mxdwn.co.uk » Ally Pally https://www.mxdwn.co.uk all that matters in music in the UK Mon, 25 May 2026 22:25:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1 Sleaford Mods Drop New Single ‘Big Pharma’ And Announce New EP https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/sleaford-mods-drop-new-single-big-pharma-and-announce-new-ep/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/sleaford-mods-drop-new-single-big-pharma-and-announce-new-ep/#comments Wed, 20 Sep 2023 20:36:59 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=65091 Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods have released a new single, “Big Pharma” along with the announcement of a new EP called More UK Grim. The EP, recorded alongside their hit album, UK Grim, is a collection of an additional five songs that see the pair continue to build on their successful year.

Made up of Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson, Sleaford Mods released UK Grim to wide critical acclaim, with the album finding chart and mainstream success. Now, the duo are looking to further capitalise on the wave they have been riding, gearing up to release a companion EP to UK Grim. The group also shared a new single from the impending EP, with “Big Pharma” expounding with a critical eye, the Covid pandemic and all of the information that, they allege, certain groups pushed forward with the aim of making capital gains. The song has been described by Sleaford Mods as lyrically punishing and brutally honest.


Speaking on the new single, Williams said, “‘Big Pharma’ was written in the opening chapters of autumn 2022 when Covid kicked in again. It carries a lot of the normal Sleaford Mods absurdism but also looks at the ongoing fascination with trying to find truths in information wholly pushed by very questionable people.” 

Further elaborating on the politically charged phrase that is the song’s title, Williams added, “Now, Big Pharma is more familiar as a term used by right wing and industrial groups trying to mask the financial aims of their arguments with some kind of critical thinking panache-type legitimacy. It just feels wrong. It feeds on hopelessness, widespread fear and generations of unfettered misinformation linked to the limited critical perception we as the masses are burdened with.”

The song is also accompanied by a new video, helmed by Sean Sears. The video features an animated format that matches the lyrical content of the track and recalls the fear and information overload that often characterised the panic surrounding the pandemic.

The single and EP announcement also comes amid the duo’s preparations for their upcoming UK and European tour, beginning in October and running through to the end of the year. The pair have also shared that their performance at London’s Alexandra Palace in December will feature special guests, Special Interest, John Grant and Stewart Lee.

Back in June, Sleaford Mods joined Brit-pop legends Blur for their two night Wembley Arena performances. Supporting the band on their first night, Sleaford Mods had the opportunity to promote their sound to scores of potential new listeners.

Sleaford Mods new EP, More UK Grim can be pre-ordered here. Tickets for the upcoming tour can be found here.

Sleaford Mods UK and Europe Tour:

14/10/2023 – Tivoliredenburg – Utrecht, Netherlands
15/10 – De Roma – Antwerp, Belgium
16/10 – Batschkapp – Frankfurt, Germany
18/10 – Carlswerk Victoria – Cologne, Germany
19/10 – Grosse Freiheit 36 – Hamburg, Germany
21/10 – Columbiahalle – Berlin, Germany
24/10 – Taubchenthal – Leipzig, Germany
25/10 – Roxy – Prague, Czech Republic
26/10 – Vienna Arena – Vienna, Austria
28/10 – Tonhalle – Munich, Germany
29/10 – X-Tra – Zurich, Switzerland
01/11 – Sala Apolo – Barcelona, Spain
03/11 – La Riviera – Madrid, Spain
05/11 – Le Krakatoa – Bordeaux, France
06/11 – Stereolux – Nantes, France
07/11 – Le Bataclan – Paris, France
22/11 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
23/11 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
25/11 – National Stadium – Dublin
28/11 – O2 Academy – Leeds
29/11 – O2 Academy Warehouse – Manchester
30/11 – O2 Academy – Bristol
02/12 – Alexandra Palace – London
05/01/2024 – Rockaway Beach Festival – Bognor Regis

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/sleaford-mods-drop-new-single-big-pharma-and-announce-new-ep/feed/ 0 Neck Deep Release New Single ‘Take Me With You’ Announce Alexandra Palace Headline Show https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/neck-deep-release-new-single-take-me-with-you-announce-alexandra-palace-headline-show/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/neck-deep-release-new-single-take-me-with-you-announce-alexandra-palace-headline-show/#comments Thu, 10 Aug 2023 10:00:00 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=63569 Pop punk veterans Neck Deep have released a new single and video for song “Take Me With You.” The band have also announced a massive headlining show at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The Wrexham based band have had quite the year so far, with a support slot for YUNGBLUD during his arena tour, releasing single “Heartbreak Of The Century” back in February and finding the time to add a show at this summer’s Download Festival as well. But the band now seem poised to take the scene for their own with their new single and first ever headline show at the prestigious Alexandra Palace in March.

Speaking about the band’s alien-inspired new song, frontman Ben Barlow says the track was “literally as simple as: we should write a song about aliens called ‘Take Me With You.’ So conceptually and lyrically it was pretty straightforward. A few of us in the band are big UFO heads [particularly Seb Barlow, bass] so we had a lot of fun writing this one.”

The song is a playful and more light-hearted take on feeling fed up with the state of earthly situations that the band are noted for and Barlow has stated that the song owes a nod, at least in part, to Blink-182’s hit “Aliens Exist.” Singer for Blink-182 Tom Delonge has long been a vocal believer of UFOs and his company To The Stars made moderate news headlines after the recent US UFO hearings seem to confirm that UFOs, at least, may need to be taken seriously. Neck Deep promise however, that more meaningful songs are in the pipeline and will be released in due course.

It is perhaps surprising that, given the band’s more than ten years on the scene, Neck Deep have never headlined Alexandra Palace but that particular box will be ticked in March when the group finally play its hallowed halls as the top billed band. It is an indication at how much the band has grown in popularity over the years as the group get ready for what will surely be their biggest ever show.

Discussing the March 28th show, the band said, “it’s been a long time coming but we’re stoked to be finally headlining Ally Pally. We’ve always loved the venue, now its our turn for our biggest headline show. We’re expecting it to be the best Neck Deep show ever, and you wouldn’t want to miss that would ya?”


Tickets for the Alexandra Palace show will go on sale at 10am on Friday, 11 August. Tickets can be purchased here.

Neck Deep Tour:

16/08/2023 – Asylum – Birmingham
17/08 – Rebellion – Manchester
18/08 – Dome, Tufnell Park – London
19/08 – Dome, Tufnell Park – London
15/10 – Key Club – Leeds
16/10 – Slay – Glasgow
17/10 – Globe – Cardiff
19/10 – Doornroosje – Nijmegen, Netherlands
22/10 – Live Music Hall – Cologne, Germany
24/10 – Columbia Theatre – Berlin, Germany
25/10 – Proxima – Warsaw, Poland
26/10 – MeetFactory – Prague, Czech Republic
28/10 – Arena Wien – Vienna, Austria
29/10 – Magazzini Generali – Milan, Italy
30/10 – Technikum – Munich, Germany
01/11 – Plaza – Zurich, Switzerland
02/11 – Vooruit – Ghent, Belgium
03/11 – Schlachtof – Weisbaden, Germany
05/11 – Markthalle – Hamburg, Germany
06/11 – La Machine du Moulin Rouge – Paris, France
28/03 – Alexandra Palace – London

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/neck-deep-release-new-single-take-me-with-you-announce-alexandra-palace-headline-show/feed/ 0 Paolo Nutini Drops Brand New Live Video For ‘Through The Echoes’ and New UK and European Tour Dates https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/paolo-nutini-drops-brand-new-live-video-for-through-the-echoes-and-new-uk-and-european-tour-dates/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/paolo-nutini-drops-brand-new-live-video-for-through-the-echoes-and-new-uk-and-european-tour-dates/#comments Thu, 19 May 2022 17:26:58 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=55988 Paolo Nutini hasn’t released any new material in eight years, and true to form as the passionately private individual he is, he hasn’t made a peep in public or across his social media either. Yet here he is, back from the blue, with two new songs, a massive 18 date 2020 tour announcement, and a new live video for lead single “Through The Echoes”. The tour will encompass much of the UK and Europe’s most beloved venues and will stretch out from Autumn until the end of this year. For those Brits hoping to catch him on native soil, you can catch Paolo playing the iconic Alexandre Palace in London on the 25th of October, or other venues in Manchester, Birmingham, Hull, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen throughout October and November.

With a name that belies his origins, Paolo has come a long way from the small town of Paisley in Scotland where he grew up. Despite now being a chart-topping troubadour and national favourite, the singer was once expected to follow his fathers footsteps into the family fish and chip shop business, before being encouraged to sing by his music loving grandfather and a teacher from his school who recognised his gift.

After three top 10 albums, two of which going to number 1, Paolo is now in the luxurious position of being able to return after an 8 year hiatus in the knowledge that his stadium and arena tour will sell out in seconds despite the layoff period. In this respect, he seems to have gained a similar allure and shelf life to that of Adele, if somewhat more reserved, in that he always seems to be relevant no matter where the UK’s zeitgeist wanders. A soul voice like no other, he has a transportive sound that is both nostalgic and current, a sonic niche that sounds effortless to the masses, but is in reality incredibly difficult to capture authentically. His new single “Through The Echoes” is a great example of this, straddling the breadth of his impressive vocal range, Paolo belts out a rousing chorus sure to blow the rafters off the venues he is due to play in the coming months. You can catch a glimpse of the magic here with this new live performance video of “Through The Echoes”: 

To see his touring schedule and gain early access to tickets by pre ordering his new album Last Night In The Bittersweet click here.

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