They will kick off the tour in Leeds at the O2 Academy on the 5th of December, followed by performances in Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol, Sheffield and more, before a big homecoming gig for the Glasgow natives at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on the 21st of December.

This headline UK tour will follow a very busy summer for the Glasgow band, where they will be supporting the Killers on their UK arena tour in 16 dates throughout June and July, and they will then return to Europe in August to perform their first headline tour there since 2016 which will run into September. They are also headlining Sign Of The Times Festival in Hertfordshire in July and will perform a set at BBC Radio 2 In The Park in September in Preston. As well as this they have also announced that they will be doing 22 dates across the US and Canada in January 2025.

The upcoming UK tour dates are:

December 05 2024 – LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
December 06 2024 – MANCHESTER Albert Hall
December 08 2024 – LIVERPOOL Olympia
December 09 2024 – WOLVERHAMPTON Civic at the Halls
December 10 2024 – NOTTINGHAM Rock City
December 11 2024 – MARGATE Dreamland
December 13 2024 – LONDON O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
December 15 2024 – BRISTOL Beacon
December 17 2024 – EASTBOURNE Winter Gardens
December 18 2024 – SHEFFIELD Octagon
December 19 2024 – NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE City Hall
December 21 2024 – GLASGOW OVO Hydro

Tickets go on sale at 9am on the 14th of June and you can buy yours here.

Just Before this announcement of their upcoming UK tour Travis also released their latest single, ‘Bus’, off of their upcoming album ‘L.A. Times’ which is set to be released on the 12th of July and you can pre order a copy here. The new single is the third single released from ‘L.A. Times’ following ‘Raze the Bar’ which saw them joined by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and Killers’ Brandon Flowers. 

Travis Frontman, Fran Healey, said about the idea behind the song “I was on holiday, staring out the window, watching all the boats bobbing on the sea. I was trying to write a song and nothing was coming. It reminded me of all the years I spent waiting on buses. You never think it’s going to come, but if you wait long enough it usually turns up.” 

He added “In the middle of all these thoughts came a cool little melody and the song was written a few minutes later.” 

The song was accompanied by a new music video which was filmed in Scotland, and directed by Healey himself and it features the band waiting for a bus in the Scottish Highlands for what seems to be a long time as well as the group performing the song by the road. It also has a short guest appearance from comedian and actor Adam Buxton. Check it out below.

Formed in 2004 by Tim Dellow and Toby L, with Silas Bourboulon joining the duo shortly after, Transgressive Records boast an impressive repertoire of talent including names such as Foals, Flume, SOPHIE, Loyle Carner, Black Country, New Road, Let’s Eat Grandma and the Mystery Jets. Regina Spektor, Hippo Campus, Two Door Cinema Club and Iron and Wine  are amongst the array of chart topping Alumni artists Transgressive Records has accumulated over the years.

In a statement posted on the Transgressive Records website, the owners noted that they are ‘thrilled to celebrate the first twenty years of Transgressive. It’s a harrowing understatement to remark upon what a challenging time it is in the world right now, but we hope that the activities we’re planning can continue to shine a light on the irrepressible, unifying power of music and art, and the potency and strength of the human spirit.’

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The series of gigs will celebrate their origins as a company most significantly by hosting The Moonlandingz with support from one of their new signings the raucous Crewe-based rock band ‘UNIVERSITY’ at the Garage in Highbury, a venue which the team regard as ‘very much the starting point for everything’ as it resides below the first office the company inhabited. The venue helped catapult the company when they were just ‘a couple of passionate teenagers with very few resources, but a lot of love and passion, which has now extended to the incredible team and group of artists that we work with today.’ You can read more about UNIVERSITY in a feature from Rolling Stone on the group last December.

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The events are in collaboration with the charities War Child and Music Venue Trust, the former working to provide education, protection and support to children living in ware torn areas as well as campaigning to raise money and influence world leaders. The latter, MTV, help to sustain Grassroots venues in the UK. MVT’s CEO Mark Davyd has been working tirelessly in recent months to secure funding for Grassroots venues via ticket levies which you can read more about here. Ticketholders will have the opportunity to learn more about the corresponding causes as well as offer donations.

You buy tickets by following the link here to see the likes of Arlo Parks and Marika Hackman kick off the succession of events at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre the 15th of July and the Mystery Jets & Special Guests at EartH Theatre on the 27th of September in addition to a number of other exciting acts and artists across iconic London venues. You can check out the current full line-up below.

Ozzy has not performed a full concert since 2018, however his son Jack says he’s still keen to do one-off shows. Talking to The Messenger, Jack said, “I don’t think he’ll tour again. But he’s gunning to do one-off shows — like festivals, gigs, things like that. He’s not done yet.”

Speaking on his health himself, Ozzy shared, “Unfortunately, my body is telling me that I’m just not ready [to perform] yet and I am much too proud to have the first show that I do in nearly five years be half-assed.” He released this statement following the cancellation of his slot at Power Festival in California, where he was set to headline alongside Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses.

Ozzy also revealed on SiriusXM’s Ozzy Speaks that he recently had a blood clot removed from an artery. He said, “When I had the blood clots in my legs, they put a filter in your artery to stop the blood clots going to your heart and your brain. It sounds worse than it is.”

He continued, “So, on Monday, I went to have it removed. The blood clots have jammed you all up. It’s just disappointment after disappointment. Just get this thing fucking done so I can go get on with my life.”

Despite his multiple health concerns, Ozzy is keen to keep performing despite retiring from touring. He said, “You can’t retire from this game. It’s not a job, it’s a fucking passion.”

Ozzy has also announced his plans to record an LP in 2024, sharing, “I’m just starting to work on it now, and we’ll be recording in the early part of next year. I want to take my time with this one!”

He also took to social media to share the 40th Anniversary vinyl reissue of his iconic album, Bark at the Moon. The album was released on 15th November 1983 after the release of the titular track earlier on, becoming triple platnum in the US.

Back on Vinyl! Out Now! https://t.co/jzs5bpvf6d pic.twitter.com/shqZCj6Tkx

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) November 17, 2023

November 12, 1983 “Bark at the Moon” single was released. Watch the original music video in HD on @YouTube at https://t.co/mrW4f3afnU pic.twitter.com/GfT72oVk4a — Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) November 12, 2023

The popular presenter spoke about what led him to start the sessions stating “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was like, everybody else in lockdown. I had nothing else to do. I thought I was going to start DJing online and then within weeks and then months, it turned into such a massive party.” The partying has continued for many years, with Isolation Nation hosting events at The Roundhouse, Beautiful Days festival, Bestival and many more. 

As we approach the festive season, the ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ show host, will be hosting the Isolation Nation Christmas Ball. This will be an over-18s club night at the O2 in Manchester. Tickets are available for this here

Watch as Gok Wan gives a tour of The Roundhouse at the Isolation Nation event earlier this year.

The former theatre known as ‘Camden Palace’ which opened in 1900 is based in Camden Town, London and was turned into The Camden Hippodrome, The Music Machine and in 2004, Koko. This was following Mint Entertainment and Oliver Bengough’s lengthy purchase and extensive restoration.

In 2020, post the first lockdown, Gok Wan, the multifaceted fashionista released his debut single “Let Me Be Your Fantasy” which features Craig Knight and Kele Le Roc. He later received slots to play his original mixes on Select Radio, landing a fortnightly hour show of house music as well as a slot on Gaydio and some one-off episodes, picking his favourite tracks of all his years on BBC Radio 2.

Two years ago, the multi-award-winning Television Presenter was also awarded an MBE for his services to fashion and social awareness stating “It was an experience I will never forget. I feel incredibly honoured to be awarded an MBE”. He has previously won awards for UK Television Presenter with The Royal Television Society (Best Lifestyle Programme), Best Factual Entertainment Award with the TV Choice Awards and a media award with The British Hairdressing Awards. 

See the footage below of last Saturday’s first Koko show

Get tickets for the Isolation Nation Koko show here

Despite this causing a stir, the system has actually been in place since 2011 and was set up to battle touting by ensuring fans have access to the the most in-demand tickets. The Ticketmaster website says “The prices are adjusted according to supply and demand. The goal is to give fans fair and safe access to in demand tickets, while allowing the artists and everyone involved in staging live events to price tickets closer to their true value.” Some have speculated that this approach is preferable to lining the pockets of those purchasing tickets to only resell. However, in the UK it has been illegal for people to sell tickets for live events, matches, and concerts for more than face value Since 31 July 2021.

Though some artists may welcome the dynamic pricing structure, others claim to have had no knowledge of it and are said to disagree with its practices. Back in 2020, Australian rock band, Crowded House released a statement on Twitter indicating that they were not aware of the system and had not approved the program. They approached Live Nation and requested that any ticket holders who had paid over face-value were to be reimbursed. 

pic.twitter.com/YGH9hNany5

— Crowded House (@CrowdedHouseHQ) November 17, 2020

There’s no doubt that since the pandemic, fans are thrilled that music has come back with a bang. A Wall Street Journal investigation from 2019, found the average ticket price to attend the Top 100 US tours increased up 55% in the last ten years and with the ongoing effects of inflation, and the pandemic, it is no surprise that music’s comeback will come at a cost.

UK & European Tour 2022. Pre-order the new album ‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ before 3pm BST 23rd May for early access to tickets. https://t.co/kktJ5djDwRpic.twitter.com/kpgtMkJQWc

— Paolo Nutini (@PaoloNutini) May 18, 2022

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.

We have some news to share concerning the future of the band. Please read on for information on upcoming shows, but it seems right to pass on this message from Isaac first pic.twitter.com/3HHmSwBDQj

— BlackCountry,NewRoad (@BCNRband) January 31, 2022

Wood begins by saying, “I have bad news which is that I have been feeling sad and afraid too. And I have tried to make this not true but it is the kind of sad and afraid feeling that makes it hard to play guitar and sing at the same time.” He later explains that this means, “From now on I won’t be a member of the group anymore.” The explanation seems to imply the pressure and expectations of the band just being too much, but ultimately, I am not Isaac Wood. I don’t know what he is feeling, but one thing I (and hopefully you) can gain some solace from is the fact that the rest of the band are being supportive. “This is completely in spite of six of the greatest people I know, who were and are wonderful in a sparkling way.” Wood finished his message with a simple “Thank you” to everyone.

The band then released a statement in the same post explaining how an effort will be made to continue the group without Isaac’s signature sound. Beginning by saying “The things we’ll miss about working with Isaac are too many and various to list here, but by listening to the music we made together I’m sure you’ll understand at least a few of them.” They then added, “The rest of us are working on Black Country, New Road material moving forward. We hope to update you all on new music and everything that goes along with that (shows included) pretty soon.”

All things considered, I think this is enough of a justification for the cancellation of the band’s shows at the Roundhouse, and in the US come April. Their new album Ants from Up There will be coming out this Friday. You can have a look at the last few pre-order options here. Listen to “Snow Globes” below.

BREAKING: The 4 steps to lifting lockdown in England.

There will be weeks between each step: 4 weeks to reflect on the data followed by 1 week notice to be given to relevant sectors and the public. pic.twitter.com/7RTql0pV7S

— Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) February 22, 2021

Music Venue Trust Mark Davyd has stated the the governments road map plan has given the organisation the go-ahead to begin ‘imagining how we revive live music in grassroots music venues and develop that work into the full return of the domestic music scene.’

From the 17th May, large performances up to a capacity of 1,000 people or half-full (whichever is lower for the venue) will be allowed. This could mean that smaller music venues and theatres will be allowed to put on shows and gigs to small crowds. This follows on from Johnsons discussion last week of having rapid testing for music venues and nightclubs to ensure these parts of the sector can open as they were unable to last year. Out-door venues of 4,000 people will also be allowed, or at hall-full capacity – whichever is lower.

Many in the music industry have called out to the government and Johnson to ensure that the music sector is not forgotten and supported equally throughout the rest of the pandemic. Greg Parmley, the CEO of LIVE has stated “While it is good to get some clarity following almost a year of confusion, as predicted our £4.5 billion industry is at the back of the queue to reopen. Any return to normality for live music could be months behind the rest of the economy. The Chancellor must acknowledge our extended closure in the Budget and provide the economic support needed to ensure the jobs and livelihoods of the hundreds of thousands of people that work in our industry exist as we come through this pandemic.”

This includes extending the current 5% rate VAT on tickets sales, which was discussed to be risen to 20%, financially hurting those in live music extensively. Similarly, David Martin CEO of Featured Artists Coalition agrees with Parmley stating ‘there is some way to go’. Acknowledging a slower approach was correct, Martin said “the government should learn from its “slow response on income support and other financial assistance” last year.”

Smaller festivals such as Maiden Voyage have been 100% confirmed to go ahead by the government. Maiden Voyage have stated that they have been given ‘provisional confirmation from the government that our festival will be going ahead as planned this year.’ 

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However, the roadmap is reliant and based upon England passing four tests. These are the success of the vaccine rollout, the effectiveness of vaccines, how the NHS is coping with the current infection rate and any potential threats from new variants.

The band has used the bubbles in the past as a show-prop, however, this marks the first time they have used this technique as a safety protocol. Wayne Coyne, the bands lead, held up balloons that read ‘FUCK YOU COVID-19′, marking the occasion as a clear moment in the pandemics history. Each plastic bubble can hold up to three people, dedicated to those who are in the same household.

The Bubble Show is scheduled to come to the UK, as The Flaming Lips have not yet postponed their summer EU tour. However, the rules and regulations will be different considering the UK has more strict restrictions in place because of the new UK variant of the disease. As many concerts and festivals, including the famed Glastonbury Festival, have already been cancelled it is still to be determined whether The Flaming Lips will postpone the fast approaching dates.

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The band has sold-out arenas in the States and is currently undergoing their Bubble concerts until the Spring when they will take it over seas. The Oklahoma City first Bubble Show was preformed over the weekend, however, it was originally scheduled for December but was pushed due to safety concerns surrounding the Covid-19 Christmas resurgence.

American Head has great relevance to Covid-19 as it is riddled in wistful dreams of a better time. Coyne is eager to perform this album live in the coming year despite continued world-wide safety concerns because the album has brought joy to isolated listeners in this period of international disaster.

In an interview with Brooklyn Vegan on discussing the use of the plastic bubbles, Coyne stated that he was not “not suggesting the whole world should do it this way. I’m just saying The Flaming Lips can try it this way, and if you like our music, you can come see us. You’ll have to be in one of these space bubbles, but maybe that’ll be a good thing.”

While it still remains to be seen if this space-bubble precaution will become norm in the coming years for live-concerts, it is certain that it has made history during this pandemic as one of the most extreme and spectacular safety precautions taken to bring fans a piece of the live-music they so dearly miss. Tickets for the UK/EU The Flaming Lips tour are available for purchase here and tour-dates can be found below. The groups latest album and muse for the Bubble Shows, American Head is streaming on all platforms now.

UK and Ireland tour dates for 2021 are as follows.

With rolling hills, snowy mountain peaks, and deep caves, the world includes seven climates and is designed to evolve over time to reflect the album’s themes of environmental restoration. Players are encouraged to explore the landscape and do some virtual crate-digging to uncover 13 records of Disclosure’s biggest tracks reworked in an 8-bit, retro gaming style.

Three underground clubs have also been created in the world. Two of these are inspired by acclaimed real-world venues – Printworks in London and DC10 in Ibiza – while the other is a recreation of the kitchen where the duo has performed their ‘Kitchen Mix’ DJ streams throughout lockdown.

Fans can jump into the world when the album releases on August 28. A multiplayer server will be live for a week, after which the world will be available for download.

Disclosure are by no means the first to use Minecraft for their virtual gigging needs. Back in April, 100 Gecs held their ‘Square Garden’ digital music festival in the popular block-building game, with Charli XCX, Benny Blanco, and Cashmere Cat on the line-up. American Football also headlined Minecraft festival ‘Nether Meant’ around a similar time, attracting over 110,000 viewers. With 126 million people playing Minecraft each month (as of May this year), its little surprise artists are using the game as a concert platform.

Following their EP ‘Ecstasy’ released back in February, ‘Energy’ is the band’s third studio album and will feature a host of collaborations, including, Eric Thomas, Kelis, Common, Blick Bassy, and more. Find its tracklist below:

1. Watch Your Step
2. Lavender
3. My High
4. Who Knew?
5. Douha (Mali Mali)
6. Fractal (Interlude)
7. Ce n’est pas
8. ENERGY
9. Thinking ‘Bout You (Interlude)
10. Birthday
11. Reverie