In the summer of 1964, at the height of Beatlemania, The Beatles travelled to Seattle as part of their first American tour. More than 14,000 screaming fans watched the Fab Four perform live at the Coliseum (today called Climate Pledge Arena), paying just US$5 apiece for tickets to the sold-out show. While visiting the city … Read more
And we are not even to the chorus yet. In various states of production are biopics on Michael Jackson (Michael is due out next year), the Beatles (four films, one for each member, are due in 2027), Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Linda Ronstadt, the Bee Gees, Carole King, Boy George, Keith Moon, Billy Joel and Dionne … Read more
Let the debate begin: What are the best music albums ever? Apple Music certainly has an idea. On Wednesday, the music streaming giant announced its 10 greatest albums of all time, with Lauryn Hill’s iconic The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill from 1998 claiming the top spot. The record, Hill’s debut, outranked other classics from Beyoncé, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Prince, … Read more
England has a reputation for eccentricity – and as I’ve discovered, its hotels proudly keep up this tradition. I’ve reviewed some of the best hotels in the land, and many have quirky features that help make the stay even more memorable. Or are peculiar through and through. Here, I’ve picked out a few of my … Read more
Nicknamed the ‘Capital of the Alps’, Grenoble, in the Auvergne-Rhones-Alpes region of France, makes for a wonderful weekend break. The often-overlooked city, population 450,000, has a spirited past: it was where protesters rose against Louis XVI in 1788, and was a hotbed of the Resistance during World War II. Now Grenoble is a charming spot … Read more
LONDON — Granny Takes a Trip, a cult London boutique that opened in 1966, is relaunching with a helping hand from The Rolling Stones and a group of undisclosed private investors. The avant-garde space that lived on the King’s Road featuring Victorian wallpaper, unisex merchandising and a trippy mushroom logo will make its debut online … Read more
A stolen Hofner bass guitar belonging to Paul McCartney and used to record The Beatles’ first two albums has been found and returned after 51 years following a global hunt. The guitar, dubbed the “most iconic lost musical instrument of all time” by The Lost Bass Project, the team behind the search, was used on … Read more
John was anxious, though, like all the Beatles, about what to expect. Would the American media be tough on them? Or misconstrue something they said in an interview? Would demonstrators, because of all the press on hand, use the opportunity to stage some kind of protest? As the plane taxied in, John and I saw … Read more
Let’s get the honourable mentions out of the way, first. Rihanna performed at the SuperBowl — and announced a pregnancy while she was onstage. The Beatles released a new song using an old demo from the late John Lennon, featuring additions by Paul McCartney, the late George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as well as a little help … Read more
When Canadian producer Jordan Young started playing around with AI voice-cloning technology — ultimately creating a fake Kanye West song that sounded, well, just like Kanye West — it immediately prompted him to think about the ethical implications of the technology. “As soon as I made it, I started to think … if anybody can make music with … Read more
