UK Music Chief Executive @jnjokugoodwin departs after three years at helm to join Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as Director of Strategy.

Read here: https://t.co/JfsM4dRZBd pic.twitter.com/Bqg7Nx710N

— UK Music (@UK_Music) August 31, 2023

Njoku-Goodwin was named CEO of UK Music, a trade body that represents the collective interests of the UK music industry, back in 2020 and was perhaps most notable for steering the industry through the Covid-19 pandemic-helping to secure the safe return of live performances throughout the country. He was also instrumental in creating the National Plan for Music Education and leading the arguments on copyright protection for artists in light of the continuing emergence of Artificial Intelligence.

Speaking of his role as CEO, Njoku-Goodwin said, “the UK music industry is one of this country’s great national assets and it’s been a privilege to represent it for the past three years. Leading UK Music through what was the toughest of times for our sector during the pandemic, when the music industry faced an existential struggle, has been an immense honour.”

A very welcome recommendation from @cj_dinenage & @CommonsCMS. It’s vital that we ensure AI enables human artistry and creativity, not erode it. So strong copyright & IP protections must at the heart of any approach to seize the opportunities of AI. https://t.co/W2Nolh8NtY — Jamie Njoku-Goodwin (@jnjokugoodwin) August 30, 2023

Njoku-Goodwin expressed his belief that the music industry is now in a much better place than it was when he first came into the role, confident that he has now provided a road map on how the industry can continue to thrive in a post-Brexit UK and with modern challenges that continue to impact musicians and stakeholders.

“I think the pandemic probably had a big impact in terms of making people realise how much they missed it.”

UK Music Chief Executive @jnjokugoodwin in the @guardian discussing the demand for big-name tickets.

Read: https://t.co/sYqrr7VuOA pic.twitter.com/jaKq6mIWZZ

— UK Music (@UK_Music) August 19, 2023

Njoku-Goodwin previously welcomed the European Union Brexit Trade Deal that provided points on travel-a key concern for British based touring artists, while also expressing some concerns that continued bureaucracy and delays would put tours at risk, adding further uncertainty for musicians performing on the continent. The ex-CEO said at the time of the deal, “the Prime Minister has promised there will be no non-tariff barriers, so it is vital that Government delivers on this promise and ensures there are no barriers to British musicians working and touring through Europe. We will be seeking urgent reassurances on this from Government.”

Njoku-Goodwin’s role in the National Plan for Music Education will see the government commit to enabling children and young people to learn to sing, play an instrument and have the opportunity to further their interests in the music industry, including professionally. The plan also sets out how music education would look in schools, allowing students the chance to take music qualifications during their secondary education, such as GCSEs and A Levels.

V welcome to see @Keir_Starmer talk about the importance of music education and creativity – not only for supporting the talent pipeline, but for developing the skills we all need in the modern workplace. Every young person should have access to a high quality music education https://t.co/P4dod1xjmD — Jamie Njoku-Goodwin (@jnjokugoodwin) July 12, 2023

Njoku-Goodwin was thanked by various members of UK Music, following the news of his stepping down. UK Music deputy chief executive Tom Kiehl has been named CEO in the interim.

Music industry organisations such as Music Venue Trust, Night Time Industries Association, UK Music and LIVE have emphasized the urgent need for new measures to be put in place, to save the arts and entertainment industry amidst the energy crisis. As the newly elected prime minister Liz Truss was appointed, along her list of challenges she plans to tackle, she stated that she planned to call for a reinstatement of VAT cuts for events and hospitality that were in place during the COVID pandemic.

Chief executive of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin congratulated Truss publicly on her victory before urging Truss to follow procedures the government had in place during the pandemic, which provided aid to the entertainment and hospitality industries. He stated “Congratulations to Liz Truss. During the campaign, Liz Truss rightfully talked about the need to tackle the crippling cost of living – and she must now deliver on that commitment immediately. Without urgent action to help venues, studios and other music businesses, there is a real risk that many will go to the wall”

Goodwin continued to suggest a solution to the impending crisis regarding the industry, which is that “the government should make a significant cut to VAT from its current 20% rate to 5%- just as it did during the pandemic”.

As energy costs rise and the cost of living increasing rapidly it comes as no surprise that music companies that narrowly survived COVID are fearful they will not be as lucky during this crisis. The impending fear clouds over the industry as they dread of permanent closures to venues, clubs and recording venues within the next few months.

Music organisation LIVE is also joining in demanding action to be made, suggesting reintroducing the HMRC Time to Pay scheme as well as regulations to be put in place to help minimise energy usage.

CEO of NTIA Michael Kill is also calling on the government to act, as well as suggesting that Truss takes responsibility for the energy crisis. By putting energy caps for businesses that will be affected highly by rising fuel costs this will lessen the impact. Kill emphasises “It is now vital that the new prime minister takes this opportunity to be decisive in tackling the cost inflation crisis, over the coming days, by reducing VAT across the board, extending business rates relief and implementing an energy cap for small medium enterprise businesses”

This statement was also supported by Music Venue Trust’s Mark Dayvd who stated he had personally witnessed a grassroots music venue’s energy bill increase by £134,000.

Goodwin expressed with urgency that “Without urgent support, there is a real chance that the billions keeping businesses and venues afloat during the pandemic will be wasted and that would be a tragedy.“

Manchester, see you at Castlefield Bowl tonight. Sadly, both @regrettesband & @wetlegband are unable to join us.@yardactband will be the special guest instead x

5:30pm // Doors
7:30pm // Yard Act
8:45pm // FOALS#LifeIsYours Photo credit: Louise Mason pic.twitter.com/9ff3fHBJck

— FOALS (@foals) June 29, 2022

After a short stint of fans being left in the dark regarding the health and wellbeing of Wet Leg, they quickly took to social media explaining, “Very sad to say we aren’t gonna be able to play the foals show in Manchester tonight cause one of our lovely band has Covid. Have a fun night and see you soon”.

Very sad to say we aren’t gonna be able to play the @foals show in Manchester tonight cause one of our lovely band has Covid. Have a fun night and see you soon

— Wet Leg (@wetlegband) June 29, 2022

The Regrettes then took the same approach and announced to their socials, “awh man sad day. we will not be able to play with foals tonight in manchester due to a few of us testing positive for covid. THIS SUCKS”. An awfully inconvenient coincidence for Foals, but with Yard Act only being a phone call away, many fans seem more than pleased with the decision.

awh man sad day. we will not be able to play with @foals tonight in manchester due to a few of us testing positive for covid. THIS SUCKS

— The Regrettes (@regrettesband) June 29, 2022

Foals are currently in the process of closing up their postponed tour, while tonight’s Manchester date is already sold out, the final show in Leeds’ Millennium Square on July 8^th may still have a few straggling tickets remaining. You can try and bag what you can here. Outside of the tour dates, the group are also hitting up a couple of festivals before calling it quits at the end of August. Glasgow’s TRNSMT festival and Suffolk’s Latitude managed to fit the bill this time around.

Foals’ headline appearance alongside Lewis Capaldi and Snow Patrol at the Obelisk Arena will also see the likes of American breakthrough singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, mercury prize nominee Little Simz, and Rina Sawayama whose recent collaboration with Charli XCX took fans by storm. The main stage will also see the likes of a few more… let’s say old-school bands, with Manic Street Preachers, Modest Mouse, and Shed Seven all making appearances. It’d be unreasonable to put Lewis Capaldi on a line-up and not include James Arthur, just as any festival of this calibre needs a hit-filled set of bangers from someone like Example. You can look into ticket information here.

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The cancelled show was to be the band’s debut performance at the venue and was part of the band’s series of summer shows, this season will also see the “A Design for Life” hitmakers perform across various festivals and live events. Fans will get a chance to catch the Welsh rockers at this year’s Latitude Festival, the band will perform on 24th July 2022 at Suffolk’s most popular event. The four-day festival is set to kick off this year on 21st July 2022 and boasts a star-studded roster headlined by Lewis Capaldi, Foals and Snow Patrol, also performing at Henham Park are Groove Armada, Rina Sawayama and Modest Mouse.

The Manic Street Preacher’s second festival appearance of the season will take place on 29th July 2022 at Y Not Festival, the Derbyshire held event celebrates its eighth year in 2022 and kicks off on 29^th July 2022. The band are scheduled to headline the three-day event on Friday and will be joined by Stereophonics as the main acts, also billed to headline the event are Courteeners, Nothing But Thieves, Blossoms and The Vaccines.

The group will conclude their festival run with a set at Lakefest on 13th August 2022, the Herefordshire held festival will be held on 11th-14th August 2022 and promises a unique family friendly experience. Manic Street Preachers will headline the event on Saturday, the festival’s third day will also feature performances from Reef, Louse Redknapp and The Reytons. The all-inclusive event will be held in a picturesque venue within Eastnor Castle Deer Park and features a star-studded line-up, also scheduled to headline the activity-packed event are UB40, Leftfield and British rockers Supergrass. Amongst the 190 acts and activities available to ticket-holders, Lakefest have also confirmed that The Red Devils, the parachute display team, will also be appearing at this year’s event.

The Red Devils will be joining us again this year, parachuting their way through the festival Gold ticket holders will have a chance to join them, with an automatic entry to win a FREE tandem skydive. Don’t miss your chance https://t.co/afCCgtaotQ #lakefest10 pic.twitter.com/iQQ8qtl17n

— Lakefest (@Lakefestuk) June 7, 2022

The band have recently finished a run of live dates with American rockers The Killers, the Manic Street Preachers supported the “Mr Brightside” hitmakers during their UK stadium tour. Both bands last performed together on 1st June 2022 at Middlesbrough River Stadium, 53-year-old singer Bradfield has spoken on the tour, “It’s been great watching The Killers, watching a frontman like Brandon Flowers still wanting it that much. For me it’s inspiring. Being further down the road in your career, to get up and just go on stage and just still want to absolutely own everything is quite inspiring – it is the secret of being in a band, you’ve still got to really want it.”

A new date for the Manic Street Preacher’s postponed show has yet to be announced, further details concerning the concert will be confirmed in due course.

Manic Street Preachers UK tour dates

24/07/2022 – Latitude Festival – Suffolk
29/07 – Y Not Festival – Derbyshire
13/08 – Lakefest – Herefordshire

Click here to purchase tickets.

Having only a few years ago said “I’m apolitical. I’ve got nothing to say about politics whatsoever” it seems Van has made quite the U-turn in recent years. With these songs he joins a growing list of high profile anti-vaxers such as Eric Clapton, Robert DeNiro, Charlie Sheen, Selma Blair, Jim Carey, and Jessica Biel, in his criticism of his countries handling of the pandemic. Few public announcements of doubt have led to a legal showdown though, for that the esteemed singer-songwriter raises his head above the parapet.

The Northern Ireland Department of Health told the BBC it would not comment on active legal matters, but it seems Morrison wasn’t the first to draw blood. Back in November 2021 Robin Swann issued proceedings against the singer following a cancelled hotel gig where Morrison chanted that the Health Minister was “very dangerous” after a last minute blanket ban on live music forced him to lay down his guitar in defeat. Swann’s proceedings against Morrison also included reference to an interview he had done where he called Swann a “fraud” and again made reference to him being “dangerous”. Morrison’s legal team responded at the time by saying “Mr Morrison asserts within that defence that the words used by him related to a matter of public interest and constituted fair comment.”

It’s all got a little sticky then, with all the back and forth it’s difficult to know who will end up on top and what that victory will actually mean for whoever claims it. Until Van reveals on what grounds he is pursuing legal action we won’t know, but he’ll certainly have an uphill struggle against the legal muscle the Northern Irish government is likely to put behind their defence.

The tour will instead begin in Bristol on March 24, with additional gigs in London, Brighton and at the BBC 6 Music Festival in Cardiff unaffected. The announcement came after Dacus confirmed she had tested positive for COVID just before leaving the US for her tour.

A statement was sent out on Dacus’ social media channels last night (March 16) which read “She is doing well however, out of an abundance of caution and care for the rest of her band, crew and fans, we are postponing the first few shows of the tour. These shows will be rescheduled quickly (more on that soon) and the tour will begin as planned in Bristol on March 24.” She then continued “Lucy’s really looking forward to her arrival in the UK and Europe, and playing for you all. Thanks for your care and support, and she will see you soon!”

pic.twitter.com/72qsjac6pH

— Lucy Dacus (@lucydacus) March 16, 2022

It was not stated when she planned to reschedule the shows, perhaps for dates during her trip to Europe as the tour is currently scheduled to finish in Paris on April 15. Alternatively, she could possibly rearrange the gigs for late summer, when she returns to the UK for previously planned appearances at End of the Road Festival and London’s All Points East.

You can see Dacus’ upcoming UK tour dates below, starting with the aforementioned Bristol date on March 24, and you can find any remaining tickets here.

Lucy Dacus Tour Dates:

24/03/22 Marble Factory – Bristol
25/03 O2 Forum Kentish Town – London
26/03 Rough Trade East – London
27/03 Concorde 2 – Brighton
01/04 Cardiff University Students Union – Cardiff [part of BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2022]

He noted the cyclical nature of the pandemic as one reason for concern, arguing that “I think every summer we’re going to think it’s over and then every winter it’s going to come back. Every time I’ve had a guess that this is going to be over I’ve been completely wrong.”

It’s been a while for the popular star, whose last UK gig was back in 2019. He was also engaged in a Las Vegas residency at the Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theatre, playing 16 dates in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic stopped him from returning. The pop-star noted how the situation is “terrifying for many, many reasons but personally and selfishly I haven’t been able to gig, I haven’t been able to do a tour.”

However, if things go according to plan, fans have a lot to look forward to. His Stoke-on-Trent gig is coming up on June 4^th at Vale Park, and after that, a performance in Munich on August 27^th will see him doing one of the biggest headlining shows of his career, with 150,000 fans due to be present.

Germany: I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be playing a huge show in Munich on 27th August next year.
You don’t want to miss this one – it will be epic.
Tickets go on sale this Thursday Oct 7th at 10am UK time; link will be in my bio.
I can’t wait to see you all there x pic.twitter.com/oZh8fuJmKO

— Robbie Williams (@robbiewilliams) October 4, 2021

Williams had this to say about the gig: “I can’t wait to come to Munich next year – it’s always an incredible place to play and I have very fond memories of shows there.  My German fans are amazing, and I look forward to playing for them and for fans across Europe at this epic event. We’ve all been starved of live music for a long time, so I’m sure this concert will be a meeting of hearts and minds for us all.”

Also, some interesting revelations have come out concerning Robbie’s own history in the limelight, telling The Mirror that he was targeted by a hitman at one stage in his career. He said that “I had a contract put on me to kill me. I’ve never said that publicly before. It went away. I have friends. That stuff is the unseen stuff that happens when you become famous.“ He also spoke of the anxiety and depression that comes with fame, such as the lack of privacy and not being able to go to “normal places … because people want to kill me. It takes a while to get to acceptance.“

If you’re still optimistic about Robbie’s upcoming gigs and are interested in getting tickets, you can look here. Otherwise, we’ll just have to hope his fears don’t turn out to be true this year, and that live music really is back to stay.

pic.twitter.com/c7hWHdORSy

— B L O S S O M S (@BlossomsBand) January 12, 2022

The original plan was for a European tour, with six dates taking the group around places such as Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands towards the end of January and the beginning of next month. However, if you had plans to see them in the UK then don’t despair just yet. The group are still due for dates in places such as Doncaster, Warrington and Southampton next May to July, COVID-permitting.

It’s disappointing news for fans of the five-piece from Greater Manchester, especially as Blossoms were arguably at the forefront of the UK’s return to live music-making, headlining at last May’s trial one-day festival at Sefton Park. However, it seems the spread of the Omicron variant has them extra cautious as of now.

Of course, they’ve been involved in other forms of live performance over the past few months, teaming up with “Never Gonna Give You Up”-star Rick Astley last September/October for a round of covers from The Smiths’ back catalogue, covering such classics as “Panic“ and “This Charming Man“.

The event got a mixed reception from The Smiths’ co-founders Morrissey and Johnny Marr, with Morrissey thanking them, saying “anything that generates interest in the tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it pack“. Marr on the other hand seemed a bit upset about not having been told beforehand, tweeting that “ I met The Blossoms a few weeks ago and they elected to not mention it. Nice.“

Then again, it sounds like things have been smoothed over between the group and the veteran rock-star, with Marr later mentioning that “There was an M.O. there that just wasn’t very cool – but I’ve dealt with it. I think I’m a pretty reasonable person, and I’ve dealt with it.“

Either way, if you don’t feel like waiting for the European gigs to be re-arranged, or just fancy a nice UK concert to get yourself to next May-July time, tickets for Blossoms’ UK tour can be found here. Let’s hope nothing gets in the way of this one however.

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A post shared by Wolf Alice (@wolfaliceband)

The London formed rockers took to social media to share a statement concerning their decision. Within the statement, the band confirmed that their decision to delay the tour was purely in aid of people’s safety. The post provided information regarding the announcement whilst apologising for the delay and any inconvenience caused.

The announcement marks the second amendment made to their touring plans; the band had originally postponed 5 dates from the upcoming 20 date tour. The original shows were meant to take place on 5th, 7th and 8th January 2022 at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. The group also announced that two dates in Dublin would be included within the delay, the two sold-out concerts were to take place on 24th and 25th January 2022. The announcement was made on Christmas eve within a group statement shared via social media.

 

 

 

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  A post shared by Wolf Alice (@wolfaliceband)

At this current time, the band’s upcoming European tour is still active and will take place on schedule. Last Summer It was announced that the “Smile” rockers would be embarking on a 15 date European tour. The upcoming series of live shows will be the group’s first European tour in four years, Wolf Alice last toured Europe in 2018. The tour kicks off with a performance in Paris on 11th February 2022 and concludes on 6th March 2022 with an appearance in Barcelona.

Since the release of their initial material, Wolf Alice have been at the forefront of English alt-rock. Their debut album My Love Is Cool was released in 2015 and charted at number two within the UK album charts. The release sired many nominations and accolades including a nomination for the 2015 Mercury Music Prize. The band have been nominated three times for the award and won the prize in 2018 for their second studio album Visions of a Life.

The band’s recent album, Blue Weekend, was released on 4th June 2021 via Dirty Hit. The album marks the band’s third shortlisted entry for the Mercury Prize and debuted at number one within the UK album charts. Blue Weekend is the group’s third studio album and has sired four singles including “The Last Man On Earth”. The track premiered on DJ Annie Mac’s BBC 1 radio show and was the album’s lead single.

Further information concerning any rescheduled dates have yet to be confirmed, the group have promised that news will be announced immediately once available. The group have also confirmed that tickets bought for the postponed shows will be accepted for the rescheduled dates.

Click here to stream Blue Weekend.

In a tweet, Anderson wrote: “Due to increasing Covid restrictions, we are postponing the EU/UK tour to May. Tickets are valid for the new dates, refunds available at point of purchase.”

The artist went on to explain that her US tour dates would stay the same.

Due to increasing Covid restrictions, we are postponing the EU/UK tour to May. Tickets are valid for the new dates, refunds available at point of purchase No changes to my cozy little US tour.

I’m sad but I can’t wait to sing with you this Spring !!!! pic.twitter.com/MePuBoAEkS

— MØ ∞ (@MOMOMOYOUTH) December 17, 2021

Fans will likely get to hear her latest hits such as “Kindness” and “Live To Survive” which were released earlier this year. Along with those releases the musician also revealed that her third album Motordrome will be released on January 28, 2022, so it is likely many of the tracks from that album will also be featured in the tour.

Motordrome is the follow-up to MØ’s 2018 album Forever Neverland. Speaking on her latest album Andersen stated “I hope that people will feel that (this album) is genuine and that there are stories there that they can connect with. For me this album represents a huge change in my life. Even though I’m still doing what I love doing, it does feel like a new chapter. An era of my life is over and I’m entering a new one. That is scary, but it’s freeing.”

You can view the new tour UK and EU dates below:

05/12/22 Parkteatret – Oslo
05/13 Debaster – Stockholm
05/15 Niebo – Warsaw
05/16 Kesselhaus – Berlin
05/19 Heaven – London
05/20 Le Trabendo – Paris
05/22 Melkweg – Amsterdam
05/24 Orangerie Botanique – Brussels