Latest news with #AaronJames
The Advertiser
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Wrexham juggernaut meets huge Hawks on Australian tour
Aaron James is a hard man to awe, given everything that has happened over the past four years at Wrexham. But the English soccer defender felt he'd arrived in the land of the giants when he and his Wrexham AFC teammates visited AFL club Hawthorn. "I've watched a little bit of it (AFL) - the size of the players, it's just crazy," James told reporters on Tuesday at Waverley Park. "I stood next to one of them and it's like looking up at the stars. It's amazing." It's Wrexham who boast the star power as the Welsh soccer phenomenons tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time, with the team flying in on Monday Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in 2021 and have turned the club into a sporting juggernaut. James said Reynolds and McElhenney had not made the trip, which will feature friendlies against Melbourne Victory on Friday, then Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix. Wrexham have won promotion three times in the past three seasons and are now in the Championship, one step below the UK's Premier League. It's all been documented in the hit TV series Welcome to Wrexham, helping build a solid international fan base for the team. "We've been to America quite a lot and the fans were massive, really enthusiastic," said James, who is visiting Australia for the first time. "Coming over here, it will be nice to see a different group of fans - playing the games as well, seeing what the Australian teams are like will be really good." Hawthorn player Conor Nash, who grew up in Ireland playing soccer, said Wrexham were in for an enthusiastic Australian welcome. "I've watched their journey on the TV over the last few seasons. It's been good fun and great to meet them," Nash said. "I know there's a huge fan base down here with the (TV) series ... it will be a pretty enjoyable experience for them." Nash and his teammates will miss Wrexham's match against Victory, given their big Perth game on Saturday against Fremantle. Hawthorn's head of coaching development, former senior coach Brett Ratten, gave a short speech as the two teams exchanged guernseys at Waverley Park. Ratten visited Wrexham in the off-season as part of his ongoing coach education. "It's amazing what they've done, three promotions in three years," he told the Hawks and Wrexham players. Ratten explained that the Wrexham-Hawthorn connection has an origin that goes back decades. The Hawks' club doctor Liam West grew up only 20km from Wrexham kit man, or property steward, Ian Pugh-Jones. They lived either side of the England-Wales border and are long-time friends, helping create the link between the two football clubs. Aaron James is a hard man to awe, given everything that has happened over the past four years at Wrexham. But the English soccer defender felt he'd arrived in the land of the giants when he and his Wrexham AFC teammates visited AFL club Hawthorn. "I've watched a little bit of it (AFL) - the size of the players, it's just crazy," James told reporters on Tuesday at Waverley Park. "I stood next to one of them and it's like looking up at the stars. It's amazing." It's Wrexham who boast the star power as the Welsh soccer phenomenons tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time, with the team flying in on Monday Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in 2021 and have turned the club into a sporting juggernaut. James said Reynolds and McElhenney had not made the trip, which will feature friendlies against Melbourne Victory on Friday, then Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix. Wrexham have won promotion three times in the past three seasons and are now in the Championship, one step below the UK's Premier League. It's all been documented in the hit TV series Welcome to Wrexham, helping build a solid international fan base for the team. "We've been to America quite a lot and the fans were massive, really enthusiastic," said James, who is visiting Australia for the first time. "Coming over here, it will be nice to see a different group of fans - playing the games as well, seeing what the Australian teams are like will be really good." Hawthorn player Conor Nash, who grew up in Ireland playing soccer, said Wrexham were in for an enthusiastic Australian welcome. "I've watched their journey on the TV over the last few seasons. It's been good fun and great to meet them," Nash said. "I know there's a huge fan base down here with the (TV) series ... it will be a pretty enjoyable experience for them." Nash and his teammates will miss Wrexham's match against Victory, given their big Perth game on Saturday against Fremantle. Hawthorn's head of coaching development, former senior coach Brett Ratten, gave a short speech as the two teams exchanged guernseys at Waverley Park. Ratten visited Wrexham in the off-season as part of his ongoing coach education. "It's amazing what they've done, three promotions in three years," he told the Hawks and Wrexham players. Ratten explained that the Wrexham-Hawthorn connection has an origin that goes back decades. The Hawks' club doctor Liam West grew up only 20km from Wrexham kit man, or property steward, Ian Pugh-Jones. They lived either side of the England-Wales border and are long-time friends, helping create the link between the two football clubs. Aaron James is a hard man to awe, given everything that has happened over the past four years at Wrexham. But the English soccer defender felt he'd arrived in the land of the giants when he and his Wrexham AFC teammates visited AFL club Hawthorn. "I've watched a little bit of it (AFL) - the size of the players, it's just crazy," James told reporters on Tuesday at Waverley Park. "I stood next to one of them and it's like looking up at the stars. It's amazing." It's Wrexham who boast the star power as the Welsh soccer phenomenons tour Australia and New Zealand for the first time, with the team flying in on Monday Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought Wrexham AFC in 2021 and have turned the club into a sporting juggernaut. James said Reynolds and McElhenney had not made the trip, which will feature friendlies against Melbourne Victory on Friday, then Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix. Wrexham have won promotion three times in the past three seasons and are now in the Championship, one step below the UK's Premier League. It's all been documented in the hit TV series Welcome to Wrexham, helping build a solid international fan base for the team. "We've been to America quite a lot and the fans were massive, really enthusiastic," said James, who is visiting Australia for the first time. "Coming over here, it will be nice to see a different group of fans - playing the games as well, seeing what the Australian teams are like will be really good." Hawthorn player Conor Nash, who grew up in Ireland playing soccer, said Wrexham were in for an enthusiastic Australian welcome. "I've watched their journey on the TV over the last few seasons. It's been good fun and great to meet them," Nash said. "I know there's a huge fan base down here with the (TV) series ... it will be a pretty enjoyable experience for them." Nash and his teammates will miss Wrexham's match against Victory, given their big Perth game on Saturday against Fremantle. Hawthorn's head of coaching development, former senior coach Brett Ratten, gave a short speech as the two teams exchanged guernseys at Waverley Park. Ratten visited Wrexham in the off-season as part of his ongoing coach education. "It's amazing what they've done, three promotions in three years," he told the Hawks and Wrexham players. Ratten explained that the Wrexham-Hawthorn connection has an origin that goes back decades. The Hawks' club doctor Liam West grew up only 20km from Wrexham kit man, or property steward, Ian Pugh-Jones. They lived either side of the England-Wales border and are long-time friends, helping create the link between the two football clubs.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
12 alternative acts you should try and watch at Glastonbury 2025
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's Glasto week, people! The world's most famous music festival touches back down at Worthy Farm this Wednesday for another five days of music, art, creativity and chaos, with Pyramid Stage headliners The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo heading up another stacked bill of the very biggest and best in pop, rock, dance, hip hop, reggae and just about everything in between. 'But where are the 'proper' alternative bands?!' I hear you yell. Don't worry: peel back the layers just a little and you'll find plenty of hard rock, metal and punk acts making a big, fat racket around the lineup this year. Because I'm nice, I've gone and picked out 12 of the very best alt artists you should go out of your way to catch live - or at least watch on TV if you're one of the unlucky gazillions that lost out on tickets this year. It was only a matter of time before grime metal was officially A Thing, and few current artists have so perfectly crystallised the urgent, visceral impact of both those components into one fluid sound as Aaron "Native" James. The Ipswich-based, MOBO-nominated rapper moulds scrappy, Ghetts-indebted bars around nu metal riffs and propulsive percussive blasts, merging the two styles that have most strongly defined his own musical journey growing up. Playing the politically-bent Greenpeace tent late on Thursday afternoon, James is perfectly placed to make an early mark as one of the first heavy artists to play this year's lineup. Once you've seen what he's all about, you'll be quickly converted - go check out his set while he's still confined by such small surroundings. If there's any festival to experience bands that are a little more unconventional, it's Glastonbury. Habitual name-changers (they've previously gone by The Ohsees, Thee Oh Sees and Oh Sees, among other aliases, as an attempt to confuse the music press), Californian heavy psych rockers Osees are also unique in that they have two drummers. When experienced live, the two full-sized kits make as much racket as an elephant falling down the stairs; meanwhile, their fuzz-drenched, oddball garage rock never fails to stir crowds into sweaty, clashing masses. In 2024, they released their 28th album, SORCS 80, a manic, entirely electronic work that doesn't include a single lick of guitar. But don't let that put you off: samplers and technical distortion buzz and bleed out with all the ferocity of a real six-string, producing an offbeat medley of Idles-reminiscent punk, jittery garage rock and funk, complete with unexpected honks of saxophone. Weird, but it works - so be sure to catch them. The nu gen sister duo who give so little of a shit about genres that they've smashed through about ten of them across one EP, some standalone singles and an acclaimed debut album, Alt Blk Era decided to settle into a more drum 'n' bass-oriented groove for this year's Rave Immortal. Even there, though, there were enough sprinklings of grunge, emo, metal and pop to mix things up, meaning that by the time Nyrobi and Chaya hit the BBC Introducing Stage on Friday, you'll have no idea exactly what to expect. This writer even witnessed his first ever rock show catwalk when the girls played the Underworld in Camden. Slaying and serving in equal measure. So assured is Biffy Clyro's status as national treasures of British rock music that it's easy to forget what a weird, angular and surprising force of nature they are. The trio's gorgeous, thematically-linked double-header of 2020's A Celebration Of Endings and 2021's The Myth Of The Happily Ever After helped us through the pandemic era, while new single A Little Love is another slice of bittersweet beauty to guide us through the absolute slop that is Planet Earth 2025. They've only got an hour, so back this to be just about as taught and perfect a set of emotional rock ragers as you're likely to find anywhere across Worthy Farm this weekend. And if you see me crying during A Hunger In Your Haunt, no you didn't (yes you did). The lairiest double-act to hit the scene since Kane and Undertaker teamed up to whack on Stone Cold, Bob Vylan's mash-up of furious punk and throttling, bass-y grime has been rattling skulls for almost eight years now. Deserved winners of the first ever MOBO award for Best Alternative Music Act in 2022, the critical clout that has come their way hasn't damped frontman Bobby's razor-wired tongue one iota. Put short, if you're looking for the rowdiest, most rawly politicised hour of power at Glasto this weekend, look no further: West Holts at 14.30 on Saturday is where you need to be. I'm not quite sure if they'll be able to pull off their traditional, show-ending stage invasion, but I'd love to see them try. Kings of nerd rock, it's taken an astonishing thirty years for Weezer to make their grand Glasto return, but judging by their stunning, hits-stacked showing at Download a couple of weeks back, back Rivers Cuomo et al to make up for lost time and then some in the Pilton sunshine (may have just jinxed it there but the weather's looking good! Keep the faith!). Weezer's own fanbase will be the first to admit that their discography runs the gamut from the pitch-perfect to the straight-up rubbish, but when they stick to the big anthems, there are few in all of rock music that can hang with them, and a mid-afternoon slot on the Other Stage feels like the perfect way to warm everyone up for what's on the way (more on that in a mo...). Genre-meshing two-piece Nova Twins have managed the curious achievement of playing Glastonbury four only appearing at two editions of the festival. Pulling a triple-header in 2022 with three separate sets before a follow-up one year later, the duo decided to take a break from Pilton in 2024, but will be back with a vengeance when they hit up Woodsies on Saturday. Shoving rock, punk, edm, grunge and plenty more into their blender of a sound, they've garnered critical praise, award nominations and collaborations with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Sam Smith and Pussy Riot. Basically, everyone loves them, and so should you. Melbourne's premier pub punks just got announced as main support for their heroes AC/DC on the rock 'n' roll titans' upcoming Australian tour, so if their star wasn't already rising fast, it may well be about to get strapped to a rocket. Angus Young's crew and fellow Aussie heroes Rose Tattoo have certainly had some influence on Amy et al's snotty, no-nonsense racket, but really it's the raw, guttural energy of punk OGs like Iggy And The Stooges and The Damned that has sewn the most DNA into their sound. The four-piece and former Louder cover stars will be making their third appearance at Glastonbury having previously kicked its ass in 2019 and 2022, and with last year's brilliant Cartoon Darkness still ringing in our ears, we can't see their late afternoon, Other Stage set being anything other than a lairy, sweaty triumph. Compared to Weezer, Deftones have only left it a breezy twenty-six years between Glasto sets (Christ, we're all getting old), but the alt metal icons are back, bringing those luscious, tidal riffs to the Other Stage as the perfect warm up me just check my notes Charli XCX. Anyway, one of the single most idiosyncratic and influential heavy bands to come out of the 90s, Sacramento's finest have been remarkably consistent across their three-decade career, 2020's Gore appraised as another high mark and voted Metal Hammer's album of the year. With no new material currently out, expect an all-killer, no-filler* set of nu metal-adjacent bangers from the back catalogue, starring big grooves, bigger hooks, even bigger emotional punches and Chino Moreno still being the coolest fucker in any given field he happens to turn up to play in. *Not that Deftones actually have many fillers, mind. We were only three days into 2024 when Louder writer Vicky Greer suggested that noisy post-punk Dubliners Sprints had just dropped the album of the year with their long-awaited debut full-length Letter To Self. It's wasn't hyperbole: the four-piece's urgent blend of grunge, indie, punk and alt-rock feels quite unlike anything else in the scene right now, and they'll surely be amassing their biggest Worthy Farm crowd yet at their third Glasto appearance this Sunday. If you're looking for a raw, intense but deeply cathartic burst of emotional anthemia to shake off that Saturday night bangover and prepare you for Glastonbury's final lap, get yourself to Woodsies early on Sunday afternoon and prepare to be blown away. Comfortably the biggest thing to ever emerge out of the US hardcore scene, Turnstile channelled the shimmering sounds and expansive songwriting of 2021's Glow On into something even more grandiose and bold on this year's excellent Never Enough. Between their knack for a killer riff and relentless ability to draw the biggest hooks possible out of everything they craft, it seems almost impossible that they won't steal the show on the Other Stage on Sunday. Judging by the band's headline set at Outbreak Festival earlier this month, they are primed for bigger stages, and few come bigger than this. Mosh pits are a rarity at Glasto, and Turnstile have left most of their heavier side behind, but if they decide to drop an old school rager like Keep It Moving?, who knows what could happen? You likely know Bambie from their brilliantly devilish, conservative media meltdown-inducing turn representing Ireland at Eurovision last year. Don't get it twisted, though: there's far more to this nu gen singer-songwriter's unique arsenal than Satanic gimmickry and elaborate stagecraft. Their calling card is a mixture of dark alt-pop, grinding metal and propulsive r'n'b, 2023's Cathexis EP - featuring the Doomsday Blue track that made its way to the Eurovision stage - a career highlight so far. You'll have to be in it for the long haul to catch them (they hit Shangri-La at 11pm on Sunday night), but it'll be a delectably bewitching way to see Glasto 2025 out for the year. Glastonbury 2025 takes place this week, June 25-29, at Worthy Farm in Somerset
Leader Live
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
No TST glory for Wrexham Red Dragons in North Carolina
After finishing second in their group, Wrexham took on Drip FC in the first stage of the knockout portion. Despite goals from Marc Albrighton and Aaron James, Wrexham lost out 6-2. Wrexham had lost their final group game 3-1 to Pat McAfee's CONCAFA SC. The Dragons, who had beaten Como and Despemendidos in their previous games to make sure of a top-two group finish, had ex-Reds striker Jake Hyde again on the scoresheet. Wrexham Red Dragons' women's side lost all three of their group encounters. Against Ultrain FC, they got off to a flying start only to suffer in Target Score Time as the opposition staged a stunning comeback to win 5-4. In the women's opener, amid extremely heavy rain at Wakemed Soccer Park, former Canada international Lindsay Agnew put Wrexham ahead before Nicole Baxter and Havana Solaun (2) scored to ensure Wrexham Red Dragons entered Target Score Time with a healthy lead. Needing one goal to win, while Ultrain had to hit five – with one player removed from each team every three minutes – but Wrexham couldn't see it out as the opposition sneaked a 5-4 victory. Drunken Monkeys prevailed 5-0 in the next match-up and Wrexham ended their programme with a 6-3 loss to Kansas City II.
Miami Herald
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU football D2 showcase moved to ESPNU
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Two traditional HBCU football powers are set to collide under the lights in Montgomery as Tuskegee University and Winston-Salem State University meet in the 2025 Red Tails Classic. Scheduled for Sunday, August 31, 2025, at the historic Cramton Bowl, the game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET and air live on ESPNU. The matchup marks the first time these HBCU stalwarts have faced each other in five years and their first meeting in the Red Tails Classic. This will be Tuskegee's fifth straight appearance in the event, solidifying its role as the game's anchor. Head coach Aaron James enters the season with a strong cast of returners, aiming to build on the momentum from a promising 2024 campaign. For Winston-Salem State, this marks the program's debut in the Red Tails Classic. The Rams, 12-time champions of the CIAA, are coming off a 7-3 overall record and 5-2 conference finish in 2024. They become the second CIAA program to compete in the Red Tails Classic, following in the footsteps of Virginia State. Both teams boast deep traditions at the NCAA Division II level and have clashed before in postseason action-meeting in back-to-back Pioneer Bowls in 1999 and 2000. Their renewed rivalry promises to bring added intrigue to the season opener. The Red Tails Classic is more than just football-it honors the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering group of African American pilots who served in World War II. The game shines a national spotlight on HBCU culture, tradition, and excellence through football, bands, and community events. With pride, history, and bragging rights on the line, the 2025 Red Tails Classic is shaping up to be a can't-miss HBCU showcase. The post HBCU football D2 showcase moved to ESPNU appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Police catch footy star Aaron James after statewide manhunt when he went on the run over alleged drugs and theft offences
Former AFL star Aaron James has been arrested over alleged drug and theft charges following a statewide police manhunt after he failed to appear in court. Eight arrest warrants were issued for the three-club player after police in Victoria went public with their search for James over his failure to appear on various charges. James has been accused of possessing ice, theft and failing to answer bail. Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia he has been charged with 14 offences. The 48-year-old played for Richmond, the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood after being drafted in 1993. James retired from the AFL at the end of the 2002 season and has had several run-ins with the law since. Over the last few years he's been hit with more than 100 charges, including burglary, threatening to kill his wife and dangerous driving. James was also involved in trouble during his footy career, getting charged with affray after being involved in a fight with security at a nightclub in 1996. In 1997, he was again in the news after urinating on two women at a bar in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Following his retirement from the AFL, James played in Victorian suburban and country competitions and had considerable success. In 2003, he kicked 100 goals for Doutta Stars in the Essendon District Football League. The following year, at Lalor, he notched up another century of goals. And the next season he did it again at Albion. In 2006, he copped a 15 week suspension for threatening an umpire while playing for the Sunbury Kangaroos. Five years later in 2011, the footy hothead was hit with a monster 18-week ban after an altercation with a spectator and was deregistered by the AFL.
