Music News

Normality seems to be returning and there are several gigs scheduled along the coast this month (see below). There could be more last-minute arrangements so check in local weekly publications. All info on this page was correct at the time of writing. WORDS RIK FOXX

¿QUÉ PASA? ...on the music front

The closing acts at this year’s Marbella Starlite Festival include the BOOTLEG BEATLES, regarded by many as the world’s best Fab Four tribute band, on September 1 and Puerto Rican rapper MYKE TOWERS on the 4th. For the remaining line-up plus ticket info: starlitemarbella.com

Gigs this month: on the 3rd, Spanish veteran heavy rockers BARÓN ROJO play Estepona’s Plaza de Toros and on the 15th, the Rockaneando Festival at Marbella’s Plaza de Toros is headlined by the legendary 1980s Torremolinos outfit DANZA INVISIBLE. Ticket info for both: conciertos.club/malaga – this site is worth checking for other gigs in the area.

On the 10th: DIRE STRAITS tribute act bROTHERS iN bAND are at the Auditorio Municipal de Benalmádena (in between the coast and Arroya de le Miel). Ticket info: ticketmaster.es

At the same venue on the 18th, GREEN COVERS are paying tribute to DEPECHE MODE, THE CURE and many more from the 1980s. Ticket info: http:// www.ticketsource.eu/bigmpromotions or Tel: 658 579 695.

On the 13th: JOHNNY MACK returns to La Sala Banus with his GEORGE MICHAEL show. Ticket info: 952 814 145 or reservations@lasalabanus.com

Fuengirola’s Marenostrum Festival wraps up with Cosquín Rock España on September 17 & 18 at the castle. For the remaining programme plus ticket info: marenostrumfuengirola.com

On the 18th: veteran Spanish indie rockers SEGURIDAD SOCIAL open the five-gig s1ngulares 2021 Festival (18 - 25) at Málaga’s Teatro Cervantes. Full line-up and ticket info: teatrocervantes.com

Apart from his Broadway gigs, which finish on September 4, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has recently been “staying busy” recording with THE KILLERS and a forthcoming JOHN MELLENCAMP project. THE BOSS had a couple of nights off from his Broadway residency to watch his daughter JESSICA win silver in the team show jumping at the Tokyo Olympics. Of course a joke circulated on a US chat show monologue saying she might have got gold if she had taken up athletics instead as she was Born To Run (well, the Americans found it funny).

In 2019 music store giants HMV closed down 27 shops in the UK, having fallen into administration. To mark their 100th birthday they have announced 10 new ones have opened thanks to the still growing ‘vinyl revolution’ with ED SHEERAN playing a set at the new Coventry shop. Survey’s carried out during June and July’s Record Store Days revealed that new vinyl releases have increased by 45% – especially with under 25’s snapping up limited edition releases, many of them female. The ginger one is now an honorary member of Ipswich Town’s squad for the current football season. After signing a one-year deal to sponsor the English League One team’s kits with his tour logo on the front of the shirts, he has been handed

Oasis Billie Eilish © DFree / Shutterstock.com

the number 17 in the squad. He is also headlining the 24-hour streaming Global Citizen Live concerts along with COLDPLAY and BILLIE EILISH on September 24. Venues include LA, London, New York, Paris, Rio, Seoul and Sydney. It’s been dubbed the 21st century Live Aid and if you fancy watching: globalcitizen.org/en/live.

On top of all that he has been recording himself plus collaborations with KYLIE, and TAYLOR SWIFT on her track Everything Has Changed for her latest re-recorded album Red (Taylor’s Version) (originally released in 2012), which lands on November 19. And… he signed a shirt sponsorship deal with his beloved Ipswich Town for the forthcoming football season. Plus a live streamed gig on TikTok and a week in the US on the Late Late Show with James Corden. Coming this month...

CHRISTINE McVIE of FLEETWOOD MAC is the latest to sell her songs to music hoarders Hipgnosis. The 115 songs include The Chain, famous as the introduction to BBC TV’s Formula One programmes, which recently hit onebillion streams, plus another four tunes that she wrote/co wrote for the 1977 album, Rumours, which is one of the bestselling albums of all time clocking up over 45 million sales worldwide.

DIANA ROSS returns after 15 years away with a new album, Thank You, including the June-released title track on September 10. Other expected sellers this month: US pop rockers IMAGINE DRAGONS with Mercury – Act 1; veterans IRON MAIDEN re-land with Senjutsu and the MANIC STREET PREACHERS with The Ultra Vivid Lament on the 3rd. On the 10th, STEPS climb back with What The Future Holds Pt. 2, also Back In Love City by UK indie rockers THE VACCINES and listen out for ELTON JOHN and MILEY CYRUS covers on The Metallica Blacklist. Also returning is NATALIE IMBRUGLIA with Firebird on the 24th.

MICK JAGGER and RONNIE WOOD have laid down nine-new tracks for the forthcoming 40th anniversary box set of the ROLLING STONES album, Tattoo You. While in the studio, RONNIE invited ROD STEWART and KENNY JONES to record some new FACES material. The legendary outfit formed from the ashes of the iconic 1960s band the SMALL FACES but split in 1975 when ROD went solo and RONNIE joined the STONES.

The OASIS Knebworth 1996 docu-film hits cinemas worldwide on September 23 to mark last month’s 25th anniversary of the well remembered two-days where 250,000 watched the band at what NOEL GALLAGHER says was their peak performance. It will be released on DVD and in album form during November. As the two brothers worked together on the project, NOEL was asked what he thinks of LIAM now. “He’s a bit of a charlatan” was the reply. But the West Midlands/Chesire combo (no, they are not from Manchester) THE CHARLATANS allegedly joked, “We don’t want him – we’re happy with TIM BURGESS”. e