Beastie Boys' Mike D: 'We Can't Make New Music'

Since the untimely passing in 2012 of founding member Adam "MCA" Yauch, the Beastie Boys have remained a scant presence on the periphery of the popular conscious; their Facebook and Twitter feeds go largely unused, and have done for some time, so you could be forgiven for wondering what had become of, or what future could possibly remain for, the iconic hip-hop act.

Sadly, it has come out in testimony during the course of their current legal stoush with Monster Energy that the Beastie Boys officially have nothing left in the tank.

Taking the stand on Friday, Michael "Mike D" Diamond said: “We have not been able to tour since MCA, Adam Yauch, died.

“We can't make new music.”

The lawsuit came about following the release of a video by Monster Energy that used five Beastie Boys tracks -  four of which were So What'cha Want, Sabotage, Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun, and Make Some Noise - without permission in a promotional video for its annual Ruckus In The Rockies event. The band are seeking $1 million in damages for the transgression, while Monster maintains that penalty is excessive.

Also arising from the testimony was the revelation the band had been approached by the makers of recent Arnold Schwarzenegger shoot'n'slash Sabotage to use the track of the same name in their film - a request the Beastie Boys summarily dismissed.

"It felt like too much of an endorsement,” Diamond said. “We weren't fans of Mr. Schwarzenegger's recent ... work.”

Remember the good times with a slice of the last Beasties album we'll ever get to enjoy: