Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers partnered with Drumeo to surprise drum students by posing as their substitute teacher. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer arrived at a music school where an administrator told students their regular instructor was unavailable. In the video capturing the experience, a 10-year-old student lists his favorite “punk” bands, including “blink-182, Green Day, [and] Red Hot Chili Peppers,” without recognizing Smith. Smith responds, “Red Hot Chili Peppers, they’re not really punk rock, but okay!” He then reveals, “Well, do you know I drum with Red Hot Chili Peppers?,” shocking the young fan. Smith also jokes with a nervous student, “Ignore the camera, and ignore me, the Hall of Fame drummer sitting next to you.” Throughout the session, he jams with students and offers drumming advice before meeting their regular teacher, telling him, “Keep up the great work.” (Consequence of Sound)
Billy Idol Should Be Dead’ debuts with a trailer featuring Miley Cyrus, Billie Joe Armstrong, and Duff McKagan discussing the rock icon’s influence. Directed by Jonas Akerlund, the documentary explores Idol’s MTV superstardom and his 1990 motorcycle accident. The film will have limited releases in Los Angeles and New York this week, with a nationwide expansion on Thursday. (Story URL)
Ozzy Osbourne will receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 BRIT Awards in Manchester on Saturday night (Feb. 28th). The heavy metal legend, who died in July at age 76, will also be honored with a show-closing tribute performance led by Robbie Williams. Williams will perform a special arrangement of “No More Tears,” the title track from Osbourne’s 1991 solo album. The tribute will feature former Osbourne band members Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos, and Zakk Wylde, with Ozzy’s wife Sharon Osbourne curating the segment. “Ozzy Osbourne has been a mighty force in modern music,” said Stacey Tang, chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee. “Possessing an unmistakable voice and unique presence, he reshaped the sound and spirit of rock, inspiring generations of artists who followed.” Osbourne previously hosted the BRIT Awards in 2008 with his family and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, as a member of Black Sabbath and as a solo artist. (Billboard)
Oscar-winning director Morgan Neville‘s documentary, Man on the Run, began streaming worldwide on Prime Video on Friday (Feb. 27), focusing on Paul McCartney‘s Wings era throughout the 1970s. When McCartney viewed the final cut, he presented Neville with a blank piece of paper, saying “Here are my notes,” indicating his approval of the project. The film examines McCartney’s life after the Beatles dissolved and his leadership of Wings, one of the decade’s most successful rock groups with hits including “Band on the Run,” “Live & Let Die,” and “Silly Love Songs.” Wings achieved four consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard Top 200 between 1973 and 1976. Neville admits that he is a huge Beatles fan who “went to my first Beatlefest when I was 12.” The director conducted six interviews with McCartney for the documentary, and spoke with all living Wings members, as well as McCartney’s children, Sean Ono Lennon, and friends like Mick Jagger and Chrissie Hynde. (Billboard)
Iron Maiden will take their final bow until 2028 with two concerts in Japan this November, then step away from touring for all of 2027. The metal legends just announced that their Run for Your Lives 50th anniversary world tour will conclude on November 24 and 25 at Yokohama’s K-Arena. “These two shows will be extra special as they are the very last shows the band will play until at least 2028, as they take a well-earned break from being on the road for the whole of 2027,” the band stated. Bassist Steve Harris added “It’s going to make it a truly memorable occasion for us all.” Before the break, Iron Maiden will host EddFest at Knebworth on July 10-11, featuring the Hu, the Darkness, Airbourne, and the Almighty, while launching their North American tour in late summer. Their new documentary, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, will hit theaters on May 7, 2026, while the band awaits possible induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after being nominated for the third time. (Ultimate Classic Rock)
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has revealed that the band’s new drummer Anika Nilles ultimately secured her position in the group’s upcoming ‘Fifty Something’ reunion tour with an outstanding fifth day of rehearsals. Speaking to UK’s Absolute Radio, Lifeson explained that he and bassist Geddy Lee weren’t initially convinced that Nilles was the right fit after four days of practice. “By the fourth day, Ged and I, we talked and we weren’t quite sold on it,” Lifeson said. However, everything changed on day five when Nilles mastered the feel of late drummer Neil Peart‘s arrangements. “Bang! — she just nailed all those songs. And that turned everything around,” Lifeson recalled. Lee added that moment was when “the final tumbler clicked into place” and their questions about going forward with reunion plans were “erased.” Rush, now featuring Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold, is preparing for their 2026 North American tour running from June through December, with 2027 international dates just announced. (Consequence of Sound)