Magic Giant

January 21, 2020

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Digital Noise Staff

Baltimore hardcore outfit End It has officially returned to the stage, seemingly bringing a peaceful resolution to their highly publicized war against costume-clad concertgoers. During the band's June 27th set at the Jera On Air festival in Ysselsteyn, Netherlands, vocalist Akil Godsey was spotted hugging a fan dressed in a full banana suit. Godsey later reshared the photos on his Instagram story, lightheartedly captioning the moment, “The great Banana Treaty of Ysselsteyn.”

The sudden onstage truce comes after weeks of internet scrutiny and industry fallout stemming from the band's June 5th performance in Toronto, Ontario. During that set, Godsey infamously placed a bounty on a concertgoer wearing a banana costume, offering up the band’s physical setlist to anyone who could successfully tear the outfit apart. Proclaiming that the fan "wanted the attention, and now he has it," Godsey watched as members of the crowd aggressively ripped the suit to shreds. The incident sparked intense discourse within the scene regarding concert safety and artists inciting crowd violence over harmless crowd attire.

In the weeks of silence that followed, older footage resurfaced showing End It routinely targeting costumed fans. Meanwhile, the Toronto banana man clarified online that he was simply a fan of headliners Terror, was unfamiliar with End It's strict anti-costume stance, and frequently wears the suit to various shows just for fun. The backlash seemingly carried real professional consequences for the Baltimore band; they were reportedly dropped at the last minute from a highly anticipated fall tour package featuring Hatebreed and Life Of Agony, and their official Facebook page quietly vanished.

When Godsey finally addressed the situation in a video statement last week, he initially doubled down on the behavior, dismissively stating, “We’re a hardcore band, we do hardcore things.” However, kicking off their current European festival run, the band appears ready to move past the drama—one banana hug at a time.

Do you think the "Banana Treaty" is a genuine apology to the scene, or is it just a clever PR move to smooth things over after losing a major tour slot?

#EndIt #Ak…

In a new appearance on the Mark And Me podcast, Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale opened up about the mental and physical shift required to take the stage every night, describing her pre-show nerves as a "beautiful panic." Hale revealed that when she or her bandmates aren't fully "feeling it" before a concert, they resort to high-energy tricks like running in place and yelling backstage to amp themselves up.

Hale, who labels herself a "reformed introvert," explained that about 15 minutes before showtime, an internal countdown begins where she can no longer sit still. She equates the rush to preparing to jump out of an airplane, which has sparked a nightly running joke with her bass player checking to see if he "packed her parachute."

A massive driver of that adrenaline is Halestorm's strict commitment to playing 100% live without backing tracks or click tracks. While Hale notes she isn't against other artists using playback rigs, she feels utilizing them would make her own shows feel too rigid, like a music video shoot. Guitarist Joe Hottinger echoed this sentiment, stating that rock and roll is supposed to be "a little dangerous" and that the band embraces making mistakes on stage. Drummer Arejay Hale also previously pointed out that while performing without a safety net is an uphill battle that requires immense focus and training, it allows the musicians to let the songs breathe and react directly to the crowd's energy.

This unfiltered, organic approach heavily anchored the band's latest musical chapter. Halestorm's sixth studio album, Everest, was released last August via Atlantic Records, featuring production work by Dave Cobb.

Do you prefer the raw, unpredictable energy of a completely live rock show where anything can happen, or do you think backing tracks have a valid place in modern touring?

#Halestorm #LzzyHale #JoeHottinger #ArejayHale #EverestAlbum #DaveCobb #AtlanticRecords #LiveMusic #RockNews2026

$Blink-182 co-founder Tom DeLonge is officially expanding his creative empire into the world of adult animation with his highly anticipated new series, Breaking Bear. The official trailer for the project has made its debut online, offering a first look at a raunchy, action-packed narrative that DeLonge concisely describes as “a ridiculous show about animals doing drugs.” The series centers around a family of articulate, talking bears who decide to build a massive illegal narcotics empire in order to fund the defense of their beloved forest from corporate frackers, while simultaneously battling a parade of violent, underworld enemies. The freshly released trailer leans heavily into crude, fast-paced humor and a chaotic visual style. DeLonge has assembled an elite, star-studded voice cast to bring the forest animals to life, including Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Annie Murphy, Josh Gad, and Elizabeth Hurley. Fans won't have to wait long to binge the project, as Breaking Bear is officially locked to premiere on the streaming service Tubi on July 24th. While DeLonge dives into animation, the musical engine of Blink-182 is simultaneously keeping things moving. The pop-punk legends recently celebrated the landmark 25th anniversary of their classic 2001 record Take Off Your Pants and Jacket. Looking ahead to the live circuit, the trio has formally announced a major European tour slated to kick off in June 2027, ensuring fans will see the band return to their natural habitat on the road next summer. Are you tuning into Tom DeLonge's wild new animation venture next month, or are you already counting down the days to the 2027 tour dates? #TomDeLonge #Blink182 #BreakingBear #Tubi #BrendanFraser #SarahMichelleGellar #AnnieMurphy #JoshGad #AdultAnimation #TakeOffYourPantsAndJacket #RockNews2026$