Angus & Julia Stone will return to the United States this September for a stretch of intimate tour dates in support of Karaoke Bar, the Australian sibling act’s seventh studio album.
The Stones will perform fan favorites and songs from Karaoke Bar on their jaunt, which includes a three-night stand at Los Angeles’ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever (Sept. 14, 15 and 16), plus intimate headline performances at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Racket in New York City, and previously-announced festival spots in Canada.
Written and recorded across Greece, France and Australia, Karaoke Bar is due out Sept. 4 via Virgin Music. The new collection is said to be an exploration of music shaped by places and experiences, honed by geography and emotions, and houses the title track and recently-released “Monroe,” a warm and funky observation on love, fragility, and emotional reciprocity.
Angus & Julia Stone have amassed multi-platinum sales, No. 1s and numerous awards in their homeland and enjoyed an international breakthrough with the 2009 song “Big Jet Plane,” from their domestic chart-topping sophomore album Down The Way. The track went on to snag five ARIA Awards, including single of the year; won triple J’s annual Hottest 100 poll, and claimed the APRA Music Award for song of the year.
Rick Rubin produced the group’s third, self-titled studio album, from 2014, which went to No. 1 in Australia and cracked the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 54. At the time, the uber-producer described the artists as “truly unique musicians. They are authentic and pure people who do things from the heart. I’ve never worked with anyone like them before.”
Tickets for the U.S. tour go on sale Friday, July 10 at 10:00am local time at angusandjuliastone.com. Check out the dates below.
Angus & Julia Stone North American Tour Dates:
Sept. 11 — FONO Festival, Quebec City, QC
Sept. 14 — Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 15 — Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 16 — Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever, Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 19 — CityFolk Festival, Ottawa, ON
Sept. 22 — Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
As we hit what would have been Bon Scott’s 80th birthday on Thursday, July 9, one has to wonder what the shirtless, gleefully irreverent singer of AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll Damnation” and “Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Cheap” might be like at that age.
“Is there such a thing as a wild 80-year-old?” his rarely interviewed younger brother Derek Scott asks Billboard via Zoom from Perth, Australia. “I don’t think he would have changed.”
Forty-six years after his death on Feb. 19, 1980, from acute alcohol poisoning in London at the age of 33, Scott’s legacy and influence loom large. Born in Scotland and raised in Western Australia, Scott performed in other bands — most notably the Valentines and Fraternity before joining AC/DC as its second singer, replacing Dave Evans during the fall of 1974. He recorded six studio albums with the group, with his last, 1979’s Highway to Hell, an international breakthrough and AC/DC’s first top 20 Billboard 200 release in the United States.
Even now, on its Power Up world tour — returning to North America on July 11 in Charlotte, N.C. — more than half of the current AC/DC’s set hails from Scott’s era with the band.
“When Bon was asked, ‘Are you AC or DC?’ his answer was, ‘I’m the lightning bolt in the middle,” AC/DC co-founder and guitarist Angus Young says in a special birthday message provided to the Bon Scott Estate. “In my mind he was, and always will be the lightning bolt in the middle. He gifted us with great rock ‘n’ roll lyrics delivered in an impish manner, and was determined to show us all, it is a ‘long way to the top if you wanna rock ‘n’ roll’.”
Judas Priest’s Rob Halford says in his own birthday message that, “Bon had a rare gift — he made people feel alive. His voice carried mischief, grit, humor and honesty…And that authenticity continues to resonate across generations.”
Derek Scott, 77, adds that his brother — who cared for him when he was younger because both of their parents worked — “was totally different to anybody else, even in the band. Those guys (in AC/DC) will say he was always a little bit different. It was his attitude; he knew where he wanted to go, and he did it. I don’t know how he got there. It was a lot of work…Overnight success always takes a lot of years. It was good to see him get the results he finally wanted.”
High Voltage
Scott’s birthday has become an annual rite of celebration during recent years, and this year’s 80th has an even greater sense of occasion.
The Estate, in partnership with Australia’s Sonic Rights Management and New York-based Jacksonic Sound and Vision, is bulking up the Bon Scott YouTube channel with more footage — including Fraternity performances from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) program GTK and new birthday wishes from Young, Halford, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Anthrax’s Scott Ian and others.
Meanwhile, the third annual Bon Scott Birthday Bash concert is taking place July 9 at the Cutting Room in New York City, with guest vocalists including Living Colour’s Corey Glover, American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis, Trixter’s Steve Brown, Peter Shaw of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and others. On the same day the elite German microphone manufacturer Neumann will release a Bon Scott Edition of the mic Scott used while recording at Albert Studios in Sydney, marking the first time the company has branded one of its products.
Scotland’s annual Bonfest took place during early May in Scott’s early home of Kirriemuir and has already announced its 2027 return next April 30-May 2. And on July 16 the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will honor Scott during an AC/DC Fan Day that includes artifact displays, film screenings and archival footage, educational presentations and a trivia contest.
“The amount of interest that remains with Bon after all this time, it’s staggering,” says Jacksonic founder John Jackson, who previously worked with AC/DC’s catalog during his tenure with Sony’s Legacy Recordings. “You reach out to any of these companies and they just immediately want to get on board with doing something with his name and likeness.”
Problem Child
The Scott estate wasn’t always quite so dialed-in, however.
He died without a will, and while appropriate financial arrangements were made after his death, other matters were left unattended according to Sonic Rights’ Damian Rinaldi, who co-manages the estate with Jackson and the Scott family. “He was such an icon, and yet there was no business structure around his rights, which was amazing to me,” Rinaldi explains. “The estate was not in order up until 2020. That’s when I started talking to the family and said I really do feel like they need someone who understands the industry and can help navigate it.” The Scotts were ultimately motivated by “bad actors,” including one company that was posing as the official Scott estate and releasing recordings it claimed featured Scott singing on them.
“The family could either get upset about the fact people they didn’t know were ripping off the estate, or they could actually do something about it and help the fans at the same time,” says Rinaldi, who worked with AC/DC during the ‘70s at the Australian music company J. Albert & Son (now Alberts). “We were starting from scratch — what it is you’re trying to identify, the rights and where they sit, who owns the pre-AC/DC copyrights. It’s come a long way.”
Derek Scott notes that, “I think as a family we didn’t want to exploit (Bon) in any way. We didn’t want to be the ones hanging off his coattails all the time…plus, we never had the knowledge of how to go about it for 40-odd years. We didn’t have a clue.” A catalyst, he adds, came when his son Daniel moved back to Perth after living in London and Brazil. (A younger brother, Graham, resides in Asia but has just tacit involvement with the estate.) “My two older sons weren’t as interested in getting involved, but (Daniel) had a big interest in it, and it was good,” Derek says. “If he hadn’t come back the way he did, it wouldn’t have happened.”
One of the estate’s earliest endeavors was the first authorized documentary, On the Brink, that aired during 2022 as part of ABC’s Australian Stories series. The estate has also partnered with a variety of manufacturers, including Knucklebonz, Funko Pop and Super 7 for figures and statues, and Copa and Dixxon for apparel. Australian artist Reg Mombassa, meanwhile, has created a special Scott image for a variety of products, and it’s also the source for a mural painted by artist Era at the beginning of AC/DC Lane in Melbourne. Separately, the Perth Mint has pressed commemorative gold and silver bars featuring the Bon Scott logo and bespoke packaging.
“People think we’re motivated by money and things like that. Nothing can be further from the truth,” says Daniel Scott, who serves as one of the estate’s officers. “Obviously the relationships evolved over time with Damian, who could drag us kicking and screaming into modern times, and then John with the creative side of things. I guess you’d say that after a long period of nothing from the estate, everything is aligned, which is great.”
Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be
All of the parties acknowledge a warm and supportive relationship with the AC/DC camp. “Everything we do gets run by Angus and the AC/DC brain trust. That’s a very important relationship,” Jackson says. Daniel Scott adds that, “Angus and Malcolm (Young), when he was alive, have always been extremely welcoming and fantastic over the years, and we have a communication and let them know what they’re up to.” The estate principals add that deference is why we’re unlikely to see a Bon Scott biopic come before a similar project from AC/DC.
“AC/DC very much take the view that they’re still ongoing, and biopics are probably for those who are looking back after they finished,” Rinaldi notes, to which Daniel Scott adds, “If AC/DC’s plans aren’t to do sorting such as that, neither are ours. We’re quite happy with how we’re going at the moment.”
The warm feelings extend to Brian Johnson, who replaced Bon Scott in 1980. “Brian’s fantastic,” Derek Scott says. “He’s jovial and fits in. It was very fortunate to have him come on board. He’s done a fantastic job. We’ve always got a lot of time for him.”
Rinaldi, meanwhile, observes that, “The story of Bon wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for Brian. Bon took the band up to the point of being huge and we lost him, and then Brian was able to take the baton and take it further. If it wasn’t for Brian we might not still be remembering Bon in the way we do today — and if it wasn’t for Bon, Brian wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do what he did. There’s massive mutual respect, which is something we foster. We love people loving Bon, but we love Brian as well.”
As the 80th birthday celebration gets underway, Derek Scott says he still has “mixed” emotions of pride in his brother’s accomplishments and sadness that he’s not around. Ultimately, he says, “it’s still great. It’s always good to hear his music and the old songs. Of course they bring back memories, but things move on. He wasn’t good at sports or school. He put his whole heart into the music and…here we are with it, still listening today.”
Three years after Elton John’s completed his blockbuster final world tour, the British pop legend returns for one last lap.
The Rocket Man announces two dates at Mexico City’s Estadio Banorte on Oct. 2 and 3, bringing to an end his years-long Farewell Yellow Brick Road trek.
Presented by AEG Presents, Cardenas Marketing Network, and Enso Music, the Mexico shows are “designed as a heartfelt celebration honoring both the artist and a city that has held onto the memory and celebrated his music for years,” a statement reads.
Some 34 years have passed since Elton first performed two shows at the Azteca Stadium, as part of The One tour. His most recent appearance in the capital was 12 years ago, for a pair of Elton & Ray Cooper dates at Auditorio Nacional, back in 2012.
Elton wrapped his Farewell Yellow Brick Road jaunt on Saturday, July 8, 2023. Almost five years after launching, the tour grossed $939.1 million and sold 6 million tickets according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. Along the way, the global pandemic wrecked touring plans, while Elton missed a string of dates due to injury and illness.
His return to Mexico is a promise kept for those postponed shows.
“Mexico City has always held a special place in my heart”, Elton comments in a statement. “I was truly disappointed that the pandemic kept me from touring Latin America during my Farewell tour which makes this return especially meaningful. I’m thrilled to finally share this very special moment with my fans after all these years.”
The general on sale kicks off Thursday, July 16 at 12pm local time in Mexico City. Click here for more.
John announced his impending retirement from touring with the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour back in January 2018, ultimately kicking off the jaunt in September of that year. He presented it as a three-year goodbye, and other than extending the timeline by two years due to COVID-19’s global shutdown, he stuck to his word. John maintains that he does not want to tour again, but hasn’t ruled out playing sporadic events in the future.
As Warner Music Group (WMG) begins to integrate distributor Revelator after acquiring it earlier this year, the company announced that it’s expanding Alternative Distribution Alliance (ADA), the company’s independent and label services division, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Along with the expansion, WMG announced that Howard Corner will take on the newly created role of head of ADA, EMEA.
Corner has led ADA UK since 2013 and will remain in his current position of managing director of the division following the expansion. He reports to Simon Robson, president of recorded music, EMEA, and is based out of the company’s London offices.
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“The EMEA landscape is teeming with brilliant independent talent and entrepreneurial labels looking for a partner that can scale their vision globally without sacrificing local agility,” Corner said in a statement. “I’m incredibly excited to step into this regional role and work alongside our exceptional territory heads to elevate ADA’s offering. By integrating Revelator’s game-changing technology and officially welcoming ADA x Africori and ADA x Qanawat Music into the family, we’re creating an unmatched, tech-driven partner for the independent community.”
Israel-based Revelator was founded in 2012 by CEO Bruno Guez; the company also has a significant presence in Asia. WMG said it intends to use the company’s technology for all of its labels and ADA. Fully integrating that technology will likely take years.
Major labels have increasingly looked to acquire indie distributors, whose market share has grown in recent years. In February, Universal finalized its acquisition of Downtown Music for $775 million, while WMG acquired Revelator in April after seeking to acquire a distribution company for two years. It had previously looked into acquiring Believe and also considered building a distributor of its own before backing away from both. Back in 2015, Sony Music completed its buyout of The Orchard, the current market share leader among distributors in the U.S.
“To supercharge the momentum of our artist and label services business, we’re bringing in a seasoned leader who deeply understands the nuances of the indie ecosystem,” Robson said of Corner’s new role. “Howard’s proven track record, fierce commercial drive and profound respect for independent music culture make him the ideal exec to support our local teams and drive regional growth. Armed with Revelator’s cutting-edge platform, Howard and the team are perfectly positioned to redefine what a global music partner can look like.”
Intocable will be saluted next week with a prime piece of real estate — a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Formed in the border town of Zapata, Texas, in the early 1990s, Intocable revolutionized Latin music, blending Tejano, Norteño, pop, rock, and cumbia “into a groundbreaking sound that has inspired generations,” reads a statement announcing their latest award. “Their influence is unmatched.”
The Latin music legends will receive the 2,852nd star during a ceremony next Thursday, July 16, in the category of “Recording.” Jessica Maldonado will emcee the ceremony, with Edgar Barrera and Nir Serrousi on hand as special guests.
The group has long ranked among regional Mexican music’s most durable hitmakers, with 15 No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Regional Mexican Albums chart and 21 No. 1s on Regional Mexican Airplay, sold an estimated 55 million albums and collected multiple Grammys, Latin Grammys, Billboard awards, and lifetime achievement awards.
“For more than three decades, Intocable has helped shape the sound and global reach of regional Mexican music through their artistry, authenticity, and enduring connection with audiences,” remarks Ana Martinez, producer, Hollywood Walk of Fame. “The Hollywood Walk of Fame is proud to recognize their extraordinary contributions to the recording industry with this well- deserved honor.”
Outside of music, the group received a Proclamation for their enduring contributions to music and cultural impact from the Governor’s Office and the House of Representatives in Texas, and were named “Emissary of the Muses” by the city of San Antonio, a title previously awarded to the likes of Bon Jovi, Journey, and Placido Domingo.
The star is forged as Intocable continues its Cultura Tour 2026, which visits 24 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Separately, the Tejano legends last month partnered with Primary Wave Music in a deal covering the band’s catalog as well as its name, image and likeness rights.
Intocable’s star is dedicated at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard.
Nene Royal has a name, and a voice, that you just might hear again.
Hailing the Phuket, Thailand, the teenager stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage, for the latest round of Auditions, airing Tuesday night (July 7). And she immediately made everyone in the place stand up and take notice.
Royal, like so many AGT hopefuls, the performance was the first stride in a lifelong dream. Picking up the guitar at age seven, she has always dreamed of being a “superstar on tour,” she told the judges at the top. Well, she came to the dream factory.
Performing a day prior to her 16th birthday, Royal shook off any lingering nerves, hoisted an electric guitar, cranked up her amp and tore through a cover of The Cranberries mid-‘90s protest anthem “Zombie,” a song that logged six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Songs chart.
Make no mistake. The kid can rock.
With her proud dad watching on, Royal had the room in raptures, jaws on the floor. “That was spectacular. You have a very big chance to do really good in this competition,” enthused Sofía Vergara. “I loved it.”
Howie Mandel got a much-appreciated wake up. “You are such a surprise (with your) energy and the rock ‘n’ roll. You are a rock star, young lady, you really are,” he enthused.
Mel B praised the youngster’s vocal control. And she can “kill it” on the guitar. “You’re like a match made in heaven. You’re brilliant.”
Simon Cowell, as he so often does, spoke last. “The tone of your voice,” he remarked, “it was like really authentic and even the fact it was all a bit messy actually made, for me, the audition really good.”
Each judge voted, each gave a resounding yes. And Royal continues on her dream run in this 21th season of NBC’s AGT. Watch below.
