LIFE OF AGONY Releases Live Video For 'Don't You (Forget About Me)', A Darker Reimagining Of Iconic 'Breakfast Club' Hit

Brooklyn, New York's LIFE OF AGONY has released a powerful new live music video capturing their emotionally charged cover of "Don't You (Forget About Me)", the SIMPLE MINDS anthem made famous by its appearance in the 1985 John Hughes film "The Breakfast Club".

Filmed during the band's "30 Years Of Ugly" anniversary tour in Europe, the video — which can be seen below — captures LIFE OF AGONY at a defining moment in their career. While honoring the spirit of the original, the band delivers a distinctly LIFE OF AGONY–sounding interpretation — darker, heavier, and more emotionally weighty than the original recording, transforming the song into something raw, brooding, and deeply personal.

The video was filmed and directed by Leigh Brooks of Firebelly Films, a longtime visual collaborator who has also directed several LIFE OF AGONY music videos, as well as the band's acclaimed documentary "The Sound Of Scars". Brooks's immersive live-performance approach places viewers directly inside the venue, capturing the intense connection between band and crowd.

Audio for the performance was recorded, mixed, and mastered by LIFE OF AGONY guitarist Joseph Zampella, a.k.a. Joey Z., delivering incredible clarity while preserving the grit and immediacy of the live experience.

"Even though our studio version of 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' appears on 'Ugly', we had never performed the song live until the '30 Years Of Ugly' anniversary tour," LIFE OF AGONY bassist Alan Robert shares. "Bringing it to the stage after all these years — and experiencing the live energy of the crowd — made the song one of the highlights of the set every night."

Originally released in 1985, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" defined a broken generation through "The Breakfast Club", symbolizing youth, alienation, and connection — themes that have long aligned with LIFE OF AGONY's own body of work. This live rendition underscores the song's enduring relevance while showcasing the band's ability to fully claim and transform familiar material through their own uncompromising lens.

The live music video is available now across LIFE OF AGONY's official platforms.

For more than 30 years, LIFE OF AGONY have remained one of heavy music's most distinctive and emotionally resonant bands, revered for their vulnerability, authenticity, and genre-defying sound. Their landmark 1993 debut, "River Runs Red", was named by Rolling Stone as one of the "Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time", cementing its legacy as a defining release of the era and an enduring influence on generations of artists across rock and metal.

Continuing to shape the landscape of heavy music decades into their career, LIFE OF AGONY was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame in 2025, recognizing the band's lasting cultural impact and contribution to the genre. Known for their powerful live performances and deeply personal songwriting, the band maintains a rare and deeply felt connection with audiences worldwide — one that has only strengthened over time.

Photo credit: Jolien Wilke