To celebrate the rerelease of her classic ‘90s albums ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’ in spring, Betty Boo has spent much of 2025 on the road as part of her first ever UK tour. Throughout the summer, the hip-hop icon made stops at some of the most beloved independent venues in the country, from the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge to The Joiners in Southampton, stunning audiences with her vocal talents and pop prowess along the way.
Now, she’s shared her plans to do it all over again, announcing major city shows for this winter. On 19th November, Betty Boo kicks off another run of dates across the UK and Ireland with a night at the Castle & Falcon in Birmingham. From there, she’ll venture to iconic venues including YES in Manchester, Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff, and Bush Hall in London, amongst others. The full list of dates can be found below.
Performing all of the hits from ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’, as well as tracks from her 2022 comeback album ‘Boomerang’ and 2024’s Top 40 follow-up ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, Betty Boo’s live show is not one to be missed. Tickets are on sale on 29th August and are available from Betty’s website here.
About Betty Boo
Hip-Hop pioneer and 9’0s icon Betty Boo is a platinum-selling, Brit, and Ivor Novello Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper. She is best known for her hits “Doin’ The Do” and “Where Are You Baby?” which propelled her into the spotlight in 1990. In 2022, after a 30 year hiatus, Betty Boo made an unexpected return with the critically acclaimed, radio smash-filled album ‘Boomerang’. She followed this with her 2024 UK Top 40 album, ‘Rip Up The Rulebook’, which has been universally described as her best album to date.
35 years later, Betty Boo’s hits remain deeply loved, and she is celebrating this monumental milestone with special edition re-releases of her two classic 90s albums: ‘Boomania’ and ‘GRRR! It’s Betty Boo’, as well as her first ever UK tour.
The track, which premiered earlier this morning on Lauren Laverne’s BBC 6Music radio show, is the final cut to be unveiled from the band’s new album Bless You & Be Well, out this Friday 29th August via Communion Records. Pre-order here.
Speaking about the release, guitarist and vocalist Mike Wagstaff says: “At the time of writing ‘Moon Man’ I was in a constant state of missing someone, so I felt qualified to write this song.
In Chinese mythology Chang’e was the wife of legendary archer Hou Yi, who was revered in legend for having shot down 9 of the 10 suns that were scorching the earth, leaving just one.
For this feat he was awarded an elixir of immortality, the elixir however contained only enough for one person. Hou Yi’s love for Chang’e was strong and not wanting to live forever without his wife he decided not to drink the elixir, but to entrust it to his wife so no one would drink it.
One day, his apprentice attempted to take the elixir for himself and in a desperate attempt to prevent him, Chang’e drank it herself. The elixir floated her to the moon, where she would go on to become the Moon Goddess, leaving her husband Hou Yi behind, mortal and heartbroken.
Hou Yi shouted to the sky and caught sight of a figure that resembled Chang’e swaying on the moon, and so would display fruits, cakes and other offerings at times of a full moon, to try to convey how much he missed her.”
The latest release also comes with the announcement of further EU tour dates for 2025, off the back of the band’s recent run of European festivals this summer including Hungary’s Sziget and Germany’s Heldern Pop.
The group will celebrate their new album with a selection of listening parties and record shop in-store dates in the coming days, before later embarking on a UK headline tour this autumn.
Chartreuse’s previous single releases ‘More’, ‘Fold’, ‘I’m Losing It’ and ‘Sequence of Voices’ have gained consistent radio support from BBC Radio 1 & BBC 6Music, as well as press acclaim from Wonderland, Rough Trade, Clash, The Line of Best Fit, whynow, Far Out, The New Cue and Rolling Stone UK, who quoted 2025 as being a “transformative year for the band.”
ABOUT CHARTREUSE
For Chartreuse, the rural Icelandic studio Flóki served as a refuge in a myriad of ways. Set in a secluded location on the northern tip of the island, a five-hour drive from Reykjavík, the Black Country band’s two-week stay here in the summer of 2024 was one of escape, connection and understanding. They returned home with a special, urgent and necessary new album, Bless You & Be Well.
The dynamic of the Black Country band feels wholeheartedly distinct. The four-piece are intimately interconnected – brothers Mike (guitar, vocals) and Rory Wagstaff (drums) are joined by Rory’s long-term partner Hattie Wilson (piano, vocals) and Hattie’s childhood friend Perry Lovering (bass).
Their 2023 debut Morning Ritual introduced a group that swerved the traditional tropes of indie-rock bands, instead using their instruments and innovative production techniques in unusual and thrilling ways. They set a precedent of equality from day one, with the instruments they play all interchangeable, and no lead songwriter dictating their every move. This remains the case. Music for them is like pulling puzzle pieces out of the air, fitting things in the right configuration.
But now, on their new album Bless You & Be Well, it’s each of their personal experiences which inform their new material.
Their latest recordings were brought to life with producer Sam Petts-Davies (The Smile) and engineer Oli Middleton. Having self-produced their debut album, bringing other minds into their creative fold was daunting at first. But it quickly became one of their best decisions. Gut instincts presided over second-guessing; if it sounded good in the moment, it stayed. If it didn’t, they tried something else. As Petts-Davies, a calm and easy-going antidote to the band’s self-declared perfectionists, told them: “You are a band and this is how you sound, so let’s just run with it.”
No people, no limits, no distractions… all external noise was shut out, allowing Bless You & Be Well to become their most expansive album to date. But their remote location in Iceland provided a sanctuary in more ways than one, offering them a vital reprieve from the personal struggles that each of the band members were facing in their own lives.
For Lovering, navigating the grief of their late father’s passing bled into the creation of Chartreuse’s latest songs. Yet rather than drowning in existentialism, Lovering learned that grief doesn’t have to be the end, and that the pursuit of creating things that make you happy – in his case, making music – is ultimately what makes life worth living.
For Wilson, the anxieties of undergoing major surgery at just 29-years-old, learning to walk properly again, and the long road to recovery that still lies ahead for her shaped her approaches to the band’s new music. Initially guilty that it would affect those around her, opening up has not only been a learning curve, but also a humbling experience to witness the care that her friends, family and bandmates are more than willing to give.
Only a band as strongly connected for so many years could create such a space for each other in order to disappear into their music together, Wilson says: “To have those bonds within the band is really special and we can naturally pick up on each other’s cues. I don’t know if it would work with any other people, or if we would be able to be totally ourselves, or as accepting of each other on what anyone’s going through.”
Being in a band is a necessary part of life for Chartreuse. Writing music offers them a canvas to lay bare their emotions. But while informed by struggle and grief, their new music isn’t defined by it. Instead, it’s a window through which to understand both yourself and those around you better and more deeply. It also affirms the power of something as seemingly trivial as being in a band, and of music as a way to understand and move through life.
It all culminates in a fresh new chapter for Chartreuse, imbued with a palpable sense of honesty and introspectiveness that will no doubt resonate with others far and wide.
Chartreuse Live Dates:
(*) with support from Moreish Idols
(+) with support from Lavender
(**) co-headline with Moreish Idols
Thursday 28th August – The Bread & Butter Collective, London (album release party)
Saturday 30th August – Banquet Records, Kingston (in-store)
Sunday 31st August – Rough Trade, Bristol (in-store)
Monday 1st September – Truck Records, Oxford (in-store)
Tuesday 2nd September – Crash Records, Leeds (in-store)
Thursday 30th October – Green Door Store, Brighton (+)
Saturday 1st November – Bradshaw Hall, Birmingham (+)
Tuesday 4th November – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (**)
Thursday 6th November – Three Tanners Bank, North Shields (*)
Friday 7th November – Deaf Institute Lodge, Manchester (*)
Saturday 8th November – Mash, Cambridge (*)
Monday 10th November – The Lanes, Bristol (*)
Tuesday 11th November – Forum, Royal Tunbridge Wells (*)
Thursday 13th November – St Peter’s Church, Poole (*)
Friday 14th November – Bush Hall, London (*)
Saturday 15th November – Live at Leeds in the City
IDLES’ Block Party shows at Bristol’s Queen Square on August 1st and 2nd are guaranteed to be an electrifying experience for fans and the band alike. Their only UK headline shows of 2025, the Block Party weekend will see IDLES play a celebratory summer homecoming as they host Queen Square’s first major live music events in over 20 years.
IDLES’ vocalist Joe Talbot previously promised a line-up full of “music we love for the people we love” and the band have more than lived up to that claim with their special guests for the Block Party shows.
There will be no letting up in the intensity on Friday’s bill, which is headed by the two-man punk assault of SOFT PLAY who made a thrilling, frenetic comeback with last year’s critically acclaimed ‘HEAVY JELLY’ album. They will be joined by Lambrini Girls, who have been championed by Iggy Pop and Kathleen Hanna; are firmly established as a riotous live experience; and recently made their Top 20 breakthrough with their debut album ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. The day starts with a very different but equally in-your-face set from dubstep renegade SICARIA.
The Block Party continues into Saturday with The Voidz leading the supporting line-up. Fronted by The Strokes’Julian Casablancas, the cult favourites dropped their third album ‘Like All Before You’ last year, which Clash praised as “experimental music that balances what’s classic, classy and cool.” The raucous garage-rock and party-starting energy of Spanish duo Hinds makes them perfect for an outdoor summer’s afternoon, while Bristol’s ‘Black + Queer’ pioneer Grove plays anarchic electronica as showcased in their thrilling Boiler Room set. The day is completed by Club Yeke founder and NTS Radio favourite Tash LC.
Both days will be complete with the addition of local DJs, with food and drink served up by a selection of Bristol favourites.
The Block Party weekend will add another unforgettable highlight to IDLES’ ‘TANGK’ era. It received waves of international acclaim upon release and soon became their second UK #1, leading to three Grammy Award nominations. They were tipped as a future Glastonbury headliner after closing the Other Stage with a phenomenal set last summer, and went on to headline Truck and End of the Road. Their autumn UK tour then saw them perform to 20,000 fans in London alone over two sold-out nights at Alexandra Palace.
This summer will see IDLES continue to take ‘TANGK’ to the world. They’re confirmed to play a number of key festivals across Europe and will also play two huge shows in America: Boston’s storied Fenway Park as special guests to My Chemical Romance, and at Atlanta’s Shaky Knees Festival. Please see HERE for a list of all upcoming dates.
Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, the world’s finest tribute to Fleetwood Mac, have kicked-off the second leg of their mammoth 70-date summer 2025 UK tour.
Personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member, Mick Fleetwood, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is the hugely popular ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most remarkable groups. The band has now played to more than two million fans across the globe, as well as achieving a staggering 150 million views to date via YouTube.
Channeling the spirit of Fleetwood Mac at their very best, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac offers a unique opportunity for fans, both old and new, to rediscover the songs and performances that have ensured the British-American supergroup’s place as one of the most loved groups of all time (and one which has sold a mighty 125million albums worldwide).
Talking about the new UK tour, the band’s drum maestro Allan Cosgrove (aka Cos) said today;
“We’re thrilled to kick-off the 2025 Rumours of Fleetwood Mac UK tour – we’ve taken a fresh look at our stage show to deliver something truly special for fans old and new. Alongside our incredible producers, we’ve curated what we believe is our best setlist to date — an immersive journey through the decades of Fleetwood Mac’s legendary music. From the haunting harmonies to the raw emotion that defined the band’s sound, this year’s performance promises a rich and powerful celebration of their legacy. In 2025, we’re slipping back through the mists of time to honour the earliest roots of Fleetwood Mac with a heartfelt tribute to Peter Green’s classics — songs that laid the foundation for everything that followed.
“We’re also delving deep into the iconic songbooks of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, performing a couple of their poignant swansongs with the reverence and passion they deserve. We always endeavour to try and make the time we spend together with our audiences more than just a concert. We like to think of our show as a ‘thank you’ to Fleetwood Mac. It’s a thank you for their incredible songs, the memories we all share with their music, and the magic that Fleetwood Mac has given us all through the decades.”
This new career-spanning live show (featuring a seven-piece band) is already playing to packed-out houses right across the country – any remaining tickets for the forthcoming UK dates are available via https://www.rumoursoffleetwoodmac.com/uk-2025
Rising Canadian Rock n Roll band The Bankes Brothers release their new single ‘Nobody’ today. Produced by the legendary Gus van Go (Arkells, Sam Roberts Band), the track is an introspective and relatable indie track that explores identity, imposter syndrome and outward perception.
“”Nobody” is The Bankes Brothers at their catchiest, built around an irresistible guitar riff and Nelson’s signature vocal delivery. It was their first time working with Gus Van Go at Boiler Room Studios. As the band put it, “he was great at opening us up to the mindset of serving the song, and the production style and choices were a direct result of that.” The outcome is a polished, punchy single that captures the band’s sound at its most dialed-in.”
To accompany the single release today, The Bankes Brothers have announced a UK & European tour supporting Great Gable, which takes place from June through early July alongside an appearance at the Isle Of Wight Festival. Dates for the run are:
3 Jun – EXIL, Zürich (CH)
4 Jun – STROM, Munich (DE)
5 Jun – RHIZ, Vienna (AT)
6 Jun – CAFE V LESE, Prague (CZ)
7 Jun – LARK, Berin (DE)
8 Jun – HEBEBÜHNE, Hamburg (DE)
12, Jun – ELt ON SCHON, Mainz (DE)
18 Jun – ROTOWN, Rotterdam (NL)
22 Jun – Isle of Wight Festival, Newport (UK)
24 Jun – THE WATERING HOLE, Cornwall (UK)
25 Jun – THE LOUISIANA, Bristol (UK)
26 Jun – THE BODEGA, Nottingham (UK)
29 Jun – THE ACADEMY 2, Dublin (IE)
1 Jul – GLAD CAFE, Glasgow (UK)
There’s an undeniable spark when The Bankes Brothers take the stage—a mix of raw energy, tight musicianship, and the kind of chemistry that only comes from growing up together. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, the band quickly built a name for themselves with their high-energy live shows, and timeless rock ‘n’ roll spirit – with a modern indie edge. Fronted by brothers Nelson and Morgan Bankes (vocals/guitar), alongside Carson Cleaver (lead guitar) and Gray Oxley (drums), they turn every performance into a full-throttle celebration of live music.
Since the release of their debut EP last year, In Waves, produced by Steve Bays (Hot Hot Heat, The Zolas, Mounties), The Bankes Brothers have become one of Canada’s most exciting emerging rock acts. Their hook-heavy, melody-driven sound has taken them across the country, touring with Jesse Roper and lighting up festival stages at Edmonton Folk Fest, Laketown Shakedown, and Phillips Backyard Weekender, among others.
One of the most surreal moments for the band occurred on tour this past year “The crowds were already singing back the lyrics to songs that haven’t even been released,” said Nelson. “It was incredible. At this stage, we’re always wondering if a tour is worth doing. That was proof it’.” chimed Morgan – and he wasn’t wrong. That experience cemented their momentum, reinforcing their ability to connect with audiences and setting the stage for their next chapter.
Their reputation has only grown overseas. In 2024, they joined Red Rum Club for a UK tour, playing to packed rooms each night and proving their ability to captivate international audiences. That tour marked a turning point – solidifying their presence beyond Canada and setting the stage for even bigger opportunities.
Now, The Bankes Brothers are gearing up for the release of their new EP, produced by Gus van Go(The Beaches, The Arkells, Hollerado), a collection of songs that showcase their evolution as a band. The upcoming release builds on their signature sound—melodic, driving, and effortlessly cool—while pushing into new sonic territory. New single ‘Nobody’ is very much a statement of intent as the band enter their most exciting phase yet. Expect further new music to be announced soon.
Kathryn Joseph today releases her eagerly anticipated fourth album WE WERE MADE PREY., available to stream and buy in digital, CD and red vinyl via Rock Action Records.
WE WERE MADE PREY. dances on the knife-edge: of action versus inaction, of want versus wanting, of self-fulfilment versus shame. Continuing her creative partnership withproducer Lomond Campbell, recording took place in the remote Black Bay Studios on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides last winter.
Joseph’s fourth album is both a reaction to and reprieve for the animal within. Eleven songs that accept her whole being, with all its hunger, lust and rage, and its devastating tenderness too. Through her hunt for answers to punishing choices, “the kind that can absolutely f*ck up your life,” the Glasgow-based singer/songwriter has come out the other side with something new to say.[1]
Joseph’s pursuit of truth is the red thread that winds through each of her albums. It’s there among the agonising beauty of bones you have thrown me and blood i have spilled, her Scottish Album of the Year Award-winning debut. It’s there, too, in 2018’s from when i wake the want is, sewn into the primal grief and grasping of the songs. And it made its presence felt again in 2022’s for you who are the wronged, Joseph’s powerful exploration of abuse in all its twisted shapes and guises, acclaimed for its “luminous brand of minimalism” (Pitchfork) and as “an outright masterpiece of emptiness and full-to-bursting-ness at the same time” (The Quietus).
Joseph has announced a full UK headline tour for the autumn, taking in 12 dates across England to follow her run of Scottish dates next month.
In between, she will return to the road in support of labelmates (and bosses) Mogwai for a run of European shows in August-September.
Lomond Campbell will be performing with Joseph at all shows.
Kathryn Joseph tour dates
05 June – Aberdeen Lemon Tree
06 June – Isle of Skye – Skye Gathering Hall
11 June – Glasgow St. Luke’s
12 July – Inverness Under Canvas Festival
02 Aug – Newport-on-Tay Lugnasadh Festival
25 Jul – Thirsk, North Yorkshire – Deer Shed Festival
09 Aug – Edinburgh – The Hub @ Edinburgh International Festival
24 Aug – Cumbria Krankenhaus Festival
31 Aug – The Hague, Paard (w/ Mogwai)
01 Sept – Nijmegen, Doonroosje (w/ Mogwai)
03 Sept -Malmo, Plan B (w/ Mogwai)
04 Sept – Gothenburg, Pustervik (w/ Mogwai)
06 Sept – Helsinki, House of Culture (w/ Mogwai)
08 Sept – Tallinn, Helitehas (w/ Mogwai)
09 Sept – Riga, Palladium (w/ Mogwai)
10 Sept – Vilnius, Kablys + Kultura (w/ Mogwai)
11 Sept – Warsaw, Progresja (w/ Mogwai)
13 Sept – Budapest, Reflektor Festival (w/ Mogwai)
Proudly hailing from the North East, fast-rising artist Amelia Coburn has released her first single of 2025 with the bewitching ‘Sandra’.
It takes a certain type of magic to capture the praise of Paul Weller and Paul Heaton off the back of one album. And yet, that’s exactly what Tees Valley singer-songwriter Amelia Coburn has achieved with her debut effort Between the Moon and the Milkman, released in March 2024. One year on, her latest single to be lifted from it, ‘Sandra’ (out 5th March), tells a true story of suffering at the hands of an alcoholic and abusive husband.
This gothic-folk story came from an elderly woman Amelia stayed with while she was studying for university in France, one who spoke no English. After all she endured from her husband, his addiction led him to an early grave and his dying wish was that he be buried and that, under no circumstances, should she cremate him… so she cremated him.
Amelia Coburn:‘“Sandra” is one of my favourite songs from the album, inspired by the life of my French landlady, who I’m still close to today. I wanted to release it as a single to carve out a special space for her story. Filming the video in Paris made it even more meaningful; walking the same streets she once took to and from work felt like stepping into her world. Her life held a lot of tragedy, but she never let it define her. We took inspiration from the classic short film Le Ballon Rouge (The Red Balloon) to capture that part of her: the way she found joy and happiness even in the smallest things.’
On the live front, Amelia has a busy year ahead opening for a number of established acts including UK underground survivors The Levellers and Katherine Priddy, as well as heading out on a headline tour with her full band in May. She has previously appeared at Reeperbahn Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, and Focus Wales, and will soon be flying stateside for her first American shows at SXSW Texas.
Weaving together the literate lyrical approach of Scott Walker with the melodic genius of Paul McCartney, Amelia Coburn has a knack for making the unusual sound timeless.
Drawing inspiration from gothic literature and the shadowy allure of film noir, there is a darkness at the heart of many of her songs, populated by vivid characters and nocturnal creatures that inhabit the liminal space “between the moon and the milkman”. This is artfully counterbalanced, like the chiaroscuro of an old master, by Amelia’s down-to-earth charm and wicked sense of humour.
Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones (founding member of The Coral), her 2024 debut album Between the Moon and the Milkman has already gained a cult following, including praise from British music legends Paul Weller – chosen as one of his albums of the year for MOJO – and Paul Heaton, as well as national radio play in the UK and Ireland (BBC Radio 2, 3, 4, 5, 6Music, Scotland and Ulster). The album reached number 7 on the Official UK Independent Album Breakers chart and spent 3 consecutive months on the Official Folk Top 40.
Multiple end-of-year lists have praised Amelia, with Drowned in Sound naming her in their ‘15 Must-See Acts 2025’ shortlist, and Louder Than War’s ‘25 acts to see in 2025’ including her. The Arts Desk crowned the album as their Album of the Year, and it also made its way into Shindig! Magazine’s Top 30 Albums of 2024, while the likes of CLASH, Line of Best Fit, RnR and Far Out Magazine have been incredibly vocal of their support for Amelia.
Performances at Brighton Fringe(WIP), Rik Mayall Comedy Festival (WIP), Greater Manchester Fringe, Old Joint Stock (Birmingham), Alma Tavern (Bristol), Newcastle Fringe and Camden Fringe.
Magic & Sex
Kathryn Haywood returns after the sell-out, five-star run of her Offie-nominated debut show Yoga & Sex…. For Women (Over 40): “Sheer delight… non-stop hilarity” Reviews Hub; “Excellent to watch… maestro of the side-eye” Chortle; “A masterclass in character-led comedy” LondonTheatre1.
In her brand new show, Magic & Sex, Kath has decided to delve into the art of illusion and become a fully-fledged magician. She will astound with her command of a deck of cards, she will baffle with her feats of mentalism, she will confuse with what she keeps under her hat. She can read your mind before you can say Hey Presto, and produce the two of clubs before you can say Abra-Kath-Dabra!
Trust me, you’ve never seen magic done quite like this and chances are you never will again. Come and see the hottest new conjuror on the block and leave with your head spinning and your stomach churning. But in a good way…probably could have worded that better.
Oh… and sex.
Synopsis: From the creators of YOGA & SEX…For Women (Over 40) Kath’s back and she’s become a fully-fledged magician! She’ll astound with her deck of cards, baffle with her mentalism and produce the two of clubs before you can say Abra-Kath-Dabra! You haven’t seen magic like this and you won’t again.
Directed by Dan Mersh (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, The Death of Stalin, 15 Storeys High, Sex Education, Veep & The Thick Of It)
Kathryn Haywood
Comedy: YOGA & SEX…for women (over 40) – Edinburgh Fringe 2024 and tour.
Stage: Queen Sofia in The Making of Frederick the Great (The Cockpit), Brigitte in The Bastard Sons of Catford Elvis (Union Theatre), Holly Honeyman in Grace (Jacksons Lane), Mrs Squires in Kensington’s Bottom (New Wimbledon Studio Theatre) and Speaker in Coronavirus – A Great British Farce (Hen & Chickens and tour).
Voice: Kathryn provides the character voices and songs for children’s toys (Vtech and Leapfrog) and spent most of her 20s in Hong Kong dubbing old Kung Fu movies and Japanese anime into English.
Dan Mersh
Dan Mersh has been a comedy actor and writer for over 25 years. He has worked with Harry Hill, Steve Coogan, Harry Enfield, Armando Iannucci and Sean Lock amongst many others. His credits include: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, The Death Of Stalin, 15 Storeys High, Sex Education, Slow Horses, Veep & The Thick Of It. He has also written and performed several acclaimed Edinburgh sketch shows as part of the comedy group The Trap.
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.
“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 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 Awardsfor 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 Streetattracted 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 Mondayson 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 U2, Madonna, Tricky, Pressure Drop, David Holmes, Terranova and Mo’Wax records, as well as earlier mixes for The Jungle Brothers, Latifah 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 Pias, K7 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.You, Anja Schneider, Fred 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.
‘New Place’, the third studio album from Pale Blue Eyes, is out now. The band will embark upon a UK tour this April.
Earlier this month, Pale Blue Eyes shared their third full length offering, ’New Place’, on their label, Broadcast Recordings. The album was described as a re-invention of the “21st-century pop landscape” by Now Then and “polished yet never losing the DIY feel” by Indie Is Not A Genre. Now, the band are planning to take it out on the road.
Beginning at Thekla in Bristol on 3rd April, Pale Blue Eyes will embark upon a run of headline UK dates this spring. The tour includes stops at a number of beloved venues across the country, including Manchester’s Gorilla, London’s Islington Assembly Hall, and the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. All dates can be found below.
About Pale Blue Eyes
Born of a cross-pollination between Totnes and Sheffield, Pale Blue Eyes have been steadily grafting over a number of years to exact their modernist pop vision.
At the ship’s helm, Matt and Lucy Board are a genuine marriage of two stylistic perspectives, each bringing unique sonic tropes to the table. It is the pair’s fasination with DIY ethic, retro synths and reminiscence that truly fuels their sound world, calling upon nostalgia and a captivating optimism. The third part of the Pale Blue Eyes triad arrived when Matt and Lucy met bassist Aubrey Simpson at South Devon’s Sea Change festival.
They’ve received playlisting on BBC Radio 6 Music, played two Riley sessions, toured extensively in the UK and Europe, supported GOAT, Slowdive, Sea Power, The Editors, Public Service Broadcasting, FEWS and more. And earlier this month, they released their third record on their own imprint, Broadcast Recordings. As with the first two albums, ’New Place’ was produced by the band and final mixed and mastered by Dean Honer.
About ‘New Place’
The third album from Pale Blue Eyes is called ‘New Place’ — invocation of fresh horizons; swapping creamy Devon for the synth central of Sheffield. The album arrives on the back of extensive and emotional transit. For PBE, 2024 started with a wonderful tour of 12 European countries with Slowdive. Over 12,000 kilometres. Snow and deep cold in Norway and Poland. Drought-stricken landscapes in France and Spain. On and on, joyously so.
The year’s end brought more movement for the married couple at the core of Pale Blue Eyes, singer and guitarist Matt Board and drummer and synth queen Lucy Board. Sadly, family tragedy catalysed a move from South Devon to South Yorkshire. “Change is a theme throughout the album,” says Lucy, “It’s about being in a new place, starting again but reflecting on the journey and what and who got us to this place. It’s a celebration of making it to this point and starting again.”
That new start is fully manifested on Pale Blue Eyes’ new album, released on the band’s Broadcast Recordings label. Return single “How Long Is Now” brought uplifting synth carousels and was titled after a Berlin mural and art installation. On “Pieces of You”, gorgeously deliquescent guitar ripples out over Matt’s distinctive tenor voice. “Be There” is meditative, delivate, with guest vocals from Racheal Swinton of Glasgow electronic-rock duo Cloth. Aubrey made his own fretless bass which features on “Seven Years”.
“The new album comes with a new landscape,” says Matt…“I hope the result is uplifting. The album reflects the end of an era and embracingnew beginnings. But when we were unpacking in our new house in Sheffield we found an old slide projector that had belonged to my mum and Dad. We spent hours looking through the old 35mm slides and decided to use one for the album cover. The album arrives on the back of extensive and emotional transit, a record of time reflecting on a lifetime of memories – but now beside a world of new beginnings.”
Pale Blue Eyes UK Tour Dates
Thu 3rd April – Thekla, Bristol Fri 4th April – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds Sat 5th April – Room 2, Glasgow Sun 6th April – Bodega, Nottingham Tue 8th April – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham Wed 9th April – Gorilla, Manchester Fri 11th April – Dust, Brighton Sat 12th April – Phoenix, Exeter Sun 13th April – Esquires, Bedford Wed 16th April – The Bullingdon, Oxford Thu 17th April – Islington Assembly Hall, London
