Dexys today release the title track from their eagerly anticipated new album The Feminine Divine. The album comes out July 28th on 100% Records.

In ‘The Feminine Divine’, the central character in the album narrative starts to really take stock of his life and his attitude towards women. His clarity is such that it’s as if he has been hit with a bolt of lightning.  Listen to ‘The Feminine Divine’ HERE. 

“After stating his original macho position in the opening track ‘The One That Loves You;’ then admitting that it was a phoney position in the second song ‘It’s Alright Kevin;’ subsequently committing himself to change in track three, ‘I’m Going To Get Free;’ and feeling he’s moving forward in track four, ‘Coming Home;’ the protagonist now examines his relationship with women in ‘The Feminine Divine.’ He’s hit with the realisation that his attitude and actions have been completely wrong,” Kevin Rowland said of the track.

“Overcome with regret and at last glimpsing how women might actually feel, the man gets honest and admits how afraid of women he has been, and how fear has driven so many of his actions. He now sees and acknowledges women’s inherent power: if anything, women are superior; they are goddesses. He sincerely pledges to be different in the future.”

“In the track that follows, ‘My Goddess Is’, the protagonist then enters into a relationship in a completely different way to how he would have in the past. But that’s a whole other part of the story…”

The track follows the album’s glorious first single, ‘I’m Going To Get Free’. Watch the video HERE.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

The record’s first act is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second half of the musical narrative is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

Dexys play the following UK and Ireland dates in September 2023, before embarking on a full European tour in October. Tickets on-sale HERE.

September:
Tue 5th York, Barbican
Thu 7th Liverpool, Philharmonic
Fri 8th Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
Sun 10th Newcastle, O2 City Hall
Mon 11th Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
Wed 13th Cardiff, St David’s Hall
Thu 14th Ipswich, Regent Theatre
Sat 16th Wolverhampton, The Halls
Sun 17th Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
Tue 19th Brighton, Dome
Wed 20th London, Palladium
Fri 22nd Bath, Forum
Mon 25th Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre

CONNECT WITH DEXYS

Official Website

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube / TikTok

Today, award-winning multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Hozier has announced his forthcoming album Unreal Unearth will be released August 18th via Island Records. Unreal Unearth is available for pre-order HERE and features previously released tracks ‘Eat Your Young’ and ‘All Things End,’ as well as new single ‘Francesca’ out this Friday, 19th May. 

Read Hozier’s handwritten letter to fans sharing the news HERE and below.

Unreal Unearth will be offered digitally as well as in various physical configurations including standard black LP, raw ochre D2C exclusive LP, burnt clay Amazon exclusive LP, light umber indie retail exclusive LP, CD, and cassette. See the exclusive vinyl pack shots below.

(L to R: Raw Ochre, Burnt Clay, & Light Umber)

Currently stateside performing intimate pop-up shows, Hozier returns to the UK for a run of sold-out UK dates this summer, including a show at London’s Alexandra Palace Park on Friday July 21st. See full routing below and visit https://hozier.com/ for more information.

June

Sun 25th Glasgow, Queens Park SOLD-OUT

July
Sun 2nd Halifax, Piece Hall SOLD-OUT

Mon 3rd Newcastle, 02 City Hall SOLD-OUT

Wed 5th Manchester, Castlefield Bowl SOLD-OUT

Thu 6th Cardiff, Cardiff Castle SOLD-OUT

Sat 8th Bournemouth, 02 Academy SOLD-OUT

Sun 9th Birmingham, 02 Academy SOLD-OUT
Fri 21st London, Alexandra Palace Park SOLD-OUT

Sun 23rd Berkshire, Englefield House

FOLLOW HOZIER:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | YouTube

FOO FIGHTERS: PREPARING MUSIC FOR CONCERTS 

Free Global Streaming Event Exclusively at: https://foofighters.veeps.com/

May 21st

8pm BST / 3pm EST / 12pm PST

Featuring Performances, Behind the Scenes & More

Captured at the Band’s Own 606 Studios

While ears are still ringing from the sonic and emotional gut punch that was “Rescued,” Foo Fighters have unveiled “Under You,” an aggressively melodic punk-tinged earworm sure to join its predecessor in massive summer singalongs on the band’s upcoming tour dates.

“Under You” is the second advance offering from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ 11th album, But Here We Are, out June 2 on Roswell Records/Columbia Records. The new song follows the aforementioned “Rescued”—which has generated raves including “driven by a fresh sense of pathos and urgency” (The New York Times), “Foo Fighters have never sounded more vital” (Consequence),”cathartic in the truest sense, it’s golden Foo Fighters – anthemic, righteous, and emotive, ‘Rescued’ feels tailor made for those epic live shows.’ (Clash Magazine), “delivers everything fans have come to know and love” (Revolver) and more.

Listen to “Under You” HERE, watch the lyric video HERE and pre-order But Here We Are on you choice of Black Vinyl, White Vinyl, CD or cassette HERE

Today also marks the announcement of Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts, a global streaming event packed with rock & roll (including debut performances of songs from But Here We Are), exclusive behind the scenes footage, and a few surprises—all captured in the spacious yet homey confines of the band’s own 606 studios. Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts will premiere May 21 at 8pm BST / 3pm EST / 12pm PST exclusively at https://foofighters.veeps.com/, with on-demand repeat viewing enabled through May 24. Whether you’ve got tickets for an upcoming Foo Fighters show or not, don’t miss this chance to get intimate—and LOUD—with the last great American rock band.

“Shows like this don’t happen every day. To take this moment to gather fans worldwide, to give people an opportunity to share in the experience no matter where they are, is a gift. Having a place to make these moments accessible is why we built Veeps and we’re honored to be trusted with delivering this incredible show for Foo Fighters and all of their fans,” said Joel Madden, CEO and Founder, Veeps.

Foo Fighters’ upcoming tour will kick off May 24 at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford, NH. For a complete list of dates, go to: https://foofighters.lnk.to/Shows

About Veeps

Veeps is the premier streaming platform where music fans around the world can watch and connect with their favorite artists through access to premium live and on-demand concerts, documentaries, and more. Launched in 2018 by Joel and Benji Madden to power the future of artist-fan connection, the team at Veeps believe music changes lives and that it should be accessible to people wherever they are. Millions of viewers globally have experienced performances from 2,000+ artists including Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Louis Tomlinson, Patti Smith, Metallica and an Emmy-nominated Kings of Leon show from the O2, London. Veeps shows are available on its website and via apps on iOS, Apple TV, Android, and Roku. In 2023, Veeps was named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and continues to hold the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest ticketed livestream performance by a solo male artist. Veeps is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV). For more information, visit https://veeps.com/

Photo Credit: Jade Hammer

“Being Dead are one of the coolest and freakiest acts around.” — Paste

Austin, Texas-based trio Being Dead presents new single/video ‘Daydream’ from their debut album, When Horses Would Run, out July 14th on Bayonet. 

‘Daydream’ showcases Being Dead’s extraordinary harmonies — at once plaintive, uplifting, and eerie — and its gentle Laurel Canyon-style folk rock stands in stark contrast from the garage-punk delivery of lead single ‘Muriel’s Big Day Off.’

The accompanying ‘Daydream’ video, directed by Katie Cheline, is a jaw-dropping journey of riches to rags. “It’s safe to say that we’re typically ambitious when it comes to music video ideas and this one is no exception,” the band states. “We had a lot of ideas for this one and ended up just cramming them all in there. We think this is a relatively courageous attempt at a highly-condensed Pride and Prejudice 2.” Watch the video HERE.

When Horses Would Run — the debut album from best friends Falcon B*tch, Gumball, and Ricky Moto — propels listeners into vivid landscapes: desert planes, dirty basements, and lush rolling hills. Merging surf rock, freak pop and frantic punk, the album doesn’t linger in one place for too long; instead, it dances alongside the periphery, flickering between Super-8 memories and moments. Being Dead is here to create worlds where we can soak in stories of carefree shoplifters, wayward cowboys, and the final moments of a lonely Buffalo on the range. 

They began writing what would eventually become When Horses Would Run back in 2017, with Falcon B*tch likening the album to a kind of collage of Being Dead so far. “This is definitely a collection of songs from different versions of ourselves,” she says. Recorded at Radio Milk with producer/engineer Jim Vollentine (Spoon, White Denim), When Horses Would Run spit-shines Being Dead’s sound without diminishing their weirdo-best-friend vibes. 

“Our music is really a slice of our friendship,” says Falcon B*tch. “We’ve lived together and we’re always together and I feel like it’s a palpable thing.” The nurturing foundation of these platonic soulmates urges Being Dead to be their full, freaky selves, prodding at the absurdity of the world with slick n’ dreamy strums, gritty percussion, and kaleidoscopic harmonies. At their renowned live shows, Falcon B*tch and Gumball both sing and swap duties on baritone guitar and drums, commanding the attention of even the most passive concert-goers. Underlined by bassist Ricky Moto, the band prances merrily into the hearts of everyone from the roughest and toughest barbarians to the most angelic little babies. 

This spontaneous, gung-ho approach marks a refreshing originality in Being Dead. When Horses Would Run celebrates the nourishing merriment of friendship, the importance of enjoying the here and now, and creating simply for the hell of it. Here we have a reminder that we can not only move through the burdens of our past, but we can have company —and fun —while doing it.

Swedish rock’n’roll heroes The Hives return this summer with their first studio album in over a decade. Today, the band announces The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons out August 11th, 2023 via Fuga.

The announcement is paired with the release of the album’s muscular opening track ‘Bogus Operandi’, whose insistent and incendiary yet suave sound fizzes with the wild energy that has become the legendary band’s calling card and sets the tone for the project as a whole. The song’s thrilling, gory and downright stylish music video is directed by Aube Perrie (Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion) – watch HERE.

The announcement and new single precede a spring UK/EU arena tour with the Arctic Monkeys, as well as UK festival dates and intimate album in-store performances. The intimate shows are in Bristol and Nottingham (Rough Trade Records), and Prysm in Kingston (Banquet Records). Tickets are available from those retailers from May 4th. The band will also perform a very special underplay show at The Garagem London. Pre-sale access for this show is given to fans who pre-order the album from the band’s D2C store before May 9th. Fan pre-sale takes place on May 10th, with tickets going on general sale Friday, May 12th.

As the album’s macabre title hints, the band’s extended absence from the studio has been no hiatus but rather a horror story. The Hives now admit they have not seen nor spoken to their founder, mentor and songwriter, the perpetual limelight-shunning Randy Fitzsimmons, since the release of 2012’s Lex Hives. Following the recent discovery of a hidden away obituary and cryptic poem in the local paper of the Northern Vastmanland town where The Hives are from, the band members were led to Fitzsimmons’ tombstone. Upon digging the freshly interred ground, the band found not a body but instead several tapes, suits, and a piece of paper bearing the words “The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons” typed up as if a title. Whether a hoax or Fitzsimmons’ opening gambit, remains to be seen. The uncovered tapes included the demos that would become the twelve new songs on The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons.

Of the new album, frontman Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist declares, “There’s no maturity or anything like that bullshit, because who the fuck wants mature rock’n’roll? That’s always where people go wrong, I feel. ‘It’s like rock’n’roll but adult,’ nobody wants that! That’s literally taking the good shit out of it. Rock’n’roll can’t grow up, it is a perpetual teenager and this album feels exactly like that, which it’s all down to our excitement – and you can’t fake that shit.”

Bassist The Johan And Only joins Chris Dangerous , Vigilante Carlstroem, Nicholaus Arson, and Howlin’ Pelle as a full member of The Hives following the departure of Dr Matt Destruction. Producer Patrik Berger captures the band’s punk energy and propensity for hits with his own roots in the Swedish punk scene and pop credentials including with Lana Del Rey, Robyn, and Charli XCX.

The album comes available as gatefold, glow in the dark vinyl, including a poster – limited edition D2C only.

​​In the twenty-five years since The Hives exploded around the world, they have sold out stadiums and shared stages with everyone from AC/DC to The Rolling Stones. They have sold millions of albums world-wide with multiple RIAA Gold-certifications. In the time since Lex Hives, the band has released 2019’s double A-side ‘I’m Alive’/’Good Samaritan’ as well as a live album via Third Man Records, and embarked on a series of global tours. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons marks a true renaissance.

The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons tracklist:

1. Bogus Operandi
2. Trapdoor Solution
3. Countdown To Shutdown
4. Rigor Mortis Radio
5. Stick Up
6. Smoke & Mirrors
7. Crash Into The Weekend
8. Two Kinds Of Trouble
9. The Way The Story Goes
10. The Bomb
11. What Did I Ever Do To You?
12. Step Out Of The Way

THE HIVES UK SHOWS
May

Sat 27th Live At Leeds Festival,, Leeds

Mon 29th Bristol, Ashton Gate Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 30th Bristol, Fleece – Rough Trade Records

Wed 31st Coventry, Building Society Arena w/ Arctic Monkeys

June
Fri 2nd Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 3rd Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford w/ Arctic Monkeys

Mon 5th Middlesbrough, Riverside Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 6th Kingston, Pryzm – Banquet Records

Wed 7th Norwich, Carrow Road Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Fri 9th Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 10th Sheffield, Hillsborough Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Mon 12th Swansea, Swansea.com Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 13th London, The Garage

Wed 14th Southampton, The Ageas Bowl w/ Arctic Monkeys

Fri 16th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sat 17th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Sun 18th London, Emirates Stadium w/ Arctic Monkeys

Tue 20th Dublin, Marlay Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

Thu 22nd Nottingham, Rescue Room – Rough Trade Records

Sun 25th Glasgow, Bellahouston Park w/ Arctic Monkeys

The Hives on the web:

Website | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
Twitter | Spotify | Apple | Tidal

34 years since they recorded ‘I Don’t Want A Lover’, then watched, gobsmacked, as it reached Number Eight in the charts, Texas, one of the UK’s most loved bands, have gone on to produce ten studio albums, selling over 40 million records worldwide. So let the fireworks begin as they today announce a special 2LP & 2CD compilation The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023 – out June 16th on [PIAS] Recordings, ahead of an appearance on the Pyramid Stage at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

There’s the one with The Wu-Tang Clan. The five that were Top 10 singles from one album. The one with Alan Rickman in the video. The one that was an inspired Al Green cover. The two written with diverse titans of American music, Dallas Austin and Gregg Alexander. The one that was remixed by Giorgio Moroder. The une that helped give them their first French Number One album. The segued pair that, according to the woman at the front, makes their live audiences go “absolutely fuckin’ apeshit”. The one with the video directed by Peter Kay. The other one with Wu-Tang Clan. The one that gave them, straight out of the gate, a Top 10 single with their first ever release. The club banger with a killer Donna Summer sample. And the one that ended up the theme song to a top-rating American sitcom…

Texas – The Very Best Of 1989-2023 has all of the above, and more. 24 diamonds from a glittering career, including two brand new tracks ‘Keep On Talking’ & new single ‘After All’.

A nailed-on singalong, ‘After All’ is a song so stomping that the video, directed by Lewis Knaggs, features Sharleen deliver a stella performance, unleashing her inner Dave Grohl as she takes up drumming duties. Watch the video HERE.

Then there’s ‘Keep On Talking’, a foot-shuffling cover of the 1965 Northern Soul deep-cut Keep On Talking, written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham – and produced by Oldham in Muscle Shoals.

There’s more screen star power sprinkled across Texas’s back catalogue as represented in The Very Best Of 1989-2023. The video for ‘In Demand’ features Spiteri’s dear friend, the late, lamented actor Alan Rickman. As for the video for ‘Sleep’, the final single from 2005’s Red Book (and another Top 10), it was made by Peter Kay after the comic and Spiteri bonded at the Live 8 all-star concert in Edinburgh.

“We did it in the club that Phoenix Nights was shot in.” Sharleen explains. “And Peter scripted, directed, starred, edited, everything – he did everything on that video on his own. He was phenomenal. A friend for life.” And when Spiteri’s duet partner on that beautiful song, legendary (and legendarily selective) Blue Nile singer Paul Buchanan had opted not to appear in the video, Kay’s a pretty good stand-in, right?

Meanwhile, across all their albums, Texas were reliably killing it in mainland Europe. Jump On Board (2017) was a chart-topping triumph in France, its ascent aided by the snake-hipped funk of Let’s Work It Out, “which literally you couldn’t get off the radio in France”. But, again, what an afterlife. Now, when they perform that song live, complete with Spiteri doing the video’s “stupid dance” (her words, not ours), they go straight into ace Hi cut Mr Haze. That dancefloor classic is rocket-powered by deft deployment of a sample of Donna Summer’s Love’s Unkind..

And all those, of course, are just some of the highlights studded across this 24-track compilation.

Finally, then: as Sharleen Spiteri looks back over these tracks of her years, what’s the overall sensation? Satisfaction of a job well done? The best is yet to come?

“No’ bad for a hairdresser fae Glasgow!” she says, an old joke but still a good one (and a true one). “But I gotta be honest: I still feel like I’m really close to the beginning. And the energy and the vibe between us all – as a band I don’t think we’ve ever been happier, and I don’t think we’ve ever been tighter. And I don’t think we’ve ever been more definite about who we are.”

Who are they? They are Texas, and they make hits.

Texas – The Very Best Of 1989 – 2023 tracklisting

1. Say What You Want
2. Black Eyed Boy
3. Inner Smile
4. Mr Haze
5. Halo
6. I Don’t Want A Lover
7. Summer Son
8. Keep On Talking
9. The Conversation
10. In Our Lifetime
11. In Demand
12. Put Your Arms Around Me
13. Let’s Work It Out
14. When We Are Together
15. Hi
16. Say What You Want (All Day Everyday) feat. Wu-Tang Clan
17. Tired Of Being Alone
18. Start A Family feat. Alan Rickman
19. So Called Friend
20. Everyday Now
21. Insane
22. After All
23. Sleep feat. Paul Buchanan
24. So In Love With You

‘Gag Order’ cover art

Today, Kesha announces her new album ‘Gag Order’, set to drop May 19th (via Kemosabe/RCA Records), an album that finds the GRAMMY-nominated pop star excavating the deepest recesses of her soul to date.

The Rick Rubin-produced record, which Kesha has labeled “post-pop”, is a full-bodied collection that flows like a stream-of-conscious journey through the psychedelic dark depths of the human psyche followed by basking in the cleansing light when finally reaching the surface.

Kesha has teased the forthcoming album on Instagram over the past month as well as in a cameo in a recent 60 Minutes story on Rick Rubin. This Friday, she will drop a duo of pre-release tracks, “Eat the Acid” and “Fine Line”.

‘Gag Order’, which Kesha is executive producer on, is an album unlike anything she has created thus far in her career, yet somehow is an album that only she truly could have made. Forged in the fires of self-discovery and learning to finally accept the ugly, scary sides of ourselves, ‘Gag Order’ feels like an emotional exorcism, unearthing and facing the darkness in oneself, brought to life with experimental, otherworldly production & lyrical vulnerability unlike anything the artist has written before. On ‘Gag Order’, Kesha confronts her own reflection & finds empowerment in her own voice, with beautiful, heart aching results.

“Without the darkness there is no light. I finally let my darkness have the light.  I cannot fight the truth of this life being difficult and painful. It is for everyone,” wrote Kesha in an album manifesto that went live today via Nylon. “An artist doesn’t exist to make others happy. I believe an artist gives voice, motion, color to the emotions we all have. The good emotions, and the unmanageably fucking miserable ones.”

Kesha has sold more than 14 million total album equivalents worldwide, has approximately 6.9 billion audio streams and 1.7 billion video streams worldwide, and has had 9 Top 10 hits on The Billboard Hot 100, including four # 1 singles at Top 40 Radio – “TiK ToK,” “Your Love Is My Drug,” “Die Young,” and “Timber.”

Following a year of staggering losses, personal introspection and bittersweet remembrances, Foo Fighters return with But Here We Are, out June 2 on Roswell Records/Columbia Records.

A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year, But Here We Are is a testament to the healing powers of music, friendship and family. Courageous, damaged and unflinchingly authentic, But Here We Are opens with newly released lead single “Rescued,” the first of 10 songs that run the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.

Produced by Greg Kurstin and Foo Fighters, But Here We Are is in nearly equal measure the 11th Foo Fighters album and the first chapter of the band’s new life. Sonically channeling the naiveté of Foo Fighters’ 1995 debut, informed by decades of maturity and depth, But Here We Are is the sound of brothers finding refuge in the music that brought them together in the first place 28 years ago, a process that was as therapeutic as it was about a continuation of life.

But Here We Are is available for pre-order now, with all pre-orders including “Rescued” as an instant grat. The album’s track list is as follows:

Rescued

Under You

Hearing Voices

But Here We Are

The Glass

Nothing At All

Show Me How

Beyond Me

The Teacher

Rest

Following her sold out exclusive birthday show next week at London Lafayette, Beverley Knight has announced the details of her biggest ever UK tour to date. The Queen of British Soul will perform twenty very special headline dates across some of the UK’s major cities throughout October and November 2023.

Beverley Knight has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists for almost three decades. Celebrating her incredible career over the years the tour also marks her milestone 50th birthday. Back together with her live band expect a fun-filled night where she will perform all of her classic hits, fan favourites along with brand new songs.

Beverley said “It’s been a minute! I am so looking forward to finally getting back on the road with my band again! There is nothing like the energy of a live audience showing love in return for you giving them everything you’ve got.”

2023 is also set to be a landmark year for Beverley, as she’s currently mid working on new material for her first studio album in seven years. She’s had several Top 10 albums, including the platinum selling Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight and sold over a million albums in the UK, including four gold certified albums. Her most recent studio album Soulsville (released 2016) went straight into the UK Top 10, whilst her celebration of 25 years in music for BK25: Beverley Knight with The Leo Green Orchestra at The Royal Festival Hall was testament to her career of hits.

In recent years, Wolverhampton born Knight has forged a formidable parallel career in theatre. Her West End debut was the starring role in The Bodyguard followed by leading the Tony winning Memphis The Musical. At the request of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber she joined the cast of Cats, playing the iconic role of Grizabella. 2021 saw Beverley lead The Drifters Girl at the Garrick Theatre as the formidable manager of soul group The Drifters, which was Olivier nominated Best New Musical, and Beverley for Best Actress.

Following a sold-out summer playing Deloris Van Cater opposite Jennifer Saunders in the revival of Sister Act, Beverley was delighted to return to London’s iconic Old Vic for the new production of Sylvia. Currently starring to huge acclaim as Emmeline Pankhurst, Beverley has been nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical at the Olivier Awards in April. The show also received nominations for Best New Musical and Best Choreographer. 

Beverley is also currently on screen every Saturday night as a panel judge in ITV’s talent series Starstruck. Broadcasting work beyond this current hit show, include presenting 4 series of Radio 2 show ‘Beverley’s Gospel Nights’ and two series of the BBC1 show Just the Two of Us. She recently appeared in the all star cast of Amazon’s new live action movie Cinderella (2021) with Camilla Cabello in the title role.

Her outstanding live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans over the years from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder, she has collaborated on stage and on record with the likes of Prince, Jamiroquai, Bocelli, Take That, Chaka Kahn, Joss Stone & Marvin Gaye. Her performance with Goldie of ‘Inner City Life’ at last year’s Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony in Birmingham a recent stand out.

A British treasure, Beverley was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won three MOBO Awards, been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards 3 times, Best Actress at the Olivier Awards twice, and Best Female at the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Tickets for the UK tour go on sale Friday 24th March at 9:00am and will be available from www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk

UK TOUR DATES 2023

OCTOBER

17 – Reading Hexagon

18 – Bath Forum

19 – Cardiff St David’s Hall

21 – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

23 – Sheffield City Hall

24 – Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

16 – Glasgow SEC Armadillo

28 – Gateshead Sage

29 – Northampton Derngate

31 – Leicester De Montfort Hall

NOVEMBER

02 – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

03 – Manchester Bridgewater Hall

04 – Birmingham Symphony Hall

06 – Cambridge Corn Exchange

07 – Brighton Dome

09 – York Barbican

10 – Stoke-on-Trent Regent Theatre

11 – Bournemouth Pavilion

13 – Southend Cliffs Pavilion

14 – London Palladium

Connect with Beverley Knight

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Multi-platinum selling Scottish rockers Travis have revealed ‘Sing (Live)’, taken from the band’s forthcoming Record Store 2023 release, The Invisible Band (Live). The album will be dropped as a special one-off live album on vinyl on April 22nd and across streaming services on April 21st via Craft Recordings.

“If ‘The Invisible Band’ was a house, ‘Sing’ would be the front door,” Fran Healy said of the track. “It was originally called ‘Swing’. I was pivoting between ‘Swing’ and ‘Sing’, never before has so much rested on a W. It could all have been so different. It’s such a breezy, easy song to sing and all these years later, it still feels fresh as the day we first played it.” Listen to ‘Sing (Live)’ HERE.

Recorded live at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on May 22nd 2022 during their celebrated The Invisible Band in Concert anniversary dates, the live album sees the art school band play the seminal album front to back for the first time ever. 

“Playing The Invisible Band live was a lot of fun. There are so many memories folded into these songs for us and for everyone who came to the shows,” Fran Healy said of the album. “The tracklisting on this album worked really great live so we decided to record and film the final show in Glasgow. There is always a chance I’ll get a sore throat when I know there is a taping coming up, but thankfully it all went without a hitch. I think it was the best we played the album that night.”

Released for the only time on vinyl for RSD 2023, this special 2-LP package comes on clear vinyl in a gatefold sleeve and includes exclusive unseen photography from Ryan Johnston. Pay a visit to your local independent record shop on Record Store Day (Saturday 22nd April) for the chance to purchase – list of participating shops HERE. The album will also be released across streaming services on April 21st. Pre-save HERE.

Returning to the studio with The Man Who’s co-producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck, Paul McCartney) for The Invisible Band, Travis crafted a near-perfect 45-minute album praised by Q magazine for having some of ‘the best and most fully crafted’ songs of their career to date. 

‘Sing’ remains the band’s highest-charting single in the UK (No.3), while its follow-ups, ‘Side’ and ‘Flowers In The Window’, saw the band consolidate their indie-pop formula, helping The Invisible Band to match its predecessor’s No.1 position in the UK album chart, while taking Travis into the US Top 40 and Top 10 in Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Italy and Norway.

Tickets are on sale now for Metallica and Trafalgar Releasing’s worldwide listening party for Metallica’s forthcoming 12th studio album, 72 Seasons. For one night only on Thursday, April 13, 72 Seasons will play exclusively for cinema audiences worldwide—with every one of the new songs featuring its own music video and exclusive commentary from the band. Fans can also experience Metallica like never before in Dolby Atmos®, an audio experience that will immerse listeners inside each song to reveal details with unparalleled clarity and depth. 

Check metallica.film or contact your local movie theatre for ticketing information on this one night only event (in Dolby Atmos where available).

Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere will offer fans an unforgettable night as they see and hear 72 Seasons first and fully on the eve of its April 14 release. View a Metallica: 72 Seasons – Global Premiere trailer HERE.

Preceded by the just-released “If Darkness Had a Son,” the “towering, imposing, unbreakably fortified” (Revolver) new track “Screaming Suicide” and first single “Lux Æterna” — hailed upon its November 28, 2022 release as “thundering, breakneck” (Billboard), “gut-punching” (Rolling Stone) and “blistering” (USA Today) — 72 Seasons will be released April 14 via Metallica’s own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with Hetfield & Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track 72 Seasons is Metallica’s first full length collection of new material since 2016’s Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. The album will be released in 2LP 140g black vinyl and limited-edition variants, CD digital, and in Dolby Atmos (streaming where available). For a full listing of configurations, pre-orders and further information, go to www.metallica.com/store/72-seasons/

The 72 Seasons global premiere sees Metallica and Trafalgar joining forces once more, having previously worked together on the October 2019 worldwide cinematic release of Metallica and San Francisco Symphony:S&M², which documented Metallica and San Francisco Symphony reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their original S&M (Symphony & Metallica) concerts and releases.

https://www.metallica.com/

Simply Red are back! Four years since the triumphant Blue Eyed Soul, one of the UK’s most treasured bands return with brand new studio album Time – out May 26th on Warner Music. The record’s debut offering comes in the form of the sensational pop masterclass ‘Better With You’ – Listen HERE. The video will premiere Friday March 3rd at 14:00 GMT HERE.

“On the song itself, I’m reminiscing on phase one of the relationship with my wife, when we first met in Milan. At that time, I was single and just partying my way around the world. And I thought to myself: well, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I was just going along, having a right old time. It just stemmed from there,” Mick Hucknall said of the track.

Over 12 vivid, heartfelt, life-giving tracks that mix soul, funk, R&B and blues, Time demonstrates an unerring ear for, feel for and passion for songs that move the emotion and the imagination. Recorded in London with longstanding producer Andy Wright and the close-knit cadre of musicians with whom he’s formed a matchless touring band, Hucknall is back – and not just with the label, Warner Music, with whom he began Simply Red’s musical adventure. He’s writing from, and about, himself.

“When we were in lockdown, I went, well, jeez, who am I actually?” he remembers. “What makes me tick? And I realised: you are a songwriter. So why don’t you write some songs about who you are? That’s really the essence of this album.”

With a career spanning 12 studio albums as Simply Red (five of them Number Ones), two solo albums, back-to-back ASCAP Most Performed Song honours (1987 and 1988) for Holding Back The Years, consecutive Brit Awards (1992 and 1993) for Best British Group, a Brit for Best British Male (1993), the 1997 MOBO for Outstanding Achievement, two Ivor Novellos (1992 Songwriter of the Year; 2002 Outstanding Song Collection), and some 60 million album sales, Mick is ready to continue the ride into the next chapter.

Time is full of golden moments from a golden talent. Come for the poppy confessional and stay for the honest accounts of where Mick Hucknall finds himself, a happily married father, as an ever-inspired singer and songwriter.

“Music is one of those wonderful communicators. Each and every person can have an interpretation of a song that can mean something to them. To be able to create something that is then shared with millions of people all over the world – what a joy. How can anything be more rewarding and fulfilling than that?”

Time Track Listing

1. Better With You
2. Just Like You
3. Let Your Hair Down
4. Shades 22
5. It Wouldn’t Be Me
6. Never Be Gone
7. Too Long At The Fair
8. Slapbang
9. Hey Mister
10. Just Like You (Pt. 2)
11. Butterflies
12. Earth In A Lonely Space

Live, after a stellar 2022 which saw the band perform 73 shows to over 600,000 people across Europe, the band show no sign of slowing down and will play a host of European Summer shows this year 2023. With more to be announced, the 28 dates will see Simply Red take on summer venues across Europe, performing all of their Greatest Hits and confirming their reputation as one of the great live acts of today.

2023 SUMMER DATES

June 2023

16th – Sønderborg, Mølleparken – Denmark

18^th – Werchter, TW Classic – Belgium

21st – Pula, Roman Arena – Croatia

25^th – Nimes, Festival de Nimes – France

27th – Trani, Piazza Duomo – Italy

28th – Macerata, Sferisterio – Italy

July

1st – Lucca Summer Festival 2023 – Italy

3rd – Marostica, Piazza Deli Scacchi – Italy

4th – Torino, Stupinigi Sonic Park 2023 – Italy

7th – Weert, Bospop Festival 2023 – Netherlands

8th – Berlin, Zitadelle – Germany

9th – Halle Saale, Peißnitz Insel – Germany

11th – Kiel, Wunderino Arena – Germany

12th – Mönchengladbach, Sparkassen Arena – Germany

14th – Bonn, Kunstrasen – Germany

15th – Mainz, Zitadelle – Germany

16th – Lörrach, Stimmen Festival – Germany

19th – Rosenheim, Mangfall Park – Germany

20th – Regensburg, Schloß Emmeram – Germany

21st – Fulda, Domplatz – Germany

23rd – Stuttgart, Jazz Open – Germany

25th – Salem, Schloss – Germany

28th – Füssen, Barockgarten – Germany

30th – Klam, Castle Klam – Austria

August

4th – Murcia, Murcia On Fest – Spain

5th – Poblado De Sancti Petri, Concert Music Festival – Spain

9th – Zofingen, Magic Night – Switzerland

10th – Schaffhausen, Stars in Town – Switzerland

www.simplyred.com