Latest news with #JohnRobb
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Why has the cost of an Edinburgh theatre revamp soared?
But by the end of 2018, leading architects Bennetts Associates had been appointed and had unveiled designs for the new-look venue, with the project then priced at £20m. Read more: The revamp was aimed at securing the long-term future of the King's, with key elements include a new stage, long-awaited improvements to backstage facilities and a new fly tower. Other planned additions included a ground-floor café-bar and box office, and an overhaul for the top of the building to create a new a studio space for workshops, classes and events. A new fly tower has been installed at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh as part of its ongoing revamp. (Image: John Robb) Within months of the designs being unveiled to widespread approval, the project had been plunged into uncertainty by the Covid pandemic. Capital Theatres was forced to put the revamp on hold indefinitely while it grappled with the impact of prolonged Covid restrictions on both the King's and the Festival Theatre, which it is also responsible for. The revamp of the King's Theatre is already running three years later than planned. (Image: John Robb) Although the cost of the project had increased to £25m by the start of 2022, it appeared to be firmly back on track by then after the Scottish Government, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Edinburgh City Council had all made significant funding commitments. Work was meant to get underway in September 2022, after the final performances during that year's Edinburgh International Festival. But before the end of the 2022 festival, Capital Theatres was being forced to rally support from performers including Alan Cumming, Brian Cox and Gabriel Byrne for a new campaign to bridge a growing funding gap threatening the viability of the project and the future of the King's. Soaring construction industry costs and inflation would see the price tag soar to £35.6m by the start of 2023, when Capital Theatres warned the project was at risk of being abandoned and the King's forced to close completely unless it could bridge an £8.9 million funding gap. With a new budget of £35.6m set, work was able to begin within weeks after the Scottish Government and Edinburgh City Council committed £3.85m and £3m respectively, while the UK Government had confirmed a further £2m worth of support by the end of 2023. However hopes of the venue reopening by the summer of 2025 were dashed last October when it emerged that some of the work had proven to be much more complicated than anticipated. Key factors included the discovery of "bedrock" much closer to the surface of the area earmarked for one of the new lifts, the complexity of the demolition of previous staircases and the old fly tower, a number of design changes and the need to bring in a new sub-contractor. Nine months after Capital Theatres announced that the planned reopening of the King's had been put back to the spring of 2026, it has still not revealed a new estimated cost of finishing the project - or how much it needs to raise to get the revamp back on track.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
LIVE FOREVER by John Robb: How a hammer to the head and Like a Virgin kicked off Liam Gallagher's career
LIVE FOREVER: THE RISE, FALL AND RESURRECTION OF OASIS by John Robb (HarperNorth £22, 432pp) For most of us, getting hit over the head with a hammer would be an utterly negative experience. For Liam Gallagher, it was the making of him. As a young teenager he had no interest in music, dismissing it as 'for weirdos'. Then he was involved in a fight outside school and one of his assailants attacked him with a hammer. 'I wake up in hospital; I've got a load of stitches in my head. But after that, I believe, I started hearing music, man,' he told an interviewer in 2017. 'Then in the weeks after, I think it was Madonna 's Like A Virgin. I heard it and thought, 'That's a f***ing tune that, man'. It's like when people wake up from comas and speak Japanese.' The Oasis frontman and his older brother Noel, the band's lead guitarist and writer of most of their best songs, have never been less than entertaining – so music journalist John Robb has plenty of material to work with in his book about them, rushed out in time for the reunited rockers' tour which begins in Cardiff on July 4. The Gallaghers grew up on a council estate in Manchester. Their mother, Peggy, had left their father, an abusive heavy drinker, and taken her three boys – Liam, Noel and their older brother Paul – with her. Liam and Noel shared a bedroom. They weren't bad lads but they were no angels either. There were drugs and fights. They weren't keen on school but they were clever and quick-witted. Noel, who had long been interested in music and had taught himself to play guitar, drifted into a job for the Oldham band the Inspiral Carpets. He was a roadie but also worked in their office and sat in on meetings. It gave him an insight into how the music business worked. When Liam decided shortly after the hammer incident that he wanted to be a rock 'n' roll singer, he insinuated himself into a local outfit called the Rain and got his brother on board. They changed the band's name and started gigging around Manchester and beyond. Both Noel and Liam had an unshakeable belief that Oasis, as they were now called, was destined for greatness. The brothers occasionally worked for a valeting company that cleaned the cars of Manchester United players. The firm's owner recalls Liam telling David Beckham that the music he had in his car was rubbish and that Oasis were going to be the biggest band in the world. They got their break in 1993 when they played at a Glasgow venue and record label boss Alan McGee just happened to be there. He loved what he heard, signed them and they were off and running. Yet the story of what happened when they had their first gig outside of the UK typifies the early years. They were supporting The Verve in Amsterdam. Most of the band got drunk on the ferry, fights broke out, and on arrival in Holland, they were all deported apart from Noel who had spent the night in his cabin. Noel rang McGee with what he thought was bad news, but the publicity-savvy music mogul was delighted. 'F*****g brilliant,' he exclaimed. 'Normally we have to make up stories like that every day.' McGee observed of his signings that: 'Not only did they write great songs but they wrote great headlines. There was no filter with the way they spoke and the way they behaved.' Trouble seemed to follow them and they embraced it. They were cocky and aggressive but they had the tunes to back it up. Noel was a brilliant songwriter and couldn't stop churning out earworms. In just a few years, anthems such as Live Forever, Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova made Oasis a stadium-shaking supergroup whose music defined a cultural era. They would eventually become one of the most successful rock bands ever and have eight No.1 albums. But the brothers – and although there were three other members, the Gallaghers were Oasis – had a love-hate relationship that was forever erupting and threatening to tear the band apart. Before what was their last tour, Noel gave an interview in which he said: 'I don't like Liam, he's rude, arrogant, intimidating and lazy. He's the angriest man you'll ever meet. He's like a man with a fork in a world of soup.' When the guitarist finally quit in August 2009, after one backstage brawl too many, no one was terribly shocked. Robb, who had an exclusive interview with Noel for this book, is good on the band's beginnings, and he covers all the topics you'd expect –the rivalry with Blur, Noel's visit to meet then prime minister Tony Blair in Downing Street, the drugs and so on. He also gives chapter and verse on what every song sounds like (the expression 'wall of sound' appears 23 times). However, psychological insight is not his forte. I finished the book with little real sense of what makes the brothers tick or why their relationship is as it is. And the book is far less detailed on the later years and has nothing to say about the Gallaghers' recent reconciliation. Because after years of sniping at each other in interviews and on social media, the pair have buried the hatchet and reformed Oasis to play some shows in the UK and Ireland before heading off for Canada, the United States, South America and elsewhere. The news, which was announced last year, prompted an unusual outpouring of emotion. Oasis fans were genuinely delighted not just that they had the opportunity to see the band but that the brothers, who are now aged 52 and 58, had made up. What prompted the reconciliation? Was Liam hit on the head with a hammer again? To a fan who asked him on social media platform X (formerly Twitter)how it felt to be back with Noel and singing the songs that millions love, he said: 'You know what, it's spiritual, but I can't help think about all those wasted years what a waste of PRECIOUS time.'
Irish Independent
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
How Oasis threw a petrol bomb at the British music scene and became the most important band in the world
The ambition, rivalry and hedonism of the band's rise to the top is laid out in exquisite detail by fellow Mancunian John Robb in his new book Live Forever Today at 21:30 Some bands, to use a rather appropriate phrase, live forever. Others shine brightly, then quickly burn out and fade away. In the curious case of Oasis, they have managed to achieve both.
News.com.au
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Loop the f**king loop': New book reveals how Oasis imploded at the height of their fame
They were the biggest band of their generation, on the edge of world domination … then it all went wrong. As the reunited Gallagher brothers prepare to tour Oasis once again, music industry veteran JOHN ROBB recounts the disaster that deprived Aussie fans of seeing their heroes, in this exclusive extract from his new book Live Forever – an eyewitness account full of interviews with the major players in one of rock's biggest dramas. Yin and yang, hello goodbye, up and down, one step forwards and one step back … only Oasis could follow up a triumph like their enormous gig at Knebworth in August 1996, with a near disaster not even two weeks later. The volatile nature of the band, of course, was one of their magnetic qualities for outsiders. They never faked anything and their hearts were certainly on their sleeves; it saw them often snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and then somehow thrive in the following chaos. The biggest crime in pop culture is to be boring, and Oasis were never boring. On 23 August they were due to film an MTV Unplugged appearance that would become more famous for the inherent chaos that was always bubbling up just beneath the surface. Launched in 1989, the MTV Unplugged sessions were a big deal at the time. Featuring a filmed acoustic live session from a band, they had often been iconic, from Neil Young delivering a stunning take of his Harvest Moon classic to the most famous one of them all, Nirvana whose unplugged was eventually released as an album and is arguably their finest performance. Filmed at the Royal Festival Hall, even the rehearsals for the Oasis show were fraught with problems, with singer Liam Gallagher complaining of having a bad throat and walking out, and guitarist brother Noel having to cover most of the vocals. When it came to filming time, Liam hadn't turned up. The rumour was that he had been out drinking for a few days. Almost inevitably, he had been hanging out with Owen Morris the night before, as the producer remembers: 'The night before Liam didn't do MTV, he had been in my hotel room getting wasted, and I got the f**king blame! It was the first time I had seen him for eight months so we went to the pub and drank too much Guinness. And then Liam decided he didn't want to f**king sing on that MTV thing. I didn't know he was gonna f**king go loop the f**king loop, right?' Now that it was obvious the iconic singer was not going to do the session, MTV scrambled for a plan B. They had already taped a full rehearsal with the band and there was talk of using that footage mixed with a Noel-led performance, but the cost of editing meant they elected to go with the guitarist singing the whole session. Cameras on, Noel announced, 'Liam ain't gonna be with us tonight cause he's got a sore throat. So you're stuck with the ugly four,' and carried it off perfectly, bringing his own more plaintive takes on his lyrics compared to his younger brother's captivating vocals with a now watching Liam sat in the upstairs seats heckling, which further cranked the tension as the 'ugly four' delivered the session. Whatever was going on, it made for riveting viewing and added to the helter-skelter dynamics of the band that defied boredom and conventional careerism with moments of madness like this. With (What's the Story) Morning Glory? in the top 5 of the American charts, the tour should have been a triumph. The sheer scale of Knebworth and the huge success of the album and 'Wonderwall' had put them on a supernova footing. The discipline required to get to the top, forged in those endless hours of rehearsing in the Boardwalk seemed to be dissipating though. The internecine tension between the two brothers, amped by the pressure and further cranked by the cocaine and the post-Knebworth malaise, were playing out in lots of different ways. 'The Knebworth thing was with us when we went on that plane to America,' says Noel. 'I guess subconsciously we must have felt we had done it with Morning Glory riding high in the American album charts and 'Wonderwall' in the top five.' The MTV filming had been a warning sign and now the band had to play their first date on the American tour with no singer, who had decided, last minute, that he needed to go house hunting with his new partner, Patsy Kensit, after moving out of the flat he had been renting. This left Noel to front the band at the first gig in Chicago and sing the whole set and songs like 'Champagne Supernova' for the first time ever, after supports from the Screaming Trees and the Manic Street Preachers. Even the Stones at their most decadent hadn't been this unruly. After joining the tour for the second date at the large Glass Palace venue on the edge of Detroit, Liam had the now famous confrontation with the late Mark Lanegan, the then lead singer of the Screaming Trees. The stand-off was sparked when he called Lanegan's band the 'Howling Branches' and it descended from there. On paper it may have seemed an odd bill but, like Nirvana, with whose totemic frontman Noel felt an alignment, Mark Lanegan was close to Kurt Cobain; and Oasis and they and Screaming Trees had things in common. Both had a melodic take on anthemic noise and an ability to weave introspection into the high-decibel void. Both singers were renegade Irish blood transposed into alien nations and reacting in their own ways. It's a shame they bumped into each other at the wrong time in their lives and fell out so badly as there could have been much mutual respect with Mark Lanegan being a fan of Oasis, but it wasn't to be, and the festering ill will carried on until Mark's death in 2022. The tension carried through the next few shows before arriving in New York where Oasis were appearing on the MTV awards on 4 September. On the show, the band performed a loose version of 'Champagne Supernova' with a clearly discontented singer adlibbing 'up your bum' into the song and spitting on the stage. It's as electric in its tension and unpredictability as prime-time Doors. The tour staggered on for a few dates with Noel grimly grinding the shows down before it all finally imploded on 10 September, two hours before stage time in Charlotte at the Bristow Nissan Pavilion, when the guitarist pulled the tour and flew home on Concorde. The rest of the American tour and follow-up legs in Australia and New Zealand were pulled. Oasis had imploded. It was big news. 'Liam had an argument with (rhythm guitarist) Bonehead about a leather jacket and we were all on f**king drugs and I was saying, 'Calm down!' and we blew out four really big gigs,' explains Noel. 'At that point the band could have gone one way or another. There was mayhem when we got back to England, there was chaos at the airport. I couldn't believe the amount of press that was there. We had only cancelled a few f**king gigs. 'It was insane. We had to get driven from the airport to a secret hideaway and we were now in the tabloids all the time. After that, the drugs started to take over. We shouldn't have gone on that tour in the first place. What we should have done after Knebworth was just f**king disappeared. 'It was the classic thing, which we never, ever learned in Oasis, which was biting off more than you can chew, but when you're cocky little working class lads and someone says, 'There's another six-week tour of America, you might be tired …' I would say, 'Tired? What are you f**king talking about? We're f**king there, mate!' But when you get older you realise it's the adults surrounding the band that should have not let that happen.' Noel knew the damage had been done. 'You can get away with unprofessionalism in the UK but the Americans could not understand how we could blow out gigs or be too pissed to meet that guy at the record shop who would rack the records. 'Marcus (Russell, the band's manager) was based in England and we never had an American manager and we were left to our own devices. We were on Epic records in the USA and it doesn't get any more corporate than that. Their two biggest acts were Whitney Houston and Celine Dion and then there was us. They didn't get it for a long time, even with the album at number two in the charts. They think you are trying to trick them somehow because you're playing 'Rock 'n' Roll Star' and no one is moving except for the drummer. 'Musically we could have smashed it, but they are so attuned out there to people like Chris Martin and Bono who give a lot to a crowd, but Liam is into his stillism, which was great of course but they find that offensive out there. They are into showmanship and a stage show and they couldn't believe that 'you guys just stand there!' If you act like Mick Jagger they get it but they were so intimidated by the way we were on stage. They didn't know what to do if you were not performing like a ludicrous idiot. (Record company executive) Alan McGee always said we were too Mancunian for America and 'it's no surprise that none of you from that city have ever done anything there!' 'We were expected to go and repeat the staggering success of the UK – I'm sure McGee and Marcus were not thinking that but someone at Sony was. I had already been to America with the Inspirals and I knew that New York and LA were great but the rest of it can be like a Wednesday afternoon in Bury. 'Our reputation preceded us for being somewhat tetchy, 'Here, these are the guys that fight all the time.' Yet we didn't fight all the time although we do like an argument, particularly in the press, but it's often tongue in cheek, but because Americans have a different sense of humour they think it's all real!' Band PR Johnny Hopkins saw the genuine band dynamics: 'There was so much love between the brothers at first, and the atmosphere around the band in those early years was just beautiful and hilarious. Maybe it changed after Wibbling Rivalry (an infamous recording of Noel and Liam arguing) which created an expectation.' The cultural differences between the UK and USA baffled both sides. Noel explains: 'They said we were going through the motions because we were not as big in the USA, but I found that quite insulting. In England we call that nonchalance. I remember a girl from the label was driving us around to do press in Seattle and she asked me what Creation Records was like. She was horrified when I said they get us drugs and have their own drug dealers.' Despite this pervading feeling of car crash, the band were actually the most successful UK band in the USA for years; and decades later, when they reformed in 2024, they sold out their biggest ever shows in minutes because, in the end, it's the songs that really matter.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hyundai America Technical Center Donates Nearly $40,000 to Support Revitalization of Dixboro Historic School House
SUPERIOR TOWNSHIP, Mich., June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) has announced a donation of $39,500 to Superior Charter Township. This contribution will support the revitalization of the Dixboro Historic School House, a beloved community landmark in Dixboro, Michigan. The announcement was made on Friday, May 30, during the Dixboro Market Day event. "We are honored to contribute to the preservation of the Dixboro Historic School House and to support a project that enhances the unique appeal and historic charm of this exceptional community," said John Robb, president, HATCI. "This contribution reflects our ongoing commitment to the local community and our dedication to bettering society through meaningful, local initiatives." A picturesque hamlet within Superior Township and just minutes from Ann Arbor, Dixboro's New England-style charm, historic landmarks and deep-rooted community spirit make it a hidden gem in Southeast Michigan. With this contribution, Hyundai reaffirms its continued efforts to preserve and celebrate the historical and cultural significance of local communities. The Dixboro Historic School House, once a one-room learning center, now serves as a community gathering space—hosting performances, farmers markets and cultural events. This investment will help support critical restoration efforts, including the installation of a bathroom facility to expand usability, reparation and replacement of historic windows and interior cosmetic upgrades to increase functionality for community events and performances. "We are deeply grateful to Hyundai America Technical Center for this generous contribution to the revitalization of the Dixboro Historic School House," said Emily Dabish Yahkind, Superior Township Supervisor. "This project represents our shared commitment to honoring the past while creating a vibrant and welcoming space for future generations. Thanks to Hyundai's support, this treasured community landmark will continue to serve as a hub for connection, culture, and celebration in the heart of Dixboro." Superior TownshipSuperior Charter Township is a dynamic and diverse community in Washtenaw County, Michigan, encompassing approximately 35.56 square miles. With a population of 14,832 as of the 2020 census, the township offers a blend of rural charm and easy access to Downtown Ann Arbor, featuring historic hamlets like Dixboro, expansive agricultural lands, and natural areas such as the Superior Greenway. The township is committed to preserving its rich heritage while fostering sustainable growth and community engagement. Residents benefit from a high quality of life, supported by excellent educational institutions, diverse housing options, and a range of recreational opportunities. Superior Charter Township continues to invest in infrastructure and services that enhance the well-being of its residents and the vitality of the region. Hyundai America Technical Center, one of Hyundai Motor Group's (HMG) global centers focused on research and development (R&D), Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) was established in 1986 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. HATCI is HMG's design, technology, and engineering division for North America. As HMG solidified its position as the third globally in sales volume, HATCI has grown to include a strong network of engineering disciplines and increased business-focused activities to support North America's Voice of the Customer. HATCI supports new model development for HMG's North American operations and global programs from our dedicated engineering facilities and support staff at affiliate sites located throughout the United States (Alabama, California, Georgia, and Michigan). HATCI's success in satisfying the demands of increasingly sophisticated consumers is a direct result of HMG's commitment to the future of American automotive engineering. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
