Big Big Train’s sound is as tight and lush as ever, but it’s also very much a rock show… There’s an edge to their rich textures. An urgency that keeps even the gentlest moments interesting. Almost everyone has a lead-ready voice… Attributes of a band quietly rewriting the rules for what a rock group ‘should’ be. It’s prog rock in excelsis… but always with a song in its heart, even without words. How cool it is that a group like this exists today.” Prog magazine live review, November 2024 Big Big Train are delighted to announce seven further shows to take place in April 2025 in North America. In addition to returning to the United States (following a successful short run of shows in March this year), the band will also make its debut in Canada, with details of two Canadian shows expected to be announced shortly. The majority of these shows will take place following the band’s co-headlining appearance on board Cruise To The Edge. In addition, Big Big Train will play for the first time in Portugal at the beginning of May at the Gouveia Art Rock festival.
At these performances the seven piece band will be promoting their recent studio and live albums The Likes Of Us and A Flare On The Lens, which were released by InsideOut/Sony in March and September respectively this year to great critical acclaim.
Lead vocalist Alberto Bravin says: “We really enjoyed bringing Big Big Train to the United States for the first time earlier this year and playing to such enthusiastic audiences. We’re excited about returning and playing a mixture of recent and older material. As well as visiting some venues and locations that we played in March this year, we’re also bringing the band to some new areas as we seek to build our profile further. With two nights again in New Jersey, we’ll be varying the set list to some extent as well. Roll on April!”
Drummer Nick D’Virgilio comments: “We had an absolute blast last year playing in the States and on board the Cruise, so we were keen to do a longer run of shows this time around, including venturing north of the border into Canada. We’re taking a step by step approach to North America – if we can make this second run of shows successful, then the next step would be to get further west and south.”
Violinist Clare Lindley continues: “I’m looking forward not only to Big Big Train’s return to North America but also to the band playing for the first time ever in Portugal at Gouveia Art Rock. The festival has a great reputation and we relish the opportunity to add to the list of great bands that have played there over the years.”
Bassist Gregory Spawton says: “Over the last couple of years Big Big Train has really matured as a live band. Since September 2022 we’ve played almost 50 live shows and I think audiences have been able to see and hear how strongly we’ve gelled. This line-up works so well together, both musically and socially, and we’re keen to build on our current momentum.”
Keyboardist Oskar Holldorff adds: “On tour in September and October this year it felt as if we grew as a band every night. Alberto, NDV, Greg, Rikard, Clare and I simply love playing together and we feel we’ve found a real gem in Paul Mitchell, who joined us on trumpet in September and October and will be with us again next year.”
For the balance of 2025, Big Big Train will focus on recording their next studio album, expected to be released by InsideOut/Sony in the first half of 2026.
“We’ve got some great material in progress already for the next Big Big Train studio album,” comments guitarist Rikard Sjöblom. “Everyone has been contributing to the writing process to varying degrees and we’re confident about building on the foundations that we laid with The Likes Of Us.”
The band’s shows in North America and Portugal are likely to be their only appearances in 2025.
BIG BIG TRAIN – LIVE IN ‘25
THE LIKES OF US IN NORTH AMERICA TOUR
Wednesday 2nd April – Sweetwater, Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA Friday 4th– Wednesday 9th April – Cruise To The Edge Thursday 10th April – Des Plaines Theatre, Des Plaines, Illinois, USA Friday 11th April – The Token Lounge, Westland, Michigan, USA Sunday 13th April – Electric City, Buffalo, New York, USA Thursday 17th April – Regent Theatre, Arlington, Massachusetts, USA Friday 18th April – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Saturday 19th April – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey, USA *** Sunday 4th May – Gouveia Art Rock, Gouveia, Portugal
Progressive, psychedelic rock pioneers Gong have announced a new special edition of their highly praised 2023 release Unending Ascending today. The new release, a CD package with an 8-page booklet, includes 6 previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded live from the band’s superb 2024 show at Edinburgh’s Summerhall as part of the ‘Gong + Ozric Tentacles UK Tour’.
The release coincides with Gong’s extensive late-2024 North American & European tour which will see them play shows across the USA, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland, amongst others. “It’s been a long time coming but, following the release of Unending Ascending, Gong are delighted to be playing in the US. No minds left unblown or else” says Kavus Torabi.
“Cosmic rock of the highest order” – PROG
“If Unending Ascending is your first time encountering Gong, this is a spectacular introduction” – LOUDER THAN WAR
GONG UPCOMING SHOWS 15/08 Woodstock Forever ’24, Eisfeld – DE 16/08 The Forum, Tunbridge Wells – UK 17/08 A New Day Festival, Hernhill – UK 24/09 Chapel at Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA – USA 25/09 The Southern Music Hall, Charlottesville VA – USA 26/09 King’s Raleigh, Raleigh NC – USA 27/09 The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC – USA 28/09 Mockingbird Theater, Franklin TN – USA 30/09 The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids MI – USA 01/10 Reggie’s, Chicago IL – USA 02/10 Shank Hall, Milwaukee WI – USA 03/10 Token Lounge, Detroit, Westland MI – USA 04/10 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati OH – USA 05/10 Irving Theater, Indianapolis IN – USA 06/10 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH – USA 09/10 75 Stutson Street Auditorium Stage, Rochester NY – USA 10/10 Homer Arts Center, Homer NY – USA 14/10 Space Ballroom, Hamden CT – USA 15/10 The Iron Horse, Northampton MA – USA 17/10 The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls NY – USA 19/10 Orion Studios, Baltimore MD – USA 20/10 Progstock Festival @ Williams Center, Rutherford NJ – USA 07/11 O13, Tilburg – NL 08/11 Boerderij, Zoetermeer – NL 10/11 MS Stubnitz, Hamburg – DE 11/11 Hotel Cecil, Copenhagen – DK 12/11 Babel, Malmö – SE 13/11 Musikens Hus, Goteborg – SE 15/11 Debaser, Stockholm – SE 16/11 Rockland, Sala – SE 18/11 Validi Karkia Club, Pori – FI 19/11 Louhisali, Espoo – FI 21/11 Hybrydy, Warsaw – PL 22/11 Kuźnia, Bydgoszcz – PL 23/11 CK Zamek, Poznan – PL 24/11 Rialto, Katowice – PL 26/11 Kofferfabrik, Fürth – DE 27/11 KuBa, Jena – DE 28/11 Akropolis, Prague – CZ 29/11 Kino Ebensee, Ebensee – AT 30/11 Porgy & Bess, Vienna – AT 03/12 Backstage, Munich – DE 04/12 Das Rind, Rüsselsheim – DE 05/12 Jubez, Karlsruhe – DE 06/12 Cafe de la Danse, Paris – FR 07/12 Le Grillen, Colmar – FR 09/12 Harmonie, Bonn – DE
The universe of Gong began in 1969 when visionary Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative, and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism, unafraid to deliver its messages directly, obliquely or whimsically.
The current incarnation, who were put together by Daevid for his swansong album with Gong, I See You, honour his intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”.
Photo credit – Layla Burrows
The current lineup of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong’s illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen’s passing. A dynamic, powerful and explosive live band, their music draws from the credo of the original Gong while remaining committed to pushing the composition, performances and message into new realms, paying no mind to nostalgia.
The Unending AscendingSpecial Edition will be released on Kscope on 27th September on digipak CD with an 8-page booklet. Pre-order:https://gong.lnk.to/UA_special_edition
We are pleased to announce support acts for our forthcoming UK/European tour. The tour kicks off on Monday 16th September 2024 at Thornden Hall, Eastleigh, UK. Following shows around the UK, in Germany, The Netherlands, Norway and Denmark, it concludes at Cadogan Hall, London, UK on Saturday 5th October.
This tour will promote ‘The Likes Of Us’, our recently released first studio album for InsideOut/Sony, as well as ‘A Flare On The Lens’, a live concert film Blu-ray/3CD/2LP recorded at our shows at the prestigious Cadogan Hall last September. ‘A Flare On The Lens’ will be released by InsideOut/Sony on the eve of the tour on 13th September 2024.
Bassist Gregory Spawton says: “In the very early days of Big Big Train many years ago, various more established bands gave us an invaluable opportunity to support them. Now that we’re more established ourselves, I feel that it’s important for us to offer the same opportunity whenever we can. So I’m really pleased that League Of Lights and Haunt The Woods will support us at a couple of UK shows each, with Pete Jones, Stuckfish and Storm Deva each playing one show with us.”
Drummer Nick D’Virgilio adds: “For the shows in continental Europe we’re going to mix things up too. We’ve got our very own Rikard Sjöblom opening the show in Norway with his awesome band Beardfish, while Melanie Mau & Martin Schnella will be doing a very cool acoustic set in Germany.”
Keyboardist Oskar Holldorff comments: “Last year I did double duty on BBT’s tour, opening the show with my other band Dim Gray. We received a wonderful response from the Big Big Train fans, who I hope will enjoy the various acts we’ve lined up to play alongside us this year and give them a similarly warm reaction.”
Lead vocalist Alberto Bravin adds: “For the other shows on this tour we decided to have some fun ourselves and keep the support side of things ‘in-house’. So one or maybe two members of the band will do a solo opening performance to start the shows in Copenhagen, Zoetermeer and London. You’ll find out on the night who is playing the opening set!”
The ‘A Flare On The Lens’ concert film package includes every song we performed over the two evenings on tour last September in London and is available as a Limited 3CD+Blu-ray digipak in slipcase, with the concert film audio mixed in 5.1 surround sound and stereo. A gatefold 180g 2LP vinyl version is also available, which features a carefully selected range of material from the Cadogan Hall shows.
Renaissance, the legendary symphonic rock band featuring Annie Haslam, will be back in the US playing select dates from October 17th through October 31st. This will mark 54 years since the formation of the band and its 16th consecutive year of touring since its reactivation in 2009.
Renaissance leader and vocalist Annie Haslam remarked that “We are very proud but sad to announce our ‘In Gratitude’ Farewell Tour. Where did the time go? Looking back over the years, I believe we have made history in the worlds of Progressive and Symphonic Rock.”
The upcoming shows will include stunning arrangements of “Ocean Gypsy,” “Northern Lights,” “Forever Changing,” “Mother Russia,” “Carpet of the Sun,” “Ashes are Burning” and other favorite classics. Ms. Haslam will be joined on stage by long-time musical associate Rave Tesar on piano, along with Mark Lambert on guitars/vocals, Geoffrey Langley on keyboards/vocals, Frank Pagano on drums, percussion/vocals, and John Galgano on bass.
Annie Haslam noted that “Performing with Renaissance since 1971 has been my whole life. I still love singing these unique, surreal, dramatic and romantic songs and pairing up with some of the finest orchestras in the world. All of this was born from the music of Michael Dunford, John Tout, Terry Sullivan and Jon Camp combined with the emotional and poetic words of Betty Thatcher. Our music has filled the hearts and minds of many thousands of fans around the world. It started for me, with a dream from my childhood that ended in this miracle called Renaissance! Rave Tesar, is an extraordinary man and musician I have worked with in my solo band since 1989 and with Renaissance since 2009. He has also been a very big help in keeping the band ‘alive’! Some very talented musicians have stepped into our band, and their devotion and hard work have added to the band’s touring longevity and personality.”
Renaissance is a band with a rich history unique unto themselves as progressive rock pioneers who rose from the ashes of the seminal UK rock band, The Yardbirds. Acclaimed for their unique blending of progressive rock with classical and symphonic influences, the band’s career has spanned fifty plus years spearheaded by the 5-octave voice of Annie Haslam and the masterful songwriting skills of Michael Dunford, John Tout, Jon Camp and Terry Sullivan. They are widely considered to be the band that most successfully and routinely utilized the sound of a full orchestra in their recordings.
The band has toured throughout the world and has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Chorale Society. Renaissance had a top ten hit in the UK with their song “Northern Lights” that still demands airplay to this day.
Tour features special ‘In Conversation with Bill Bruford’ interviews at select stops
ProgJect–the brainchild of drummer Jonathan Mover–features an all-star band of world-renown players with histories that include Frank Zappa, Joe Satriani, Asia, Alice Cooper, GTR, Steve Vai, Edgar Winter, Spock’s Beard, The Tubes, Zappa Plays Zappa, Marillion and more.
And now, the lineup featuring Mike Keneally, Ryo Okumoto, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Pete Griffin, and Jonathan Mover is announcing a run of tour dates in the US and Canada in June of 2024 where the group will be performing the classics and epics of Genesis, YES, King Crimson and ELP, along with some Gentle Giant, Rush, Pink Floyd, U.K., Jethro Tull, Peter Gabriel, and more.
Prog legend Bill Bruford (Yes, King Crimson, U.K., Genesis) and Anil Prasad (Innerviews) will be opening up the last two shows in NYC and Glenside, PA., presenting “In Conversation with Bill Bruford”, discussing his remarkable life and career, followed by an autograph/photograph session. Guitarist Travis Larson will be opening the rest of the shows.
ProgJect’s two-plus hour show includes: “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, “Firth Of Fifth”, “The Cinema Show”, “Larks Tongues In Aspic, Pts I & II”, “21st Century Schizoid Man”, “Roundabout”, “Siberian Khatru”, “Karn Evil 9: First Impression”, Have A Cigar”, “Money“, “In The Dead Of Night”, “Alaska”, “Closer To The Heart”, “Red Barchetta”, “Solsbury Hill”, “D.I.Y.”, “Aqualung”, “Locomotive Breath”, “Cogs In Cogs”, “Hell’s Bells” and more…
Tour Dates *6/20/24 Chicago, IL – Reggies *6/21/24 Hamilton, ON – Bridgeworks *6/22/24 Quebec, QC – Salle Octave Cremazie *6/24/24 Sydney, NS – Highland Arts Theatre *6/26/24 Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount *6/27/24 Portland, ME – Portland House of Music *6/28/24 Arlington, MA – Regent Theatre +6/29/24 NYC, NY – Sony Hall +6/30/24 Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre * Guest Support – Travis Larson + Guest Support – Bill Bruford
Jazz Sabbath, the jazz trio helmed by Adam Wakeman (keys Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne) has announced a 17-date UK tour in 2025. This summer, the trio is scheduled to play 2 shows in Los Angeles and an Australia tour.
Jazz Sabbath have released 2 albums exploring the boundaries between jazz and the songs that defined heavy metal. Echoing already present jazz riffs and discovering new ones in the process. Their last album, Vol. 2, featured seven new jazz interpretations of Black Sabbath classics and peaked at #6 in the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.
Wakeman is currently on tour with Uriah Heep in the US, and played with Deep Purple last December, filling in for Don Airey.
Watch Jazz Sabbath – Children of the Grave (Live in Germany) Here
Jazz Sabbath tour dates
11 & 12 Jun: Los Angeles US – Catalina Jazz Club
20 & 21 Jul: Perth AU – Ellington Jazz Club
24 Jul: Brisbane AU – The Old Museum
25 & 26 Jul: Sydney AU – Pleasure Club
27 Jul: Melbourne AU – Brunswick Ballroom
11 Feb: Liverpool UK – Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
