‘An album of dazzling versatility’ – Daily Mail

‘As she deftly moves between genres, the constant is her perfect vocals’ – The Sun

‘Beverley masters bouncing house pianos and bassy R&B with equal skill’ – Daily Star

‘An immaculate set from a world-class performer who is hard to pigeonhole’ – Daily Mirror

‘A superb return.’ – 4* Retropop Magazine

‘The Fifth Chapter seamlessly covers diverse musical ground’ – 4* Classic Pop 

After a triumphant 2023 that included a phenomenal new studio record, on top of a rapturous UK headline tour, undoubted Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight returns in 2024 right out of the blocks with superb new track ‘Not Prepared For You’ – written by Diane Warren, taken from that critically acclaimed studio album, The Fifth Chapter – out now on Tag8/BMG.

A grand, orchestral ballad with a 60s soul vibe, ‘Not Prepared For You’ was written by Diane Warren, with the pair in Hollywood. Listen here.

“When Diane was playing songs for me to consider, she loaded up ‘Not Prepared For You’, which I KNEW instantly was an absolute smash, before I even heard the chorus. I was cutting it the next day.” On her time with Dianne, Beverley goes on to reflect; “My God, that woman blows in like a hurricane! She’s so inspiring. As an older woman still writing huge hits across different genres, she’s proof that age in pop no longer matters.”

The new record, that dropped at the end of last year, marked Beverley’s 50th birthday and saw her in simply superb form. It was BBC Radio 2’s ‘Album Of The Week’, she performed a showstopping live vocal performance on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing results show (watch here), and also saw The Daily Mail describe it as “an album of dazzling versatility”, The Sun noting her “perfect vocals” and the Daily Mirror branding her as “a world-class performer.”

No stranger to the spotlight, Beverley can do it all. An Olivier award-winning star of the West End stage, Saturday night TV regular on Starstruck, and an astounding singer with a prolific music career. She finds herself aged 50, bigger than ever.

2024 will first see Beverley perform as part of BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room month on January 30th, where she will perform a special Radiohead cover. She will then dive back into the West End, starring in Sister Act at the Dominion Theatre from March 11th – June 8th, shortly followed by a special main stage appearance at Isle Of Wight Festival, before heading back out on the road to perform six additional UK headline shows that came off the back of such huge demand from last year’s tour. She will perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall on September 23rd.

Expect fun-filled nights where she will perform all of her classic hits, fan favourites along with brand new songs.

UK LIVE DATES 2024:

JUNE

20 – Essex, Chelmsford Ladies Day Headline

23 – Isle Of Wight Festival (Main Stage)

AUGUST

23 – Winchester, CarFest (Main Stage)

SEPTEMBER

19 – Northampton Derngate

20 – Harrogate Convention Centre

22 – Bristol Beacon

23 – London Royal Albert Hall

24 – Wolverhampton The Halls

26 – Cardiff Utilita Arena

Connect with Beverley Knight

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

The Waterboys present 1985 – a stunningly put together box set telling the story of how The Waterboys made ‘This Is The Sea’ and saw ‘The Whole Of The Moon’. Released February 23rd, 2024, the set covers the origins and recording process of one of the greatest albums of the 1980s, with demos, live cuts, unreleased songs, and much, much more, all packed in a beautiful expansive 6CD/220 Page Hardback Book & digital set.

Also being released is the remastered version of This Is The Sea on clear vinyl for the very first time.  

There are three formats:

• 1985 6CD box set + 220-page hardback book
• 1985 6CD digital box set (no book)
• This is The Sea [clear vinyl]

Through both book and box set ‘1985’ sees Waterboys’ leader Mike Scott telling the story of the making of their landmark album This Is The Sea and the timeless single, The Whole of The Moon. The music takes the listener through 95 tracks over 6 CDs, including 64 fantastic previously unreleased home cuts, early demos, alternate versions, outtakes, concert recordings and tv/radio sessions covering the origins and recording process of the album along with the remastered version of the final This Is The Sea album. itself

The beautifully informative book, included in the box set, arrives as a 220-page hard cover containing a first-hand account of the creation of the album with deep recording details, background, cultural context, photographs (most of them previously unseen), songwriting pages, lyrics and previously unseen writings. The engrossing and humorous text comes from Waterboys’ Mike Scott with additional sections by band colleagues Anthony Thistlethwaite and Max Edie.

A must-have collection for die-hard and casual fans alike, 1985 tells the amazing story of both a phenomenal album and timeless single. Dive in and enjoy it in all its beauty.

1985 TRACK LISTING:

CD1 Towers Open Fire: Trumpets (Session) / Be My Enemy (Prototype 3) / The Ways Of Men (Session) / The Waves #1 / Old England (Demo) / Towers Open Fire / Down Through The Town / Ribbon Of Steel (Live) / Bury My Heart (Live) / The Three Day Man (Live) / Medicine Bow (Session) / This Is The Sea (Live) / A Door For My Soul Home (Demo) / Son Of Rags / In My Bed / The Pan Within (Inst Demo) / Even The Trees Are Dancing (Full Length) / Theme / Fuzz Guitar Vamp / Death Is Not The End

CD2 The Black Book: Beverly Penn (Piano Demo) / Don’t Bang The Drum (Piano Demo) / Be My Enemy (Piano Demo) / The Day I Ran Out Of People / Winter Blows / The Mercenary And The Samaritan / Looking For Dickon / Spirit (Piano Demo) / All The Bright Horses / Custer’s Blues (Piano Demo) / The Woman In Me / Paris In The Rain / The Song Of Sitting Bull / Talk About Wings / The Whole of The Moon (Writing of) / The Pan Within (Piano Demo) / No Sun In The Sky / Winter In The Blood / We Belong To The World / The Whole of The Moon (Piano Demo)

CD3 A Sky Full Of Crows: Medicine Jack / Medicine Jack Boogie-Woogie / The Sound Of Snow / The Pan Within (Inst) / It Should Have Been You, Guitar Play / Old England (Early Take) / Old Macmichael Had A Band / Sweet Thing / Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town / Spirit (Full Length) / Then You Hold Me / Trumpets (Instr #1) / Rain Come Down / Son of Dirt / This Is The Sea (Drumatix Version)

CD4 The Ladder: Medicine Bow (Elemental Rough Mix) / Trumpets (Inst #2) / Be My Enemy (Rough Mix) / Sleek White Schooner / Sweetheart Like You / This Is The Sea (Fast with Mike Lead Guitar Demo) / Adrian And The Piano Storm / Beverly Penn (Synth Version) / This Is The Sea (Fast with Tom Verlaine Lead Guitar Version) / The Waves #2 / The Ladder (Demo) / Beverly Penn / Don’t Bang The Drum (Livingston Mix) / Ribbon of Steel Slide Guitar / Paisley Park

CD5 Mountaintop: The Whole of The Moon (Livingston Mix) / High Far Soon / This Is The Sea (Livingston Mix) / Medicine Bow (Full Length) / The Pan Within (Wickham’s First Play) / Miracle / World Party (Demo) / I Am Not Here / Born To Be Together (Session) / Higher In Time (Session) / The Whole of The Moon (Video Version) / Meridian West / Don’t Bang The Drum (Session) / Medicine Bow (Session) / Behold The Sea / Beverly Penn 2023

CD6 This Is The Sea (The Album) Don’t Bang The Drum / The Whole of The Moon / Spirit / The Pan Within / Medicine Bow / Old England / Be My Enemy / Trumpets / This Is The Sea

mikescottwaterboys.com 

Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra release ‘Ain’t Misbehavin”, their second offering from the exquisite Swing Fever.

The track sees a sensational interpretation of the early swing classic co-written by Fats Waller. As Jools explains, “Fats is another example of somebody who delivers a popular song, and you can’t quite work out what he’s done. It’s treated so lightly, but it’s so clever.”

It follows the album’s first release – a superb working of show tune ‘Almost Like Being In Love’ – written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, and made famous by Frank Sinatra & Nat King Cole.

For the first time, Britain’s new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as ‘Frankie And Johnny’, ‘Sentimental Journey’ and ‘Lullaby Of Broadway’.

Rod Stewart is one of the best-selling artists, with over 250 million albums sold worldwide. His signature voice, style and songwriting have transcended all genres of popular music, from rock, folk, soul, R&B, and even the Great American Songbook; making him one of the few stars to enjoy chart-topping albums throughout every decade of his career. He’s earned countless of the industry’s highest awards, among them, two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting, New York Times bestselling author, Grammy™ Living Legend, and in 2016 he officially became “Sir Rod Stewart” after being knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity.

Some of his major hits include “Gasoline Alley,” “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Mandolin Wind,” “You Wear It Well,” “The Killing of Georgie,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” “Young Turks,” “Forever Young,” “Hot Legs,” “Infatuation,” the unforgettable “Maggie May,” and many more.

Jools Holland left Squeeze in the 1980s and formed his Big Band with the help of ex Squeeze drummer, Gilson Lavis. Over the last thirty years his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra have gone on to score numerous platinum and gold albums, which have included collaborations with George Harrison, Amy Winehouse, and countless others, becoming the UK’s most successful recording and touring Big Band. He also hosts the BBC’s longest running music show, ‘Later with Jools Holland’, showcasing and performing with some of the World’s greatest talent, as well as the Annual Hootenanny, which is the UK’s biggest New Year’s Eve television show.  

Jools sums up the spontaneous charm of Swing Fever; “The effect that this music has on me, and whenever I put it on where people are, they feel this thing, they want to move. Music is an expression of a lot of different things, and joy is an important part of what it does. You can feel the joy in this music, and it’s unashamed joy as well.” 

Swing Fever is available on Black Vinyl, Colour Vinyl, CD & Digital – pre-order HERE.

‘With Madonna’s Celebration Tour, The Queen Of Pop Reclaims Her Throne.’

 – British Vogue 

‘A showcase for a star with dazzling staying power.’ 

– The Guardian

‘The whole thing is a thrilling reminder that Madonna isn’t just a pop star, but also a cultural force who genuinely changed the world by chafing against what society expects from women in the public eye.’ 

– NME

Tonight, Madonna, a cultural icon commuted on the tube  to arrive at North Greenwich for London’s The O2 Arena, to wrap the sold-out European leg of her critically praised The Celebration Tour.  The continent was brought to a standstill as the tour, spanning eleven countries and twenty-eight shows, delivered an unparalleled experience of powerful presence, infectious energy, and a mesmerising production.

Launching this past October in London with the first of six sold out shows at The O2, The Celebration Tour, a testament to Madonna’s groundbreaking legacy, spared no detail. The best-selling female artist of all time delivered a non-stop, fearless performance featuring captivating choreography, bold costumes, and her most elaborate stage to date, masterfully designed by Stufish.

Reflecting on her extraordinary career, Madonna took the enraptured audience on an emotional odyssey through her greatest hits, including songs not performed for decades. From her struggling artist days in New York City to meteoric success, personal and professional lows, and spiritual awakening, the show encapsulated Madonna’s past while embracing the future. Directed for the stage by longtime collaborator Jamie King and musically orchestrated by Stuart Price, the setlist featured iconic tracks like “Nothing Really Matters,” “Open Your Heart,” “Like A Prayer,” “Into The Groove,” and “Crazy For You.”

Madonna has also been joined by various special guest judges during “Vogue” including Debi Mazar, Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Diplo and FKA Twigs, to name a few. 

The Celebration Tour, spanning four decades of unstoppable hits, featured twenty onstage performers on a colossal 4,400 square ft. stage—the largest in Madonna’s touring history. The stage, inspired by the Manhattan grid, showcased Uptown, Downtown, Midtown, East, and West stages, with a unique three-layered circular stage reminiscent of Madonna’s original VMA performance wedding cake.

Backstage and behind the curtain were three travelling mobile gyms, forty-five wardrobe trunks, three physical therapists, and forty pairs of boxing gloves. The production boasted fourteen spotlights for Madonna, over six-hundred intelligent lights illuminating the stage, 8800 lighting cues, 80 tons of production equipment, and a travelling crew of 200+. Notably, the costume department alone comprised 25 crew members, showcasing the scale of the production.

The 79-date tour, produced by Live Nation, now heads to Madonna’s adopted hometown of New York City in December, commencing the North American leg. The celebration will continue across the U.S. and Canada throughout spring 2024, concluding with four sold-out show and a 5th & final date added due to demand in Mexico City next April. The full tour routing is detailed below.

Madonna, The Celebration Tour 2023 – 2024

Wed, Dec 13 Brooklyn, NY       Barclays Center

Thu, Dec 14 Brooklyn, NY       Barclays Center

Sat, Dec 16 Brooklyn, NY       Barclays Center

Mon, Dec 18 Washington, US Capital One Arena

Tue, Dec 19 Washington, US         Capital One Arena

Mon, Jan 8 Boston, MA         TD Garden    

Tue, Jan 9 Boston, MA         TD Garden

Thu, Jan 11               Toronto, CA         Scotiabank Arena 

Fri, Jan 12                 Toronto, CA       Scotiabank Arena 

Mon, Jan 15 Detroit, US         Little Caesars Arena

Thu, Jan 18 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

Sat, Jan 20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre

Mon, Jan 22 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Tue, Jan 23 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Thu, Jan 25 Philadelphia, PA    Wells Fargo Center

Mon, Jan 29 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Thu, Feb 1 Chicago, IL         The United Center

Fri, Feb 2 Chicago, IL         The United Center

Mon, Feb 5 Pittsburgh, US         PPG Paints Arena

Thu, Feb 8 Cleveland, US           Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse

Tue, Feb 13 Saint Paul, MN           Xcel Energy Center

Sat, Feb 17 Seattle, US             Climate Pledge Arena

Sun, Feb 18 Seattle, US             Climate Pledge Arena

Wed, Feb 21 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena

Sat, Feb 24 Sacramento, US Golden 1 Center

Tue, Feb 27 San Francisco, CA Chase Center

Wed, Feb 28 San Francisco, CA Chase Center

Fri, Mar 1 Las Vegas, US T-Mobile Arena

Sat, Mar 2 Las Vegas, US T-Mobile Arena

Mon, Mar 4 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum

Tue, Mar 5 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum

Thu, Mar 7 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum

Sat, Mar 9 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum

Mon, Mar 11 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum

Wed, Mar 13 Palm Desert, US Acrisure Arena

Sat, Mar 16 Phoenix, US Footprint Center

Tue, Mar 19 Denver, US Ball Arena 

Sun, Mar 24 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 

Mon, Mar 24 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center 

Thu, Mar 28 Houston, TX Toyota Centre

Fri, Mar 29 Houston, TX Toyota Centre

Mon, Apr 1 Atlanta, US State Farm Arena

Thu, Apr 4 Tampa, FL Amalie Arena

Sat, Apr 6 Miami, US Miami-Dade Arena

Sun, Apr 7 Miami, US Miami-Dade Arena

Sun, Apr 14 Austin, TX Moody Center

Mon, Apr 15 Austin, TX Moody Center

Sat, Apr 20 Mexico City, MX Palacio De Los Deportes

Sun, Apr 21 Mexico City, MX Palacio De Los Deportes

Tue, Apr 23 Mexico City, MX Palacio De Los Deportes

Wed, Apr 24 Mexico City, MX Palacio De Los Deportes

Fri. Apr 26 Mexico City, MX Palacio De Los Deportes

Kicking off 2023 with Part I – When Everything Was Lost, London’s Palace close out the year with the release of Part II – Nightmares & Ice Cream, the final part in the collection of EPs. Out now on Fiction records you can listen to Part II – Nightmares & Ice Cream HERE.

Opening with stunning laid back tones of ‘Rabid Dog’, the three track EP also features the beautifully bewitching single ‘Make You Proud’ and the EP’s hazy title track ‘Nightmares & Ice Cream’. Produced by Adam Jaffrey (Loyle Carner, Tom Misch, Yussef Dayes) at Unwound Studios, PartII – Nightmares & Ice Cream sees the band with a sharp new focus. Beautifully hypnotic, mesmerising and full of raw emotion, the EP is the band at their very best. 

“‘Nightmares & Ice Cream’ is another snapshot of life and moments of the past year,” lead singer Leo Wyndham said of the EP. “It’s Part II of the journey, and one that’s felt very significant. It’s a hazy chapter of intense reflection to past events, but also a sort of purgatory where we stumble forward, stunned, trying to find some kind of grip on reality.”

Childhood friends Palace released their acclaimed debut EP Lost In The Night in 2014, followed by the Chase The Light EP the year after. Now with three albums under their belt, So Long Forever, Life After and 2022’s Shoals and a mass of adoring fans across the world, the band look set to close 2023 on a high. 

Part II – Nightmares & Ice Cream Tracklisting:

1. Rabid Dog
2. Make You Proud
3. Nightmares & Ice Cream

Palace are Leo Wyndham, Matt Hodges and Rupert Turner.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Following the release of their raucous single ‘Stuck In A Car With You’ earlier this year, Twin Atlantic return with their new single ‘Asleep’. The track is the second taste of new music this year, with the band currently in the studio working on a new album, which is set for release in 2024 on the band’s own label Staple Diet.

Produced by lead singer Sam McTrusty and bassist Ross McNae and mixed by Romesh Dodangoda at Long Wave Recording Studio, ‘Asleep’ is the band back to their anthemic best. Equal parts frantic and euphoric, ‘Asleep’ is an infectious guitar driven banger, which sonically sees the band look to the future while dipping into a sense of nostalgia. Listen to ‘Asleep’ HERE.

“Asleep was so fun to write and record. We really managed to recapture the joy we’ve felt about being in our weird band our whole adult lives again,” Sam McTrusty said of the single. “We feel like it’s the perfect mix of joy, melancholy, serious subject matters, but with a throwaway attitude. Hopefully it gives people who listen the same injection of excitement it gave us. Can’t wait to play this one live.”

Just back from a sold-out run of intimate shows across the UK, Twin Atlantic will play a very special homecoming show at Glasgow’s O2 Academy in May 2024.

Ticket pre-sale opens from 10.00am, Wednesday Dec 13th HERE. General sale at 10.00am, Friday 15th Dec HERE.

May 2024

Thu 23rd                     Glasgow, O2 Academy

Twin Atlantic are Sam McTrusty, Ross McNae, Barry McKenna & Joe Lazarus.

Instagram // Twitter // YouTube // Spotify // Facebook

twinatlantic.com

Jake Bugg today announces his Your Town Tour for 2024, which will see him play 15 headline dates across the UK at some of the country’s smaller towns and venues,  bringing live music back to the heart of communities. 

“I can’t wait to get out and play tons of tunes to people in their hometowns”, Jake says,  kicking off in Warrington on March 5th, 2024. He will perform two sets per night, acoustic  and electric, rattling through his biggest hits, as well as tracks from his latest album, the  Top 3-charting Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. 

With local venues constantly under threat of closure, and grassroots music scenes  dwindling, the Your Town Tour is Jake’s bid to bring a high profile live show back to  some of the country’s towns that have seen drop offs in big touring artists visiting in  recent years. 

Over the last few years, the 29-year-old, who has 5 albums and numerous hit singles to  his name, has grown into himself and gone from strength to strength. He stepped out of  his comfort zone and is in the form of his life. His new music was embraced across the  media. Saturday Night, Sunday Morning’s two stellar singles ‘All I Need’ & ‘Lost’, both  produced by Steve Mac, were inescapable hits, booming across the airwaves,  playlisted on Radio 1, Radio 2 & Radio X, and Jake turned in a stellar performance of  ‘All I Need’ on Graham Norton on BBC1. 

Tickets on sale Fri 8th Dec at 10.00am and full dates are as follows: 

MARCH 2024 

Tue 5th WARRINGTON, Parr Hall 

Wed 6th PETERBOROUGH, The Cresset 

Fri 8th NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME, Keele University Student Union Sat 9th HOLMFIRTH, Picturedrome 

Sun 10th GRIMSBY, Auditorium 

Tue 12th YORK, Barbican 

APRIL 

Sat 27th WORTHING, Assembly Hall 

Sun 28th COVENTRY, Warwick Arts Centre 

Mon 29th OXFORD, O2 Academy Oxford

MAY 

Wed 1st GUILDFORD, G Live 

Thu 2nd FROME, Cheese & Grain 

Fri 3rd TORQUAY, The Foundry 

JUNE 

Wed 19th CORK, Cyprus Avenue 

Thu 20th GALWAY, Black Box 

Sat 22nd LIMERICK, Dolans 

“An uplifting return.” – Clash  

“This album proves him to be a working-class songwriter of talent” – The Times 4* 

“Saturday Night, Sunday Morning has turned me around…If you’ve written Bugg off before,  this could bring you into the fold” – The i 4* 

“The former poster boy for Keep Music Real reveals a gift for pop” – Daily Star 4* “At the grand old age of 27, Jake has pulled another rabbit out of the hat” – Daily Mirror jakebugg.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve have announced a 15 date tour of the UK & Ireland for September 2024, playing selections from a songbook that is fifty years long and twice as deep. 

The tour kicks off in Glasgow on September 5, includes the London Palladium on September 21st, and finishes with a four – night run in Dublin at Vicar Street. They also play Wolverhampton for the first time in 30 years!

Tickets go on-sale Friday, December 10th at 10:00am from ElvisCostello.com.  

ELVIS COSTELLO & STEVE NIEVE Play the following shows:

September 2024

Thu 5 Glasgow, Theatre Royal Glasgow

Sat 7 Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

Sun 8 Manchester, Opera House Manchester

Wed 11 Liverpool, Liverpool Olympia

Sat 14 Cardiff, New Theatre, Cardiff

Sun 15 Oxford, New Theatre Oxford

Tue 17 Bristol, Bristol Beacon

Wed 18 Poole, Lighthouse 

Sat 21 London, The London Palladium

Tue 24 Ipswich, Regent Theatre

Wed 25 Wolverhampton, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

Fri 27 Dublin, Vicar Street

Sat 28 Dublin, Vicar Street

Mon 30 Dublin, Vicar Street

October

Tue 1 Dublin, Vicar Street

Following the acclaim for their 2023 appearance at the National Concert Hall, Costello and Nieve return to Dublin to close the tour with a four-night stand at Vicar St, during which they will present something approaching 100 songs in four different programmes.

 “Costello is one of the world’s greatest songwriters, up there with McCartney. You forget how many timeless songs he actually has until he plays them. It is immediately obvious of the enduring power of them too.” 

Irish Independent, Dublin, Ireland – September 7th, 2023

The collaboration of Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve has spanned over 45 years, with appearances together on 25 record albums – from “Watching The Detectives” to “The Boy Named If” – and on countless stages. Yet twenty years have elapsed since Costello and Nieve made their last full-length appearance in the U.K. at the Cafe de Paris, London in 2004.

Since early 2023 – when Costello undertook a ten-night engagement at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City – the songwriter has taken a deeper, more curious look at his repertoire. 

Costello said, “I want to uncover, rediscover, dismantle and re-assemble songs, “Before your very eyes”, as stage magicians used to announce before their next trick.” 

That NYC stand promised “100 Songs In 10 Nights”, a figure which was surpassed by Night Four. More than 230 different songs had been performed by Night Ten with Steve Nieve sharing the stage for over half of those performances.

From late August to early October 2023 the “Costello & Nieve” presentation visited twenty-two European cities; from Madrid to Oslo, from Brussels to Budapest, arriving at new connections with well-known titles after having received some of the most sustained applause for songs that had rarely, if ever, featured in concert and garnering rave press notices along the way.

“Costello’s unique singing is of astonishing quality, the voice is always powerful, as is the piano.”

Luzerner Zeitung, Lucerne, Switzerland – October 3rd, 2023. 

Costello’s songs have recently featured in the Rupert Goold-directed Almeida Theatre production of “Cold War”, adapted for the stage by Conor McPherson from Pawel Pawlikowski’s 2018 OSCAR-nominated motion picture. 

“I Do (Zula’s Song)” was written in response upon first viewing “Cold War”, before the idea of an adaptation was even proposed. 

The stage version of “Cold War” features new arrangements and interpretations of titles from Costello’s catalogue alongside songs specially written for this adaptation. 

The Almeida production of “Cold War” has been in preview since November 30th, 2023, and runs until January 27th, 2024.

Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra present the exquisite

Swing Fever – a 13-track sparkling salute to the timeless songs of the big band years, reignited by two true giants of their craft – out February 23rd, 2024 on Warner Music.

For the first time, Britain’s new partners in swing have united on record to share their peerless dexterity on a tribute to such truly great songs as ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, ‘Frankie And Johnny’, ‘Sentimental Journey’ and ‘Lullaby Of Broadway’. The results, recorded at Jools’ own studio in Greenwich.

Swing Fever is the realisation of conversations between Rod and Jools that began in the pandemic years, and of Rod’s dream of making an album of the songs that were, in many ways, the rock ‘n’ roll of their day.  Sitting down together, Jools recounts: “I was just packing up to go away for Christmas, and you rang me. We hadn’t really spoken at any length before. I thought ‘I love Rod, how exciting,’ and you said ‘I want to do a record.’ I’d been a fan of Rod forever but we realised with the old music that we liked a lot of the same things.”

“I’d already started making a swing album, but it didn’t turn out how I wanted it,” explains Rod. “It was more Frank Sinatra than it was Louis Prima, let’s say. So I cancelled that, and then I realised the guy I should go to is Jools. Also, our fanatical model railway enthusiasm bonded us together. So we started recording.”

The first track to be released is a superb working of show tunes ‘Almost Like Being In Love’ – written by Frederick Loewe, and made famous by Frank Sinatra & Nat King Cole. Listen HERE.

“I didn’t really know that song, but it’s one of my favourites now” comments Jools. “I looked up the different versions of it, and there are loads. What we try and do is get to the essence of it. If there are lots of complicated chords, we get rid of those and just play the simple ones. There’s a John Lee Hooker record where he’s teaching the blues, and he says ‘Listen children, throw all those fancy chords away. Just play the one chord, make that sound good, then you can think about playing another one.’ We also spoke about trying to make it a bit Django Reinhardt-esque, and we got a guy from Liverpool called Gary Potter, who’s like the top Django guy. He’s really great, he’s got the spirit of Django.”

Over roughly a dozen collective sessions, the intimacy of the recording space combined with the enduring brilliance of the songbook to create a sound that’s infectious and irresistible – and it sounds live because that’s what it was.

“I’ve got to give credit to Jools’ orchestra, and especially the drums [Gilson Lavis] and bass [Dave Swift],” says Rod. “Gilson is the nearest thing I’ve heard to Charlie Watts, in being able to do a backbeat properly. Great band, and this man Jools with the old piano. Steaming! And his brother Chris on the Hammond. The orchestra rehearsed them a couple of times when I wasn’t there, then they went in and did three a day, which is quite remarkable. Jools’ studio is so small. It’s ok if it’s a three-piece band, but we had 18 pieces in there at one time. It just unites everybody.”

Rod Stewart is one of the best-selling artists, with over 250 million albums sold worldwide. His signature voice, style and songwriting have transcended all genres of popular music, from rock, folk, soul, R&B, and even the Great American Songbook; making him one of the few stars to enjoy chart-topping albums throughout every decade of his career. He’s earned countless of the industry’s highest awards, among them, two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Founders Award for songwriting, New York Times bestselling author, Grammy™ Living Legend, and in 2016 he officially became “Sir Rod Stewart” after being knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to music and charity.

Some of his major hits include “Gasoline Alley,” “Every Picture Tells a Story,” “Mandolin Wind,” “You Wear It Well,” “The Killing of Georgie,” “Tonight’s the Night,” “You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim),” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?,” “Young Turks,” “Forever Young,” “Hot Legs,” “Infatuation,” the unforgettable “Maggie May,” and many more.

Jools sums up the spontaneous charm of Swing Fever; “The effect that this music has on me, and whenever I put it on where people are, they feel this thing, they want to move. Music is an expression of a lot of different things, and joy is an important part of what it does. You can feel the joy in this music, and it’s unashamed joy as well.” 

Swing Fever is available on Black Vinyl, Colour Vinyl, CD & Digital – pre-order HERE.

Swing Fever Tracklisting

1. Lullaby Of Broadway  
2. Oh Marie  
3. Sentimental Journey
4. Pennies From Heaven
5. Night Train
6. Love Is The Sweetest Thing
7. Them There Eyes
8. Good Rockin’ Tonight
9. Ain’t Misbehavin’
10. Frankie And Johnny 
11. Walkin’ My Baby Back Home
12. Almost Like Being In Love
13. Tennessee Waltz

Kasabian, one of the UK’s best and biggest bands, are set to play a massive headline show at Victoria Park in their Leicester hometown on Saturday July 6th. Without doubt, it will be one of the highlights of next year.

It’s been ten years since Kasabian last played Victoria Park and this forthcoming show will be even better with an explosive set list that takes in their remarkable career.

Kasabian released their #1 album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ last summer. A new album, ‘Happenings’, will be released next summer.

A fan pre-sale goes on sale from 9.30am on Thursday 7th December, and on general sale from 9.30am on Friday 8th December HERE. Fans pre-ordering the album via Kasabian’s website HERE will receive early access to UK tour tickets. 

*Subject to licence

Kasabian said:

“We are truly honoured to be playing Victoria Park in our beloved hometown, with all our people for summer solstice two. We cannot wait to get out there and play the biggest party of the summer with you all. See you in the mosh pit.”

Kasabian are: Serge Pizzorno, bassist Chris Edwards, drummer Ian Matthews and guitarist Tim Carter.

Following the announcement of the 20th Anniversary celebrations of their acclaimed debut album ‘Hopes and Fears’, Keane have unveiled a very special, unreleased single ‘Love Actually’ to coincide with the re-release of the classic British film. Listen to ‘Love Actually’ HERE.

Originally written for 2003 Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually, the band have finally recorded a version 20 years after its inception. Produced by the band and led by Tom Chaplin’s undeniable vocal, the beautifully poignant single comes alongside a stunning lyric video cutting some of the film’s memorable scenes. 

“In 2002 we were an unsigned band; and our friend and manager Adam was working for the producer of Love Actually,” Tim Rice-Oxley said. “While they were making the film, Adam suggested we should quickly write a song and he’d see if he could get it into Richard Curtis’ hands…and maybe we could sneak onto the soundtrack and get our big break! Needless to say it didn’t turn out that way, but Richard always very graciously said he loved the song and wished he’d put it in the film. We all loved the song too, but having called it ‘Love Actually’, it was very hard to do anything with it! In fact, for 20 years whenever I’ve played a new demo to my mum, her response has usually been “Hmm…when are you going to record ‘Love Actually’?” Well, the film Love Actually is 20 years old now, which at last gives us a perfect reason to record our song properly.”

“Everyone makes mistakes – even if they’re understandable ones. When I first listened to ‘Love Actually’ by this totally unknown combo called Keane, I thought it was beautiful. I tried really hard to put it in the film – but in the end it was a little melancholy and, dare I say, a bit DEEP for the film I’d made,” the film’s writer and director Richard Curtis said. “Of course, I realised what a dreadful mistake that had been when 6 months later ‘Hopes & Fears’ was Number 1 in the charts. It is SO wonderful that the song is now being released for everyone to hear. I’ve listened to it a lot over the years and love it even more now than I did then. And this time, myself and my son Spike have made a little edit of the whole film to go with the song. I think I actually prefer that 3 minute version of “Love Actually” to the long, chaotic film that’s been doing the rounds now for 20 years.”

Alongside the single STUDIOCANAL and UNIVERSAL PICTURES are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Working Title’s beloved holiday classic with a dazzling new 4K restoration of the film. This will be released theatrically in select global markets and on home entertainment.

Keane release a special remastered version of ‘Hopes and Fears’, undoubtedly one of the best debut albums ever, on May 10th 2024 exactly 20 years after its initial release. On the same day, the band play London’s 02 Arena as part of a world tour that kicks off April 1st in Mexico City before reaching Europe and the UK. Their US tour in September includes prestigious dates at LA’s Greek Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.

‘Hopes and Fears’ was a landmark album for Keane and has set all kinds of records in the process. It’s one of the best selling albums in UK chart history having sold over 2.5 million in the UK in its first year, and a million in the USA propelled by their absolutely classic song ‘Somewhere Only We Know’. ‘Hopes and Fears’ is 9x platinum in the UK, a remarkable achievement. The album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Keane play the following UK & Irish dates: Support comes from The Lathums across the UK and The Sherlocks in Dublin and mainland Europe. Tickets on general sale September 15th HERE.

May

Fri 3rd LEEDS, First Direct Arena
Sat 4th BIRMINGHAM, Utilita Arena

Sun 5th MANCHESTER, Co-Op Live

Tue 7th BOURNEMOUTH, BIC Sold-Out

Wed 8th CARDIFF, Utilita Arena Sold-Out

Fri 10th LONDON, The O2 Sold-Out

Sat 11th LONDON, The O2 New Date Added

Mon 13th DUBLIN 3Arena

https://www.keanemusic.com/

The Corrs today release their stunning cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird’ (listen here) – taken from Best Of The Corrs – newly reissued in expanded form for the first time on vinyl – out tomorrow, December 1st in a stunning limited edition 2LP gold vinyl format and expanded 2 CD collection.

The track arrives on the first anniversary of the passing of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie. As well as Songbird, the band have also recorded beautiful new versions of the classic songs ‘Little Lies’(out now) and Everywhere – produced and recorded by Guy Chambers. A two-track 7” single of Little Lies/Songbird was released on very limited D2C on October 27th.

Originally released in 2001, Best Of The Corrs is a 21-track double platinum hits collection covering The Corrs’ hugely successful first three studio albums Forgiven Not Forgotten, Talk On Corners and In Blue, including hits such as Breathless, Runaway, What Can I Do, Radio, Dreams and more.
 

The Corrs are a family affair, Andrea (lead vocals, piano), Sharon (violin, piano, vocals), Caroline (drums, piano, vocals) and Jim (guitar, piano, vocals) who have sold over 40 million albums worldwide since their 1995 debut album Forgiven Not Forgotten crashed into the charts and stole our hearts. An enchanting mix of traditional Celtic music with a pop rock twist, The Corrs have written some of the biggest songs of the last three decades.

They have enjoyed a career that has also seen Platinum records, BRIT Awards, Grammy and Ivor Novello nominations, the honour of being the only band to be asked to perform at Nelson Mandela’s 85th birthday, and more recently, the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002.
 

Their last album, 2017’s Jupiter Calling, was The Corrs’ seventh and most distinguished album – recorded with legendary producer T. Bone Burnett at London’s RAK Studios.

In 2022, Talk On Corners, The Corrs’ record-breaking second album turned 25! The UK charts it’s the fourth biggest record of the 1990s, and in 2016 was still listed as the 28th biggest selling album of all time. Its success – returning to Number 1 six times – brought their 1995 debut Forgiven, Not Forgotten up to Number 2, making them the rare band to achieve that feat. It was influential too, with Ed Sheeran citing the band’s 90s success as the inspiration behind his hit single Galway Girl.

The Corrs have just come off the road, after a rapturous 12-date tour of southeast Asia, Australia & New Zealand, that kicked off October 18th in Jakarta.

‘Best Of The Corrs’ Tracklist

1. Would You Be Happier?
2. So Young (K Klass Remix)
3. Runaway
4. Breathless
5. Radio (Mtv Unplugged Version)
6. What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix)
7. The Right Time
8.  I Never Loved You Anyway
9. Irresistible
10. Forgiven, Not Forgotten
11. Lough Erin Shore (MTV Unplugged Version)
12. Only When I Sleep
13. Love To Love You
14. All The Love In The World (Pop Remix)
15. Everybody Hurts (MTV Unplugged Live Version)
16. Give Me A Reason
17. Dreams
18. Make You Mine
19. Little Lies
20. Everywhere
21. Songbird

CD 1

1. Would You Be Happier?
2. So Young (K Klass Remix)
3. Runaway
4. Breathless
5. Radio (MTV Unplugged Version)
6. What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix)
7. The Right Time
8. I Never Loved You Anyway
9. Irresistible
10. Forgiven, Not Forgotten

CD 2

1. Lough Erin Shore (MTV Unplugged Version)
2. Only When I Sleep
3. Love To Love You
4. All The Love In The World (Pop Remix)
5. Everybody Hurts (MTV Unplugged Live Version)
6. Give Me A Reason
7. Dreams
8. Make You Mine
9. Little Lies
10. Everywhere
11. Songbird

 
LP

Side A

1. Would You Be Happier?
2. So Young (K Klass Remix)
3. Runaway
4. Breathless
5. Radio (MTV Unplugged Version)

Side B

1. What Can I Do (Tin Tin Out Remix)
2. The Right Time
3. I Never Loved You Anyway
4. Irresistible
5. Forgiven, Not Forgotten

Side C

1. Lough Erin Shore (MTV Unplugged Version)
2. Only When I Sleep
3. Love To Love You
4. All The Love In The World (Pop Remix)
5. Everybody Hurts (MTV Unplugged Live Version)

Side D

1. Give Me A Reason
2. Dreams
3. Make You Mine
4. Little Lies
5. Everywhere
6. Songbird