News

(Because it’s only one day… but it’ll feel like a week) 🚗 The Journey – Pilgrimage to the Sacred Ground You’ll know you’re close when you see black t-shirts, denim cuts, and more long hair than a 70s shampoo advert. Arrive early unless you enjoy the experience of trying to park between a campervan covered in Saxon stickers and a...

By The Riff Report – August 2025 Only in Birmingham, mun — where the roar of the Holte End meets the howl of heavy metal. On August 15th, 2025, Aston Villa Football Club announced they’ll be paying tribute to the one and only Ozzy Osbourne at their first home match since his passing. The Prince of Darkness might have ruled the stage with Black...

Because one riff is never enough, and neither is one label. 🎤 What’s Occurring, Metalheads? Ask ten metal fans how many types of metal there are, and you’ll get twenty answers… plus an argument that ends in a dodgy circle pit in the car park. 😂 Metalheads love subgenres more than they love patch jackets, and trust me, that’s saying...

We’ve all got that band.The one that’s made us blow our wages faster than a Download bar queue. The one that makes you say, “I’ll just see them one more time” … and then it’s 37 gigs later, you’re on first-name terms with the merch guy, and the local venue security treat you like part of the crew. It’s a...

Some rock ‘n’ roll facts just make you stop mid-pint and go, "Hang on… what??"Well butt, here’s one for you — both Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy Kilmister passed away exactly 17 days after their final live performances. 🤯 Yeah, you read that right. Seventeen. Not 16, not 18 — exactly 17. 🎤 Lemmy’s Last Ride Motörhead’s fearless leader and patron...

Well, well, well… it looks like what happens in Vegas might not even get the chance to happen at all, mun. According to chatter in the Mötley Crüe fanbase (and a few very loud Facebook comments), their upcoming Las Vegas shows could be in trouble — all thanks to sluggish ticket sales. That’s right, the self-proclaimed “most notorious band in...

Pour one out, lads and lasses. On September 30th, 2025, AOL is finally saying “Goodbye” to its iconic eeeeee–krrrsshhh–BEEP–BEEP–BEEP dial-up internet service — the sound that launched a million MySpace pages and LimeWire downloads. That’s right. After decades of connecting homes at the blistering, neck-snapping speed of 56 kbps, AOL has announced it’s shutting down the service, along with its...

Birmingham’s favourite bat-biting son, Ozzy Osbourne, might be gone, but the metal community isn’t about to let his legacy fade into the Brummie fog. Nope — we’re talking proper tributes here. None of this “small plaque at the bus stop” nonsense. On Change.org, two petitions have taken flight faster than a bat at a Sabbath gig: 1️⃣ Rename Birmingham Airport...

Oi oi, front-row maniacs — here’s one for the “only in rock” history books. KISS — the leather-clad, fire-spitting, platform-booted overlords of arena spectacle — have just been announced as 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees. And who delivered the news? None other than Donald Trump, now chairman of the Kennedy Center, who called them “one of the greatest rock bands of...

Metallica’s Kill ’Em All didn’t just change heavy metal — it took it out to the back alley, gave it a pint of something dodgy, and told it to “go faster or go home.” Now, decades later, the legends who inspired that seismic debut — plus the next wave of riff-wielding maniacs — are giving it the tribute it deserves...

The metal community got some tough news this week – Saxon frontman Biff Byford has revealed he’s been diagnosed with cancer. The iconic voice behind Wheels of Steel, Denim and Leather, and Princess of the Night explained that the diagnosis was the reason behind his recent emergency surgery and the run of cancelled Saxon shows last month. “I’m over the...

Well mun… just when you thought 2025 couldn’t get any weirder, Rod Stewart decided to give the world possibly the most baffling rock ‘n’ roll tribute of the year.We’re talking AI. We’re talking Ozzy Osbourne. We’re talking selfies in heaven with every dead music legend you can think of. And yes, it’s exactly as weird as it sounds. 🌥 The...

Well well well… looks like the Toxic Twins aren’t done poisoning our ears with glorious rock just yet. Joe Perry’s been out here being all coy in interviews again – tossing out the kind of teases that make Aerosmith fans start dusting off their “Get a Grip” tees and wondering if they’ll have to re-learn the words to Sweet Emotion...

Blackbird Festival lands 27 June 2026 — with Skindred, Florence Black & Cardinal Black. Tidy! Cardiff Castle’s about to sprout wings, butt. Alter Bridge are bringing their own festival to the heart of the capital next summer, and it’s got a name that’ll make fans grin from ear to ear: Blackbird Festival. Date for your diaries: Saturday, 27 June 2026....

Alright, rock crew — grab your pint, your leather jacket, and that knowing smirk you get before the first riff of “The Trooper” kicks in. Bruce “Human Air-Raid Siren” Dickinson has gone on record saying his latest solo work is some of the best stuff he’s ever done. Big words from a bloke who’s already fronted Iron Maiden into metal...