#Loud Kids on Tour 2023: London

[maneskin-dimensione]

nmemagazine: This week saw Måneskin take a sold out The O2 London by storm. Hit the link in bio to see full and exclusive performances of the epic ‘I Wanna Be Your Slave’ and ‘Kool Kids’ from the show, as well as the NME review.

Måneskin via @/NMEMagazine's reels on Instagram.

*Reposted by Måneskin onto their Instagram stories.

[8iunie]

The O2 | London, United Kingdom | 08.05.2023 | LOUD KIDS TOUR

📸 bigbluetoffee

[damiannasworld]

O2 Arena, London 08.05.23

📸 Frances Beach for Dork

[icarodamiano]

Pics of Vic that make me sweat 🥵

sources for nerds but mainly bc i cant tag all this rip

1. Summer Sonic Day 2 in Osaka, Japan. August 21, 2022

2. Coachella 2022 Weekend 1 in Indio, California. April 17, 2022.

3. LOUD KIDS TOUR at Accor Arena in Paris, France. March 13, 2022.

4. Sanremo 2023 at Ariston Theatre February 9, 2023.

5. Lollapalooza Stockholm in Stockholm, Sweden. July 1, 2022.

6. LOUD KIDS TOUR at Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy. March 20/21, 2023.

7. LOUD KIDS TOUR at The 02 in London, UK. May 8, 2023.

8. LOUD KIDS TOUR backstage at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria. April 28, 2023.

9. Hotel room before Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala in Los Angeles, California. February 4, 2023.

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Review -After many a postponement, for the first time since his debut world tour in 2017, Grammy award winning artist Harry Styles touched down at Mt Smart Stadium, bringing Harry Styles: Love on Tour to Tāmaki Makaurau.

Released in 2022 and recently awarded Album of the Year at the 2023 Grammys, Harry's House, built in London by way of Hollywood, Malibu, and Wilshire, and engineered by the likes of Kid Harpoon, Tyler Johnson, and Samuel Witte has seen almost every major city of the world. It's only fitting that, at long last, Aotearoa finally got a taste of the artist's highest acclaimed album.

Decorated from head to toe in sequins, sparkles, cowboy hats and the coveted feather boas, punters, who had been lining up as early as two days before the concert itself, descended on Mt. Smart Stadium bright eyed and bushy tailed, eager to get as close to Styles as they possibly could. His charm, wit and general crowd interaction is a major selling point of the tour itself - something all 47,000 attendees were eager to get a taste of.

Aotearoa's own Ny Oh and Isle of Wight-based band Wet Leg opened the show, to a crowd that, although mixed in demographic, got behind every single beat. Seeing Wet Leg at Mt Smart was a bit of a big deal; the last time they were here, they performed to a sold-out Tuning Fork - a venue which can hold up to 300 people. Fast forward eight months, playing to a sold-out stadium, comprising a crowd who, for the most part, know every word to every song, is something to marvel at.

I always admire an artist who has an impeccable pre-show playlist - it shows that not only do they know their crowd well, but when done right, the right selection can show that they know the city, or in this case, country, well too. Classic tracks such as 'Best Song Ever' by One Direction and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen had the crowd doing vocal somersaults over one another, singing as loud as they could.

What took me by surprise was the addition of Poi E by Pātea Māori Club - released in 1983, sung entirely in te reo, now playing to a crowded stadium before Harry Styles of all people graced the stage. He knew his crowd, and where he was in the world, extremely well.

Styles is known for his on-stage outfits. Some are understated, some are extremely overstated, and most, if not all of them, end up being one of the main focal points of every performance. The last time he was in Aotearoa, he wore an all-black suit, assumingly paying homage to the All Blacks. Last night, he wore a short sleeve raglan tee with a bejewelled whale's tail adorning it, with a pair of purple dress pants. Not the most spectacular outfit compared to his recent Australia tour, but we'll take what we can get.

After all, fashion comes second when you're stood mere metres from One Direction's Golden Child.

It's always special when an artist comes to any given country and does more than just plays their show and jump on the next flight home. On his recent Australian tour, Styles immersed himself in the culture of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, and his stop in Aotearoa was no exception.

At his first break in the show, Styles, who, earlier in the day, had spent time with Te Matatini finalists, Angitū, sang the start of 'Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi' - written by Canon Wiremu Te Tau Huata in the 1950s.

The crowd, clearly stunned, sung the rest of the waiata back to him without hesitation while he danced around the stage. He continued to do this multiple times throughout the night, which kept the crowd on their toes. I was almost waiting for it to happen every time he got the chance to speak. At one point in the concert, he picked a Tino Rangatiratanga flag from the crowd, and put it on his mic stand - the flag found itself to be a permanent fixture on the stage for the rest of the night.

The moments of the concert I remember the most vividly seem to be the same at almost every one I go to; the times when the whole crowd is still, flashlights up, yelling the lyrics of the saddest songs back at the person singing them - and last night was no exception. At the end of the catwalk which spanned what felt like ten trillion miles, Styles performed 'Matilda', 'Little Freak', and 'Satellite' one after the other, and for all three songs, I've never heard a crowd with so much gusto.

Harry performed songs from across all three released bodies of work, such as 'Woman', to 'Golden', and even far back as a new rendition of One Direction's seminal hit, 'What Makes You Beautiful'. He even snuck in crowd-favourite unreleased weapon, 'Medicine' which went viral during the tour for his last album, Fine Line. During every song, the crowd didn't hold back. So much energy in one space - it was amazing to bear witness to.

It's crazy to think that, from Harry's end, there are 47,000 people in the same space as you are singing the words to the music you wrote back at you. Those moments stick with an artist - I feel as though they stick with the crowd for eternity.

Crowd interaction is paramount for an artist as big as Styles. Throughout his time as a solo performer, he's always placed a large emphasis on connecting with his crowds, and as he's grown, the interactions have only evolved to be more intense.

Last night was no exception. From pointing out a fan who had been throwing fruit at him (which then proceeded to him singing a two-minute-long song about people dressed as bananas, eggs, aubergines, so on and so forth), the singer, who encourages fans to bring signs with him to his shows, went back and forth with two fans. One, who allegedly sold their cats leg to be at the show, and the other, who was with her best friend going through a breakup. After finding out the now ex-boyfriend wasn't prioritising them, hence the breakup, he told the crowd to "not be a Michael, be a Romy!"

Styles also asked the crowd about the census, telling everyone that he too had filled it out prior to the show.

Finishing with crowd favourite, and aptly named, 'Kiwi', Styles had made the nights of 12-year-olds with their parents and mid-40-year-olds alike, as well as everyone in between. Harry Styles is truly an artist who transcends all levels of musical talent and incomparable wit, with a hint of charm that can't be matched.

The remnants of the 47,000 plus feather boas will live on the field of Mt Smart Stadium until Harry Styles makes his triumphant return to Aotearoa.

Admittedly, he doesn't actually know when that will be. All he knows is that he hopes it won't be too long.

[thelensofyashunews]

OSAMASON SHARES NEW SINGLE "POPSTAR"

Fresh off his performance at London's Wireless Festival, burgeoning new wave star OsamaSon has just shared a new single, "popstar", out now along with an accompanying video. The high-voltage outing is defined by OsamaSon's uptempo flow, experimental production, and an offbeat visual rooted in hyper-online imagery. "popstar" follows last month's viral track with resident internet "badass kid" Nettspend on their OK-produced single "withdrawals" (2M+ Streams), which marked a high-profile collaboration between two of Gen Alpha's must-watch new acts. Known for his irresistible hooks, off-kilter adlibs, and otherworldly flows, the Charleston, South Carolina, native has been on a transcendent run as of late. 2023 saw OsamaSon release his critically-acclaimed debut project Osama Season, which was lauded by the likes of Pitchfork and Our Generation Music and featured tracks “X & Sex” (18M Streams), "Werkin" (5M+ Streams), and“Troops” (5M Streams). Project Flex Musix quickly followed later that year, which boasted contributions from some of rap's most noteworthy new producers, including Rok (Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, Future, Ken Carson), Legiiion (Ken Carson), and Skai (SoFaygo) and was bolstered by hit tracks "Pop" (11M Streams), "Trenches" (9M Streams), "All Star" (8M Streams), "Blonde"(7M Streams), and "Baghdad" (3M Streams).

It's already been an explosive year for OsamaSon, who kicked off his Flex Musix Tour on February 18th with eleven sold-out shows across the United States. The tour followed the release of the deluxe version of Flex Musix, FLXTRA, which debuted at #8 on Apple Music's All Genre charts and garnered strong buzz thanks to songs like "Rehhab"(6M Streams) and "Cartel" (5M Streams). Recent months have seen the rapper link with Glokk40Spaz for collaborative project 3vil Reflection and turn heads with a high-energy performance at Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash in Chicago as well as an appearance at Rolling Loud Europe in Vienna.

[dustedmagazine]

Listed: Violin Sect

Photo credit: Steve Jinks

Formed in 1980 and disbanded in 1981, the obscure Welsh post-punk band Violin Sect left behind just one seven-inch, “Highdays and Holidays/Rivals,” documenting their brief existence. In fact, they’ve flown so low on the radar since then that they were even overlooked for the Messthetics compilations, the CD series that brought the sounds of the many forgotten and amusingly-named UK DIY bands of their time and ilk to a (relatively) wider audience. This started to change in 2019, however, when Sect bassist Steve Walker posted a couple of previously unreleased songs that he’d dug up to Soundcloud, where Minimum Stacks label head Joe Piccirillo heard them as his label was just getting off the ground. Fast forward to 2023 and we have the Vile Insect 12-inch, featuring all four songs from the band’s short life transferred from the original ¼" tapes. The result, to Andrew Forrell of Dusted’s ears, is a mix of “dubby rhythms, scratchy post-punk guitar, whimsy and skepticism,” able to stand with Scritti Politti’s “Skank Bloc Bologna” and Swell Maps “Read About Seymour.” And thanks to this release, it’s finally in a position to reach the audience it deserves.

Although Walker’s bandmates — Steve Jinks (guitar), Phil Rimmell (drums) and Hywel Pontin (percussion and backing vocals) — were unavailable to take part, Walker has assembled a list of some of his favorite music, art and literature from his 67 years on earth for Dusted. “A snapshot within a snapshot,” if you will.

The Raincoats

I was lucky enough to catch a London gig by the Raincoats in 1979 around the time they released their first single. This year Gina Birch (bass/vocals), also 67, has released her first solo album, I Play My Bass Loud, and it’s been worth the wait. Here’s an early one from the first Raincoats LP, though.

Mica Levi — “Lips”

I got the same sort of excitement when I first heard Mica Levi, together with their bandmates in Micachu and the Shapes. Their work has continued to grow and encompasses other genres such as film soundtracks (e.g., Jackie).

Sufjan Stevens — “Video Game”

I first became aware of Sufjan Stevens with the release of Illinois and caught him at the end of his UK tour promoting it at King’s College London with a pared-down (although still with those wondrous wings) extra gig. In later years he was in Bristol on the Carrie & Lowell tour. Sublime. Here’s a later track with fabulous dancing.

Saul Leiter — In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life

I’ve spent a lifetime as a specialist nurse supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities to maintain and develop their independence together with practicing as a part time psychotherapist for the general public, within the UK’s National Health Service. During this time, I’ve drawn, painted, made music but mainly taken photos (since I was a kid with a darkroom). Maybe there’ll be an exhibition of my own one day but, like Saul Leiter, I’m used to “postponing things and seeing no reason to be in a rush.” For me, his exhibitions and photobooks have a magical quality that validate and inspire all at the same time.

Ivor Cutler

Ivor Cutler always had my heart but here’s an epic that didn’t feature on his own albums.

Angeline Morrison — The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience

In 2022 Angeline Morrison released an astonishing album… I’m afraid that I can’t stop myself recommending it to people! If you get a chance…

Paul Wright — Arcadia

Arcadia is a short film that explores Britain’s relationship with the earth, its secret pasts, hidden histories and collective amnesia using old film and TV footage in an exhilarating fashion.

Wet Leg — “Chaise Longue,” live at the BRIT Awards, 2023

A performance from the here and now, incorporating the past with the present in a truly WTF moment at the Brits!

Gretchen Gerzina — Black England

Books… so many books! So, here’s what I’m currently reading.

Anthony Gormley — Another Place

Finally… if ever in Liverpool, visit Crosby Beach and experience Antony Gormley’s sculpture. It consists of 100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea, (gradually becoming encrusted with barnacles, etc.) all modeled on Gormley’s own naked body.

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Review: CITY SPIES: CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti (w/ #giveaway)!

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the Rockstar Book Tours blog tour for the fourth installment in the City Spies series by James Ponti, City Spies: City of the Dead, which releases next Tuesday, 7 February! If you’ve followed my reviews before, you’ll know what a huge fan I am of this series, so I’m thrilled to tell you all about this latest installment. You can also find my review and a giveaway below!

About the Book

title: City Spies: City of the Dead author: James Ponti publisher: Aladdin release date: 7 February 2023

In this fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls. Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job. And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery. With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies…

Add to Goodreads  Purchase the Book Check out the Book Trailer

Grab the rest of the City Spies books now!

About the Author

JAMES PONTI (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. 

Connect with James: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

My 5-Star Review

If you’ve followed my reviews for any length of time, you may know just how much I love this middle grade series. My son and I have both read them all (though he hasn’t yet gotten his hands on this latest one!), and we’ve also read, both separately and out loud together, Mr. Ponti’s Dead City series, which we also love. (He has also read the Framed! series, though I have not.) Naturally I was going to jump at the chance to read and review book four! (You can find my reviews of book one here and book two here.)

While I suppose you technically could read this as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the first three books first -- you’ll get a much better feel for the characters, and they’re totally all worth reading! In each book, a different one of our “city spies” (their codenames are each the cities in which they were found) is the alpha, or leader, of the mission. In book four, it’s Kat’s turn, and she leads in several missions throughout the book, which take the spies from London to Berlin to, ultimately, Cairo and Luxor, Egypt. Kat has always been a favorite character of mine -- she has Asperger’s and is able to see patterns amid all the chaos of life. She’s truly brilliant and refreshingly honest and plain-spoken! The spies continue hot on the heels of Umbra in this installment, and there’s a surprise addition to the City Spies team that no one was expecting. I literally read the entire book in one sitting; I just couldn’t stop flipping the pages!

I highly, highly recommend this series for all middle grade readers (will be especially good for reluctant readers!), as well as anyone who just enjoys a good spy thriller (one appropriate for kids, of course). This installment continues the unbroken string of five-star reviews for each book in the series. And with *that ending*, I can’t wait to read book five!

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

About the Giveaway

One (1) lucky winner will receive a finished copy of City Spies: City of the Dead by James Ponti! This one is US only and ends on 6 February 2023. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Blog Tour + James’ Tours

Here’s the schedule for this second and final week of the blog tour, as well as James’ schedule of tours for the book launch!

Blog Tour, Week Two:

1/30/2023 - Nerdophiles - Review 1/30/2023 - Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog - Review/IG Post

1/31/2023 - Wanderingwitchreads - TikTok Review/IG Post 1/31/2023 - Review Thick And Thin - Review/IG Post

2/1/2023 - @ChristenKrumm - IG Review 2/1/2023 - Two Points of Interest - Review

2/2/2023 - Book-Keeping - Review/IG Post 2/2/2023 - @bookmama85 - IG Review

2/3/2023 - OneMoreExclamation - Review/IG Post 2/3/2023 - @froggyreadteach - IG Review

James’ launch tours:

Monday, February 7, 2023 at 6:00pm CT Virtual launch event hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX) In conversation with Kelly Yang (author of NEW FROM HERE and FINALLY SEEN)

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA) In conversation with Laurel Snyder (author of ORPHAN ISLAND and CHARLIE & MOUSE)

Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 6:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC) In conversation with Alan Gratz (author of REFUGEE, GROUND ZERO, and TWO DEGREES)

Friday, February 10, 2023 at 5:00pm ET In-person event hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT) In conversation with Lauren Tarshis (author of the I SURVIVED series)

Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 3:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Books of Wonder (New York, NY) In conversation with Sayantani DasGupta (author of THE FIRE QUEEN series), Chris Grabenstein (author of DOG SQUAD and THE SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE), and Karina Yan Glaser (author of THE VANDERBEEKERS series)

Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 2:00pm CT In-person event at St. Louis Public Library hosted by The Novel Neighbor (St. Louis, MO) In conversation with George Jreije (author of SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA)

Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7:00pm CT In-person event hosted by Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers (Minneapolis, MN) In conversation with Jacqueline West (author of THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE and LONG LOST)

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 5:30pm ET In-person event hosted by Quail Ridge Books (Raleigh, NC) In conversation with Kwame Mbalia (author of the TRISTAN STRONG series)

Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:30am ET In-person event hosted by Politics & Prose (Washington, D.C.)

Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00pm ET In-person event hosted by The International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 2:00pm ET In-person event hosted at Lake Highland Prep School hosted by Writer’s Block Bookstore (Orlando, FL) In conversation with Jerry Craft (author of NEW KID and CLASS ACT)

[maneskin-dimensione]

Måneskin are just??

They were so??

Fuck.

They were absolutely incredible last night; words genuinely cannot describe how much I love them or how important they are to me. Honestly, I always feel awkward and shy at concerts but I was singing and dancing my lil heart out because they just bring it out in me.

I love them so much and while the post concert depression is hitting so hard already, I can't wait to see them again in December - I miss them already, but it was one of the BEST nights I've ever experienced.

ALSO! I saw Giorgia; she walked right past me and I was too shy to go up to her because she was with friends but she is so fucking pretty in person.💖

[8iunie]

maneskinofficial: LONDON O2 Arena lads and lasses!!! Absolute insane ❤️ Left our hearts there forever ❤️ - 09.05.2023

[damiannasworld]

O2 Arena, London 08.05.23

📸 radikalzee

[kiwikiwiandkiwi]

I have this… thing where every now and then I decide to go through all of my posts only to add new tags or “retag” old posts. So this post is definitely under construction. I like to collect evidence, references, moments and I like to keep everything organized, even if it is just for me. But if you’re reading this, enjoy!  

masterposts; timelines; for beginners;

since the beginning; hl moments; hl timeline; things that keep me up at night; all the reasons ever needed; if it isn’t real then explain me this; they never broke up; still the one;

rainbow bears; theories; communicating; coded clothing; queer coding; big gay war; coincidences; same patterns; parallels; being loud; he’s gay; pride; at the same time; lyrics; lyrics analysis; lyrics change; 369; 28; rings; freddieismyqueen; sign language; nautical theme; this shade of blue; things named louis; x factor; papillon; belfast; leeds; wellington; jamaica; brazil; lairport;

1D; 1dhq; hiatus; zayn leaving; 1d leaks; image control; narrative x reality; pap walks; pr relationships; media training; industry; management; closeting; privacy; contracts; photo ban; simon cowell; syco; sony; music industry; BMG; rumors; receipts; public houses; outings; everyone knows; denials; debunked;

LARRY: fetus larry; body language; harry loves louis; louis loves harry; pick someone supportive; jealous louis; jealous harry; biggest larrie; husbands af; husbands on tour; blue and green; same everything; always there; next to you; pronouns; innuendo; get a room; the fond; the hug; sharing clothes; matching; tattoos; always touching; whispering; serenading; mirroring; 1d x larry; larry and larries; AIMH; friends and family; in laws; same circle; the B stage; vip box; living situation; blue bandana; umbro shirt; the H shirt;

THROUGH THE YEARS: larry 2010; larry 2011; larry 2012; larry 2013; larry 2014; larry 2015; larry 2016; larry 2017; larry 2018; larry 2019; larry 2020; larry 2021; larry 2022; larry 2023;

HARRY: harry fashion; harry and rainbows; flamboyant harry; harry’s image; harry’s closet; harry’s sexuality; harry and gender; harry and men; harry and women; womanizer harry; about harry; everyone loves harry; harry styles tm; harry’s rings; harry photoshoots; hs interview; twitter harry; instagram harry; songwriter harry; harry and fans; harry’s team; actor harry; hs1; behind the album; live on tour; hs1 leak; hs2; fine line; eroda; fine line promo; love on tour; hs3; harry’s house; you are home; harry’s house promo; hs3 leak; love on tour 2022; love on tour 2023; hs merch; hshq; pleasing;

LOUIS: louis fashion; louis and rainbows; flamboyant louis; louis and gender; louis’ image; louis’ closet; louis’ sexuality; louis and men; louis and women; about louis; everyone loves louis; judge louis; louis photoshoots; lt interview; am i the boss? i was always the boss; twitter louis; instagram louis; lthq tiktok; songwriter louis; louis and fans; louis’ team; louis leaks; lt1; walls;  walls promo; walls mural; director’s cut; lt world tour; lt2; faith in the future: lt2 leak; lt2 anagrams; faith in the future promo; faith in the future listening party; faith in the future tour; lt merch; lthq, 28 official programme;  live from london; the away from home festival; the away from home festival 2022; 

BABYGATE: babygate masterposts; babygate timeline; before babygate; louis x babygate; harry x babygate; party boy louis; louis and kids; freddie reign; clark family; DNA test; real parenthood; briana jungwirth; babygate x media; tamara bell; fake pregnancy; photoshopped; boobiegate;

STUNTS: holivia; hamille; hendall; townes; haige; haylor; haroline; elounor; douis;

By year (you can find tags for every year):

2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023

you can also search for a month ex: tagged/jan21

(not all months of every year can be found yet, i’m still working on it)

[bandaidpennylane]

New York Times interview with Jack White’s 3rd wife Olivia.

By Madeleine Aggeler

It was something out of a fairy tale, if everyone in fairy tales wore denim and leather and looked like they smoked American Spirits. One minute, Olivia Jean was a shy kid from Michigan competing in her school’s battle of the bands show, and the next, she’s performing with her boyfriend, the musician Jack White, and he’s proposing to her in the middle of his song “Hotel Yorba” — right before the line “Let’s get married/ In a big cathedral by a priest.” A minute later, Mr. White remembered, come to think of it, one of the guys backstage was a licensed minister — does she want to get married right then? She said yes.

On an early April evening, a crowd that had gathered in the Masonic Temple of Detroit for the kickoff of Mr. White’s Supply Chain Issues tour was drenched in the warm glow of love, bright blue stage lights and a couple of contraband cellphones that enterprising audience members had managed to slip past security. Also in attendance: the father of the bride, Brent Markel, who had been watching the show, unaware of what was to come, and appeared onstage to give his blessing.

“Initially I was shocked and confused when Jack said, ‘Let’s get married right now,’  Mr. Markel said. “But when I realized it was happening, I was so happy for them.” Altogether, Ms. Jean and Mr. White’s entire marital courtship — engagement to wedding — lasted just five and half minutes. “It was the best experience of my life,” Ms. Jean, 32, said several weeks later. “You could plan a wedding for five years and it wouldn’t compare to that.” 

At her favorite vintage store in Nashville, where the couple live, Ms. White showed off her appropriately goth engagement ring: a marquise cut onyx that she had worn on her middle finger for years, and that Mr. White, 46, surreptitiously had customized while under the guise of getting it cleaned. He had three black diamonds added on either side, and a small diamond placed in the middle. “It looks like a spaceship,” Ms. Jean said, admiring her pale, slender hand. “Or a beetle.”

Ms. Jean floated through the racks of cat T-shirts and whimsical sweaters with a surprising lightness for someone with combat boots the size of compact sedans strapped to her feet. Her look is that of a rockabilly Morticia Addams: long, jet black hair, severe bangs over glacier blue eyes and swooping eyeliner sharp enough to cut glass. Marriage stories have a way of eclipsing everything around them, especially for women, and especially for women marrying a mega-celebrity, like Ms. Jean just did. Take June Carter Cash’s ambivalence toward her own onstage engagement — the less goth predecessor of Mr. White and Ms. Jean’s nuptials. In 1968, Johnny Cash proposed to Ms. Carter in front of a crowd of 7,000 people in London, Ontario. When asked about the engagement 13 years later, in a joint 1981 interview on the “Mike Douglas Show,” Ms. Cash said: “You’re not going to make me tell it again!” Ms. Jean has not yet tired of her own engagement story, but she said that long before Mr. White placed the beetle ring on her finger, she was a musician with her own body of work and her own fans.

She performed with the band the Black Belles from 2009 to 2012, then released two solo albums, “Bathtub Love Killings,” in 2014, and “Night Owl,” in 2019. During the pandemic, she started working on a third album, which is mostly done, but probably won’t be released until 2023 because of a vinyl shortage. 

Ms. Jean’s music is loud and muscular, a distinctly Americana combination of brash garage rock and boppy surf music. It’s music to listen to while applying red lipstick in the rearview mirror of a convertible, or while fantasizing about smashing an ex’s TV with a baseball bat.What she writes about best, she said, is “frustration, stress and being angry,” though she insists that in reality she’s really quite content. “I live a pretty easygoing, happy life,” she said, smiling. “That just seems to be the only thing that inspires me, is writing about sassy emotions.” The wedding did change things, though. There’s being a successful musician, and then there’s being a successful musician whose spontaneous wedding to a well-known rock star made headlines around the world. 

Fans know rock star couples on a first-name basis: Sonny and Cher; John and Yoko; Whitney and Bobby. These couples become greater than the sum of their two parts. Fairly or not, their art and their relationships become inextricable, each one seeming to fuel the other — the romance inspires the music, and the music inspires grand, romantic gestures, like, say, getting married onstage in front of thousands of people. “I feel like a spotlight’s been put on me after that experience,” Ms. Jean said. “It was a really positive thing that happened, and it makes me happy to know that other people approve of it, and appreciate how cool that was. 

So it’s positive, but strange. Very strange. Ms. Jean grew up in the suburbs just outside of Detroit. Her parents encouraged their four children to be creative. When she was 7, inspired by a B-52’s record she stole from her father, Ms. Jean got her first guitar and started teaching herself to play. In second grade, she formed a band called Broken Glass. At 12, she started a band with her brother. They played the school talent show and won the battle of the bands, a victory that still clearly delights her. By high school, Ms. Jean was a loner who spent much of her free time recording her own surf music. She played all the instruments herself, recording each on a tiny computer microphone and layering them on top of each other with a free audio editing program. At 16, she started playing small clubs around Detroit. She handed out her homemade CDs to friends and co-workers, who mostly seemed confused by the offering. “It was a hobby,” she said. “I didn’t know you could make money off of music.” 

Then, in 2009, when she was 19 and going to school for graphic design, Ms. Jean had two very important conversations in quick succession. The first was with a friend, who told her that the Dead Weather, Jack White’s band, was playing a secret show in Detroit that same night. She had two hours to grab a stack of her demos of instrumental surf music and rush to the venue, where she scattered the CDs on tables and chairs. But the people in the audience weren’t the ones whose attention she really wanted. Slipping outside, she laid out a path of demos from the band’s tour bus to the side door they used to enter the venue — a yellow brick road of rock music. The second very important conversation was with Mr. White, who called her a couple of weeks later and said that he liked her music, and asked her if she wanted to come to Nashville and record some of her songs with him at his recording company, Third Man Records.“I put the phone down and then I just laid on the ground for a few minutes,” Ms. Jean said. “Like, this is not real. This can’t be real. This doesn’t happen to people.”

“I put the phone down and then I just laid on the ground for a few minutes,” Ms. Jean said. “Like, this is not real. This can’t be real. This doesn’t happen to people. “The fact that she incorporated surf guitar and the low-fi recording of all the instruments (that she played herself) into her songs, while also being from Detroit, not to mention the bouffant hairdo and style, all showed me this was a very unique and talented person worth inviting into the Third Man world,” he [Jack White]  wrote over email. It was the moment all aspiring rockers dream of when they hang up posters of their favorite bands on their bedroom walls. But Nashville can be humbling, even for the most talented amateur musician. 

In Music City, music isn’t a hobby, it’s a career. As Ms. Jean put it: “I thought I was awesome in Detroit, and then I moved here.” Ms. Jean dropped out of school and started recording music for Third Man. In Tennessee, she met Ruby Rogers and Shelby Lynn, a pair of musicians with whom she clicked, partly because they shared that most sacred of human connections: similar hairstyles. The women formed a band, the Black Belles, and started recording some of Ms. Jean’s songs. They performed together for three years and gained a decent amount of attention. They put out a record that Mr. White produced and collaborated on songs with the actress Elvira and the late night host Stephen Colbert. “It was hard in a good way, because it inspired me to become better,” Ms. Jean said of that period. “But at the same time, you become a little less confident in yourself. You start to realize, I’m not as great as I thought I was, so now I really need to work.” Over email, Ms. Rogers recalled “rehearsing constantly,” and Ms. Lynn wrote that “The Black Belles was a crash-course in rock ’n’ roll.” “It was an absolute whirlwind of blood, sweat and mascara-drenched tears,” Ms. Lynn said. “We grew up together in those years, and the creative bond we developed, it became almost telepathic and has been unmatched in any other band setting I’ve found myself in. It was high pressure to be sure, and I think that brought out our finest work as musicians.” In 2012, the Black Belles split amicably. Ms. Jean took a couple of years off.

Eventually, in 2014, she put out her first solo album. It was around that time that her relationship with Mr. White evolved into something more serious. “We were just really good friends,” she said. “You have to know that you can be friends for a while before you can date. It wasn’t really a transition. It was more, OK, this is happening. More like a continuation.” During the pandemic, the couple hunkered down at their Nashville home, and according to Ms. Jean “tried to be as creative as possible.” They both worked on their music, and Mr. White helped produce Ms. Jean’s new album. She also worked on various graphic design projects for Third Man as well as her own merchandise. The creativity was so overflowing in their house that it got a little crowded. Ms. Jean decided to convert the pool house into her own music studio so that she and Mr. White wouldn’t be competing for time in his. 

She painted the walls hot pink and covered the floors in plush, hot pink carpet. My little pink nightmare,” she said. So far, she said, it hasn’t even really hit her that she’s married. No sooner did they get hitched than Mr. White went off on tour, and she’s mostly been back in Nashville, putting the finishing touches on her new record and rehearsing with her band. “I’ve realized as I get older that I have my own thing. I’m niche,” she said. “This is who I am, and people accept that or they don’t, it doesn’t matter to me.”

[goldenfharry]

Yeah I agree with this. The most they'll do is lay low for a while and then they'll go back to showing their backs in the streets of London as usual. It's a great opportunity for Harry to leave rn but I don't expect that it'll happen. They'll be happy happy until the day they agreed to finally end it. Which in my opinion is going to be after DWD to make it less obvious. End of the year or beginning of the next probably. Keep in mind that 2023 tour will be international. A good excuse.//

I don’t think we’re going to get pictures of them anymore not for a long time,(if harry and his team are smart at least) if they’re fighting for custody they’ll keep an eye on her, she won’t be able to leave the children anymore, she has to act interested in them, she won’t be able to follow him anymore, especially not on tour around Europe which imply leaving them, she can’t brought them at every concert, judges will look for *stability* * how much a parent is present in their children life* she can’t live the groupie fan life anymore, Jason is filming and when he finishes they’ll be back in America

if his team is smart they will take advantage of the situation: Olivia and Harry decided to separate, she has priority and her priorities are the kids ecc

or after the tour

or they’re going to use the Australian/Canadian/South American tour as an excuse: she has to work in America, her kids needs her and he’s touring around the world they decided to split, different schedules

in any case holivia is coming to and end after this for sure, for me it’s better if they break up before the movie, too much drama with fhe relationship and the custody during the press, and that’s not good

I sure hope you are right. This is my thought as well, if they are smart, they will finally use this divine answer. But, let's see, I don't want to speak too loud and too soon 😂

[sagehaleyofficial]

HERE’S WHAT YOU MISSED THIS WEEK (6.8-6.14.22):

NEW MUSIC:

Travie McCoy shared a new song from his upcoming album Never Slept Better titled “The Bridge.” The rapper’s new full-length is set for release on July 15 via Hopeless Records.

Holding Absence and Alpha Wolf revealed that they are teaming up for a new split EP. The Lost and The Longing will be released on August 15 via SharpTone Records worldwide and Greyscale Records in Australia and New Zealand.

Hollywood Undead announced the details of a new full-length record titled Hotel Kalifornia. The upcoming album will be dropping on August 12 via BMG.

Flogging Molly revealed that they have a new album coming out titled Anthem. The album will be released on September 9 via Rise Records.

Pale Waves shared another track from their upcoming new album Unwanted, which they worked on alongside Zakk Cervini, titled “Reasons to Live.” The full-length will be released on August 12 via Dirty Hit.

Trophy Eyes’ John Floreani shared a new solo offering titled “Good Boy.” The pop-punk singer released his last solo offering back in 2019 in the form of the full-length Sin.

Jimmy Eat World dropped a brand new song titled “Something Loud.” It’s the band’s first new music since their most recent studio album Surviving was released back in 2019.

Machine Gun Kelly dropped a new song featuring Glaive titled “More Than Life.” It follows on from the singer and rapper’s album Mainstream Sellout, which was released earlier this year.

Taking Back Sunday released some brand new music in collaboration with Steve Aoki titled “Just Us Two.” The band’s singer Adam Lazzara also recently made an appearance on “Loved You a Little” with The Maine and Charlotte Sands.

Mod Sun released a new song titled “Perfectly Imperfect.” It follows on from his previous single “Rich Kids Ruin Everything,” released earlier this year.

TOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Foo Fighters revealed that they are going to be playing a pair of tribute shows for their late drummer Taylor Hawkins. The shows will be held in London at Wembley Stadium on September 3 and in Los Angeles at the Kia Forum on September 27, respectively.

PUP revealed they will be playing an intimate show at the Courtyard Theatre in London. The show will take place on July 7 and follows the release of their latest album The Unraveling of PUPTHEBAND.

Cancer Bats revealed that they will be going on an extensive tour of the United Kingdom. The tour kicks off in Bristol, England, on September 1 and ends in Glasgow on September 17.

Ice Nine Kills revealed they will be heading on another United Kingdom and European tour early next year. Called the “Wurst Vacation,” the tour kicks off in Frankfurt on February 1 and ends in London on March 10, 2023.

Download Festival announced that next year’s festival will be extended to four days, taking place from June 8-11, 2023. Limited early bird tickets are currently on sale on the festival’s website.

OTHER NEWS:

Paramore’s hit song “Misery Business” is now certified 6x Platinum in the United States. It's the band's most certified track, with “Ain't It Fun” being 3x Platinum and three other singles all 2x Platinum.

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Check in next Tuesday for more “Posi Talk with Sage Haley”!