NEWS
Sports Team are offering fans a chance to fire five shots of a web-controlled paintball gun at them – read on to find out how.
The Cambridge band are preparing to release their third studio album ‘Boys These Days’ on May 23 via Distiller Records/Bright Antenna, which you can pre-order/pre-save here. They have previewed the album with the singles ‘I’m In Love (Subaru)’, ‘Condensation’, ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and ‘Maybe When We’re 30’.
Ahead of the release, they will be offering people who pre-order the album the opportunity to hurl paintballs at them.
In an Instagram post on Friday (May 9), they wrote: “On Tuesday we’ll be spending the day in a room doing live sales of the new album with what remains of our dignity and a 3000psi, web-controlled paintball gun. Buy the record. Get five shots.”
The post comes alongside a video of the band in the studio, showing the paintball gun in question aiming at a range of melons. “It’s ok to hate Sports Team,” reads a caption. “Six band members, four hours, one web-enabled fully remote paintball turret gun. Buy the album, get 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 shots. 13th May.”
The band have also announced a series of in-store gigs to take place around the release of the album – tickets are on sale now and can be bought in participating stores or on the band’s site here.
MAY
21 – Banquet, Kingston
22 – Assai at Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
23 – Assai, Glasgow
24 – Live at Leeds signing
25 – Jacaranda Baltic, Liverpool
26 – Rough Trade, Nottingham
27 – Rough Trade, East London
28 – Resident, Brighton
29 – Rough Trade, Bristol
‘Boys These Days’ will be the follow-up to 2022’s ‘Gulp!’, which NME awarded four stars and noted was “a cocky, self-assured record that blends Sports Team’s chaotic energy with a smart, heartfelt understanding of the power of guitar music.”
“Through it all, Sports Team are just trying to have a good time. It’s a relatable sentiment given these times, and whether it’s the escapism of the live show or their communal spirit, ‘Gulp!’ sees the band continue to build something to believe in.”
NEWS
Panic! At The Disco are preparing to release a special deluxe anniversary edition of A Fever You Can't Sweat Out.
The I Write Sins Not Tragedies icons marked the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking 2005 debut album during their performance at When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas over the weekend, and have now confirmed the new edition.
On January 23, the group — originally formed by Brendon Urie, Spencer Smith, Ryan Ross and Brent Wilson — will unveil a limited edition box set that features a remastered version of the record.
The package, priced at £164.99 and available for pre-order, includes 11 unreleased demos and a vinyl pressing of 2006’s Live In Denver. The full live set has also been uploaded to YouTube.
On the band’s UK store, they shared a message:
“To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Panic! At The Disco’s seminal debut album, this limited edition box set brings together a comprehensive time capsule celebrating the record's impact.
This release includes the original album remastered for the first time ever, 11 unreleased demos, plus the legendary 2006 Live In Denver performance — never before released on vinyl or CD.
The box set also includes a 12-page zine with never before seen photos from the era, a sticker set, a door hanger, and a paper doll set.”
By 2023, the band had essentially become a solo project for Urie. Their final show was held in Manchester, UK, where the frontman said: “Sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin.
“We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard… Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon!
The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure.”
Panic! returned to the stage at WWWY over the weekend, performing A Fever You Can't Sweat Out in full alongside fan favorites like This Is Gospel and Nine in the Afternoon.
To end the night, they performed I Write Sins Not Tragedies once again, as Smith reunited with Urie for the emotional closing moment.
