album

Nsqk can hear the connection between Radiohead and Willie Colón. To the Mexican singer-producer, both know when to let the instruments speak as much as the verses.

It’s a fitting observation from an artist whose music moves between electronic production, R&B melodies, rap and distorted guitars. Born Rodrigo Torres de la Garza in Monterrey and raised partly in Texas, the 28-year-old Nsqk — pronounced “Nesquik” — grew up navigating two countries and the expectations that come with belonging to both.

“I grew up in Houston,” he says. “I understand what it’s like to be a second-generation Mexican growing up in the States.” That experience, he explains, helps him connect with collaborators who also know what it means to feel as if they exist between worlds.

His audience has grown well beyond the underground following he garnered in his early experiments with electronic production. After releasing his albums “Roy” (2022) and “ATP” (2024), he sold out two consecutive shows at Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes in 2025.

A date this January at the city’s Estadio GNP Seguros marks another leap in his scale.

In his Oct. 15 album release, “Mosca,” Nsqk is joined by the Chicano experimentalist Jean Dawson on the guitar-driven “Dientes de Fierro,” while indie icon Julieta Venegas lends her silky vocals and synth melodies to “Estar Así Siempre.” Additional cameos include folk balladeers like Pedro Tovar of Eslabón Armado and Kevin Kaarl, with longtime Gorillaz collaborator Stephen Sedgwick handling the mixes.

De Los spoke to Nsqk ahead of his upcoming U.S. tour — which includes a performance at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw fest on Sunday in L.A.’s Dodger Stadium. He spoke candidly about letting his music breathe, finding common ground in the studio and why Mexican identity shouldn’t depend on where someone lives.

When we first spoke, you mentioned EDM producer Porter Robinson as an influence. Where does that influence show up on “Mosca”?
Absolutely. Just the other day, I was listening to “Worlds” again. Everyone has these albums that you discovered at 14 years old, and you listen to them every once in a while because it’s part of you.

I was making these connections: “Oh, I didn’t even realize I was referencing this.” It keeps happening with a lot of my influences. There are certain moments, especially on “Peces Muertos” and some of the more electronic tracks, where you can hear very directly the influence from Porter Robinson and Madeon.

What did you try on “Mosca” that you wouldn’t have trusted yourself to do on “ATP”?
I tried letting the music ride a lot more. During the process, I listened to a lot of Radiohead and U.K. rock. It’s very cinematic. They let the music breathe and let the instruments speak for a while without having to sing.

I was also listening to a lot of salsa: Willie Colón, Héctor Lavoe, Celia Cruz. I never expected that where Radiohead and Willie Colón meet is that they let the music ride. They’ll sing a verse, then let the instruments speak for a minute, two minutes.

That’s something I hadn’t done in my music intentionally. It’s about what I’m saying, but it’s also about what the instruments are saying.

Mexican rapper and singer-songwriter Nsqk (Rodrigo Torres de la Garza).

(Mono Studio (Mexico))

What surprised you about working with Stephen Sedgwick on the album’s mixes?
One of the craziest things about working with him is that everything is analog, everything’s physical. He’ll run his Pro Tools out into this gigantic wall of effects and compressors, amplifiers and limiters. I didn’t even know what everything was.

I do everything on my laptop. To take it somewhere where it’s all physical, at first it was actually kind of weird. We were speaking two different languages. I was trying to explain that I wanted things in a very digital way, but we had to figure out how to do that with his equipment.

What stood out about working with Pedro Tovar of Eslabón Armado on “Mil Problemas”?
He’s an amazing songwriter. He is so quick. It’s a similar experience with Julieta: They’re so good at it that they just sit and start, and they can write a song in five minutes. And it’s an amazing song.

He knows exactly what he wants, and he knows exactly who he is as an artist. The track is not a corrido or sierreño, but it sounds like them. It sounds like his melodies and his chords.

He did the guitar solo and I rerecorded it with my guitarist, who’s a rock guy. Even this guy, a classically trained guitarist, was like: “This is crazy to play.” It’s a completely different approach to playing guitar.

It’s really hard to put into words, but once you see him do it, it makes total sense.

What connects the collaborators you brought together on this record?
You’re not American [enough] for the Americans, not quite Mexican [enough] for the Mexicans. The Chicano experience: I grew up like that.

All of the artists on the record sort of share this cultural duality, where you often feel like you’re in between worlds, and you don’t know exactly which one you belong to.

It’s not that we sat down and talked about it to create the music. But I feel like the reason I connected so well with everyone is that we share that characteristic.

Has returning to the U.S. as an artist changed how you understand that experience?
There’s often this cultural disconnect between Mexicans living in the U.S. and Mexicans living in Mexico. I often see people say, “You’re not Mexican if you don’t live in Mexico.” That’s always felt kind of weird to me because I know what it’s like.

I feel like our culture and our heritage is so beautiful. The fact that it’s so ingrained in the States is amazing to me.

I see a lot on Twitter and TikTok, people fighting about it: “Just because you were born in Chicago, but your parents were Mexican, and you speak Spanish, and you eat Mexican food. But because you don’t live in Mexico, you’re not Mexican.” I see people saying that a lot.

I feel really honored to be able to tour the United States, meet these people and wear the flag on my chest. I don’t feel like we’re any different.

As a Tyler, the Creator fan, what does playing Camp Flog Gnaw mean to you?
It’s an honor. He created this space for much more vulnerable music with all these different influences. He’s a torch carrier for a niche of artists that try to make different music, in a way that’s not necessarily the status quo or the most commercial way to do it.

To be part of the lineup is an honor, but it’s also very motivating. It’s cool that we’ve gotten this far, and that only gives me more energy to keep working.

You’re going from a stadium show in Mexico City to smaller U.S. rooms. What can you do with an audience that close?
Talk to them. It’s a lot easier to see their faces and reactions and literally talk to them.

When I’m onstage, I really enjoy talking to people and making them feel like I’m not just playing my set list for the hundredth time. I’m actually there, I’m enjoying it, I’m seeing them and they’re seeing me.

SHE may have been murdered on The Celebrity Traitors by best friend Alan Carr, but Paloma Faith is back and very much alive.

The singer has announced that her seventh studio album, In Full Colour, will drop on March 5 before she embarks on a huge UK tour.

The record is Paloma’s first since 2024’s The Glorification Of Sadness – an album all about the breakdown of her relationship with artist Leyman Lahcine, dad of her first two children.

While that record showed the singer at her most broken, she insists In Full Colour is her at her happiest.

Paloma, who appeared on last year’s Celebrity Traitors, said: “This album is intentionally optimistic. In a world that can feel hopeless, this album is joy as protest. Humanity can win.”

But self-doubt creeps into the lead single, Gone, which is out today and has a Seventies soul sound.

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Paloma explained: “It is about how isolating this job can be.

“You can be on a stage in full sequins and wonder if anyone can really see you, or even worse, if you can see yourself at all any more.”

Paloma’s 18-date tour, which kicks off next October, includes shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

Ozzy Osbourne was rock ‘n’ roll’s Prince of Darkness — and also a much-beloved bumbling reality show dad. Inventive bassist Geezer Butler put words into Ozzy’s mouth as Black Sabbath’s main lyricist, his muscular playing anchoring the quartet’s rhythm section alongside drummer Bill Ward.

But it’s guitarist Tony Iommi whose iconic riffs built the Sabbath sound. The hugely influential aural architect found his signature style after a horrific accident at a sheet-metal plant when he was just 17. The teen was about to quit the factory, but on his last day, the tips of his middle and ring fingers of his right hand were sliced off in a piece of machinery. As a left-hander, Iommi used his right for fretting, and for creating a song’s mood and melody.

From the ominous timbre of the first song in their 1970 debut LP, “Black Sabbath,” to legendary cuts including “N.I.B.,” “Paranoid” and “Iron Man,” Iommi’s self-made fingertip “thimbles” and adaptive way of playing created unforgettable and hugely influential riffs. The guitarist’s instantly recognizable style and tone are as vital and memorable more than 50 years later on his new solo album, “From the Dark.”

Via phone from his home in the Cotswolds, England, a day before the London premiere of the concert documentary film “Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning,” Iommi is humble, low-key and congenial. While he’s excited about “From the Dark,” he’s still stunned by the 2025 loss of his longtime friend and bandmate Osbourne.

He speaks with slight trepidation about his upcoming viewing of the concert documentary, which chronicles Osbourne’s final live performance and Sabbath reunion.

Tony Iommi’s amputated fingertips could have ended his guitar career. Instead, homemade thimbles and a new playing style helped create Black Sabbath’s defining, generations-shaping riffs.

(Ross Halfin)

“It’s weird for me,” Iommi says. “In my own heart, I don’t particularly really want to see it because it brings back so many memories with Oz of course. For me, on that last gig, seeing him not being able to move wasn’t particularly the way I’d seen him — all the years he’s been running around the stage. That’s how I know him, and then to see him sitting down on a throne…”

However, for most of the four-song final performance, which saw Sabbath reuniting with drummer Ward for the first time in more than two decades, Osbourne was not in the guitarist’s sights. “I stood at the back because Bill wanted me to stand by him. We hadn’t played live with Bill for 20 years, so Bill said, ‘Would you stand by me, if I forget anything or miss anything?’ I don’t know what I could have done, but I did do that,” Iommi says.

“[The event] was a very strange experience. It’s great for all the other bands who came to the show and supported Sabbath. That was fantastic, and they were all really nice and no egos. It was a great setup, and I was really proud of everybody coming along to be involved in it and tip their hat towards us. It was lovely, of course, for the fans.”

In rehearsal, while Osbourne was joking around, “you could see he was in pain,” recalls Iommi. “Basically, he was carried in, and we were all shocked. We just didn’t know what to say. It was a strange, strange feeling.”

When the singer died only 17 days after the concert, even his bandmates were shocked by the suddenness. “I spoke to him the night before he passed, and he said to me, ‘Oh, God, I’ve been really tired, I feel really tired. I can’t stay awake. I’m exhausted.’ I said to him, ‘You’re bound to feel it.” We’ve been rehearsing the show, it’s been a bit stressful. We’ve had a lot of things to do.’ Ozzy said, ‘But I just can’t.” I just feel tired.’ And of course, the next day he’d gone. Really, it was such a shock.”

At 78, the Birmingham-born guitarist is releasing From the Dark, a solo album built around his signature heavy sound and a new lineup of collaborators.

(Ross Halfin)

At that time, Iommi had the seeds of the songs that would become “From the Dark.” It began with a scent: “I did a couple of instrumental tracks for a perfume [ad campaign]. Then I thought, ‘I’ll start writing some instrumentals for an album,’ and I did three or four. Then I changed my mind and thought, ‘I want to do one with a vocalist.’ ”

If Tony Iommi were a perfume, he’d smell like cinnamon, patchouli and leather. In fact, he is one, with three unisex fragrances by Italian luxury brand Xerjoff under his name. One — with notes of rum, bergamot and Ambergris, is called Monkey Special, named after his 1964 Gibson SG guitar. “It’s not a cheap perfume, I might say,” Iommi says. “In England, they stock it in Harrods and Selfridges. It’s been very successful and very different for me to do something like that.”

Following his perfumey instrumentals, the songwriter began collaborating with journeyman Norwegian vocalist Jørn Lande, bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Karl Brazil, who has worked with pop icons Robbie Williams and James Blunt. The latter two hail from Iommi’s and Sabbath’s hometown, Birmingham, England.

“I met Jørn years ago when I was going to do another album, and it ended up with [former Deep Purple bassist/singer] Glenn Hughes on it. But I’d done a track with Jørn, and I liked the idea. But at the time, the record company wanted to use somebody a bit more known, so I did the album with Glenn.”

Lande ended up singing on a 2010 live show following the death of second Black Sabbath singer Ronnie James Dio, stepping into the frontman’s shoes for the band, which was then going by the name Heaven & Hell. “I was really pleased with what he’d done, and I always had it in mind to use him somewhere along the line, doing an album together, and that’s how it worked out.”

Born 78 years ago, in Birmingham — the town where Sabbath first formed and later performed its final show in 2025 — Iommi remains defined by his signature look. It is hard to imagine the guitar legend without his trademark black shirt, large silver cross, blue-tinted glasses and leather coat. His playing — down-tuning his guitar to lower the pitch for a menacing and heavier sound — may have morphed very slightly over the years, but “I think you just do it naturally without even thinking about it. My writing ideas are still the same. I still come up with miserable stuff,” he says, chuckling. “I like to do riffs and whatnot, so I enjoy that.”

Tony Iommi with his band vocalist Jørn Lande (far right), bassist Becky Baldwin, and drummer Karl Brazil and producer Mike Exeter

(Tina Korhonen)

On “From the Dark,” lyrics are all Lande; Iommi has no interest in telling his own stories using words. Yet a new tune like “Beyond the Dead” seems as if it could be about Iommi’s 2011 diagnosis and treatment for early-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Not so, the guitarist affirms, while acknowledging that the lyrics could be read that way.

“It was about beyond the living, beyond the dead, and coming back. Really deep, but that’s good. I do love what he’s done. When somebody like Jørn comes in, as with Dio, they’d write their own lyrics, and I prefer that because they’re going to sing them,” Iommi explains. “It’s like somebody saying to me, ‘Play this and play that.’ I want to play what I feel and what’s coming from me.”

There was a time when Sabbath did take a slightly different approach to writing and recording, but it wasn’t at their own initiative. In 2001, the band recorded “13,” Sabbath’s 19th and final studio album. It was the first studio record with Osbourne since 1978’s “Never Say Die,” and producer Rick Rubin was on board for the reunion.

What did Iommi learn from Rubin?

“I learned not to use a producer again,” he quipped. “It was strange because Rick wasn’t there most of the time. He’d be there for a certain recording, then he’d disappear. I’d written a lot of the stuff, and then we’d play it, and he go, ‘I don’t like that bit, I don’t like that part,’ and then disappear.

“One Friday he phoned me up — because he wouldn’t talk to the others [Osbourne, Butler]. He wanted me to relate what he’d said to the others. He said, ‘Could you write a song over the weekend that’s like “Planet Caravan,” so we can record it on Monday?’ I went, ‘What?!!’ But it happens that I did do it.” The end result was “Zeitgeist.”

Iommi is still processing Ozzy Osbourne’s death, just 17 days after Black Sabbath’s final performance, and says watching the concert film will bring back painful memories.

(Ross Halfin)

Iommi’s key plans for his new lineup and record were to make sure the players brought a healthy dose of enthusiasm. Baldwin is the first female he’s been in a band with. Iommi has a comfort zone, so he’d originally wanted Butler on the new album, which didn’t work out logistically. “Becky happened to be a big fan of Geezer, so we got Becky over to my home studio, and I did throw her in the deep end a bit,” admits Iommi. “I gave her the first track, which was ‘World Alone.’ I said, ‘Play that.’ She listened to it a bit and started playing it. It was really good. I just wanted to see what she’d be like straight away, just to see what she came up with, which was a bit horrible of me, I suppose.

“She worked out really good. The other thing is enthusiasm,” he continued. “I wanted people involved in this that really love what they do and really enjoy playing, and she constantly wants to play and be involved in the music, and it’s a great attitude.”

Another Brit superstar who also opts to play with relatively unknown, ardent players is Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. “He’s the same,” Iommi acknowledges. “We spoke about this, myself and Planty, because obviously we’ve known each other a long time. He could have easily done Zeppelin, but he wanted to do what he wanted to do.”

What a collaboration Iommi and Plant would be.

“I did say to him one time about doing something together, but again, he got his own thing, and I did [too]. Who knows? We’ve talked about it a couple of times, but he’s into a certain flavor of music that he likes to play, which is different to what I play, really. I don’t discard anything that way. If something comes up that’s a good idea and somebody’s into it, then I’m going to have a go.”

It’s been 26 years since Iommi’s debut, a self-titled solo album with a roster of guest vocalists including Osbourne, Dave Grohl, Henry Rollins and Pantera’s Philip Anselmo. “How fast it goes,” Iommi says with a chuckle. “Twenty-one years ago was my last solo album. And that’s long enough, isn’t it? But I was just busy with the Sabbath thing and then other things, including the Sabbath ballet.”

While fans would adore a tour, Iommi says he’d only do the occasional “one-off.” He will allow a moment of supposition, if pressed. “I suppose if I did something like that, I’d probably do some Dio stuff and maybe [one-time Sabbath vocalist] Tony Martin and maybe ‘Paranoid,’ ‘Iron Man.’ I haven’t really thought about it. Again, it’s not Sabbath,” he concludes. “It would be an Iommi thing, but it is part of my background. So I suppose I would play some of the old ones.”

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Saturday threw out President Trump’s multibillion-dollar lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over an article reporting on his ties to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles in Miami ruled that the president did not prove the defendants made defamatory statements with actual malice. Gayles dismissed the suit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled and the dismissal is permanent and incontrovertible.

The ruling said the lawsuit was “grasping at straws” as it attempted to “manufacture” flaws in the Journal’s investigative reporting.

The lawsuit was over an article the Journal published last year describing a sexually suggestive letter that the paper said bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday.

The letter was reportedly collected by jailed British socialite and Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein years before he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a reported falling-out with Trump.

The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn nude woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper.

Trump denied writing it and called the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, accused the paper and its reporters of having “knowingly and recklessly” published “numerous false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleged, caused “overwhelming financial and reputational harm” to the president.

Collins writes for the Associated Press.

ADELE is gearing up to end her musical hiatus, and I can exclusively reveal the details of her much-anticipated comeback.

Last week our newspaper told you the superstar was on the brink of announcing her fifth album, and now my music mole has spilled all on what the record will sound like.

The 38-year-old is tipped to release the follow-up to her fourth album next summer, and I’m told the working title is 39.

The name would follow the pattern of her previous albums, from 19 and 21 through to 25 and 30.

My source explained: “Adele is gearing up for a huge comeback and feels ready to start a new chapter musically.

“She’s been away from performing for a while, but music has never been far from her mind.

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“The album is being tipped for next summer, although the release plans are still being worked through. The working title being discussed is 39.”

Adele stepped back from the stage after her Las Vegas residency ended in November 2024, and has spent the time away focusing on her family.

But I’m told she has been writing the whole time.

My insider said: “She’s spent the past couple of years prioritising her family and enjoying some time away from the pressure of being in the spotlight, but she’s also been thinking about music constantly.

“She’s been writing throughout her break. She famously finds the fame side of her career difficult, so stepping away has been important for her.

“She now feels creatively revived and has come back to the music with a fresh perspective.”

As revealed last week, Adele has been secretly recording at the famous Church Studios in Crouch End, North London, which is owned by producer Paul Epworth.

And my source says he is on board for the new record.

They said: “Paul Epworth is involved, which is significant given their history together. They’ve made some incredible music in the past, including Skyfall, and there’s a real understanding between them creatively.

“He knows how to bring out the best in Adele while allowing her to experiment.”

The pair won an Oscar together for the Bond theme.

While fans can expect the huge vocals and emotional honesty Adele is known for, I’m told she is keen to move slightly away from her trademark ballads.

The source said: “She doesn’t want to abandon the ballads that made her a global superstar, because that’s such a big part of who she is as an artist.

“But she’s also looking at how she can evolve. She wants the record to feel fresh and reflect the person she is today, rather than simply repeating what she’s done before.”

Never one to shy away from honesty, Adele will also tackle the darker side of fame on the album.

My insider said: “There are songs exploring the more difficult side of fame and what it’s like to live so much of your life in the public eye.

“Adele has always been very honest in her music, and this record will continue that, including some of the struggles she’s had with herself and her own image.”

But I’m told that at its heart, it is a love album, and will feature a tribute to fiance Rich Paul.

They said: “She’s keen to include a song dedicated to Rich, because her relationship is an important part of her life and it would be natural for that to find its way into her songwriting.”

Adele’s London roots will also come through in the music, despite her years living in the US.

The source added: “There’s a sense of looking back at her roots and the experiences that shaped her. It’s about recognising how far she’s come while still holding on to the person she was before the fame.”

Fans have also been sent into a spin after Adele briefly changed her YouTube name to her full name, Adele Adkins, last week before switching it back.

My mole says the star knows how closely she is being watched.

They said: “Adele knows that even the smallest change around her online presence will get people talking, but she isn’t going to rush into announcing anything before she’s ready.

“She wants to get everything right, and when she does come back, she wants it to feel like a proper new era rather than a quick announcement followed by a long wait.”

New music is also expected to feature in blockbuster Cry To Heaven, which could help launch her next chapter.

My source said: “It could help introduce audiences to a different side of her creatively and build anticipation for the album itself. It’s about setting the tone for her return and giving people a taste of what’s to come.”

And for those hoping to see her live, a tour is not off the cards.

They said: “A tour is something that could be considered once the album plans become clearer, but nothing is set in stone at this stage.

“She knows how much fans want to see her live again, but if she does decide to tour, it will be because she feels ready for it rather than because she feels pressured to get back on the road.”

Fingers crossed the wait won’t be much longer.

CHERYL TWEEDY has revealed she has a secret TikTok burner account to keep up with pop culture without drawing attention to herself.

The singer said: “I like scrolling TikTok as people are funny and fun and they are a bit more relaxed.

“They don’t care about taking the mick out of themselves.

“I’m a secret scroller. A burner.”

NOT TOO SHABBY

RISING music star Shab has come a long way after leaving her native Iran with just a suitcase to her name.

She has toured with The Wanted and JLS and now she is back with a new single, Catch Me If You Can.

In an exclusive chat, she said: “Catch Me If You Can is exactly where my head is at right now.

“I’m done asking permission to be me. I know what I bring, and I’m not chasing anybody to prove it.”

Shab, whose single Perfume VIP Remix peaked at No11 on the Dance Music Charts, also has ambitions to move into fashion.

Last month, she appeared on the runway at a Dallas catwalk show and has now launched her own clothing brand DropTrou.

This is a woman not to be underestimated.

GEORGE FILM A KLASS ACT

MYLEENE KLASS was among the fans at the posh premiere of the new George Michael concert film.

And she was in for a treat, as the late singer is at his bottom-thrusting best in George Michael: The Faith Tour.

The remastered footage from his 1988 run of shows features more than 200 thrusts by the Fastlove singer – with one cinema- goer admitting they were shocked.

“Watching George’s bottom thrusts in IMAX was certainly something,” they told me after watching the film, which   is out next Friday.

“It has to  be seen to be believed.”

SIGN UP FOR COSY U2 GIG

U2 have joined forces with BBC Radio 2 to perform an exclusive, one-off show in London next month.

The concert, which is being recorded in front of a select audience on November 3, will see Bono and his bandmates ­performing tracks from their upcoming album, Carnaval De Luz, as well as hits from their back catalogue.

To be in the crowd, you have until midnight tonight to register on the BBC website under the Shows And Tours section.

The set will air next month in full on BBC Two, while Jo Whiley will welcome the band on to her show on November 30 for an interview, which will also feature songs from the live performance.

MONDAY GIRLS GO PURE POP

REMEMBER MONDAY have finally announced their debut album, Can We Press Rewind?.

The 12-track record, out on January 29, features their new single, Dream Cheat, which is out now.

Insiders told me the three-piece – Charlotte Steele, Holly-Anne Hull and Lauren Byrne – have dug deep for the record.

A source said: “Charlotte, Holly-Anne and Lauren have delved into their own romantic history for this record, and it’s littered with dating disasters and questionable decisions.

“It’s pure pop fun and shows how far they’ve come.”

The album will come out just days before they kick off their I’m Just A Girl tour, which is their biggest run of shows to date.

Remember Monday will start their run in Bristol on February 8, before shows in Birmingham, Portsmouth and Glasgow.

The tune of “Famous Last Words” reverberates throughout the Immanuel Presbyterian Church, a high-ceiling Gothic structure in Koreatown, on a rainy October morning.

The anthemic, life-affirming final track from My Chemical Romance’s 2006 album “The Black Parade” has taken on a new sound here. It’s being played on the church’s organ. Mallory Haney, the musician at the keys, also plays “Disenchanted “ and “Mama,” other songs from the same album celebrating its 20th anniversary, throughout the morning.

What connects this place of worship to a band known for its macabre aesthetic, however, is its music video for the song “Helena” from the album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.”

Filmed here in 2005, the video sees frontman Gerard Way belt the sorrowful lyrics at the front of church with his bandmates and a group of dancers around him. Behind them is a black casket with the body of the eponymous Helena.

My Chemical Romance fans including Charlotte Calvert of Pensacola, Fla., top, attend Ghouls’ Day Out.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

She eventually rises from the dead and dances her way through the congregation.

Now in 2026, several men wearing all black with red ties, like Way does in the music video directed by Marc Webb, trickle in as soon as the doors open. Later, a young woman in a black dress, mimicking what Helena wears on screen, makes an entrance and heads straight to the front to take photos with the casket and flower arrangements that re-create the scene.

“Helena: An Immersive Tribute,” as this experience is dubbed, also features multiple photo ops around the church’s premises that reference the band’s emblematic art (including a statue of Pepe, the marching skeleton on the cover of “The Black Parade” album).

Behind this fan-focused event are Sam Gomez and Kimmy Perez, a Mexican American married couple who make a living putting on pop culture-inspired events, and, in the case of Perez, selling her art under the brand SpooksieBoo at conventions around the country.

My Chemical Romance fans including Benji Godinez, left, and Jennifer Campos, both of Los Angeles, attend Ghouls’ Day Out at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The festivities at the church will conclude Saturday with a larger event called Ghouls’ Day Out, featuring the same displays inside the space, plus food vendors, an artist market and a My Chemical Romance cover band, Sweet Revenge, out back for attendees to enjoy.

“We’re doing everything we can to give fans the best My Chem experience short of seeing the actual band,” Gomez says during a recent video call.

“I’ve heard some call it MCR Con, which that’s literally what it is!” Perez adds laughing:

Gomez and Perez held the first Ghouls’ Day Out in May 2021, making it an annual staple for My Chemical Romance fans. On top of the May event, this year they decided to bring it back in October to coincide with the band’s series of concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.

Their relationship with Immanuel Presbyterian Church started when its operations manager, Niambi Rendon, attended one of the pop-up events they organize throughout Southern California.

My Chemical Romance fan Cecilia Calvert of Alamogordo, N.M., is overcome with emotion while attending Ghouls’ Day Out.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Struggling financially, the church sought new partnerships to raise funds. In fact, part of the proceeds from the “Helena” tribute and Ghouls’ Day Out goes to help the church’s food pantry.

But though it wants to take advantage of the My Chemical Romance connection, the church has one key rule: Nothing on display can cross the threshold from “spooky” to “satanic.”

A little blood is fine, Gomez says, but nothing too gruesome. “The most important thing is nothing that’s going to either make fun of or cast a shadow on the clergy. We’ve had many cosplayers that want to come as an evil priest or evil nun. We can’t have that,” Gomez says.

Now in its seventh edition (since 2026 had twice the festivities), the event’s popularity has grown, bringing fans from across the country and even international visitors.

MCR fans including Jenelle Smith, left, and Joanna Glezakos, both of Toronto, attend Ghouls’ Day Out.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Megan Rose, 33, traveled from rural Virginia to Los Angeles with her partner to attend one of the shows. Looking for other My Chemical Romance-related activities to do while in the city, she learned about the “Helena” tribute on social media.

“The architecture is beautiful and I’ve been having as much fun looking at the church as I have the fandom set up and I think they’ve done a very good job with all the props,” she says.

Mayela González, 41, came all the way from Monterrey, Mexico. A fan of the band since her teenage years, she was in disbelief stepping into a location she’d seen countless times on screen. “I hope the band keeps going, and they don’t stop after this tour,” says González. “I hope they release a new album and keep on performing live.”

“The event has just grown over the years as we allow fans to tell us what they want it to be,” Gomez says. “And over the years, the feedback has been, ‘More MCR theming.’” Gomez and Perez take that commitment to fan satisfaction seriously.

Tracy Phillips who portrays the titular “Helena” poses with a young MCR fan at Ghouls’ Day Out.

(Jonathan Garcia)

“We found the company, which is still in L.A., that made the ‘Helena’ casket that’s in a music video and they said, ‘We can make you an exact replica,’” adds Gomez.

More importan, they also have the real Helena on site. Tracy Phillips, the actor and dancer who played the title role in the music video, takes photos with fans. She made her first Ghouls’ Day appearance in 2025.

“Outside of the church I’m no one, and then I walk into the church in this makeup and dress and people are crying,” says Phillips with a smile. “It’s kind of a bizarre juxtaposition of people knowing me and people not knowing me at all.”

The church is the site where My Chemical Romance filmed its music video for its 2005 hit song, “Helena.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Post-Helena, Phillips worked with the band once more as an assistant choreographer on the “Teenagers” music video. That was nearly 20 years ago. Earlier this month it hired her again after all this time so she could choreograph 20 dancers in three numbers for the Long Live the Black Parade shows at the Hollywood Bowl.

“I was fortunate to get to work with them again,” Phillips says. “They’re all such kind people. Gerard is so kind and brilliant and it was really fun to get to circle back around. It felt like this full-circle moment in a different capacity.”

In the past, the band had posted about Ghouls’ Day Out on its official Instagram account, which led Gomez and Perez to believe at least someone in its team was aware of their event.

My Chemical Romance fans including Savannah Monrreal of Inglewood attend Ghouls Day Out.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

This time around, the band sent them an official “The Black Parade” flag, following its first night at the Bowl, that they now have on display at the church as one of the photo-ops.

Ghouls’ Day Out has generated new opportunities for the church, which hopefully means Gomez and Perez will be welcomed back for years to come.

“Now that the church is known in the My Chemical Romance community, they’ve had people go to them saying, ‘I want to have my wedding there,’” adds Gomez with a joyful grin.

RAZORLIGHT are keen to show they’ve still got the golden touch as they prepare for their 28-date tour across the UK and Europe.

The new shows will see Johnny Borrell and Andy Burrows celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled second record, which spawned hits including America, In The Morning and Before I Fall To Pieces.

Speaking at the Ovo Arena Wembley, where the band plays on December 4, frontman Johnny recalls: “The first time we played here was supporting the Manic Street Preachers, it was a great show.”

Buzzing to be back, drummer Andy adds: “We feel very lucky, but at the same time we also feel like we did something really cool.”

The tour starts in Europe and reaches the UK with Glasgow on November 26, before cities including Nottingham, Bristol and Leeds.

And time on the road means more time to make new music.

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“I’m hoping we do some writing on the road because we used to do that a lot,” Johnny says.

“Now we’re going out on the tour bus again, I think we’ll have a good chance of doing that.

“We’ve got a couple of really good songs at the moment and the next step is bringing it to the band and we’ll see how it sounds.

“I like where we’re at with Razorlight at the minute, we’ve got the bit between our teeth.”

Andy says: “These shows and playing together will fuel that. It would be easy to play some gigs, earn some money and be like, ‘See you in two years.’

“But we have that drive to say, ‘F**k, we need to do this again and do it better’.”

Johnny adds: “Everyone has to bring their A-game, then we need to meld together because then it creates something incredible.”

Johnny thinks the group — which first formed in 2002 — have some exciting years ahead.

He explains: “I think a band needs that hunger. And I think we have that right now.

“We’re writing new material and we’ve got that drive.

“I always feel most comfortable in that kind of position where I’m fighting and trying to prove something. I like being the underdog and I like taking it on. When we play live, we’re not playing along to a backing track or anything pre- recorded or a click track or something like that, which 90 per cent of bands are doing now.

“It’s depressing. People do it because it’s easier and it’s cheaper to do. Anyone can go off and do 364 days of something else, then turn up and get a haircut and look like they’re in a band, you know?

“But we’re doing it the real way.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the biggest band in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re like the newest, youngest band starting out.

“If you’re doing it properly and you’re doing it for the love of the music, it’s a long road and you just have to keep fighting.

“And that’s our vibe right now.”

FLUFF LUCK FOR RAYE

RAYE was the big winner at the Mercury Prize do after taking home the coveted gong.

She received the award for her incredible second record, This Album May Contain Hope.

After the bash at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, the star was snapped leaving in a faux fur coat and fluffy slippers while holding her trophy out for the waiting photographers.

Raye, who turns 29 today, said: “I just poured so much heart into this album, I really did. This accolade is serious and something that I always dreamed to one day receive. I just feel really grateful.

“It’s the best birthday present I could have asked for.”

Olivia Dean left the night empty-handed but made up for her loss by partying until 3am with her pals in Newcastle.

One of my mates spotted the Man I Need singer heading off with her friends to cool DIY music venue The Lubber Fiend.

They told me: “Olivia might have lost to Raye but she was in great spirits. She went dancing with her mates and was having the time of her life. She’s a great girl and a proper good laugh.”

WIGHT MOVE BY ROBBIE AND CO

ROBBIE WILLIAMS, Kings of Leon and Fatboy Slim have been announced as the headliners for the 25th Sky Presents Isle Of Wight Festival.

They will be joined by a slew of stars including Becky Hill, Kaiser Chiefs, Myles Smith, Cruz Beckham& The Breakers, Courteeners, Rudimental and Scouting for Girls.

The event, which takes place across four days from June 17 next year, still has some more acts to be announced.

Tickets go on sale at 8am on Monday,

Festival director Caroline Giddings said: “There’s a real mix of artists for different generations and tastes, and there’s still more to come.

“We put a lot of thought into what happens beyond the main stages, too.”

JoJo in a good lace

SINGER Jojo Siwa wows in lace as she attends the 2026 Dancers Against Cancer Gala in Beverly Hills.

The former child star looked worlds away from her wild pop star persona as she walked the red carpet in a stunning white dress.

The singer was in good company at the glitzy bash, with actress Carmen Electra and singer Janet Jackson also in attendance.

JoJo is currently enjoying some downtime in America after releasing a series of singles following her stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house last year.

GEORGE MICHAEL’s estate is hosting a free screening for NHS staff of his film, The Faith Tour, at London’s Roundhouse .

The show comes 20 years after his gig at the same venue for nurses, to thank them for caring for his mum who died of cancer in 1997.

Tickets will be distributed by NHS England.

STRIP away his rock star status and Noel Gallagher is just like us.

In the new episode of Chicken Shop Date, he tells host Amelia Dimoldenberg: “I’m pretty low-key. My children live with me. We played a gig in São Paulo to 90,000 and I got home and came downstairs to find my two lads arguing over what was left in a box of Coco Pops. I thought to myself: ‘48 hours ago I was on stage – now I am arguing with two bellends about Coco Pops.’”

What’s the opposite of a victory lap?

One answer arrived this year in the form of “Music, Fashion, Film,” Charli XCX’s bracing follow-up to 2024’s Grammy-winning “Brat.” An emotionally complicated dance-pop album about the relationship between power and vulnerability, “Brat” struck a nerve in a weird cultural moment and finally brought Charli the kind of stardom she’d been openly seeking for ages. In the LP’s immediate aftermath, the English musician hungrily scooped up the spoils of her success — playing Coachella’s main stage, starring in a highbrow mockumentary, soundtracking Hollywood’s latest take on “Wuthering Heights.”

Yet “Music, Fashion, Film” wonders what it all meant. It’s a digitally enhanced rock record — probably 2026’s best thing-with-guitar — that cycles through thoughts on ambition and trend-chasing before landing with a moving sense of serenity on the idea that everybody dies and takes their accomplishments with them.

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“No One Lasts Forever” is the album’s final track, and Sunday night that was also Charli’s closer at Inglewood’s Kia Forum, where she headlined the second of two shows over the weekend.

Structurally, the concert bookended songs from “Brat” (for which she was accompanied by prerecorded tracks) with stuff from “Music, Fashion, Film” (for which a scuzzy live band backed her up). There were stray oldies too, including “Constant Repeat,” which she introduced as one of the first songs she wrote about her husband, George Daniel — “even though it’s not exactly truthful,” she added — and the landmark hyperpop cut “Vroom Vroom.”

She also did “House,” a spooky goth-folk song from “Wuthering Heights” that had her writhing on the stage in the white-hot heat of a single spotlight — a sex kitten turned scream queen (or perhaps vice versa). And she brought out Adéla, the Slovakian singer famously booted from the reality show that created Katseye, to do her viral hit “Nicole Kidman,” which is just one of a handful of rough-edged pop hits this year that demonstrate “Brat’s” lasting influence.

Indeed, what was illuminating about the middle of the show — basically a half-hour-long club night with strobes cranked happily to here’s-the-seizure-you-ordered — was seeing how very un-tired Charli’s fans are of being pulverized by songs like “Club Classics,” for which she donned her Superman’s-cape sunglasses, and “Guess,” during which pairs of underwear rained down on the audience in a nod to the music video for the song’s remix with Billie Eilish.

Charli had opened with the new album’s “Rock Music,” in which she declares that “the dance floor is dead”; here, her sarcasm fooled precisely nobody.

My favorite part was the home stretch of tunes from “Music, Fashion, Film”: “Camera,” a startlingly frank confession of her movie-star aspirations; “Magic Metal Montana,” a deeply tender ode to her friend and collaborator A.G. Cook; “SS26,” a jittery electro-punk jam about “walking on a runway that goes straight to hell.”

I love the strange emotion in these songs — the feeling that you might as well say what you want because the only thing more embarrassing than taking a risk is not taking one.

At some point, Charli lit up a cigarette and waved it around like someone who’d discovered a critical truth. What were they gonna do — make her end the concert early?

Define early; better yet, define late.