US Edition
From YMCA to Born in the USA: Rock’s most misunderstood songs
Is the Village People hit a gay anthem? Somehow, its composer argues not – but plenty of music is more loved than understood
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The Rolling Stones and ‘rampant anarchy’: What went wrong at Altamont?
The Hells Angels’ murder of a young man at Altamont Speedway 55 years ago is held up as the death of the Sixties dream. What’s the truth?
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Green energy, vegan burgers – and £7.50 pints. Is this the future of live rock?
At Massive Attack’s Liverpool gig, progressive politics didn’t dampen spirits – or disguise the eerie excellence of the Bristolian band
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The mysterious British metal band selling out arenas – without showing their faces
Masked rockers Sleep Token have become one of our biggest bands while remaining completely anonymous. What’s behind the cloak of secrecy?
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Why the rock snobs are wrong about ‘hair metal’
It’s easy to mock the hard-living, spandex-clad bands of the 80s scene. But was there more to them than hairspray and bad behaviour?
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Jack White is on a one-man mission to rescue rock’n’roll’s soul
At this intimate gig, the former White Stripes’ frontman was a towering presence waging war against extortionate ticket prices
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The punk rock mogul who saved Tom Waits from purgatory
Former hellraiser Brett Gurewitz made millions by selling The Offspring to America. Then his hero called with an offer he couldn’t refuse
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Beetlejuice and cake in the rain: The wild story behind MacArthur Park
Richard Harris, three-day binges and Beetlejuice – Jimmy Webb’s 1968 hit is an unlikely classic. But its origins are even more strange
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‘You will simply die’: the eyebrow-scorching world of concert pyrotechnics
Musicians are in a dangerous arms race to create the most spectacular, explosive stage shows. But what happens when it all goes wrong?
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Elvis Costello’s journey from madman to national treasure
The snarling, lacerating youth behind many classic songs didn’t fit in with his punk peers. But as he turns 70, he’s more vital than ever
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The punks who started a riot – and had the Democrats running scared
The protests at the 2024 Democratic National Convention look like a tea party compared to the chaos of 1968. And MC5 were in the thick of it
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Why all today’s rock stars are elderly
Retirement isn’t an option, argues David Hepworth’s Hope I Get Old Before I Die. But where does that leave those trying to break out now?
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Damian Marley did his father Bob proud at the Crystal Palace Bowl
Supported by fellow reggae stars Steel Pulse, Bob Marley’s son returned to the park where his famous father played in 1980
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‘Rock stars are idiots’: Even at 70, Joe Jackson is our greatest angry young man
‘Pretentious’ music critics; US soft rock; the killjoys who banned smoking from pubs… The Steppin’ Out singer has declared war on them all
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Proof, if it were needed, that Frank Zappa wasn’t an ideal father
Moon Unit Zappa, daughter of Frank, recalls how the Decade of Love caused havoc in her childhood in her memoir Earth to Moon
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‘Fat girls need love too’: The heartbreaking life, and cruel death, of Mama Cass
Cass Elliott’s powerhouse talents were often overshadowed by lies, gossip and callous talk of her weight. But a new book may change that
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