Grapevine Bristol

  • Last ever Lack of Afro album & tour – ‘Love Dealer’ LP out Oct 10 + 23 dates across the UK

    Last ever Lack of Afro album & tour – ‘Love Dealer’ LP out Oct 10 + 23 dates across the UK

    Heeding the cry that your disco needs you, multi-million streamed producer and soundtrack specialist Lack of Afro rocks the house and captures the bygone glamour of clubbing perfectly on the ‘Love Dealer’ LP

    Featuring the singles ‘Make It Shine’ with Greg Blackman, ‘Walls Start Rockin”, ‘Heart & Soul’ and ‘Keeping Me Strong’, the ‘Love Dealer’ is all sequins and strings, singalongs and struts, and extremely funky from first beat to last. Lack of Afro aka Exeter’s Adam Gibbons shows that a little bit of D-I-S-C-O always goes a long way

    Lack of Afro announced via Instagram last week that this will be the last ever LoA album or tour.

    Out across formats on Friday 10th October on Bastion Music Group, you can stream ‘Love Dealer’ privately here / find on Bandcamp here / and download here

    29.10 – Cardiff, The Globe / 30.10 – Southampton, 1865 / 31.10 – Brighton, Patterns 

    01.11 – Cambridge, Mash / 02.11 – Birkenhead, Future Yard / 04.11 – Sheffield, Yellow Arch

    05.11 – Manchester, Band on The Wall / 06.11 – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club

    07.11 – Glasgow, Oran Mor / 08.11 – Edinburgh, La Belle Angele / 09.11 – Newcastle, The Cluny / 11.11 – Birmingham, The Castle & Falcon / 12.11 – Falmouth, The Cornish Bank 

    13.11  – Exeter, Phoenix / 14.11 – Bristol, Thekla / 15.11 – London, Islington Assembly Hall

    23.11 – Oxford, The Bullingdon / 24.11 – Lincoln, The Drill / 25.11 – Hull, The Social  

    26.11 – Derby, The Old Bell Hotel / 27.11 – Carlisle, The Old Fire Station / 28.11 – Lancaster, Kanteena  / 29.11 – Norwich, Norwich Arts Centre

  • THE WEDDING PRESENT – On Tour in the UK This Autumn Celebrating 40th Anniversary

    THE WEDDING PRESENT – On Tour in the UK This Autumn Celebrating 40th Anniversary

    David Lewis Gedge and his semi-legendary band celebrate a special anniversary live across Ireland and the United Kingdom this September and October.

    The Wedding Present was born in Leeds, in 1985.

    Rising from the ashes of a band called The Lost Pandas, The Wedding Present was assembled by David Gedge [singing & guitar] and Keith Gregory [bass], when they enlisted the services of Peter Solowka [guitar] and Shaun Charman [drums].

    The band’s first single – “Go Out And Get ’Em, Boy!” – was released in May 1985 and now shares its title with the first volume of David’s autobiography, in which he describes the early days of playing in and around Leeds.

    Since 1985, The Wedding Present have had eighteen UK Top 40 hit singles; not bad for a group that has, from its inception, stubbornly refused to play the record industry’s game. That pioneering spirit has been at the core of the band’s philosophy throughout. From ‘George Best’ [“an unmitigated delight” (NME)] onwards, the band has charted an appealing, if often eccentric, course of its very own.

    The band are planning several events [including a Wedding Present musical!] to celebrate their forty years in existence, including this wide-ranging tour throughout Ireland and the United Kingdom. These concerts will feature the band playing tracks from across their extensive repertoire and include many of their hits.

    The Wedding Present will be joined in Manchester by special guests Mozart Estate. Founded by former Felt and Denim bandleader Lawrence in the late 1990s, Mozart Estate pull together glam rock elements, bleeping synths and tongue-in-cheek lyrics to create B-side bangers. 

    *****

    40th Anniversary Tour Dates: 

    October

    03 Bristol – O2 Academy with Mozart Estate

    10 Manchester – O2 Ritz with Mozart Estate

    18 Liverpool – O2 Academy with Mozart Estate

    23 Birmingham – O2 Institute with Mozart Estate

    24 Oxford – O2 Academy with Mozart Estate

    25 London – O2 Forum Kentish Town with Mozart Estate

    Tickets available here.

    For more information:

    Website | Spotify | Instagram | X | Facebook

  • ESTHER MANITO SLAGBOMB UK TOUR – SEPTEMBER 2025 – FEBRUARY 2026

    ESTHER MANITO SLAGBOMB UK TOUR – SEPTEMBER 2025 – FEBRUARY 2026

    UK TOUR: SEPTEMBER 2025 – FEBRUARY 2026 – ON SALE 10AM, 28TH MARCH 2025 – TICKETS

    Esthermanito.co.uk / Twitter: @esther_manito / Instagram: @esthermanito

    This Autumn, award-winning British-Lebanese comedian Esther Manito (as seen on Live at the Apollo and Stand Up Sketch Show) sets out on her biggest UK tour to date, performing her brand new hilarious stand-up show Slagbomb in Essex, Exeter, Edinburgh and many more in between. Tickets are on sale for all dates from 10am, Friday, 28th March 2025 at https://esthermanito.seetickets.com/tour/esther-manito

    Slagbomb takes a nosedive into the challenges and hilarities of the awkward sandwich years, inviting audiences to feel better about the madness in their own lives. Youthful freedom has given way to the reality of adult responsibilities and one finds oneself juggling everything while hosing faeces off the garden decking, clad in questionable footwear.

    She’s tried elegance. She’s aimed for sophistication. But somehow, the chaos always wins. Because really—how do you keep your poise when you’re juggling kids, aging parents, and the crushing weight of unmet expectations? Following the success of her last show, Hell Hath No Fury, Esther is done pretending. Now, owning the label of ‘Angry woman’, she’s leaning in even further—into the mess, the mayhem, and the gloriously undignified truth of it all. From failed attempts at being sexy, sudden hearing loss, and awkward encounters with dodgy drug dealers, to the brutal realities of a waxing session gone sideways—nothing’s off limits. Because when there’s war in the world and family back in Lebanon, there are bigger things to worry about than being a ‘Slagbomb’

    An Arab Essex girl who will challenge every single preconception of what that means, Esther Manito deftly skewers gender politics, expectations of modern parents and the obscene pressures put on modern women.

    Esther Manito has appeared on Live At The Apollo (BBC), The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV) and Hypothetical (Dave). She has been heard on The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), The 13 million Club (BBC Radio 4), Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life (BBC Radio 4), Russel Kane’s Evil Genius (BBC Sounds), Breaking the News (BBC Radio Scotland) and co-hosting Newsjack Unplugged (BBC Radio 4 Extra). She is also the co-host of Ghastly Women podcast alongside Lily Phillips and I Didn’t Want it Anyway with Shappi Khorsandi.

    Esther’s debut show Crusade received huge critical acclaim and is available to watch on NextUp Comedy and ITVX. Her second show #NotAllMen won best show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2021 and her most recent tour Hell Hath No Furywas a smash hit success, receiving rave reviews and adding numerous extra dates due to demand for tickets.

    Skilfully weaves her own personal story with a wider look at gender issues’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Evening Standard

    ‘Effervescent… incisively funny’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐The Skinny

    ‘A brilliant show from start to finish…incredibly funny’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From Page to Stage

    An absolute riot from start to finish’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Everything Theatre

    She OWNS her anger […] Funny and truthful’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ North West End UK

    Treads the nuance of gender, political and other global debates with aplomb’⭐⭐⭐⭐ WhyNow

    ESTHER MANITO: SLAGBOMB – 2025 & 2026 UK TOUR LISTINGS

    2025 TOUR DATES

    Sunday 14th September – Norwich Theatre Stage Two

    Thursday 18th – Saturday 20th September – Soho Theatre, London

    Wednesday 24th September – Farnham Maltings

    Friday 26th September – The Glee Club, Birmingham

    Saturday 27th September – GRUB, Manchester

    Sunday 28th September – The Leadmill, Sheffield

    Tuesday 30th September – Palace Theatre Dixon Studio, Southend

    Sunday 12th October – Exeter Phoenix

    Wednesday 22nd October – Storyhouse, Chester

    Thursday 23rd October – Monkey Barrel Comedy, Edinburgh

    Wednesday 29th October – Swindon Arts Centre

    Thursday 30th October – The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

    Sunday 2nd November – Old Fire Station Oxford

    Wednesday 12th November – Old Woollen, Farsley, Leeds

    Thursday 13th November – The Stand, Glasgow

    Saturday 15th November – The Alex, Faversham

    Thursday 20th November – The Arc, Winchester

    Friday 28th November – Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester

    Saturday 29th November – The Stand, Newcastle

    Thursday 4th December – The Spring Arts Centre, Havant

    2026 TOUR DATES

    Saturday 31st January – Komedia, Brighton

    Friday 13th February – G Live, Bellerby Studio, Guildford

    Friday 27th February – The Hawth, Crawley

    ALL TICKETS: https://esthermanito.seetickets.com/tour/esther-manito

  • THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS – Embark Upon UK Tour This October – with Special Guest Anja Huwe

    THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS – Embark Upon UK Tour This October – with Special Guest Anja Huwe

    Icons of the original post-punk era The Psychedelic Furs are out on tour this autumn, stopping at beloved venues across the country throughout October.

    This autumn, The Psychedelic Furs have announced their plans to tour the UK, bringing their British post-punk sound to a number of huge venues across the country. Playing the hits, such as “Love My Way”, “Heaven” and “Pretty In Pink”, and more as well as some deeper cuts from their back catalogue, the band promise a dazzling live show decades in the making.

    Kicking off in Wolverhampton on 22nd October, the band will spend the end of October on the road making stops in Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and more. The tour will culminate with a show at the stunning Palladium in London.

    The band will be joined on tour by special guest and post-punk icon Anja Huwe, marking her first UK shows in over 15 years. The visual artist and former vocalist of German goth outfit Xmal Deutschland unveiled her debut solo record, ‘Codes’, last spring via Sacred Bones. Earlier this year, she returned to releasing with “PolarForest”, which blended her solo track “Living In The Forest” with Xmal Deutschland’s 1987 song “Polarlicht”.

    The full list of UK dates can be found below. Please get in touch with rob@sonicpr.co.uk for interview time or guestlist requests.

    About The Psychedelic Furs

    The Psychedelic Furs may not have invented rock and roll per se, but their influence since arriving on the post-punk scorched-earth landscape four decades ago has reverberated and resonated amongst all those who cherish the sweet-and-sour spot where rawness and romanticism meet.

    Born out of the UK post-punk scene and led by vocalist and songwriter Richard Butler, and his bass-wielding brother Tim, the Furs quickly developed as one of the premiere bands at college and alternative radio. They scored a flurry of major hits with “Love My Way”, “Pretty In Pink”, “Heaven”, “The Ghost In You” and “Heartbreak Beat”, in all releasing eight studio albums, spawning several compilations, a boxed set, a live concert DVD and inspiring one of the most iconic motion picture soundtracks of all time.

    Nearly thirty years later, their latest release ‘Made Of Rain’ has charted in a multitude of countries and became the Furs’ second highest ranked UK album ever. It was prominently featured in end of year lists in dozens of publications worldwide.

    But the Furs especially thrive live in concert, with previously headlining Glastonbury Festival, and more recently playing at esteemed venues including the Hollywood Bowl, London’s Royal Albert Hall, and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. With a dazzling live show, they continue to tour quite regularly across the globe.

    The Psychedelic Furs touring lineup is Richard Butler (vocals); Tim Butler (bass); Rich Good (guitar), Amanda Kramer (keyboards), Zachary Alford (drums) and Peter DiStefano (guitar).

    Live dates:

    22 Oct – WOLVERHAMPTON, Wulfrun Hall

    24 Oct – GLASGOW, Barrowland

    25 Oct – LEEDS, Stylus

    27 Oct – MANCHESTER, Albert Hall

    28 Oct – BRISTOL, O2 Academy

    30 Oct – BEXHILL, De La Warr Pavilion

    31 Oct – LONDON, Palladium

    Tickets available HERE.

  • MOGWAI announce extensive February 2026 UK tour

    MOGWAI announce extensive February 2026 UK tour

    Mogwai today announce a UK tour for February 2026, taking in 11 dates, starting at Paisley Town Hall on 12 February and running through to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 27 February. The shows feature support from Forest Swords and follow this summer’s headline performance at South Facing Festival in London, and the band’s current, ongoing European tour. Fans can sign up for pre-sale access for the new shows, ahead of tickets going on general sale at 10am Friday 19 September. Dates are below; see www.mogwai.scot for details.

    Mogwai – UK tour – February 2026

    Thu 12 Feb – Paisley Town Hall

    Fri 13 Feb – Aberdeen Music Hall

    Sat 14 Feb – Birmingham O2 Academy

    Sun 15 Feb – Nottingham Rock City

    Tue 17 Feb – Cardiff Depot

    Thu 19 Feb – Exeter Great Hall

    Fri 20 Feb – Brighton Dome

    Sat 21 Feb – Portsmouth Guildhall

    Sun 22 Feb – Bristol Beacon

    Tue 24 Feb – Norwich The LCR

    Wed 25 Feb – Cambridge Corn Exchange

    Thu 26 Feb – Gateshead – The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

    Fri 27 Feb – Manchester O2 Apollo

    The tour will see Mogwai performing songs from across their 30 year-spanning discography, including their 11th studio album The Bad Fire, released earlier this year to considerable critical acclaim. Produced by John Congleton (St Vincent, Angel Olsen, John Grant) at Chem19 studios in Blantyre, Scotland, the album features the singles “Lion Rumpus”, “God Gets You Back” and “Fanzine Made Of Flesh”.

    Purchase The Bad Fire

    A Scottish colloquialism for Hell, The Bad Fire draws inspiration from a series of tough personal moments that the band found themselves in following on from their chart-topping tenth album, 2021’s As The Love Continues. The band continued to work through this, leading to the creation of The Bad Fire: a collection of songs that forgo nostalgia and easy victories, once again finding Mogwai pushing forward with some of the most beautiful and explosive songs of their career. It is a record that retains Mogwai’s power whilst delving into fresh new territory for the band.

    Mogwai – The Bad Fire art (download high res assets here)

    Praise for The Bad Fire

    “”Unexpectedly heavenly”  The Guardian, 4* Album Of The Week

    “Luminous soundscapes”  Uncut, 8/10

    “A crafted, discerning grace” – Mojo, 4*

    “Powerful and profound.” – Kerrang, 4*

    “Heaven or Hell, the bad fire as lit by Mogwai always offers a flame of hope” – Prog

    “Some of the most euphoric music they have ever made”  DIY, 4*

    “A terrific followup to Mogwai’s number 1 smash” – The Quietus

    “To retain the power to surprise and delight when entering its fourth decade is something few bands can claim” – Under The Radar, 8/10

    “Uplifting new dimensions to their sound” – Pitchfork

    Socials   Facebook / Twitter/  Instagram/  Website/  Bandcamp

  • ALABAMA 3 – Embark Upon Run of UK Tour Dates This Winter – Tickets On Sale Now

    ALABAMA 3 – Embark Upon Run of UK Tour Dates This Winter – Tickets On Sale Now

    This December, Alabama 3 will return to the road for a run of UK dates, concluding with a hometown show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

    Last December, Alabama 3 set out on tour to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their signature track, “Woke Up This Morning”, soundtracking the hit TV series The Sopranos. Since then, the Brixton-born roots-futurists have spent a large proportion of their time on the road, treating audiences to the sweet sounds of ‘Exile On Cold Harbour Lane’ and ‘La Peste’ a quarter of a decade after they were first released. 

    Although the anniversary tour has now come to a close, Alabama 3’s love affair with the road is never-ending. The band have now announced a run of dates across the UK this winter, kicking off at SWG3 in Glasgow on 4th December. From there, the band will take to stages in Manchester, Coventry and Bristol before concluding the tour with a huge homecoming show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 13th December.

    The full list of dates can be found below. Tickets are available here.

    About Alabama 3

    We’re the Alabama 3. We make sweet pretty muthafuckin country acid house music. All night long. We’re not from Alabama, and there’s not three of us. We’re from Brixton, London. We’re the fellas that did that Sopranos theme tune. That tune bought someone a swimming pool, but it sure wasn’t any of us…

    Alabama 3 is a pop band, a punk rock, blues and country techno situationist crypto-Marxist-Leninist electro band. We never went on X Factor or Pop Idol or Stooge Quest. We did it the old fashioned way. Back in 1996, we threw a big old party, invited all our friends. We took a fistful of blotterd and half a dozen disco biscuits and then made it up as we went along. Geffen Records bought it… for a million dollars! We never needed a self-appointed quango of jaded vampires to tell us how to sing the blues… we got mojo. We have the power to raise the dead.

    We spent half of our advance from Geffen on various contraband items and with the rest we made an over-produced, brilliant situationist masterpiece called ‘Exile on Coldharbour Lane’. Ever since then we’ve been preaching our Gospel all over the world. They’ve tried to stop us. Many, many time. They say we were degenerates, corrupters of morals, they say we were too political, too contrived, too ugly. We’ve been in and out of the charts, in and out of fashion, in and out of rehab. We’ve been skint and we’ve been minted… and you know what? It makes no difference to us. Because we’re never gonna stop. 

    And we want to make you feel good. We know you’ve had trouble in your life, real bad trouble. We know you’ve got debts. We know you’ve had your heart broken so many times you’re still finding pieces of it in your pillow. Maybe you’ve done some good things in your life, maybe you’ve done some bad things. We forgive you. Forgive yourself. Then dress up real sexy and come and party with us some time. We’ll look after you. That’s a promise. 

    Alabama 3 UK Live Dates:

    4th December – SWG3, Glasgow

    5th December – O2 Ritz, Manchester

    11th December – HMV Empire, Coventry

    12th December – O2 Academy, Bristol

    13th December – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

    Tickets are available here

  • STEREO MC’S – Embark on ‘True To Life’ UK / IE Tour Dates This November

    STEREO MC’S – Embark on ‘True To Life’ UK / IE Tour Dates This November

    UK Hip-Hop/Electronic dance pioneers Stereo MC’s will return in 2025 for a brand new run of UK and Ireland shows. 

    Demand for Stereo MC’s remains at a high. Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon performing “Connected” (watch here) in January, the band also recently announced a slew of US dates – their first full US route since 2001 – leading up to an appearance at the prestigious Cruel World festival on 17th May.

    The band bookend a packed 2025 schedule with an 11-date UK and Ireland stretch of shows throughout November, December and January

    Kicking-off at Glasgow St Luke’s venue on 27th November, the ‘True To Life’ UK / IE Tour will take in shows in major cities like Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and beyond, before concluding with a two-night residency at the Button Factory in the Irish capital of Dublin in January (30-31/01 2026). 

    Forming part of what will be Stereo MC’s’ first full European tour since 2014, the line up will feature original members Rob Birch (Rob B), Nick Hallam, and Cath Coffey, along with drummer/percussionist, Tansay Omar

    Fans can expect to hear tracks from across the Brit Award-winning act’s acclaimed seven studio albums, including ConnectedStep It UpElevate My MindLost In Music,

    As Rob explains of ‘True To Life’: 

    “There are many influences in the melting pot being shaped by this time we live in. In the same way as we look back for inspiration, we are charged by the present and that’s how we work: combining old methods with modern technology. The more diverse our music becomes, the happier I feel.”

    While Nick adds of the upcoming tour:

    “There’ll be a lot of new music… some club orientated in keeping with our label and recent outlook, and some more in the Stereo MC’s known mould. When the two merge as one, we will be there.”

    Tickets for the True To Life UK / IE Tour are on sale now, with the full list of dates as follows:

    STEREO MC’S TRUE TO LIFE UK / IE TOUR

    NOVEMBER 2025

    27 – GLASGOW St Luke’s

    28 – LEEDS Brudenell Social Club

    29 – LIVERPOOL Arts Club

    DECEMBER 2025

    4 – BRISTOL Trinity

    6 – MARGATE Dreamland

    7 – NORWICH Epic Studios

    12 – LONDON Shepherd’s Bush Empire

    13 – MANCHESTER O2 Ritz

    14 – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 2

    JANUARY 2026

     30 – DUBLIN Button Factory

     31 – DUBLIN Button Factory

    Tickets: www.stereomcs.com

    *******

    BIOGRAPHY

    Stereo MC’s are probably best known for their international Top 20 hit single ‘Connected’, which was released in 1992 and was the title track of their album the same year, reaching #2 in the UK Album Chart. It also contained the hits ‘Step It Up’, ‘Creation’, and ‘Ground Level’, and led to the group winning two Brit Awards for Best Group and Best Album in 1994.

    Being childhood friends and neighbours, Rob Birch and Nick Hallam formed Stereo MC’s in the mid-eighties, with the pair inspired to make music by their combined love of early hip-hop, funk and electronic music.

    The Stereo MC’s initially pressed their first 12” vinyl and started their own independent record label called Gee Street Records, with Kiss DJ Richie Rich and budding entrepreneur, Jon Baker.

    When Gee Street attracted the attention of 4th & Broadway in 1989, the duo recorded the debut Stereo MC’s album, ‘33-45-78’. As Nick remembers:  

    When we started getting gigs around that time, we thought it would be great to have live drums, even if they made the turntables bounce around. But when we went to the States, the U.S. branch of our record company said, ‘We’re not paying for a drummer to come on tour, because you don’t do that with this type of music’. There were a few barriers to cross before dance music was established as a live music force and was given equal rights in the touring and festival scene. Island Records had a good attitude to developing young acts, though, and we were given time to grow both in the studio and on the road.”

    After releasing 33-45-78, the band toured with De La Soul, Living Colour and A Certain Ratio. They then headed to New York to record their second album, ‘Supernatural’ in 1990, bearing the singles ‘Elevate My Mind’ (which made it into the US R&B Charts) and ‘Lost in Music’ which was a club hit in the UK and US. This success was further cemented when they supported Happy Mondays on a US tour.

    Rob adds: 

    If we weren’t on the road or making our own tracks we were remixing for other artists. Life didn’t have a clock, you just worked and vibed until you dropped on the sofa and woke up in your clothes six hours later…  The summer of 1992 saw us finish our 3rd LP, Connected, which we toured solidly for about 18 months after its release. It was a big success for us and everybody involved and was a beautiful moment in our development. Navigating our way through the aftermath of over-touring fatigue and life catching up with you was challenging, and for a while the creative spark was hard to find, so we went into recluse mode and built our own studio again so we could get out of the music biz domain.”

    Stereo MC’s were in demand for remix work from the likes of U2MadonnaTrickyPressure DropDavid HolmesTerranova and Mo’Wax records, as well as earlier mixes for The Jungle BrothersLatifah and RZA.

    After making a mix album for the DJ Kicks series on Studio!K7 in 1999, 2001 saw the release of the band’s fourth album ‘Deep Down & Dirty’, followed by a tour that included opening for Jane’s Addiction in the US. The album’s title track became Stereo MC’s fifth consecutive Top 20 hit single in a row.

    Following recordings for PiasK7 and Graffiti, they continued their long relationship with club music, starting the label ‘connected in 2015, initially to release their own new music, while also releasing other artists, and have since become established in the ever-popular Afro House genre. They have also collaborated with some of the biggest current names in house music via releases with Adam Port and Keinemusik and Stil Vor Talent, and have featured guest spots with Re.YouAnja SchneiderFred Everything and many others.

    True To Life’ sees the Stereo MC’s embarking on their first major European tour in over a decade later this year.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    Website / Instagram / Facebook / YouTube

  • Legendary English guitar virtuosos GORDON GILTRAP & JOHN ETHERIDGE team up for ‘2 Parts Guitar’ October 2025 UK tour

    Legendary English guitar virtuosos GORDON GILTRAP & JOHN ETHERIDGE team up for ‘2 Parts Guitar’ October 2025 UK tour

    Two of the world’s greatest guitar players, Gordon Giltrap & John Etheridge, have announced they are to team up to play an extensive 2 Parts Guitar UK tour this autumn.

    After the success of their 2024 tour, guitar supremos Gordon Giltrap & legendary Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge join forces again for a new run of live shows, returning for an unforgettable evening of top class musicianship performed by two of the UKs most respected and influential musicians.

    Talking about these autumn 2025 live shows, Giltrap said today; “I have known John since 1973, and we started working together under the banner 3 Parts Guitar and latterly 4 Parts Guitar about twelve years ago,  This is out second UK tour as a duo and it never ceases to be a joy and inspiration working with this outstanding virtuoso.”

    The two innovative guitarists will be performing songs from their extensive back catalogues with incredible new arrangements in what promises to be an electrifying show. A broad range of material from their respective careers is promised as well as other favourite pieces, reflecting each player’s musical visions and influences.

    With both musicians highly respected amongst their peers (and having both worked across decades with a number of the world’s greatest artists), Etheridge was famously told “You’re great” by Jimi Hendrix, whilst Eric Clapton remarked after an early gig, “You’re not a blues player, but you’re a great guitarist.”

    Tickets for the duo’s newly-announced October 2025 UK shows are on-sale now via both artists’ official websites – Gordon GiltrapandJohn Etheridge

    4 October          South Petherton – The David Hall

    5 October          Cardiff Acapela

    8 October          Hastings White Rock Studios

    10 October       Bristol Beacon

    11 October       Chidham – The Old Malthouse

    12 October       Hampton Hub

    14 October       York NCEM

    15 October       Sheffield – The Greystones

    16 October       Lichfield – The Hub at St Mary’s

    17 October       Otley Courthouse

    18 October       Leek Foxlowe Arts Centre

    19 October       Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room

    22 October       Deal Astor Theatre

    23 October       Colchester Arts Centre

    24 October       Wokingham Whitty Theatre

    25 October       Milton Keynes – The Stables

    26 October       Chelmsford Civic Theatre

    28 October       London Pizza Express Dean Street

    29 October       London Pizza Express Dean Street

    This is a show guaranteed to enthrall guitar aficionados, acoustic enthusiasts and music lovers in general, a rare chance to witness two of the country’s most influential musicians sharing the stage for one night only.

  • Martin Luke Brown (FIZZ) announces man oh man ! (Deluxe) album due 17 Oct | US, European and UK shows in Sep-Oct

    Martin Luke Brown (FIZZ) announces man oh man ! (Deluxe) album due 17 Oct | US, European and UK shows in Sep-Oct

    FOLLOW MARTIN LUKE BROWN

    SPOTIFY || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM || TWITTER || TIKTOK || YOUTUBE

    A timeless record that showcases Martin’s ability to create intimacy. 4/5” – DIY

    3rd September 2025

    Following the release of his critically acclaimed second album man oh man ! earlier this year, Martin Luke Brown today announces the deluxe edition of the record due for release on 17 October via AMK, distributed by Kartel Music Group. Available exclusively as a digital release, the expanded version features a set of live recordings captured at London’s iconic Fish Factory Studios, reimagining key tracks from the album in an intimate setting. Pre-save man oh man ! (Deluxe) here.

    Martin today gives fans a taste of the deluxe project, by sharing a standout performance of ‘animal’ filmed live at Fish Factory Studios. Watch the performance here.

    Speaking on the live performance tracks, Martin says “It’s been really nice experiencing the songs me and Matt Zara made in quite a locked-away space evolve, especially when bringing in a wider community of musicians for these sessions. Two big themes on the album are masculinity and community so bringing all the lads  together to play feels like a very correct evolution. I’ve got so much gratitude for the community for being involved and in my life. All these people bring me so much joy and safety. That’s truly what it’s all about”.

    Martin hits the road this Autumn to perform his first headline shows across the US, alongside dates in the UK and Europe. Accompanied with his live band, he’ll play LA & New York before returning to play a run of dates across the UK and into Europe before returning to play his biggest London show yet at EartH Hackney. Tickets are available and selling fast HERE.

    On the upcoming dates Martin adds, “I’m nervous for sure. It’ll be so fun though,whenever I’ve done headline shows in the past it’s just been rooms bursting with love so there’s truly nothing to fear. As for the Earth show – it’s gonna be a new experience having that much space on stage, but i’m excited to run around n shit

    Released in May this year, original album man oh man ! was praised as “a timeless record that showcases Martin’s ability to create intimacy (★★★★ – DIY)”, offering a candid exploration of modern masculinity, friendship, heartbreak, and new beginnings. With the deluxe version, Martin offers fans a new lens on these songs: stripped back, recorded live, and performed with the unfiltered warmth that first inspired them.

    Martin Luke Brown is a British artist, songwriter, and producer whose music fuses soulful storytelling with cinematic scope. Over the past decade, he has quietly built a rich and eclectic catalogue, collaborating with a diverse range of artists including Lizzy McAlpineMaya Delilah, Orla GartlandNectar WoodeJames SmithVictoria Canal, and Sam Tompkins.

    A founding member of FIZZ, the genre-defying supergroup with Orla Gartlanddodie, and Greta Isaac, Martin helped steer the band to a Top 40 debut album, a memorable Glastonbury appearance, and a run of euphoric festival performances across the UK, all within a year of their 2023 formation.

    As a solo artist, Martin’s work finds strength in emotional honesty. His debut album damn, look at the view ! was described by Dork as “profound and unpretentious… a masterclass in vulnerability,” while Clash called him “one of the UK’s most quietly essential voices”, cementing his voice as part of a new generation of emotionally attuned UK songwriters. His track ‘**it get’s better was featured in Netflix’s Heartstopper (Season 3), one of the most notable British coming-of-age TV series of recent times. 

    His anticipated follow-up man oh man !, released earlier this year, is a candid exploration of masculinity, closure, and new beginnings. As Clash writes: “It isn’t a solution, but it’s an encapsulation of the journey… a precious document of personal wisdom”, with DIY praising it as “a timeless record that showcases his ability to create intimacy”. Through singles like ‘back 2 ya’, ‘to be a man’, ‘animal’ and ‘hello !’, Martin explores the evolution of male identity and stereotypes with a fresh and urgent perspective. This timely and resonant message earned him airplay from BBC Radio 1BBC 6 Music, and Selector Radio.

    Other recent highlights include Martin’s support to Emily King on her US tour, alongside a run of sold out album in-stores. Martin will head back across the Atlantic for his first headline American tour later this month, followed by a European run and his biggest London headline show to date at EartH.

    LIVE

    23 Sep – Moroccan Lounge, Los Angeles (US)

    25 Sep – Baby’s All Right, New York (US)

    01 Oct – Yes Basement, Manchester (UK)

    02 Oct – Rough Trade, Bristol (UK)

    03 Oct – Supersonic Records, Paris (FR)

    06 Oct – Cinetol, Amsterdam (NL)

    09 Oct – Lark, Berlin (DE)

    11 Oct – Isolation Festival, Budapest (HU)

    16 Oct – EartH Theatre, London (UK)

    man oh man ! (Deluxe) by Martin Luke Brown is released on 17 October via AMK, distributed via Kartel Music Group. Pre-save it here.

  • KATHRYN WILLIAMS releases new single ‘Goodbye To Summer’ ahead of autumn 2025 UK tour

    KATHRYN WILLIAMS releases new single ‘Goodbye To Summer’ ahead of autumn 2025 UK tour

    Kathryn Williams, the folk singer-songwriter long celebrated for her emotional depth and lyrical precision, releases her 15th studio album ‘Mystery Park’ via One Little Independent Records on September 26th. A deeply personal, intimate collection, ‘Mystery Park’ marks 27 years of making music. It’s a reflective, textured work shaped by time’s shifting tides.

    Known for her delicate, moving voice and poetic songwriting, Williams rose to prominence in 2000 with ‘Little Black Numbers’, the self-released album that earned her a Mercury Prize nomination and became a touchstone for a new generation of British folk. Over the decades since, her output has been both prolific and shapeshifting. She’s written a novel (The Ormering Tide), hosted a podcast (Before the Light Goes Out), worked as a visual artist, collaborated with a wide array of musicians from John Martyn and Paul Weller to Ed Harcourt and Withered Hand, and released celebrated projects across genres, including her Christmas album, ‘Midnight Chorus’, with Dame Carol Ann Duffy. Her most recent release, ‘Willson Williams’ was SAY and Americana Award-nominated as well as receiving critical praise.

    New single ‘Goodbye to Summer’, co-written with Polly Paulusma during an Arvon retreat, is breezy and bittersweet, a song suffused with colour. Kathryn tells us they were “outside on two wooden chairs watching the dying sunlight tip off the wings of the swallows and the swifts. The last hurrah of summer before they fly away. The seasons begin to mark more and more. How many summers do we have in one life? Will the birds fly back home? Polly writes in open tunings so the new paths to melodies felt giddying and fresh.”

    With ‘Mystery Park’, Williams returns to the sparse and affecting sonic palette that marked her early releases ‘Old Low Light’ and ‘Relations’. These are songs made in the quiet margins of motherhood and memory, written over time, and recorded in close creative communion with trusted collaborators; Leo Abrahams (guitar, piano, bass, vocals), Neill MacColl (guitar, vocals), Polly Paulusma (guitar, vocals), Chris Vatalaro (drums), Ed Harcourt (piano, mariachi bass, vocals), David Ford (harmonica) & rock royalty Paul Weller (Hammond organ, vocals).

    “This is the most personal record I’ve made,” says Williams. “The artwork is my own painting, based on the willow pattern from my grandmother’s tea sets. Each part of it ties into the songs – a map of memories.”

    ‘Gossamer Wings’ is a collaboration with Paul Weller. Built from voice notes and texts, it captures a moment of creative chemistry born at a distance, with Kathryn’s enthusiasm tempered into something tender and unforced. “My eagerness to show him I was diligent made me barge on ahead without him on this one, but we pulled it together and I calmed the heck down for the second sitting. This was based on the title that Paul had and an idea of spirits breaking free from the constraints.”

    ‘This Mystery’ offers one of the album’s most arresting metaphors; a record shattered in the road becomes a symbol for her father’s dementia. “Memory being unplayable in the form that it was in,” she says. “But this is a song for him, not the disease. Anyone who has had a loved one diagnosed with this cruelty will know how you just want to paint their skies blue and make everything all right.”

    There are moving tributes throughout. ‘Sea of Shadows’ is for her eldest son, Louis, a warm and reflective song about watching him grow from infant to adult. “Parenthood isn’t fixed. We think we will have small kids forever, but time quickens and before we know it, we have huge humans living with us where once there was a little baby. I love singing this song and thinking of him through the different images and travelling through time”. Likewise, closing track, ‘Servant of the Flame’, is written for her younger son, Ted, and the act of simply sitting beside him while he plays video games – choosing presence, even in small moments, as an act of love. “Watching them evolve into their own identities. Seeing them struggle and hoping that they can navigate the ups and downs that we all face in life.”

    Throughout ‘Mystery Park’, there’s a sense that we are being welcomed into a private, shifting landscape where time folds, memory flickers, and the interior world is given centre stage. It’s an album made slowly and with care, with contributions from some of Kathryn’s closest musical companions. In a landscape often geared toward immediacy and spectacle, ‘Mystery Park’ stands as a gentle refusal. It invites the listener to slow down, to sit with the quiet revelations of a life observed closely, lived fully, and rendered in song with grace and generosity.

    “This record is for anyone who’s felt something and kept it quiet,” says Williams. “For those private echoes. I hope these songs give people space to hear their own.”

    Kathryn Williams plays the following UK live shows this autumn;

    5 October                             Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

    6 October                             Cambridge Junction 2

    7 October                             Leamington Spa Temperance

    9 October                             Luton – The Bear Club

    12 October                           Hebden Bridge Trades Club

    21 October                           Leicester – The International

    23 October                           Stockport Strines Nightingale

    24 October                           London St Pancras Old Church

    25 October                           Coventry Just Dropped In

    26 October                           Sheffield Greystones

    28 October                           Paisley Arts Centre

    30 October                           Gateshead – The Glasshouse

    31 October                           Bristol – The Folk House

    1 November                         Uley Prema Arts

    2 November                         Exeter Phoenix

    4 November                         Chester Storyhouse

    15 November                      Thornton Hough Village Club

    Tickets for all shows are available here

    Follow Kathryn Williams;  Website    Facebook    Instagram    Twitter    Spotify