KISS' Gene Simmons and Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme will join comedian Dean Delray for his final Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute show on February 3 at Hollywood's Avalon Theater, in celebration of Delray’s 60th birthday. The event will feature an hour of Delray’s stand-up followed by a two-hour all-star musical tribute to the late AC/DC frontman, with a lineup including Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne), Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine), Steve Gorman (The Black Crowes), Larry LaLonde (Primus), Billy Rowe (Buckcherry, Jetboy), Mike Inez (Alice in Chains), Josh Zee (Protein, The Mother Truckers. AZ/DZ), and comedian Bill Burr, with Delray on lead vocals. In addition to leading these annual tributes to Bon Scott and AC/DC, Delray also hosts the rock-and-comedy podcast Let There Be Talk. Tickets for the event are available through Delray’s website. Meanwhile, AC/DC have scheduled a 17-date North American stadium tour that kicks off on July 11, 2026, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Consequence of Sound)

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Renzo Gracie academy, adding to the 54-year-old metal legend’s previous black belts in Taekwondo and Ukidokan karate. In an Instagram post capturing a photo of the proud black belt recipients, trainer Reginaldo Almeida praised the class by writing: “Today wasn’t just a belt promotion… it was a day that touched my heart. Watching these six men earn their Black Belts was emotional for me — because I know their stories, their struggles, their sacrifices, and everything they had to overcome to stand on those mats today.” Mustaine’s dedication and perseverance in achieving the rank comes despite a series of personal challenges, including his 2019 battle with throat cancer. As Megadeth prepares to release their final album in January and begin their farewell tour in February, Mustaine’s continued commitment to martial arts reflects his resilience while maintaining an active lifestyle amid health concerns. (Consequence of Sound)

The Rolling Stones have canceled their planned 2026 stadium tour of the UK and Europe due to guitarist Keith Richards, who turns 82 this week, being unable to commit to the demanding schedule, citing challenges from his battle with arthritis. Although the Stones have nearly completed a new album with producer Andrew Watt and initially planned a tour in support of the project, Richards expressed reluctance for a multi-month stadium run. “When they properly sat down to discuss the tour, Keith said he didn’t think he could commit and wasn’t keen on a big stadium tour for over four months,” an unnamed “American music critic” told The Sun on Monday (December 15). The band has scaled back touring in recent years as their members age, with their 2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour spanning 20 North American dates spread across three months. While the prospective tour is postponed, a new album is expected in 2026, with the band affirming they will return to the stage when ready. (Variety)

Billy Joel’s longtime band will take part in a star-studded charity tribute concert for the 76-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 12. The event will feature guest appearances by Rob Thomas, Pat Monahan, Rufus Wainwright, Alexa Ray Joel, Gavin DeGraw, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tanya Tucker, The War and Treaty, Joy Oladokun, Bettye LaVette, and others, performing classics from Joel’s chart-topping, Grammy-winning catalog. The event, part of the Music Of benefit series supporting music education, has previously honored legends like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., Joni Mitchell, and Patti Smith. with this year’s show selling out before any guests were announced. Though Joel is currently on hiatus to recover from normal pressure hydrocephalus, it’s unclear if he will attend, but fans can also catch a live rehearsal on March 11 at City Winery. The concert will feature a house band comprised of Joel’s touring lineup, including the night’s band leader David Rosenthal. (Rolling Stone)

Joe Ely, a pioneering Texas singer-songwriter who helped shape the progressive country sound and Americana genre, died Monday (December 15) in Taos, New Mexico, at the age of 78, from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. Raised in Lubbock and later based in Austin, Ely was renowned for his dynamic live performances and collaborations, opening for legendary acts like The Clash and the Rolling Stones, and earning comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, whom he later collaborated with on the track “Odds of the Blues,” from Ely’s 2024 album, Driven to Drive. Springsteen wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram on Tuesday, where he called Ely a “singular American singer, great musician and great artist. I was lucky enough to count Joe as a true friend and I will miss that voice and his companionship. We’ve lost an American classic.”

A founding member of The Flatlanders, Ely released multiple charting albums, including the influential 1992 LP, Love and Danger, featuring his signature cover of Robert Earl Keen’s “The Road Goes on Forever.” Honored by an induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022 and celebrated at the 2025 American Music Awards, Ely’s legacy as a Texas musical icon endures. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie. (Billboard)

Bruce Springsteen made an unannounced, electrifying appearance with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul at the Stone Pony’s WhyHunger benefit on Sunday night (December 14), only to have the performance briefly interrupted by a fire alarm within the first minute. Undeterred, Springsteen and the crowd kept the energy high, as percussionist Anthony Almonte kept a beat going during the six-minute delay while the audience sang portions of “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party.” Once the alarm ceased, Springsteen and the band resumed with spirited renditions of “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” “10th Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Merry Christmas Baby,” and a ten-minute version of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” marking a festive highlight to the evening celebrating WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary, which was founded by Harry Chapin. Springsteen’s surprise set followed earlier performances by Young the Giant, Yola, the Smithereens, and Steve Chapin and the Original Harry Chapin Band. (Rolling Stone)

Queen’s Brian May has gifted Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi a customized left-handed replica of his iconic Red Special guitar. The instrument, which Iommi showed off in an Instagram photo, was meticulously crafted over two years by master builder Andrew Guyton to match the Sabbath guitarist’s Jaydee Old Boy neck and replicate the original’s vintage tone with authentic pickups and a built-in treble booster. The original Red Special, famously built by May and his father in the 1960s from mahogany and oak, defined Queen’s sound for decades. “Huge thanks to my best friend @brianmayforreal  and master builder Andrew Guyton @guyton_guitars for this incredible left-handed Red Special replica,” Iommi wrote, while adding that it was “a true gift from Brian, two years in the making. Christmas came early! 🎸🎄” Earlier this year, May also collaborated with Gibson to release a limited-edition 12-string acoustic guitar, the Brian May SJ-200. (NME)

Poison frontman Bret Michaels has announced that his upcoming biopic and book, both titled Unbroken: Then, Now and Forever, are set for release in 2026. While details remain scarce, Michaels teased the projects on social media with a photo of him playing a guitar as a kid and an adult, alongside the caption: “If I can survive rocking out on shag mustard-colored carpet on my first guitar (‘technically a ukulele’ lol) and remain as excited now as I was then, and survive the highs, the lows, good people and the downright maliciousness in the business I’ve chosen to be in and still get to rock with my friends with a smile on my face on the stage today. That is THE IT FACTOR – the intangible spirit that keeps me unbroken!!!” The singer’s upcoming book will follow his 2020 memoir, Bret Michaels: Auto-Scrap-Ography, as he continues to share his life story and career insights with his fans. (Consequence of Sound)

A year after expressing disillusionment with the music industry's changing landscape, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has been reignited by the band’s successful Peel It Back Tour and their recent TRON: Ares soundtrack, making new NIN music a top priority once again. Reznor revealed that the band is focused on creating new material, marking his renewed enthusiasm for the Grammy-winning industrial rock project. “We are working on new stuff and we’re excited to work on it, and we are prioritizing working on Nine Inch Nails over just taking on every single thing that comes up in the other category,” Reznor shared. “So, beyond that, I can’t say much, but the difference between now and a year ago is the fuse has been lit and the desire is there.” Meanwhile, Nine Inch Nails prepare for the next North American leg of their tour starting in February and will perform with German producer Boys Noize at Coachella billed as “Nine Inch Noize,” with NIN having just been honored as Consequence of Sound’s 2025 Live Act of the Year. (Consequence of Sound)

At a star-studded private holiday party for Todd Boehly's Eldridge Industries held at Port Chester's Capitol Theatre on Thursday night (December 11), the house band for the festivities was the rock supergroup dubbed the Dirty Bats – featuring Slash, Duff McKagan, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt. They were joined by surprise guests Bruno Mars, Eddie Vedder, Anthony Kiedis, Brandi Carlile, and Yungblud for a special night of classic rock covers and originals. Highlights included Yungblud opening with songs by the Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath, Carlile performing Led Zeppelin and Queen, Kiedis delivering Motörhead and Allman Brothers Band favorites, and Vedder showcasing Pearl Jam hits alongside covers of the Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello. Bruno Mars headlined with powerful renditions of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” The Police’s “Roxanne,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana,” and notably his first full version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The evening concluded with all artists joining together for singalongs of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World,” with Leonardo DiCaprio spotted among the A-list audience. (Stereogum)

On Friday (December 12), Our Lady Peace announced that are continuing their 30th anniversary celebrations with a 2026 US tour that will stretch from March 5 to April 4. The 21-date jaunt is set to kick-off in Chicago and conclude in Pittsburgh, with stops in major music markets including Houston, Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, and Detroit. Supported by The Verve Pipe on most dates, the month-long tour marks the Canadian rock band’s first major US leg of their 30th anniversary celebrations. Our Lady Peace’s lead vocalist Raine Maida said in a press release, “It’s been a long time coming but we can finally announce we’re bringing the ‘OLP30’ tour to the USA. LFG!!!” This has been a productive year for the band, who released a series of three EPs in 2025 and a short film about their recent recording sessions. Tickets for the newly announced dates are available now via the band’s website. (Consequence of Sound)

Twenty One Pilots have scored their 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart with “City Walls,” tying them with Cage the Elephant and Green Day for the third-most No. 1s since the chart's inception in 1988, trailing only the Red Hot Chili Peppers (15) and Linkin Park (14). This marks the Columbus duo’s third consecutive No. 1 single, following the two-week reign of “The Line” in August and the three-week rule of “The Contract” in February. “City Walls” also currently sits at No. 10 on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 3 million audience impressions, after reaching a peak of No. 7 on the tally. Twenty One Pilots’ latest album, Breach, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart following its release in September, and has amassed 361,000 equivalent units to date since its release. (Billboard)

Lenny Kravitz has disclosed that he will portray Bawma, a charismatic and unpredictable villain, in the upcoming 2026 video game, 007: First Light, which reimagines the origin story of a 26-year-old James Bond, played by Patrick Gibson. Announced at the Game Awards, Kravitz described Bawma on social media as “the largest black-market dealer in the Western Hemisphere who’s as charismatic as he is unpredictable,” while adding that, “He rose from nothing, broke free, and built his own Kingdom of Aleph.” The third-person action-adventure game also features actors Gemma Chan, Priyanga Burford, and Lennie James, among others, and is expected to be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Kravitz has a series of notable acting credits including a recurring role in The Hunger Games series and portraying himself in the 2024 black comedy, The Trainer, while also recently performing a high-profile duet with Dua Lipa at her Madison Square Garden concert. (Rolling Stone)

On Friday (December 12), Alabama Shakes announced that they will continue their reunion tour next spring with shows across the mid-Atlantic and Southern U.S., including a two-night headlining stint at Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Teasing the upcoming dates, the band released a live clip of “Gimme All Your Love” from a September performance at Forest Hills Stadium, captioning the video, “We loved seeing you on tour so much we might see you again soon… stay tuned 👀.” They will be supported on tour by Joy Oladokun, Mon Rovîa, Lamont Landers, and JJ Grey & Mofro at select dates. An artist pre-sale begins Tuesday (Dec. 16), followed by a general on-sale on Friday (Dec. 19), with a portion of proceeds benefiting the Alabama Shakes Fund, which supports nonprofits nationwide. In addition to the spring run, Alabama Shakes will perform at major festivals like Bonnaroo and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, along with a series of European dates, and opening stints for Zach Bryan. (Rolling Stone)

During a recent appearance on the Bruce Springsteen Archives’ Conversation With Our Curator podcast, Kenny Chesney reflected on the profound influence Springsteen has had on his songwriting and live performances. Chesney shared some personal anecdotes about The Boss, including a memorable 2005 encounter when he nervously requested Springsteen play “One Step Up,” a song Chesney covered on his chart-topping 2002 album, No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, which marked a turning point in his music career. Though Chesney grew up without much exposure to Springsteen’s music in East Tennessee, discovering it in college deeply impacted his artistic approach, inspiring him to give his all on stage much like Springsteen does. “Bruce set a standard and set a bar so high, it's hard to reach it,” Chesney shared. “I do feel like there are some parallels, as far as loving their audience...From the first note, everybody is in this together, and that really struck me. It's how we like to do things out here too.” (Holler)

Billboard’s 2025 year-end Boxscore charts just revealed the top-grossing rock tours of the year, with Coldplay once again leading the way, earning $464.9 million from 59 shows throughout Oceania, Asia, North America, and the United Kingdom. The second highest-grossing tour was Imagine Dragons ($241.6M), followed by Iron Maiden ($150.9M) and Linkin Park ($150.6M). Stadium and arena rock acts like Bruce Springsteen ($124.8M), Metallica ($136.2M), Paul McCartney ($104.5M), and Guns N’ Roses ($95.6M) were also among the top tours of 2025. Two groups who had extensive residencies at the Sphere in Las Vegas ranked in the Top 10, as the Eagles grossed $150.3M from 32 shows, while Dead & Company pulled in $105.5M over 21 shows, with their totals boosted by three concerts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in August to celebrate the Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary. Rock accounted for 30.2% of the Top 100 tour grosses in 2025, marking a continued decline from its dominance in previous decades despite still being a major live music revenue generator. (Billboard)

On Thursday (December 11), Creed announced the lineup for the 2026 ‘Summer of ’99 and Beyond Festival,’ which is set to take place on July 18-19 at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Illinois. Creed revealed that they will co-headline the event alongside Limp Bizkit, putting to rest their longtime feud that dates back to 2000. Limp Bizkit will headline Saturday’s lineup, which includes Cypress Hill, Sevendust, Kittie, Puddle of Mudd, and Magnolia Park, while Creed will close out Sunday with support from Bush, Mammoth, Candlebox, Hoobastank, Sleep Theory, Big Wreck, and The Verve Pipe, among others. Ticket pre-sale starts Tuesday (December 16), followed by a general on-sale beginning Friday (Dec. 19). Meanwhile, Creed is gearing up for their annual “Creedmas” tour where they will be joined by Sevendust and Hinder over the course of five dates throughout the holiday season in December. (Consequence of Sound)

The Who’s Roger Daltrey was knighted by Prince William at Windsor Castle on Wednesday (December 10), joining fellow rock legends like Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Sir Mick Jagger in receiving the honor. The 81-year-old singer was recognized not only for his iconic musical career but also for his charitable work with the Teenage Cancer Trust. Reflecting on the ceremony, Daltrey described it as a "double honor," accepting the knighthood on behalf of those involved in the charity. “I was born in the Second World War and grew up in the streets in London. For a kid like me, achieving this, it’s a dream,” Daltrey said of his knighthood, which was announced back in June though the ceremony didn’t take place until this week. Meanwhile, The Who just completed their farewell U.S. tour this past October, with worldwide dates expected to be announced soon. (Consequence of Sound)

On Thursday (December 11), Guns N’ Roses officially announced the support acts for their Summer 2026 North American tour. Public Enemy will be opening the first eight dates of the tour from July 23 to August 16, while The Black Crowes will provide support for four shows between August 22 and September 2. Pierce the Veil will open select dates in September, while The Barbarians of California will join for two dates in August and September, and Ice Cube is set to perform in front of a hometown crowd at GNR’s high-profile show at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on September 5. The tour kicks off with earlier spring dates in Mexico and Florida before hitting U.S. and Canadian stadiums and amphitheaters throughout the summer, concluding on September 19 in Atlanta, with no support act yet announced for that final show. (Consequence of Sound)

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival will feature the premiere of Antiheroine, an “unfiltered and unapologetic” documentary about Courtney Love. The film is co-directed by Edward Lovelace and James Hall, and includes a tagline describing the project as, “Now sober and set to release new music for the first time in over a decade, Courtney is ready to reveal her story.” Love is also included in Broken English, an intimate film about the late Marianne Faithfull’s life and legacy that will make its U.S. debut at the festival, which also features appearances by Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Jehnny Beth, Suki Waterhouse, and Beth Orton.

The festival’s lineup also includes two films featuring Charli XCX: The Moment, an A24 film which she conceived and stars in that explores the complexities of pop stardom, and I Want Your Sex, where she appears alongside Olivia Wilde. Other notable music films debuting at the festival include Tamra Davis’ The Best Summer, documenting a pivotal music era with footage of iconic bands like Beastie Boys, Foo Fighters, and Beck, and The Disciple, which offers a rare glimpse into the making of Wu-Tang Clan’s notorious album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. The festival runs from January 22-27. (Consequence of Sound)