The band formerly known as Easy Life have now officially changed their name following a legal battle with easyJet’s owners.
In case you aren’t quite up-to-speed with the ongoing controversy, the alternative indie pop group – which formed in Leicester in 2017 – announced back in October of last year that they were being sued by easyJet airline’s owners, easyGroup, due to their name being too similar and therefore supposedly infringing on copyright.
After fans initially thought the band may have been joking about the legal battle, presuming the budget airline group couldn’t possibly be that bothered about the use of the word ‘easy’, it soon transpired that this wasn’t the case, and that it was, unfortunately, all very genuine.
As well as the band’s name, easyGroup – which is owned by Cypriot billionaire Stelios Haji-Ioannou, and has many companies within its conglomerate using the prefix ‘easy’ – also pointed out that the band had used an image of an orange and white plane, similar to the branding for easyJet, on a poster promoting their ‘Life’s A Beach’ tour.
Mr Haji-Ioannou labelled the band “brand thieves” in a statement at the the time.
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Frontman Murray Matravers then issued an emotional statement in a video posted to the band’s Instagram a few days later, admitting that the case was going to be “extremely expensive to fight in the High Court”.
“We would be undertaking an absolutely massive, potentially two-year-long fight against a billion-dollar corporation,” he continued. “We’re not a limited company. It’s our name on the lawsuit, they could take everything and we could be completely financially ruined – they know that and they are extremely aggressive”.
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Easy Life have officially changed their band name following a legal row with easyJet / Credit: Hard Life (via Facebook)
While the group had initially hoped to fight the case, they were later forced to concede defeat due to finances and realising it was essentially a case of, what they called, “David vs Goliath – and our British legal system favours Goliath”.
And now, coming up to nine months since the initial announcement, the group has officially relaunched and released their first single under their new name, Hard Life.
The new single is called ‘tears’, and it’s essentially one big diss track to easyJet.
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Announcing the new single, alongside an accompanying music, with a short statement shared to their official social media platforms yesterday, Hard Life briefly explained what had been happening during their absence.
“Hey it’s been a while. Safe to say the last 9 months haven’t been easy. New song tears out now,” the statement reads.
The band’s new single, ‘tears’, is instead how they’ve chosen to delve further into the legal battle situation, and, as fans have been thoroughly dissecting in the less than 24-hours since its release, contains a handful of lyrics referencing both their new name, as well as some which are obviously directed and poking fun at easyJet.
“It’s a hard life, I can’t lie, it’s been a rush. In the hard times, luck I got friends that I trust. It was easy in my twenties, now I got to lawyer up, give me air-miles or a fair trial,” one of the most prominent lyrics reads.
Another lyric reads: “There’s no use crying over oat milk, seen artists come and go, now I’ve got survivor’s guilt, but I’ll (keep those teardrops from falling).”
It’s uncertain, at this moment in time, what the band – who released their first single, ‘pockets’ under their former name in 2017, and has two UK top 10 albums – intends to do next, but it’s expected that more music under the name Hard Life is to be shared with the world in due course.
Credit – Island Records / Hard Life (via Facebook)
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Aer Lingus is serving ‘classic’ Christmas dinners in the sky this festive period
Danny Jones
Ireland’s national airline Aer Lingus is taking plane food up a notch with a whole new seasonal range throughout the festive period, including ‘classic’ Christmas dinners.
Yes, that’s right: you can get the mother of all Sunday roasts in the sky.
The Irish flight operators and flag carriers are no strangers to pulling out the stops when it comes to convincing people to choose one of their planes the next time they travel, having recently held a huge Black Friday sale on trips to key holiday destinations.
With that in mind, their latest perk certainly got our attention; when have you ever heard of someone eating a Christmas dinner during a flight? Be honest: you haven’t – that’s why it’s such a great idea.
I see roasties and a sweet. Sounds like they understand the Christmas dinners to me (Credit: Aer Lingus).
What’s better than the feeling of knowing you’re on your way to a relaxing getaway? Adding arguably everyone’s favourite meal of the year on top of it for the journey, and that’s exactly what Aer Lingus has done with the new festive menu.
Starting from Sunday, 8 December, passengers on board long-haul Aer Lingus flights departing from Ireland and down the road at Manchester Airport will be serving up what they’ve dubbed a classic Christmas dinner with all these usual suspects on the plate. Meat, gravy, stuffing, veg – you get the gist.
Those flying across the Atlantic during the holidays to destinations like New York, Orlando and Barbados – three of the airline’s most popular destinations – will actually be able to enjoy food and drink from a choice of more than 50 festive favourites.
Be it the familiar roast open or the likes of seasonal turkey sandwiches, Irish cream liqueur desserts, cheese boards and special ‘Merry Berry’ champagne cocktails available in business class, with the latter coming as a winter warmer welcome drink (don’t mind if we do), there’s plenty to choose from.
Even if you’re flying economy, there’s still a scrumptious orange chocolate mousse for afters or a special Santa-inspired chocolate treat for the little ones. Provided they’ve eaten all their veggies, of course…
You don’t have to stick with a roast either (Credit: Aer Lingus).
To top it all off, the airline will also be screening plenty of classics to watch whilst you’re enjoying your food, from Home Alone, Elf, The Polar Express and Love Actually, to as well as Christmas TV specials like Friends, Father Ted, The Big Bang Theory, The US Office and more.
If none of those takes your fancy, there are also plenty of documentaries, kids’ entertainment, podcasts and games as per usual, or you should tilt your head back and enjoy some seasonal music.
Aer Lingus‘ Chief Customer Officer, Susanne Carberry, said: “At Aer Lingus, we take great pride in the role we play in bringing family and friends together to celebrate the special moments, particularly at this time of year. With the holiday season getting underway, we’re doing all we can to ensure that we make every journey count for our customers.
Christmas meals will be available onboard from 8-24 December, so if you’re looking to fly transatlantic during the festive period, you may want to take an airborne Sunday dinner into account.
You can swap Christmas toys for FREE pizzas at any Rudy’s in Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
In an all new partnership, trusted pizza maker Rudy’s, are running a new campaign offering free pizzas in return for new Christmas toys.
From Monday 2 December to Friday 6 December, these pizza masters are offering Mancs and pizza lovers who visit any of their branches the chance to get their hands on some free doughy goodness.
This is thanks to Rudy’s teaming up with Cash For Kids to bring gifts and joy to children in need this Christmastime.
There are currently three sites across the city centre, and plenty more in the suburbs, meaning pizza lovers don’t have to travel to far to donate a new Christmas toy in return for some free gorgeous grub.
Take a job off Mr. Claus’s plate while filling your own and help him load his sleigh this festive season by taking your toy to any Rudy’s location between 12pm and 5pm.
This new deal comes in collaboration with child-focused charity solely dedicated to improving the lives of kids in need and disadvantaged young people across the UK.
Alongside this unbelievable deal, their website has lots of other fantastic ways to donate to charity including their latest t-shirt sported by our two favourite cheeky jungle co-hosts Ant and Dec.
Titled ‘Swap Toys For Pizza Joy’ all the gifts brought into the pizza restaurants need to be sealed or unopened.
Rudy’s also request that these toys which diners bring into their various locations are suitable for all children aged between 5 and 12.
The Christmas tree as you enter the Peter Street site.Swap a toy for a pizza at Rudy’s.Look at all those gifts!
Not only is this offer ingenious, anyone who brings their toy in exchange for a pizza is helping make Christmas for a child in need that little more merrier.
This Christmas-inspired campaign is taking place at all Rudy’s branches from Monday 2 December to Friday 6 December and all you have to do is bring yourself… and a toy!
Emily Sergeant -
12th June 2024 
