Gather round, butt โ because this is not a drill.
The most beloved man in Hollywood, the walking, talking embodiment of โsound as a poundโ, Keanu Reeves, is bringing his grunge band Dogstar to the UK & Ireland for a run of shows ahead of their highly anticipated performance at Download Festival.
Thatโs right.
John Wickโs putting down the guns and picking up his bass.
Neoโs swapping the Matrix for a mosh pit.
Only in Wales, munโฆ
Welcome to another glorious edition of The Riff Report, where the riffs are loud, the takes are cheeky, and the news is always slightly unhinged but in a tidy way. ๐๐ค
๐ธ THE GREAT DOGSTAR RESURGENCE โ HOW DID WE GET HERE?!
If youโd told us ten years ago that Dogstar would:
โข reunite
โข drop a lush new album
โข go on a world tour
โข AND play Download Festival
โฆweโd have laughed you straight out of the tent at Steelhouse Festival.
But nope โ the universe said, โLetโs give the people what they want,โ and Dogstar came back swinging like itโs 1995 and everyoneโs raiding the flannel section in Newportโs H&M.
Who ARE Dogstar, anyway?
Dogstar formed back in the mid-90s โ a proper alt-rock, grunge-flavoured trio featuring:
- Bret Domrose โ the silky-voiced guitarist
- Rob Mailhouse โ the drummer keeping it all tidy
- Keanu Reeves โ the worldโs happiest bassist
Back then, they toured with Bon Jovi, played the Whisky a Go Go, and even did Glastonbury (when Glasto was still in its crusty golden era). Then life got busyโฆ as it tends to when you become one of the biggest movie stars on the planet.
Fast-forward to now โ theyโre back, better, and somehow even cooler than the first time around.
๐ค THE NEW ERA โ AND WHY DOGSTAR ARENโT JUST โKEANUโS BANDโ
Letโs make one thing clear, mun:
Dogstar are NOT a novelty act.
Theyโre not here for a โKeanu being cute on stageโ tour (although, letโs be fair โ he absolutely will be cute).
Their 2023 comeback album โSomewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Treesโ is genuinely lush.
Itโs got:
๐ฅ shimmering alt-rock
๐ฅ 90s grunge nostalgia
๐ฅ road-trip energy
๐ฅ proper hooks
๐ฅ AND bass lines smoother than a pint of Brains SA
Dogstarโs revival has heart.
Itโs authentic.
Itโs honest.
And itโs absolutely tidy, butt.
๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ช UK & IRELAND TOUR โ JUST BEFORE DOWNLOAD!
Dogstar are blessing us with a string of UK & Ireland dates, and these shows WILL sell out faster than a pint tent at Download during a heatwave.
These gigs are intimate โ the sort where Keanu will probably thank every single person for coming. Twice.
Expect:
- Grunge vibes
- Crowd singalongs
- Plenty of people shouting โWE LOVE YOU, KEANU!โ
- Soft-moshing (the most wholesome kind)
- And at least one bloke fainting at the sheer sight of him
And THENโฆ
they march gloriously into Download Festival, ready to turn Donington into the chillest, nicest mosh pit in the world.
๐ค DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL โ PREPARE FOR WHOLESOME CHAOS
Dogstar at Download is going to be one of those โwere you there?โ moments.
Picture it:
๐ด A field full of muddy legends
๐ฃ Thousands chanting โKEANU! KEANU!โ
๐ธ Dogstar playing the set of their lives
๐ Keanu smiling like heโs just been handed a lifetime Greggs voucher
Honestly?
Itโs going to be lush.
And we all know full well:
If Keanu Reeves stage-dives at Download, every single person in the pit will catch him like heโs the last Tesco meal deal on Earth.
๐ฅ WHY PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR MINDS OVER THIS TOUR
Itโs the perfect cocktail:
- 20% nostalgia
- 20% grunge revival
- 20% curiosity
- 20% โOmg Keanu is actually here in my city??โ
- 20% wholesome chaos
Add a sprinkle of Riff Report seasoning and BOOM โ youโve got yourself one of the most unexpectedly exciting tours of the year.
Plus, Keanu has the energy of a man who thanks his toaster in the morning.
Who doesnโt want to see that energy live on stage?
๐ข FAN REACTIONS (THE INTERNET, UNSURPRISINGLY, LOST IT)
A few gems weโve seen online:
โIf Keanu plays โJohn Wick Modeโ on bass, Iโm done.โ
โ @BeardedMetalDad
โSorry family, I canโt come to the wedding. Keanu Reeves is playing Manchester.โ
โ Some legend on Reddit
โDogstar? More like Dog-STARS, mun!โ
โ A Welsh hero somewhere
๐ธ FINAL THOUGHTS โ KEANU, YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN
Dogstar returning to the UK & Ireland just before Download is the kind of unexpected joy we desperately needed.
Itโs wholesome.
Itโs nostalgic.
Itโs grungy.
Itโs tidy as you like.
And when they hit Download?
Mark my words: that tent is going to be rammed tighter than a Port Talbot Greggs at lunchtime.
Keanu Reeves โ actor, bass player, meme, saint โ is ready to rock our socks off.
And we, The Riff Report, are READY.
Letโs be having it, butt! ๐ค๐ฅ๐ด
