Wolfgang Van Halen backs out of Black Sabbath farewell show
Wolfgang Van Halen has announced that he's withdrawing from Black Sabbath's Back To The Beginning farewell show, which will take place at Birmingham's Villa Park on July 5.
Van Halen, who was originally slated to perform as part of an all-star 'supergroup' alongside Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins), Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine), David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), Fred Durst (Limp Bizkit) and Jonathan Davis (Korn), confirmed his exit during an interview with Detroit's WRIF Radio.
"I, unfortunately, had to back out because the Creed tour starts the day after, and I [wouldn't] be able to pull it off, unfortunately," says Van Halen, whose band Mammoth are supporting on the tour. "I'm very excited to watch it, but I unfortunately had to back out."
Creed's tour actually kicks off four days after the Sabbath show, on July 9, at the Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY, so it must be assumed that Van Halen has pre-production duties and rehearsals to attend.
Yesterday, Black Sabbath shared a first glimpse of their rehearsals for their last-ever show, when Ozzy Osbourne posted a picture of himself, drummer Bill Ward and bassist Geezer Butler as they readied themselves for the show.
Osbourne is set to perform both with Sabbath and as a solo artist, and the supporting lineup includes Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Gojira, Mastodon, Anthrax and many more.
Tickets to Back To The Beginning quickly sold out after it was announced in February, but it was recently confirmed that the show will be live-streamed. Tickets to the stream are on sale now.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Amazon Prime Day streaming deal: Get half-off two months of Apple TV+
Prime Day is nearly upon us. And while the biggest stars of July 8-11 will probably be the deals on kitchen, beauty and electronics — including Apple products — there's also rare streaming deals you can take advantage of as an Amazon Prime Subscriber. Now through July 11, you can score 50% off two months of the Apple TV+ Prime Video add-on. Are you ready to start streaming — and saving? Here's everything you need to know about this Apple TV+ Prime Day streaming deal. Anyone who streams anything these days knows that streaming platforms rarely (if ever, *cough* Netflix *cough*) have sales. But not only is this Amazon Prime Day deal a rare gem, it will also save you $10 and get you two months of ad-free access to some great shows and movies, which feels especially significant in this day and age of streaming costs. While Apple TV+ typically costs $10/month, during Prime Day, you can get two months of access for half off — that's just $5/month — and catch up on the latest shows everyone's talking about. Did you miss the last season of Severance? Or want to see what Murderbot is all about after Alexander Skarsgård's wacky press tour? Is this summer when you finally start the Emmy-winning The Morning Show? The streaming service is your oyster! Looking for more shows to watch on Apple TV+? We've got you covered. Sign Up Amazon Prime Day runs from July 8-11 this year, but this streaming deal is live now! The Apple TV+ Prime Video add-on deal is only available to Amazon Prime subscribers, now through July 11. Shop Prime Day deals: Best Amazon Prime Day tech deals | Prime Day 2025 early deals | Amazon Prime Day deals | Everything you need to know about Amazon Prime Day
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nandy demands ‘accountability at highest levels' after Bob Vylan broadcast
Ministers expect 'accountability at the highest levels' for the BBC's decision to screen Bob Vylan at Glastonbury, the Culture Secretary has said. Lisa Nandy told the Commons she has heard from the BBC but was 'not satisfied with the response'. Punk duo Bob Vylan led chants of 'death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)' during their Worthy Farm set last weekend, and face an investigation by Avon and Somerset Police. London's Metropolitan Police is also investigating the two Bobs – who perform using the aliases Bobby Vylan and Bobbie Vylan – for allegedly making similar comments at Alexandra Palace in May. Conservative shadow culture secretary Stuart Andrew told the Commons: 'Given the BBC are seemingly able to pull live broadcasts when things go wrong at football matches, for example, it's extraordinary that this didn't happen on this occasion. 'Can the Secretary of State update the House on the discussions she's had with the BBC, and why the same thing didn't happen on this occasion? 'What due diligence was carried out by them about the acts that were performing? 'And given as she's said we're still waiting for a response to the previous Hamas documentary, is she satisfied with those conversations she's had and the urgency that the organisation are taking?' Ms Nandy replied: 'No, the answer is that I'm not satisfied with the response that I've had.' The Culture Secretary previously made a ministerial statement in the Commons on Monday, when she said 'it should have been foreseeable that there would be problems with broadcasts'. She told MPs then that she wanted 'rapid action to make sure this cannot happen again'. In Thursday's update, Ms Nandy told MPs: 'I have received a reply to the very many questions that were raised by colleagues on all sides. 'I'm not satisfied with that, and I have gone back to the BBC leadership to ask for further information, in particular, as he mentioned, about the failure to pull the live feed, about the due diligence that was done prior to deciding to screen this act, and also about the level of senior oversight that took place in the BBC during the Glastonbury weekend. 'I think the BBC leadership will hear and have heard the strength of feeling in this House about this, and I expect further answers to be forthcoming imminently.' The corporation removed the documentary Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone from its online iPlayer platform in February after it emerged its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. In a follow-up question, Mr Andrew said: 'I'm as disappointed as she is that they haven't been able to come back with even basic facts. 'There were hundreds of BBC staff there and not being able to identify who ultimately had the final decision on whether to broadcast or not is not acceptable, and I think the chairman (Samir Shah) needs to inform her as a matter of urgency who that was and what action they are going to take. 'While I absolutely understand the independence of the BBC, just as artists can't hide behind artistic expression for vile commentary, neither can the BBC hide behind independence for accountability, and I hope she knows she has the full support of this side of the House as she pushes them for clarity.' Ms Nandy said she was 'grateful' that Mr Andrew had made 'the very important distinction between independence and accountability'. She continued: 'Given the seriousness of what happened – and particularly we heard in the House and I was able to bring to the House the absolute shocking stories of the impact that this has had on the Jewish community in this country – given the seriousness of this, I would expect there to be accountability at the highest levels.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Baby raves?! There was just one in L.A. and it was weird and wild with glow sticks galore
Natalie Z. Briones is a concert veteran. She's been to heavy metal concerts and a punk music festival where she napped most of the time. On Sunday, she attended her first baby rave. Natalie is a few months shy of two. In the arms of her dad, Alvin Briones, 36, the pigtailed toddler squealed 'Hi!' to anyone passing by the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood where the Briones family was lined up to meet Lenny Pearce, the mastermind behind Natalie's favorite song, 'The Wheels on the Bus.' It's not the classic version most parents sing while slowly swaying and clapping — Pearce's rendition rages with enough bass to rattle rib cages. Natalie is here for it, and so is her mom, Alondra Briones, who plays the techno remix during her drives to work even without Natalie in the backseat. 'It's a pick-me-up,' said Alondra, 28, from Compton, before filing into the theater with other parents and caregivers for an afternoon rager with their kids. In Pearce's techno remixes of classic children's music, an unexpected subgenre is taking off — toddler techno — which melds the cloyingly sweet lyrics of songs like 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' with the edgy beat drops associated with music from gritty warehouse parties. The unlikely musical pairing creates a bridge between parents like Sandra Mikhail and her 6-year-old daughter, Mila. Both dressed in fuchsia at Pearce's dance party, the mother-daughter duo were there to celebrate Mila's promotion from kindergarten. In their Riverside home, Pearce's music is on heavy rotation. 'I can handle kids' music now,' said Sandra, 38. 'With the beat and [Pearce] adding that techno touch to it, it makes me able to tolerate listening to it all day long.' For the last year, Pearce has been hosting sold-out dance parties boldly called baby raves — first in his native Australia — then on the first leg of his U.S. tour, which culminated in a June 29 double-header at the Roxy. In the afternoon show timed for that sweet spot many parents know well — post-nap and right before the evening witching hours — Pearce pranced, high-fived kids and waved at babies being hoisted in the air. At 34, he's been an entertainer for most of his life. Over a decade ago, he was dancing in music videos as a member of the Australian boy band, Justice Crew. Now, he's firmly affixed in his dad era. His dance partner is now a large balloon spider named Incy Wincy. 'I'm just being a dad on stage,' said Pearce in a video interview from New York. 'I can make a clown of myself to entertain kids.' Pearce's journey into children's entertainment seemed preordained, if only because his identical twin brother is arguably the second most famous purple character on a children's TV show (behind Barney, of course). 'We're both in the toddler scene,' said John Pearce, the older twin by minutes, who in 2021 joined 'The Wiggles' cast as the Purple Wiggle. '[My brother's] stuck with it for a long time, and it's all paid off now.' At the Roxy, many parents and caregivers said they found Pearce through the Purple Wiggle. Others discovered him on social media: He has more than 2 million followers on TikTok and more than 1 million followers on Instagram. Before becoming children's entertainers, the Pearce brothers were members of Justice Crew, a dance troupe that won 'Australia's Got Talent' in 2010. For a few years, the boy band's future burned white hot with the aspiration to break through in the U.S. — a dream that never materialized. Most boy bands have a finite time in the spotlight, said Pearce. In 2016, he quit the Justice Crew to focus on DJing and music production, but the transition from boy band to toddler techno didn't happen overnight. For a time, he worked as a salesperson at an Australian electronic store. 'People were like, 'Aren't you from Justice Crew?'' he said. 'And I'm like, 'Yeah. Now, do you want this lens with that camera?'' In 2022, becoming a dad to his daughter Mila changed the course of his creativity. Pearce started remixing children's songs with 'ravey' music and filming himself dancing with her to the songs. Soon, other parents started sharing videos of their kids dancing to his songs, too. In this way, social media allows for ideas to be refined until something sticks. In March, Pearce released his first solo album aptly titled, 'Toddler Techno.' All along the way, he imagined playing these songs at mini raves. For this generation of kids and their millennial parents, it's not a stretch, said Pearce. Pretend DJ tables are just as commonly sold in toy aisles as construction trucks. In the fall, Pearce and his baby raves will return to the U.S. — and, yes, to L.A. — in a 30-city tour. As a solo artist, he's done what he couldn't do in a band — he's broken through to the U.S. and international audiences. 'It's funny, isn't it?' said Pearce. 'I always felt like I had something to say, but no one really listened.' The roots of techno — in Detroit or Berlin depending on whom you talk to — were always antiestablishment, said Ambrus Deak, program manager of music production at the Los Angeles Film School. 'It was exploratory,' said Deak, a longtime DJ who went by DJ AMB, about techno. Toddler techno plays with that contrast — an edgy genre made safe for kids. Deak would not attend a baby rave — 'It would be very cringe for me,' he said — but sees the appeal. 'I can definitely see a lot of people being into it,' said Deak, 48. Still, not everyone is sold on the idea of taking kids to a rave — even one held in the middle of the day with a face-painting station. In the comments of Pearce's social media posts, parents occasionally debate the appropriateness of exposing kids to drug-addled rave culture. 'I know that most people would say, 'Is this the image we want to teach our kids?'' said Pearce. 'What image are you imagining? Because if you think about it, they're just kids with light sticks, right?' He gets the concern, but kids don't know about the darker sides of raves unless they are taught. And that's not what his baby raves are about. In the right dose, some experts say techno music and baby raves can be beneficial for kids and parents. 'Parents' happiness and stress regulation also matter,' said Jenna Marcovitz, director of the UCLA Health Music Therapy program. 'Techno can promote oxytocin and boost endorphins. It can encourage joy and play and really support brain development, emotional regulation and really enhance the parent-child bond as well.' At the Roxy, one man vigorously pumped his fist to the beat of the music. 'Fist pump like this!' he shouted to the child on his shoulders. Both fists — little and big — jabbed the air. Everything — especially baby raves — should be enjoyed in moderation. The pulsating music, giant inflatables tossed into the crowd and sudden blasts of fog can overstimulate kids. For the roughly one-hour show, the music is loud. Typically set to 85 to 90 decibels, Pearce said. Having a sensory support plan is key, said Marcovitz, who recommends toddlers wear headphones with a noise reduction rating of 20 to 30 decibels or higher — like this one or this one. Practicing dance parties at home, so your child knows what to expect, is also helpful. At the rave, look for signs of overstimulation, which can present differently with each child — some might shut down while others might start shoving each other mosh pit-style. At the Roxy show, one toddler sat down, ate half a bag of Goldfish crackers and poured the rest on the floor. Another disappeared into the crowd for a few alarming moments before being returned by a good Samaritan. 'For any child, I would recommend breaks every 30 minutes,' said Marcovitz. 'Step outside.' Because techno hypes people up — even little kids — it's important to help a child regulate their nervous system back down after the show. 'Lots of cuddles, silence and hugs,' said Marcovitz. Pearce also starts the party late, so the dance party before the rave can tucker kids out before he takes the stage. Ashley and Todd Herles drove from Santa Clarita to the Roxy so their son, Oliver, 3, could meet Pearce before the show. They said they bought $120 VIP tickets, which included a meet and greet and table seats where Oliver got to high-five Kuma, Pearce's dancing sidekick in a turquoise monkey suit. For Pearce's November 23 show at the Novo in downtown Los Angeles, ticket prices currently range from $48 to $195, fees and taxes included. Overall, Oliver loved it — until he didn't. '[The] meltdown happened around 1:40 so we left then,' said Ashley, 40. They had big post-rave plans to refuel with french fries. But Oliver was tired. And, most importantly? 'Our backs hurt,' said Ashley. Sign up for The Wild newsletter to get weekly insider tips on the best of our beaches, trails, parks, deserts, forests and mountains. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
