NAPALM DEATH – the UK grindcore pioneers who have been active for more than four decades – performed a live session for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series on 15 July 2026. The set, which is available on NPR’s website and on YouTube, shows the band delivering their characteristic intensity in an intimate setting.
During the performance, vocalist Barney Greenway said: “I’ve dipped in and out of Democracy Now! via NPR Radio for decades now to get my unvarnished yet thoughtful North American news. So when the NPR Tiny Desk thing came up, it kind of blew my tiny mind a little bit. We realised that we were going to reach far more people than usual with the TD performance, but as you might expect from Napalm Death, we were never going to temper the performance to any degree. We hope everybody at least gets something from it, even if it’s just an understanding of musical abrasion being pushed to the nth degree. Please always support public access broadcasting in view of the ongoing relentless attacks upon it.”
The session was curated by NPR Music producer and writer Lars Gotrich, who added: “The first grindcore band at the Tiny Desk had to be the founding fathers. I turned down or said ‘maybe later’ to so many others – that’s how important it was to me to get this right. There is only one NAPALM DEATH, not only exemplary of extreme music but also what it takes to be human in what feels like an inhumeane time.”
NAPALM DEATH will also perform at the ArcTanGent Festival 2026, taking place at Fernhill Farm from 19–22 August.
The band has announced a second leg of its “Campaign For Musical Destruction” tour across Europe in November and December 2026, supporting acts Master, Brat and Goatburner. Full tour dates and ticket information are available on the band’s website.