Reeves with Stick Men is not happening

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More about Robert and Olivia at Glastonbury

 From The Times:

When Olivia Rodrigo met David, Lily and Rob — the art of the surprise guest

From the Glastonbury headliner to Sabrina Carpenter and Dua Lipa, why every pop diva needs a throwback cameo in summer 2025

Will Hodgkinson

One surprise appearance really was a big surprise at Glastonbury. While everyone knew about the so-called secret sets by Pulp, Haim and Lewis Capaldi, absolutely nobody suspected that Robert Smith was to join the American pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo during her Sunday night headline slot, for a rendition of the Cure’s Just Like Heaven and Friday I’m in Love.

“Nobody even spotted him driving in,” says Julian Stockton, earthly representative of Robert Smith and the Cure, who found out himself only when he was watching Rodrigo’s set at home on television. “Robert has no manager, so Olivia must have asked him directly. Her dad is a massive Cure fan, so it is a classic case of a parent’s record collection rubbing off on the child.”

It was quite a duet: a super-perky 22-year-old former Disney child star and the raven-haired 66-year-old godfather of the misunderstood. How did it happen? “We did make up a list of potential guest spots for Olivia, but Robert Smith wasn’t on it, so the request must have come from her,” a source close to Rodrigo confirms. “It made for a moment nobody expected but everyone will remember.”

More Robert and Olivia at Glastonbury

Another photo of Robert Smith with Olivia Rodrigo and her band at Glastonbury.

Photo from her drummer jordiiimusic

Olivia Rodrigo guitarist Arianna Powell on Robert

From Guitar World:

“Our MD told us, ‘This is very secret – you cannot tell anyone, but Robert Smith is going to be joining us.’ And I swear to God, I started crying”: The moment Olivia Rodrigo guitarist Arianna Powell found out she’d be playing with a Cure legend

By Michael Astley-Brown 

Smith had some words of wisdom for Rodrigo’s band ahead of his surprise guest spot at one of the most star-studded music festivals in the world

Olivia Rodrigo made headlines with their headline Glastonbury set – not just because it was a guitar-heavy rock show that won over the sceptics, but because it featured the biggest surprise of the entire festival: a guest performance from Robert Smith.

The Cure icon appeared onstage with Rodrigo and her band to perform Friday I’m In Love and Just Like Heaven. It was one of the highlights of the festival, but it was especially emotional for lead guitarist Arianna Powell.

“We found out in Nashville when we were rehearsing for Bonnaroo, which ended up getting canceled,” she tells Guitar World in a new interview. “Stacy [Jones], our music director, came and told us, and was like, ‘This is very secret – you cannot tell anyone, but he's going to be joining us.’ And I swear to God, I started crying. Like, I started tearing up.

“Because I'm a huge fan, especially those guitar parts. I love, love, love, love, love, love, love the guitar parts, specifically in those songs, specifically Friday I'm in Love. So I was just so stoked to get to actually play that with the artist.”

A veteran session player with everyone from Halsey to Black Eyed Peas, Powell nailed both tracks, calling on a Kemper to make sure her tones were dead-on for the performance.

Although Rodrigo’s band was a well-oiled machine at this point, you’d be forgiven for feeling just a little bit nervous ahead of performing with your hero, but Smith had some reassuring words when he hung out with the group ahead of the show.

“He was so cool. He was leaving his dressing room door open for us to hang out. He wanted to talk and be social. Through conversations with him, he was just saying, ‘It's just another show.’ And he was talking about how much he enjoys performing, and he loves it every time.

That really inspired me and my energy for that night. Like, ‘Yeah, it's just another show – and I love doing this.’ The collective energy of the band that day was really infectious.”

Powell lent on her Gretsch Silver Falcon to handle the Cure classics’ lead lines, but heavier moments in the show saw her turning to Charvel and Jackson shred guitars – the latter of which was inspired by Rodrigo and her band’s love of hardcore darlings Turnstile.

Guitar World’s full interview with Ariana Powell will be published later this month.

Reeves joins Stick Men for some shows

"Due to an ongoing medical issue, Tony Levin will be unable to perform at the upcoming Stick Men shows-for now. While we remain hopeful that Tony may rejoin the tour at a later date, we're grateful to have some remarkable guest artists stepping in during his absence.

Reeves Gabrels-acclaimed guitarist known for his fearless work with David Bowie, Tin Machine, and The Cure -will be joining Markus Reuter and Pat Mastelotto onstage beginning with our show at The Haggin Museum in Stockton, CA on July 17th.

Reeves is a risk-taker whose approach to the guitar mirrors our own spirit of innovation and improvisation. He brings a bold, expressive voice to the mix-perfectly in tune with the Stick Men vision. These will be unique and unforgettable performances, and we're thrilled to share this rare collaboration with you.

We know nothing can truly replace Tony's presence, but we're honored to have special guests, Janek Gwizdala (The Baked Potato), Tom Griesgraber (San Marcos), and now Reeves Gabrels, step in and help us deliver the kind of bold, genre-defying music you've come to expect. Thank you for your continued support and we'll see you on the road."

-Stick Men

July 13 - Los Angeles, CA (The Baked Potato)

July 15 - San Marcos, CA (The Bornemann Theater)

July 17-Stockton, CA (The Haggin Museum)

July 18 - Fresno, CA (Frank's Place)

July 19 - Santa Cruz, CA (UCSC Music Center Recital Hall)

July 20 - Petaluma, CA (Mystic Theatre)

July 23 - Arcata, CA (Playhouse Arts)

July 25 - Eugene, OR (WOW Hall)

July 26 - Corvallis, OR (Whiteside Theatre)

July 27 - Portland, OR (Star Theater)

July 29 - Vancouver, BC (Rickshaw Theatre)

July 30-Seattle, WA (The Triple Door)

Tickets are available at: www.stickmenband.com