Music legend Nile Rodgers stumps up £35k to help protect ancient NI woodland
Belfast-bound Chic star's enduring love of nature prompted Faughan Valley gift
One of music's biggest stars is helping to protect a rare and ancient woodland in Northern Ireland.
Nile Rodgers and his band Chic — famous for hits such as Le Freak and Good Times — are donating more than £35,000 to support the Faughan Valley in Co Londonderry.
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The Guardian
12 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘I've never been so obsessed with a band': readers' best albums of 2025 so far
Constellations for the Lonely is a fabulous return for Doves: textured, layered and, as ever, occupying a space and sound all their own. From the futuristic reflection of Renegade to the soulful Cold Dreaming to the thought provoking A Drop in the Ocean, and the devastating realisation of loss in Last Year's Man ... This is a band confronting the past, to channel hope and find redemption by coming through challenges that can only be overcome through genuine friendship. Steven, Wolverhampton This is a timely release, coming mere months after the abhorrent anti-Puerto Rican 'floating island of garbage' comments by Tony Hinchcliffe at a Trump rally. Bad Bunny's response at the time was fierce, rebuking all that was Trump, Republican, bigoted, and his first music since feels like a follow-up. In DTMF, Bunny refuses to cede space or stand down. Either from his position as a mainstay of the US mainstream music world or as a proud Puerto Rican. He crafts an album of one summer anthem after another, built to be listened to by everyone while unmistakably a product of the music of his home. Alex, Belfast Justin Vernon is finally happy! And he sounds perhaps more enchanting as a man embracing joy as he did as a lone wanderer in the wintery woodlands of Wisconsin. The album opens on familiar ground with the Sable tracks, and these build beautifully until we reach Fable and Vernon exclaims: 'January ain't the whole world'. From there on the album is a gorgeous celebration of accepting love and happiness through some incredibly vibey and experimental songs in the Bon Iver signature. If Only I Could Wait, with Danielle Haim is a standout, alongside Walk Home, and the slow submergence into steady love through the album closers There's a Rhythm and Au Revoir is simply perfect. Pulkit, Manchester I'm convinced there's a parallel universe somewhere in which guitar-and-drums-driven rock music still has mass mainstream appeal and Vukovi would deservedly be among the UK's biggest music stars. On this, their fourth album, the pop-metal leans towards the heavier side, and lyrically perhaps nothing sums up these songs' exploration of mental health struggles and self-doubt better than opening track This is My Life and My Trauma. But the melodies are strong and front woman Janine Shilstone's vocals are as fiercely defiant yet beautiful as ever, underpinned perfectly by energetic riffs and tight rhythmical playing from guitarist Hamish Reilly and drummer Martin Sharples-Johnston. John K, Birmingham 5ive by Davido gives me a new sense of hope and purpose. It helps me get on with my daily activities and to unwind in my free time. As a mum who's constantly busy caring for a newborn baby, I find listening helps me with my mental health and encourages me to enjoy life and live life to the fullest. The rhetoric in the album is out of this world. Paola Adeitan, Marlborough, Wiltshire It's such a great commentary on modern times, with real lyrical depth added to a sort of doom-pop atmosphere. I stumbled upon them by chance and saw them at a tiny venue in the Netherlands – they're as great live as they are on their records. I can't comprehend how they're not world famous. Klavdija, Brussels, Belgium I hadn't discovered the band before this album so it was an absolute treat to work through their back catalogue. I love the textures and layers of the music on this album. It's the perfect soundtrack to my evening walks in my local woods. There is a depth to the music that is spiritual and anything that moves me like this gets my attention. The opening track Waiting has a choral feel. It's sparse yet such a complete sound with beautiful vocals. It's not an upbeat album – far from it – but I find it incredibly uplifting. The production throughout is sublime. Ed Olhausen, High Wycombe Absolutely every song on the album is worth a listen and suits an occasion in the day. Praying for Your Downfall and Massachusetts are cathartic for different reasons, while Let Me Be Wrong and I Don't Do Drugs are cheeky and honest. Overall, the album is so human – it touches many emotional experiences with compassion and clarity, and shows off the very best of musical commitment to songwriting, vocals, composition, guitar and production. Alice, Cambridge A perfect storm of everything Sleep Token does best but distilled and sharpened. It's not a concept album, but feels like one. The lyrics have never been more deific but Vessel has never sounded more human. An incredible follow-up to a near-perfect album. I've never been as obsessed with a band as I am with Sleep Token. Ed, Southampton As a young gay man, Marina (FKA Marina and the Diamonds) was the soundtrack to my teenage years. I adored her cult classic Electra Heart album and remember when she was the undisputed queen of Tumblr. She continued putting out great music, including her previous album, the fantastic and pleasingly political Ancient Dreams in a Modern Land. But now, riding a wave of 2010s nostalgia, Marina is back in the charts and at the top of her game. The whole album is delightfully camp and jam packed with Eurodisco-esque gay club bangers. I predict that, just as with Charli, Marina is heading for a comeback. Oliver, Manchester It's a gorgeous slice of folk-pop that's swimming with gentle, lovely tunes. World's Worst Girlfriend is a great way in; Richardson, which features the warm tones of Cassandra Jenkins, has set up semi-permanent residence in my head. Tom Evershed, Melbourne, Australia Time Indefinite is a powerful record and seemed to arrive at exactly the right time for me. Tyler finds and collects sounds, ranging from lo-fi and scratchy to pastoral and lush. Individually, they seem dissolute or even anxiety inducing, but by weaving in his own looping guitar it all builds towards something approaching harmony – or beauty. A bridge over troubled waters. Ed Yates, Knaresborough It's a grand return to form with the standout tracks for me the Stone Roses-esque titled Elephant Clouds and the bullet train inspired, anthemic Hold It Down. But the whole LP (I continue to buy black gold from my local store) is a superb sonic renaissance that can match that of their Cool Britannia peers Pulp. Give it a spin, it's equally chilled and funky, a perfect way to 'escape the chaos'. Rudi Richter, Nuremberg, Germany Sharon Van Etten's work has always been emotionally cathartic, both for her and for us listeners; but I've always felt, much as I've always enjoyed her previous work, that something was being held back; but no more. Working with her new band and collaborators, the Attachment Theory, she has finally been fully let loose as a singer and communicator, and the results are staggering, moving, uplifting and devastating by turns. Her shows in the spring brought the new record vividly to life, and breathed new vital life into her existing material. Clearly these are the collaborators that she has always needed, and this record will undoubtedly be reckoned as one of the finest releases this year, as it would be in any year. Luke Dixon, London
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Eamonn Holmes hits out at ‘horrible' celebrities on TV and admits ‘there are so many false' stars
EAMONN Holmes has hit out at 'horrible' celebrities and admitted 'there are so many false' stars. The GB News presenter, 65, hosts podcast Things We Like with Eamonn and Paul, alongside Paul Coyte. 3 3 While speaking to guest Ray Winstone, Eamonn opened up on inner-workings in the industry. He said: "If I don't like someone, they'll know I don't like them. "And there's so many horrible people that you end up... people say, "He's lovely, he's fantastic". "They'll say to me, 'What's that Ray Winstone like?' and I'll say, 'He is lovely, he is fantastic'. "People won't believe me because I wouldn't say if you weren't. "There are so many who are just false, false, false." Tensions boiled over in 2019 when Schofe cut off Ruth while she was in the middle of a live link, teasing what was coming up on Loose Women. The incident ultimately led to Ruth making a complaint over his behaviour to ITV. Emotional moment Eamonn Holmes fights back tears on his podcast Previously speaking about it, Eamonn said: "Phillip is renowned for snubbing people. "He's very passive-aggressive. It's up to Ruth to say how she felt, but I was feeling hurt for her. No one would have snubbed me like that. "I have a good Belfast street fighter in me… I would be direct. I don't go for presenters who think they have a special privilege or aura or influence." Earlier this year, Eamonn posed with Anthea Turner after ending their bitter 10-year feud. The Northern Irishman affectionately placed a hand over Anthea's shoulder. Eamonn captioned the snap: 'We're the same age @antheaturner and I and have had careers of similar length but my paper round must have been harder than hers! Top Girl.' This reunion came more than two decades after their infamous fallout. 3
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Gina Gershon: ‘Tom Cruise was tickling me in bed. I nearly broke his nose'
Gina, you are a spectacular and artistically brave woman and movie star. How do you rationalise – and, hopefully, enjoy – the fact that your audiences often encounter you as a beacon of beauty, sexuality and eroticism? Geroellheimer People can see me in whatever ways they want. As long as what I do brings them joy or helps them think about things, I don't contemplate how they view me – it's too abstract. When people share their opinions about me with me, I wonder who they're talking about, but I go along with it to be polite. How do you move on and decompress after playing such intense roles? mansurz After Showgirls and Bound, I had so much residual energy that I ended up going to Greece, cut off some of my hair and released it into the sea. I thought: 'This is very Greek.' There was a lot of energy that came with playing Donatella Versace. When I played Nancy Sinatra, I don't want to say 'I channelled her', but I tapped into her energy. The next thing I knew, I had all these stomach ulcers. I asked her about it. She said: 'I've had seven or eight of those.' I thought: 'Oh my God, really?' What do you think of your status as a gay icon? Kooooonan I think it's fabulous. I'm just happy it's brought so many people so much joy. A lot of women have come up to me and told me how Bound helped them either come out or accept certain things. So that feels nice, you know? Did the Wachowskis invite you to audition for The Matrix? Glozboy They wanted to do The Matrix before they did Bound, but they needed to prove themselves. Once we started working on Bound, they told me about The Matrix. I said: 'That sounds insane – and great.' The storyboards all had my face on, so I naturally assumed I was playing Trinity. Then I guess they fell in love with Carrie-Anne Moss and I didn't do it. It was kind of heartbreaking. Did 'the joke' of Showgirls go over the rest of the cast's heads, or were you all on the same page? Rjoepenk I was a big Paul Verhoeven fan. I loved Turkish Delight and Spetters, so I knew it was going to be very heavy and intense. I went deep down into Cristal, thinking I'd be playing Margo instead of Eve [in All About Eve], thinking about Aphrodite. It felt as if I was preparing for a Wagner concert or something. When I walked on to the set, it was a Technicolor pop concert of jewels and feathers. There was a moment when I was hanging on a rope in an S&M outfit, looking down at a load of naked bodies dancing around me, where I had this weird existential moment. I thought: I studied the classics! I wanted to play Medea. I wanted to do Chekhov. How did I get here? I thought: I better be really, really good in this, or else my career is over before it begins. As it turned more campy, I decided not to take things so seriously and thought: the drag queens will love me and want to dress like Cristal on Halloween. Your cameos in Curb Your Enthusiasm were hilarious. How hard is it not to laugh? Galdove19 Playing Hannah the Horny Hasid, as I like to call her, was some of the most fun I've ever had. I had no idea what I was getting into. When they called, I was sitting with [the music producer] Rick Rubin. I said: 'I don't really have time. I'm doing a movie. I'm doing a TV show.' He said: 'If there's only one thing you should do all year, it's Curb Your Enthusiasm.' When I got on set, I assumed I was playing myself. They said: 'No, we want you to play the Hasidic Jew.' Larry [David] said: 'Can you think of an accent?' I thought about my waxer, Rochelle – a French-Israeli woman who lived in the Bronx. I always loved her voice, so I just did her. Larry was laughing so hard. Any time you do something that makes Larry laugh, you feel great. But it's not so great when you're shooting, because they say: 'We have to do it again because you laughed.' But then you just want to make him laugh, because it feels so satisfying to make him break. What was it like working on the truly absurd Face/Off? If you could swap faces with anyone, who would it be? Bauhaus66 I'd like to swap faces with my cat, because he's so handsome. He's called Lord Louis. Lord Louis Zuzu the Magnificent. He's a 28lb [13kg] bundle of handsome love. He's part African savannah domestic and looks like a lion. I wouldn't mind having Benicio del Toro's face; I just saw him in the new Wes Anderson movie [The Phoenician Scheme]. I could watch his face all day long. Did you feel you were on track to become a femme fatale after your guest stint on Melrose Place? Kal_85 Can I tell you the only thing I remember about Melrose Place? I was in Toronto with a bunch of people and we went to a strip club, like you do in a weird location. It was pretty tame and actually quite sweet. This dancer came walking down the runway, doing her bit. She looked at me, pointed her finger and went: 'Melrose Place!' I thought I was going to die. I'd never been pointed out like that before. I can't even remember who I played on Melrose Place. Is that terrible? What was it like being part of a typically alpha-dog Michael Mann environment working on The Insider? leroyhunter I always thought I was too young. I said to Michael at the audition: 'I'm too young to be believable. We're talking about a 40-year-old woman.' She seemed so ancient to me. I thought: should I have grey in my hair? I walked on to set with no makeup, looking like a kid. I remember Al Pacino looking at me, as if to say: 'What the fuck? How is she going to play this person?' I said: 'Don't, worry. I'm gonna age up quickly.' My first scene was with the great Christopher Plummer – the scene where he yells at me right in the face. He was so intense. It was the first time I felt: wow, I don't even really have to act. When you're working with someone so great, you just stay present and it becomes electric. What was it like ordering a multiple orgasm from Tom Cruise in Cocktail? TopTramp I almost broke his nose. I had never done a love scene before and it was going to be with Tom Cruise. I thought: God, I get paid for this. He was so cute. I had a crush on him immediately. He was very protective and very much a gentleman, saying: 'Let's keep you covered.' He was very concerned. Originally, we were supposed to be running around naked, but I thought: I don't wanna do that. That seems dumb. I suggested: 'Why don't you go down on me under the covers? Then when you pop up, it'll be a surprise.' He loved the idea, but I'd told him I was very ticklish, because he had started to tickle me earlier. I said: 'Just don't do that. I lose control because I was tortured as a child by my brother.' Right before the take, he was down there and grabbed my waist in a tickly, sweet manner. I didn't mean to, but I had a kneejerk reaction right into his nose. It was full of blood. I thought: I just broke Tom Cruise's nose. I will never work in Hollywood again. I was mortified because I really kicked him good. I didn't mean to. He said: 'Nope. My bad. You warned me.' I remember thinking: this guy is a movie star. He deserves everything he gets. He was just so kind and so sweet with me in a situation where I was quite vulnerable. I'm glad he was my first. High Rollers is on digital platforms
