rock music

A FOUNDING member of Seventies glam rock band Showaddywaddy, guitarist Trevor Oakes, has died the group announced today.

Former lead singer Dave Bartram who is now manager, said the 79-year-old musician passed away peacefully on February 18 after “a long illness”.

The band specialised in Fifties and Sixties classics including their only UK No1 single Under the Moon of Love in 1976 and still tours but with only drummer Romeo Challenger from the original line-up.

It enjoyed 15 Top Twenty hits during their peak from 1974 to 1979.

Bartram, also the group’s manager, said: “Trevor was a unique character and a dedicated professional, without whom the band would never have quite scaled the dizzy heights we seemed destined to achieve.

“He was also a caring and affectionate family man, with a mischievous sense of humour, which will be sadly missed by all those dear to him.

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“ I could write a book about the incredible memories we’ve shared over the past fifty-seven years, but most of all I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his unwavering friendship. Your true friend Dave.”

A source claimed to The Sun that Bartram died in a Leicester care home and that his funeral has already taken place.

No further details have been released about Oakes’ illness or cause of death.

The musician was born in Leicester and worked as press knife maker before becoming a professional musician.

Oakes quit the band when he was aged 62 in May 2009 after suffering ill health, according to his biography on its website.

He has two ex-footballer sons, Stefan Oakes who played for Leicester City in the Premier League, and Scott Oakes, whoi had a spell at Luton Town.

FOR Dermot Kennedy’s third album, he wanted to explore both the beauty and burden of a successful music career. 

The award-winning Irish singer might headline huge arenas but he has always had his feet firmly on the ground, valuing a normal life, privacy and simple things such as walking in his local woods — the theme of his new record. 

He says: “I feel I’m at a sweet spot, because I can play The O2 in London but I can walk around all day and no one really knows who I am. 

“Having a career in music is a blessing. It’s the most amazing thing, but at the same time, there are certain challenges that come with it. It tests relationships and tests your own resolve, it’s a ­pressure. And I wanted to write about that.” 

The pull of nature as a place to reset became more powerful to the singer as he found success — both his previous collections, Without Fear (2019) and Sonder (2022), topped the album chart. 

“With a career in music, you’re not anonymous, you’re constantly moving from city to city,” he explains. 

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“Being somewhere where you can only see trees in every direction has become more and more important to me, and more powerful. Where I live is quite remote, and that’s the way I want to be.”

This recurring woodland imagery reflects a sense of calm and nostalgia to Kennedy, and the cover of his new album, The Weight Of The Woods, features the singer in a woodland setting. 

As we chat in his central London record label offices, he’s signing a huge pile of his new CDs.  

“It’s a great album cover,” he says smiling. “Even signing these all morning, I’m not sick of looking at it yet.” 

A standout on Kennedy’s new record is the track Sycamore, a gorgeous introspective ode to home and identity. 

“The Irish landscape has always been important to me,” he says. “Where we took the picture for the album still resonates. It’s a big part of how I’m inspired.” 

Working with producer Gabe Simon — who produced Noah Kahan’s 2022 breakthrough album, Stick Season — Kennedy made The Weight Of The Woods in ­Ireland, Nashville and Norway. 

He says: “Sycamore is lush and smooth, which felt different for me. It was the first song we made when Gabe came over — there’s a sycamore tree right in front of my house that’s become a kind of ­talisman in my life. It felt like a lovely way to start. 

“A lot of these songs carry a vulnerability I haven’t shown before, and that felt important, because you can’t pretend you’re 100 per cent all the time. It’s just not true.” 

This shift shows a new confidence, one that allows him to do things his own way. 

“Generally, I’m a quiet person, so on previous albums I wasn’t the loudest in the room whereas with this one, I have the confidence to shout for it and take my time. 

“It’s taken this long to get to a point where I know what I want — what I need and what’s authentic.” 

The Weight Of The Woods reflects a stage in his life where Kennedy feels more secure, more at home and more fully himself. Now married with a baby daughter, his perspective has shifted in ways he struggles to fully articulate. 

“How has fatherhood changed me?” he ponders. “It’s hard to sum up, I can’t explain it in a couple of minutes. 

“It just means the world to me and gives you a completely new perspective on life. 

“It makes you realise there are more important things than chasing goals in music. 

“The best thing I can do now is make music that moves me and try to live in a way that feels like the purest version of who I am. It becomes the centre of everything. 

“Fatherhood has given me more confidence, but also a different kind of fragility, making me more emotionally open. 

“A lot of these songs carry a vulnerability that I haven’t shown in my music before, and that’s important.”  

Musically, Kennedy feels the album has a strong Irishness, though it was not a deliberate concept.  

Honest is a track that feels especially personal, as it directly references where he is from in Ireland. 

He says: The first lyric is about Kilteel [near Rathcoole, Co Dublin] which is an important part of where I’m from. It’s a more personal record so I needed to tell the story of where I’m from.” 

He reflects on the pull of home: “Sometimes when you’re trying to have a career in music, people assume they need to move away and live somewhere else. 

“But in Ireland we have one of the richest musical landscapes in the world, you know? So, it’s nice to be a part of that. 

“And it’s the most Irish-sounding track. I played the bodhran [a traditional Irish frame drum] on it, the drum you hear at the beginning, and there’s also a tin ­whistle. It all came together very naturally so these songs feel dynamic to me and they’re really going to work live.” 

Wasted is a favourite of Kennedy’s on the record. Inspired by US singer and producer Dijon, he says: “It felt like it had that excited, upbeat energy without being pop. It felt real in the room and exciting.” 

Then there’s The Only Time I Prayed, which explores the singer’s relationship with faith. 

“I’ve got songs like Glory, and lyrics about the devil, but I’d consider myself definitely agnostic. I believe in otherworldly things but I’m not a practising Catholic. 

“Still, when things get difficult, people pray — regardless of faith. It comes from desperation, and I find that fascinating. Sometimes I even feel envious of people with a strong faith.” 

Another highlight on the record is Funeral, a stunning track about letting go of the past to move forward. 

“I just wanted that song to be about ditching any difficult stuff I’ve been through,” he says. 

“Songwriters spend an awful lot of time wallowing in the past and I wanted it to feel triumphant — moving forward into something more positive. 

“It felt good and the vocal carries an energy which is always a fun thing on a song.” 

On this third album, Kennedy feels more confident, self-assured and clearer about what is authentic to him. 

He says: “It’s less inhibition and less stress — not poring over every decision. So confidence showed up in quite a carefree, exciting way.” 

It was important to Kennedy that the album was stripped back and imperfect to add to the studio atmosphere. 

“Musically, if you listen closely, there are lots of imperfections, little noises other artists or producers might take out,” he says.  

“You can hear someone talking, a chair creaking. It puts me back in that room, and I don’t want to lose that.” 

That same approach mirrors a wider creative release: “I feel like I’ve let go massively, which is a good thing.” 

That sense of letting go has also reshaped how he defines success. 

“Any pressure that came with the second album was internal, applied by myself,” he says. “I don’t think being competitive puts me in the best place to be the best artist I can be. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t.  

“Tracking streams or records isn’t success to me. With this record, it was just lovely to get back to a place where I really enjoyed making the music, the visual world around it, and playing the songs.  

“Don’t get me wrong, I still want lots of people to hear it, but I feel like I’ve already succeeded with this project.  

“If it reaches a ton of people, that’s fantastic, but I had a beautiful time making it, and that’s everything. 

“When you chase numbers and all that stuff, it’s all quite surface level and not very fulfilling in the end. 

“I don’t think trying too hard is the move. It’s important to work hard and promote things, but being overly try-hard isn’t appealing.  

“It’s better to sit back and let the music do the work. By letting go — stepping back from social media and putting the music first — it feels more likely to set my career up the way I want it.” 

Live performance remains central to Kennedy’s identity. He feels he has built his career the “old-fashioned way” by playing rooms and winning audiences over. 

He says: “Nowadays, there’s so many ways that someone can forge a career. You can blow up on the internet or go viral. For me, it’s never really been like that. 

“It’s been more about getting people into a room. I think I can play in such a way that they might want to come back and see it again next time.” 

“For me, when I dreamed about having a career in music, all I thought about was playing in big, beautiful theatres. So playing live is an important part of what I do.” 

Even as he now fills large venues, Kennedy is keen to preserve a sense of intimacy within those spaces. 

He explains: “We’re going to do it differently. There are lots of ways you can use tech in a live show. You can run tracks for things like horns and production, but then the whole show ends up on track and can feel like elevated karaoke. 

“You can come off stage feeling like you haven’t really achieved much. So, with this tour, we’ve got rid of the click track and any backing tracks. It’s about keeping it real and letting the performance have more freedom. 

“We’re getting rid of any kind of bells and whistles, and it’s just fun. I could start a song at any tempo, I could be feeling a certain way that ends up being a faster version with more energy, or we could pull it right back. 

“You go to a live show for the energy, and I think it’s far easier to tap into that special place if you don’t have that stuff.” 

Kennedy is also more careful about looking after his voice when he tours 

“I try not to do more than two nights in a row, because it compromises the rest of the tour. It means I can walk on stage excited, instead of just hoping I get through it.” 

It’s part of a wider shift in how he approaches performance. “It’s a process as well, working with vocal coaches and stuff. I run a lot more now, because you need that lung capacity. I’m not sure about other ­people’s experience touring, but it feels like a sport sometimes.” 

That mindset has also made him more aware of the level required to sustain a major live career — something he saw first-hand watching ­Taylor Swift live. 

“Well, I saw her at the venue I’m playing this summer, and it was inspiring.” he says. “I saw Travis, her fiancé, talking about her fitness regime and just how she’s operating at a kind of scary level. 

“I find that really inspiring, because it makes you realise this is a very high level of what we do — you have to take it seriously. When someone is that on top of their game, it’s just incredibly motivating.” 

“The show is, what, three hours long? It was wild to see. And honestly, it was just cool to be in Dublin and see people so excited by those songs.  

“What really struck me was that it was just her songs. You realise this is someone who started out just writing songs, and now it’s millions of people all over the world. 

“But it doesn’t feel like some manufactured pop machine. It just feels like someone who writes songs, and that’s what makes it so powerful.” 

• The album The Weight Of The Woods is out on April 3. 

DERMOT KENNEDY 

The Weight of The Woods 

★★★★☆

IT was supposed to be her happy ending, but just months after the death of her beloved father, Kelly Osbourne has been left mourning again.

From the outside, Kelly’s split from fiancé Sid Wilson looked like a cruel twist in increasingly fragile star’s life, but those close to Kelly have now shed some light on her apparently shock decision to end things with the Slipknot keyboard player, telling me what really sparked the break-up.

An insider explained: “After her dad Ozzy died it put everything into perspective, the main thing being, she’s realised how she wants to be treated, and what she deserves.

“Things haven’t been right for a while and she realised she needs to prioritise herself.

“She’s so fragile because of everything that’s gone on with her father and is in need of something more. She didn’t want to pour into cups that don’t pour into hers.”

She’s realised how she wants to be treated, and what she deserves.

Insider

Kelly, who shares three-year-old son Sidney with the rocker, has been spending a lot of time in the UK following Ozzy’s death in July last year, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.

More than ever she became her mum Sharon’s rock as they navigate this incredibly difficult time, but it’s taken its toll on Kelly. 

Her latest appearances have sparked concern not just from her fans but those close to her. 

The once bubbly looking star has drastically shrunk in size, which has led to her being called gaunt and some even saying she ‘looks like a dead body’.

My insider added: “Kelly is of course aware she looks different but has found the trolling really tough.

“Her friends have really rallied around her and are determined to make sure she is ok. Of course everyone is doing what they can to help her be happy and healthy. They are providing the light in all the dark at the moment. The last thing anyone wants is for her to lose any more weight.

“It’s a worrying time for everyone but the fact that Kelly has taken the step to end her engagement suggests she is ready to move on and start really living again.”

Concerns were raised following her appearance at the Brit Awards with mum Sharon, as dad Ozzy was honoured posthumously.

The trolls were particularly vicious, and Kelly hit back to “defend herself”,. In a  message to her 4.4 million followers she wrote: “There is a special kind of cruelty in harming someone who is clearly going through something.

“Kicking me while I’m down, doubting my pain, spreading my struggles as gossip, and turning your back when I need support and love most.

‘Hardest time’

“None of it proves strength; it only reveals a profound absence of compassion and character.

“I’m currently going through the hardest time in my life. I should not even have to defend myself. But I won’t sit here and allow myself to be dehumanised in such a way.”

Kelly and Sid first met in 1999 at Ozzfest, a music festival founded by her parents.

They were friends for over two decades before their relationship turned romantic at the end of 2021. It seemed like the perfect match.

On Valentine’s Day in 2022, Kelly gushed: “After 23 years of friendship, I can’t believe where we have ended up. You are my best friend, my soulmate, and I am so deeply in love with you, Sidney George Wilson.”

They welcomed their son Sid in January, 2023 and being a mother changed everything for Kelly.

But cracks started to show between the pair and Kelly later recalled they had the “biggest fight” shortly after Sid was born.

I can never ever forgive him for that.

Kelly on her biggest row with Sid

She said on The Osbournes podcast: “I wanted our son to have both of our last names, and [Sid] wouldn’t let me, and we had a huge fight.”

“I feel that I was forced into doing something that I didn’t want to do. I can never ever forgive him for that, but we can move on.” 

They started to have couple’s therapy – there were some  “eye opening conversations” and eventually they agreed to change their son’s last name to feature both Osborne and Wilson.

Kelly explained: “We both made our child so he should have both of our last names. Not one is more important than the other.”

Meanwhile Ozzy was becoming increasingly unwell. He returned to the UK to perform for one more time and live out his final days at his beloved family home – a Grade-II listed Georgian mansion in Buckinghamshire.

Kelly, her brother Jack and older sister Amy spent most of their childhood in the UK, where they attended several private schools before moving to LA and starring in their hit reality show The Osbournes.

It was at Ozzy’s last ever Black Sabbath gig at Villa Park in July of last year that Sid proposed – with her whole family around her. 

Sid pulled out all the stops and proposed to Kelly with a bespoke custom-designed ring from Los Angeles based jewellers, Mouawad.

He designed the ring with the team through various one-on-one meetings in order to ensure it was right for Kelly.

Sid chose to curate a dazzling 18K yellow gold ring adorned with both white and yellow diamonds, as well as citrine accents.

The centrepiece is a stunning 2.5 carat round brilliant-cut diamond with the ring being nicknamed the Honeybee – Kelly’s personal nickname.

It couldn’t be missed on Kelly’s tiny hands but in recent weeks, the bling was absent as she came to terms with her decision.

Kelly, who is currently still in the UK, is said to still be on speaking terms with Sid – who is based in the US and is determined to co-parent their son as best as possible. 

Moving on?

For the time being anyway she plans to stay by her mum’s side, and with Sid not yet starting school, there’s no immediate decision needed about where to live.

Sharon is said to still be undecided about whether she’ll remain in the UK – although Ozzy is buried in the grounds of the family home. 

We previously told how Sharon is currently playing to split her time evenly between her historic UK home, Welders, and a new apartment in Los Angeles, spending “half the year at least” on the sun-drenched West Coast. 

If Kelly and young Sid join her or set up home for good in the UK, is yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure though, Kelly has found her voice and she won’t let decisions be made on her behalf. 

AN ICONIC noughties star looked unrecognisable to many as he took to the stage during this weekend’s Estero Picnic Festival in Columbia.

Over two decades since his initial rise to fame, the now 52-year-old musician looks a far cry from the twenty-something many fans remember.

Do you recognise him?

The singer in question in Travis frontman Fran Healy!

Known for hits such as Why Does It Always Rain On Me? and Sing, Travis dominated the music scene in the late nineties and early noughties.

Lead singer Fran has swapped the bright red hair he rocked a few years ago for a bleached look, donning a sky blue jumper as he joined numerous stars in fronting the Columbian festival this weekend.

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Alongside his Travis bandmates, Dougie Payne, Andy Dunlop and Neil Primrose, Fran took to the festival’s Smirnoff stage to perform to the waiting crowds on Sunday.

The three-day festival also saw Sabrina Carpenter, Tyler The Creator, Swedish House Mafia and The Killers perform.

Alongside their own set on Sunday, Travis joined The Killers on stage to perform with them on Saturday.

Born in Stafford, Fran was raised in Glasgow and formed Travis back in 1991 while studying at the Glasgow School of Art.

Still going strong, the band are performing across Chile this month and next, with gigs in Viña del Mar, Frutillar and Santiago.

While the band have taken breaks throughout their lengthy career, they are famous for having never split up.

Their tenth studio album, L.A Times, was released in 2024.

Fran was in a relationship with German photographer Nora Kryst for 23 years before splitting back in 2019.

They share a 20-year-old son named Clay.

Last year, during one of Travis’ US gigs, Fran was rushed off stage and to the hospital after twisting his ankle on stage.

At the time, Fran took to Instagram to explain that he was wheeled out on a gurney and put into an ambulance.

Admitting that he thought he’d broken his ankle, the musician confirmed it was simply a “gnarly sprain”.

ALFIE Boe – one of the nation’s favourite tenors – will be unleashing his inner rock god on new album Face Myself.

The record, out on April 10, is inspired by his love of the Madchester era and was produced by Myriot, who previously worked with Primal Scream.

In an exclusive chat, Alfie revealed the album’s title track pays tribute to late Stone Roses bass player Gary “Mani” Mounfield.

The classical singer said he spent his weekends travelling up to Manchester as a teenager to immerse himself in the music scene, where the Stone Roses launched hits such as I Wanna Be Adored. Alfie said: “At the time I was writing that song, Mani passed away.

“So I had to put a tribute in the song. I changed the lyrics to say, ‘For good old Mani, he played it right’.”

The high-energy track, which is released today, also name checks Liam and Noel Gallagher’s childhood home on Cranwell Drive and celebrates the Madchester spirit.

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On the track he sings: “Dreams are grown in Burnage sky, a golden past that made us cry.

“The prom is glorified with lights, for good old Mani, he played it right. Those Cranwell boys, they sang along.”

As a teen, Alfie, who has clocked up 12 Top Ten albums including four No1s, joined an indie band and later found himself exploring classical music.

“I was in an indie band called The English Roses,” Alfie said with a laugh. We were going to go on tour and I was going to be the drummer. But there was school to attend, which was fine, but then I joined lots of other little bands.”

Alfie’s new album is made up of mostly original material and he was inspired to start writing by his pal, The Who’s Pete Townshend.

And the Les Miserables stage fave says the record is all about facing his past, adding: “I thought, what is it about me I have to face?

“It was my childhood, my teenage years, and what got me to where I am today. It’s been a wonderful journey.”

Dua’s full of beans

Dua Lipa has a hefty cheque coming her way, plus a lifetime’s supply of coffee I imagine.

She’s signed up to be global ambassador for Nespresso and posed in blue co-ords to promote the new tie-in. Dua also had a snap with George Clooney, long-time face of the brand.

Greg heading to £2m…but pleads for Wills’ help again

Greg James continues his mammoth 1,000km cycle ride for Comic Relief after getting the royal seal of approval from Prince William.

He was given a boost on Tuesday, when the Prince of Wales hopped on the back of the Radio 1 DJ’s tandem.

As I caught up with Greg yesterday from the Yorkshire Moors, he said he wished William had stuck around.

Greg, resting up on a wall, below, said with a laugh: “I could’ve done with his legs today. Wills, if you’re reading this, help.”

He has remained incredibly upbeat despite the physical and mental toll the challenge is taking.

And he has been buoyed by the incredible donations from the public, which last night was creeping towards the £2million mark. Greg, who set off from Dorset last Friday and is pedalling all the way to Edinburgh, said: “The hills are very, very difficult today.

“But there was a really nice crowd of people shouting at me at the top.

“The good news is we’ve raised over £1.5million, which is an absurd amount. I’d be happy with that if it was the final total but we’ve got three days left.”

He starts his ride from Sunderland this morning with two full days to go.

Tomorrow he will begin his final push, cycling from Galashiels in the Borders to Edinburgh, where he is set to arrive in time for Comic Relief to start on BBC One at 7pm. You can do this, Greg!

Go to comicrelief.com/ride to make a donation.

Placebo are making a comeback for the 30th anniversary of their debut album, which they have reworked into a new version.

Placebo re:created will be out on June 19.

They will then kick off a European tour this September playing songs from their first two albums, with dates in Nottingham, Glasgow, Dublin, Manchester, London and Cardiff in November and December.

Big cat in Africa

Doja Cat showed her wild side in clashing animal prints while on stage in Rwanda.

The Say So rapper, who wore a blue wig with a tiger-striped bodysuit, was performing at Global Citizen’s Move Afrika concert.

She sounded great, despite her carefree lifestyle.

In a new interview with Vogue yesterday, Doja admitted she’s had to curb bad habits for the sake of her live shows.

She said: “I love trash – I’m Oscar the Grouch. I love to eat garbage, and I love to drink, and I love to party.

“Not too hard, obviously. I don’t do any drugs.”

Doja, who had a romance with actor Joseph Quinn in 2024, went on to reveal she is a serial dater, adding: “I’m 30, so I’m ovulating and horny.”

At least she tells it how it is.

Mosh-pit memories with trust

The Teenage Cancer Trust is staging a photo exhibition at the Royal Albert Hall to mark the joys of mosh pits.

Musicians including Yungblud, Wolf Alice, Fontaines DC and The Sex Pistols ft Frank Carter are featured in the show, called Good Energy.

It highlights “good energy”, which is the code used by fans to look after each other in the crowd. Frank said of his pic: “It was taken in the Royal Albert Hall.

“To play there with the Sex Pistols was a dream come true. Seeing a mosh pit inside such a venue felt like the definition of Good Punk Energy.

The exhibition runs until April 9. Buy signed copies of the prints at teenagecancer trust.org/good.

One direction’s Louis Tomlinson confessed the band’s debut No1 single, What Makes You Beautiful, was his least favourite track. He told Scott Mills’s Radio 2 show: “Performing it was always really eggy.”

Louis also took aim at the handling of 1D’s split, adding: “Hiatus, what a horrible word. It’s cringey, screams management.”

Princess is really made up

Harper Beckham has competition from another nepo baby when it comes to her upcoming beauty brand – Katie Price and Peter Andre’s daughter Princess.

The Sun told last week that Harper had taken part in a photoshoot for beauty brand Hiku by Harper, which is expected to launch in the coming months. Now Princess is following suit.

She said on the Not My Bagg podcast: “I’ve been working on it for ages. I was in Liverpool three days ago.

“I went up for a photoshoot for my beauty brand, which is so good. It’s being released this year.

I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to be involved in some sort of business. Make-up, I love, so it had to be that.”

METALLICA’S James Hetfield is engaged to his stunning girlfriend Adriana Gillett, four years after his divorce from his wife of 25 years.

The musician, 62, proposed to his other half underwater while swimming with sharks in an elaborate proposal.

She took to her Instagram to share the exciting news along with some pretty cool pictures.

In the snap, both can be seen wearing snorkelling gear in the water as James holds up a sign that reads: “Adriana Gillett will you marry me?”

A second picture shows a huge fish as they get up close to the sea creatures during their expedition.

Adriana captioned it: “The BEST birthday trip surprise. Swimming with whale sharks on Friday the 13th with the most unique, special and romantic proposal a Pisces could ever imagine.

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“In a sea full of fish, we caught each other. Thank you God for putting us together.”

Fans rushed to the comments section to send the couple their well-wishes as they enter this amazing new chapter.

One person gushed: “This ROCKS and makes me so happy!! Congratulations Addy & James!!”

Another enthused: “YES!!!! Fantastic!!! It’s been incredible to see the beautiful journey you both have been on and continue to travel. Much love and congratulations to you both!!!”

Somebody else commented: “Congratulations to the two of you! We are so happy for you.”

Yet another said: “Congratulations! No surprise, you two are one in a million.”

While a fifth follower added: “What a whale of a tale this is!!! Congratulations you two!!!”

The couple began dating in 2023 following his divorce from Francesca Tomasi the previous year.

The pair had been married since 1997 and have three children together – Cali, Castor and Marcella.

They filed for divorce in 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.

The guitarist has been open about his battles with addiction over the years and was forced to enter rehab in 2019.

This led to Metallica having to postpone their tour dates in Australia and New Zealand.

Sharing a statement on social media at the time, the band penned: “We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.

“As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years.

“He has no, unfortunately had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again

“We are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who travel great distances to experience our shows.”

The iconic heavy metal band was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by James and drummer Lars Ulrich.

The current lineup is comprised of the founding members along with longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.

They’ve released 11 albums over the last four decades and are one of the most commercially successful bands’ of all time.

A BELOVED Australian musician has died at 65.

Eurogliders founder Bernie Lynch died after battling with throat cancer.

His death was announced this morning by fellow band member Grace Knight, who gave an emotional tribute.

Brit-born Grace wrote: “It’s with the heaviest heart I’m posting this to let everyone know that Bernie passed away last Thursday evening in palliative care in Perth.

“Some of you will be aware that Bernie was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 2024 and underwent treatment.

“I am heartbroken and don’t know how to proceed without him.”

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Grace and Bernie wed after a long relationship in the 80s.

Although they separated after just a year of marriage, the pair maintained their friendship and musical collaboration for four decades.

She added: “I can’t imagine what our lives would have looked like had we not crossed paths with each other.”

Perth musician Bernie was the guitarist, singer and songwriter behind the legendary 80s band Eurogliders.

The group were best known for hit songs Heaven (Must Be There) and We Will Together.

Heaven climbed to the heights of number two on the Australian charts in 1984 and claimed a trophy for Best Single at the Countdown Music Awards.

Bernie had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2024 and briefly returned to the stage after successful treatment.

But the disease was found to have spread to his bones and organs and he begun to deteriorate.

The singer took to the stage for his last gig with Eurogliders in November in Sydney.

Tributes from fans flooded in, with one calling Bernie “an artistic genius”.

Another wrote that “Bernie’s prodigious song writing talent will be his everlasting legacy”.

They added: “I was thinking of you guys listening to my favourite playlist (incl No Action and Another Day) this morning.

“This news saddens me. RIP Bernie.”

One distraught fan said: “Rip Bernie and condolences to you Grace and Euroglider families.

“Grew up with your music and still listen to it today.”

“Well, I guess it’s a brother thing.”

The Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson is reflecting on his rollercoaster relationship with his younger sibling, guitarist Rich.

Their explosive chemistry once earned the outfit a fitting accolade — “The Most Rock ’n’ Roll Rock ’n’ Roll Band in the World”.

Chris is first to admit they’ve had their ups and downs since forming in 1984 under their original name, Mr Crowe’s Garden, as schoolkids in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Rich and I, for better or worse, were stubborn and arrogant but always strong believers in the art,” he admits.

“This has always been our path and, no matter what, we have to do it like this.

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“In rock ’n’ roll, there are plenty of show dogs, pure bred and beautiful. We’re f***ing feral.”

Following in the footsteps of other warring brothers — Ray and Dave Davies or Noel and Liam Gallagher — the Robinsons weren’t on speaking terms for five years after their so-called “contractual obligations” tour ended in 2014.

“Sometimes, you have to take your lumps,” continues Chris, employing that very American phrase for suffering setbacks. “But, right now, we’re in the zone. The chemistry is 100 per cent there.

“The way we feel goes right back to when we started — it’s f*** it, just play it — even if we are more well-mannered.”

The Black Crowes’ big reunion began in late 2019 with warm-up shows for a planned 30th anniversary tour of their debut album, the seminal Shake Your Money Maker, the following year.

But the pandemic slammed on the brakes before the dates finally happened across the US in 2021, uncorking the band’s celebrated freewheeling energy.

Back to the live arena came Jealous Again, Hard To Handle, She Talks To Angels and Twice As Hard, songs that somehow bottled up the band’s influences — Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Little Feat among them — but still refreshingly their own.

In 2024, with their creative juices flowing, The Black Crowes released their first album of original material in 15 years, Happiness Bastards.

Now the Robinsons are back again — with a bang.

The follow-up, A Pound Of Feathers, comes tearing out of the blocks with the rocket-fuelled, riff-driven Profane Prophecy, setting the tone for another of The Black Crowes’ “love letters to rock and roll”.

The album arrives with some sound advice — “This isn’t a record you play on Sunday morning, this is a f***ing Saturday night burner!”

In a world where smoothly produced pop dominates the airwaves, The Black Crowes are unashamedly sticking two fingers up at it.

“None of what’s going on in that world is relevant to me,” decides Chris, “and rock ’n’ roll is still huge for millions and millions of people.”

He is talking to me via video call from Aspen, Colorado, the premier ski resort in the States, playground of the rich and famous.

“My wife is an avid skier. She’s the Franz Klammer of the family,” he reports with a reference to the Austrian downhill legend.

“I get to do the cooking, the reading and the hanging out.” (And talking to people like me about The Black Crowes). Brother Rich is at home in Nashville and begins his call by apologising for being under the weather.

“I’m going to be coughing randomly,” he says. “I’m in the middle of flu that’s going around.”

After clearing his throat, Rich, the less flamboyant one who lets his guitar wizardry do most of his talking, gamely picks up on Chris’s theme.

“When we got back together, we both agreed we needed to do it properly,” he affirms.

“We knew that bringing back a toxic dynamic wouldn’t be healthy for anyone.

“We couldn’t have the overarching idea that when Chris and Rich get together, it’s a bad thing.

“We’ve always written all the songs, we own the name so coming back with a more mature approach has been very helpful.”

Rich acknowledges that the music landscape for the older, wiser Black Crowes is vastly different from when they started out. “There’s a bunch of people in the industry who like to think rock ’n’ roll is dead,” he says.

“But then there’s a bunch of people trying to keep it alive. Guns N’ Roses, the Rolling Stones, Metallica and Def Leppard are still selling out stadiums.

“Tens of millions of people still want to see bands like them. Rock ’n’ roll is one thing that no one could tame.

“And it’s still like that for us. We can go into a studio with almost nothing and, in a week, make a record.

“There’s a human, organic quality to rock ’n’ roll. We don’t have auto-tune and we don’t have to set our s**t to a grid.”

Looking back at their unfettered past, Chris exclaims: “I have to say I’m so f***ing proud of The Black Crowes, man!

“Rich and I started this band when we were teenagers in Mom and Dad’s house, as a vehicle to write songs.

“And we found our way to being musicians and performers.”

Yet the creation of A Pound Of Feathers has still blown Chris away, most notably because of the stellar contributions from Rich.

The album was made in double-quick time, carried along by the brothers’ spontaneous fusion of riffs and lyrics.

Chris says: “I’ve been on stage and sat in studios my whole life with my brother playing amazing guitar.

“But, with this album, I sat there with my mouth hanging open.

“Granted I’m very close to the flame but everything he did, I was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s taking it to a new place.’”

During the sessions, The Black Crowes were visited by Chris’s friend, Todd Snider, the singer/songwriter who died last November from pneumonia aged just 59.

Chris cherished the chance to hang out with Todd — and to get some memorable feedback from him.

“He was a storyteller, a real poet, and he and I had a great friendship. He also really liked The Black Crowes.

“He asked if he could come and check out the recording. I went, ‘Dude, yeah fine, but you’re going to be the only one here’. So he sat there taking in me and Rich putting music together.

“At the end of the day, he said, ‘Are you f***ing warlocks? Is this some kind of ESP or is it a parlour trick? You don’t say anything yet, 30 minutes later, there’s this massive song blasting out of the speakers’.”

For Rich, the studio is his happy place. “I’ve always loved being in a studio,” he says.

“It’s where you bring to ­fruition all the things you have in your head.

“With this record, we came in without any concrete ideas. By allowing ourselves just to play in the sandbox, it became fun and exciting.”

Rich gives a shoutout to producer Jay Joyce, who also helmed Happiness Bastards.

He says: “Nine and a half times out of ten, he agrees with us when we’re excited about something.

“He’s there with us, not bogging us down by trying to insert himself when its unnecessary.”

So what of the songs? There’s the aforementioned opener Profane Prophecy which captures the unvarnished sound of The Black Crowes’ live mayhem, yet recorded in the calmer confines of a studio.

You hear Chris nodding to past rock ’n’ roll excesses by hollering, tongue firmly in cheek, “My pedigree in debauchery is my claim to fame.”

He smiles, “Of course I have to embrace that life. That’s why I sing, ‘I eat casino breakfast off the kitchen floor’.”

But he maintains that while giving “a vision of a debauched rock ’n’ roller”, he’s also “confusing fact with fiction”.

The four-minute shindig concludes with the ensemble chant of the phrase that yielded the album title, “a pound of feathers or a pound of lead”.

Chris got the line from In Here The World Begins, a song by long-defunct British electro-pop band Broadcast.

“I loved the phrase and what it could mean because a pound is a pound,” he says. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s lead or feathers. There’s some weird wisdom to it.”

We turn our attention to Cruel Streak, pounding rock underpinned by funky rhythm.

“I’m adjacent to funk at all times,” says Chris. “Growing up in Atlanta, there was this multi­racial band called Mother’s Finest who played heavy funk with ‘Baby Jean’ Kennedy as lead singer.

“There’s a lot of Mother’s Finest in The Black Crowes.”

On the R&B-flavoured It’s Like That, which comes with heavy basslines and a hint of reggae, the brothers employed an amphibian guest, which, as Chris explains, fits with their anything goes attitude.

“I was staying in Nashville, and the doors were open. I heard this frog, so I recorded him. That’s my Nashville rasta frog on the solo.”

Rich says: “There are tree frogs all over the South. They were blaring one night and Chris said, ‘Man, I want to use that sound’.

“So he took his phone and pressed record. We found the right space for it on the song.” On the loose, laidback country-tinged Pharmacy Chronicles, recalling the vibe of the Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St., Chris sings “let the demons find you” because, he insists, we mustn’t think everything is “sugar-coated, glossy and gorgeous”.

“Especially something as messy as a 40-year career in rock ’n’ roll,” he adds. “I can’t believe some of the s**t I was doing. Get some surgical gloves and get to it!”

But Chris is not one to dwell on the past, with all its euphoric highs and crashing lows. “I am devoid of nostalgia,” he says.

“I like to think I interact with the world as a poet. I’m always writing — it could be because I overheard a conversation at an airport check-in.

“I’m no Bruce Springsteen,” he confesses. “But I connect with the world through whatever inspires me.”

And, as he puts it, “a lot of the darkness that is the United States right now” informs A Pound Of Feathers.

It explains why final track Doomsday Doggerel with its line “a front row seat to the end of times” is in stark contrast to the closing song on Happiness Bastards.

“On that last record, Kindred Friend was a beautiful pastoral thing with harmonica, about me and Rich, the band and our audience,” says Chris.

“Doomsday Doggerel is much darker. We haven’t remembered lessons from our past and the f***ing racism means we’re operating at a very low frequency.

“I just hope that someone can play this record on a Saturday night, keep out the low frequency and get a better hum going.”

As Pharmacy Chronicles ebbs to a close, you hear a defiant chorus of “the good times never end”.

As far as Chris and Rich and the rest of The Black Crowes family are concerned, rock ’n’ roll is the perfect antidote to personal and universal turmoil.

“We’re loud, we can be sloppy but we are like an old cartoon of two people fighting on a train,” says Chris.

“The train goes round a bend, leaning all the way over a cliff, but then it comes back up. That’s us.”

THE BLACK CROWES

A Pound Of Feathers

★★★★☆

A PRIEST has supported a controversial devil-horned bench tribute to Prodigy star Keith Flint — despite it being placed in a graveyard.

The wooden seat was carved with horns in honour of the Firestarter singer’s spiky green haircut.

Some residents feel that the Satanic detail on the bench is inappropriate in a Christian churchyard.

However, the Very Rev Rod Reid, the dean of St Mary’s Church in Bocking, insisted the Essex-based band and Flint’s family had been “very respectful” of its setting.

Mr Reid presided over Flint’s funeral at the church near Braintree in 2019, after the star was found dead at home aged 49.

He said: “The band and the family wanted something fitting for the churchyard. They were very respectful and very aware of the setting.”

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Prodigy manager John Fairs and founder Liam Howlett helped to design the tribute, which was signed off by Flint’s family.

Mr Reid said people were amazed by the bench “and what it means to have it here”.

He went on: “For local people here in Braintree and around, this means an awful lot. They remember seeing Flint and Liam on the dance floors in Braintree. They have followed them all the way through and they are proud.”

Electro-punk pioneers Prodigy enjoyed a string of hits in the 1990s, including their 1996 chart-topper Firestarter.

Its video featured demon-like imagery and a demented dance from wild-eyed Flint which attracted thousands of complaints from BBC viewers.

More than 5,000 people attended his funeral. A post-mortem found traces of cocaine, alcohol and codeine in his body when he died.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded an open verdict at the inquest.

She said: “We will never quite know what was going on in his mind on that date.”

SHARON Osbourne has revealed that Ozzy’s iconic Ozzfest gigs will continue following his tragic passing.

The festival featured an array of artists and was created by Ozzy and Sharon as a music festival tour specialising in rock and metal music.

It was an annual event which ran between 1996 and 2018 and was well known for featuring performances from Ozzy and his band, Black Sabbath.

Now, less than a year on from his sad passing, Sharon has revealed there are plans to revive the music festival tour in his legacy – beginning with a new run of shows in 2027.

Having held discussions with entertainment giant and touring company Live Nation, Sharon confirmed on her son Jack Osbourne‘s podcast that deals had been struck for brand new shows.

She said: “2027, it’s coming back – Aston Villa.

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“We wanna do two days in Aston Villa and then come to America.

“We wanna hear from everyone about where we should go in America.”

She went on to add: “We gotta find a lot of young new talent because that is what your dad would want.”

Jack agreed, adding: “That is what Ozzfest was all about.

“That second stage is where so many guys came out of.”

Sharon appeared to be referring to Villa Park – the stadium of Ozzy’s beloved team Aston Villa in his native Birmingham.

He held his farewell concert there last summer – just weeks before he tragically passed away.

The news will be a welcome surprise for Ozzfest attendees and fans of metal and rock music.

Sharon and Ozzy recently honoured Ozzy at the Brit Awards where he won the Outstanding Contribution to Music award.

NOEL Gallagher has reportedly grown close to socialite Tori Cook following his split from long-term girlfriend Sally Mash.

Friends of the pair have told the Mail on Sunday: “Tori and Noel are getting on really well and are enjoying each other’s company.”

According to the publication, Tori split from her husband three years ago, with whom she has two daughters with.

Noel, 58, and Tori, 44, are said to have been friends for almost a decade and she’s also pals with Sally.

She was on hand to support him at the Brit Awards where he was awarded Songwriter Of The Year in his home city of Manchester.

The two celebrated his win at an after-party at Soho House, along with his daughter Anais, 26, who she has “formed a bond” with, according to pals.

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She shared a snap at one of his Oasis tour dates last year with a group including the man himself and Sally.

The Sun have contacted Noel’s representatives for a comment.

It was announced this week that the Oasis singer had split from now-ex Sally after two years together.

Friends claimed that the pair called it a day earlier this year but insisted there was no “bad blood” between them.

A pal told The Sun: “Noel and Sally split earlier this year.

“There was nothing dramatic, it was amicable. They just weren’t right for each other.

“Noel and Sally have stayed the best of friends. There’s no bad blood there.”

The Sun first revealed the couple were dating back in October 2023.

Sally, whose exes include former Pop Idol judge Neil Fox, was Noel’s first public relationship since the end of his marriage to Sara MacDonald.

Noel confirmed it the following April, saying: “I’ve punched above my weight several times in my life. I think if you can make a girl laugh the battle is more than won.”

Noel also said she was “cool” about 1996 Oasis hit Don’t Look Back in Anger, on which he famously belts out the line: “So Sally can wait.”

Sally joined Noel on the Oasis tour last year — the band’s first since Noel and brother Liam’s bitter break-up in 2009 — including backstage at the momentous opening night in Cardiff in July.

The following month, Sally, who runs a private members’ club in Chelsea, was with Noel and ex-Doctor Who star Matt Smith at dinner in London.

Noel is dad to three children – he had daughter Anais with his first wife Meg Mathews and sons Donovan and Sonny with his second wife, Sara MacDonald.

The icon took to the stage at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester last week to accept his Songwriter Award.

During his short acceptance speech Noel thanked his Oasis bandmates, including his brother Liam Gallagher.

“They brought those songs to life, without them I’d just be a singer-songwriter and no one gives a s**t about singer-songwriters,” Noel began.

He also said a big thank you to their millions of fans.

“More importantly, I’d like to thank you, the people who’ve kept those songs alive for the last 35 years.

“Without you, you’ve given us the most extraordinary life, and thank you very much for that. Have a great night,” Noel concluded.

SUZI Quatro has revealed how her first husband, and the father of her children, has Alzheimer’s and that she’s now in charge of his finances.

The American rock star, 75, who is now married to her second husband Rainer Hass, revealed the sad news whilst speaking to Kaye Adams.

Michigan-born Suzi, who is credited with helping women break into the world of rock and roll music, opened up on the Loose Women star’s podcast, How To be 60.

In a candid interview, the singer talked about how her first husband Len Tuckey is battling Alzheimer’s Disease.

Suzi married Len, who was her long-time guitarist, in 1976, but they divorced in 1992.

During their relationship they had two children together, Laura, 44, and Richard, 42.

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Speaking to Kaye’s podcast, Suzi, who is now married to her second husband Rainer who she wed in 1993, talked about the breakdown of her first marriage to Len.

She then talked about how despite their divorce they remained good friends, and how she became his “power of attorney” because of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Suzi made the admission when she talked about when she decided to leave Len, and how she came about that decision.

“When I did leave, I was sure. I wasn’t doubting. I was sure that it’s time to go,” she revealed to Kaye.

“So I gave it the six years to turn it around. You know, that’s fair.

“You got two kids together, you know. Don’t break it up if you don’t need to. I really tried, but I can’t lie to myself. Nobody can lie to themselves.”

Continuing Suzi said: “I remember saying to him one time during Andy Get Your Gun, actually when that had finished, so it would have been 87, I remember we were sitting in the room here talking. And I said to him, ‘Do you realise how far away you’ve let me go?’

“So I gave him hints along the way, many, many hints, but he didn’t take them.

“And I’m his executor and power of attorney, so we’re still close.

“And he lives in my son’s house because he’s got Alzheimer’s.”

American singer-songwriter Suzi shot to fame in the 70s as the first female bass player to became a major rock star.

The star is known for singles like Can the Can and Your Mamma Won’t Like Me, and has sold more than 50 million albums.

She is credited with helping women become part of the rock and roll era.

Speaking about this, Suzi once told the Metro Times: “Before I did what I did, we didn’t have a place in rock ‘n’ roll.

“Not really. You had your Grace Slick and all that, but that’s not what I did. I was the first to be taken seriously as a female rock ‘n’ roll musician and singer.

“That hadn’t been done before. I played the boys at their own game.

“For everybody that came afterward, it was a little bit easier, which is good.

“I’m proud of that. If I have a legacy, that’s what it is. It’s nothing I take lightly. It was gonna happen sooner or later.”

Over the years Suzi has also dabbled in acting, and was famously on Happy Days.

HE FINALLY patched things up with brother Liam for the Oasis reunion last summer.

And it seems that Noel Gallagher is now closer than ever with his nephews Gene and Lennon — after teaching them how to party hard at Sony Music’s official Brit Awards after-party.

The Rock ’n’ Roll Star songwriter proved he was exactly that, as the last man standing at 3:45am yesterday at the do in Manchester’s amazing Soho House — despite knocking back endless bottles of Peroni until the bar stopped serving.

An onlooker said: “Noel and Liam’s sons are really close, and they hung out all night at the Sony bash.

“He might be in his fifties now but Noel still knows how to party and he put his nephews to shame with the amount of booze he could knock back.

“Noel was in really high spirits after getting the Songwriter Of The Year award and he had so many people coming up and congratulating him.

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“Gene and Lennon tried to keep up with Noel but they couldn’t, he out-partied them by a country mile.

“Even Noel’s daughter Anais gave up trying and left at 3am — Noel just carried on drinking bottles of Peroni.

“When Noel left, it was amazing he could walk straight.

“But he is a proper rocker and showed all those young ones right up.

“When Gene finally decided he wanted to try and one-up his uncle, he went to the bar and was told they’d stopped serving.

“He tried three times to be served and was in a huff when he was told no.

“To be fair it was almost 4am — and he should have just kept up with Noel when he had the chance.”

Noel’s hedonism clearly rubbed off on the other stars at Sony’s bash, which was the best of all the star-studded after-parties, thanks to its stellar guest list.

Brits host Jack Whitehall told me earlier this month that he would be having an early night because his fiancée Roxy Horner and their toddler daughter were coming to Manchester to be with him.

But he ended up partying into the early hours of yesterday morning.

I spotted him holding court with a group of his mates upstairs near grime star Skepta, with Jack finally heading back to his hotel at 3am.

Hopefully he had some Nurofen stashed in a bag because I think yesterday could have been blighted by one almighty hangover — and a very excitable toddler.

LIAM GALLAGHER praised his brother from home as Noel collected his award.

He posted on X: “All hail the greatest songwriter this country has ever seen since Lennon and McCartney.”

He also showed his support for former foe Robbie Williams’ tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, writing: “He was unreal”.

Liam also revealed why he didn’t go to the event at Co-op Live. He told a fan: “I was scared… Of all those cool folks in 1 room, they make me nervous.”

Olivia’s up fur a party

OLIVIA DEAN had good reason to smile as she headed to an after-party following her incredible four wins.

The singer scooped Artist and Pop Act, plus Album and Single of the Year for her record The Art Of Loving and her Sam Fender collaboration, Rein Me In.

Olivia wrapped up in a fur coat which covered her sparkly minidress – but didn’t hide her legs from the northern chill.

She did opt to wear sunglasses too, but at that time of night, they certainly weren’t needed.

LILY GIVES DO COLD SHOULDER

LILY ALLEN pulled out of attending the Brits as she’s desperately trying to recover in time for the launch of her first tour in seven years.

She was up for three gongs – although she was pipped to the post for all three by Olivia Dean – and had been due to travel to Manchester on Saturday morning.

But Lily made the last-minute decision not to attend after battling a brutal cold last week.

She launches her Lily Allen: Performs West End Girl tour in Glasgow this evening and has been trying to conserve energy.

Last Tuesday, she told fans she had been in bed for two days because she was “so sick” and hadn’t been able to rehearse.

When she did get back to practising, she said she had lost the lower register of her voice.

There are very high expectations for the tour, as every date sold out on the day they became available.

So a night of partying probably wouldn’t have done her any favours.

ALEX WARREN performed Ordinary at the ceremony but it’s his new single Fever Dream which is climbing the charts.

The American, who was accompanied by James Blunt on piano at the show, released the track on Friday and it’s on course to be his second No1.

But Ordinary is also rising – up four places to No15 in the midweek charts.

Jade throws shade

JADE THIRLWALL’s feud with Noel Gallagher started at the Brits five years ago.

Following Little Mix’s win for British Group, he said they were “not in the same league as Oasis.”

And she made her feelings towards him clear when Noel was accepting his Songwriter Of The Year gong at this year’s awards – by swiftly exiting the room.

She chose that exact moment to head backstage as she prepared to present the International Artist of the Year award to Rosalia.

Back in 2021, Jade hit back at Noel’s comments and said: “We are the most successful girl group in the country – but he’s not even the most successful performer in his family.”

Something tells me she isn’t praying for another Oasis tour.

JOEL: NOT GRIM UP NORTH

WOLF ALICE drummer Joel Amey told me he’s pleased the Brits came to Manchester.

The North West city will host the ceremony for the next two years and, speaking backstage, and despite being a Londoner, Joel think it is a great move.

He said: “Not everything being in London is a good thing. Manchester has an incredible band culture, it has an incredible heart – it’s nice not to be in the same place all the time.

“As Londoners, we get so much there and people get a jaded – we need more of this feeling around the country. The Mercury Awards were in Newcastle and everyone got behind it, we need more of it.”

Of next year’s ceremony, Joel has a suggestion for the Global Icon award.

He added: “I would love to see Andre 3000 get it. I love him, everything Outkast has done is amazing and he has been doing this for ever.

“He was ahead of his time and we can see how influential he is now.”

STYLES HAS SPA QUALITY

HARRY STYLES kept things gentle at the Brits, having first kicked off the day at a top health spa in nearby Warrington.

The Aperture singer was seen getting a sweat on at the Park Royal Hotel, where one guest told me: “It was about 10.30am and Harry walked into the gym and started working out.

“I had to do a double take and other people clocked him, but no one bothered him. It was all very low key, you would never have known he is one of the biggest stars on the planet. It felt so surreal.”

Harry was very much man of the night at the Co-op Live Arena, but after his incredible opening performance, he didn’t go wild.

Despite having a table, Harry never left his backstage area and once the show had ended, he headed to Sony’s after-party for a quick 30-minute appearance.

A source said: “Harry was keen to be seen supporting Sony and the Brits but also is aware his tour kicks off on Friday at the Co-op Live Arena back in Manchester.

“It was a very low-key weekend for him, he left the party after half an hour.”

One person who was happy to let her hair down after performing though was Dua Lipa.

She hot-footed it to Warner Music’s official after-party alongside her family, who were taken to Manchester by her record label on the cool British Pullman Train, specially hired by the label for the weekend.

Dua made a beeline for the dancefloor with a gaggle of about ten pals before taking some time out for a cheeky ciggie in the smoking area.

Keen not to let her night end there, the Houdini singer was whisked across town to attend Sony’s after-party.

There she hung out with Mark Ronson and drank picantes until the early hours.

Mark so dashing

MARK RONSON delivered one of the most memorable sets of the night.

He played a medley of his hits and was joined on stage by Dua Lipa, and US rapper Ghostface Killah.

But the producer made a mad dash to the Manchester airport in the early hours and only just made his flight home to New York.

Following his Outstanding Contribution To Music win and stellar performance, he celebrated at Sony Music’s party at Soho House and took to the decks until 2am.

But he was forced to make a desperate plea for help after his hour-long DJ slot ended and no one had turned up to take over.

Mark, who was supported by Dua on the dancefloor, told the crowd: “I’m having a lot of fun but I have to catch a flight in two hours so can the other DJ please report to the booth.”

I’m told he made it to the airport by the skin of his teeth, and arrived safely back in the chilly Big Apple.

It’s a good thing he’s used to exceptionally late nights.

AFTER picking up two awards, Sam Fender was in the mood to party – but he shunned the posh dos for a backstage booze-up.

“Sam and his mates loaded up on cans of lager and stayed in the Co-op Arena,” one of my backstage moles explained.

“The stage was being dismantled and all the parties were open but Sam decided to hang around. He was on a massive high and was singing and laughing with his mates as they went to the artists’ green room to crack open some tinnies.”

Never change, Sam.

THE BRIT Awards are back again tonight, and music fans will be excited to see if they are any shocking moments on the show.

While the award ceremony celebrates musical talent, the event hosted by Jack Whitehall, is also infamous for being host to an array of wild celebrity moments.

As we gear up for the likes of global hitmaker Alex Warren, pop legend Harry Styles and KPop Demon Hunters to take the stage this evening, we take a look back at the wildest moments that took place at the Brits over the years.

Danny Dyer shocked viewers as he dropped the c-word (2025)

EastEnders legend Danny, 48, was chatting with host Jack Whitehall, 37, when he made the X-rated blunder, forcing producers to mute the audio.

The actor was discussing his new film Marching Powder when he struggled to find the right words to describe it without getting himself into trouble.

And, while Danny’s comments didn’t make the airwaves in their entirety, The Sun captured it all from the crowd.

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“It’s basically Bridget Jones, but with the word c**t,” he quipped, leaving Jack scrambling to remind him, “Danny, like when I said say anything, not bad words, obviously.”

Producers silenced some of his comments, swiftly cutting to an ad break before things got even worse.

Lewis Capaldi’s sweary speech (2021)

The singer, 29, appeared at the O2 to present the award for British Album of the Year.

However his speech had to be muted due to the amount of swear words he used.

Lewis said to the audience: “Hello motherf***ers! Listen guys… I’m f***ing sweating – it’s like a swamp down there, I’m telling you. Sweaty b****cks.”

He added: “It’s been a great year for albums….

“Most of all because I haven’t f***ing released one!”

The award was given to Dua Lipa for her album ‘Future Nostalgia’.

Jack Whitehall and Little Mix (2019, 2021)

Jack has had a couple of awkward moments with Little Mix at the awards ceremony.

In 2019 he brought up a comment about the girls made by Piers Morgan after they posed nude.

Jack asked Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, Jesy Nelson and Jade Thirwall: “What would you say to that dutty wasteman?”

The girls were left lost for words, with him adding: “What? I want some beef at some Brits.”

Then in 2021 he chatted to the band again, but this time as a trio after Jesy Nelson left in 2020.

Leigh-Anne and Perrie proudly showed off their growing baby bumps, to which Jack said: “The next question on my card is, “What do you do to pass the time in lockdown?”

“He went there, he actually went there,” Leigh-Anne joked back.

Madonna’s cape fail (2015)

Madonna took a tumble down a flight of stairs at the 2015 awards, she later blamed the fall on the design of the cape she had been wearing.

But the cape’s designer, Giorgio Armani claimed that the cape was originally designed with a hook – but Madonna has requested a tie.

He said:  “Madonna, as we all know, is very difficult. That’s all there was to it.”

Liam Gallagher vs. Peter Kay (2010)

At the 2010 ceremony, the Oasis frontman made a surprise appearance to accept his award for Best Brits album of the past 30 years – but then went on to give a rambling and foul-mouthed acceptance speech.

Liam then threw his microphone into the crowd, causing a 10 minute delay.

Host comedian Peter Kay eventually got back on stage where he referred to the Oasis member’s actions by saying: “What a k***head.”

Brian McFadden vs. So Solid Crew (2002)

This may not be on of Brian’s best thought out moments, but reportedly the then-Westlife singer threw a bottle of water over all 24 members of So Solid Crew backstage at the 2002 awards.

Apparently, he’d consumed two bottles of vodka and eight cans of Red Bull before he decided it was a good idea.

We don’t think either of the band’s would have been happy about that.

Robbie Williams vs. Liam Gallagher (2000)

Who could forget the time that Robbie used his acceptance speech to offer Oasis singer Liam Gallagher a fight?

In 2000, Rob famously used his Brit Awards acceptance speech to offer to fight Liam, leading the rocker to call Rob a “fat f***ing idiot”.

Robbie said: “So, anybody like to see me fight Liam?

“Would you pay to come and see it? Liam, a hundred grand of your money and a hundred grand of my money.

“We’ll get in a ring and we’ll have a fight and you can all watch it on TV, what d’you think about that?”

Robbie was quickly escorted away from the stage.

Ronnie Wood and Brandon Block (2000)

In one of the most awkward moments in the history of the Brits, dance DJ Brandon Block was so drunk that when his friends joked that he had won an award he staggered onto stage to accept it – interrupting rock legend Ronnie Wood’s speech.

Brandon was pulled back but broke free from security and squared up to the Rolling Stone’s rocker.

Ronnie then retaliated by throwing a drink in his face.