Connect with us

Published

on

They’re one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, with more than 100 million albums sold and 2,500 live shows across 64 countries under their belts.

And now Iron Maiden have their own set of stamps, too.

Joining the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Elton John and Paul McCartney, the “bona fide rock legends” have been immortalised in post by the Royal Mail.

Twelve Iron Maiden stamps have been created, with eight featuring all current members of the band.

One of twelve new stamps, showing Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Steve Harris in Pamplona, September 1988, to honour British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden

Guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and lead singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain and bassist Steve Harris all appear in the commemorative project.

Four stamps also pay homage to the band’s mascot Eddie, including him as a samurai warrior from their 17th album, Senjutsu, which charted at number two in the UK in 2021.

Harris said he and his bandmates are “very proud” to be honoured by the Royal Mail.

More from Ents & Arts

“We were all absolutely astounded – in a good way – when we heard first about the commemorative project, and equally pretty much speechless when we saw the stamps for the very first time,” he said.

“They look superb and I think they really capture the essence and energy of Maiden.”

Four new stamps, showing Iron Maiden's mascot, Eddie, to honour British heavy metal band
Image:
Iron Maiden’s mascot, Eddie, also makes an appearance

‘A band who have never played by anyone else’s rules’

Formed by Harris in London in 1975, Iron Maiden have had 35 songs in the top 40, according to Official Charts Company – including one number one, the 1988 single Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter.

They have also had five number-one albums including Fear Of The Dark, The Book Of Souls, The Final Frontier, Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son and The Number Of The Beast.

Rod Smallwood, the band’s manager, said: “As a band who have never played by anyone else’s rules for over 40 years, it’s very gratifying to see them honoured in their home country in this way.

“We’re proud to show how these six band members are still appealing to more and more fans every year with their music and their legendary shows – which I think these stamps really capture well.”

Undated handout photo issued by Royal Mail of a new set of 12 stamps featuring the Rolling Stones, which will go on sale from January 20. Issue date: Tuesday January 11, 2022.
Image:
The Rolling Stones (pictured), Queen and The Beatles are among the other British acts to have featured on Royal Mail stamps

The stamps also feature the Queen’s silhouette, having been created before the move to feature the King.

“It’s also fantastic that Eddie has been honoured too – it’s incredible to think that Her Majesty, may she rest in peace, saw these and lent her iconic silhouette to them too,” Smallwood added.

David Gold, director of external public affairs and policy at Royal Mail, said: “Few bands in the history of rock music can be called bona fide rock legends – but Iron Maiden are just that – and more.”

The Royal Mail stamps are available to order from Thursday 5 January and are on sale from 12 January.

Iron Maiden will embark on The Future Past tour in May 2023, with shows in the UK and Ireland in June and July.

As well as music acts, commemorative stamps have previously been released to celebrate everything and everyone from COVID pandemic heroes and Pride, to Transformers and the FA Cup.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

US election: The celebrities backing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris

Published

on

By

US election: The celebrities backing Donald Trump or Kamala Harris

Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?

With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.

Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump‘s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.

According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.

As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Harris.

The Avengers

In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.

Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson, Captain America star Chris Evans, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr all feature in the video, along with Don Cheadle and British star Paul Bettany.

Ruffalo cited climate change, education and women’s reproductive rights among the issues voters should consider.

“We’re back,” he captioned the post. “Let’s #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts.”

Taylor Swift

MTV Video Music Awards 2024 - Red Carpet ** STORY AVAILABLE, CONTACT SUPPLIER** Featuring: Taylor Swift Where: New York, New York, United States When: 11 Sep 2024 Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com  (Cover Images via AP Images)
Image:
Pic: Janet Mayer/ INSTARimages/ Cover Images/ AP 2024

The pop mega star confirmed her support for Ms Harris in September, posting a picture of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button – a reference to Mr Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s “childless cat lady” comments.

Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

In response, Mr Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price” for her comments.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Former California Governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives for a ceremony to receive a honorary doctorate by the Hertie School, a university of governance, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Image:
Pic: AP

The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.

However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”

In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.

He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.

He ended by saying the country needs to “close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.”

Jennifer Lopez

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

‘You can’t spell American without Rican’

The actress and singer spoke out during a Democratic rally in Las Vegas, criticising comments made during a Trump rally about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage”.

“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.

Lopez told supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.

Madonna

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Harris.

Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”

Beyonce

Beyoncé hugged Kamala Harris after welcoming her to the stage. Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

Beyonce appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”

The star said she was not attending the event as a celebrity, but was there “as a mother”.

She added: “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”

Charli XCX

Charli XCX poses on the red carpet of the annual Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Earlier in the year, Ms Harris embraced the social media trend of a “brat summer”, inspired by British pop star Charli XCX‘s latest album, Brat.

It came after the singer-songwriter, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, wrote in a post on X: “kamala IS brat”.

She later told New York Magazine: “To be on the right side of democracy, the right side of women’s rights, is hugely important to me… I’m happy to help to prevent democracy from failing forever.”

Brat has now been named word of the year by Collins, which said it inspired a lifestyle “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude”.

Bruce Springsteen

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Springsteen calls Trump a ‘tyrant’

Rock icon Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.

Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.

“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.

Eminem

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Obama raps Eminem

The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.

The former president joked he had “noticed my palms are sweaty” before rapping several lines from the Grammy award-winning artist’s hit song Lose Yourself.

Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.

Republican presidential nominee and former US.President Donald Trump looks on as Democratic presidential nominee and US Vice President Kamala Harris' face appears as a video plays on a screen, during a rally at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.

Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.

Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.

Elon Musk

Elon Musk speaks at Madison Square Garden in New York. Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

The tech billionaire has donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid.

Musk previously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.

At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan, professional entertainer and wrestler, gestures during a rally for Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden, in New York, U.S., October 27, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Image:
Pic: Reuters


The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.

He told “Trumpamaniacs” at Madison Square Garden that he had won heavyweight titles and body-slammed “giants” there, but the energy at the rally was “something like I’ve never felt”, and “the most powerful force in the universe”.

The retired wrestler, whose real name is Terry Gene Bollea, has shared several photographs of himself and Mr Trump on social media.

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson poses at a special screening of the film "Monster Summer," Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Image:
Pic: AP

Hollywood star Mel Gibson will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.

According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”

He said voting for Mr Trump would be “a pretty good guess”, and reportedly added: “I know what it’ll be like if we let her in and that ain’t good. Miserable track record – appalling track record. No policies to speak of. And she’s got the IQ of a fence post.”

Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid speaks at a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, Calif. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Image:
Pic: AP

The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.

“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?

“Are we gonna be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders?”

Jon Voight

Jon Voight attends the Vanity Fair Oscar party in Beverly Hills during the 92nd Academy Awards, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
Image:
Pic: Reuters


Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.

In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”

Voight accused Hollywood peers supporting Ms Harris of “putting out videos trying to brainwash the American people to do the most dangerous vote ever”.

Jake Paul

Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul press conference ** STORY AVAILABLE, CONTACT SUPPLIER** Featuring: Jake Paul Where: New York, New York, United States When: 19 Aug 2024 Credit: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages.com  (Cover Images via AP Images)
Image:
Pic: Janet Mayer/INSTARimages/ Cover Images/ AP

YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul has also shared a video message endorsing Mr Trump.

He captioned the clip, “Who I’m supporting for president and why you should too…” but began by saying he had been “nervous, scared” to make it because of potential repercussions for his career.

Encouraging his followers to do their own research and not just listen to “your favourite pop star”, he said he had rescinded his right to vote after moving to Puerto Rico for his boxing career – but that he wanted to present his millions of followers “with proper facts, numbers and data to encourage them to vote in the proper direction to quite literally save America”.

Things “don’t feel right” in the US at the moment, he said, which shows “that we are more divided than ever”. He added: “What is the problem? Democrats have been in power for 12 of the last 16 years, so if we aren’t happy… then who is to blame?”

Kelsey Grammar

Kelsey Grammer arrives at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Image:
Pic: AP

The Frasier star – who has reportedly spoken of his support for Mr Trump in the past – was asked about being a Republican in Hollywood in an interview with the New York Times in September.

“For me to be anything else would be a problem,” he replied. “I don’t go along with a lot of what is preached in Hollywood. I go along with what is preached in Christianity. I go along with do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

“And I believe in all people: I believe in their desires and their lives and their worth. I want to make shows about that. I don’t want to hate anybody.”

Kid Rock

Kid Rock speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at the National Guard Association of the United States' 146th General Conference, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Image:
Pic: AP

The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.

In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.

He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

‘Amateurish’ thieves steal Andy Warhol print of Queen Elizabeth II – but ‘can’t fit other stolen pictures in getaway car’

Published

on

By

'Amateurish' thieves steal Andy Warhol print of Queen Elizabeth II - but 'can't fit other stolen pictures in getaway car'

“Amateurish” thieves have made off with a screen print of Queen Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol as part of a botched gallery heist in the Netherlands.

The thieves blew open the gallery doors, stealing two works from the iconic American pop artist, the gallery’s owner Mark Peet Visser said.

Another two prints were left badly damaged in the street after the thieves discovered they wouldn’t fit in the getaway car, he added.

The heist was captured on security cameras, Mr Visser said, describing the whole thing as “amateurish”.

The gallery owner said “the bomb attack was so violent that my entire building was destroyed” and nearby stores were also damaged.

Screen prints depicting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, part of a series of sixteen prints of four queens titled Reigning Queens, 1985, by Andy Warhol at museum Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, similar to a Warhol work stolen from a gallery in Oisterwijk, Netherlands, early Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
Image:
Thieves also seized a screen print depicting Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. File pic: AP

“So they did that part of it well, too well actually,” he added.

“And then they ran to the car with the prints and it turns out that they won’t fit in the car.

“At that moment the works are ripped out of the frames and you also know that they are damaged beyond repair, because it is impossible to get them out undamaged.”

The thieves struck the MPV Gallery in the Dutch town of Oisterwijk early on Friday.

Mr Visser said they were attempting to steal four works from a 1985 Warhol series called Reigning Queens.

The series featured portraits of the then queens of the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Swaziland, which is now called Eswatini.

The thieves got away with the portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Margrethe II of Denmark, Mr Visser said.

But the prints of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Ntombi Tfwala, who is now known as the queen mother of Eswatini, were abandoned.

Read more from Sky News:
The celebrities backing Trump or Harris
British singer influences word of the year
Arrest after burglary at Ben Stokes’s home

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Mr Visser has not put a value on the signed and numbered works, which were due to go on sale as part of an art fair later this month.

Forensic experts have scoured the badly damaged gallery and Dutch police are appealing for witnesses.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Eddie Redmayne says preparing for The Day of the Jackal role almost ended in off-set disaster

Published

on

By

Eddie Redmayne says preparing for The Day of the Jackal role almost ended in off-set disaster

Eddie Redmayne says he nearly ended up in hot water off-set whilst filming new Sky Atlantic show The Day of the Jackal.

Speaking to Sky News about the challenges of modernising Frederick Forsyth’s acclaimed novel, the Oscar-winning actor said it took months of intensive preparation to play a character that assumes a range of different ages and nationalities.

“What’s interesting about the Jackal is in some ways he is an actor and this whole series was a kind of actor’s playground,” he explained.

“I am a sucker for process… so it was languages, it was prosthetics, different costumes… and then all the gun work as well… I had about three or four months prepping, and it was pretty fun.”

From the first episode, the actor was required to casually be able to construct a gun out of the internal workings of a wheelie case. While he’d already been given advanced weapons training, his eagerness to take props home to practice could have nearly ended in his arrest.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Eddie Redmayne’s kids want him to play a ‘goodie’.

“There is a moment at which the Jackal constructs this rifle…it is a beautiful bit of prop design…and I’m a really shoddy prop actor, so in Budapest, I asked the prop master if I could take home this case with me to work on it in the hotel,” he said.

“I was in the midst of eating some goulash and I suddenly went ‘Argh’ as I realised that I had left this gigantic sniper’s rifle – and the hotel was basically the equivalent of Trafalgar Square – pointing out a window and it was about to be the turndown service.

Pic: Sky
Image:
The Jackal getting out of one of his disguises. Pic: Sky UK

An unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, (Eddie Redmayne) makes his living.carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a.tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a.thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. Pic: Sky UK/ Carnival Film & Television Limited 2024
Image:
Pic: Sky UK/ Carnival Film & Television Limited 2024

“I remember running down the corridor and the person that works in the hotel pushing down the towels [trolley] and some extra little toiletries and I just barged through the door and deconstructed this thing… otherwise that could have been a moment because it looked pretty persuasive.”

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Keeping the action mostly contained onscreen, the star acknowledges it is a risky gamble to attempt a modern reboot of a much-loved classic.

He explained: “I loved it since I was a kid and so when the scripts arrived in my inbox there was definitely a moment of trepidation.”

Pic: Sky
Image:
Lashana Lynch plays an intelligence officer hunting down the Jackal. Pic: Sky UK

Forsyth’s acclaimed novel has had many lives since it came out in the early 70s, but the 1973 film version is how most people will remember the cat and mouse thriller, including its leading man.

“The original film was very much a binary sense of good and evil,” Redmayne said.

“We live in a world now, certainly in social media, in which things dictate that there is a right and a wrong and the grey territory is harder to navigate, I suppose… the series makes some sort of gestures towards that.”

Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal & Úrsula Coberó as Nuria in Day Of The Jackal. Pic: Sky UK/ Carnival Film & Television Ltd 2024
Image:
Redmayne alongside co-star Ursula Cobero. Pic: Sky UK/ Carnival Film & Television Ltd 2024

In the 10-part TV Sky Atlantic series, viewers will see that the Jackal is still an elite assassin carrying out a seemingly impossible hit. But, in this version, James Bond star Lashana Lynch plays an intelligence officer hunting him down.

The show takes in the rise of right-wing extremism, tech megalomaniacs and themes of assassination.

With the attempt on the life of Donald Trump, and a terrifying cycle of violence and assassination in the Middle East, there is something that feels eerily prescient about the timing of the modern reboot.

“What the series does [show] is that there’s ambiguity in everyone and I feel that that’s kind of where we’re at slightly in the world,” Redmayne said.

(left to right) Sule Rimi, Chukwudi Iwuji, Jon Arias, Nick Blood, Ursula Corbero, Lashana Lynch, Eddie Redmayne, Charles Dance, Lia Williams, Ben Hall, Jonjo O'Neill and Richard Dormer attending the Day of the Jackal UK premiere at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Picture date: Tuesday October 22, 2024.
Image:
The Day Of The Jackal cast at the London premiere. Pic: PA

Read more:
Eddie Redmayne says his dad told him not to ‘screw up’ role
The film opening the conversation about sex work

For the actor, the final pulse-raising moment will be finding out what fans and his family make of the drama, not that he’ll be tuning in personally.

“Truth be told, nothing would pain me more than watching myself on screen, so I won’t be doing that… but I will be encouraging my family to watch it… it was my dad’s favourite film,” he said.

The Day of the Jackal is out on Sky Atlantic and NOW on 7 November.

Continue Reading

Trending