Simple Plan Announce UK Tour and New Album, Taking One For The Team

I published not so long ago that Canadian pop-punk band Simple Plan had released single 'I Don't Wanna Be Sad'. Now, having taken to their official Facebook page, the band have now announced a UK tour for next year and their new album, titled Taking One For The Team.

Taking One For The Team artwork

The album will be the band's fifth and is set to drop into our lives on February 19th. Not only this, but they've also announced a World Tour which will see them play 5 UK dates in March supported by Ghost Town. You can see the dates and venues below.

Here's what the band said in a statement on their Facebook page:

“It’s been a long journey and you have been extremely patient, so we are very excited to announce that our 5th album, “Taking One For The Team”, will be released on February 19th 2016! We have been working on these new songs for almost 2 years now and we cannot wait to share them with you. We all feel like this is our best album yet and there’s nothing better than knowing that, in a few months, you will be able to hear the final result.

Today, we’re also really stoked to reveal our album cover as well as the first set of dates of the “Taking One For The Team” World Tour. This is the first of many tour announcements coming in the next months, as we prepare to travel all over the world and play shows for all of you.

Thank you all for your amazing support. We can’t wait for you to finally listen to the new record and to see you on tour!

Pierre, Chuck, Jeff, Sebastien and David”

You can see Simple Plan on their upcoming tour at the following dates:

March

20 Bristol Academy

22 Nottingham Rock City23 Manchester Ritz24 London Forum

The King Blues Have Announced Their Return

Politically fueled ska-punk band The King Blues have announced their return and revealed that they will be touring next year.

Three years ago, in April 2012, the band announced their split in a statement on their website, explaining that the band had "taken things as far as they could go". The band have apparently found more to sing about because they'll be joining Enter Shikari as special guests on their forthcoming 2016 UK tour.

You can see Enter Shikari, supported by The Wonder Years and The King Blues, at the following dates:

February 2016

18 Glasgow O2 Academy

19 Edinburgh Corn Exchange

20 Nottingham Capital FM Arena

22 Bournemouth International Centre

23 Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

25 Manchester Victoria Warehouse

27 London Alexandra Palace

Let's take a trip back in time to 2008's The King Blues' album Save The World, Get The Girl with their single 'I Got Love'.

BBC Three Will Be Taken Off Air in 2016

Today is a sad day for fans of BBC3, as the BBC trust have formally approved that the channel is to be taken off air and replaced with an online service in the early part of next year.

No new shows will be broadcast after January and the channel will effectively become a promotional outlet for the replacement online service. The official launch date of BBC3 as an online channel is March 1st 2016.

BBC Trustee Suzanna Taverne said in a statement that the decision had been "a difficult one", but also insisted: "the BBC must adapt with its audiences: the evidence is very clear that more young audiences are watching online rather than linear TV."

It was announced in March 2014 by the BBC's director-general Tony Hall that the channel would eventually be moved online in a bid to cut costs. Earlier this year, the BBC also allowed license fee payers to have their say on the proposals for the channel. In February, there was also a petition, '#SaveBBC3', campaigning against the channel's closure, which was signed by over 270,000 people.

Taverne also explained the Trust's final decisions: "The plans enable the BBC to deliver more distinctive content online, while bearing down on costs; to address concerns about the impact of moving BBC Three online, we have set new requirements for programmes for younger audiences on BBC One and Two."

The move of BBC3's shows over to the BBC iPlayer service won't happen abruptly, the BBC Trust have also said today, but will instead will be "a brief phased migration online from January 2016 until the end of February 2016". Within 18 months of today's decision, the Trust conduct a 'service review' to ensure the corporation is meeting objectives for the new online-only channel.

BBC3 was launched in 2003 with a target audience of viewers aged 16-34. The channel has had a string of hits, including Gavin and Stacey, Don't Tell The Bride and more recently In The Flesh.

Foo Fighters Release Free EP, Saint Cecilia

Foo Fighters have dropped a surprise free five-track EP, Saint Cecilia.

The EP was recorded in the Saint Cecilia Hotel in Austin, Texas, when the band were on the last part of their Sonic Highways tour. The band have dedicated the release to the victims of the Paris massacre, which led to the cancellations of the Foo Fighters' Europe dates, as well as the dates of many other bands and artists.

Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl released this statement in an open letter:

“Let me begin with a preface to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago from my hotel room in Berlin while on our final tour for this album. I felt the need to write this foreword in light of the heartbreaking tragedies of Nov. 13th, as this project has now taken on an entirely different tone. As has everything, it seems…

The Saint Cecilia EP was put into motion back in October of this year as a celebration of life and music. The concept being that, as our world tour drew to a close this week, we wanted to share our love of both with you in return for everything you have given us.

Now, there is a new, hopeful intention that, even in the smallest way, perhaps these songs can bring a little light into this sometimes dark world. To remind us that music is life, and that hope and healing go hand in hand with song. That much can never be taken away.

To all who were affected by the atrocities in Paris, loved ones and friends, our hearts go out to you and your families. We will return and celebrate life and love with you once again someday with our music. As it should be done.

Dave Grohl”

You can stream or download the EP for free, as well as read the rest of the open letter written by the band, by heading over to saintceciliaep.com. Have a listen to the title track below and let me know what you think in the comments!

Mark Hoppus Joins Linkin Park On Stage At Music For Relief

This doesn't sound like your usual collaboration but it definitely was great. 

Linkin Park once again played at the Music For Relief benefit on Saturday night (November 14th) at Los Angeles' LA Rover Studios. During their 90-minute set, Linkin Park were joined on stage by blink-182 frontman and the evening's host Mark Hoppus and No Doubt's Adrian Young. Adrian played drums and Mark took the bass and vocals for Linkin Park's 2003 hit 'Numb'. Mark's wife, Skye, shared a photo and footage on her Instagram- go and check it out!

As well as that intimate performance, the benefit also included a 30-minute set from Steve Aoki who was praised for his charitable work in brain science, disaster relief and animal rights.

Music For Relief was founded by Linkin Park following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Since then, the relief has raised over $7 million for survivors of multiple disasters across four continents, including Hurricane Katrina, China's Wenchuan earthquake, a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, earthquakes in Haiti and Japan in 2010 and Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

This concert is one of many organised events that the charity put on to raise money, and they have also planted over 1 million trees to help reduce climate change.