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Powys County Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Powys County Times
Revellers pour into Glastonbury Festival as gates open for 2025
The gates to Glastonbury Festival have opened for the 2025 celebration of performing arts and music. Organiser Emily Eavis and her father, co-founder Sir Michael Eavis, could be seen counting down and cheering as the festival officially opened while a brass band played. Campers arriving at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week, with 'warm and rather humid' weather for the rest of Wednesday, according to forecasters. This year's event will see headline performances from British rock/pop band The 1975, veteran singer Neil Young and his band the Chrome Hearts, and US pop star Olivia Rodrigo. Eavis, 45, told BBC Radio 6 Music presenter Nick Grimshaw that opening the gates is 'one of my favourite moments of the whole weekend'. She added: 'So much goes into all those areas… all that planning, all that speculation, all the opinions, all the debate, all the outrage, all the love, all the feelings that just are generated every day, all the press, all the noise. 'To be able to actually look everyone in the eye on those gates and bring everyone in, and just think, actually, it's all really just about this. It's all about these people having the best time over the next five days.' More than 200,000 people are expected to descend on the fields of Pilton, with ticket-holders advised to prepare for mainly warm weather. Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale told the PA news agency: 'Sunny spells are expected for the rest of Wednesday over Worthy Farm and it's likely to stay dry. Things will feel warm and rather humid, with a maximum temperature of 22C.' Performing in the coveted Sunday tea-time legends slot this year is Sir Rod Stewart, who previously said he will be joined by his former Faces band member Ronnie Wood, as well as some other guests. His performance is to come after the Maggie May singer postponed a string of concerts in the US, due to take place this month, while he recovered from flu. Speaking to BBC News about the performance, he said: 'I just wish they wouldn't call it the tea-time slot. 'That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn't it?' He previously said he had persuaded organisers to give him an hour-and-a-half slot after initially being offered 75 minutes. 'Usually I do well over two hours, so there's still a load of songs we won't be able to do,' he told the BBC. 'But we've been working at it. I'm not gonna make any announcements between songs. I'll do one number, shout 'next', and go straight into the next one. 'I'm going to get in as many songs as I can.' One of the more controversial acts performing is Irish rap trio Kneecap, who have been in the headlines recently after one of their members was charged with a terror offence. Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged for allegedly displaying a flag in support of proscribed terrorist organisation Hezbollah at a gig in London in November last year. Last week, the 27-year-old, who performs under the stage name Mo Chara, was cheered by hundreds of supporters as he arrived with bandmates Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 'Free Mo Chara' T-shirts. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on August 20. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the group's performance at the festival, taking place on the West Holts Stage at 4pm on Saturday, is not 'appropriate' and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said she thought the BBC 'should not be showing' Kneecap's performance. Earlier in the month, in an appearance on the Sidetracked podcast, Eavis outlined the changes that have been made to this year's festival and said music area Shangri-La is 'going full trees and green space' which is 'completely the opposite to anything they've done in the past'. She also said the festival, which has capacity for 210,000 people, has sold 'a few thousand less tickets' this year in a bid to avoid overcrowding. Among the acts expected to draw large crowds this year is alternative pop star Charli XCX, who will perform songs from her genre-defining sixth studio album Brat. She is performing on Saturday night on the Other Stage, 15 minutes before the West Holts stage is graced by US rapper Doechii, another artist who has exploded in popularity in the last year. Other performers include Irish singer CMAT, Prada singer Raye, US musician Brandi Carlile, Nile Rodgers and Chic, hip-hop star Loyle Carner, US pop star Gracie Abrams, indie outfit Wet Leg, Mercury Prize-winning jazz quintet Ezra Collective, US rapper Denzel Curry, and rising star Lola Young. The line-up also features a number of acts listed as TBA, as well as a mysterious act called Patchwork, who will take to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday. This year, the BBC will provide live-streams of the five main stages – Pyramid, Other, West Holts, Woodsies and The Park. On Wednesday at 10pm the festival will open with a theatre and circus act set in the Pyramid Arena, which will showcase acrobatic and circus performances, culminating in a fireworks display.


Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jon Richardson 'signs up to huge Channel 4 show' despite 'quitting comedy'
TV star Jon Richardson has reportedly signed up to a hit Channel 4 show despite giving up comedy for a very different career after his divorce from Lucy Beaumont Comedian Jon Richardson is said to have signed up to take part in a popular Channel 4 show after "quitting comedy". The TV star issued a surprise announcement earlier this year where he revealed he was changing careers. His unexpected move came just months after his split from wife of nine years Lucy Beaumont. Jon and fellow comedian Lucy starred in their hit series Meet the Richardsons, but were forced to quit following their divorce. In April, Jon revealed he was quitting comedy despite his huge success to become a teacher. However, he later revealed not all was as it seemed as he explained that he'd only be acting as a teacher for a role in Waterloo Road. In another surprise move Jon has reportedly landed another TV role. He is now said to have signed up to take part in Celebrity Bake Off for their next Stand Up to Cancer campaign. A source said: 'Bosses are over the moon that they signed up Jon. He is hilarious, so will bring the laughs to the tent, and he's hugely popular with viewers." "It's been a tough year for Jon following his split from Lucy, so this has given him some light relief and it's all for charity, so that's an added bonus," they added to the Sun. Posting on social media earlier this year, Jon made his bombshell revelation. He said: 'I just thought I'd give you a little update. I don't really do social media updates, and I'll tell you why - because I don't think anyone cares. "But I have a little bit of news. I've obviously been taking a little bit of a break from stand-up and it's really made me… want to carry on taking a break from stand-up.' He added: 'I've been thinking a lot about a diary entry that I found from 1997.' An excerpt of his old diary then popped on screen, as the BBC Radio 6 star explained: 'It's this one. I was 14 years old, it says although I would love to be a stand-up comedian, I'll probably end up being a teacher. And I've been thinking a lot about that.' Jon revealed: 'I've loved being a comedian, it was absolutely the right choice. But I've decided it would've been nice to try the other option, so that's exactly what I'm gonna do.' The comedian shared that he'd already accepted a teaching job, stating: 'I've been doing some training, I've taken a teaching position. I will update you as and when I can. but that's all from me for now, just to let you know where I've been. I'll keep you posted.' Jon and Lucy tied the knot in April 2015, and share eight-year-old daughter Elsie. At the time of their break-up, a joint statement read: "We have jointly and amicably made the difficult decision to divorce and go our separate ways. "As our only priority is managing this difficult transition for our daughter, we would ask that our privacy is respected at this sensitive time to protect her well-being. We will be making no further comment. Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont." In September it was revealed the pair had come to an agreement in their divorce payout as Jon handed Lucy an eye-watering amount. He gave Lucy a whopping £1.625 million. Lucy is also ready to make a return to TV, having signed up to take part in the first celebrity edition of The Traitors.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Singer and Strictly star heading to Dudley for intimate evening
TWO renowned singers have announced they will be stopping off in Dudley for two intimate shows, getting up close and personal with fans. Huey Morgan – frontman of Fun Lovin' Criminals and host of The Huey Show on BBC Radio 6 – will bring his show, The Fun Lovin' Criminal: An Evening of Music and Conversation, to Dudley Town Hall in 2026. Coming to prominence as a driving force of the eclectic American Rap/Rock outfit Fun Lovin' Criminals, Morgan led the band from 1993 untill 2021, best known for their hit record Scooby Snacks. As host of The Huey Show on BBC Radio 6 since 2008, Morgan is a cherished voice on national radio in the UK, where he hosts a mix of Hip Hop, Soul, Punk, Funk, Rock and everything in between for his listeners. Fans will be able to get "up close and personal" with Huey on Friday, April 10, next year. Meanwhile, Toyah – dubbed the High Priestess of Punk – is also to bring her show, Songs and Stories, to Stourbridge Town Hall in 2026. A singer and actor, a TV host and author, a BRIT Award winner and recently a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing - Toyah has worn many hats during a remarkable career spanning more than 50 years. Her role in Quadrophenia made her a household name and, soon after, she gate-crashed the charts with It's A Mystery, I Want To Be Free, and Thunder In The Mountains, as the album, Anthem, earned a gold disc, and BRIT Award Best Female as well as a BRIT Nomination for British Breakthrough Act. The "intimate" show will feature hit songs and stories from a showbiz career spanning over half a century and will be hitting the stage of Stourbridge on Friday, May 1, 2026. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.


Euronews
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
It's not a phase: How to celebrate World Goth Day in Europe
Five, six, grab your crucifix - and Robert Smith, because World Goth Day has arrived. First suggested on a MySpace blog in 2009 by a UK-based Goth DJ known as 'BatBoy Slim', Goth Day has since become a global annual celebration where "the Goth scene gets to celebrate it's own being." via GIPHY While most Goths prefer to stay out of the spotlight (unless carrying a black parasol), World Goth Day keeps things appropriately dark and inviting, with a range of community-hosted events that span the week. The 22 May date was originally chosen to highlight a special set of musical subculture-focused shows on BBC Radio 6, then stuck ever since. And why not? From dark wave DJ sets in Poland, to a gothic clothes swap in Dublin; Black pizza in London, and a trip back to the subculture's 80s, 90s and 00s origins at a club night in Madrid — there are plenty of opportunities knocking at your coffin. Plus, it's a great way to support your local Goth gang. Alternatively, you could just draw the curtains, blare some Bauhaus and be your usual black-hearted self with extra pride. After-all, some Goths have faced genuine persecution and violence just for daring to be different - one devastating example being the 2007 murder of Sophie Lancaster, a 20-year-old Goth from the UK. "There are quite a few Goths who have fought damn hard to retain their identity despite peer pressure, family pressure and indeed, any pressure to conform," the World Goth Day organisers state. "And if you've gone to all that trouble to preserve what you believe is the 'real you', don't you think you owe it to yourself to shine for a day?" Chipped nail polish, dancing skeletons, synth wave, hair spray, black cats, 'Bela Lugosi Is Dead'. Neon leg warmers, glow bands, pastel chokers, septum piercings, coffin-shaped cat trees, posters of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. Goth is whatever you want it to be. There are no rules, baby! It's about breaking conventions and going against the bland, suffocating monotony of traditional societal expectations to spread your bat wings and express your truest, fang-bearing self. At its core, being Goth is about finding a curiosity and fondness for the things others find disturbing. From music to film to fashion to art, there's a focus on themes like melancholy, death, gore and rebellion, expressed through subversive aesthetics and lifestyle choices. The subculture's origins can be traced back to the UK's late 70s post-punk underground music scene, with record producer Martin Hannett notably describing the band Joy Division's music as 'Gothic' in 1979. It's a term that spread to encompass any bands with a certain melancholic sound. These included The Cure (even though Robert Smith would argue otherwise), Bauhaus, The Psychedelic Furs, Alien Sex Fiend and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to name but a few. Meanwhile, in America, deathrock emerged as a sort of sub-genre of Goth, similarly taking the anarchy ethos of punk music and immersing it in horror-inspired theatrics. While the 80s and 90s are still seen as Gothic hey days, it's a subculture that's managed to stick throughout the decades - albeit morphing into various subcategories such as 'Cybergoth' and 'Pastel Goth', which take inspiration from steam punk, BDSM, Lolita fashion etc to create new forms of contrasting expression within 'Trad Goth'. No longer a marker of only youth culture (although the #Goth has been used 4 million times on video sharing platform TikTok), many older adults that grew up being Goth are still putting on their studded leathers and setting their faces with white powder. Millennial Goths in particular have carved themselves a niche on YouTube, with 'Emily Boo' and 'Of Herbs and Altars' two of the most popular, sharing their looks and experiences within the scene and offering advice to "baby bats". While Mods and Rockers come and go, Goths are here to stay. And contrary to popular belief - they don't only wear black. via GIPHY You can celebrate wherever you want! Although official events are listed on the website for World Goth Day and are as follows: UK & Ireland 22 May: ACAB Celebrates World Goth Day - DJs, Alt Drag & Market (Dublin) 22 May: Cabinet Sinister Bite Me! At Lost Souls Pizza (London) 22 May: World Goth Day gig at O'Reilly's (Hull) 24 May: Goth Meet Up at The Ruin Bar and Kitchen (Birmingham) 25 May: Gothic Clothes Swap WGD at Pawn Shop (Dublin) Europe 23 May: Gothic ball at Klub UNDER (Belgrade, Serbia) 23 May: Bunkerleute Dark Underground Party at Waaiberg Event Hall (Leuven, Belgium) 23 May: World Goth Day celebrations at Emerald CLUB (Bucharest, Romania) 24 May: World Goth Day celebrations at the Undead Dark Club (Barcelona, Spain) 24 May: Spain Goth Day at Sala Pirandello I - II (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Shadowplay Afterparty oficial IMAMX + WGD, at Paseo Del Pintor Rosales (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Dark goth wave synth at Wydział Remontowy (Gdańsk, Poland) 24 May: (Un)Pure Session: World Goth Day Special at Vamptasia Club (Valencia, Spain) via GIPHY Well, if you insist. Here are some Gothic movie and music recommendations instead: 🖤📽️ Movies House of Usher (1960) — Dir. Roger Corman Eraserhead (1977) — Dir. David Lynch Hellraiser (1987) — Dir. Clive Barker Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) — Dir. Brian Yuzna The Crow (1994) — Dir. Alex Proyas Suspiria (2018) — Dir. Luca Guadagnino 🖤🎶 Music Bauhaus: 'In the Flat Field' (1980) Joy Division: 'Closer' (1980) Siouxsie and the Banshees: 'Juju' (1981) The Cure: 'Pornography' (1982) — bonus shout-out to The Cure's 'Songs Of A Lost World', which made our best-of 2024 albums list) Cocteau Twins: 'Head Over Heels' (1983) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: 'Let Love In' (1994)


The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Irreplaceable BBC radio legend confirms exit after 16 years
It comes as BBC Radio 6 shared its spring and summer programming with listeners. The 45-year-old who is known for presenting New Music Fix Daily with Deb Grant (Mondays – Thursdays, 7-9pm) and The Ravers Hour (Fridays, 11pm-12am) said it's 'been a blast' and "it's been a tough decision to make" as he steps down from both shows in a few weeks' time. Tom Ravenscroft to leave BBC Radio 6 after 16 years In a post on Instagram, he said: 'It's with a heavy heart that I announce that after 16 years I'm to leave Radio 6 Music at the end of May. New ventures, foreign travels and being around to do the school run beckons. "It's been a tough decision to make, I've met so many wonderful people as a result of this job and will be forever grateful. You couldn't ask for a more fabulous community. "Thanks to everyone who tuned in, sent music, recorded sessions, put together mixes and sent funny emails. It's been such a treat to have been able to do this job; listening to everyone's creations, building shows and sharing what I've found. "I'd like to think we all have bigger, better and more interesting record collections as a result of the time we've spent together. "Special thanks to all the producers, assistants, engineers and presenters I've worked with over the years. It's been a ball, thanks for having me." Tom's final New Music Fix Daily show will be Thursday, May 29, and his final edition of The Ravers Hour will be Friday, May 30. As he confirmed his exit from the popular station, Samantha Moy, head of BBC Radio 6 Music said Tom is 'irreplaceable' and 'quite simply a 6 Music legend'. She commented: 'On behalf of us all at 6 Music, I want to thank Tom Ravenscroft for his huge contribution to 6 Music over the years – for his work spotlighting formidable electronic artists with his own shows, including the peerless Ravers Hour, as well as shaping the sound of our evenings with New Music Fix Daily and his incredible series, Peel Acres. 'He is quite simply a 6 Music legend: iridescent and irreplaceable - we will all miss him.' Joining Deb to present New Music Fix Daily from Monday, June 2 (7-9pm) is Nathan Shepherd. Nathan will continue to present Indie Forever on Fridays (9-11pm), which was recently nominated for an Audio and Radio Industry Award (ARIA) and a New York Festivals Radio Award. Nathan shared: "All my life I've been passionate about new music. Without new music there's no future in music. 'I'm so excited to be a part of the New Music Fix Daily team and to present alongside the amazing Deb Grant." Recommended reading: Is Tom Ravenscroft John Peel's son? Tom is the son of the late BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, who was better known as John Peel. He was said to be the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until he died of a heart attack in 2004.