CONSEQUENCE @consequence

Afroman disagrees with Riot Fest's decision to cancel his set due to severe weather: "I did a show in Hurricane Katrina one time back in my day! But you know, these young people... they're finicky and scary. A couple of lightning and thunder: 'No, I'm sorry, everything's canceled!' "I ain't mad at them. They did what they felt they had to do. They let me keep all the money, so everything's all right."

John Lydon leads Public Image Ltd. at Riot Fest

95-year-old William Shatner debuts his new metal project and covers "Crazy Train" at Riot Fest.

Chad Gilbert, guitarist and co-founding member of New Found Glory, has died at the age of 45. Gilbert had battled cancer since 2021, when doctors removed a rare tumor from his adrenal gland that was initially diagnosed as a pheochromocytoma. The cancer later spread to his spine, lungs, back, and brain, requiring multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. In April 2026, Gilbert said his diagnosis had been revised to stage 4 adrenocortical carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of adrenal cancer. 📸: Joey Foley/FilmMagic

At 95 years old, William Shatner played his first-ever metal show, taking on Ozzy Osbourne, Motörhead, and Metallica classics with his unmistakable spoken-word delivery during a Riot Fest pre-show on Saturday. consequence.net/2026/09/willia…

AI-generated "actress" Tilly Norwood malfunctioned during a live interview, unexpectedly switching to Cantonese mid-answer. consequence.net/2026/09/ai-act…

Morrissey actually showed up and played @RiotFest , albeit with a truncated set due to rain. 🎥: Karan Singh / 📸: Rachel Zyzda

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Ed Sheeran admitted that he considered canceling the rest of his US tour and felt abandoned by certain friends and family in the wake of the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal. However, he ultimately decided to move forward after seeing that fans were still holding on to tickets for his Philadelphia concert: "I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me." consequence.net/2026/09/ed-she…

Before closing out his concert in Philadelphia, Ed Sheeran spoke more about the events of the past week, revealing that he had considered canceling the remainder of his tour and felt abandoned by certain friends and family: "People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you." "The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life. Today has been one of the weirdest days of my life. Tonight has been honestly the best show of my life, the best show. "I really didn't know whether this tour would be carrying on. I really didn't know whether I'd even be getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it's been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly. "And the whole time, I had so many people telling me to cancel this tour, and so many people coming out of my life that I've known for years and years and years just kind of backing away. And in the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig. I didn't see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig... Everyone's telling me to cancel, and I'm feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me. And I look at the end of the week, and I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned me. "People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this. I love what this concert brings. I love bringing people together from all backgrounds, all races, all religions, all political ideas. Lots of people here have differing opinions, and we've had a great night. You are standing next to people and dancing with people you may disagree with, but you probably understand them better by being one and loved. And I have had so many opinions on this, but the root of it is love. And if this tour ends, love doesn't win. Love doesn't win. I can't let you guys down. I can't, and that's why I'm here tonight on my own. "I know how much effort it takes for you guys to get here. It's not just a ticket that you buy. It's hotels, it's flights, it's buses, it's babysitters, it's restaurants that you've booked in town before you've come here, it's people staying with you that you're going to the gig with, it's having your grandmother come to stay. It's a hell of a lot of effort. There's a hell of a lot of stories here, a hell of a lot of families, a hell of a lot of love. And I can't just bury my head and go, 'Oh, that doesn't matter anymore.' "This wasn't the easy option tonight. I didn't know what was going to happen; I heard all sorts of things were going to happen. I didn't know whether I'd be safe, or you'd be safe, or things would be thrown at me, or people would boo. And I've walked out, and I've felt so much love from you guys, and I'm so grateful. "The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope. This gives hope. Thank you so much, Philadelphia. I hope you all have had fun... "My shows are about this: they're about unity, they're about love, they're about family. They're about people coming together that don't know each other, that have different beliefs, and jumping around like maniacs with each other and having fun. And I will never stop doing this. I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much."

Ed Sheeran says security concerns caused him to change the stage setup for his first concert back in Philadelphia, including scrapping the B-stage typically positioned in the middle of the crowd. "I'm gonna be totally honest with you: I didn't know what this audience would be like tonight. I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me... I took the B-stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that." consequence.net/2026/09/ed-she…

consequence.net/2026/09/ed-she…

Ed Sheeran opened his concert in Philadelphia on Saturday by addressing the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal from the tour, concerns over venues restricting artists' speech, and his own views on Israel and Palestine: "I've had to make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry. I don't want to disappoint fans, and I've never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet. Of course. "My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am, and that is why I'm here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour. "But I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performance. This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world. "Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand. I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division—about humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. "What happened in Israel at the Nova music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives. And the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. "I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning because I do not know enough. "I honestly am so grateful that you're here tonight with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views. Everyone here can stand by people that they don't agree with on everything, and they can all agree on singing these songs. And these songs are about love, hope, and unity." 📸: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Thanks to a looming storm, Riot Fest offered attendees a rare sight: Tool in the daylight.

Tom Morello delivers an ever-timely performance of "Killing in the Name" at Louder Than Life Festival.

Angine de Poitrine does some crowd work before serenading Riot Fest with their madness.

David Lynch's Films, Ranked: 10. Dune 09. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me 08. Inland Empire 07. Lost Highway 06. The Straight Story 05. Wild at Heart 04. The Elephant Man 03. Eraserhead 02. Mulholland Drive 01. Blue Velvet consequence.net/list/david-lyn…

Orville Peck confirms the lyric "I made out with a guy on the Raiders" from his new album Mule is based on a real-life encounter. consequence.net/2026/09/orvill…

Shakira kicked off her "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour" residency in Madrid, Spain, performing to a sold-out crowd of more than 50,000 fans at Shakira Stadium. Credit: Chris Cornejo

Damon Albarn holds up a Palestinian flag during Gorillaz's concert in Orlando, FL: "Don't forget this. Ever. Stand your position. Don't ever be neutral." Credit: Beco97 / TikTok