Rock Daily

Carrie Underwood has been announced as the headlining performer for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2025. Underwood joins the other newly announced performers – CMA Awards Best New Artist Megan Moroney and Saltburn’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” viral sensation Sophie Ellis-Bextor – who will all perform during the holiday TV broadcast. The trio of music stars join the previously announced performers Lenny Kravitz, Teddy Swims, Tinashe, Cody Johnson, and Thomas Rhett, along with Rita Ora, who will co-host the event with Ryan Seacrest. “I have such fun memories of performing on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve in Times Square in both 2007 and 2015, and I’m so excited to perform just before the ball drops again this year,” said Underwood. “I’m thrilled to celebrate 20 years since winning American Idol by joining Ryan as he hosts his 20th New Year’s Eve in Times Square.” Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest will air on ABC on December 31 beginning at 8 p.m. ET. (Billboard)

Pearl Jam took to Instagram on Thursday (December 5) to announce new Dark Matter US tour dates for 2025. The 10-date run kicks off with a pair of concerts in Hollywood, Florida on April 24 and 26, followed by two shows each in Atlanta (April 29 and May 1), Nashville (May 6 and 8), Raleigh (May 11 and 13), before finishing up with two dates in Pittsburgh (May 16 and 18). “We’ve got big news: the Dark Matter Tour isn’t over yet,” the band captioned their post. Pearl Jam’s 2024 Dark Matter Tour finished up at the end of November with a series of sold-out shows in New Zealand and Australia, where the band hadn’t performed in 10 years. Dark Matter was recently nominated for Best Rock Album at the upcoming Grammy Awards, with the record produced by Andrew Watt, who also worked on the Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds. “How many bands that are still around are as good as Pearl Jam right now?” Watt raved in a recent interview with Rolling Stone. “They’re the greatest live band in the world.” (Consequence of Sound)

Surviving Soundgarden members Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd are reuniting for a benefit show at the Showbox in Seattle on December 14th. The band will be performing under their old alias – and Soundgarden anagram – Nudedragons at the 13th annual SMooCH concert, which benefits Seattle Children’s Hospital’s uncompensated care fund. Nudedragons made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday, writing that they "will be returning to the stage, and the Showbox, for the first time in 14+ years.” The band will feature singer Shaina Shepherd on lead vocals, who previously performed with Thayil in 2020 during the Museum of Pop Culture's Alice In Chains tribute show. Nudedragons appearance is being billed as a “brief encore performance,” with the sold-out show also set to feature previously announced performances by  Sebadoh, Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch, and Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan. Last year’s benefit show raised $2.6 million for the hospital. (Consequence of Sound) 

In an interview on The Jesea Lee Show, Hinder drummer Cody Hanson shared a feisty interaction he had with Chad Kroeger while his band was on tour with Nickelback. “We always loved Nickelback growing up,” shared Hanson, revealing that Hinder recorded in Vancouver, including at Kroeger’s house, so “we’d kind of become buddies with them.” During a night of drinking while on tour, Hanson’s drum tech tells him, “Chad says there’s no such thing as quarter horses,” and the drummer responded, “Maybe ’cause he’s Canadian and they use the metric system,” as everyone laughed. Kroeger didn’t find it funny, warning Hanson, “If you wanna make a person from Canada mad, the first thing you do is call him a Canadian.” The verbal fight continued on the tour bus, but before they came to blows, Hanson broke down crying as emotions and alcohol got the best of him. All was forgiven the next day, as Kroeger gave Hanson a handful of viagra as an apology. (Consequence of Sound)

The long-rumored and highly-anticipated documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, finally has a release date on the big screen, as well as an official trailer to build excitement for the film's premiere. Distribution rights for Becoming Led Zeppelin were acquired earlier this year by Sony Picture Classics, and they will release the rock doc exclusively in Imax theaters on February 7. Select markets will also host early access Imax screenings on February 5. “The cinematic power of Imax paired with the film’s authentic sound creates an immersive and transportive viewing experience letting audiences feel like they are there, in the venues with the band,” the film’s director Bernard MacMahon said in a statement.  According to the film’s press release, the documentary is “told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.” The film focuses on the band’s formation in the 1960s, and includes rare and previously unseen live performances from the group’s early tours. (Variety)

Sum 41 have been forced to cancel their entire upcoming tour of Australia due to  frontman Deryck Whibley’s health issues. The band had previously cancelled a scheduled show at Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley Music Hall on December 4 “due to Deryck being diagnosed with pneumonia,” while revealing that the singer “is receiving the best possible local care.” But apparently Whibley’s health issues continue to be a problem, and all their Australia shows are now off. “It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce our 2024 Australian tour is unable to proceed,” the band shared on Instagram. “We were beyond excited to deliver this tour and connect with our Aussie fans once more. Under the guidance and direction of multiple Australian doctors, it’s clear that Deryck is too unwell to perform. We understand and appreciate your disappointment – we’re gutted too.” Whibley was also hospitalized back in September of 2023 with pneumonia and potential heart failure. (Rolling Stone)

Reading & Leeds Festival announced the first round of artists set to appear at their 2025 joint events. The headliners for these celebrated English music festivals will be Travis Scott, Chappell Roan, Hozier, and Bring Me the Horizon. Those artists will top the bill at the dual-festivals held in Reading, Berkshire, and Leeds, Yorkshire, on August 21-24. The festivals will take place at Little John's Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds, with the same lineups performing at both locations throughout the course of the weekend. Scott’s appearance is being touted as a European festival exclusive, while Hozier and Bring Me the Horizon will be U.K. exclusive performances. Roan’s high-profile set will be an English headlining exclusive, as well as her first ever performance at Reading & Leeds. Bloc Party will also be performing the inaugural Icon Set at Reading & Leeds, which the festival said in a press release “will celebrate the defining acts synonymous with the festival.” (Billboard)

Chappell Roan took to Instagram on Wednesday (December 4) to share an awesome throwback photo of the future pop superstar, as well as the results of her Spotify Wrapped year-end round-up. Her most-listened to artists shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, though one classic band stood out from the rest. Chappell shared her personal results in the caption of her post, “Ps My Spotify wrapped most listened to artists were 1. Ariana 2. Charli 3. Heart 4. Justice 5. Kacey Musgraves.” Heart sits prominently in the third spot surrounded by a series of contemporary artists, with Chappell reinforcing her love of the Seattle classic rock band by also disclosing, “Top song was barracuda ofc,” giving love to Heart’s 1977 Billboard No. 11 hit single. Charli XCX was quick to show her appreciation to the Grammy-nominated “Good Luck, Babe!” hitmaker, commenting “<3 <3 <3,” while Ariana Grande shared the love by commenting “🥲 ♡” on her post. (People)

U2 impersonators confused and angered music fans with a series of spontaneous performances around Paris earlier this week. One specific fan-captured clip captured Bono impersonator Pavel Sfera and the Edge lookalike Steve Richards performing “One” outside of the Bataclan concert hall. That venue is where 89 fans were tragically murdered in 2015 at an Eagles of Death Metal concert, on the same night that U2 were preparing for a show at the nearby Bercy Arena. The fake duo told Bataclan employees they were the real Bono and the Edge, and attempted to enter the venue.

“They introduced themselves as U2 before admitting that it was a joke,” a Bataclan employee said. “In the meantime, they performed a song in front of the hall on the sidewalk. This is a joke in very bad taste.” Richards and Sfera – who has been a professional Bono impersonator for 25 years – clearly had plenty of Parisian music fans fooled, as a crowd of people were filming the street performance as if they were the real U2 stars. (Rolling Stone)

British indie rock band Sports Team shared frightening footage on Instagram of the group getting robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday (December 3), while they stopped to get coffee at a California gas station. The band had just started their current U.S. tour, and were alerted to thieves breaking into their tour van at “9am at some petrol station Starbucks.” When the musicians rushed outside to stop the criminals from stealing their gear, they had guns pulled on them. The band “lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments,” so they still planned on “driving on to Sacramento to play tonight.” Police simply told the group to “submit an online report,” as the London band expressed it was “pretty shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it.” Despite the terrifying incident, Sports Team kept their sense of humor while continuing their tour, writing “They can take our Nintendo Switches but they can never take our ability to play rock songs about motorways.” (Billboard)

Coldplay have been announced as live performers during the upcoming 2024 Billboard Music Awards. The chart-topping British band will be making their performance debut at the BBMAs, with their segment shot during a sold-out show on their record-setting, Music of the Spheres Tour, in Australia. Coldplay will be performing selections from their new album, Moon Music, which recently became the groups fifth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, and their first in over ten years. Coldplay joins previously announced performers SEVENTEEN, Teddy Swims, and Tyla, who are all set to play during the awards show, with many of them performing on location. SEVENTEEN will perform from the streets of downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica Pier, while Tyla will be playing in a London pub. The 2024 Billboard Music Awards will be hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, and  is set to air on Thursday, December 12, at 8 pm ET on Fox. (Billboard)

2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of the formation of the Grateful Dead offshoot, Dead & Company. And to celebrate the grand occasion, the psychedelic rock supergroup announced on Instagram on Wednesday (December 4) that they have scheduled a new Dead Forever 2025 residency at Sphere Las Vegas. Dead & Company’s new residency consists of 18 total shows that gets underway on March 20, 2025, and extends through May. Performances are scheduled from Thursdays through Saturdays over the course of those three months. A press release for the residency states that these dates will mark the band’s “only Sphere shows in 2025,” which follows the group’s memorable 30-show run at Sphere in 2024. Dead & Company’s current lineup consists of former Grateful Dead members Bobby Weir and Mickey Hart joined by John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, and Jay Lane. (Consequence of Sound)

Axl Rose has settled a lawsuit brought on by former model Sheila Kennedy, who accused him of sexual assault in November of 2023. The 62-year-old Guns N' Roses singer had previously worked with his legal team to attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed back in March 2024. Despite the settlement, Rose maintains his innocence. "As I have from the beginning, I deny the allegations,” Rose said in a statement. “There was no assault." In the suit, Kennedy alleges that Rose sexually assaulted her in a New York City hotel back in 1989. The complaint states that "Kennedy did not consent and felt overpowered. She believed Rose would physically attack her, or worse, if she said no or attempted to push him away.” After settling the suit, Rose's attorney, E. Danya Perry, said, "Mr. Rose has suffered greatly from this lawsuit, and I am pleased that he will now be able to move on with his life." (People)

In an interview with NME, Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan shared memories of his friend and collaborator Mark Lanegan, who died on February 22, 2022, at the age of 57. The conversation took place ahead of a tribute show for the former Screaming Trees’ singer set to take place at the Roundhouse in London on Thursday (December 5), on what would have been Lanegan’s 60th birthday. “To me, losing Mark was the same as when Bowie went,” Gahan shared. “We’re not invincible, we’re not here forever, you’ve just got to enjoy the time you have. His music changed the way I think about music, songs, songwriting and the use of your voice as an instrument to create this amazing cinematic story.” Gahan went on to call Lanegan “a 20th and 21st Century voice and writer,” before adding this high praise: “We talk about the Nick Caves and Johnny Cashes of this world in terms of what a voice can do. There are few of them, but Mark is at the top of that list.” (NME)

Pierce the Veil announced details for their 2025 I Can’t Hear You World Tour on Instagram on Tuesday (December 3). The San Diego hard rock band have planned career-spanning shows to celebrate their 18-year history on this tour. Sleeping With Sirens will serve as the opening act for all North American dates, with additional support coming from Daisy Grenade and Beach Weather at select shows. The North American leg of the I Can’t Hear You Tour kicks off on May 13th in Charlotte, North Carolina, and finishes up on June 29th in Las Vegas, with high profile shows scheduled along the way at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on May 20, Morrison, Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on June 19, and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum on June 27. “WE BUILT THIS MONUMENT TOGETHER,” the band captioned their post in all caps. “THESE SHOWS WILL TRACE THE PATHS OF OUR ROOTS, SPANNING ALL FIVE ALBUMS. GET READY TO SING LOUDER THAN WE EVER HAVE BEFORE.” (Consequence of Sound)

Guns N’ Roses bandmates Duff McKagan and Slash have partnered with Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian on a new benefit single called, “I Can Breathe.” It’s the latest release in a series of charity songs put out under the Gibson Band moniker. “I Can Breathe” features McKagan on vocals, Slash on lead guitar, and Gueikian on rhythm guitar and piano, with lyrics written by McKagan. All proceeds from “I Can Breathe” benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “It was such a pleasure to work with Cesar and his whole crew on this tune,” said McKagan in a press release. “The musical slant and progressive rock-ness of this huge epic pushed me in a whole new direction. Most importantly, to be of service for mental health issues and awareness is super important to me at this time.” Slash adds, “Cesar and Duff came to me with a really cool piece of music. I loved the riff idea, and Duff’s vocal, so I felt right at home on the track.” (Consequence of Sound)

Staind took to Instagram on Tuesday (December 3) to announce their upcoming co-headlining U.S. tour with Breaking Benjamin in the spring of 2025. The groups’ Awaken The Fallen Tour reprises their joint tour together from the fall of 2024, and this time out will feature opening acts Wage War and Lakeview. The 20-date jaunt kicks off on April 26 in Brandon, Mississippi, and winds down on June 1st in Kansas City, Missouri, with a series of high-profile shows in Nashville, San Antonio, Tampa, Cincinnati, and Minneapolis in between. Staind emphatically captioned their post, “Are you ready for more? 🤘 The AWAKEN THE FALLEN tour with Breaking Benjamin, Wage War, and Lakeview is kicking off in April 2025!” Presales and VIP tickets go on sale on Wednesday (December 4th) at 10:00 a.m. local time, while general on sale begins on Friday (December 6th) at 10:00 a.m. (Consequence of Sound)

Goo Goo Dolls postponed their upcoming shows in South Africa after singer John Rzeznik was hospitalized with pneumonia. Reznik made the announcement in an Instagram video from his hospital bed, where he apologized to fans for the sudden tour postponement. “I’m truly sorry that I cannot be there, but I wound up going to the doctor and I have pneumonia, and they checked me into the hospital,” Rzeznik said. “I’m stuck here for a day or two. But we’re working on getting back down there as fast as we can.” Goo Goo Dolls were scheduled to perform in Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria this week, but those shows have been postponed until March 25, March 27, and March 29. “We’re heartbroken to postpone our South Africa shows,” the band captioned the post. “This country means so much to us, and we were so excited to create more memories with you.” Goo Goo Dolls’ next scheduled show is December 14 in Naples, Florida, for Live Fest. (Rolling Stone)

On Tuesday (December 3), Ryan Seacrest announced the stacked music lineup that will bring 2024 to a rousing close during the annual holiday TV special, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest. Country superstars Cody Johnson and Thomas Rhett, R&B sensation Tinashe, and chart-topping “Lose Control" singer Teddy Swims will all be performing during the festive event, along with the previously announced musical guest Lenny Kravitz, who will be performing at the first-ever live New Year’s Eve countdown from Las Vegas. Rita Ora will also be returning as a co-host alongside Seacrest for the live broadcast of the iconic Times Square ball drop in New York City. New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest typically receives the largest TV viewership of any non-sports rated show, and is set to air on ABC from the East and West coasts on Tuesday night, December 31. (Billboard)

Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin came together in Paris over the weekend to celebrate their 20-year-old daughter, Apple, who made her society debut at the Le Bal des Débutantes on Saturday (November 30). The ex-couple, who finalized their divorce back in 2015, spent time around Paris with the two kids they share together, Apple and their 18-year-old son Moses. Paltrow recapped her family’s French festivities with an Instagram photo carousel that she captioned, “A special long weekend in Paris 💙.” The photos included the proud mom posing alongside Apple in her stunning custom Valentino gown, which Vogue reports took the atelier 750 hours to make. Another candid shot features the Coldplay frontman and Moses sharing a quiet moment together on a park bench, while a family photo taken at the event features a stylish looking Paltrow, her mother Blythe Danner, Moses, and Martin out supporting Apple’s society debut. (People)