Status Quo pictures from Kerrang!

It's official: Blink 182 are back

After going on an "indefinite hiatus" in December 2004, rumours about the reformation of pop punk heroes Blink 182 have been banded about the internet on pretty much a daily basis. And now it's official: Blink 182 are back. The trio - Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker - confirmed their reunion after an appearance at the 51st annual Grammy Awards, which took place on February 8 at the Staples Center, Los Angeles. The band presented Coldplay with an award for Best Rock Album. In an official statement, the band said: “Hi. We’re blink-182. This past week there’ve been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, We’re back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.”

Published: 2009-02-10 Provider: Kerrang!

K!'s SXSW blog (Part One)

K! editor Paul Brannigan reports from this year's South By South West festival. Wednesday, March 18 The city fathers of Austin, Texas grandly refer to their hometown as 'the live music capital of the world'. During the annual South By South West festival you won't hear any dissenting voices. What you will hear, is music pumping out of every bar, restaurant and tattoo parlour, as hundreds of up and coming bands slug it out for Next Big Thing status. The competition is fierce - at any given hour there are 50 or 60 shows taking place simultaneously across the city - but the sheer variety of music on offer makes SXSW a fabulous, fascinating festival to attend. A wristband or SXSW badge gives you access to every show...the only problem being deciding where to start. Our SXSW starts at the legendary Emos venue, with the hardcore fury of Trash Talk, an impressively belligerent quartet from Sacramento. Reminscent of Black Flag at their most antagonistic, the quartet deal in short brutal bursts of noise with scant regard for melody or harmony. That their singer ends the show dripping blood and vomit tells you all about their commitment to pushing extremes. K! favourites The Bronx are up next, playing the first of what will be three shows today. They are, as ever, fantastic, slamming through a 35 minute set to a packed room, More on them later... At 7 o'clock it's Gallows turn to wreak havoc, over on Emos' outside stage, opening a bill which will later feature hardcore heroes Circle Jerks and former Bad Brains' frontman HR's new band. But there is nothing nostalgic about the Brit punks' set: indeed Frank Carter abandons Abandon Ship halfway through with the words "You get the gist" so that his band can focus on showcasing tunes from their upcoming Grey Britain album. Trust us, this album is immense and tonight songs like Vultures and Misery are given their US premiere in the most savage way. Carter's stage dive from the venue's roof is almost as impressive. As Gallows set cli

Published: 2009-03-20 Provider: Kerrang!