News Round-Up: The Killers, Coldplay and more

The Killers by Olivia Bee

You’re in the right place if you’ve missed any of the week’s top news stories – here Live4ever’s News Round-Up presents a recap of the biggest and best headlines we featured during the last seven days…

The Killers have finally handed an official release date to their next studio album.

After it was first announced way back in November 2019, we now know Imploding The Mirage will be out on August 21st, produced by the band with Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado in Los Angeles and Park City, UT as well as Las Vegas. It features a varied list of celebrated contributors, including Lindsey Buckingham, kd lang and Adam Granduciel.

A government grant scheme to the tune of billions is aiming to protect the UK’s art industries during the current pandemic, but small music venues remain one of the most vulnerable to lockdown restrictions – something hammered home by the news that two of Manchester’s most popular live hubs are closing their doors permanently.

The Gorilla and Deaf Institute venues, regular hosts to most emerging British artists for years, will not be reopening whenever live music is able to get going again, a loss felt by many musicians who have been reacting to the news on social media.

Its debut on streaming services back in April brought a response which has not only made it one of this year’s most acclaimed records, but one of the most acclaimed of any year, and now Fiona Apple‘s Fetch The Bolt Cutters has been given a physical release.

From last Friday, the chance to delight in a record which is likely to top most end-of-year lists in glorious reality has been afforded, with CD, vinyl and cassette versions all available.

Coldplay will release a new vinyl edition of their debut album Parachutes to mark its 20th anniversary.

The transparent yellow version is due on November 20th, marking the significant milestone for an album whose late 20th century British indie-influenced sound – epitomised on singles such as Yellow, Trouble and Don’t Panic – belied the foundations it was laying for the global breakout of its 2002 successor A Rush Of Blood To The Head.

The 25th anniversary of the Manchester Arena was marked with a pre-recorded streamed event last week.

Alice Cooper, Badly Drawn Boy, Emeli Sandé, Everything Everything, Lionel Richie and Tim Burgess were involved when the venue’s social media channels tuned to broadcast from 8pm UK time last Friday, July 17th; two-and-a-half-decades of both triumph and tragedy remembered with, ‘a show reel of entertainment honouring the acts and performers who have played a role in their 25-year history’.

Live Nation has announced the cancellation of its Live From The Drive-In concert series due to fears over the impact of possible localised lockdowns in the UK.

Leicester and Blackburn are two areas already under tighter restrictions than the rest of the country due to higher rates of coronavirus cases, and with these targeted lockdowns now a part of the UK’s next phase in tackling the pandemic, Live Nation has decided its summer gigs – which would’ve featured the likes of The Streets and Dizzee Rascal performing at pop-up, drive-in cinema style settings – are no longer feasible.