Forty years after This Is Spinal Tap redefined the mockumentary, Nigel Tufnel, David St Hubbins and Derek Smalls are back. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hits cinemas tonight, promising one last encore for the world’s ‘loudest band’. But does the sequel live up to the legend, or should the amps have stayed unplugged? Is the new Spinal Tap film any good? Critics in the UK and US are divided.

Sigh. I loved the first Spinal Tap film. Launched in the ‘80s when I was young and had the brain space to remember endless lines of script, I watched and re-watched it, joyously engaging in shouting dialogue in the pub with my friends. It was a work of genius.

So I’ve been anxious about this sequel. Even more so when I saw the trailers and promo shots. I was also worried that it might not be as good as the first one. Things rarely are (with a very few notable exceptions – Godfather II, Dark Knight, Terminator 2…). So maybe it was a subconscious block when I was invited to preview screenings and found I couldn’t get there. I think I was just too wary of heartbreak.

But braver souls than me got there, and so in a cowardly fashion, here is a little roundup of the best and the worst of the reviews. You will go and watch it, I’m sure, and make up your own mind. I expect I will too, now. See what you think anyway…

A warmish welcome – with caveats

Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean in Bleecker Street’s SPINAL TAP II. Credit: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan

The (fairly threadbare) storyline here is that the Tap are essentially forced to reunite when Hope Faith (Kerry Godliman), daughter of their late manager Ian Faith (originally played by Tony Hendra, who died in 2021), uncovers a clause in their contract demanding one final performance. Spinal Tap are forced to play one final gig to honour the terms of the contract, and so in the immortal words of Jake Blues, ‘We’re getting the band back together.’

From the get-go, many reviews acknowledge the nostalgic pleasure of seeing ‘the Tap’ together again – albeit with reservations. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer are here, still bickering and blundering with deadpan delivery. The Guardian called the film “affectionately melancholy,” noting that “there’s a sadness underpinning the comedy, as these once-wild rock gods face down mortality with the same lack of self-awareness that once made them funny.”

The Financial Times was more upbeat, praising the film’s commitment to giving fans what they want. “There are moments of comic gold,” its review declared, “and the band’s chemistry is still a joy to watch. It may not break new ground, but it plays the hits well.”

Cameos also provided a boost. Paul McCartney’s brief turn has been widely mentioned, as have appearances from Elton John and Garth Brooks. “McCartney almost walks away with the film,” said the FT, “his deadpan contribution reminding you why these films work best when reality and parody collide.”

Paul McCartney, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean in Bleecker Street’s SPINAL TAP II. Credit: Bleecker Street / Kyle Kaplan

But the problems pile up

Yet for every chuckle, several reviewers found themselves cringing. The Independent was scathing: “Spinal Tap II is startlingly unfunny… a film that confuses affection with inspiration. The jokes are fewer, the timing worse, and the nostalgia feels like a hollow excuse.”

Empire was just as damning. Its verdict? “As unfunny as the original was funny.” The magazine lamented a lack of sharpness, describing the film as “a limp setlist of reheated gags and sketch-like scenes that never quite build into a song.”

The Associated Press echoes the frustration, criticising the film’s pacing. “Scenes drag on long past the punchline,” its reviewer wrote. “What was once quickfire wit now feels sluggish, as though everyone is waiting for the laugh track that never comes.”

Older men, even older jokes

One of the biggest sticking points is the reliance on callbacks. The Stonehenge gag reappears, as do nods to exploding drummers, and amps that go up to eleven. Some critics found this reassuring. Others rolled their eyes.

“The film leans so hard on nostalgia it topples over,” wrote the Independent. “It’s less a sequel than a scrapbook, recycling lines and situations with the weary air of a band forced to play their biggest hit night after night.”

Yet for some, that’s the point. The Guardian suggested the repetition had an unexpected poignancy: “They are trapped in their past, still defined by the same ridiculousness. That makes the comedy bittersweet – a reminder that the world moved on, even if Tap didn’t.”

Ageing rockers, ageing jokes

Perhaps inevitably, much of the humour now centres on the band’s advancing years. Smalls runs a glue museum, St Hubbins writes jingles for a true-crime podcast, and Tufnel runs a cheese shop – which surely has to be a nod/dig at Alex James from Blur?! These sketches earned chuckles from some reviewers, groans from others.

Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel / Bleecker Street

The FT argued they “land with just enough wit to keep the film alive,” while AP felt they “play like Saturday Night Live leftovers.”

Still, the film’s reflection on ageing struck a chord in places. The Guardian noted: “The moments where the band face their mortality head-on, however absurdly, are the most affecting. The film may not be consistently funny, but it has a heart.”

Critical consensus? A middling encore

So where does that leave the verdict? On Rotten Tomatoes the film sits at around 73%, suggesting audiences and critics alike are lukewarm but not hostile. For die-hard fans, it’s a chance to spend more time with beloved characters. For others, it’s a reminder that lightning rarely strikes twice.

The Guardian summed it up best: “It’s not as funny, not as sharp, and nowhere near as groundbreaking – but it still manages to strum a chord of nostalgia and pathos.” Empire, by contrast, dismissed it outright: “Spinal Tap II is a sequel that turns down the comedy, leaving only the feedback.”

In the end, Spinal Tap II may be judged less as a film and more as a reunion tour. For those who once memorised every line of the original, like me, the sight of Guest, McKean and Shearer back in costume may be enough. For everyone else, this might be one comeback gig best caught when it hits the small screen.

TLDR; Critics on Spinal Tap II – the best and the worst

The Guardian

“Affectionately melancholy… there’s a sadness underpinning the comedy, as these once-wild rock gods face down mortality with the same lack of self-awareness that once made them funny.”

The Independent

“Startlingly unfunny… the nostalgia feels like a hollow excuse.”

Empire

“As unfunny as the original was funny… a limp setlist of reheated gags.”

Financial Times

“There are moments of comic gold… the band’s chemistry is still a joy to watch.”

Associated Press

“Scenes drag on long past the punchline… what was once quickfire wit now feels sluggish.”

Rotten Tomatoes (critics’ score ~73%)

“Not as funny, not as sharp, and nowhere near as groundbreaking – but it still strums a chord of nostalgia and pathos.”

Watch the trailers etc

Sam Harrington-Lowe

Sam is Silver’s founder and editor-in-chief. She’s largely responsible for organising all the things, but still finds time to do the odd bit of writing. Not enough though. Send help.

The post The new Spinal Tap film. Is it any good? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Back in 2022, Gary Numan stated that he really didn’t expect his comeback to take 41 years. Maybe four, he suggested with a laugh. Of course, Numan never quite left the spotlight – the ‘comeback’ in question only refers to his return to big stadiums. And in particular a return to Wembley – something of a symbolic and anxiety-ridden journey for Numan; coming full circle after previously announcing his farewell from live shows at the capital’s stadium in 1981.

Numan at the Agra Hall in Liepzig, June 2022. Photo by Stefan Bollmann, Wikimedia Commons.

Glastonbury at last

Fast-forward again to 2025, and Numan needn’t look back now. Fresh off the back of a stellar Glastonbury debut aged 67, he’ll be embarking on both a US and UK tour starting in the autumn.

But this – amazingly first ever – Glasto appearance wasn’t just a novelty because of how late in his life it happened. In fact, the turnout at the Park Stage to see the new-wave singer points towards a prevalence and relevance that can never fade.

Gothic icon?

At any of his new shows, you’ll find a crowd plenty full of silver hair, but balanced equally with plenty of young heads. Who, in fitting fashion, might also still have a deliberate silverish look in their hair.

Numan’s place as a goth artist has always been a touchy subject in the goth community. He came from humble, working-class roots, and his handling of fame was almost punk-like.

But his popularity amongst the masses and the unapologetic pop-appeal of tracks like Cars left him on the gothic side-lines for many years, in spite of his undeniable role in pioneering dark, electronic sounds. Even in a forum from 1999, Google users still bickered over the subject.

As a pretty avid Numan fan, I could dispute this by simply referencing the fact that he tried to sign gothic icons Depeche Mode after seeing them in 1979, as told to Amoeba in 2013. But now, to the kids of today, his status is totally undisputed anyway.

One TikTok video by silver dance creator Lunie Moon depicts her dancing expressively and enigmatically to Numan’s M.E. One young user in the comments stated: ‘I see my future and it’s bright.’

@luniemoon Post punk dystopia Sunday vibes. #garynuman #danceimprovisation #kitchendance #80smusic #dancelife #fitcheck ♬ M.E. – Gary Numan

Numanoids: the Numanites and Numanarti

The fairly recent introduction of TikTok and Instagram reels has been pivotal in younger people discovering his music. During the pandemic, the shared boredom of lockdown saw younger users form communities and shared meaning after becoming inspired by the lives, oral histories, or even just the vibe of certain older users, such as Lunie (above).

The masses of this content resulted in certain elements of goth and other subcultures becoming absorbed into an all-encompassing subculture, umbrella term, and stylised hegemony of ‘alternative’, or simply known as ‘alt’ – where it is often used as a self-describing label.

The fact that Numan has prevailed as a key alternative idol probably says enough about his relevance in goth and popular culture. Cars has been used in over 50,000 videos on TikTok, and features on 15,000 Instagram reels along with plenty more of his tracks hitting the thousands on both platforms.

Furthermore, there’s also the hugely popular samples of Numan out there, such as the use of not one – but two – samples in Basement Jaxx’ Where’s Your Head At. Such uses (honourable shoutout to the Suga Babes’ Freak Like Me) demonstrate how beloved and important his music is to all generations.

M.E’ is used in Where’s Your Head At‘s bassline and ‘This Wreckage’ for the bridge, for those interested.

On a fan level, one user calls Are Friends Electric a ‘retro banger’, whilst comments under videos of Numan posted by his daughters Raven and Persia state how much of a ‘flex’ it is to have him as a father, or call Numan an icon.

@ravennuman uh what the hellyberry #garynuman #fyp ♬ original sound – FreshOutTheCrate

@debussywoman Since dads song is trending rn @Gary Numan #garynuman #fypviralシ #fypシ ♬ original sound – FreshOutTheCrate

It’s clear that Numanoids are no longer just the hardcore fans that stuck with Numan throughout his live hiatus the (the -oids). They are now those who continued to be inspired by Numan, either abstractly as fans, or by creating work derivative of his gritty synth sounds (the –arti). The amount of eighties-reminiscent tracks and an ‘edgy’ wave is monumental, and truly dominates pop music at the moment.

But of course this in itself is still nothing new. Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor claimed to have listened to the track every day in the making of his band’s album Pretty Hate Machine. All roads lead back to Gary.

Even his daughters clearly find their father cool, both during and after growing up. All three have featured on stage multiple times in the past few years. Raven and Persia – his eldest and middle children – even had their own spotlight as artists during his Glastonbury show. Raven performed one of her own songs, which she co-wrote with her father, entitled Nothing’s What It Seems, while Persia contributed backing vocals to the song My Name Is Ruin.

I can tell you now, there’s not a whole host of dads out there who can wear that badge.

The new sound: he’s gone electric again

Numan’s new work brilliantly reflects both his own evolution and his absorption (or at the least recognition) of the changing world around him. His 2021 album, Intruder (which hit No.2 in the UK charts) features heavy use of guitars combined with industrial soundscapes. Whilst these sonics are distinctively him, and certainly resemble his 1980 album Telekon, it meets the ears as cinematic, eerie, and brooding. A fresh and fitting feel for the 2020s.

The future of Numan’s music will likely continue to reflect this mutual influence, where the new world and younger generations around him affect him as much as he might affect them. Speaking to BBC 6 Music, out of all his back catalogue he was most excited to play the new, unreleased song titled Nothing’s What it Seems, which he wrote with Raven.

@bbc6music Synth-pop legend @garynuman makes his Glasto debut a family affair. Listen on @bbcsounds | Watch on #bbciplayer ♬ original sound – BBC Radio 6 Music

Catch him while you can

Off the back of the US tour, and starting off with a show at the 02 Academy in Glasgow and finishing at Liverpool’s 02 this November, there’s plenty of opportunities along the way to catch Numan performing the classics with an extra chance to catch his inevitable next sound.

Find Gary Numan tour dates

For those interested, the run up to Numan’s Wembley homecoming is documented in the documentary Gary Numan: Resurrection, and you can fill in the other gaps with his 2017 autobiography ‘(R)EVOLUTION’.

Numan’s new album A Perfect Circle: Live is out now.

Finn Norris

Finn is a writer and musician. He has written on internet culture, technology, and reviewed music, film, and television. When not frantically tapping away he can be found kicking back with the simpler things: coffee, cats, and football.

The post Gary Numan, Gen Z and beyond: why all ages are tuning in appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Bob Dylan’s 2025 tour comes to the UK this November. The icon is back touring his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways, following a run of performances at the Royal Albert Hall late last year.

Dylan is visiting eight different cities across the UK and Ireland this November, from Brighton to Killarney. Interestingly, no London date is scheduled for this tour. Fans in the south of England will have to try their luck at getting tickets to the one Brighton show scheduled. Or maybe head to Swansea where he’ll be performing for three nights!

Read more: Gary Kemp on ageing in the music industry

Keeping it exclusive

If you’re a Dylan fan, getting tickets to the tour is your only chance at seeing the 84 year old perform though. Dylan has partnered with Yondr (which works with educators, artists, organisations and individuals around the world to create phone-free spaces) to keep these shows completely phone free. So, for those who can’t get tickets, there’ll be no chance of watching footage on social media the following day. Or maybe little chance. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone snags any secret footage!

It seems like a rigorous effort though. Individuals will have to pop their phone away in a pouch when arriving at shows. The pouch locks in certain areas of the venue, preventing attendees from accessing them in auditoriums.

The phone free environment aims to encourage fans to connect with the music, and engage with the artist in the moment.

Bob Dylan sings “The Times They Are A-Changin’” in the East Room of the White House

This isn’t the first time Bob Dylan has employed phone locking pouches at his shows. In 2024, phones were banned in several shows of his European leg, including Dylan’s three-night run at the Royal Albert Hall. Other artists like Bruno Mars and Swedish rock group, Ghost, have also employed phone locking pouches at their shows in recent years.

Exclusive or exclusionary? It certainly brings a ‘you had to be there’ element to live shows, but does leave fans high and dry who couldn’t get a ticket or had other commitments clashing with tour dates.

After tickets?

Set your alarms, tickets for the UK & Ireland dates go on sale Friday 18 July at 10am.

You can find all dates and ticket availability on Bob Dylan’s website. (We’ve popped them down below for ease too!)

UK & Ireland tour dates

7 Nov: Brighton Centre, Brighton
9 Nov: Building Society Arena, Swansea
10 Nov: Building Society Arena, Swansea
11 Nov: Building Society Arena, Swansea
13 Nov: Building Society Arena, Coventry
14 Nov: First Direct Arena, Leeds
16 Nov: Armadillo, Glasgow
17 Nov: Armadillo, Glasgow
19 Nov: Waterfront, Belfast
20 Nov: Waterfront, Belfast
23 Nov: INEC, Killarney
24 Nov: INEC, Killarney
25 Nov: 3Arena, Dublin

GET TICKETS HERE

Lana Hall

Lana can usually be found spinning her collection of records, or writing odd poems in her phone notes. Her mixer of choice is a ginger beer, and you’ll never find her away from the sea for more than a few weeks.

The post Bob Dylan 2025 tour goes device free appeared first on Silver Magazine.

In celebration of Father’s Day, private number plate supplier Regtransfers has launched the Top 100 Dad Rock Playlist Driving Tunes – the ultimate soundtrack for summer road trips and school runs. The nostalgia-fuelled playlist reflects how both driving music and fatherhood have evolved, with new research showing that rock remains one of Britain’s favourite driving genres.

To find out what Brits enjoy listening to behind the wheel, Regtransfers conducted a survey and found that 29 per cent of respondents picked rock as their go-to driving genre. 47 per cent said that music helps them feel more focused and alert while driving.

Commenting on the study’s findings, CEO Mark Trimbee explained, “listening to music while driving can be a fantastic way to add enjoyment to the experience. But as research has shown, it can also be a bit of a minefield. What’s particularly interesting is that whether music helps or hinders focus behind the wheel depends on a range of factors. And tempo, volume, and familiarity all play a part in this.”

Indeed, a recent study revealed that fast-tempo music can subconsciously encourage drivers to speed, or make quicker lane changes. Conversely, while slow-tempo tracks can promote calmness, excessively slow music may have the opposite effect, potentially inducing drowsiness.

But it’s not just about tempo

Further research suggests that familiarity with your chosen playlist – how well you know the songs – matters as well. Listening to complex or unfamiliar tracks can divert attention away from driving tasks.

“Rock music is known for its high energy, intricate riffs and tendency to be played at higher volumes,” adds Rick Cadger, one of the main brains behind this year’s playlist. “Whether it’s the ‘best’ music to drive to is up for debate, but it’s certainly one of the most entertaining. And as a genre Dad Rock offers a particularly fun, feel-good soundtrack.”

The term ‘Dad Rock’ was first coined in a 2007 Pitchfork review by music critic Rob Mitchum. And until recently, playlists bearing the label have been synonymous with a certain subset of bands – Queen, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones and more – combining nostalgia with punchy, road-friendly riffs.

However, as Regtransfers Marketing Manager Angela Banh points out, the famous faces of Dad Rock are undergoing a period of generational metamorphosis.

“Given that we tend to form our core music tastes between the ages of 13 and 16, the generation who grew up with Led Zeppelin, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Black Sabbath are now mostly likely in or approaching their sixties,” she explains. “Today’s dads are more likely to have come of age with the songs of Linkin Park, The Offspring and Muse. Our playlist reflects that shift, spotlighting bands from the late 90s and early 2000s, which – whether we like to admit it or not – is the new era of Dad Rock.”

Read more: How the Summer of Love changed our lives

There’s one exception to this rule…

And it also happens to be the top pick in the Dad Rock Driving Tunes countdown. Released in 1975 and appearing on their fourth studio album, A Night At The Opera, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody remains firmly seated on the Dad Rock throne.

“We argued for a long time about what song should take the top spot,” Trimbee admits. “Ultimately, Bohemian Rhapsody is a timeless slice of British rock music, adored across generations. We might have to unseat it next year, for the sake of fairness. But for now, we’re more than happy to crown it the number one Dad Rock driving track.”

Listen to the playlist here

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Stevie Wonder, one of the greatest living legends of our time, has just announced a series of rare and unmissable UK tour dates for summer 2025. And yes, you read that right – Stevie Wonder. Live. On stage. In the UK.

Titled LOVE, LIGHT & SONG, this very special run of performances will see Wonder lighting up stages across the UK. Including a headline slot at the iconic BST Hyde Park Festival.

If you’ve always wanted to hear the magic of Superstition, Sir Duke, Isn’t She Lovely, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) live, this is your moment. Tickets go on sale Friday 21 March at 10am and they are going to fly. See details below for booking. Mastercard cardholders will also get exclusive access to Preferred Tickets.

The UK dates you need to know:

• Thursday 3 July – TK Maxx Presents Lytham Festival, Lytham
• Saturday 5 July – Co-op Live, Manchester
• Monday 7 July – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
• Wednesday 9 July – Blackweir Fields, Cardiff
• Saturday 12 July – American Express Presents BST Hyde Park, London

With a career spanning over six decades, Stevie Wonder has defined brilliant music with extraordinary musicianship and songwriting. A child prodigy, he became the youngest artist to top the US charts at just 12 years old with Fingertips Part 2. Since then, he’s racked up a staggering 49 Top 40 singles, 32 number ones, and sold over 100 million records worldwide.

But Stevie Wonder isn’t just a musical genius – he’s also a relentless humanitarian and activist. From helping establish Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday, to his pivotal role in We Are The World, and fighting apartheid in South Africa, Stevie’s influence runs far beyond the stage.

Among his 25 Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, Oscar, Golden Globe, and Kennedy Center Honors, Wonder has also been decorated with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is a United Nations Messenger of Peace, advocating for people with disabilities.

His legendary album, Songs in the Key of Life, with tracks like Sir Duke and Pastime Paradise, has been added to the US Library of Congress for its cultural impact. And his contributions to music were most recently honored with the George Peabody Medal in 2024.

Read more: Headliners and more lineup details for Glastonbury 2025

A show not to be missed

At 74, Stevie Wonder remains a force of nature. His LOVE, LIGHT & SONG shows promise to be a rare opportunity – don’t miss this chance.

For many, this will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a true ledge perform. So no, Silver readers – this is not a drill. Get those calendar reminders set, warn your bank accounts, and prepare to bask in the loveliness of Stevie Wonder next summer.

Tickets on sale Friday 21 March at 10am via livenation.co.uk

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The wait is over – in case you hadn’t already sussed it, and plenty of people had! The 1975 take one of the coveted headline slots as the Glastonbury Festival lineup is officially announced. Set to play on Friday June 27th, the Manchester band will lead an eclectic mix of artists across the legendary Worthy Farm stages.

The announcement cements The 1975’s status as one of the UK’s biggest bands, known for their genre-blending sound and theatrical live shows. With frontman Matty Healy at the helm, fans can expect an electrifying set packed with hits like Somebody Else, The Sound, and Love It If We Made It.

Read more: You don’t have to be over 50 to make the best of festivals, but it helps…

A diverse and star-studded lineup

It’s a fairly wacky linup this year. There’s no doubt Glastonbury 2025 has delivered one of its most diverse lineups yet. Across the weekend, festivalgoers will be treated to a wide range of genres. With Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts, Charli XCX, Rod Stewart, and The Prodigy all taking top billing.

Friday’s bill is stacked with talent, featuring Loyle Carner, Biffy Clyro, Alanis Morissette, and Busta Rhymes alongside rising stars like Wet Leg, PinkPantheress, and Gracie Abrams. Dance music lovers will also be pleased with performances from Four Tet, Floating Points, and Fatboy Slim.

On Saturday, Neil Young will bring his legendary folk-rock catalogue to the Pyramid Stage. Also appearances from Charli XCX, RAYE, Doechii, and Deftones. Rock fans can look forward to sets from John Fogerty, Kaiser Chiefs, and Weezer. While the electronic crowd will be drawn to Caribou and Leftfield.

The festival will close on Sunday with Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart, and The Prodigy. The Libertines, Wolf Alice, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Jorja Smith also feature, ensuring a mix of nostalgia and fresh talent.

Glastonbury 2025: a true musical spectacle

This year’s Glastonbury promises something for everyone, with a lineup spanning rock, indie, pop, hip-hop, and electronic music. The festival will also continue its commitment to activism, supporting Oxfam, WaterAid, and Greenpeace.

With more acts still to be announced across 100+ stages, Glastonbury 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting editions yet. Whether you’re heading to Worthy Farm or watching from home, it’s clear this year’s festival is one for the history books.

www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

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Set your alarms for next week. Glastonbury Festival has revealed the details of its 2025 Emerging Talent Competition, and entries are next week.

It’s an initiative aimed at giving promising new acts from the UK and Ireland a chance to perform on one of the festival’s main stages. The competition, which is free to enter, is supported by PRS for Music and PRS Foundation.

Open to artists from all musical genres, the competition will run for one week only, opening at 9am on Monday 27 January, and closing at 5pm on Monday 3 February 2025. To enter, acts are required to submit a YouTube link to one original song, along with a link to a video of themselves performing live.

What the winners get…

The winner of this prestigious competition will secure a performance slot at the 2025 Glastonbury Festival, one of the world’s most iconic music events. They’ll also receive a fat £5,000 Talent Development prize from PRS Foundation. This is to support the next steps in their songwriting and performing career.

Two runners-up will each receive a PRS Foundation £2,500 Talent Development prize.

A commitment to diversity and inclusivity is central to the competition. Glastonbury Festival has encouraged entries from disabled artists, with additional support available to ensure equal opportunities for all participants.

We’re assuming this commitment to diversity also includes mature entrants. Waiting to hear back from them on this but will update you!

Read more: Jed Novick on why festivals are perfect for the over-50s

The selection process begins with a panel of 30 leading UK music writers who will create a longlist of 90 acts from the entries. This longlist will then be reviewed by a judging panel, including Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, to identify eight finalists. These finalists will compete in live performances at the Pilton-based finals, where the ultimate winner will be decided.

Michael and Emily Eavis have expressed their excitement about the upcoming competition, which continues to serve as a vital platform for emerging artists. Previous winners of the Emerging Talent Competition have gone on to achieve significant success. Many have returned to perform on Glastonbury’s stages in subsequent years, such as Declan McKenna and Marie White.

For aspiring artists, this is a unique opportunity to showcase their talent on one of the biggest platforms in music. Entries open on 27th January 2025, and the Festival team is eager to discover the next wave of musical talent.

How to enter

For more details on the competition and how to enter, visit the official Glastonbury Festival website. The entry form will be available on the website when entries open at 9am on Monday 27th January 2025.

www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

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David Bowie fans, mark your calendars for September 2025. The V&A’s new David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts promises an electrifying deep dive into the life and artistry of one of the most influential cultural icons of the 20th century. Housed within the V&A East Storehouse in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, this ambitious David Bowie exhibition at the V&A is more than just a tribute. It’s an immersive experience that invites you to step into the creative world of a legend.

The Bowie Archive, acquired by the V&A with support from the David Bowie Estate, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and Warner Music Group, comprises over 80,000 items, spanning six decades. From flamboyant stage costumes to intimate notebooks, it’s an absolute treasure trove.

It covers Bowie’s journey from his early experiments in the 1960s to his boundary-pushing final years. Many of these pieces have never been displayed before, making this a rare and unmissable opportunity for fans and scholars alike.

Expect to be dazzled by the iconic Ziggy Stardust ensembles crafted by Freddie Burretti, Kansai Yamamoto’s bold Aladdin Sane tour costumes, and the Union Jack coat co-designed by Bowie and Alexander McQueen for the Earthling album cover. These pieces don’t just showcase Bowie’s flair for reinvention—they cement his legacy as a pioneer of style and self-expression.

Quilted two-piece suit, 1972. Designed by Freddie Burretti for the Ziggy Stardust tour. ©The David Bowie Archive

Striped bodysuit for Aladdin Sane tour, 1973. Design by Kansai Yamamoto. Photograph by Masayoshi Sukita. © Sukita and The David Bowie Archive

Beyond the costumes

The archive offers a glimpse into Bowie’s creative mind. Handwritten lyrics for classics like Heroes and Ashes to Ashes sit alongside scraps of paper featuring his ‘cut-up’ writing method, a technique inspired by author William Burroughs. Intimate notebooks reveal his thought processes and unexecuted ideas, offering a rare peek into the workings of a genius.

Cut up lyrics for Blackout from Heroes, 1977 © The David Bowie Archive 2012 Image © V&A Images

The exhibition also celebrates Bowie’s contributions to visual and performing arts. Visitors can enjoy film stills from The Man Who Fell to Earth. And explore over 70,000 photographs and contact sheets by legendary photographers such as Terry O’Neill, Brian Duffy, and Helmut Newton. Music enthusiasts will appreciate artifacts like Brian Eno’s EMS synthesiser, used on the groundbreaking Low and Heroes albums, and the Stylophone gifted by Marc Bolan, which played a pivotal role in the creation of Space Oddity.

Self portrait in pose also adopted for the album cover of “Heroes”, 1978 © The David Bowie Archive 2012 Image © V&A Images

Read more: Rare rock photos of Bowie, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed and more

But this isn’t just an archive; it’s a cultural touchstone

According to Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, Bowie’s innovations across music, theatre, fashion, and beyond continue to inspire artists ranging from Lady Gaga to Tilda Swinton. “The Bowie Centre will not only celebrate his legacy, but also serve as a sourcebook for the Bowies of tomorrow,” Hunt says.

The David Bowie Centre will be a key feature of the V&A East Storehouse, a revolutionary museum experience designed to bring visitors closer to the behind-the-scenes magic of its collections. This cutting-edge facility will house over 250,000 objects, 350,000 books, and 1,000 archives, blending research spaces with display and performance areas. It’s a fitting home for Bowie’s oeuvre, placing it in dialogue with 5,000 years of art and performance history.

This announcement follows the V&A’s wildly successful 2013 exhibition, David Bowie Is…, which drew over two million visitors worldwide. As Nile Rodgers aptly puts it, “Bowie didn’t just make art; he was art.” This new archive cements Bowie’s status not just as a musician but as a multidisciplinary visionary whose influence reverberates across generations.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or newly intrigued, the David Bowie Centre promises an unparalleled exploration of an artist who redefined the boundaries of creativity. From the glittering costumes to the intimate sketches, it’s a reminder of Bowie’s enduring mantra: “Turn and face the strange.”

So, prepare to immerse yourself in the world of Bowie. This isn’t just an exhibition—it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to connect with the spirit of an icon who forever changed the way we see art, music, and ourselves.

Internal render view of the central collection hall in V&A East Storehouse, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, 2021

The V&A East

The V&A East will have two sites, the V&A East Museum and the East Storehouse.

The V&A will acquire The David Bowie Archive and create The David Bowie Centre for the Study of Performing Arts at V&A East Storehouse, opening in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2025.

The acquisition and creation of The Centre has been made possible thanks to the David Bowie Estate and a generous donation of £10m from the Blavatnik Family Foundation and Warner Music Group.

Information on the exhibition

The David Bowie Centre

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The post David Bowie exhibition at the V&A opens September 2025 appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Susanna Hoffs hasn’t really ever stopped producing music. But this new launch is different; this is a treasure trove of old songs from the ‘90s that didn’t get released. Hoffs recorded the tracks for The Lost Record in 1999. The songs were co-written with friends, including Bill Bottrell and Go-Go’s members Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin, with Dan Schwartz joining her to produce the album. And the tracks were recorded in her garage, a setting that holds special significance for her. “I love garage rock. Many of my favourite songs were written in garages, and I even lived in them during the ’80s.”

Susanna Hoffs is Zooming from — for reasons that sound like they should be more interesting, but actually aren’t — the spare bedroom of Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding’s house in California. She is dressed in pink and black; she’s always dressed in pink and black when we talk. She very much likes pink and black.

Susanna Hoffs, photo: Shervin Lainez

“Are you going to get my age right this time?” she teases. “You’re not going to make me any older than I actually am, again?”

Early last year I conducted a flurry of interviews with Hoffs, best known as one of the co-founders of The Bangles (where I got some dates wrong, hence the teasing). She’s often described as the lead singer of the band that, from the early ‘80s onwards, tore up the charts with singles such as Manic Monday, Walk Like an Egyptian, Eternal Flame, and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s Hazy Shade of Winter. Which (whisper it) I always thought was better than the original. But The Bangles — Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Debbie Peterson, Michael Steele (the latter replaced founding bassist Annette Zilinskas, who later rejoined the band) — was always a four-vocals group.

Last year she realised a long-held ambition and saw her debut novel, This Bird Has Flown, published. And now comes the release of The Lost Record.

I tell Hoffs that it’s 40 years since the release of the Bangles’ debut album, All Over The Place, which would produce the singles Hero Takes a Fall and Going Down to Liverpool. “Are you sure?” says Hoffs. “You know what you’re like with dates.”

And yet, impossibly, it is. The band had previously released a five-track EP in 1982, but this was their first proper studio album. And it would bring them to the attention of not only the music industry, but artists such as Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis, who would get the band to open for them. And, most crucially, Prince.

The Bangles 1984. Photo: Aurelio Jose Barrera, Los Angeles

By the time the Bangles released Manic Monday in 1986 and Eternal Flame in 1989, their superstardom was assured — the latter single hit number one in nine countries. But the Bangles of five years earlier in 1984, when Hoffs was 25, was a less polished, more raucous affair.

“It was a very thrilling and exciting time to be in a band,” says Hoffs. “I mean, those pre-internet days. We advertised shows mostly by flyers, ads in free magazines like Recycler,” It was a real punk ethos, crystallised when she went to see what would turn out to be the last Sex Pistols live concert, at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco in 1978, when Hoffs was a student at the University of California, Berkeley.

She began studying theatre, then switched to dance, and finally settled on art, which was what she graduated with. “I jumped around a little, but by the end that all kind of coalesced into one big love of art in all its forms. And when I put that ad in for band members I think it was because at that point the idea of being in a band just seemed like the ultimate art project to me.”

Hoffs turned 65 in January. It seems a significant age.

I tell her that in the UK it was always a long-standing joke that when you hit that point you get your bus pass, though I have no idea if that’s still true. She laughs. “I know! Over here, we’d say I’m now eligible for Medicare!”

In the ‘80s especially, Hoffs was considered one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Before our interview she had posted on her social media a cover from Spin magazine, for which she was the cover girl for their “first annual swimsuit issue”. Given that the Bangles started off as a punky guitar band, how did she handle being called a sex symbol?

Hoffs laughs a little awkwardly. “I think part of that came from the rise of MTV in the 1980s,” she says. “Suddenly it wasn’t enough to just put out a record, there had to be a video with it. There were so many iconic videos at that time, and artists like Madonna were really pushing the sexuality. I used to handle that by creating a persona, really, for when I was performing.” She breaks out into a broad grin. “It’s like Nigel Tufnel in Spinal Tap. This dial goes up to 11. And that’s what it was like for me. I dialled it up to 11.”

Hoffs is a huge movie fan. Last year she did a feature for the Criterion film collection, highlighting her favourite movies. She included Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, La Piscine and Klute among her eclectic selections. One night she emails me out of the blue to ask if I’ve ever seen The Servant, the 1963 psychological thriller starring Dirk Bogarde.

It’s no surprise Hoffs loves film. She was born in LA in 1959, and her mother Tamar was then a film-maker, her father Joshua a psychoanalyst. Celebrities regularly visited the house (especially for her father’s expertise in a field that was in its relative infancy). One family friend was Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy, who appeared in the video for Going Down to Liverpool. She is married to Jay Roach, the film director with the Austin Powers movies on his CV, among many others, with who she has two sons. She is currently writing the screenplay for the movie adaptation of her novel This Bird Has Flown, which was published a year ago.

Hoffs has appeared in movies. Notably as the delightfully-named Gillian Shagwell in the Austin Powers movies, part of the band Ming Tea. And in the 1987 movie The Allnighter, directed by her mother. The cover of The Allnighter very much leans into Hoffs’ sex symbol status, featuring her in pink underwear.

I wonder if Hoffs still considers herself a sex symbol. She is very active on social media, especially Instagram. Her Facebook account has comments turned off on posts, but within minutes of her putting up a video on Insta, there are thousands of likes and hundreds of comments, many of them from men declaring they are in love with her, in lust with her, and worse.

Last summer, when she was over in the UK to promote her book, we met for lunch in London, and I mused that her direct message inbox must be an absolute bin-fire. She winced a little, and said that she has someone to filter out the worst of it before she sees it. So, I ask her. Does she still feel like a sex symbol today?

“I don’t think of myself as a sex symbol. I don’t think of myself that way. Or are we talking about sex? I mean, I’m 65 now, I’m not going to retire from it, that makes zero sense. A lot of my friends are my age and older and, you know, we talk about it and we’re not going to retire from that, ever.”

I don’t think of myself as a sex symbol. I don’t think of myself that way

I find myself blushing. That said, there’s a fair bit of sex in her novel, This Bird Has Flown. It’s the story of Jane Start, an ever-so slightly faded pop star who goes to London to recharge her batteries, and ends up in a swoonsome relationship with a slightly uptight but good-looking Oxford professor. Jane is pretty much a one-hit wonder, now resorting to doing private shows for bachelor parties in nightclubs, her big success a song gifted to her by international superstar Jonesy. There has been speculation that Jonesy is a Prince analog; the purple one gifted the Bangles the song Manic Monday, and acted as something of a mentor for Hoffs. There was endless speculation about whether they were in a relationship, which Hoffs keeps her own counsel on.

She does call him a “supernatural talent” though, saying his live performances were just incredible to watch. In the 1990s Prince would help her indirectly, as well… when she was about to go on stage, when she was ramping up that public Susanna Hoffs performance to 11, she would listen to Let’s Go Crazy on her Walkman to get into the zone.

“It enabled me to make that transition from me to the other me” she says. “Things got giddy and crazy. And sometimes it took a while to come down from that, to get back to me.”

Susanna Hoffs Self Portrait in Garage 1994

Hoffs still performs and writes music. Around the same time her novel came out last year, she released a new album, The Deep End, her fifth solo album, before The Lost Record this year. For her, ageing is not something to be necessarily worried about.

“I think ageing is about learning to love yourself,” she says thoughtfully. “Acceptance is very important. We have to accept changes in our lives and bodies, because anything other than accepting who you are is going to drive you crazy.”

Hoffs often posts videos and photos of herself on her social media without make-up, just dossing around her house. “I think that’s important, too,” she says. “At least to me. Being comfortable in who you are, and who you’ve become. I think the trick is to stay positive, if you can, to find the joy in life, to keep active, to seek inspiration everywhere. One thing is guaranteed, we all get older, and I think life is better if you follow the direction of that river than fighting against it. We just need to embrace ageing and get on with life.”

“…You’re going to get older. The only thing about that which makes sense to me is just embrace it. I mean, what’s the alternative?”

It being 40 years since the first Bangles album came out, would Hoffs swap being 65 for being 25 again, if that magic of the movies could work? She laughs, “Oh, no chance. I think the wisdom and experience that comes with living is far more valuable.”

If we were going to employ that movie magic so Hoffs could meet her 25-year-old self, what would she tell her?

She thinks about it. “My job at that time was really stressful. Don’t get me wrong, it was very enjoyable, and I feel so lucky that I got to do it. There was so much travelling, and it was very difficult to stay grounded and to carry on relationships.

“I think I’d tell 25-year-old Susanna not to be so hard on herself. To not judge herself so harshly. To worry less. I’d tell her not to question herself so much and to be less afraid, to be more fearless.

“I think being in your 20s can be very anxiety-inducing, and I suppose that goes the same for young women today. You’re trying to figure out your place in the world. One thing is certain, and it’s probably not what young women want to hear or think about but it’s unavoidable. You’re going to get older. The only thing about that which makes sense to me is just embrace it. I mean, what’s the alternative?”

We wrap things up. Susanna Hoffs has a screenplay to write, and a new book to think about, and a new record to promote. The bus pass will just have to wait, it seems.

Buy Susanna Hoffs The Lost Record here, released 18 October 2024

Buy This Bird has Flown, novel by Susanna Hoffs here

David Barnett

David Barnett is an author and journalist, originally from Wigan and now living in West Yorkshire. His latest novel is the folk horror WITHERED HILL, from Canelo, and forthcoming, a magical Christmas rom-com, THE LITTLE CHRISTMAS LIBRARY (Orion). He is married to Claire, a journalist, and they have two children, Charlie and Alice.

The post Susanna Hoffs: The Lost Record… and the good life appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Ever wanted to dress up as Kate Bush and recreate her dance from the 1978 Wuthering Heights video? Sounds oddly specific but if your answer is yes, then you’re in luck.

On 28 July 2024, Folkestone Harbour Arm in Kent will be celebrating Kate Bush Day, as they do every year, in a fabulously unique way. The Kate Bush Day event sees people pay tribute to the English singer by dressing in her iconic red dress from the Wuthering Heights music video. Not only that, but recreating the famous dance.

The event is free to take part in. All the hosts ask is that you show up in a red dress.

Hundreds of Kate Bush fans came together wearing red floaty dresses on Folkestone’s Harbour Arm to dance to her most iconic song, Wuthering Heights, on the 30th of July 2023 in Folkestone, United Kingdom. The event coincided with Kate Bush’s 65th birthday and was watched by hundreds of onlookers.
(photo by Andy Aitchison)

At last year’s event, more than 1,500 participants attended; all dressed as Kate Bush. This year’s anticipated event will have more exciting opportunities.

The event will start at The Goods Yard with a warmup and dance tutorial, starting at 10 am till 11 am. Then from 12 pm, the first performance will commence at The Harbour Arm.

There will be a Kate Bush tribute band, the KT Band, from 12:15 pm to 2:30 pm, where an original member of Kate Bush’s band will perform.

A second performance will take place at 4 pm at the Harbour, where Dolly Doowop will close with a special DJ set inspired by Kate Bush, ending at 6:15 pm.

Short history

The Kate Bush Day trend started in 2013 with Shambush, a Brighton-based group that performed a collaborative performance piece, The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience. This saw over 400 people dressed up as Kate Bush taking part in recreating the dance from Wuthering Heights.

This trend started to stretch worldwide, even including Texas and Sydney. However, the one based in Kent at Folkestone has been the most successful since 2018.

Join the Kate Bush experience

Teach yourself the dance with this YouTube tutorial.

If you would like to go to the event and join the madness, then check out the organiser’s Instagram and Facebook page for the latest updates.

Elena Harris

Elena is one of Silver’s interns. She has a love for illustrating, reading, and all things media-related. She is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur who spends her free time in coffee shops sketching and journalling.

The post Celebrate Kate Bush Day 2024 in Folkestone appeared first on Silver Magazine.