May 16th, 2012

Ah it’s nearly that time again.

Up and down the land, pubs are being decorated with stories-high crosses of St. George, each trying to outdo the other with enticing special offers in a bid to convince the locals to choose their own establishment for England’s latest underwhelming 1-1 draw against the group minnows.

On the balconies of council estates, this month’s washing is being moved from its perilous perch to make way for yet more – but slightly smaller – red and white banners. Soon, the nation’s cars will be adorned with bite-sized versions, each seemingly mere seconds away from ending its days in an evidence bag after causing a major road accident. Yes it can all mean only one thing: it’s Christmas in Corfu for the chief executive of Britain’s leading flag making company.

Oh, and a major football tournament is about to kick off somewhere in Europe.

BBC 6Music DJ and Fun Lovin’ Criminals mainman Huey Morgan has apologised to his fellow radio host Lauren Laverne after posting a series of critical tweets about her and other colleagues following Monday’s Sony Radio Awards.

Punk rock has always been a young man’s game, and understandably so.

From the unchecked aggression of its three-chord primitivism to its inherently anti-historical aspirations, the genre as a whole has continuously relied upon a certain wild-eyed ideology that only the raw energy of youth seems to provide.

So it would appear nearly impossible that a band fronted by a guy who holds a considerably closer proximity to senior citizen discounts than the legal drinking age – not to mention the three middle-aged fathers who back him – would be capable of injecting life into a sound that has long since lost its sense of urgency.  But that is exactly what Los Angeles supergroup OFF! managed to do with the release of 2010’s ‘First Four‘ EPs, a compilation of angry, airtight tunes that didn’t so much redefine the belligerent zeal of early-80’s hardcore as it did masterfully re-appropriate it.

Beady Eye will perform a one-off UK gig next month as they warm up for their Stone Roses support and a Japanese festival appearance.

A rare photograph of The Beatles walking in the opposite direction to their iconic ‘Abbey Road‘ record sleeve is being put up for auction in London next week.

New York band Alberta Cross will release their second full length album next month, and have also confirmed a North American tour in support of the record, the full details of which can be found below.

Ronnie Wood has again hinted at plans for The Rolling Stones to tour at some point this year, according to The Sun newspaper.

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward has confirmed he will not play a part in the band’s reunion shows this year.