Polaris‘ first new song in three years confronts a question that has followed the Australian metalcore band since guitarist Ryan Siew’s death in 2023: How do they make music together without him?
Released Sept. 3, “Without You” is the band’s first new music made after Siew’s death — and a marked contrast to 2023’s Fatalism, the final album the four remaining members recorded with him, which arrived just months after he died.
Speaking with Billboard of the release and ahead of their appearance at Australia’s Good Things Festival, Rick Schneider said the band wanted its first step forward to acknowledge both Siew’s place in Polaris and the impossibility of filling it.
“He is kind of, in many ways, irreplaceable,” Schneider said. “There is no quick and easy fix to get someone in there to replace what his significance was.” The years since his death, Schneider said, had given the band time “to acknowledge and contextualize the significance that he had on us as not only a bandmate but also a friend.”
For drummer Daniel Furnari, putting the track into the world has been “bittersweet” and “cathartic.” He said the members had spent years thinking about what their first new release would need to convey, knowing one song could not contain the full experience of their loss. “How do you say enough?” he asked. “How do you convey that loss and that pain and that grief and the weight of it all in the right way?”
“It’s really us just beginning to learn how to speak about this, both publicly and through our music,” Furnari said. He also described a sense of pride in the band’s survival. “There’s a sadness, and there’s also a real pride in the fact that we can look at each other and say, like, we’re still here, we’re still standing as a band,” he said. “We might not look the same, we’re missing somebody really important, but we still know who we are as artists.”
Whether Polaris would continue was never the central question, Furnari said. “This band is something we’ve kind of committed our lives to and committed our hearts to,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a part of any of us that ever would have let this go.” The uncertainty lay in how to care for themselves, honor that history and make space for a future. “Not if, but how and when.”
That resolve was tested almost immediately, as the band went ahead with the Fatalism tour after Siew’s death. Schneider said the members gave themselves space, then checked whether everyone felt comfortable returning to the stage. They all said yes.
“If we were to put the brakes on and put us on hold,” he said, “maybe it would have just been harder to come back.” The tour affirmed something they needed to know: “We are still here for each other, and we want to keep this going not only for each other but also for Ryan.”
Furnari said that in the years since, fans had often thanked the band for choosing to carry on — and that the phrasing gave him pause. “The strange thing is, I almost don’t feel like we had a choice,” he said. “This band is too much of a part of who we are as people. It’s so tied to all of our identities.” Stopping, he added, would have been unthinkable: “I think we knew Ryan would never forgive us if we stopped.”
The experience did not make writing “Without You” easy. Schneider said Siew’s absence felt like “a shadow in the room” during writing sessions. “You want to turn to someone for their opinion or their guidance or their assistance or their contributions, and they’re not there,” he said. When the song began to take shape — a heavy riff from Schneider, lyrics Furnari had written in the period after the loss — the members felt it could carry their first message back.
Furnari recalled that some of the song’s early music and lyrics came together quickly, but writing words that could do justice to their experience was another matter. “There is so much to say here, and I want to say it the best I can,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to say it enough.”
Singing its most direct expression of loss proved harder still. “I just couldn’t get through it without my voice cracking,” he said of an early demo. “I think I had to come back to it the next day because I just couldn’t handle it.”
The group has more music written and in progress, though they are resisting the expectation that a new album must follow immediately.
“This song needs some time to sit with people,” Schneider said. He wants its significance to settle before Polaris moves straight onto another release. Furnari said more music will come “in the not too distant future,” but the band does not want to rush the process. “For us to even be here in this moment and be finally releasing new music is such a significant thing,” he said.
Formed in 2012, Polaris broke through with 2017’s The Mortal Coil and 2020’s The Death of Me, both of which debuted in the Australian Top 10 and earned ARIA nominations for best hard rock/heavy metal album. Fatalism became the band’s first No. 1 on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart in September 2023, and won best independent heavy album or EP at the 2024 AIR Awards. In the years since, Polaris made their Knotfest Australia debut in 2025, supported their self-described “lifelong heroes” Linkin Park on an Australian arena run in March and toured North America with Electric Callboy.
Polaris’ next Australian festival appearance offers another measure of that journey. At Good Things in 2022, the band played one of the smaller stages to a crowd Furnari remembered stretching to the back of the space — “one of the biggest crowds we’d ever played to at that time.” This December, Polaris is the highest-billed Australian act on the lineup.
“We’ve never actually played on a main stage for, you know, like a mainstay Australian festival,” Schneider said. “For this opportunity to be finally put on the main stage … it kind of gives you a chance to take stock.” The leap in four years from side stage to the highest-billed Australian band on the lineup, he added, is “incredible.” He credited the fans who packed that 2022 set and kept showing up since, thanking the wider Australian scene — especially the fans. “The punters rule.”
Good Things, led by Limp Bizkit and also featuring Simple Plan and Spiritbox, visits Melbourne on Dec. 4, Sydney on Dec. 5 and Brisbane on Dec. 6. For Polaris, the bigger slot arrives alongside a new song made on its own terms — a first step rather than a final word. As for the Good Things crowd, Furnari said: “Hope we can bring them something that’s just as special. We still know who we are as artists.”
Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live this weekend, crashing host Dakota Johnson’s opening monologue.
Johnson, hosting for the third time on the eve of her birthday (Oct. 4), spent much of the monologue joking about her history of dating musicians, saying she has supportive friends who “don’t judge me for dating these men.”
She then introduced “my literal therapist” — cuing Swift, who walked on to correct her. “I’m not your therapist, actually,” Swift said.
“You just show up once a week at my house with an empty bottle of wine and ask if I want some.” She continued: “You flop on my couch and overshare, and every so often I just say, ‘Damn, that’s crazy.’” The bit ended with Swift noting she sends Johnson home with “a Pedialyte” and a security escort.
The monologue also worked in a nod to Swift’s husband, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, as Johnson referenced “England and parts of Ireland and Cleveland” among the places tied to her romantic misadventures — a wink at Kelce’s Cleveland-area roots — prompting a “Woo-woo!” from Swift.
The cameo reunited the pair weeks after they appeared together in the video for “Patient Zero,” the single from Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore that she directed and co-starred in. The clip, which premiered at the MTV Video Music Awards, stars Johnson and Colin Farrell as a wealthy couple whose marriage is unraveling, with Swift appearing as a spectral figure. Earlier Saturday, Swift released an expanded eight-minute version of the “Patient Zero” video exclusively on Apple Music.
It marked Swift’s first SNL appearance since October 2023, when she introduced musical guest Ice Spice; she has a long history with the show, having hosted in 2009 and appeared as musical guest multiple times.
The cameo caps a busy stretch for Swift, who released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore — an expanded edition of her chart-topping 2025 album with four new tracks — on Sept. 25.
Describing the genesis of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encorein an Instagram post, Swift said, “About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind… You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history,” of the LP that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 thanks to a record-smashing 4.002 million album-equivalent units moved.
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On Saturday (Oct. 3), Saturday Night Live returns with the second episode of season 52. The sketch comedy show taps Verity and Fifty Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson to host, while Baltimore hardcore punk band Turnstile serves as musical guest.
SNL airs live on Saturday (Oct. 3), with a start time of 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
What TV Network Features ‘Saturday Night Live’?
In 2026, SNL broadcasts on TV on NBC. Meanwhile, the variety sketch show is available to livestream on Peacock.
Who’s Appearing on ‘Saturday Night Live’ Tonight?
SNL is known for celebrity cameos during the show, so it’s likely there may be a number of famous actors, actresses and recording artists in attendance. Since Dakota Johnson is hosting, it’s likely that Taylor Swift might appear because Johnson was featured in Swift’s music video for “Patient Zero,” as well as Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett, who both co-star in Verity with her.
Other artists who have been known to appear at SNL in the past, include Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller, Alec Baldwin, Mariska Hargitay, Meryl Streep, Harry Styles and others.
Where to Watch ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free
For cord-cutters, there are a few ways to watch SNL online, if you don’t have cable, especially if you want to watch for free. DirecTV has a five-day free trial, while other streaming services, like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, also offer free trials, so you can watch for free.
A subscription to DirecTV gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, including NBC, at $59.99 per month for the first three months of service ($89.99 per month afterward). The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free, if you sign up now.
Sling Orange & Blue comes with 40+ broadcast and cable channels.
Sling TV offers the Blue plan, which comes with NBC. With more than 40 channels, the streaming plan goes for $54.99 per month. All plans come with a free cloud DVR and an extra 600 or so free channels too. Please note: Pricing and channel availability vary from market-to-market.
Fubo starts at $63.99 for the first month ($88.99 per month afterward) with more than 230 channels, including local and cable, like NBC, that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. And with a five-day free trial, you can watch for free, if you act fast and sign up now.
Broadcast and cable networks NBC is available to watch with Hulu + Live TV. Prices for the cable alternative start at $49.99 for the first month ($89.99 per month afterward) for more than 100 live channels, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited at no additional cost. Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one package.
There are two different plans offered on Peacock: The Premium Plan for $12.99 per month or the Premium Plus Plan for $19.99 per month. If you’re looking to save, you can get 17% off when you do the annual plan for $129.99 per year or $199.99 per year, respectively. With the Premium Plan, it’s ad-supported and you’ll receive access to a wide range of movies, TV shows, originals, live sports from NBC Sports and live news from NBC News.
Peacock’s Premium Plus plan comes with everything in the Premium plan, no ads, your local NBC channel live and the ability to download and stream offline.
On Saturday (Oct. 3), SNL with host Dakota Johnson and musical guest Turnstile broadcasts live on NBC. One of the best ways to watch is with DirecTV.
Anderson, the longtime Rose Tattoo frontman born Gary Anderson, died on Sept. 21 at age 79, weeks after suffering a heart attack.
“It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson on the eve of Monday 21 September 2026, surrounded by his loved ones here in Australia,” his family said in a statement. “Angry was a devoted father, and much-loved bandmate, friend, and member of the wider music and entertainment community.”
Barnes had recorded his version of “Rock ’n’ Roll Is King” — originally from Rose Tattoo’s 1981 album Assault & Battery — before Anderson’s death, having intended it for his most recent album. He decided to release it as a tribute after his friend’s passing, with all proceeds going to Australian music-industry charity Support Act.
In a lengthy statement, Barnes reflected on a friendship that dated back to his early days in Cold Chisel, when the two bands crossed paths constantly.
“We shared stages, we shared crew members, we even shared equipment at times. Rock’n’roll was king and we were all young, taking on the world together,” he wrote, calling Anderson “my friend; my brother in arms.” He described Rose Tattoo as “the ultimate rock band,” adding: “They showed those so-called hard rock bands overseas how it was REALLY done.”
Barnes said he had spoken to Anderson about covering the song before his death. “I spoke to Angry about covering that song for my last album and he was excited,” he wrote.
“I couldn’t wait to sit down with Angry and play it to him because the song takes on a whole new meaning for me now, looking back through all those years and all those gigs.” He closed: “I won’t keep any money it makes, I just want to tip my hat to my mate… Turn it up f—ing LOUD. Angry’s gone to the Big Gig upstairs but I bet he’ll be listening.”
Anderson fronted Rose Tattoo from the band’s 1976 formation in Sydney, leading them through albums including their 1978 self-titled debut and Assault & Battery.
Though never major chart forces in the U.S., the band left a lasting mark on American hard rock: Guns N’ Roses covered their song “Nice Boys” on the 1986 EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide — later reissued on 1988’s G N’ R Lies — and cited Rose Tattoo as an influence.
Anderson also reached American audiences on screen, playing Ironbar, enforcer to Tina Turner’s Aunty Entity, opposite Mel Gibson in 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
Rose Tattoo were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006, and Barnes’ son Jackie, a drummer, played with Anderson in the band after joining in 2018. Barnes, a dual ARIA Hall of Fame inductee with Cold Chisel and as a solo artist, holds the record for the most No. 1 albums on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart of any homegrown act.
Grammy winner Zach Bryan took a pointed fashion stance at Gillette Stadium on Friday night (Oct. 2), wearing a black T-shirt reading “Free Palestine” during the first of two dates on his With Heaven On Tour at the Foxborough, Mass., venue.
Members of Bryan’s band were also spotted in matching shirts, according to TMZ, with fan footage of the moment quickly circulating on social media. Bryan did not appear to address the shirt from the stage.
The choice of wardrobe — and venue — is hard to read as a coincidence. Gillette Stadium is owned by the Kraft Group, led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who weeks earlier played a central role in removing Macklemore from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour over the rapper’s pro-Palestinian statements onstage.
During his opening sets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sept. 4 and 5, Macklemore declared “Free Palestine” to the crowd and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall.” On the second night, he also spoke directly to Jewish fans in attendance, saying his criticism of the Israeli government was not directed at them.
The Israeli-American Council launched a petition calling for his removal, and on Sept. 14 tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed Macklemore would no longer appear on the remaining U.S. dates after multiple NFL stadium owners reportedly threatened to pull shows if he stayed on the bill.
Kraft confirmed his involvement in a statement that same day, saying he felt a responsibility to speak up when he believed a line had been crossed on antisemitism, while acknowledging that Palestinian suffering is real.
Sheeran said in his own statement the following day that the removal was the promoter’s decision, not his, and that he had spoken directly with Kraft while trying to find a resolution.
The fallout was swift. Fellow openers Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham exited the tour in solidarity, as did Irish folk band Beoga, who had been performing with Sheeran, while Macklemore responded with a lengthy Instagram post detailing the money, brand deals, festivals and private shows he says his advocacy has cost him.
He later pledged $1 million from his touring earnings to Palestinian aid organizations and announced a Free Palestine Tour — a short European run hitting Dublin, Paris and London from Oct. 26 to 30 — which he has since said sold out immediately.
Sheeran never made it to Foxborough in the end: his two Gillette Stadium dates last weekend were scrapped due to severe weather conditions — despite the tour having bowed to the venue owners’ demands.
Bryan has rarely shied away from friction with powerful figures. In October 2025, a teaser of his song “Bad News” — which references ICE raids — drew public criticism from the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying at the time that she was disappointed by the clip. Bryan pushed back at the time, arguing that the song spoke to both sides of the aisle and urging fans not to let social media narratives divide them. The track ultimately appeared on his album With Heaven on Top, released Jan. 9, 2026.
Bryan is scheduled to return to Gillette Stadium for the second night of his Foxborough stand on Saturday (Oct. 3) — and all eyes will be on whether the shirt makes a repeat appearance, and whether Kraft, who has yet to publicly respond, takes any action. Representatives for Kraft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
After months of back-and-forth, two planned stadium gigs by Ye at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia have reportedly been canceled. Ye (formerly Kanye West) was slated to perform on Oct. 10 and 11 at the venue, though the reportedly sold-out shows were in question from the time they were announced.
On Aug. 24, the venue posted on social media that the 80,000-capacity stadium “did not sign any contracts for the stadium rent for the event.” The post adamantly stated that there was “no such agreement” for the shows and that they would not take place at the venue. That came despite the venue hyping the shows on Instagram just a week earlier.
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“Kanye West is at Gazprom Arena! Whaaat??? The legendary artist will be coming to Russia for the first time, performing a world-shaking show at the blue-white-and-blue stadium,” read the post earlier post. “This is no joke! Kanye West, the most influential music artist of our time, will perform two exclusive concerts at Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on October 10th and 11th as part of his record-breaking world tour.”
According to a Reuters report, the Moscow-based promoter Say Agency expressed its “sincere regret” about the cancellation in a message on Telegram, adding, “The Ye concerts in St Petersburg will not be able to take place on the scheduled dates.”
At press time, spokespeople for promoter Say Agency and touring agency Access Opera had not returned Billboard‘s request for confirmation on the cancellation of the concerts.
If the shows had gone on as planned, Ye would have been the first Western rap star to perform in Russia amid a global cultural boycott enacted in response to the launch in 2022 of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Newsweek, citing Russian media reports, said that the decision to pull the plug on the Ye shows was made by Russian authorities, with the Kommersant newspaper reportedly saying that the organizers of the gigs were being investigated for fraud. It also said that local media reported that government officials had not approved the shows and that some politicians had expressed outrage at Ye’s past embrace of Nazi symbols and support for Adolf Hitler, which is a criminal offense in the country.
West has not said much this year as he’s mounted his ambitious stadium show across the world, playing gigs in Turkey, the Netherlands, Georgia, Albania, Portugal, Spain and Kazakhstan this year, as well as U.S. shows in Los Angeles, Tampa Bay, San Antonio, New Orleans and Chicago. Despite playing to huge crowds, West is still dealing with the backlash from years of antisemitic remarks and an embrace of Nazi symbolism and rhetoric which began in 2022 and led to the meltdown of the rapper’s once-formidable music, fashion and design portfolio.
As part of the lingering unease with booking Ye, this year he’s had concerts in France, Poland and the Czech Republic canceled, as well as a headlining set at London’s Wireless Festival; dates in Italy and India were also waved off citing “security concerns.”
