BBC Radio 2

We're leaving our jobs in the city and heading home.

Scroll down for news of Taylor Swift the (fictional) homewrecker, Eminem's 'gunshot' storm and Robbie Williams being football crazy... football mad.

Plus a whole lot more from Liam G, Kanye W, Demi L and Sir Paul McC.

Join us tomorrow from 09:00 BST and we'll do it all over again.

We'll leave you with Alexandra Burke covering a Creedance Clear Water Revival classic (although you might know it as a Tina Turner or Beyonce tune) alongside the London Community Gospel Choir at Radio 2's 500 Words final in Hampton Court Palace.

Last but not least today...

The former Supergrass singer, external released his third solo album, World's Strongest Man, earlier this year, tackling tough topics such as anxiety attacks, masculinity and ego.

His new music video concerns the latter.

Check it out above, well as sneaking a peak backstage before several of his recent gigs.

If you see yourself in the crowd, raise your right hand, like Nick Cave below.

Gaz will appear on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC Two tomorrow night from 22.00 BST.

Read more.

He knows a good photo op when he sees one.

Bad Seeds bandmate Warren Ellis snapped this pretty arty-looking image of the Australian singer while on route to their next festival at Primavera Porto this weekend.

The picture was designed and directed by his red right hand... you could say.

Robin Peckhold, the singer from Fleet Foxes has written about his struggles, following the suicides of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade.

Pecknold explained the post was to explain a previous social media comment he'd made about the deaths which he said some people had felt "was being unsympathetic towards the mentally ill or suicidal".

"During a period a few years ago when I was dangerously and actively suicidal, my respect for my loved ones and my knowledge of the pain I would cause them was, truly and with no overstatement, the only effective thought I had at my disposal to prevent myself from acting," he wrote.

Dave 1 of disco-funksters Chromeo has also opened up about his own issues, writing in a lengthy Instagram post, external that he has suffered from anxiety and depression his whole life.

Image source, Getty Images

"It wasn't until my mid-30s that I realised a) anxiety is a disease and b) anxiety and depression are on the same spectrum, they go hand in hand."

BBC 6 Music

Some finger-picking good new content now courtesy of US art rocker St Vincent (and the good people at 6 Music).

The singer aka Annie Clark popped in for a recent session and while she was in the building revealed some of the guitar riffs she wishes she'd written.

Check them out above,

We just wish we could move our fingers that fast.

The singer also told DJ Mark Radcliffe about the creative influence of New York City.

“New York for me is still a place that’s absolutely vital to my life," she said.

Listen below.

Image source, Getty Images

And by share, we mean share with the world.

An image, taken from their On The Run II tour book, has been picked up by the press and now Bey's bum is apparently being talked about everywhere.

We'll let you find it for yourselves online should you wish.

Before you do we must say we really can't condone smoking in bed Jay, sorry.

Pop's first couple addressed their private life quite publicly on their respective last albums.

Here's some fans reactions to the latest insight into the Carter family home.

Drama teacher Melody Herzfeld saved dozens of her students' lives by hiding them in an office during the 14 February shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.

She received the award for excellence in theatre education at last night's Tonys in New York City, where a group of her students performed and got a well deserved standing ovation.

Watch above.

Elsewhere on the night, Bruce Springsteen received a special gong for the success of his recent broadway show.

Accepting the award from Billy Joel, Springsteen said, “Thanks for making me feel so welcome on your block.

"Being a part of the Broadway community has been a great thrill."

Robert DeNiro, who started off his speech in explosive fashion with an expletive in the direction of US president Donald Trump, also paid tribute to the singer, as he introduced him on to the Radio City Music Hall stage to perform a six-minute spoken word monologue as well as his track My Hometown.

“Congratulations on your Tony for Springsteen on Broadway," he said.

"Or as I like to call it: Jersey Boy."

That should give you all some new words to add to your DeNiro impression at the next house party.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The US singer was forced to cancel her London gig just hours before she was due on stage, down to illness.

The 25-year-old tweeted a message conveying her "frustration and sadness", explaining she was "very, very sick and with swollen vocal cords".

Luckily, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the voices of these Lovatics outside the O2 Arena below.

Demi reacted by calling her fans "simply the best", claiming the video made her cry.

So all you (Little) Mixers, (Harry) Stylophiles and Mariah Carey's 'lambs' will simply have to raise your game.

As the old Elvis number once (almost) went.

Download, external Festival took place this weekend and saw headline sets from Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N' Roses and Avenged Sevenfold.

While groups of hard-rocking friends will have headed down to the Donington Park event, spare a thought for those without a gig buddy.

That's exactly what the good people at the site's Camp Loner - a part of the field reserved especially for lonely souls - have been doing for the last decade.

It all began after one man, Jay, was stood up by his pals and has since grown into a community.

Festival goer Louise told Newsbeat: "You don't find anything like this anywhere else.

"Download is quite friendly anyway but it's a whole new world here."

Read more.

Also, check out which band has the best metal scream of the festival (aside from Axl Rose that is) below.

Ian Youngs
Entertainment and Arts Reporter, BBC News

Image source, Andy Hughes/Fanatic

The irony of having Liam Gallagher headline a festival named after Blur’s hit Parklife wasn’t lost on the former Oasis frontman, but it didn’t put him off putting in a crowd-pleasing shift in Manchester on Sunday night

Wearing a voluminous Parka, Liam got a hero’s welcome from his home crowd, who seem almost as convinced as he is that he’s still the greatest rock ‘n’ roll star – although he does increasingly have the demeanour of someone you’d find ranting at no-one in particular outside the Arndale.

At one point, he picked an argument with a bloke deep in the crowd who had apparently said something objectionable. “What you saying?” he snarled over and over. “Not you, him. Eddie the Eagle nose.”

But he squeezed nine Oasis classics into his 14-song set, which went down a storm, despite the fact that most of the crowd were barely out of babygrows when those tracks were originally released.

Image source, Andy Hughes/Fanatic

Sadly, despite the festival’s name, he decided against doing a cover of Blur’s 1994 hit.

There was a mini-reunion when ex-Oasis guitarist Bonehead joined him for Cigarettes and Alcohol and Supersonic.

And, proving how successful his recent renaissance has been, there wasn’t much difference between the number of people singing at the tops of their voices to his solo songs compared with the Oasis hits.

It's just been announced that next time LG appears at a Manchester-based festival - his own - he will be supported by The Verve's Richard Ashcroft, grime star Bugzy Malone and Manc rock 'n' roll cult figures Twisted Wheel.

And he can call this one whatever he wants.

That's a lot, even by journalistic standards.

Lily, who released her confessional new album, No Shame, on Friday, told Sunday Brunch's Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer that she has a "love-hate relationship" with the social media platform, adding the five hours is "way too much time".

"I find so much from there," she said. "It's not all just 'self'."

The singer has used the platform to regularly lobby the government and attack celebrity figures such as Piers Morgan.

Read more: Lily Allen on her demons, divorce and laughter

BBC Newsnight

Sir Elton John has called for social media sites to shut down online hate speech

In an interview with Newsnight, the singer also spoke about the ongoing battle against HIV/Aids and attitudes to LGBTQ communities in Russia and the Commonwealth.

"The things that are on social media are so disgusting that there has to be action taken by the people who own the companies and run the companies," he argued.

"People say, 'What about my freedom of speech?', sod your freedom of speech.

"Stop using them, then they'll make a difference. Boycott them."

The piano star goes on to say that he would love to sit down with Vladimir Putin after the Russian president signed what is known by many as the 'gay propaganda law' bill, in order to protect children from information that 'denies traditional family values.'

"I would just sit down with him face to face and say 'what are you afraid of?'

Watch above.

Interpol performed their new single, The Rover, on The Late Show (not to be confused with The Late Late show - that's on later) with Stephen Colbert over the weekend.

The seminal noughties New York band teased us with the announcement of a live Q & A from Mexico City last week, before announcing that their new sixth album Marauder will drop in August.

Watch above and decide for yourself whether sunglasses indoors is still a cool look or not.

Image source, Getty Images

More on Taylor now (scroll down for news on her Manchester show at the weekend)

Watch her as the other woman in the dramatic new video by country duo Sugarland for the song Babe (below).

The videos sees her as a flame-haired temptress who wrecks singer Jennifer Nettles' marriage in the Mad Men-inspired video.

It also stars Brendan Routh - he played Superman, remember, external? Here he plays the unfaithful husband.

Nettles told People magazine, external, Tay Tay - who also performs on the track - came up with the role for herself.

"She actually reached out to us and said, ‘I’ve got a great idea for the video'."

Image source, Lee Blanchflower

The Leicester rockers transformed the calm of Theford Forest in Suffolk on Sunday night as part of a series of gigs organised by the Forestry Commission England.

Their set included Il Ray, Psycho and Bless This Acid House form their chart-topping latest album For Crying Out Loud as well as old faves like Fire, Empire and Club Foot - a track from their 2004 debut album.

Here are a few shots from the night (below).

Some upcoming Forest Live shows include George Ezra and Gary Barlow.

Image source, Lee Blanchflower

Image source, Lee Blanchflower

Image source, Lee Blanchflower

The rapper bagged his eighth consecutive Number One album Stateside with Ye, the seven-track record he launched at a recent listening party in Wyoming.

Kanye now joins Eminem (more on him later) as the only artist to debut at Number One with eight consecutive albums.

His first US number one came in 2004 with debut album, The College Dropout.

He was however denied top spot in the UK by the all-conquering soundtrack from The Greatest Showman, which claimed its 18th week at number one on Friday evening.

The Chicago-born star celebrated his album success by taking on the in-laws, aka the family Kardashian on Celebrity Family Feud on US telly on Sunday night.

Team West - consisting of Kanye, Kim and his cousins - pitted their wits against a team including Kim's mum Kris Jenner, her gran Mary Jo and sisters Kourtney and Kendall.

Check outs some tweets above.

According to Mrs Kardashian-West, Kanye - who has courted criticism of late regarding controversial comments about slavery and his ongoing support of President Trump - had a lot of fun.

Imagine popping out for a pint on Saturday in Liverpool and finding one of the city's most famous sons had returned to play a mini concert.

The Beatles legend was back in town to film a piece for James Corden's Late Late Show and was spotted around the city with the comedian before heading to the Philharmonic pub for a surprise gig.

One fan, above, reacted calmly as you can see - but you can hardly blame him.

Keep your head Mike, when all around are losing theirs.

Sir Macca and James even had time for a quick statue selfie down by the Albert Dock.

As far as we are aware there are no plans as yet to erect a statue of James Corden in the Liverpool area but you never know.

Read more

England fans will be hoping that this could be a sign ahead of the World Cup kicking off this week.

The side managed by Robbie and captained by Olly beat a World Xl - led by Eric Cantona and Usain Bolt - on penalties at Old Trafford.

They raised around £5.5m in the process for humanitarian children's charity Unicef, external.

Good effort lads. Can Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane replicate the celebs' success for the three lions in Russia this month?

One man who will be cheering them on will be Robbie, who is going football crazy right now.

Following his side's victory on Soccer Aid, the 44-year-old has, this morning, announced he'll perform at the opening opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup this Thursday.

The Robster will perform in Moscow ahead of the tournament's opening match between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

If you don't believe us hear it from the horse's mouth above.

Rob will perform a duet with Russian soprano Aida Garifullina.

Image source, Getty Images

Eminem caused panic among some fans at the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee when a an apparent gunfire sound effect was used at the end of one song.

Concertgoers screamed and ducked as a number of loud blasts rang out during the star's performance of Kill You.

Some fans branded Eminem's performance on Saturday irresponsible, given the deadly attack on a country music festival in Last Vegas in October.

However, a representative for the star denied he had used gunshot effects.

"The effect used by Eminem in his set at Bonnaroo was a pyrotechnic concussion which creates a loud boom," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"He has used this effect - as have hundreds of other artists - in his live show for over 10 years, including previous US festival dates, without complaint."

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

Taylor Swift praised Manchester's "incredible resilience" as she opens the UK leg of her tour in the city on Friday night.

The star paused her show to remember the 22 people who lost their lives in a terrorist attack after an Ariana Grande concert last May.

She told the audience:

"Ever since then, you have shown such strength," she continued.

"You've shown that you're never going to let anyone forget about those victims."

As for the show itself, the first date of her UK tour - apparently the show had one overriding motif: Snakes.

According to BBC entertainment reporter Annabel Rackham: "Several inflatable cobras cropped up throughout the hour and a half-long set, while golden serpents slithered onto the big screen graphics, the costumes and even onto Swift's jewel-encrusted microphone."

Sounds terrifying.

Read more.