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  • Saint Etienne add further dates in Poole, Birmingham and London to final UK tour

    Saint Etienne add further dates in Poole, Birmingham and London to final UK tour

    Saint Etienne have added three further dates to their final ever UK & Ireland tour in 2026, due to phenomenal demand.

    They will perform at Poole’s St Peter’s Church on 10 September, London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 11 September following their initial London show at the Roundhouse selling out, and Birmingham Institute on 12 September.

    Saint Etienne played their first ever live show on 15 November 1990 at Heaven nightclub in London, just months after releasing their debut single ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’.

    Since then, they’ve appeared at major festivals across the globe, visiting more countries than Bob Stanley, Pete Wiggs and Sarah Cracknell can count on their combined fingers, and their UK tours have, at various points, featured Oasis, Stereolab, Broadcast and Pulp in support. They’ve also shared bills alongside the great and the good, from James Brown to Kylie Minogue.

    Their final studio album ‘International’, released in September 2025, was praised as a pop music masterclass that distilled everything fans love about Saint Etienne. To celebrate both the album and the band’s long goodbye, shows were promised, and now the details of their final UK tour in September 2026 are confirmed.

    Rather than a moment of sadness, the band see this as a series of celebrations: parties built around a live set that draws on the “best of the best” from their illustrious 35-year catalogue, including 17 UK Top 40 singles and 13 albums.

    Will there be shows in Europe, America, Japan or Australia? Time will tell – but the band are clear: if you want to catch Saint Etienne on tour in the UK, 2026 will be the final opportunity.

    The group spoke with NME in December on their decision to embark upon their final tour, as well as the reaction to the announcement.

    Saint Etienne: Final UK & Ireland Tour
    September 2026

    Thursday 10                Poole, St Peter’s Church *NEW DATE ADDED*
    Friday 11                     London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire *NEW DATE ADDED*
    Saturday 12                Birmingham, Institute *NEW DATE ADDED*
    Tuesday 15                 Manchester, New Century Hall SOLD OUT
    Wednesday 16            Bristol, Beacon Theatre
    Friday 18                     London, Roundhouse SOLD OUT
    Saturday 19                Sheffield, Electric SOLD OUT
    Sunday 20                   Glasgow, SWG3
    Tuesday 22                 Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre
    Thursday 24                Gateshead, The Glasshouse
    Friday 25                     Brighton, Dome
    Saturday 26                Cambridge, Corn Exchange

    For further Saint Etienne information: 

    INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOU TUBE | SPOTIFY

    www.saintetienne.com

  • THE BRETHEREN – Out On Tour In The UK Supporting Midlake

    THE BRETHEREN – Out On Tour In The UK Supporting Midlake

    Kicking things off at The Fire Station in Sunderland at the end of the month, The Bretheren are set to join good friends Midlake for a run of dates across the UK. The tour will make stops at some of the most beloved venues in the country, including the iconic Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, Gorilla in Manchester and cargo ship-turned-venue Thekla in Bristol. 

    The Brethren will also play at the 1,500-capacity Electric Ballroom and Camden, before bringing the tour to a close by the seaside at Brighton’s Chalk. The tour follows the release of Midlake’s new album ‘A Bridge To Far’, which arrived last autumn, while The Bretheren are gearing up to release new music of their own. The full list of dates can be found below, and tickets are on-sale now.

    About The Bretheren

    Best known as Elle King’s backing band since 2015, The Bretheren have spent a decade touring globally, shaping the sound behind King’s raw and electrifying performances. Comprised of Joey McClellan (lead vocals, guitar), Dave “Moose” Sherman (keys), Paulie DeVincenzo (bass) and Dave Scalia (drums), their individual resumés extend fsr beyond, having also been members of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Midlake, Kevin Morby, Rufus Wainwright, Dawn Richard, White Rabbits and The Veronicas. 

    Recorded by The Bretheren at their Nashville studio, Brethren Sound, their debut album, ‘The Bretheren’ features lead vocal contributions from some of their favourite collaborators, including Elle King, Britt Daniel, Ben Bridwell, Hamilton Leithauser, Sharon Van Etten, Michael Shannon, Nicole Atkins, Butch Walker, Judy Blank and Striking Matches. 

    The songs are the feature. Classic writing informed by years of playing many classic catalogs and creating a spark together as a band. The Bretheren’s first single is coming soon. 

    2026 UK Live Dates

    Opening for Midlake

    31st Jan – The Fire Station, Sunderland

    1st Feb – The Crossing, Birmingham

    3rd Feb – Gorilla, Manchester

    4th Feb – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

    5th Feb – Thekla, Bristol

    6th Feb – Electric Ballroom, London

    7th Feb – Chalk, Brighton

    Tickets are available now

    For more information:

    Website | Facebook | Instagram | X

  • The Enemy share new single ‘The Boxer’ + UK Tour

    The Enemy share new single ‘The Boxer’ + UK Tour

    2026 will be the year in which The Enemy make a long-awaited comeback with the February 20th release of their new album ‘Social Disguises’ –  their first in more than a decade. Today they come into the year fighting as they preview the record with their new single ‘The Boxer’.

    ‘The Boxer’ finds The Enemy at their full-blooded best, as thunderous rhythms, a vehement main riff and Tom Clarke’s vitriolic vocals craft an hypnotic intensity. While it’s the story of a man whose glory days are behind him, it’s also a metaphor for more universal experiences – particularly the realisation that our futures can always change for the better if we can keep striving and battling for something more.

    Tom Clarke says, “‘The Boxer’ is about a fictional character, but it’s an observation about regret and how anxiety can stop us achieving things we want to in life. It’s about fear holding us back, and how that can destroy who we are. We tried to achieve an industrial weight to the sound, and a monotony to the composition to reflect the sentiment of being stuck.”

    ‘The Boxer’ plus the recent singles ‘Not Going Your Way’ and ‘Trouble’ will also feature on the upcoming ‘Social Disguises’, which was produced by their long-term collaborator Matt Terry (‘40 Days and 40 Nights’ and ‘No Time For Tears’). This new era in The Enemy got underway with the reunion of their original line-up late in 2022. Never ones to do things by halves, the trio were fiercely committed to making sure that a new record equalled the standard of their breakthrough with their hit-packed, Platinum-certified #1 debut album ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’. And part of the puzzle towards achieving that was one of dogged commitment: its songs are drawn from 90 demos that they have written since reforming.

    It’s a comeback which is being embraced by fans. Last autumn’s UK headlinetour was entirely sold-out, a run of dates which the band have declared to be one of their best ever tours. Meanwhile the new songs have been celebrated by media as well as audiences, with recent support including NMERadio XThis Feeling’s Video of the WeekShiiine On’s Track of the Week, Live4Ever, StereoboardXS Noize and Songbird HQ.

    The ‘Social Disguises’ album is available to pre-order HERE. The must-have physical format is a signed double-vinyl (one yellow, one orange) which extends the album to twenty tracks. Other formats include black vinyl, orange vinyl, regular CD, deluxe CD and cassette. All bundles purchased from the band’s official store add a bonus acoustic CD.

    The Enemy will be back on stage throughout 2026. Summer festival dates at TramlinesY NOT? and Victorious are already confirmed, as is a major autumn arena tour as very special guests to Ocean Colour Scene. Their live schedule so far runs as follows:

    JULY

    26th – Tramlines

    30th – Aug 2nd – Y NOT? Festival

    AUGUST

    30th – Victorious Festival

    NOVEMBER – VERY SPECIAL GUESTS TO OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

    21st – Glasgow, OVO Hydro

    27th – Bradford, Live

    28th – Manchester, AO Arena

    30th – Newcastle, City Hall

    DECEMBER – VERY SPECIAL GUESTS TO OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

    1st – Derby, Vaillant Live

    3rd – Swansea, Arena

    4th – Bournemouth, International Centre

    7th – Plymouth, Pavilions

    8th – Brighton, Centre

    9th – London, The O2

    11th – Bristol, Prospect Building: Studio

    12th – Birmingham, bp pulse LIVE

    Follow The Enemy:

    Spotify | Apple Music | Facebook | Instagram

  • THE TWILIGHT SAD announce ‘IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE’ – band’s first new album in seven years sees The Cure’s Robert Smith guest

    THE TWILIGHT SAD announce ‘IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE’ – band’s first new album in seven years sees The Cure’s Robert Smith guest

    THE TWILIGHT SAD today announce their long-awaited sixth album IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE due out 27th March via Rock Actions Records and available to preorder here.

    Following the album’s lead track Waiting For The Phone Call, released last October, today the band also share the equally epic new single “DESIGNED TO LOSE”. The second track on the album is a beautifully meditative yet muscular reflection on the human condition, hinged on how we can seem doomed to lose in so many of our endeavours – including our capacity to cope with loss. Watch the visualiser here.

    “It had to contain every element of emotion I was feeling,” says singer/lyricist James Graham of THE TWILIGHT SAD’s deeply resonant sixth album. On their first record in seven years, Scotland’s post-punk outfit return with a story to share: a cogent story of loss and personal crisis, rooted in specific experience yet mounted with a palpable emotional power that feels universal. Set to urgent and guitar-rich arrangements from bandmate Andy MacFarlaneIT’S THE LONG GOODBYE reflects on James’s mother’s illness, her subsequent death and his own mental health struggles, exploring profound human vulnerability with tenderness and tempestuous force.

    The result is the most personal yet relatable album to date from a band whose portraits of bruised humanity have forged close ties with their audience. As James says, “In the past I’ve used a lot of metaphors within my lyrics. With this, there’s not as much. The record is heavily influenced by my mental health, grief and loss, and the need to be strong in positions where you’re not feeling it. It’s a very human story, I think – this is just my version of it. I feel that everybody goes through something like this. Everybody loses somebody. Everybody questions life.”

    Back in 2016, James and Andy returned from the “pinch yourself” high of a tour with The Cure to find that James’s mother had been diagnosed with early onset frontotemporal dementia. Roughly 80 per cent of the record was written as James wrestled with the contrast between the joys in his life – marriage, parenthood – and the cruelty of his mother’s decline. In November 2023, another tour with The Cure was brought to a necessary halt as his mental health deteriorated. “And then my mum passed away in the January afterwards,” says James.

    The record was developed over seven years, with the London-based MacFarlane stockpiling musical ideas during lockdown while exchanging words and sounds with Graham. The Cure’s Robert Smith, by now a longtime close friend of the band, provided invaluable input on the demos and guested on the record, supplying extra guitars on ‘WAITING FOR THE PHONE CALL’, guitars/“Tron keys” on ‘DEAD FLOWERS’ and six-string bass on ‘BACK TO FOURTEEN’. “Then we had to piece together a band,” says Andy, with THE TWILIGHT SAD now centred on him and James after former bandmates were drawn away by life commitments. Sometime Arab Strap player David Jeans and Mogwai live team-member Alex Mackay play drums and bass respectively, while the album was produced by MacFarlane at Willesden’s Battery Studios – a location rich in cherished Cure history, notably – with additional production from Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine) and mixing by Chris Coady (Slowdive).

    The result is a pinnacle for THE TWILIGHT SAD in a career of tremendous integrity and artistry, and a record that honours the band’s ability to turn lived experience into fully felt music. “To know that I’m saying things that connect with other people, that’s such a powerful thing,” says James. “I want to be a relatable person that talks about things that can happen and give an opportunity for people to go, well, you’re not alone. I want people to be able to listen to this record and hear that it comes from a place of raw emotion. The album is an opportunity to share my experience and move forward with my life.”

    The Twilight Sad will be on tour in the UK and Europe in April and May including a performance at the Roundhouse in London. The band also recently announced news of a second Glasgow Barrowland show in early May. This will be followed by a handful of dates performing as special guests to The Cure in June & July.

    THE TWILIGHT SAD headline shows:

    Sun 12 April – Italy, Milan, Legend Club

    Tues 14 April – Switzerland, Zurich, Bogen F

    Weds 15 April – Germany, Munich, Ampere

    Thurs 16 April – Germany, Berlin, Gretchen

    Sat 18 April – Denmark, Copenhagen, Loppen

    Sun 19 April – Norway, Oslo, Parkteateret

    Mon 20 April – Sweden, Stockholm, Slaktkyrkan

    Weds 22 April – Germany, Hamburg, Grünspan

    Thurs 23 April – Netherlands, Utrecht, Tivolivredenburg Pandora Hall

    Sat 25 April – Germany, Cologne, Gebäude 9

    Sun 26 April – Belgium, Brussels, Rotonde – Botanique

    Mon 27 April – France, Paris, Le Trabendo

    Weds 29 April – UK, Bristol, Electric

    Thurs 30 April – UK, London, Roundhouse

    Sat 2 May – UK, Manchester, New Century Hall

    Sun 3 May – UK, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Boiler Shop

    Tues 5 May – Scotland, Glasgow, Barrowlands

    Weds 6 May – Scotland, Glasgow, Barrowlands

    Sat 9 May – Ireland, Dublin, Button Factory

    24th-26th July – UK, Deer Shed Festival

    Live dates with The Cure:

    Sun 14 June – Italy, Firenze, Visarno Arena

    Weds 24 June – Cardiff, Blackweir Fields

    Fri 26 June – Dublin, Marley Park

    Sun 28 June – Belfast, Belsonic

    Weds 8 July – Slovakia, Pohoda Festival

    Fri 10 July – Germany, Berlin, Wuhlheide

    Sat 11 July – Germany, Berlin, Wuhlheide

    Sun 12 July – Germany, Berlin, Wuhlheide

    IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE – album artwork & tracklist:

    1. Get Away From It All

    2. Designed To Lose

    3. Attempt A Crash Landing – Theme

    4. Waiting For The Phone Call

    5. The Ceiling Underground

    6. Dead Flowers

    7. Inhospitable/Hospital

    8. Chest Wound To The Chest

    9. Back To Fourteen

    10.TV People Still Throwing TVs At People

  • The Limiñanas – UK live dates in December – New album ‘Faded’ out now

    The Limiñanas – UK live dates in December – New album ‘Faded’ out now

    “Faded continues to mine the fertile groundwork laid down by ’60s American garage-punk, Can, Gainsbourg, The Action, Troggs and Euro movie soundtracks” ★★★★ Shindig

    “Perpignan’s king and queen of fuzz return from the shadows” ★★★★ Mojo

    “High-quality sexy psychedelic rock with the fuzzy guitars at a premium” ★★★★ The Daily Express

     “Every number is a cinematic, perfectly judged joy” The New Cue

    “Their commitment to mood, to aesthetic, to a certain untouchable kind of style makes their ninth album a compelling listen” ★★★★ Music OMH

    “Saccharine sonic fuzz” Joyzine

    “Really good fun and shoots by in a whirl, an album that creates its own universe”Bagging Area

    Effortlessly cool, slightly weird, very French pop music”Fighting Boredom

    French psych duo The Limiñanas, who released their latest album ‘Faded‘ earlier this year via Because Music, have announced a string of UK dates in December: 

    Tue 2 December – The Fleece, Bristol – TICKETS

    Wed 3 December – Band on the Wall, Manchester – TICKETS

    Thu 4 December – Slay Glasgow, Glasgow – TICKETS

    Fri 5 Dec – Chalk, Brighton – TICKETS 

    The story of ‘Faded’, the new album by The Limiñanas, once again shines a spotlight on so-called fallen stars. To the forgotten women who, from the 1950s to today, have disappeared from screens as if by a cruel spell, condemned by the passage of time. Voracious cinephiles, aware that the sordid emerges when one scratches beneath Hollywood glamour, Lionel and Marie Limiñana wanted to pay tribute to them here. 

    Without being militant, featuring a hybrid narrative, between (bad) waking dreams and tender metaphors, “Faded” unfolds as a rich soundtrack of a rarely told story, featuring numerous contributors: Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, Bertrand Belin, Rover, Anna Jean of Juniore, Penny, Jon Spencer… Each provides their own vision of the *Faded* storyline, creating what the Limiñanas describe as “an Italian patchwork,” where the pens of artists admired by Lionel and Marie are invited to express themselves fully. It creates a work echoing (and countering) the famous “Mignonne allons voir si la rose,” where Ronsard wrote, aware of ageism long before its time: “Gather, gather your youth / Like this flower, ageing / Will tarnish your beauty.”  The result is a double album that opens with a multi-referential garage pop, full of emotions, before allowing even more space for contemplation and psychedelia, without forgoing venomous riffs. This is unmistakably the Limiñanas’ style.

    Hailing from a small town in the South of France, Lionel and Marie Limiñana, aka The Limiñanas, reinvent the 1960s French yéyé heritage by fusing it with modern rock. Their unique style blends the rebellious spirit and aesthetic of the Gainsbourg and Bardot eras with contemporary garage and psychedelic sounds. Singing in French and English and collaborating with a diverse array of artists, including Iggy Pop, Laurent Garnier, Peter Hook, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Etienne Daho, to name but a few, The Limiñanas have a unique ability to distil the cachet of a nostalgic, highly cinematic era while revisiting it through a modern lens.

    When it comes to purveying unadulterated 60s garage pop, evincing a love for Pebbles and Back from the Grave compilations, Lionel and Marie have always had the chops. Equally, the duo has retained such inspirational roots while painting from a far more capacious palette, always happy to throw an oud, sitar or bouzouki into the mix, while embracing everything from UK post-punk and Italian horror film soundtracks to The Velvet Underground and electronic dance music, consistently bending these disparate components into a signature that is resolutely their own.

    Since 2009, The Limiñanas have released eight critically acclaimed studio albums, two rare-tracks records, one Best Of compilation, numerous EPs, original soundtracks and various collaborations, including 2019’s ‘Diabolique’ by L’Epee, a collaboration with The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe and celebrated French actress Emmanuelle Seigner. 

    www.theliminanas.com

    www.facebook.com/theliminanas

    www.x.com/theliminanas

    www.instagram.com/the_liminanas

  • CHAMELEONS – On Tour in the UK This November, including Bristol Date

    CHAMELEONS – On Tour in the UK This November, including Bristol Date

    Nearly 45 years since their formation, and 25 years on from their exaltant reunion in 2000 – CHAMELEONS – are ecstatic to announce a new run of shows for later this year. 

    The Middleton post/punk band’s second major tour in as many years, the announcement follows a triumphant series of UK performances that saw them play some of the UK’s biggest and most iconic spaces last December, including a night at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. 

    And in 2025, Mark Burgess and the band will be expanding their horizons with 8 shows locked-in nationwide throughout November.

    Kicking off at Southamptons 1865 on 13th November, the cult band will also be visiting Bristol, Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Londons infamous Electric Ballroom. I

    In London and Manchester, Chameleons will be joined by very special guests Kirk Brandon (Theatre of Hate, Spear of DestinyaKoustiK featuring Sam Sansbury on cello, who will be playing a career-spanning set.

    As is now customary, the tour will also see the return of Chameleons’ legendary pre-Christmas homecoming show ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS… 2025’. Planning a very special night for what will be the 11th Anniversary in this series of shows, the band will headline Manchester’s salubrious Albert Hall venue once again on 21st November.

    Chameleons spent 2024 recording and releasing new music, sharing their new live album, ‘Return of the Roughnecks (Live at The Ritz)’, and a new EP titled ‘Tomorrow Remember Yesterday’. This year, they will release their highly anticipated new album, Arctic Moon, which will mark their first full-length studio record in over two decades. 

    The Chameleons’ live band for these dates will feature Mark Burgess (bass / vox), Reg Smithies (guitar), Todd Demma (drums), Danny Ashbury (keyboards), and Stephen Rice (guitar).  With an incendiary setlist already in mind, expect a broad, career-spanning collection of classics plus new material from their forthcoming album ‘Arctic Moon’ (due out on Metropolis Records later this year).

    With additional very special guests for Manchester and London still to be announced, support for the entire tour is confirmed to come from: The Veldt. Emerging in the 1980s, the North Carolina shoegaze soul heroes carved out a distinct niche within the first wave of shoegaze bands worldwide. With their music a mesmerizing blend of ethereal atmospheres, sultry melodies, and irresistible rhythms, they established themselves as a standout presence in the genre. Collaborating with an array of influential artists across their career, including TV On The Radio, Mos Def, and Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), The Veldt released their magnum opus in 1994: ‘Afrodisiac’; a record that has since been ranked as one of Pitchfork’s “Top 50 Shoegaze Albums Ever Released”.

  • Mondaze – UK/European tour

    Mondaze – UK/European tour

    Italian shoegaze band Mondaze will tour the UK and Europe in the next couple of weeks. 

    Sat 01 Nov – Cafe Kino – Bristol, UK – TICKETS

    Sun 02 Nov – The Lab – Northampton, UK – TICKETS

    Mon 03 Nov – The Hug and Pint – Glasgow, UK – TICKETS

    Tue 04 Nov – Heartbreakers – Southampton, UK – TICKETS

    Thu 06 Nov – Le Pub – Newport, UK – TICKETS

    Fri 07 Nov – Justines – Margate, UK – TICKETS

    Sat 08 Nov – Strongroom – London, UK – TICKETS 

    Mon 10 Nov – Le Local Bar – Strasbourg, France – INFO

    Wed 12 Nov – Carousel – Heidelberg, Germany – TICKETS

    Their latest album ‘Linger’ was released a year ago, and it delves deep into themes of memory and loss, resistance and rebirth. It presents a dualism, balancing the delicate beauty of ethereal melodies with the intense power of a wall of sound. This back-and-forth builds and tears down emotional landscapes and mindscapes alike. If shoegaze stands for anything in the annals of indie music, it’s the sonic expression of a state of “uncomfortable numbness”—a form of escape from reality, hidden beneath layers of distorted guitars and distant vocals. It’s a sound that more effectively encapsulates the discomforts of ultramodern life than any statement could. While mainstream music moves towards hyper-produced pop and ever-grander spectacles, shoegaze has become the preferred voice for younger generations who feel adrift, with few points of reference.  

    LISTEN TO ‘LINGER’ HERE 

    Since forming in 2018, Mondaze have defined themselves as “heavy shoegaze,” taking inspiration from bands like genre-giants Swervedriver and Ride, but also contemporary bands that are pushing shoegaze through the limits like Nothing and Ringo Deathstarr. With ‘Linger’, they aim to amplify the melancholic tones of their frustration and rage. These sonic characteristics drove them to work with Chris Fullard (who’s collaborated with Idles and Boris) on mixing, and Maurizio Baggio (The Soft Moon, Boy Harsher) for mastering. The result is an album with roots, yet distinctly modern in its direction and sound with arrangements able to perfectly synthesise a modern approach to dreamy-eerie landscapes. Guitars in Linger are back as a centre for world-making as they foster sensations through music with refined overlaps where influences merge, expressing modern sensibility.  

    “We often strive to act as rationally as possible, but inevitably end up feeling empty and numb,” the band reflects on the broader implications of their work, “This album is about contemplation,” they continue, “but there’s also an element of action, a kind of non-action that comes from the awareness gained through reflection.”  

    With ‘Linger’, Mondaze return with a sound that is as powerful as it is necessary in the times we live in. There’s a strength that stems from reflection and observation. Their music taps into the deep emotions of generations unwilling to return to the “normal” of the past.

    WATCH ‘LINES OF YOU’ VIDEO HERE

    www.instagram.com/bandmondaze

    www.facebook.com/bandmondaze

  • 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