at major events and functions throughout the year. Technology plays an integral role in delivering unforgettable events and we look forward to continuing to upgrade our fan experience through partnerships with brands like Spark,” says Sautner.

Fans who want to experience what 5G can offer at SIX60 this Saturday 24th April 2021 will need to have a 5G compatible mobile phone.

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YouTube, Island Records, Interscope, UMe, and UMC today announce U2: The Virtual Road, a series of four concerts broadcast for the first time exclusively on the band’s YouTube channel, for 48 hours only.

U2: The Virtual Road also marks the first time that three of these concerts – Slane, Red Rocks and Mexico – have been made available digitally.

U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle celebrates the band’s return to the legendary Irish concert site on 1st of September 2001 for their first performance on the banks of the River Boyne in over twenty years. And in an exclusive YouTube performance, Dermot Kennedy will open the show with a solo performance recorded last week outside Los Angeles.

On the 25th of March 2021 fans can tune in to see U2: Live At Red Rocks recorded on 5th June 1983 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, United States on the band’s War Tour.

A career definiing show, the rain-soaked performance at the iconic venue helped establish U2’s reputation as one of the greatest live acts in the world. And another Grammy-nominated Dublin band, Fontaines D.C. will open the show with a performance recorded in their hometown last year.

The PopMart Tour stormed into Mexico City in December 1997 for a memorable show at the Foro Sol Stadium and 1st of April 2021 will see Carla Morrison open for the band, only on YouTube, for a very special one-off performance ahead of Popmart: Live From Mexico City.

In December 2015, U2 returned to Paris less than a month after the 13th of November terrorist attacks on the city for two rescheduled shows. iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE: Live in Paris marked the final performance on the tour, an unforgettable evening which included an emotional performance of Patti Smith’s ‘People Have The Power’. On 10th April 2021, YouTube will broadcast the show for the very first time.

“Every show is memorable for us but these four particularly so… It’s exciting to be on the road again… Embracing all the wonder of the virtual road… And especially exciting to be joined by such a brilliant line-up of fellow travellers in Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C., Carla Morrison and Feu! Chatterton.” – Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry

Dan Chalmers, Director of YouTube Music for EMEA said – “It’s fantastic that YouTube is partnering with U2 for this exclusive broadcast. The four concerts featured in The Virtual Road are the most memorable and iconic in the band’s history, and indeed rock history at large.

As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, U2 have been at the top of the global rock scene for the past four decades. When they perform, the world takes notice – their performances are always a landmark moment for music lovers around the world. We’re proud to be providing the platform for an artist that has come to embody the definitive live music experience.”

Sam Lunn, Head of Campaign Strategy, Island Records said – “One of  the reasons U2 remain one of the greatest and most interesting bands in music is their desire to always break new ground. No band has managed to combine emotion, ambition, innovation and spectacle to produce such consistently brilliant live shows. With the announcement of The Virtual Road, and this hugely exciting partnership with YouTube, U2 are once again leading the way with this incredibly exciting virtual concert series.”

In September last year, YouTube, Island Records, Interscope, UMe, and UMC announced the relaunch of U2’s Official YouTube Channel with weekly releases of the band’s most iconic music videos and never before seen content on YouTube, all remastered at the highest possible standard. The coming year will see the band’s music video catalog remastered in HD and launched exclusively on YouTube.

Throughout their career, U2 has been known for their unparalleled creative vision and artistry when bringing their music to life on screen.

As new and remastered content is added over the next year, their YouTube channel will evolve as a hub to celebrate the band’s 40-year legacy and the evolution of their approach to video. Highlights will include previously unreleased live, behind the scenes, and remixed content, and some of their best-known music videos upgraded to HD for the first time ever, up to 4K quality whenever possible.

The project will result in hundreds of new and upgraded videos being added to the channel and a curated experience for fans to be able to explore the depth of the catalog.

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