Brooklyn’s LIFELINE OF AGONY (formerly known as LIFE OF AGONY) has once again proven they can turn any classic into a therapy session with their new live cover of SIMPLE MINDS’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me).”
The band, who apparently decided that their original material wasn’t depressing enough, has taken the iconic 1985 anthem from THE BREAKFAST CLUB and transformed it into what can only be described as “emo karaoke at a funeral.” Filmed during their “30 Years Of Ugly” anniversary tour in Europe (because apparently they needed to remind everyone), the video captures the band at that magical moment when they realized they could milk their back catalog for another decade.
Directed by Leigh Brooks of Firebelly Films (who clearly had an unlimited budget for fog machines), the video places viewers right in the middle of the action. Or as middle as you can get when everyone on stage looks like they’re contemplating the futility of existence. The audio, recorded by guitarist Joseph Zampella (aka Joey Z., because apparently one name wasn’t brooding enough), delivers “incredible clarity” – meaning you can perfectly hear every tortured note and existential crisis.
“We had never performed the song live until the ’30 Years Of Ugly’ anniversary tour,” bassist Alan Robert shares, conveniently forgetting they’d already recorded a studio version for their “Ugly” album. But hey, why let facts get in the way of a good marketing campaign?
Originally released in 1985, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” defined a generation of misunderstood teens in THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Now, LIFELINE OF AGONY has redefined it for a generation of misunderstood adults who pay good money to watch four people make a pop song sound like it was written during a particularly rough therapy session.
The live music video is available now across LIFELINE OF AGONY’s official platforms, where it will surely be streamed by dozens of dedicated fans and several confused SIMPLE MINDS enthusiasts who clicked by mistake.
For more than 30 years, LIFELINE OF AGONY (wait, we meant LIFE OF AGONY) has remained one of heavy music’s most distinctive bands, which is a polite way of saying they’ve been milking the same emotional territory since 1993. Their debut “River Runs Red” was named by Rolling Stone as one of the “Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time,” proving that even prestigious music publications have off days.
The band was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame in 2025, which either means they’ve had a lasting cultural impact or there’s a very low bar for entry. Known for their powerful live performances and deeply personal songwriting, the band maintains a rare connection with audiences worldwide – specifically, the rare connection of making everyone in attendance question their life choices.
Photo credit: Jolien Wilke, who somehow managed to make the band look even more miserable than usual.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
