tour

In a pop era where personal messiness is the oxygen of fame, Dua Lipa is the rare unfazed professional.

Just as Taylor Swift and Charli XCX’s (extremely asymmetrical) feud spilled over the Hot 100 trenches, in comes Lipa’s Radical Optimism tour for four nights at the Forum to reassert that it is, in fact, possible to spin off hits while leaving one’s personal life unscathed.

On Saturday at the opening night of her Forum stand, Lipa — herself a British-Albanian-Kosovar atelier of sophisticated, structurally flawless disco-pop — played for nearly three hours with nary a sweat broken. The club hits pulsed, her dancing was evocative and precise, and the set was again punctuated with a locally-sourced cover from each city she performs in; this time “The Chain” from Fleetwood Mac. (Other recent installments included “Me Gustas Tú” by Manu Chao, AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” and “Dernière Danse” by Indila.)

Even if the gyre of contemporary fandom demands mess, spite, flops and redemption arcs, Lipa glides over all of it, with morally sound politics and an immaculately tasteful book club to spare.

Dua Lipa takes her Radical Optimism tour to the Forum over the weekend.

(Madison Phipps)

This tour in particular feels like the moment when Lipa is opting out of the rise-and-crash fame cycle and into becoming more of an album artist and deeply considered live act. The hazy disco-rock of “Radical Optimism” (produced with tastemakers Kevin Parker, Andrew Wyatt and Danny L Harle, among others) hit No. 2 on the Billboard 200, her best album debut yet. But it didn’t yield era-defining singles like the pandemic lifesaver “Future Nostalgia” did.

That’s a tough act for anyone to follow up; she should have been on the NHS payroll for the good that “Don’t Start Now,” “Levitating” and “Physical” did in keeping spirits up in 2020. Her last U.S. top-10 single was 2023’s “Barbie”-soundtrack cut “Dance the Night,” and “Houdini” peaked at 11. Yet this tour sold out four nights in L.A. and is unquestionably the most creative, rigorous and musicianship-driven tour of her career.

With a sprawling live band and big moments of unvarnished vocal candor, this was pop at its highest caliber, but with an eye toward long-term durability and integrity. During the set, Lipa took at least two passes around to the front rows, pressing the flesh and taking selfies with gobsmacked tweenage fans. No algorithm will match that for an impact.

From the opening calisthenics of “Training Season” and “Break My Heart,” Lipa ripped through a quiver of deep-house and neo-disco staples to fuel Pride parties for the rest of her life. Those early memes about her terminal chillness must have lighted a fire under her: Lipa’s revamped as one of the top-tier dancers and physical performers of her era, while never shortchanging that smoky ‘90s house-diva vocal power. No singer deserves a Pilates Reformer endorsement deal more.

Dua Lipa makes a stand at the Forum on Saturday night.

(Madison Phipps)

On the poignant breakup-in-waiting ballad “These Walls,” the stiff-upper-lip rock bombast of “Happy For You” and her pass through “The Chain,” she made the case that her range extends well beyond the fizzy, watchgear-precise electropop she’s best known for. On record, “Anything For Love” gets a knowing wink with in-studio jibing between Lipa and her producers; here she played it straight as a lofty piano ballad for the back seats on a floating riser.

But there’s something just so effortless about her Majorca-primed house singles like “Maria,” which feel ready to slip into magic hour rooftop DJ sets for time immemorial. There are other singers to turn to when you’re emotionally ransacked; Dua gets the best nights of your life instead.

Encoring with the still-freaky, deliciously disciplinarian “New Rules” and the laser-cut banger “Houdini,” Lipa walked off the Forum stage with all the proof she needed that, by aligning with a fervent literary life, unwavering peace advocacy and an expanding palette of meticulously groovy songwriting, she’s in an enviable position for a long and meaningful career to come. Let the woman vacation in peace.

PRINCE William has been seen boarding Doctor Who’s Tardis.

The future king stepped into the iconic time travel device during a studio visit – though he’s not making a surprise switch to acting or pursuing adventures through time.

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The Prince of Wales, 43, was a special guest at the Bad Wolf Studios in Cardiff which produces the BBC sci-fi show.

Wills was given a tour around the set of the upcoming Beeb series The Other Bennet Sister by studio chief Jane Tranter – which included a look around the Tardis police phone box.

In a series of posts on The Prince and Princess of Wales X account today, the royal was seen in a video entering the famous set and posing near the control panel.

It said: “From period pieces to all of time and space, both the BAFTA bursary and @BadWolf_TV are inspiring the next generation of creative talent.”

Wills was following somewhat in his dad’s footsteps after King Charles was snapped in 2017 entering a replica Tardis during a visit to Worq co-working space for young entrepreneurs in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The royal was introduced to trainees who have come through Bad Wolf’s Screen Alliance Wales (SAW) training initiative and built careers in TV by scheme boss Allison Dowzell.

They were recipients of The Prince William Bafta Bursary programme.

Tranter said: “It was a complete joy to show Prince William around Bad Wolf.

“We are so incredibly proud of the outreach work being done by Allison Dowzell and the team at Screen Alliance Wales, and for Prince William to help highlight the work being done at the studios means a great deal.

“He was introduced to trainees from a wide range of departments, and it was fantastic to see him take such an interest in the new generation of TV creatives.

“We are so proud that many of the SAW trainees have gone on to be awarded Prince William Bafta bursaries, and His Royal Highness was fascinated to hear how each of the trainees was using their bursary to further their careers.”

The visit on September 10 came as part of the studios’ 10th anniversary, and came on the day William visited the Jac Lewis Foundation centre at the city’s Principality Stadium to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.

During the engagement, William also met schoolchildren from St Albans RC Primary School in Tremorfa, Cardiff, during a puppetry workshop held by SAW education and training executive Sarah O’Keefe.

The puppets were used to represent characters’ daemons in the BBC series His Dark Materials and the workshop aimed to introduce children to the TV industry.

SAW has arranged 3,772 studio visits, including classroom lessons, since its inception, and created 149 paid traineeships on Welsh TV productions including Industry, Doctor Who and The Other Bennet Sister.

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For years, Matthew McConaughey wouldn’t tell his mom, Kay, anything of substance during their weekly phone calls — her love of spreading news had cost her his trust.

“We had about an eight-year period where I had to have short conversations with her on our Sunday phone calls because she was sharing a lot of information,” Matthew told People in a joint interview with his mother. “I’d tell her something on Sunday between son and mom, and Tuesday I’d read about it in the news or see it in the local paper.”

Kay called the period a hiatus, which started after she took the media on a tour of Matthew’s childhood home without his consent. In her defense, she didn’t think he would find out.

“I was so proud that I was just telling the world,” she said.

The hiatus came to an end when Matthew felt stable enough with his fame. When the two hit red carpets together after that, Kay would ask if there were any rules she had to follow, but he let her tell the raunchiest stories at will.

“My mom can say whatever the hell she wants,” Matthew said. “Let’s take the lasso off and just go for it, Mom.”

Matthew and Kay co-star in the upcoming film “The Lost Bus,” where she plays his mother. The movie, which premieres Friday on Apple TV+, also stars Matthew’s oldest son, Levi.

Hear the sound of fingers crossing? That might be Levi hoping his dad learned a thing or two from Grandma.

Sept. 23 (UPI) — Mexican authorities said Tuesday they had found the bodies of a pair of Colombian musicans days after the country’s president pleaded for their return, blaming drug cartels and the United States for their disappearance.

Prosecutors in Mexico City announced they had found the remains of Bayron Sanchez, known as B-King, and DJ Jorge Luis Herrera Lemos, known as Regio Clown, after they had been missing for a week, reported El Pais.

Officials have not offered any explanation for the deaths of the musicians who had just played one of their first international concerts. But Colombia President Gustavo Petro suggested in a post to X Sunday that “multinational mafias” had a role in their disappearance.

Petro also wrote that the mafias are growing in South America because of the “rampant drug consumption in the US,” which he called a “decadent society” lacking in love.

The Trump administration has had a fraught relationship with Colombia under the leadership of Petro, a former Marxist guerilla turned left-wing politician. President Donald Trump has accused Petro of not fulfilling his country’s counter-narcotic obligations. Trump administration officials also raised concerns about the assasination of conservative Colombian politician Miguel Uribe Turbay.

“It is a source of second-hand embarrassment to see a Head of State behaving in this rude manner, blaming the United States for the disappearance of two of his citizens in Mexico,” U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote in a response to Petro on X.

In his post, Petro appealed to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for help and stated that the musicians disappeared after a performance in the Mexican state of Sonora. However, the artists were last see at a gym in Mexico City’s upscale Polanco neighborhood, reported Parriva.

Sheinbaum, for her part, said Monay that the Mexican Foreign Ministry had been in touch with Colombia and that investigations into the musicians’ deaths were underway, the news outlet reported.

‘Wake naturally. Ride bikes. Wild camp.” I’m in Perthshire on a three-day bikepacking trip – cycling with all my gear – and this is my itinerary for the day. For an endlessly calendar-checking parent of three, the simplicity of this schedule is almost dizzying. I feel like a child with my summer holiday stretching out ahead of me.

Comrie Croft Journeys is a new initiative from eco-camping and mountain-biking destination Comrie Croft, started by experienced mountain bike instructor Emily Greaves. The off-grid cycling adventures aim to immerse visitors in Scotland’s wild landscapes while providing everything they need, from food to equipment. Guests can choose to be self-guided or led – and I’m heading out with Emily to explore on a mountain bike for the first time in my adult life.

The croft is set across quiet woodland and bucolic meadows and I arrive early to explore the onsite organic market garden Tomnah’a and enjoy a hearty mixed grain bowl with roast root vegetables and local Wee Comrie cheese at Gorse cafe. I’ve driven here, but for the ultimate emission-avoiding trip, it’s possible to get the train to Gleneagles from Edinburgh or London, then be picked up in the Croft’s electric car.

Before we hit the trails, Emily puts me through my paces with a mountain-biking lesson on the gravel pump track. We’re cycling for three days and everything we need – clothes, food, camping stove, tent, sleeping bags and mat – has to be strapped to our bikes. Beside me a French family is getting set up for a self-guided adventure. Emily has planned their route, pre-loaded on a GPX device with detailed trip notes, and prepped their bikes and equipment. I thought I’d packed light, but most of my clothes are soon in a discard pile. “You need clothes to cycle in, warm layers to sleep in, and waterproofs – that’s it,” Emily says.

Fully laden we head off, uphill through ancient woodland and the pretty village of Comrie, then on to rough farm tracks heading into the hills. Tonight’s destination is a youth hostel, a last-minute change due to thundery weather. Bikepacking doesn’t always have to mean camping – many long-distance cyclists combine camping with stays at hostels and even hotels. It’s about enjoyment, not endurance, or “smiles not miles”, as Emily puts it.

Today’s ride is 20 miles (32km), taking in 520 metres of ascent. It’s an intentionally gentle start, but for me still pretty challenging, as I get to grips with my cycling position, descending on loose gravel, and learning to trust the bike. We pass through fields of sheep, splash through little streams, slowly gaining height over the lower slopes of Carn Labhruinn and Meall Odhar. By the time we descend towards Callander, the clouds darken, obscuring the mountain tops, and heavy rain soaks in the seams of my jacket: I’m delighted not to be putting up a tent. At Callander Hostel, run by a local social enterprise, we stay in a cosy pod in the garden (from £81), dry our soggy clothes, and sleep deeply.

Day two is our longest in the saddle, with 44 miles to cover. Emily, sensibly, doesn’t tell me the ascent until later (it’s 1,020 metres). We set out in high spirits, fuelled by egg and haggis rolls from Mhor Bread in Callander.

We’re riding through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, an area I’ve often driven through but never stopped to fully appreciate – I’ve been missing out. With mountains aplenty, peaceful lochs and glens, and a well-connected network of paths and trails, there’s so much to explore. Emily’s well-designed route takes us along some quiet single-track roads, but is mostly off-road, on gravel tracks through heathery glens, forestry plantations and native woodland, and on winding lochside paths through the bracken.

We pedal along the quiet side of Loch Venachar before joining the Three Lochs Forest Drive, a rough track that links Loch Drunkie, Lochan Reòidhte, and Loch Achray. It’s hilly, but I’m getting to love the calf-burning push of a long uphill, and the thrill of the downhill too. At Aberfoyle, we stop at Liz MacGregors coffee shop for lemon drizzle cake. “You have to keep your energy up,” Emily says. She has completed many long-distance cycles, including the epic Highland Trail 550, often named one of Scotland’s toughest off-road cycling races. If she says it’s time to eat cake, I’m only too happy to agree.

After a rugged stretch along forestry tracks past pretty Loch Chon, we reach the head of Loch Katrine, where we have the option to catch the Steamship Sir Walter Scott, which takes daytrippers the length of the loch (from £19 one way, £27 return). It’s tempting, but given steamships have been running on Loch Katrine for over 180 years, it seems safe to leave it for another day. Today is all about the bikes, and I don’t want to miss a moment. Later we pitch tents by the shores of Loch Achray, with just a slight dance with the midges until the breeze returns. We collect water, heat up instant meals on our camp stoves, and drink in the views of Ben A’an and Ben Venue.

In the morning, the loch shimmers silver in the pale sunlight and Emily and I wade in for a beautifully refreshing swim, then warm up with bowls of porridge. The last day of cycling has come round all too soon, and it’s 37 miles back to Comrie, with a lunch stop at Mhor 84 in Balquhidder. The last stretch takes in Glen Finglas estate singletrack, a popular local cycling route along an undulating ridge. I’m loving feeling the power in my legs.

Back at Comrie Croft we’ve reserved seats at Nowhere Sauna (from £16), one of the 12 micro-businesses that operate at the croft. Tucked into a quiet corner of woodland, it’s the perfect place to stretch and relax, interspersed with refreshing dunks in the icy tin bath. From here, it’s a short walk uphill for a decidedly more luxurious evening, at the croft’s newly opened cabin. Joining the site’s camping pitches, Nordic katas (conical, tipi-like tents) and its eco-lodge hostel, the handbuilt wooden cabin is a beautiful hideaway for two adults (plus a child or two on a convertible sofa, if you must). With a wood-burning stove, full kitchen, mezzanine bedroom and big private deck, it’s likely to be popular with onsite weddings and honeymooners. Tonight it’s all mine, and even better, local deli Hansen’s Kitchen has dropped me off supper, including local beers and a lasagne made with vegetables from the market garden. I sit out on the deck until the first stars appear, resting my tired legs and soaking in the scenery, reflecting on an incredible few days.

The cycling trip and accommodation were provided by Comrie Croft and Comrie Croft Journeys. Bikepacking trips are bespoke; a three-day, two-night trip, including route planning and all gear costs from £295pp, excluding bike rental . Rooms at the eco-lodge from £5opp pn; the cabin sleeps two from £250 a night (two-night minimum)

The LGPA Tour has cancelled the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship after 18 holes due to bad weather.

Dangerous conditions at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas, saw play suspended on Saturday with full cancellation of the event confirmed on Sunday.

“The course received 3.25 [inches] of rain last night and after having assessed the golf course and consulted with our meteorologist and superintendent, the golf course is unplayable,” the LPGA said in a statement.

“Based on the weather forecast for the remainder of today and all day Monday and Tuesday, it is highly unlikely that 36 holes could be completed to make it an official event.

“As a result, the decision has been made to cancel the remainder of the tournament, with only players’ 18-hole score counting.”

The scheduled 54-hole event will be unofficial with no points awarded in the Race to CME globe, the season-long points competition.

The singer D4vd called off a series of upcoming tour dates, including a concert this weekend at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, as police investigate his connection to the death of a teenage Inland Empire girl whose decomposed body was discovered this month in a car registered to the musician.

A representative for the Greek said the show, which was scheduled for Saturday night, had been canceled. Other tour dates in San Francisco and in Europe had either been removed from or were listed as canceled on Ticketmaster’s website by Friday afternoon.

An event at L.A.’s Grammy Museum scheduled for Wednesday — in which D4vd planned to perform and to take part in a conversation about his work — has also been called off. A representative for D4vd didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last week, D4vd, 20, announced that he would release a deluxe edition of his 2025 album, “Withered,” on Friday, but the project hadn’t appeared on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music by Friday morning.

Police are investigating the singer’s ties to Celeste Rivas, who was reported missing in April 2024 and whose whereabouts were a mystery until this week, when authorities identified her remains after they found a body in the trunk of a Tesla in a Hollywood tow lot on Sept. 8.

The PGA Tour’s season-opening event The Sentry is to be moved because drought conditions in Hawaii have made the host course unplayable.

The event usually takes place in January at the Plantation Course at Kapalua on the Island of Maui.

However, drought conditions in the region mean water conservation measures have been imposed, including at Kapalua.

Tour officials visited the site this month and said the course was “significantly compromised” and would not be in playable condition by January, even if restrictions are lifted in the coming months.

“We support the PGA Tour’s decision, given the drought conditions Maui is facing,” said Hawaii governor Josh Green. “Protecting our water and supporting our communities come first.”

The Sentry, which relocated from California to Maui in 1999, was the PGA Tour’s season opener between 1986 and 2013 before returning to that slot in 2024, when the Tour switched back to a calendar-year schedule.

As the first signature event of the season, the field features the top 50 players from the previous year’s FedExCup standings, as well as winners of PGA Tour events from the previous year.

A POPULAR rock star has pulled out of his band’s 25th anniversary tour – after his wife’s death.

Greg Tribbett, 56, is the lead guitarist and a founding member of Mudvayne.

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Writing on social media, Greg’s bandmates confirmed his absence from their 25th anniversary tour following his wife Debbie’s passing.

They penned on social media: “Tour starts today!

“We are going to miss our brother Greg on this tour, sending him and his family all the love.

“- Chad, Matt, Ryan, & Mudvayne crew.”

Mudvayne’s tour began on September 11 and will continue until October 26.

According to a GoFundMe campaign, Debbie had been diagnosed with Angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.

Meanwhile, a fan page wrote on social media earlier this week: “With the heaviest of hearts we mourn the loss of our dearest most beautiful friend Debbie Tribbett.

“Anyone who has been here from the start of the Mob family knows she was a huge integral part of this page and the family she did take a step back once she needed to but was still watching and sharing as she always did.

“She was fiercely supportive of MUDVAYNE and her loving husband Greg always so proud!

“I thank her for bringing her love and light to so many of us who were lucky enough to connect with her.

“We miss you beautiful sweet friend more than words can say god bless you and may your family be blessed with strength.”

One person commented: “Ah man this is so sad to hear. Praying for Greg and the children. This is tough.”

Another added: “I heard the news yesterday and cried my eyes out. Makes my heart hurt for her babies.”

Mudvayne formed in 1996 with Greg, vocalist Chad Gray, drummer Matthew McDonough and bassist Shawn Barclay.

Ryan Martinie joined the group a year later, to replace Barclay as bassist.

Mudvayne went on hiatus in 2010 before returning to the stage in 2021.

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ITV viewers were left less than impressed by the latest You Bet On Tour episode – and promptly called out Oti Mabuse’s victory.

The game show – which is a re-boot of the 80’s series – initially saw Holly Willoughby, 44, teaming up with Stephen Mulhern to front it as it arrived on the broadcaster.

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Yet the new spin-off – which sees Stephen going solo after Holly quit ahead of a full series commission – features a host of famous faces instead.

It sees ordinary people across the UK take on a host of huge challenges in an attempt to win £5K.

A revolving celebrity panel then place their bets on which team they think will succeed.

On Saturday, Oti Mabuse came out top – yet viewers weren’t convinced.

The drama was started after the final challenge, which saw rowing team Cool Runnings bet that they could complete their 2000 metre challenge quicker than the Olympic Rowers squad.

Strictly champ Oti was pitted against McFly singer Danny Jones and former Olympian Greg Rutherford.

Both Danny and Oti backed red team Cool Runnings – who ultimately came out on top – with the dancer then being crowned the overall celebrity champion of the episode

The outcome sparked an outcry on social media, with one fan posting on X: “Absolute fix #youbet.”

Another wrote: “100% fix.”

One bluntly branded the episode: “Absolutely s**t!!!!!!!!”

Another surmised: “THIS is fucking abysmal.”

The Sun has gone to ITV for comment.

ALL CHANGE

Earlier this summer, the full line-up for You Bet On Tour came to light.

Stephen Mulhern’s career so far

The presenter is a mainstay on various ITV shows, but how did he become one of Britain’s most well-known faces?

Stephen first gained an interest in magic and tricks from his father who taught him as a kid.

After performing at Butlins, he became the youngest member of the Magic Circle and even made an appearance on Blue Peter in a piece about Harry Houdini.

His career started in Children’s TV when he presenter the show Finger Tips in 2001.

After four years, he launched Tricky TV on CITV in 2005, which he presented until 2010.

During this time, he was handpicked by bosses to front the ITV2 spin-off for Britain’s Got Talent.

He presented Britain’s Got More Talent until the cancelation of the companion in 2019.

But it’s not all bad news for Stephen who is known for his duties on a number of quiz shows.

In for a Penny, a format originally launched on Ant & Dec‘s Saturday Night Takeaway was launched the same year.

Before, he was chosen by bosses to host Catchphrase in 2013 and has been fronting the show ever since.

Other huge shows he presented for ITV included Big Star’s Little Star, Rolling In It and the reboot of Deal Or No Deal.

He also made regular appearances on This Morning in ‘The Hub’ segment between 2011 and 2014. 

After the Philip Schofield scandal rocked ITV, he was chosen to reunite with his former CITV co-star Holly Willoughby as the host of Dancing on Ice.

It was revealed how Big Brother hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best will appear on the series as will soap star brothers – Ryan and Adam Thomas.

BGT judge Alesha Dixon is also on the bill with BBC Radio 2’s Zoe Ball and Rylan Clark also expected to appear.

Comedian Eddie Kadi, Loose Women favourite Judi Love, Olympian Greg Rutherford and comedians Johnny Vegas and Josh Widdicombe will also play their part.

The series comprises of six full-length episodes as well as an additional Christmas special which was filmed in Cambridgeshire.

The festive episode will air in December and filmed at Kimbolton Castle.

That episode will feature This Morning’s Alison Hammond, comedian Rob Beckett and actor Nick Mohammad.

Meanwhile, speaking about the series, host Stephen said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that You Bet! is back – and this time we’re hitting the road!

“Each week I’ll be joined by a top celeb panel, as our challengers take on some brilliantly bonkers and amazing challenges.

“With the title of You Bet Champion on the line, it’s going to be unbelievable from the start.”

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American Ben Griffin warmed up for the Ryder Cup by moving into a three-shot lead at the end of the second round of the Procore Championship.

Griffin, who is part of a 12-strong United States team to play the Ryder Cup from 26-28 September in New York, shot a second round 66 in Napa, California.

The 29-year-old sank six birdies without dropping a shot as he moved to 14 under.

“I’ve been pretty focused on this golf tournament,” said Griffin, who was a captain’s pick by US Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley and will be making his debut in the event.

“Without a doubt, off the golf course hanging out with the guys and stuff, there’s been some Ryder Cup presence. But once I get on the first tee, I’m thinking I’m trying to play well here.

“This week I’m trying to literally do the same stuff I’m doing. I’m trying to stay confident, stay motivated and keep the pedal down.”

SANTA YNEZ — Shaun Cassidy steers his Dodge Ram 250 into the parking lot of the Maverick Saloon and throws open the truck’s passenger door, refrigerated air whooshing out of the cab, where he sits behind the wheel wearing sunglasses, black jeans and a black T-shirt.

The onetime teen idol who topped Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1977 with his chirpy cover of the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron” — this was seven years after Cassidy’s mother, Shirley Jones, and his half brother, David Cassidy, hit No. 1 as the Partridge Family with “I Think I Love You” — has made a lunch reservation at a vineyard not far from where he lives in Santa Barbara County so the two of us can talk about his upcoming concert tour.

“But the place is as big as Knott’s Berry Farm, and I didn’t want to spend 20 minutes looking for you,” he says, with a laugh. “That’s why I thought better to pick you up here.”

The drive also allows Cassidy, 66, to show off a bit of the picturesque region he’s called home since 2011, when he moved from Hidden Hills with his wife, Tracey, and their four children. (He has three more children from two previous marriages.) “It’s not as remote as it was before the pandemic,” says Cassidy, who’s spent the last few decades working behind the scenes in television. Through the truck’s windows, a panini shop and a microblading clinic roll by. “COVID happened, and suddenly it became part of Los Angeles — a lot of new people,” he says.

“But I grew up in L.A. and New York” — Cassidy’s dad was the actor Jack Cassidy — “and I always envied people that came from somewhere else. My folks told us, ‘Don’t worry, we’re gonna buy a farm in Pennsylvania or move upstate,’ and it never happened.” Here in the Santa Ynez Valley, Cassidy adds, “I’ve managed to manifest the family life that my father always told me was important but somehow couldn’t find for himself.”

Now he’s leaving home for his most extensive run of shows in more than 40 years.

Cassidy’s tour, which kicks off Saturday at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and has dates scheduled through March, will revisit the lightweight pop pleasures of the musical career he maintained alongside his role as Joe Hardy on TV’s “The Hardy Boys Mysteries.” As the younger brother of an established heartthrob, Cassidy came in hot: His self-titled debut for Warner Bros. Records went platinum within months and spun off three Top 10 singles in “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll,” “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Hey Deanie”; Cassidy was even nominated for best new artist at the Grammy Awards in 1978, where he turned up onstage in a white pantsuit at age 19 for a bum-waggling rendition of “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll.”

“This young man,” proclaimed the show’s host, John Denver, “is definitely going places.”

Shaun Cassidy at the 20th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 1978.

(UPI / Bettmann Archive / Getty Images)

Four more LPs came in quick succession, ending with the willfully eccentric “Wasp,” for which Cassidy recruited Todd Rundgren as his producer. Then, following a 1980 gig at Houston’s Astrodome, Cassidy abruptly quit music to focus on writing and acting, which he describes as his real passion.

“I didn’t love being famous,” he says, as we pull onto a dirt road approaching Vega Vineyard & Farm. “But I think I needed to be famous. I came from a family where everyone was well known, and I didn’t want to go through life being someone’s kid or someone’s brother. So I had to sort of step out into the spotlight and announce myself, and once that was done, I could figure out what I want to do.”

Why return to the stage now? For one thing, Cassidy says he’s singing better at the moment than he ever has — a claim supported by his old friend Bernie Taupin.

“Shaun’s voice has matured in the best way possible,” says the lyricist known for his half-century-long collaboration with Elton John. “But the other thing is that he’s a born raconteur.”

Indeed, Cassidy’s road show, which he’s been workshopping sporadically since 2019, is a songs-and-stories affair in which he looks back on an eventful life he has yet to recount in a book. “You have to be fearless and brutally honest when you write a memoir,” he says, pointing to Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” (2010) as one worth aspiring to. “David wrote a s— book, and my mother wrote a s— book, so I feel a bit of responsibility to represent my family accurately and honestly.”

We’re seated now at a picnic table in the shade, where a server has brought over several bottles from Cassidy’s line of wines — the line is called My First Crush, which is perfect — and a couple of Greek salads. “I don’t think there’s anything I’d be scared to write,” Cassidy says. “My bigger fear would be hurting people.”

Who have you used as a comparison point to explain your ’70s stardom to your youngest child?
She has the poster on her wall: Harry Styles. And I didn’t say it to her; her mother did: “You know, your father was that guy.” My daughter’s like, “That old in guy there? Not possible.” But there was a chain you could tie me into. My record had been No. 1 a week or two before Elvis died, so when that happened, lots of reporters called me: “How do you feel about Elvis passing? How do you feel about walking in the King’s shoes?” I was like, “If he’s dead at 42, I don’t want to be in those shoes.”

Did you actually say that to a reporter?
I was too polite. But there’s a lot of truth in it. Ricky Nelson had just been a guest on “The Hardy Boys,” and I remember thinking that I didn’t want to be guest starring on a TV show in 20 years. Look, my brother David didn’t handle fame well. I had a model for what not to do, and I had a model for what to do: my mother, who’s 91 and lives five minutes away and is as gracious and lovely and happy a human being as you’ll ever meet.

I like to say I’m in show business, but I’m not of it. I love the work and the creativity — I’m not a red carpet guy. She never was either. She was like, “They tell me where to go, I show up, I do it.” And people love her.

There’s a great photo of you in the L.A. Times in 1978 standing in your backyard next to a swimming pool.
I got “The Hardy Boys” when I was 18 — still living at home with my mom in Beverly Hills. My parents are separated — my father died while I was shooting the pilot, which was pretty traumatic — and I’m like, I gotta get out of here. The family’s business manager calls a bank and says, “He’s top of show on a new series making $2,500 a week.” They got me a loan to buy a house without a down payment. So I went and bought a house on the weekend while my mother was out of town.

Was she pissed?
No, she wasn’t. She was happy for me — sort of. Yeah, maybe. I don’t know.

You went through the whole emotional spectrum in that answer.
It was weird. I only lived there for like a year because now I’m making a lot of money, so the business manager says, “You need to buy real estate and you need to spend more money,” which is dumb, as it turns out. Keep that little house you bought with your first check and put the rest of it in the stock market, and you won’t need to worry about anything forever.

So somebody finds me a place on Mulholland. Warren Beatty is over here, Brando and Nicholson are over here — Valley view, Beverly Hills view, on a promontory with a pool. This is the house in the picture. When I first go up to see it, there’s a recording truck in the driveway and all this recording equipment inside. Fleetwood Mac are there doing something. I’d met Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

Shirley Jones and Shaun Cassidy at the 73rd Tony Awards in New York in 2019.

(Bruce Glikas / WireImage)

What, as proud Warner Bros. recording artists?
Just at parties in L.A. before they joined Fleetwood Mac. I was out all the time. My parents sent me to boarding school in Pennsylvania in ’73 — I ditched the entire time on a train into New York to go to CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. Danny Fields took me to CBGB’s to see the Ramones when he was managing them. And why did I know Danny Fields when I was 15? Because he was writing for 16 Magazine where [editor in chief] Gloria Stavers was putting pictures of me in there with no record deal: “It’s another Cassidy — isn’t he cute?”

Danny was interesting. He’d managed Iggy Pop, and I knew Iggy — Jim — from hanging out on Sunset because this was the time Jim was living in Hollywood kind of between jobs. Smart guy — big influence on me. Early on, I played Rodney Bingenheimer’s club. I’m there shirtless with a bow tie, screaming, looking kind of like Iggy at 14 or 15.

It’s wild that your most chaotic years happened before you were even 18.
They cleaned me up. I was on “The Hardy Boys” playing a character who really couldn’t look like a punk. My earring had to go.

You ever feel hemmed in by the job?
No, because I was playing a character, and my identity wasn’t tied to the success of the show. Miguel Ferrer was one of my closest friends, and his dad, Joe — José Ferrer, real actor’s actor — I remember he said to me, “So, my boy, you’re thinking of going into the business? Let me give you a piece of advice: I have known success and failure, and they are both impostors.” He took it from Rudyard Kipling, I think. But it stuck with me. Anything I did, even “Wasp” — I don’t view that remotely as a failure. I view it actually as a bold awakening.

One of the great pop-idol freak-outs, 1980’s “Wasp” found Cassidy alternately crooning, yowling and barking his way through new-wave-y covers of tunes by the likes of David Bowie, the Who and Talking Heads while backed by members of Rundgren’s group Utopia.

“All I wanted to do was work with Todd,” says Cassidy, who’d been unhappy making “Room Service” in 1979 “because there was so much pressure from the record company to dive into disco, which I was never a fan of and which felt completely inauthentic for me.” By that time, Rundgren had produced hip records for the New York Dolls and the Patti Smith Group in addition to scoring hits of his own like “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me.” “He said to me, ‘You’re an actor — let’s do some acting.’ So we created some characters and experimented with different things.”

The album bombed. “My audience wasn’t ready for it, and there was no new audience showing up on FM radio that was gonna embrace me,” says Cassidy. “I think eight people bought it.”

Having been told by a Warner Bros. executive that he should go away — “And he was 100% right” — Cassidy “stayed home for the ’80s,” he says. “My big spending spree would be Friday night. I’d take my rock-star money to Crown Books and bring home $250 worth of books in my Porsche.”

In 1993, he let his brother lure him into co-starring in the musical “Blood Brothers” on Broadway.

“I turned him down three times,” says Cassidy, as we open a second bottle of wine. “I already had a deal at Universal as a writer with an office and an assistant, and I’d sold a couple movies for television. I was on my way, and David’s pitching me: ‘No, no, no — we can be the kings of Broadway!’” He takes a sip. “As it turned out, it was great — really emotionally satisfying. And the show was a big hit.” (David died from liver failure in 2017.)

Yet “Blood Brothers” was enough limelight for Shaun, who quickly turned back to TV. “American Gothic,” the first show he created, premiered in 1995 — an achievement that, he says, “meant a lot more than having ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ as a No. 1 record.” Since then he’s been an executive producer on “Cover Me,” “Cold Case,” “The Agency” and “New Amsterdam,” among other series.

“He reinvented a whole new Shaun Cassidy career,” says Steve Lukather, the Toto guitarist who’s been friends with Cassidy since he appeared in an episode of “The Hardy Boys.” Cassidy’s wife, who’s also worked in TV, didn’t even know he’d been a musician when they met on one of his shows.

“I said, ‘Where you from?’ and Tracey said, ‘Miami,’” the singer recalls. “I said, ‘Oh, I played Miami.’ She goes, ‘What position?’ ”

Still, Lukather reckons that more recently his pal “started missing being onstage a little bit. He knows where it’s at.” Cassidy, who plans to play bass in the show, called Lukather not long ago for some guidance on the instrument. “I told him to play simple — don’t overthink it. It’s not like he’s going out and doing the Mahavishnu set.”

It’s half past 3, and Cassidy has a virtual pitch meeting for a new show at 4 p.m. But first he has to pick up his youngest daughter from school, so we hop back in his truck and head there from the vineyard.

On the ride he says he’s been working on a couple of new songs — the first of his own that he’s recorded since the handful he placed on his albums back in the day alongside stuff by pros like Eric Carmen, Brian Wilson and Carole Bayer Sager. One of them sounds like it could’ve been cut by Mel Tormé, he says. “The other one, it’s very anthemic — I don’t know, maybe like the Killers.”

“It’s been fun to see him to go the piano instead of the computer as an outlet for his passion for storytelling,” Tracey tells me later, though of course Cassidy knows that fans will show up to his gigs wanting to hear the classics.

Who did you long to be at the height of your teen idolhood?
First concert I saw was the Rolling Stones at the Forum in 1972, with Stevie Wonder opening. I took pictures and put those pictures on my wall. Mick and Keith in ’72 — that was a show. I saw David Bowie on “Diamond Dogs” in ’74. And I saw Iggy a lot. Somewhere in between those three is where I wanted to be. Obviously, I was safer than that.

What do you see when you watch the kid singing “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll” at the Grammys?
He’s confident, but he’s not cocky. I remember afterwards Lou Rawls said to me, “Son, never turn your back on the audience.” I said, “They seemed to like it when I shook my ass.”

You lost best new artist that night.
So did Foreigner. Lou Gramm somewhere is still upset.

I wondered if you remembered who else was in the category.
Debby, of course.

Debby Boone, who won — another nepo baby.
Hey, if your dad owns a hardware store and you take over the hardware store, I have no issue with that at all. I don’t know who else. Andy Gibb?

Stephen Bishop and Andy Gibb.
I knew Andy a little bit.

Kind of a similar deal to you, right? Younger brother of a pop sensation.
He had a different challenge, though. This is me being shrink, but I don’t think that anybody got to really know who he was, because Barry [Gibb] was so strong. And I don’t think Andy had a problem with that. I’m sure growing up, he was like, “I want to be a Bee Gee too,” and Barry said, “OK, here’s how we do that.”

David Cassidy, left, with Shaun Cassidy, circa 1975.

(Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images)

What was your relationship like with David in terms of the advice you took or rejected?
David never gave me advice. I think it was very difficult for him because he was at a career low point. I would ask him, “What do you think of this?” and I could tell he was conflicted about it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want me to have success. But he was in a place where it was hard for him to enjoy my success, I think. And I knew that, so I didn’t talk to him about it.

What’d you think when he posed nude on the cover of Rolling Stone?
I thought it was dumb. That was his “Wasp” moment — I thought, You’re putting a bullet in something here, whether you know it or not. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s a cool picture. All I know is he complained a lot in the press. He had a chip on his shoulder because he wasn’t Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or somebody that he revered. It’s like, “OK, play as well as Hendrix and maybe you’ll be Hendrix. But you’re a really charming guy on a big hit television show, and 8 billion people are in love with you. Tell me why this is a bad deal.”

Why did you understand that and he didn’t?
Because I’m Shirley’s son and he’s not. And I got to watch him — I saw how you can handle it differently.

You never burned to be taken seriously?
I took myself seriously. I’m very secure, and that’s rare in show business. I never needed the love of the audience to feel like I was whole.

You got that love elsewhere, and David didn’t.
He would say that.

Was he not right?
Maybe. I mean, to my mother I could do no wrong — to the point that she had no credibility. But if you’re going to err on one side, that’s a better side than, “Where are my parents?” Both of his parents were actors — they were gone a lot. Then his father left his mother to marry a movie star and have me. David would have every reason in the world to hate me as a little boy, but he didn’t.

My brother was a really sweet — I’m gonna get choked up talking about him — he was a really sweet soul who got hurt and couldn’t overcome that. I’m not a psychiatrist, but I spent a lot of time with him. Again, “Blood Brothers” was great because it was an equalizer. I wasn’t the flavor of the moment, and neither was he. That’s one of the things I miss most about him — that he was the only person in the world I could talk to about our experience.

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, a shocking act of political violence that brought widespread condemnation.

Hours after the shooting, the suspected gunman was taken into custody, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” President Trump said on Truth Social. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

Videos shared on social media show Kirk sitting under a white canopy, speaking to hundreds of people through a microphone, when a loud pop is heard; he suddenly falls back, blood gushing from his neck.

Before he was shot in the neck, he was asked about mass shootings.

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“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” an audience member asks.

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk responds.

Almost immediately, Kirk is shot in the neck. One video shows blood pouring from the wound. As the crowd realizes what has taken place, people are heard screaming and running away.

A source familiar with the investigation told The Times that a bullet struck Kirk’s carotid artery.

Charlie Kirk speaks before his fatal shooting Wednesday at Utah Valley University.

(Tess Crowley / Deseret News / AP)

Utah Valley University police said in an alert that “a single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker” and that it was investigating the shooting.

Law enforcement sources said Kirk was fatally wounded from a considerable distance, perhaps 200 yards away, by a sniper-style shot.

Videos shared on X, show an older man in handcuffs on the ground whom witnesses claimed was the gunman. The man is heard saying, “I have the right to remain silent.” In another video, police escort the man while the crowd jeers him. One woman is heard screaming, “How dare you!”

Earlier Wednesday afternoon, Trump posted a message about the incident on Truth Social.

“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” he said.

Mike Lee, a Utah senator, posted on X shortly after videos circulated online that he was “tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely.”

“Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there,” he said.

The shooting drew immediate words of support and calls for prayers for Kirk from leading conservative politicians.

“Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,” Vice President JD Vance posted on X.

Crowd members react after Charlie Kirk’s shooting at Utah Valley University.

(Tess Crowley / Deseret News / AP)

Leading Democrats also moved swiftly to condemn the attack.

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X. “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”

Gabrielle Giffords, a former Arizona congresswoman who survived a political assassination attempt in 2011 and is a gun violence prevention advocate, said on X that she was horrified to hear that Kirk was shot.

“Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence,” she wrote.

Kirk, a conservative political activist, was in Utah for his American Comeback Tour, which held its first stop at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The tour, as with many of his events, had drawn both supporters and protesters. Kirk’s wife and children were at the university when he was shot, Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted on X.

Kirk, 31, was one of the Republican Party’s most influential power brokers.

The founder of the influential conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, Kirk had a vast online reach: 1.6 million followers on Rumble, 3.8 million subscribers on YouTube, 5.2 million followers on X and 7.3 million followers on TikTok.

During the 2024 election, he rallied his online followers to support Trump, prompting conservative podcast host Megyn Kelly to say: “It’s not an understatement to say that this man is responsible for helping the Republicans win back the White House and the U.S. Senate.”

Just after Trump was elected for a second time to the presidency last November, Kirk frequently posted to social media from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he had first-hand influence over which MAGA loyalists Trump named to his Cabinet.

Kirk was known for melding his conservative politics, nationalism and evangelical faith, casting the current political climate as a state of spiritual warfare between a righteous right wing and so-called “godless” liberals.

He declared that God was on the side of American conservatives and that there was “no separation of church and state.” And in a speech to Trump supporters in Georgia last year, he said that “the Democrat Party supports everything that God hates” and that “there is a spiritual battle happening all around us.”

Kirk was also known for his memes and college campus speaking tours meant to “own the libs.” Videos of his debates with liberal college students have racked up tens of millions of views.

Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, has written a forthcoming book about Christian nationalism that prominently features Kirk and his influence. The book, “The Seven Mountains Mandate,” comes out Sept. 30.

“Today is a tragedy,” Boedy said in an interview with The Times on Wednesday. “It is a red flag for our nation.”

Boedy said the shooting — following the two assassination attempts against Trump on the campaign trail last year — was a tragic reminder of “just how divisive we have become.”

In June, a shooter posing as a police officer fatally shot Minnesota state House Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, at their home in an incident that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called “a politically motivated assassination.”

Another Democratic lawmaker, state Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette, were also injured at their residence less than 10 miles away.

In April, a shooter set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, forcing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover.

In July 2024, Trump himself survived a hail of bullets, one of which grazed his ear, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. Two months later, a man with a rifle was arrested by Secret Service agents after he was spotted amid shrubs near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf resort.

Kirk’s presence at the Utah campus was preceded by petitions and protests. But, Boedy noted, that was typical with his appearances.

“Charlie Kirk is, I would say, the most influential person who doesn’t work in the White House,” he said.

Boedy said Kirk reached a vast array of demographics through his radio show and social media accounts and was “in conversation with President Trump a lot.”

Kirk had said his melding in recent years of faith and politics was influenced by Rob McCoy, the pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Newbury Park in Ventura County. Kirk called McCoy, who often spoke at his events, his personal pastor.

Boedy said McCoy turned Kirk toward Christian nationalism, specifically the Seven Mountains Mandate — the idea that Christians should try to influence the seven pillars of cultural influence: arts and religion, business, education, family, government, media and religion.

Boedy said Kirk “turned Turning Point USA into an arm of Christian nationalism. There’s a strategy called the Seven Mountains Mandate, and he has put his TPUSA money into each of those.”

Boedy said Kirk was a vocal 2nd Amendment supporter and that the shooting likely would further the desire among his conservative followers who tout the idea of having good guys with guns “to have more guns everywhere, which is sad.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was closely monitoring reports of the shooting.

“Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected,” he said on X. “Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”

Meanwhile, 345 miles to the east, at least three students were in critical condition following a shooting at a high school in Colorado.

The shooting happened earlier in the afternoon at Evergreen High School in Jefferson County. A fourth person may have been hurt as well. Among those injured was the shooter, who was described by authorities only as a juvenile. No other details were provided on the shooting.

Times staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.

It’s farm-to-fork dining at its freshest. I’m sitting at a vast outdoor table in Herefordshire looking out over rows of vines. On the horizon, the Malvern Hills ripple towards the Black Mountains; in front of me is a selection of local produce: cheeses from Monkland Dairy, 6 miles away, salad leaves from Lane Cottage (8 miles), charcuterie from Trealy Farm (39 miles), cherries from Moorcourt Farm (3 miles), broccoli quiche (2 miles) and glasses of sparkling wine, cassis and apple juice made just footsteps away. This off-grid feast is the final stop on White Heron Estate’s ebike farm tour – and I’m getting the lie of the land with every bite.

World number one Luke Humphries defended his Czech Open title as he beat Josh Rock 8-5 in the final.

Rock, who had beaten Michael van Gerwen en route to the final, got an early break of throw to go 2-0 up but England’s Humphries broke back and then reeled off a 12-dart leg to level at 3-3.

The pair then traded legs to reach 5-5 before Humphries won the next three legs on the spin against the Northern Irishman.

Humphries sealed victory with a clinical final leg at the PVA Expo in Prague to retain the title he won a year ago and claim the £30,000 top prize.

The 30-year-old’s three-dart average of 93.89 was marginally less than Rock’s 94.1 but his checkout percentage (34.8% versus 26.3%) was superior.

Humphries has now won the tournament three times in four years following his victories in 2022 and 2024 as he earned the eighth PDC European Tour title of his career.

“If it were up to me, I’d have all 14 European Tours held here. You don’t win three times in the same place by accident and it’s clearly special to me,” Humphries said.

“Since winning the Premier League, the past three months have been tough. I’ve struggled at times, and I felt like I dragged Josh down at the start of the game. But I never give in – I always try to find a way.”

World champion Luke Littler was earlier knocked out in the third round, suffering a surprise 6-4 defeat by Dutchman Gian van Veen.

Radiohead have announced their first tour in seven years, after teasing it with a series of mysterious flyers that appeared in cities across Europe.

The revered band will play four nights at London’s O2 Arena on 21, 22, 24 and 25 November 2025, with other dates in Berlin, Bologna, Copenhagen and Madrid.

Radiohead last played live in 2018, but drummer Philip Selway confirmed in an Instagram post on the band’s official account on Wednesday that they got back together “to rehearse, just for the hell of it” last year.

“After a seven year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us,” he continued.

“It also made us want to play some shows together, so we hope you can make it to one of the upcoming dates.”

The five-city European tour is all there is for now, he wrote, but added: “Who knows where this will all lead.”

The British band last performed together when they brought their Moon Shaped Pool tour to a close in the US in 2018, after having headlined Glastonbury Festival the previous year.

Since then, frontman Thom Yorke and guitarist Jonny Greenwood have recorded and performed as side project The Smile.

The Smile cancelled some concerts in July 2024 when Jonny, also an Oscar-nominated film composer, became seriously ill from an infection that needed emergency hospital treatment, some of it in intensive care.

Among the other band members, Ed O’Brien has been working on the follow-up to his debut solo album, released in 2020 under the moniker EOB, while bassist Colin Greenwood – Jonny’s brother – has been playing with Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds of late.

Last year, Colin confirmed that Radiohead – who formed as schoolmates in 1985 and went on to release nine studio albums – had rehearsed together again that summer. “And it was really fun, had a really good time,” he said in conversation with the Hay Festival Querétaro.

However, late last year, Yorke told Australian radio station Triple J he was not aware of any plans for a Radiohead live return any time soon, regardless of the demand from fans.

“No offence to anyone and, er, thanks for caring,” he said. “But I think we’ve earned the right to do what makes sense to us without having to explain ourselves or be answerable to anyone else’s historical idea of what we should be doing.”

In March this year, though, keen-eyed Radiohead fans noticed they registered a new limited liability partnership (LLP) labelled RHEUK25, with all five members listed as officers.

They then gave four tickets to a “Radiohead concert of your choice” to a Los Angeles fire relief auction run by Palisades High School, suggesting gigs were on the horizon.

Their 2003 album Hail to the Thief was this year remixed with William Shakespeare’s Hamlet for stage shows in Manchester and Stratford-upon-Avon.

And last week, their track Let Down – taken from their acclaimed 1997 album OK Computer – entered the US Billboard chart 28 years after its release, having gone viral on TikTok.

Registration for tickets for their new tour will open at Radiohead.com on Friday 5 September at 10:00 BST.

Dutch rider Olav Kooij won the opening stage of the Tour of Britain after fending off a strong challenge from Tord Gudmestad.

The pair went toe-to-toe in the closing stage of the 167.6km route between Woodbridge and Southwold.

But the 23-year-old Team Visma-Lease a Bike rider crossed the finish line ahead of Norway’s Gudmestad, of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, to claim a fifth stage win at the Tour of Britain since his debut in 2023.

“It’s a really good feeling, of course. It’s always nice to win a race, and I have good memories from here two years ago,” Kooij said.

“I was happy to come back to this race, and I’m really happy to continue the success of two years ago.”

France’s Hugo Hofstetter of Israel-Premier Tech finished third, while Ineos Grenadiers’ Samuel Watson was the first British rider to cross the line in sixth place.

Kooij leads the general classification with Gudmestad in second and Hofstetter third after stage one, which needed an early diversion because of a burst water main.

Great Britain’s Joshua Golliker, meanwhile, is fifth in the overall standings.

The 2025 Tour of Britain will also be the final professional race of Geraint Thomas’ illustrious 19-year career.

The 39-year-old Welshman, who won the Tour de France in 2018, sustained a puncture on the opening stage but recovered to finish with the main field.

The second stage on Wednesday will start and finish in Stowmarket, with the sixth and final stage finishing in Thomas’ home city of Cardiff on Sunday.

There are people and there is leadership, but numbers are becoming ever more influential in assessing performances and deciding who truly is the best of the best.

Speed, distances, heart rate, VO2 max aerobic capacity tests, biomechanics, injury risk, sleep, mood, stress, positions, heat maps, formations – it is too much for most of us to contemplate.

“Football is the hardest sport. You know, fundamentally, it’s hard to analyse because there are not many goals,” says Ian Graham, founder and CEO of analytics company Ludonautics.

“I was director of research at Liverpool Football Club for 11 years. In the Premier League, certainly every move is analysed.

“For every game, you get this data, which is this list of what happened, where and who did it. Most leagues now have something called tracking data, where you see 25 frames per second, the positions of all of the players. That tells you something about the off-ball impacts of players.”

It does not come cheap, though. Graham says it will cost anything from £1.5m to £3.5m for clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton and Brentford, who are known to be invested in the numbers.

Then again, in football at least, that is a steal if you are paying £100m for a player.

Data will tell anybody with knowledge of how to use it an awful lot, but can athletes understand it themselves?

Certainly – just ask English golfer Lottie Woad, who recently won the Scottish Open aged 21, a week after turning professional in a sport which demands accuracy.

“I love data, so that’s kind of how my brain works,” Woad says.

“I record stats from each round and put them in a system called Upgame – it’ll tell you everything about your round, strokes gained and stuff like that.

“And then in my practice using launch monitors, showing you all the stuff you need for your technique as well as looking at ball flight, spin rates, stuff like that. It’s helped a lot.”

Incremental improvement is the name of the game, but there’s a more sophisticated phenomenon on the horizon which could change elite sport forever and needs a scientist, not a sports star, to explain.

“Artificial intelligence is a form of computer science. So it uses systems that can perform tasks which mirror human intelligence, such as the likes of problem-solving, decision-making and learning,” says the Open University’s Mark Antrobus.

“The real benefits of it is it can be used to collect and streamline data and data collection processes really quickly. We can identify patterns, and make predictions just like humans do through experience.”

AN American rock band has canceled their remaining tour dates, with the frontman making a confession about the ‘hardest decision’ he had to make.

Earlier this month, The Dangerous Summer, which was formed in 2006, revealed their summer tour would expand into the fall – but this is not the case anymore.

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Fans are gutted after learning that the band has unexpectedly canceled all of their remaining tour dates for the year.

Their frontman AJ Perdomo penned a touching statement about needing to step away from music for a while.

He penned, “There is no easy way to say this, but I am burning out from being on the road so often.

“It is the hardest decision in the world to make, but I have decided to cancel the remaining tour dates for the rest of the year.”

He added, “I need to go home and be a father, a fiancé, and a creative. I need to work on my life at home for a moment.

“I have the dreamer’s disease. Next year will be 20 years since this band has started.

“It has become such a large part of my existence, and how I value myself as an individual. I have been overworking to fill a hole in my heart that no amount of shows or success will be able to fill.”

Opening up further, AJ continued, “When I am standing up on stage singing a song like ‘What’s an hour really worth?’ I start to think about the life that is passing me by while I am away from home.

“It broke my heart to tell my band, my manager, and my team of agents—but they have been extremely supportive of my decision to take some time away from touring.”

Reassuring the band’s fans, AJ urged that this was not the end.

“This isn’t the end, and in fact, making new music is one of the driving factors in this decision,” he explained.

“Creating music is where my heart truly lies, and I need to get back to it.

“Please continue supporting live music, and the bands/venues that we had intended on hitting this fall/winter.

“Music and art need your support more than ever.”

Fans were quick to react to the sad news of the tour being canceled, but were understanding of AJ’s reasoning for doing so.

One fan replied to his post on X saying, “’ll speak for every fan and say take all the time you need! Cherish those moments with your fam and we’ll see you again later.”

A second added, “That sucks but totally understand AJ. Do what you need to do and see ya back on stage at some point.”

While a third wrote, “Much love and respect, AJ. Enjoy the time with your family.”

The Dangerous Summer had a “messy breakup” before reuniting.

They were initially together from 2006 until 2014 when they disbanded.

They then reunited in 2017.

When the band was not together, AJ had settled into a more lowkey lifestyle.

He had gotten into the groove of raising his daughter with his wife in L.A, as per a report three years ago.

“I loved the life I created,” AJ told Metro Times in 2022, adding, “I kind of loved having a nine-to-five. You know, the grass is greener.”

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