The tour will kick off on May 28 at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, followed by stops in Liverpool at the Arts Club on May 30, Southampton at The Brook on May 31, and concluding on June 1 at the O2 Academy in Oxford. With only a handful of exclusive dates, fans are promised an unforgettable series of intimate performances. 

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Known for her engaging live performances, Samantha Fish has built a loyal fanbase around the world. Her shows are celebrated for their intensity, emotional depth, and incredible guitar work, offering fans an immersive and unforgettable experience. The upcoming tour is expected to bring this signature stage presence to life once again overseas as she connects with her audiences through music and her charismatic style. 

Samantha Fish, who is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, has earned a stellar reputation as one of the most innovative artists in contemporary blues and rock music. She has a remarkable ability to express raw emotion and energy through her work, developing a style that blends fiery blues riffs with rocky Americana influences, which are showcased beautifully in her tracks. 

Tracks like ‘Bulletproof’ highlight her talent for crafting high-energy songs filled with fierce guitar solos, while songs like ‘Kill or Be Killed’ delve into more introspective territories, exploring themes of compassion and emotional self-preservation in relationships. This theme is captured in the lyrics: “Back before the love I made, made me out a fool, I was looking for something more.” The song’s hauntingly beautiful melody compliments its depth, a quality also displayed in her latest single which is a cover of the classic ‘I Put a Spell on You’. The track demonstrates her ability to reinterpret timeless music with a fresh, soulful twist, making it a standout addition to her repertoire. 

Samantha Fish has solidified her position as a leading figure in the modern blues-rock scene. Her dedication to pushing the boundaries of her genre while staying true to its roots has made her a beacon of authenticity within the music world. 

As anticipation builds on social media for the 2025 dates, fans are encouraged to secure tickets quickly. Tickets were released on December 20, 2024, but some still remain. For long-time followers, the tour represents another opportunity to experience her dynamic live shows, while newcomers can discover an artist who honours the legacy of blues musicians while redefining what it means in a modern context. 

Samantha Fish’s UK tour is more than just a series of gigs, it’s a chance to celebrate her extraordinary talent. As she returns to the UK stage, fans can look forward to intimate evenings filled with music that is soulful, electrifying, and truly unforgettable. 

Ticket info can be found here.  

From their debut album Wild Life in 1971 to Back to the Egg in 1979, Laine’s musical prowess was evident. Notably, their album Band on the Run in 1973 reached the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, featuring hit singles like “Jet” and the title track.

This album is often regarded as the pinnacle of Wings’ success. However, prior to his collaboration with McCartney, Laine had already established himself through a diverse range of musical experiences. In 1964, he joined forces with Mike Pinder and Ray Thomas to form the Moody Blues. Initially, they focused on covering blues songs before transitioning towards a more pop-oriented direction. Their rendition of “Go Now,” with Laine on lead vocals and guitar, topped the UK chart in 1964.

Laine embarked on some psychedelic experiments with his group, Denny Laine & the Electric String Band. Their utilisation of an amplified cello and violin quartet foreshadowed the approach later adopted by fellow Brummie Roy Wood and Electric Light Orchestra. In 1969, he joined Balls, alongside Trevor Burton, the former guitarist of the Move.

Laine, originally named Brian Hines, was born in the Channel Islands to Herbert Hines and Eva (nee Bassett). However, he spent his formative years in Tyseley, Birmingham, and attended Yardley grammar school. It was during his time there that he developed a passion for playing the guitar, with one of his main influences being the renowned jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt. At the young age of 12, Laine performed solo for the first time, and later went on to form his inaugural band, Denny Laine and the Diplomats, alongside drummer Bev Bevan, who would later become a member of Electric Light Orchestra.

It wasn’t until 1971 that Laine finally found a position alongside McCartney. The two had been acquainted since the early days when the Moody Blues toured with the Beatles. McCartney had also witnessed Laine’s talent firsthand when he opened for Jimi Hendrix at the Saville theatre in London. Laine said “Because he was impressed with seeing me trying to do something different onstage with my Electric String Band, and because we became friends, that inspired him to call me because he wanted to do something new and different.”

Red Rose Speedway (1973) brought more success, securing the fifth spot in the UK. However, it was their third album, Band on the Run, that truly skyrocketed to success, claiming the number one position. Despite facing challenges such as recording in basic conditions in Lagos, Nigeria, and the departure of drummer Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCulloch prior to recording, the album was skillfully crafted amidst a whirlwind of creative chaos. Laine recalled “It was basically just me and Paul doing the backing tracks, and it was more of a relaxed approach to doing an album than if you’re going in with a band and there are all these parts. We were thrown into that as a last resort because two of the guys didn’t come to Lagos.”

Between 1997 and 2002, he embarked on a tour alongside World Classic Rockers, a renowned ensemble of rock legends led by Nick St Nicholas from Steppenwolf. Additionally, he undertook tours with his own bands, with renditions of songs by Wings and the Moody Blues. As a testament to his remarkable contributions, he was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, recognised as a member of the Moody Blues.

In a recent interview, Joanne talked about how important it is for her to “just keep touring” and “Hopefully keep making good albums, albums I’m proud of, you know that I can look back on and still enjoy.”

During these concerts, Joanne will captivate the crowds with songs from her highly acclaimed albums, Nobody’s Fool and The Blues Album, which reached the top of Billboard Magazine’s Official Blues Album Chart. Additionally, she will treat her fans to new songs from her upcoming album, including the tracks “Sweet ‘Lil Lies” and “Black Magic.”

The Blues Album was recognized as the No.1 most played blues album of 2021 by the Independent Blues Broadcaster’s Association, solidifying Joanne’s status as a true blues artist. Furthermore, she will delve into her extensive back catalogue, carefully selecting songs from albums such as “Reckless Heart,” “Nothin’ to lose,” and “The Dirty Truth.”

Joanne’s latest single, “Black Magic,” is a testament to her exceptional talent. Crafted in collaboration with renowned producer Kevin Shirley at the legendary RCA Studio A in Nashville, the song features stellar artists like Rob McNelly, Doug Lancio, Alison Prestwood, Jimmy Wallace, and Anton Fig.

Joanne’s partnership with Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records continues to thrive, allowing her music to reach her dedicated fanbase worldwide, while maintaining its authenticity and integrity. This collaboration, combined with Joanne’s boundless creativity, guarantees a steady flow of remarkable releases that stand out amidst the noise of the music industry.

Joanne’s journey to stardom began when she was discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the young age of 16. Since then, she has toured the world and received endorsements from music legends such as Stevie Wonder, solidifying her position as a rising star in the industry.

In an interview Joanne recalls getting a compliment from Stevie Wonder, She said, “It was his drum tech that came and found me, because I was trying to get out, it was chaos when everyone was trying to leave. He was like hey, I’m Stevie’s drum tech, he wanted me to tell you if I saw you, that you know, he loved your really clean blues sound. I was like oh, well that worked out well.”

The ‘Joanne Shaw Taylor’ tour 2024 dates are listed below.
Planet Rock are holding a pre-sale ticket grab, that can be found here, followed by the official ticket sale 17 November which can be purchased here.

17/02/2024 – Royal Northern College of Music – Manchester
18/02 – Queen Margaret Union – Glasgow
19/02 – City Varieties Music Hall – Leeds
21/02 – The Fire Station – Sunderland
22/02 – Indigo at The O2 – London
23/02 – Wulfrun Hall – Wolverhampton
25/2 – The Waterfront – Norwich
26/02 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill On Sea
28/02 – The Apex – Bury St Edmunds
29/02 – Palace Theatre – Southend-On-Sea

The festivities commence on Friday, November 10th with a diverse and dynamic lineup of events. Daryl Easlea and Don Powell will delve into the world of Slade, while Trevor Horn and John Robb will discuss all things ABC to ZTT. Steve Norman of Spandau Ballet will also be in attendance for a conversation.

The night will conclude with a lively DJ set by Daniel Rachel, following his discussion of the 2-Tone story with Horace Panter of The Specials. Saturday’s schedule includes Ian Broudie discussing his book Tomorrow’s Here Today, Derek Forbes of Simple Minds fame in conversation with bass riff treats, Jacqui Wicks with a live Blues performance embracing the Sadness Paradox, and Eddie Piller sharing his life as a Mod – from the Revival to Acid Jazz.

The musical genres on display are equally diverse, ranging from Throbbing Gristle to Napalm Death, Buzzcocks to arranger John Philip Shenale, and Fanzine founder Tom Vague to Eddie Cochran via rave and club culture.

Louder Than Words offers more than just a surface-level experience, with academics and music writers convening for panels, discussions, Q&As, workshops, and even dancing and skanking. Attendees have the unique opportunity to interact with these individuals in a social and relaxed setting. The hotel’s three fully accessible function rooms are exclusively reserved for the festival, allowing for seamless transitions between events. Additionally, visitors can browse the dedicated bookshop, hosted by Blackwell’s, and mingle in the hotel bar and social spaces before and after the events.

The festival has a rich history of accomplishments and notable moments that have made it a popular festival within it’s field. Over the years, the festival has showcased some well known and respected artists, musicians, and performers. One of the festival’s most notable accomplishments is its ability to attract a diverse range of artists and performers. From highly-renowned musicians to up-and-coming artists, the festival has consistently provided a platform for artists to showcase their talents and connect with audiences.

A new Stones era
Worldwide September 6th
Join at https://t.co/09XIP65sXt
#hackneydiamonds pic.twitter.com/uV6xOXKDig

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) September 1, 2023

The clip, which was shared on the official Rolling Stones social media accounts, features the intro to a new track that showcases a classic, rhythmically driven Stones sound, complete with snappy drums and ringing riffs. Check out the snippet below:

As well as posting on social media, the band launched a new website, dontgetangrywithme.com, which plays the audio clip – if you can get the webpage to load. Numerous reports from fans have complained of having trouble accessing the teaser, with the site requesting they refresh and try again. Each complaint, however, has been met with a reply along the lines of “don’t get angry with me”, and no offer of tech assistance has been made – indicating the glitch may have been intentional. 

Oh don’t get angry with me.. https://t.co/hHOCWBo9jq

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) September 2, 2023

The Stones, it seems, have been particularly cryptic as of late. Only last week, a mysterious advert appeared in an East London newspaper, the Hackney Gazette. The ad, which claimed to represent a glass repair company called “Hackney Diamonds”, featured a sales blurb that referenced three song titles by the band: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Gimme Shelter” and “Shattered”. Other clues came in the shape of a familiar-looking font (used on the band’s 1978 album Some Girls) and the suspicious use of a certain tongue logo. 

See the Hackney Gazette ad below:

Anyone see this? An ad ran in Hackney Gazette for a company called Hackney Diamonds teasing Rolling Stones song titles. Their est. date is 1962, same year Stones formed. Website seems to be run by Universal Music, the Stones’ label. A clue their long-awaited new LP is on its way? pic.twitter.com/DFSnb2WE48

— Simon Harper (@Simon__Harper) August 21, 2023

Just a quick visit to the official Rolling Stones website does enough to suggest the existence of a soon-to-be-released album called Hackney Diamonds, and with all the hints the band have been dropping lately, even the most sceptical of fans must be at least a little excited: a new Rolling Stones album would be the band’s first full-length studio release since 2016’s Blue & Lonesome covers album, and their first album of original material since A Bigger Bang in 2005. Speculations of a new record have been circulating since January, when guitarist Keith Richards shared a 15-second video confirming that the band had new music to share:  “Hi guys, here we are again. There is some new music on the way and hopefully, we’ll get to see you, you know? Anyway, let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

pic.twitter.com/NIhn6AKBJL

— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) January 11, 2023

This new release is a retreat for Morrison. Playing the smoky music he was brought up with, he reminisces about where he comes from, to which he adds a smooth soulful modernisation without fully ridding of its initial essence. As a child, when he first started delving into the musical world in Belfast, he played in a skiffle band which was a rooting of what sort of music he was passionate about.

Moving On Skiffle will be a 23 track album hosting a combination of enduring classics of the era enhanced by the musicians rollicking stylistic input as well as original arrangements and entailing lyrical twists. Steaming from the folky roots, a skiffle fest is well on its way. He has successfully kept the ice cold by gradually releasing singles from the LP. Five tracks are now live, featuring unbeatable timeless tracks of the era.

He first released “Streamline Train” a few months back. A song originally written by the American blues singer Red Nelson in 1936. The crackly bygone recording has taken and moulded into a soulful strutting version by Morrison. He then released “I’m Moving On”, a country standard first released by Hank Snow in the 1950’s. Taking a classic sound to remake the ethos of the country folk chime and inducing his characteristic twist as well as some finishing gospel backing vocal touches.

“Worried Man Blues” is the third single release of the album. Another skiffle cover of an original written song by Carter Family in 1964. A track many blues artists have re written and reimagined but never failed to hold it’s magical purity. Following these he releases “This Loving Light Of Mine”, a rolling interpretation of Harry Dixons “This Little Light Of Mine” back in 1962. Finally, Van Morrison has just released his last single “Freight Train”. Positioning the track as the starting song of the bunch to perfectly set the scene for the experience about to unfold. It is a jazzed up version of Elizabeth Cotten’s writing, with a few added vocal harmonies and organ inputs.

The album is just around the corner and expect the enlivened robustness of the 1950’s skiffle moulded into a brand new album. An album global tour is to come along with its release, set to start on the 13th March in Milton Keynes and run through until the 19th September, finishing on the other side of the world in California, USA.

Click here to pre-order the album.

The tour will now kick-off at Buxton Opera House on Tuesday 14th June 2022, and calls in at Brighton, London, Holmfirth and Bury St. Edmunds before culminating at Frome Cheese & Grain on Tuesday 21st June 2022. Although the new date for Trout’s show at Gateshead Sage is still to be announced.

Tickets to all six shows are on sale from Planet Rock Tickets right now. You can see the poster below.

Walter Trout released his latest album Ordinary Madness back in August 2020. It was recorded at the private Los Angeles studio of Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. The former John Mayall’s Blues Breakers and Canned Heat axeman recorded the album in early 2020 shortly before most of the world went into lockdown.

The musician recently spoke with Planet Radio about the impact of the Covid-19 crisis when it came to writing his album “There’s a lot of extraordinary madness going on, This album started because I was dealing with the flaws and weakness inside me. But it ended up being about everyone.”

Trout’s career began on the Jersey coast scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. When he relocated to Los Angeles, he became a sideman for John Lee Hooker, Percy Mayfield, Big Mama Thornton and Joe Tex, among others. Then through the 80s he was the lead guitarist for Canned Heat and followed in the footsteps of famous guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Peter Green to be lead guitarist in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.

Trout then left the Bluesbreakers in 1989 and formed the Walter Trout Band which developed a successful following across Europe and especially in Scandinavia. He soon changed the band name again to Walter Trout and the Radicals when he released his self-titled US debut album, and after going few some minor tweaks are now just currently called Walter Trout.

Though he has been recording and touring prolifically in North and Central America, Europe, Australia, and India he has returned to UK where he most recently toured in October 2019. Then the year before, he rocked the main stage at Planet Rockstock. You can see below the dates for his latest tour.

Walter Trout UK Tour Dates:

06/14/22 Buxton Opera House – Buxton
06/16 Concorde 2 – Brighton
06/17 O2 Islington Academy – London
06/18 Picturedrome – Holmfirth
06/20 The Apex – Burt St Edmunds
06/21 Cheese & Grain – Frome

The band formed in 1963 and have 2 number 1 hits in the UK. The group split in 1969 and then reformed in the mid 70’s and again in 2006 when they returned for an international tour. Along with other sixties popular bands, they had helped to popularise blues and RnB in the UK. Their hits included, ‘Gimmie some lovin,’ ‘Keep on helping,’ ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘I’m a Man.’

His Friend, Bob Birk who was a musician friend for more than 30 years told BBC News, “He was a very good friend. He was a highly ethical, very talented, good-hearted, extremely intelligent, generous man. He will be missed.” 

At the age of just 6, Davis learnt to play the harmonica and the accordion. After taking up the guitar, he formed his first band, ‘The Saints’ with Bill Wyman who later joined ‘The Rolling Stones.’ He moved to Birmingham for university and played America folk and Blues in bands. This led to the formation of the ‘Spencer Davies Group’ a rhythm and blues quartet with drummer Spencer Davies.

Their first chart toping hit, ‘Keep on Running’ was a cover song by Jack Edwards. It topped the charts in 1966, when it knocked the Beatles A sided single, ‘We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper,’ off the top chart spot. A telegram from The Beatles congratulated them from The BBC, “Congratulations on reaching number one – The Beatles.”

Some of their later chart hits including, ‘I’m a man’ and ‘Gimmie Some Lovin’ were covered by the Blues Brothers. The band also recorded the theme song for the children’s tv show, ‘Magpie’ under the pseudonym ‘The Murgatroyd Band.’ The Spencer Davies Group last hit, ‘I’m a Man’ reached the top 10 in the US and the UK in 1967.

The Spencer Davies Groups’ music is still popular today and is played frequently. Officialcharts.com have reported that they spent 3 weeks at number 1 with, ‘Keep On Running’ ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘March’ with 19 weeks in the top 10 and 55 weeks in the top 40.

Jim Simpson from Birmingham’s International Jazz Festival said on his passing, “I took Pete’s call half an hour ago and thought: What a shame.  Spencer was a lovely man – always very courteous and a purist about music. The Spencer Davis Group stuck more to the blues and never became a fully-fledged rock band. They had a residency at the sadly now demolished Golden Eagle on Hill Street and were originally called The Rhythm and Blues Quartet – a terrible name!” – Birmingham Live

1970,’s Spandau Ballet singer Gary Kemp paid tribute to the Davis tweeting, “He lead a magnificent band, one of the greats of the 60s, along with Muff and Steve Winwood. Keep in [sic] Running and Gimme Some Lovin’ were R&B classics. He drove soul into the white rock sound of the time.”

RIP Spencer Davis. He lead a magnificent band, one of the greats of the 60s, along with Muff and Steve Winwood. Keep in Running and Gimme Some Lovin’ we’re r&b classics. He drove soul into the white rock sound of the time. #SpencerDavis pic.twitter.com/LmAM9xXYKv

— Gary Kemp (@garyjkemp) October 20, 2020