The return of Rat Scabies, who replaces Will Taylor who left the band earlier this month, completes a line-up that has not performed together in a live setting since 1989, a full 35 years next December. The full line-up consists of lead singer Dave Vanian, who remains the only ever-present member of the group, guitarist Captain Sensible, bassist Paul Gray and, of course, drummer Rat Scabies.

The Damned UK Tour 2024
Performing for the first time in 35 years! With songs from The Black Album & Strawberries as well as all the classics and some surprises!
On sale this Friday at 10am
pic.twitter.com/plaih5r0wD

— The Damned (@thedamned) November 21, 2023

The tour, according to a post on X, will feature songs from The Black Album and Strawberries, along with “all the classics and some surprises!”. Fans of the cult punk and gothic rock outfit would be correct in being excited about what “surprises” might lay in store for next year’s tour, and may even expect brand new material given the tour will not kick off for another 13 months, possibly allowing the band time to creatively conjure up some new tracks.

Listen to “Neat Neat Neat“, a track from The Damned’s debut album, Damned Damned Damned, below:

The Damned, a London-based band formed in 1976, made a significant impact on the music scene with the release of their debut album, Damned Damned Damned, in 1977. They have gone on to cultivate a strong cult following as they transitioned from a raw punk style in the late 70s to a darker gothic approach in the 80s. The group have gone on to release a total of 12 albums, the latest of which, Darkadelic, was released earlier this year in April via earMUSIC.

Watch the music video for “Beware Of The Clown“, a song from The Damned’s latest release, Darkadelic, below:

See below for dates for next year’s tour:

04/12/2024 – NX – Newcastle
05/15 – Barrowlands – Glasgow
06/12 – Academy – Manchester
08/12 – O2 Academy – Leeds
09/12 – Rock City – Nottingham
10/12 – The Halls – Wolverhampton
12/12 – Beacon – Bristol
13/12 – O2 Guildhall – Southhampton
14/12 – Winter Garden – Eastbourne
16/12 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge
18/12 – Roundhouse – London

Tickets will go on general sale tomorrow (Friday 24th November) and will be available to purchase here.

You can purchase The Damned’s latest album, Darkadelic, here.

The track will be the first single from his upcoming solo album, The Mandrake Project, with this being his first solo project since 2005. Due for release on 1st December, Dickinson shared a teaser video to hype up his fans.

In a press release Dickinson said, “it was important to set the tone of the project with this track,” with him promising that it will be staying loyal to his rock roots.

He continued, “As befitting its title, it’s a heavy song and there’s a great big riff driving it…but there’s also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings… and just wait until you see the video!”

Afterglow of Ragnarok – The new single from Bruce’s ‘The Mandrake Project’!

Out 1st Dec and available to pre-order on Deluxe Gatefold 7″ Vinyl and pre-save on your favourite streaming platform – https://t.co/6wGZY9gkc3

The vinyl single includes the B-side ‘If Eternity Should… pic.twitter.com/9tCciiabAg

— Iron Maiden (@IronMaiden) November 6, 2023

The album, The Mandrake Project, will focus on the struggle that comes with power and establishing your identity, overlaid on a backdrop of science and the occult. The release date has not yet been confirmed, but fans can expect it to be available in 2024. When purchasing the album, fans will receive an accompanying comic book series that further explores the story of the album.

The comic book series will be a trilogy, focusing on “a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius.”

Listen to Dickinson divulge more information on the project below, in which he shares that “it’s music but it’s also much much more,” with him revealing that it’s been in the works since 2014.

Dickinson has also announced a solo tour, set to begin in May 2024. He will be touring the UK and Europe. Tickets are available to purchase here.

Preorder the 7 inch vinyl edition of “Afterglow of Ragnarok” complete with comic book here.

18/05/2024 – Barrowland Ballroom – Glasgow
19/05/2024 – Manchester Academy – Manchester
21/05/2024 – Swansea Arena – Swansea
23/05/2024 – Rock City – Nottingham
24/05/2023 – O2 Forum Kentish Town – London

Stream Bruce Dickinson’s solo work here.

The tour has been renamed The Good Times Tour, with band member Tina Barrett explaining in a video, “We are calling the tour The Good Times tour in tribute to Paul because that was his song and all the fans know it was his song so it just feels right.“

The band also revealed that Hannah Spearitt will no longer be joining the tour, with Jon Lee sharing in their video announcement, “You’ve probably noticed that there’s only five of us here today, and although Hannah will always be part of S Club 7, she won’t be joining us on this tour.”

Lee continued, “We wish her all the best for the future. However, the five of us are really excited and geared up.”

Hannah has not publicly commented on her choice to pull out from the tour, but did share her feelings after his death was announced. The two were in a relationship during S Club 7’s heyday, with Hannah sharing, “He was my first true love. I think it was something that grew from a solid friendship. I’m glad I had that first time round. I was completely in love with him — probably more so than he with me.”

The band also shared their feelings about Paul in their announcement video, with Bradley McIntosh saying, “No one could ever replace our Paul, but he lives on inside each and every one of us.”

Rachel Stevens commented, “He’s always going to be with us. He was such a big part of this tour, so involved in everything that we are planning. And we are just going to keep his memory alive and share it with all of you and it’s going to make it even more special.”

The band have subsequently removed the number 7 from their social media pages, and will be known simply as S Club for this tour.

The Good Times Tour is set to commence in October 2023 as part of the group’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets can be purchased here.

13/10/23 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
14/10/23 – Utiilita Arena – Sheffield
16/10/23 – 3Arena – Dublin
18/10/23 – Hydro Arena – Glasgow
19/10/23 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
20/10/23 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
21/10/23 – AO Arena – Manchester
23/10/23 – International Arena – Cardiff
24/10/23 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
26/10/23 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
28/10/23 – The O2 Arena – London

The tour is following on from their previous European tour in November 2019. The band planned to tour in 2020 but due to the pandemic, they were unable to. In a statement by Michael Gira on the website for his independent record label Young God Records, he said ‘’Hello There, Hope you are well and staying healthy in these trying and claustrophobic times. Around here stasis, and even entropy have set in, as the protracted waiting and isolation sees the walls grow a crust, and stalagmites perceptibly wind their way down from the ceiling, millimeter by millimeter. Nevertheless, joy is in the air! Though numerous Swans tours have been either cancelled or postponed, and the future remains uncertain, we have devised a few ways to keep things interesting and solvent until something opens up again and we can get back to making music.’’

Throughout the career of the band there have been many band members. 29 members have appeared in the band to later depart, including Singer and Keyboardist Jarboe, who was in the band from 1986 up until the band split up in 1997. The remaining band members of Swans now consists of Michael Gira, Kristof Hahn, Larry Mullins, Phil Puleo Christopher Pravdica and Dana Schechter. Michael Gira reformed the band in 2010, without many of its original members. The band continued to tour and release new albums as a reformed group. All of the Swans albums, since 1990, have been released through Michael Gira’s own record label, Young God Records. After Swans disbanded in 1997, Michael Gira went on to front American folk band, Angel of Light. Angel of Light were active until 2009, the year before Gira decided to reform Swans.

Swans were significantly busy during their first decade as a band. Recording six albums in the 80’s alone, overall the band produced 15 albums since their formation in 1982; Filth (1983), Cop (1984), Greed (1986), Holy Money (1986), Children Of God (1987), The Burning World (1989), White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity (1991), Love Of Life (1992), The Great Annihilator (1995), Soundtracks For The Blind (1996), My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (2010), The Seer (2012), To Be Kind (2014), The Glowing Man  (2016) and Leaving Meaning (2019). Swan’s recurring lyrical content consists of meaningful and dark themes, such as Death, Religion, Sex and Power. The band are associated with an experimental type of rock music and ever-changing sound, exploring in genres such as post-punk, industrial music, Neo folk and noise rock.

The tour will begin on May 20 in the German city, Leipzig. The band will continue to tour around European countries and finalise the tour mid-June in the Netherlands.

Swans 2023 European Tour Dates:

20/05/2023 – UT Connewitz – Leipzig
21/05 – Imperial Castle – Poznan
23/05 – Kinoteatr Rialto – Katowice
25/05 – New Synagogue – Zilina
26/05 – Kino Siska – Ljubljana
29/05 – Teatro Duse – Bologna
31/05 – Le Transbordeur – Villeurbanne
02/06 – Primavera Sound Festival – Barcelona
04/06 – Culturgest – Lisbon
05/06 – Culturgest – Lisbon
06/06 – Teatro das Figuras – Faro
09/06 – Primavera Sound – Madrid
11/06 – Vrahon Theatre – Athens
13/06 – Moni Lazariston – Thessaloniki
15/06 – Bourla Theatre – Antwerp
16/06 – TivoliVrendenburg, Utrecht

To access tickets for the Swans 2023 European tour, click here.

The Filipino-British singer-songwriter announced the title of her second studio album last week, but has now also revealed the full tracklisting, release date, artwork and shared the video for her latest single “Talk”.

The singer signed to Dirty Hit as stated in NME, saying of her new release “I wrote “Talk” just after my first album. I was obsessed with Tuesday because I thought it was the best night to go out, not too much chaos but just enough to have a good time, generally it’s about doing things that aren’t necessarily healthy or great for you but you can’t help indulging. It’s like that unavoidable feeling that you get, you can’t get rid of it and you know it’s bad but you love it really and it’s whatever, so you do it anyway.”

The music video that accompanied the single depicts Beabadoobee and her band members performing over a white background with some unusual red mushrooms. The band are then joined by jumping and dancing fans. It is a track right out of the early 2000s, incorporating almost Moog-like synths combined with a modern reimagining of 90’s alternative rock. You can view the full video below:

Beabadoobee’s new album features 14 tracks and according to a press release “traverses fuzzy rock, classic singer-songwriter, psychedelia, midwest emo and outright pop whilst remaining undeniably herself throughout.”

The album also features a collaboration with PinkPantheress on the track “Tinkerbell Is Overrated”. The album will drop on July 15th and you can pre-order it here.

The singer-songwriter is also due to embark on a UK and Ireland tour in the autumn starting off at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on October 4 before wrapping at the O2 Brixton Academy on October 19. You can purchase tickets here and view below the full list of tour dates as well as the tracklist for the upcoming album.

Beatopia Track Listing:

1. “Beatopia Cultsong”
2. “10:36”
3. “Sunny Day”
4. “See You Soon”
5. “Ripples”
6. “The Perfect Pair”
7. “Broken CD”
8. “Talk”
9. “Lovesong”
10. “Pictures Of Us”
11. “Fairy Song”
12. “Don’t Get The Deal”
13. “Tinkerbell Is Overrated” (feat. PinkPantheress)
14. “You’re Here That’s The Thing”

Beabadoobee UK Tour Dates:

04/10/22 Olympia Theatre – Dublin
05/10 Ulster Hall – Belfast
07/10 O2 Academy – Bristol
08/10 UEA – Norwich
10/10 Rock City – Nottingham
11/10 NX – Newcastle
13/10 Manchester Academy – Manchester
14/10 Foundry – Sheffield
17/10 Chalk – Brighton
18/10 Southampton – Engine Rooms
19/10 O2 Brixton Academy – London

The album is emphatic, possessed of an upbeat melody and a wordless middle-eight which sounds like it was designed for crowds to woah-oh-oh along to. Despite the carefree nature the album may present at times, it opens with a grim description of numb teenage nihilism with references to violence, toxic masculinity, and mental illness. It then ends with the image of Fender’s mother facing problems like debt and suffering from fibromyalgia, crying after an unsuccessful application to the Department for Work and Pensions.

There is a sense of urgency to the album that feels penetrating and daring when it could have been easier for Fender to roll out out his festival-ready melodies with something much blander and with less meaning. It seems appropriate therefore that he can showcase his latest work on the biggest ever headline tour Fender has ever embarked on.

Fender’s nine-show stint will include appearances at Wembley Arena in London on April 1, with gigs also taking place in Nottingham (March 20), Liverpool (March 21), Glasgow (March 26), Newcastle (April 5).

Following on from the spring dates, the musician will then play Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl on July 6.

Tickets go on general sale next Friday (October 15) at 9 am BST. Fans can gain early access by pre-ordering Seventeen Going Under before 5 pm next Tuesday (October 12) via Fender’s official website. You can find more information on the tour here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sam Fender (@sam_fender)

Fender wrote on social media today. “K!! Buzzing for our biggest tour ever including WEMBLEY ARENA!!! Playing loads of mint venues we’ve never played before!”

The musician and his eclectic six-piece band have already sold out their rescheduled shows which will conclude this November, with two nights at London’s Alexandra Palace, and shows in Glasgow, Cardiff, Leeds, and Newcastle. So fans will surely be eagerly awaiting his next tour so they can hear all of his latest tracks as well as some older favorites.

Sam Fender’s 2022 Tour Dates:

03/20 Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
03/21 M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
03/24 3Arena – Dublin
03/26 SSE Hydro Arena – Glasgow
03/27 Utilita Arena – Birmingham
03/30 Brighton Centre – Brighton
04/01 SSE Arena Wembley – London
04/05 Utilita Arena – Newcastle
05/06 Castlefield Bowl – Manchester

Yesterday BADBADNOTGOOD released their new track “Beside April” a swirling instrumental number. It combines both their jazz background with dizzying chords creating a full-on psychedelic fever dream. Along with this new track come the visuals directed by Camille Summers-Valli, who drew inspiration for his video from the first-ever film footage called Horse in Motion 1878.

Speaking on the visual Summers-Valli stated in a press release that “There was really special energy around this video. The band wanted to do something with horses and equestrians. That’s where this begun. Funnily enough, I am petrified of horses. But it felt like a good way to overcome my fears. Subconsciously through a process of reading, finding references and discussing with my team, I started to piece together the puzzle of what this video could be. We shot this in Georgia; where the casting was incredible. The horse also was wonderful. So strong and majestic, we just wanted to do this beautiful creature justice. The magic aligned, so many great hard working people pulled this video together.” You can view the video below. This new release is the second single from BADBADNOTGOOD’s much anticipated psychedelic jazz album Talk Memory co-written with legendary Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai and drummer/producer Karriem Riggins. Talk Memory features 9 new songs and is due out on October 8. The forthcoming record will also feature collaborations with Laraaji and Terrace Martin. The trio has also shared the sheet music for “Beside April” along with interpretations for the first offering from Talk Memory, “Signal From the Noise,” on the band’s website on dedicated channels within their tv player here. You can see the album artwork below and pre-order it here.

Talk Memory Tracklist:

1. Signal From The Noise
2. Unfolding (Momentum 73) feat. Laraajii
3. City of Mirrors feat. Arthur Verocai
4. Beside April feat. Karriem Riggins, Arthur Verocai
5. Love Proceeding feat. Arthur Verocai
6. Open Channels [PHYSICAL ONLY]
7. Timid, Intimidating
8. Beside April Reprise feat. Arthur Verocai
9. Talk Meaning feat. Arthur Verocai, Terrace Martin and Brandee Younger

As well as this the new single, BADBADNOTGOOD has also announced the dates for their North America, Canada and Europe Tour all set to take place from 2021 to 2022. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 17 at 10 am and you can sign up for presale today.

Canada Tour Dates:

08/12/21 The Palace Theatre – Calgary, AB
09/12 Midawy – Edmonton, AB
10/12 Park Theatre – Winnipeg, MB
12/12  Capitol Ballroom – Victoria, BC
13/12 Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC
17/12 MTELUS – Montreal, QC
18/12 Bronson Centre – Ottawa, ON
19/12  Imperial Bell – Quebec City, QC
22/12 History – Toronto, ON

US Tour Dates:

07/03/22 Varsity Theater – Minneapolis, MN
08/03 Majestic Theatre – Madison, WI
10/03 Metro – Chicago, IL
11/03 Majestic Theatre – Detroit, MI
12/03 Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
14/03 Royale – Boston, MA
16/03 Brooklyn Steel – Brooklyn, NY
18/03 Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
19/03 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
22/03 Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
24/03 Emo’s – Austin, TX
25/03 Granada Theater – Dallas, TX
26/03 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX

European Tour Dates:

Dominic Harrison as he’s also known rescheduled his tour dates earlier this year and is now set to begin in Nottingham on August 6. This will be two weeks after the UK dropped all of its coronavirus restrictions.

Scotland however still has restrictions in place next month, meaning Yungblud’s two Glasgow dates at the Barrowlands have been rescheduled for December. Yesterday evening (July 27), the Doncaster singer provided information regarding entry into the shows on the tour, revealing that he will offer free complimentary masks that are “fookin sick”.

Yungblud’s statement on Twitter reads “august tour news!!! ive waited for 18 months for this moment but as always safety and well-being is always my priority, these shows are gonna be fookin history, let’s do it right !!! you’re my blood and guts. i love you!!! are you fookin ready?!?”

august tour news!!! ive waited for 18 months for this moment but as always safety and well-being is always my priority. these shows are gonna be fookin history, let’s do it right !!! you’re my blood and guts. i love you!!! are you fookin ready?!? pic.twitter.com/T42L8LeRTc

— YUNGBLUD’s on mars (@yungblud) July 27, 2021

Only one of the following criteria needs to be met in order to gain entry to the shows:

• Proof of a negative NHS COVID-19 lateral flow test, taken within 24 hours of entry
• Proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, both doses received at least 14 days before entry
• Proof of natural immunity based upon a positive PCR test, taken within 180 days of the show (including 10-days self-isolation following the result)

The singer will then depart on another tour, titled the ‘Life On Mars’ tour, later this year, beginning in Brighton at the end of September.

‘OCCUPY THE UK’ TOUR

06/08/2021 Rock City – Nottingham
07/08 Rock City – Nottingham
09/08 Kentish Town Forum – London
10/08 Kentish Town Forum – London
12/08 Kentish Town Forum – London
13/08 Kentish Town Forum – London
14/08 Kentish Town Forum – London
07/12 Barrowlands – Glasgow
08/12 Barrowlands – Glasgow

The announcement comes at a busy time for Nines, who last week landed his first number one album, ‘Crabs in a Bucket’, beating music heavyweights Metallica, Disclosure and Katy Perry for the top spot on official UK charts. The London rapper’s third studio album was the most streamed and most downloaded album of last week, narrowly finishing ahead of Metallica’s latest release, ‘S&M2’, by just short of 2,000 chart sales.

Talking to ‘Official Charts’, Nines said: “Thanks to everyone that put me in this position, I still can’t believe I’m Number 1 – Finally won a golden boot!”

Nines also took to Twitter to thank his fans for their support and list some of his inspirations behind his success, as well as pose with his Official Chart award outside of his local estate in north-west London.

Church road got more trophies than white hart lane #IceCityGonePlatinumBaby pic.twitter.com/eDdpObpnBG

— Nines (@nines1ace) September 4, 2020

‘Crabs in a Bucket’ is Nines’ third studio album but his first recorded with a major label. It charts his journey from childhood to his current rap career and gives a confessional glimpse into the conflicts he faced along the way and continues to face.

He also released a 35-minute film, ‘Crop Circle 2, to YouTube back in April this year in promotion of his latest album. It features cameos of other British rappers including Kojey Radical, Ghetts and Delilah Rose.

Nines’ 2021 UK tour dates:
02/05/2021 – Great Hall – Cardiff
03/05/2021 – O2 Academy – Leeds
04/05/2021 – SWG3 – Glasgow
05/05/2021 – Rock City – Nottingham
06/05/2021 – O2 Academy – Birmingham
07/05/2021 – O2 Victoria Warehouse – Manchester
09/05/2021 – O2 Brixton Academy – London