NEWS
Jan
31
31
DRAKE ANNOUNCED AS THE SECOND HEADLINER FOR WIRELESS!
SATURDAY 7 JULY
EXAMPLE, WIZ KHALIFA & PROFESSOR GREEN ALSO JOIN THE BILL
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY 3 FEBUARY 2012 AT 10AM
AVAILABLE AT http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
Barclaycard Wireless Festival is excited to announce that Grammy nominated recording artist Drake will headline the festival on Saturday 7 July. UK superstar Example, Pennsylvanian rap lyricist Wiz Khalifa (this will be his only UK show of 2012) and London rap star Professor Green will also join the bill. With Rihanna already confirmed to headline Sunday 8 July, Barclaycard Wireless Festival is set to be an unmissable weekend in London’s iconic Hyde Park.
Canadian born rapper Drake is a bona fide superstar. His recent critically acclaimed album ‘Take Care’, released late last year, debuted atop the Billboard Top 100 chart whilst in the UK it went in at number five with the biggest first week sales figure of any US hip hop artist in the UK last year. His spring UK arena tour also sold out in an incredible 24 hours, shifting more than 100,000 tickets in the process! A dynamic and passionate performer renowned for his energetic performances and creative stage designs, Drake’s Barclaycard Wireless Festival performance is sure to be a powerful and visual spectacle.
Example will be back in full force this summer, hitting Barclaycard Wireless Festival for his forth year in a row. His latest studio album ‘Playing in the Shadows’ released in September last year, debuted at number one on the UK Album Charts and has already spawned two number one singles - ‘Changed The Way You Kiss Me’ and ‘Stay Awake’. Example says:
"This will be my 4th year in a row at Wireless. We must be doing something right! I feel like part of the furniture now. Over the years I've moved up from stage to stage and played bigger slots but I can honestly say every one of them was equally epic. Whether it was opening the main stage or closing one of the smaller tents the crowd was always packed and buzzing with energy. The backdrop of Hyde Park adds a certain air of heritage and great tradition to the whole event. I can't wait."
Pittsburgh’s hottest export, rap lyricist Wiz Khalifa, will bring his East Coast hip-hop to Hyde Park, this will be his only UK performance of 2012. A rising star with a young bravado and a charismatic execution of rhymes. His smash hit single ‘Black and Yellow’, taken from his debut album ‘Rolling Papers’, went top five in the UK last year and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Professor Green will make a return to the Barclaycard Wireless Festival stage in 2012. The Hackney rapper’s debut album ‘Alive Til I’m Dead’, went to number two on the UK charts and included the smashes ‘I Need You Tonight’ and ‘Just Be Good To Green’. His latest album ‘At Your Inconvenience’ was released late last year with the recent single ‘Read All About It’ hitting number one, cementing him as a bonafide weapon in the UK music scene. Professor Green said:
"I'm really excited to be performing at Wireless again. Wireless 2010 was a real highlight of that year. The tent was a roadblock and it was lively. I'm confident that this year it will be bigger and better and I can't wait to get back on that stage in Hyde Park. Roll on the summer…"
Barclaycard Wireless Festival is a dazzling open-air live music festival in the heart of bustling London. Hosted in Hyde Park it offers a chance to experience the excitement of watching the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Barclaycard Wireless Festival 2012 is certain to be the biggest and best event on the summer’s musical calendar.
Ticketing Information:
- Tickets for Saturday 7 July (Drake headline day) are priced at £49.50 plus booking fee.
- Tickets for Sunday 8 July (Rihanna headline day) are priced at at £52.50 plus booking fee.
- Limited two day tickets are now available (for Saturday 7 July and Sunday 8 July) priced at £97 plus booking fee.
Tickets & VIP Packages available at http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
Barclaycard customers have the exclusive opportunity to purchase limited two for one tickets, on sale Wednesday 1st February at 9am via:
http://www.barclaycardunwind.com followed by a 48 hour presale.
All Barclaycard customers who purchase via http://www.barclaycardunwind.com have the chance to win a VIP upgrade.
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, Wednesday 1st February at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Barclaycard Wireless Press & Online Enquiries:
Emma Elwood and Rebecca Gibbs at LD Communications
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 439 7222
Barclaycard Wireless TV and Radio:
Tony Cooke, Claire Jarvis or Natalie Jennings at Scream Promotions
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 240 0004
About Live Nation:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE-LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world: connecting 200 million fans to 100,000 events in over 40 countries which has made Ticketmaster.com the #3 eCommerce website in the world. For additional information, visit http://www.livenation.co.uk
About Barclaycard:
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.
The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.
In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe and Africa.
Key facts published in August 2011;
- number of UK customers: 12m
- number of International customers: 10.2m
- number of retailer/merchant relationships: 90,000
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park.
For further information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk
For media enquiries contact: 0300 061 2128 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Jan
27
27
BRIT AWARDS- OLLY MURS ADDED TO PERFORMING LINE-UP!
Olly Joins Stellar List of Performers At Show Next Month
Broadcast Live on ITV1
It is today announced that BRIT nominee Olly Murs will be performing at this year’s Awards show for what is promising to be a truly show-stopping event. Olly (who is nominated in the Best Single category for his Number 1 hit featuring Rizzle Kicks, ‘Heart Skips A Beat’) celebrates his second ever BRIT nomination as he joins the list of stars providing a impressively stellar and diverse range of performances on the night; Adele, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Rihanna.
Nominations for this year’s Awards were announced last week at an exclusive event at The Savoy, London. The nominations revealed that it is set to be a great year for the young British singer-songwriters who have been dominating the airwaves over the past year, with Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Adele all receiving multiple nods. The audience at the launch event were entertained with live performances from Ed Sheeran (who tops the list of nominations this year by appearing in four different categories including British Breakthrough Act and the prestigious MasterCard British Album of the Year) and Critics’ Choice winner, Emeli Sandé. As word spread of who had made the shortlist, the BRITs website enjoyed over twice the amount of traffic that it saw last year, with excitement for the main event (which will be held on Tuesday 21st February at The O2 and will be exclusively broadcast live on ITV1) building by the minute.
Voting for British Single is now open and will be voted for by listeners of Capital FM and users of iTunes. The British Group category is supported by BBC Radio 2 and British Breakthrough Act with BBC Radio 1.
http://www.brits.co.uk
@BRIT_Awards
For further information, please contact:
Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 924
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 495
TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Natalie Jennings – 0207 240 0004
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Jan
27
27
WIRELESS 2012- MORE NAMES ADDED TO THE LINE-UP!
KASKADE, FLUX PAVILION
CONFIRMED TO JOIN RIHANNA AT BARCLAYCARD WIRELESS FESTIVAL
IN HYDE PARK ON SUNDAY 8 JULY 2012
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
AVAILABLE AT http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
Barclaycard Wireless Festival is delighted to announce that J Cole, Rizzle Kicks, Kaskade and Flux Pavilion are confirmed to play the festival on Sunday 8 July 2012. WIth Rihanna confirmed to headline and Jessie J, Calvin Harris and Labrinth also on the bill, Sunday’s line-up boasts a truly enviable hotbed of talent.
US Rap phenomenon J Cole will make a welcome return to Barclaycard Wireless Festival. The first ever artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, J. Cole made a name for himself with mixtape ‘The Warm Up’, he also guested on ‘A Star Is Born’ on Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3. His debut album ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’ went straight in at number one on the US Billboard Top 200 chart last year whilst his November UK tour was a total sell out.
Brighton duo Rizzle Kicks have had an incredible six months. Their debut album “Stereo Typical” was released late last year and went straight into the top ten whilst singles ‘Down With The Trumpets’ and ‘When I Was A Youngster’ were instant chart smashes, they also scored a number one single featuring on the Olly Murs hit ‘Heart Skips A Beat’. Their latest single, ‘Mama Do The Hump’, is currently at two on the UK Top 40 and A-listed at Radio One.
Voted “America’s Best DJ” by DJ Times late last year Kaskade is a welcome addition to Sunday’s line-up, Barclaycard Wireless Festival will be his only UK festival performance of 2012. With a string of hit singles to his name including ‘I Remember’, his collaboration with Deadmau5, Kaskade will bring his uplifting sounds to the Hyde Park stage. Flux Pavilion (aka Joshua Steele) has been a dubstep pioneer in the UK since early 2009. His undeniable musicality and gift for production was recently verified en masse when his single ‘I Can’t Stop’ was sampled for the standout track ‘Who Gonna Stop Me’ on Kanye West and Jay-Z’s epic ‘Watch the Throne album’. His recent collaboration with Doctor P ‘Superbad’ was R1 Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest Record in the World Right Now’ whilst R1 Fearne Cotton made it her ‘Record of the Week’. Taking a place on the prestigious Sound of 2012 BBC poll in January Flux Pavilion is certain to have an epic year.
Barclaycard Wireless Festival is a dazzling open-air live music festival in the heart of bustling London. Hosted in Hyde Park it offers a chance to experience the excitement of watching the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Barclaycard Wireless Festival 2012 is certain to be the biggest and best event on the summer’s musical calendar.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets are priced at £52.50 plus booking fee.
Tickets & VIP Packages available at http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
All Barclaycard customers who purchase via http://www.barclaycardunwind.com have the chance to win a VIP upgrade.
Barclaycard Wireless Festival Press & Online Enquiries:
Emma Elwood and Rebecca Gibbs at LD Communications
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 439 7222
Barclaycard Wireless Festival TV and Radio:
Tony Cooke, Claire Jarvis or Natalie Jennings at Scream Promotions
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 240 0004
About Live Nation:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE-LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world: connecting 200 million fans to 100,000 events in over 40 countries which has made Ticketmaster.com the #3 eCommerce website in the world. For additional information, visit http://www.livenation.co.uk
About Barclaycard:
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.
The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.
In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe and Africa.
Key facts published in August 2011;
- number of UK customers: 12m
- number of International customers: 10.2m
- number of retailer/merchant relationships: 90,000
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park.
For further information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk
For media enquiries contact: 0300 061 2128 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Jan
13
13
BRIT AWARDS 2012- FULL NOMINATIONS & PERFORMING LINE UP
Ed Sheeran
James Blake
James Morrison
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Professor Green
British Female Solo Artist
Adele
Florence & the Machine
Jessie J
Kate Bush
Laura Marling
British Breakthrough Act
Anna Calvi
Ed Sheeran
Emeli Sandé
Jessie J
The Vaccines
British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Chase & Status
Coldplay
Elbow
Kasabian
British Single
Adele - Someone Like You
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me
Jessie J ft Bob - Price Tag
JLS ft Dev - She Makes Me Wanna
Military Wives/Gareth Malone - Wherever You Are
Olly Murs ft Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips A Beat
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
Pixie Lott - All About Tonight
The Wanted - Glad You Came
Mastercard British Album of the Year
Adele - 21
Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
Ed Sheeran - +
Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
International Male Solo Artist
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Bruno Mars
David Guetta
Ryan Adams
International Female Solo Artist
Beyoncé
Bjork
Feist
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
International Group
Fleet Foxes
Foo Fighters
Jay Z/ Kanye West
Lady Antebellum
Maroon 5
International Breakthrough Act
Aloe Blacc
Bon Iver
Foster The People
Lana Del Rey
Nicki Minaj
Outstanding Contribution to Music
WINNER:
Blur
Critics Choice
1st - Emeli Sandé
2nd - Maverick Sabre
3rd - Michael Kiwanuka
British Producer
Paul Epworth
Flood
Ethan Johes
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard
Young British solo singer-songwriters top the nominations list
as performances from the biggest names in music are announced
Flying the flag for The BRITs, Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Adele lead the nominations
Adele, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Rihanna and - with their first performance in almost three years - Blur all confirmed to perform live at this year’s spectacular show
21st February 2012 – Broadcast live on ITV1
With less than six weeks to go until The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard take place at The O2 in London, the nominations were announced this evening at a special launch event at The Savoy. It was revealed that 2012 was the year of the solo singer-songwriter, with Ed Sheeran, Jessie J and Adele leading the nominations.
The nominations showcase the incredibly exciting and diverse year that British music has enjoyed, featuring a list of unique, talented artists who are now all in the running for the highly coveted BRITS statue, exclusively designed for 2012 by Sir Peter Blake. The winners will be announced at the The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard, which will be held on Tuesday 21st February at The 02 and will be exclusively broadcast live on ITV1. It can also now be revealed that performances on the night will come from Adele, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Rihanna. This year’s winner of the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Music award, Blur, will give their first UK live performance since 2009 when the original line up reformed to play a number of concerts including one of the Glastonbury festival’s most memorable headline performances.
Topping the list of nominations this year is Yorkshire-born singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who appears in four different categories including British Breakthrough Act and the prestigious MasterCard British Album of the Year. This reflects an incredible year for the young artist, who only released his debut album ‘+’ in September. Solo artists Jessie J and Adele both follow with three nominations each, while Florence + The Machine, Emeli Sandé and Coldplay are all nominated in two categories, along with international male solo artists Bon Iver and Aloe Blacc. Coldplay are the only group with more than one nomination.
Adele, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine and PJ Harvey are all up for the MasterCard British Album of the Year, the biggest award of the evening. Though Ed Sheeran gets the nod for his debut album, Coldplay have won this award three times in the past. Meanwhile, revered solo artist PJ Harvey has been nominated eight times for a BRIT but has yet to win.
The nominations for British Female Solo Artist see Jessie J, Florence and The Machine and Adele go head to head, all of whom are previous winners of the BRITs Critics’ Choice award, won this year by Emeli Sandé. They will be up against last year’s British Female Solo Artist winner Laura Marling and Kate Bush, who has been nominated in this category an incredible seven times but has not won it since 1987.
The nominations were officially revealed by Greg James at a special event at The Savoy in London tonight, featuring performances by Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sandé, winner of the Critics’ Choice Award. Voting for British Single also opens today and will be voted for by listeners of Capital FM and users of iTunes along with British Group supported by BBC Radio 2 and British Breakthrough Act with BBC Radio 1.
http://www.brits.co.uk
@BRIT_Awards
For further information, please contact:
Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 924
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 495
TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Natalie Jennings – 0207 240 0004
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Notes to editors
The BRITs - Voting Academy **
The Academy is made up of 1,000 specially invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry: music critics, music writers, online & student press, major & independent record companies, retailers, music TV and radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, live concert promoters, NUS representatives and DJs. Since 2011, Artists have been invited to join the Voting Academy.
Less than a quarter of the academy's membership is drawn from the recording industry and only 12% of the voting academy is drawn from major record companies.
All academy votes** are collected online, and are counted and verified by official scrutinisers ERS (Electoral Reform Services).
BRIT - British Record Industry Trust
ITV’s broadcasting business is made up of ITV1, the UK’s largest commercial TV channel in terms of audience share, and the UK’s leading portfolio of digital channels - ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Annually ITV invests around £1 billion in content for its broadcast channels and its website itv.com.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews
About AEG & The O2
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.
In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.
The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world. There is also a live music venue – indigO2 - with a capacity of 2,350, The O2 bubble – a state of the art exhibition space that is host to the British Music Experience, a permanent, high-tech, interactive music museum, an 11 screen cinema complex, and a vibrant ‘Entertainment District’ featuring a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The O2 arena sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year (breaking all previous records) – making it the most popular music venue in the world for the third year running.
Since opening The O2 has picked up many industry awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (3 years running) and Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O2 is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.
The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.
AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.
About Tickets For Troops
Tickets For Troops is a simple idea. It asks lots of different organisations from music to sports to donate tickets to us which we then distribute to members of the Armed Forces and, equally important, to their families. Since it launched in 2009 over 100,000 troops have registered with the scheme at http://www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk and nearly 300,000 tickets have been donated - including 200 tickets to the upcoming Brit Awards, entire nights at the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House, and 10,000 tickets for the 2012 Olympic Games. It has a wide range of patrons including Samantha Cameron, Gary Lineker, Joanna Lumley and Joss Stone
The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be the 32nd BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £12.2 million for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.
The BRITs Committee 2012
The steering group that puts the show together, is made up of: David Joseph, Chairman (Universal Music), Jason Iley (Universal Music), Miles Leonard (EMI), Christian Tattersfield (Warners), Mike Smith (Sony Music), Ben Beardsworth (XL Recordings), Geoff Taylor (BPI) and Maggie Crowe (BRIT Awards Ltd), Adrian Carter (BRIT Awards Ltd), Mark Fletcher (BPI), John Kaye Cooper (ITV), Suzi Aplin (BRITs TV Exec Producer), Craig Gledhill (BRITs TV Producer), Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes (DawBell PR)
ITV
ITV Plc is the UK’s leading advertiser-funded, free-to-air broadcaster and employs almost 4,000 staff worldwide within its Broadcasting, ITV Studios and Online businesses.
Jan
05
05
Rock Listings Updated
What’s new for 2012 people - well, the best thing to arrive here for quite some time was, and please take a second to digest this...the KISS ONESY’...or Hoodie Jamz are they’re officially called. It’s a very special thing indeed. Dazzling in fact, and as a friend of mine commented; “If I had one of those, I’d go EVERYWHERE in it”. True dat. We think Tony is going to place it on a mannequin in his home-Kiss-museum though. His Mrs will be pleased.
Also, we know you’re probably like us and on a post Xmas detox but we very much like these chaps at Solid Dudes Kitchen..
.
http://www.soliddudeskitchen.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atj3OqjcbFU&feature=related
Now, the real meat and two veg of it all here’s some info on some forthcoming tour dates and releases for you delectation and deliberation...
**********************************************
HYRO DA HERO
Having toured with and been championed by an eclectic range of artists including Korn, Wu Tang Clan and The Blackout among others and played at festivals around the world, including three sets at Download Hyro Da Hero was flying high in 2011’s Best Of Polls and 2012’s Ones To Watch’ choices he returns for his first UK headline tour in Feb and March and new single We Still Popular (Feb 20th).
07 Feb Cardiff, Ifor Bach
08 Feb Manchester, Club Academy
09 Feb Glasgow, King Tuts
10 Feb Sheffield, Corporation
11 Feb Leeds, Cockpit
12 Feb Stoke, Sugarmill
13 Feb Birmingham, VUDU
14 Feb Milton Keynes, Crauford Arms
15 Feb Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
16 Feb Norwich, Waterfront
17 Feb Tunbridge Wells, Forum
18 Feb London, Borderline
19 Feb Bristol, Thekla
http://www.hyrodahero.com
**********************************************
RISE TO REMAIN
Rise To Remain have been charged with leading a great UK rock revival and, once again proving they’re taking their responsibility in this task seriously they’ll return from the US of A to play their biggest UK headline shows yet. Debut album City Of Vultures has been a runaway success and we’ll be announcing a new single soon!
07 March Birmingham,
02 Academy 2
08 March Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
10 March Norwich, Waterfront
11 March Liverpool, 02 Academy 2
12 March Glasgow, Garage
13 March York, Fibbers
14 March Manchester, Club Academy
16 March Bristol, Bierkeller
17 March London, 02 Islington Academy
18 March Reading, Sub 89
http://www.risetoremain.com
**********************************************
CLUTCH
The mighty Clutch return as special guests of Thin Lizzy on their UK dates in Jan and February. Check out the issue of Metal Hammer Magazine, on shelves mid-January for a pretty darn superb ‘Knowledge’ Feature on the band with Neil Fallon.
19 Jan Glasgow Barrowlands
21 Jan Newcastle City Hall
23 Jan Leicester De Montfort Hall
24 Jan York Barbican
25 Jan Cambridge Corn Exhange
27 Jan Wolverhampton City Hall
28 Jan Manchester Apollo 2
29 Jan Sheffield City Hall
31 Jan Plymouth Pavillions
03 Feb Cardiff St Davids hall
01 Feb Brighton Dome
04 Feb London Hammersmith HMV Apollo
http://www.pro-rock.com
**********************************************
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
Black Veil Brides are, in short, a worldwide phenomenon. Their debut UK tour sold out and they return in March for even bigger dates including Brixton Academy. With magazine covers and radio playlists and sessions littering 2011 the momentum certainly hasn’t let up for a single second.
24 March WOLVERHAMPTON Civic Hall
25 March BELFAST Mandela Hall
26 March DUBLIN Academy
27 March GLASGOW Barrowlands
28 March EDINBURGH Picturehouse
29 March LEEDS 02 Academy
30 March LONDON 02 Academy Brixton
01 April BRISTOL 02 Academy
http://www.BVARMY.com
**********************************************
LONG BRANCH RECORDS
Long Branch Records kicked off at the tail end of 2011 with an opening salvo of Madina Lake’s ‘World War III’ and Chimaira’s ‘Age Of Hell’ albums. Thrashers Chimaira return in March for a UK tour, their first in Europe since the albums release.
08 March Glasgow, UK King Tuts
09 March Dundee, UK Fat Sams
10 March Aberdeen, Tunnels
11 March Newcastle, Academy 2
12 March York, The Duchess
13 March Leeds, Cockpit
15 March Northampton, Roadmender
16 March Prestatyn, Hammerfest
17 March Wolverhampton, Slade Rooms
18 March Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
19 March Norwich, Waterfront
20 March Colchester, Arts Centre
21 March Oxford, Academy 2
23 March Exeter, Lemon Grove
24 March Cardiff, Great Hall 2
25 March Southampton, Talking Heads
26 March Margate, Westcoast Bar
27 March London, Islington Academy
http://www.chimaira.com
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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL!!!
And, last but certainly not least the biggest throw down of the year...
DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL returns for its 10th Anniversary on the hallowed grounds of Donington Park with three mind blowing main stage headliners already in place. On 8th 9th and 10th of June the main area will be dancing, moshing and worshiping at the metal alter as, respectively...
The PRODIGY – me thinks some carnage ma ensue as the most snarling, pioneering, punk as f**k band to ever emerge from the ‘dance’ scene shake the main arena by the scruff of the neck and slap them silly...
METALLICA with a UK exclusive playing the whole of the Metallica ‘black’ album, this means an opening salvo of Enter Sandman and Sad But True, yep...beat that, you cant, so...
And, on the Sunday night to round things off the reformed, masters of the universe themselves BLACK SABBATH. So, lets think about this, for second, that’s Tony, Ozzy, Bill and Geezer back and on home turf! The bar is set pretty high already but there are still many more bands to follow of course!!! http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk
Dec
15
15
BRIT AWARDS - CRITICS CHOICE WINNER REVEALED
Critics’ Choice Award winner and runners up announced today
Winner: Emeli Sandé
2nd Place: Maverick Sabre
3rd Place: Michael Kiwanuka
Tuesday 21st February 2012 at The O2, London
Exclusively broadcast live on ITV 1
Thursday 15th December – For Immediate Release
Today The BRITs can reveal that Emeli Sandé is the winner of this year’s prestigious Critics’ Choice Award, with Maverick Sabre in second place and Michael Kiwanuka in third.
For a relative newcomer Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sandé has already had an incredible career. As a published writer she’s written hit singles for Chipmunk and Wiley as well as album tracks for Cheryl Cole, Susan Boyle and Tinie Tempah. Since signing a record deal with Virgin Records in 2011, Emeli has had a No. 2 debut single with ‘Heaven’ and a No.1 single with Professor Green, ‘Read All About It’. Emeli received rave reviews for her recent headline sold out tour and is currently supporting Coldplay across the UK and Europe. Her outstanding song writing, breath-taking vocals and credible compositions have won her fans across the board and her hugely anticipated debut album, ‘Our version of Events’ will be released in February 2012.
As the winner, Emeli Sande will perform at The BRITs Nominations Launch event on the 12th of January at The Savoy Hotel.
Emeli said of her win, “To win a BRIT Award so early in my career is beyond a dream come true. I am overwhelmed to be the recipient of such a prestigious award. Thank you so much.”
The Critics’ Choice Award is for new British acts that the critics tip for mainstream success in the forthcoming year. In previous years it has been awarded to Jessie J (2011) Ellie Goulding (2010), Florence and the Machine (2009) and Adele (2008). The artists are chosen by a team of experts including the music editors of national newspapers, key music and lifestyle magazines and music websites plus the heads of music at major radio and music TV stations. The Award is open to artists signed to a label who are set to release their debut albums in 2012 and over 100 artists from a range of genres were considered for the award.
For the third year running, the Critics’ Choice Award will also be presented in association with War Child, an international charity that protects children living in the world’s most dangerous war zones. The BRITs are working alongside the charity and the annual War Child gig, now in its fourth year.
The BRIT Awards’ involvement with War Child complements a long standing association with the Awards’ own BRIT Trust charity. The Awards have raised more than £13m for the Trust, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology (http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk) the only free performing arts school in the UK, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk) and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
This week has also seen the final day for the Voting Academy to cast their votes for the winners of The BRIT Awards 2012 with voting closing yesterday.
For further information, please contact:
Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 924
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 495
TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Tony Cooke – 0207 434 3446
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Notes to editors
The BRITs - Voting Academy **
The Academy is made up of 1,000 specially invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry: music critics, music writers, online & student press, major & independent record companies, retailers, music TV and radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, live concert promoters, NUS representatives and DJs. Since 2011, Artists have been invited to join the Voting Academy.
Less than a quarter of the academy's membership is drawn from the recording industry and only 12% of the voting academy is drawn from major record companies.
All academy votes** are collected online, and are counted and verified by official scrutinisers ERS (Electoral Reform Services).
BRIT - British Record Industry Trust
The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be the 32nd BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £12.2 million for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.
The BRITs Committee 2012
The steering group that puts the show together, is made up of: David Joseph, Chairman (Universal Music), Jason Iley (Universal Music), Miles Leonard (EMI), Christian Tattersfield (Warners), Mike Smith (Sony Music), Ben Beardsworth (XL Recordings), Geoff Taylor (BPI) and Maggie Crowe (BRIT Awards Ltd), Adrian Carter (BRIT Awards Ltd), Mark Fletcher (BPI), John Kaye Cooper (ITV), Suzi Aplin (BRITs TV Exec Producer), Craig Gledhill (BRITs TV Producer), Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes (DawBell PR)
ITV
ITV Plc is the UK’s leading advertiser-funded, free-to-air broadcaster and employs almost 4,000 staff worldwide within its Broadcasting, ITV Studios and Online businesses.
ITV’s broadcasting business is made up of ITV1, the UK’s largest commercial TV channel in terms of audience share, and the UK’s leading portfolio of digital channels - ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Annually ITV invests around £1 billion in content for its broadcast channels and its website itv.com.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews
About AEG & The O2
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.
In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.
The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world. There is also a live music venue – indigO2 - with a capacity of 2,350, The O2 bubble – a state of the art exhibition space that is host to the British Music Experience, a permanent, high-tech, interactive music museum, an 11 screen cinema complex, and a vibrant ‘Entertainment District’ featuring a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The O2 arena sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year (breaking all previous records) – making it the most popular music venue in the world for the third year running.
Since opening The O2 has picked up many industry awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (3 years running) and Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O2 is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.
The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.
AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.
Dec
14
14
Feeder set to release their new single ‘Borders’ January 30th.
January 30th 2012
Big Teeth Music
Download / CD Single / 7 inch Single / Cassette Single
“Britain’s answer to the Foo Fighters” Rock Sound
“Titanic chorus after titanic chorus, the kings of the fist in the air anthem
have always written good songs that you can identify from a mile off” Kerrang
“Songs which are undoubtedly headed for an airwave near you soon, Feeder never seem to disappear from out lives for too long, which is exactly how we like it” Clash
“There’s something touchingly familiar about Feeder’s refusal to attempt any wheel reinvention… the same mix of crashing strings and driving power chords that made ‘Yesterday Went Too Soon’ a classic” NME
On January 29th 2012, British rock institution Feeder return with new single ‘Borders’, which will be followed by ‘Generation Freakshow’ their 8th studio album on March 26th.
A classic and invigorating rock anthem dedicated to freedom and escape, ‘Borders’ is bolstered with Feeder’s trademark; irrepressible choruses and huge tidal wave guitars. Released across limited edition CD single, 7” vinyl and retro cassette, all formats feature new and previously unreleased b-sides.
Feeder’s last, heavily-praised album ‘Renegades’ saw the band reinvigorated by recording and releasing on their own imprint - Big Teeth Music, free from the constraints of a major label. This refreshing set of working conditions resulted in a return to their earlier, more raw and heavy days.
Following up, ‘Borders’ marks an amalgamation of the best bits of Feeders’ various aural incarnations over the years which sees the band at a vital, energised and passionate new peak.
Following 25 hit singles, 5 million record sales and a double platinum singles collection, the Feeder juggernaut thunders on, with no intention of slowing down.
Feeder are Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose.
January 30th Lemon Grove , Exeter
January 31st Koko, London
February 2nd Kasbah, Coventry
February 3rd Ironworks, Inverness
For more info please contact Scream Promotions on 020 7240 0004
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dec
09
09
BRIT AWARDS 2012- SHORTLIST FOR CRITICS CHOICE REVEALED
Shortlist for the prestigious Critics’ Choice Award announced today
Tuesday 21st February 2012 at The O2 Arena, London
Exclusively broadcast live on ITV 1
Friday 9th December
The countdown to the most exciting music awards ceremony in Britain continues today with the announcement of the three artists shortlisted for the prestigious BRITs Critics’ Choice Award in association with War Child. This years shortlisted nominees are Emeli Sande, Maverick Sabre and Michael Kiwanuka.
The winner will be announced, alongside second and third place, next week on Thursday 15th December.
The Critics’ Choice Award is for new British acts that the critics tip for mainstream success in the forthcoming year. In previous years it has been awarded to Jessie J (2011) Ellie Goulding (2010), Florence and the Machine (2009) and Adele (2008). The artists are chosen by a team of experts including the music editors of national newspapers, key music and lifestyle magazines and music websites plus the heads of music at major radio and music TV stations. The Award is open to artists signed to a label who are set to release their debut albums in 2012 and over 100 artists from a range of genres were considered for the award. Upon today’s announcement of the shortlist, the three nominated artists were immediately inducted into the BRITs Voting Academy and are now eligible themselves to vote for The BRIT Awards 2012, following last year’s inclusion of artists in the academy for the first time.
For the third year running, the Critics’ Choice Award will also be presented in association with War Child, an international charity that protects children living in the world’s most dangerous war zones.
The BRIT Awards’ involvement with War Child complements a long standing association with the Awards’ own BRIT Trust charity. The Awards have raised more than £13m for the Trust, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology (http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk) the only free performing arts school in the UK, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk) and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
http://www.brits.co.uk
Emeli Sande
Scottish singer-songwriter Emeli Sande first found fame after featuring on Chipmunk’s single ‘Diamond Rings’ and she has since appeared on tracks with Wiley, Devlin and Professor Green. She has also written for various artists including Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle and Tinie Tempah and released her debut solo single ‘Heaven’ in August which entered the UK charts at no.2.
Maverick Sabre
Maverick Sabre has quickly established himself as one of the most unique voices in UK pop. A genuine talent who worked his way to prominence, his voice has done the talking. Retro-tinged soul numbers meet the hardened lyrics of his past. It’s the sound of a man that has lived a life, with no outside assistance, just his voice and an indefinable inner belief. London-born and Irish raised, his childhood has given him a unique voice, blending the accents he picked up in the two areas of his childhood with a natural voice that he has developed since first emerging with his ‘Traveling Man’ mixtape. At first a rapper, he found his own voice over time, and this is what shines through here. As a socially-aware voice for his generation, he is in a unique position for these uncertain times.
Michael Kiwanuka
Young North London soul star Michael Kiwanuka has been turning heads with his timeless vocal since supporting Adele across the UK and Europe earlier this year. His debut EP ‘Tell Me A Tale’ and the forthcoming ‘Home Again’ EP underline exactly why his soulful R&B guitar songs are so effortlessly alluring.
Dec
09
09
JESSIE J, CALVIN HARRIS & LABRINTH ADDED TO THE WIRELESS LINE-UP!
CALVIN HARRIS & LABRINTH
CONFIRMED TO JOIN RIHANNA AT BARCLAYCARD WIRELESS
IN HYDE PARK ON SUNDAY 8 JULY 2012
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Barclaycard Wireless is thrilled to announce that pop princess Jessie J is confirmed as special guest of Rihanna in Hyde Park on Sunday 8 July 2012. Scottish DJ maestro Calvin Harris and singer/ songwriter/ producer extraordinaire Labrinth are also confirmed to join the bill. Barclaycard Wireless will be Rihanna’s only UK performance of 2012, and with these hot UK artists joining the bill it is certain to be a sensational day in the capital.
Jessie J will bring her unique ghetto-pop swagger to Hyde Park for her Barclaycard Wireless debut. In less than a year, the singer, songwriter and self acclaimed show pony has become a bonafide UK superstar. She topped the BBC Sound of 2011 poll, was announced the winner of the Critics Choice Awards at the 2011 Brits and her debut single ‘Do It Like A Dude” was awarded Best Song at the 2011 MOBO Awards. With her outrageous flair and undeniable coolness, Jessie will no doubt put on an explosive set.
Calvin Harris will hit Hyde Park with his big, bold and colourful electro dance pop. He boasts an incredible CV with over seven Top 10 singles, including two number one’s, and over 1.5 million tracks and 500,000 albums sales in the UK. His recent collaboration with Barclaycard Wireless headliner and Barbardian superstar Rihanna propelled him into the charts once again, with the song hitting number one in the UK and on the Billboard Hot 100.
Labrinth, the East London singer/ songwriter and highly sought after producer made his Barclaycard Wireless debut last year and is sure to give a dazzling performance in 2012. He made his debut appearance on the UK chart in March 2010 when his collaboration with Tinie Tempah “Pass Out” reached number one, since then he’s gone from strength to strength. His first solo single “Let The Sun Shine” reached number three last year and second single “Earthquake” hit number two upon its release in October, it has remained in the top ten ever since.
Barclaycard Wireless is a dazzling open-air live music experience in the heart of bustling London. It offers a chance to experience the excitement of watching the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Barclaycard Wireless 2012 is certain to be the biggest and best event on the summer’s musical calendar.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets are priced at £52.50 plus booking fee.
Tickets & VIP Packages available at http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
All Barclaycard customers who purchase via http://www.barclaycardunwind.com have the chance to win a VIP upgrade.
Barclaycard Wireless Press & Online Enquiries:
Emma Elwood and Rebecca Gibbs at LD Communications
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 439 7222
Barclaycard Wireless TV and Radio:
Tony Cooke, Claire Jarvis or Natalie Jennings at Scream Promotions
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 240 0004
About Live Nation:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE-LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world: connecting 200 million fans to 100,000 events in over 40 countries which has made Ticketmaster.com the #3 eCommerce website in the world. For additional information, visit http://www.livenation.co.uk
About Barclaycard:
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.
The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.
In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe and Africa.
Key facts published in August 2011;
- number of UK customers: 12m
- number of International customers: 10.2m
- number of retailer/merchant relationships: 90,000
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park.
For further information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk
For media enquiries contact: 0300 061 2128 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Dec
08
08
BRIT AWARDS 2012- OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC - WINNER ANNOUNCED!
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard
The UK’s premier music awards announce the return of the
Outstanding Contribution to Music award
Twenty-one years since the release of their debut album ‘Leisure’, British music icons Blur are named as winners of one of music’s most coveted awards
21st February 2012 – The O2 – Tickets on sale now – Broadcast live on ITV1
As the countdown begins to the most celebrated event in the British music calendar, The BRIT Awards with MasterCard announce today that Blur will be the 2012 winners of the Outstanding Contribution to Music award.
Blur have influenced the sound and attitude of British music for over twenty years. This prestigious award, which was rested last year, returns in 2012 to recognise their phenomenal achievements. In collecting the trophy, they join some of the world’s most influential names in music who have all previously been honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Music award. These include Paul McCartney, U2, Paul Weller, Oasis, Sting, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Van Morrison and Queen.
Speaking about this Award, Blur said:
“It's great to have recognition for all the work and all the heartache and all the joy that’s gone into this band. ” Damon Albarn
"Being in a band this long is like a kind of time travel. We’re the same gang we ever were, we’ve just landed in a different era. Or possibly we’re a totally different Blur still playing the old tunes in 1991… forever. I haven’t decided. But it’s always nice to get a BRIT Award.” Graham Coxon
On the reintroduction of the award, BRITs Chairman David Joseph said:
“Blur are a seminal British band who have long been worthy Outstanding Contribution winners. Their contribution to British music is immense. Blur are the perfect band to bring this award back for.”
BPI Chairman Tony Wadsworth, former MD of Parlophone and CEO and Chairman of EMI Music, who has worked with Blur throughout their career, commented:
“I feel fortunate to have worked with Blur throughout their career - our relationship is a special one and I'm thrilled that the BRITs Committee and the BPI Council are keen to recognise blur's amazing impact on music.”
Since forming in the late Eighties, the band have been one of the most influential and inventive acts of the last two decades, feted both for their glorious songwriting and musicianship and an ability to crystallise the moment in a song. Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree changed the face of British music in the Nineties when they were championed as the kings of Britpop but have always refused to stand still, constantly pushing boundaries and inspiring countless bands after them. Their debut album ‘Leisure’ was released in 1991, the first of seven studio albums. In 2009 the original line up reformed to play a number of concerts including two dates at Hyde Park, which sold out in minutes, and a headline performance at the Glastonbury Festival, which was hailed by critics as one of the festival’s defining moments. The band, who have won countless awards in their career, won their first BRIT Award in 1995, clearing up that year with four awards for Best Band, Best Video, Best Album (Parklife) and Best Single (Parklife). In total they have received an incredible 15 BRIT Award nominations.
Like all winners on the night, Blur will be presented with an exclusive trophy designed for this year only by Sir Peter Blake. This is the second year the BRITs have asked a leading British creative icon to style the ‘blank canvas’ trophy, following Dame Vivienne Westwood’s success last year. Sir Peter is responsible for some of the most iconic album sleeves of all time including The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ and Paul Weller’s ‘Stanley Road’ as well as the single sleeve for Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be presented by James Corden on the 21st February and will once more return to The O2, the location for last year’s much-talked-about ceremony which featured performances from Mumford & Sons, Take That, Rihanna, Arcade Fire, Tinie Tempah, Cee Lo Green, Plan B and Adele. The awards will be broadcast live on ITV1.
More details of the 2012 Awards will be announced soon.
The BRITs 2012 Nominations Launch event will be held on Thursday 12th January from 5pm at The Savoy Hotel from 5pm.
http://www.brits.co.uk
For further information, please contact:
Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 924
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 495
TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Tony Cooke – 0207 434 3446
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Notes to editors
The BRITs - Voting Academy **
The Academy is made up of 1,000 specially invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry: music critics, music writers, online & student press, major & independent record companies, retailers, music TV and radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, live concert promoters, NUS representatives and DJs. Since 2011, Artists have been invited to join the Voting Academy.
Less than a quarter of the academy's membership is drawn from the recording industry and only 12% of the voting academy is drawn from major record companies.
All academy votes** are collected online, and are counted and verified by official scrutinisers ERS (Electoral Reform Services).
BRIT - British Record Industry Trust
The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be the 32nd BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £12.2 million for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.
The BRITs Committee 2012
The steering group that puts the show together, is made up of: David Joseph, Chairman (Universal Music), Jason Iley (Universal Music), Miles Leonard (EMI), Christian Tattersfield (Warners), Mike Smith (Sony Music), Ben Beardsworth (XL Recordings), Geoff Taylor (BPI) and Maggie Crowe (BRIT Awards Ltd), Adrian Carter (BRIT Awards Ltd), Mark Fletcher (BPI), John Kaye Cooper (ITV), Suzi Aplin (BRITs TV Exec Producer), Craig Gledhill (BRITs TV Producer), Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes (DawBell PR)
ITV
ITV Plc is the UK’s leading advertiser-funded, free-to-air broadcaster and employs almost 4,000 staff worldwide within its Broadcasting, ITV Studios and Online businesses.
ITV’s broadcasting business is made up of ITV1, the UK’s largest commercial TV channel in terms of audience share, and the UK’s leading portfolio of digital channels - ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Annually ITV invests around £1 billion in content for its broadcast channels and its website itv.com.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews
About AEG & The O2
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.
In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.
The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world. There is also a live music venue – indigO2 - with a capacity of 2,350, The O2 bubble – a state of the art exhibition space that is host to the British Music Experience, a permanent, high-tech, interactive music museum, an 11 screen cinema complex, and a vibrant ‘Entertainment District’ featuring a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The O2 arena sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year (breaking all previous records) – making it the most popular music venue in the world for the third year running.
Since opening The O2 has picked up many industry awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (3 years running) and Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O2 is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.
The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.
AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.
Nov
28
28
LIMITED NUMBER OF PRE-SALE TICKETS FOR READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL 2012 AVAILABLE FROM 2ND DECEMBER!
LIMITED NUMBER OF PRE-SALE TICKETS FOR
READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL 2012
AVAILABLE FROM 2ND DECEMBER ON SALE AT 2011 TICKET PRICES!
The legendary Reading & Leeds Festival will return for the August bank holiday 2012 and it promises to be bigger and better than ever!
Pre-sale adult weekend tickets for Reading & Leeds Festival will be available to buy from 9am Friday 2nd December at 2011 ticket prices
With the best names in music from across the globe set to play at both sites, fans have until 31st December at 6pm to purchase their tickets in the pre-sale.
The all-important line-up and general sale tickets will be released in the spring.
For further details and tickets visit:
http://www.readingfestival.com http://www.leedsfestival.com
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, Wednesday 30th November at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Nov
28
28
LIMITED NUMBER OF PRE-SALE TICKETS FOR READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL 2012 AVAILABLE FROM 2ND DECEMBER!
LIMITED NUMBER OF PRE-SALE TICKETS FOR
READING & LEEDS FESTIVAL 2012
AVAILABLE FROM 2ND DECEMBER ON SALE AT 2011 TICKET PRICES!
The legendary Reading & Leeds Festival will return for the August bank holiday 2012 and it promises to be bigger and better than ever!
Pre-sale adult weekend tickets for Reading & Leeds Festival will be available to buy from 9am Friday 2nd December at 2011 ticket prices
With the best names in music from across the globe set to play at both sites, fans have until 31st December at 6pm to purchase their tickets in the pre-sale.
The all-important line-up and general sale tickets will be released in the spring.
For further details and tickets visit:
http://www.readingfestival.com http://www.leedsfestival.com
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, Wednesday 30th November at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Nov
21
21
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Announced to Headline Hard Rock Calling on Saturday 14 July 2
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Announced to
Headline Hard Rock Calling on Saturday 14 July 2012
Tickets on sale 10am Saturday 3rd December 2011
Available at http://www.hardrockcalling.co.uk
Hard Rock International and Live Nation confirmed today that Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band will return to headline Hard Rock Calling 2012 in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday 14 July, marking the first act to be announced in what is sure to be one of the hottest festivals of 2012.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band are back. This is the second time they have played the Hyde Park show following a mammoth performance back in 2009. Expect some of their biggest and most loved hits plus a few surprises.
“Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s 2009 Hard Rock Calling performance proved to be one of the greatest live performances in the festival’s history,” said Hamish Dodds, President and CEO of Hard Rock International. “We look forward to having them back for Hard Rock Calling 2012, for what is sure to be another iconic show.”
Live Nation’s Vice President of Promotions, Toby Leighton-Pope commented: “It’s great to welcome Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band back to Hyde Park. They always put on a fantastic show and 2012 is set to be a special one.”
Hard Rock Calling takes place 13-15 July 2012. The 2011 shows saw over 150,000 music fans flock to Hyde Park for an unforgettable weekend of live music.
About Hard Rock Calling:
Hard Rock Calling is set in the beautiful surroundings of Hyde Park in the heart of bustling London and has fully established itself as one of the UK’s must see outdoor music events. The stage at Hard Rock Calling attracts some of the biggest musicians and bands in the world, with previous headliners including The Who, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, The Police, the Killers, Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets go on sale Saturday 3 December at 10am and are priced at £60 plus booking fee.
Tickets available at http://www.hardrockcallling.co.uk
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, Thursday 1 December at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
To buy VIP Experiences and Hospitality please visit http://www.livenation.co.uk/vip or call + 44 207 009 3484.
Tour Dates:
21 June – Sunderland Stadium of Light
22 June – Manchester Etihad Stadium
24 June – Isle of Wight
14 July – Hard Rock Calling - Hyde Park London
--ends--
For press enquiries please contact:
Karen McNamara/ Ali Castriotis at LD Communications
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
T: 0207 439 7222
For TV and Radio enquiries please contact:
Natalie Jennings / Tony Cooke at Scream Promotions
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
T: 0207 434 3446
For information about Hyde Park please contact:
The Royal Parks Press Office
E: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
T: 0300 061 2128
Notes To Editors:
About Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit http://www.livenation.com/investors.
About Hard Rock International
With a total of 172 venues in 52 countries, including 136 cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore and Punta Cana. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced including Panama Megapolis, scheduled to open in 2011; Cancun and Vallarta scheduled to open in 2012; and Riviera Maya, Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit http://www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit http://www.hardrock.com.
http://www.hardrock.com.
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal Parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park.
For further information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk
Nov
18
18
BLACK SABBATH RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS TO HEADLINE DOWNLOAD 2012
LEGENDARY ROCK FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Embargoed until TBC Friday 11 November 2011
The original line-up of BLACK SABBATH - Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward - have confirmed they will return to their
roots to headline the Download Festival next summer on Sunday 10 June 2012, it was announced today at a press conference in LA.
Answering the prayers of millions of music fans worldwide who have been anticipating their highly speculated comeback, the legendary
rock band’s appearance at next year’s Download Festival – which takes place at 8-10 June 2012 at Donington Park, less than an hour’s
drive from the birthplace of Black Sabbath - will mark the 10th anniversary of the festival, which launched in the summer of 2003.
It will also be Black Sabbath’s only UK festival appearance next year.
Black Sabbath certainly need no introduction, no explanation. Widely regarded as creators of heavy metal, the hugely influential band from
Aston, Birmingham, have sold in excess of 70 million records worldwide and are responsible for all time classic rock anthems such as ‘
Paranoid’, ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Iron Man’ – which won a Grammy in 2000. The band was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005
and the U.S. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.
Andy Copping, VP of Promotions at Live Nation said:
“The reunion of the original line up of Black Sabbath has been one of the most talked about stories of the year. I am thrilled that the band
will return to Donington Park next year to help us mark 10 years of the Download Festival.”
Weekend tickets for Download 2012 go on general sale 9am Friday 18th November 2011 from http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk – subject to a
vailability. Weekend ticket prices for Download 2012 will remain the same as the prices for Download 2011 until midday Monday 30th
January 2012 when all ticket types will go off sale. All tickets will go back on sale at 5pm Monday 30th January 2012 with Weekend tickets
increased to 2012 prices. Festival organisers encourage fans to take advantage of this offer while it lasts.
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale: 9am, Wednesday 16th November 2011 at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Download RIP ticket packages are on sale now and can be purchased via http://www.livenationexperience.co.uk or by phoning 0207 009 3484.
http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest
http://twitter.com/#!/downloadfest
Hashtag: #DL2012
Nov
18
18
PRODIGY CONFIRMED TO HEADLINE DOWNLOAD 2012
PERFECT START TO 10 YEAR CELEBRATION
THE PRODIGY are confirmed as the third headliner for the mighty Download Festival on Friday 8 June 2012, setting the tone to one of the biggest line ups in Download history
and celebrating the festival’s 10th anniversary.
After notching up over 25 million record sales and selling out venues across the world, the masters of synth punk, The Prodigy are back doing what they do best and bringing
their mind-blowing set to Donington for 2012. Expect plenty of classics from their incredible catalogue alongside some new tracks that the band are working on in the studio. This will be
the third time the band has played Download and the first time they’ll play the main stage. The Prodigy will join headliners Metallica (Saturday 9 June) and Black Sabbath
(Sunday 10 June) for one of the biggest Download Festivals EVER.
Andy Copping, VP of Promotions at Live Nation said, “We’re very excited to welcome The Prodigy back to Donington, it’s great to have them here for the third time and
this time headlining the main stage. The crowds always go mental when The Prodigy are in town. The band never fail to impress, and it’s going to be one hell of a weekend.”
Weekend tickets for Download 2012 go on general sale 9am Friday 18th November 2011 from http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk – subject to availability.
Weekend ticket prices for Download 2012 will remain the same as the prices for Download 2011 until midday Monday 30th January 2012 when all ticket types will go off sale.
All tickets will go back on sale at 5pm Monday 30th January 2012 with Weekend tickets increased to 2012 prices. Festival organisers encourage fans to take advantage of this
offer while it lasts.
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours NOW at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Download RIP ticket packages are on sale now and can be purchased via http://www.livenationexperience.co.uk or by phoning 0207 009 3484.
http://www.theprodigy.com
http://twitter.com/the_prodigy
http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest
http://twitter.com/#!/downloadfest
Hashtag: #DL2012
Nov
11
11
METALLICA CONFIRMED TO HEADLINE DOWNLOAD 2012
THE BAND TO PERFORM THE ‘BLACK ALBUM’ IN ITS ENTIRETY TO CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF DOWNLOAD
Embargoed until 7.30pm Thursday 10 November 2011
METALLICA have today announced that they will headline the 10th Download Festival at Donington Park on Saturday 9 June 2012, with an exclusive UK performance oftheir best selling, No. 1 album Metallica, more commonly known simply as ‘The Black Album’.
Co-founder and drummer Lars Ulrich says “Six years is way toooo long to be away from the hallowed grounds of Donington Park. We are beyond psyched and feel privileged to come back once again to soak up the energy and vibe of the most legendary of festival sites.”
The multi million selling, Grammy award winning act will visit Donington for the EIGHTH time in their career, having played both Monsters of Rock and Download Festivals – including their first Monsters of Rock festival in 1985 up through their most recent Download appearance in 2006, where they headlined.
"The Black Album" was #1 in over 25 countries and spawned an incredible five hits: ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Sad But True’, ‘Wherever I May Roam’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and ‘The Unforgiven’. The album has sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Metallica is one of the most successful acts in music history, selling over 100 million albums.
Andy Copping, VP of Promotions at Live Nation commented, “I am absolutely bowled over that Metallica will be playing ‘The Black Album’ at the 10th anniversary of Download. The album is up there as one of the greatest albums of all time, everyone knows the songs. The Download festival has come a long way since we first started in 2003 and to have Metallica back to help us celebrate this milestone is just fantastic.”
Download 2012 takes place at Donington Park from 8-10 June and this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. Weekend with camping tickets go on sale 9am Friday 18 Novemberfrom http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale: 9am, Wednesday 16 November at vodafone.co.uk/vip
Download RIP ticket packages are on sale now and can be purchased via http://www.livenationexperience.co.uk or by phoning 0207 009 3484.
http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/downloadfest
http://twitter.com/#!/downloadfest
Hashtag: #DL2012
Nov
08
08
BARCLAYCARD WIRELESS- FIRST HEADLINER ANNOUNCED…
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER AT 10AM
AVAILABLE AT http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
International superstar Rihanna has confirmed her only UK performance of 2012 at Barclaycard Wireless on Sunday 8 July.
She said: “I’m so excited to be headlining Barclaycard Wireless next year! My UK fans rock and I can’t wait to see them at Hyde Park!”
Rihanna is currently on her sensational ‘Loud’ tour throughout Europe. Her incredible live reputation has resulted in staggering ticket sales in excess of 320,000 for her UK dates, which include a record breaking ten shows at London’s O2 arena. Rihanna now boasts the longest ever run at the venue for a solo female artist since it opened in 2007. The boundary breaking Barbados native has released five spectacular albums since she burst onto the scene in 2005 including her latest chart topper “Loud”, “Girl Like Me”, and “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Her brand new album “Talk That Talk” is set for release on November 21. With five UK number one’s, “Umbrella”, “Only Girl (In The World)”, “What’s My Name”, “Take A Bow” and the current smash “We Found Love”, she is set to give an explosive headline performance at Barclaycard Wireless in 2012.
2011’s acclaimed line-up saw a record breaking 140,000 people descend onto London’s Hyde Park to enjoy the most successful Barclaycard Wireless yet, with triumphant sets from headliners The Black Eyed Peas, The Chemical Brothers and Pulp. Previous headliners have included Jay-Z, P!NK, Daft Punk, and New Order.
Entering its eighth consecutive year Wireless promoter Steve Homer from Live Nation is looking forward to another outstanding year in the capital. He said, “Following our most successful Wireless to date in 2011, we are delighted that Rihanna will headline the festival on Sunday 8 July 2012. Confirming Rihanna for her only UK performance next year reinforces our reputation as a major player on the festival circuit."
Dan Mathieson, Head of Sponsorship, Barclaycard, added, “We're very excited to be sponsoring Wireless for the fourth consecutive year and this announcement that Rihanna is the headline act on Sunday shows that the Barclaycard and Live Nation partnership continues to draw quality artists to this ever growing event. We will be continuing to provide our customers with great experiences and valuable benefits from when tickets go on sale through to on-site next summer and can promise a fantastic event next year.”
Hyde Park has been home to London’s most sensational summer concerts for over four decades, an iconic location for some of the greatest names in musical history. Acts that have performed include Morrissey, The White Stripes, Kanye West, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, and Foo Fighters.
Barclaycard Wireless is a dazzling open-air live music experience in the heart of bustling London. It offers a chance to experience the excitement of watching the best in popular music right on your doorstep; with many more acts and details still to be unveiled, Barclaycard Wireless 2012 is certain to be the biggest and best event on the summer’s musical calendar.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets go on sale Friday 18th November at 10am and are priced at £52.50 plus booking fee.
Tickets available at http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk
Barclaycard customers have the exclusive opportunity to purchase limited two for one tickets, on sale Wednesday 16th November at 9am via http://www.barclaycardunwind.com followed by a 48 hour presale.
Vodafone customers can buy tickets 48 hours before they go on general sale. Get yours from 9am, Wednesday 16th November at http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vip
Barclaycard Wireless Press & Online Enquiries:
Emma Elwood and Rebecca Gibbs at LD Communications
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 439 7222
Barclaycard Wireless TV and Radio:
Tony Cooke, Claire Jarvis or Natalie Jennings at Scream Promotions
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 0207 240 0004
About Live Nation:
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE-LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world: connecting 200 million fans to 100,000 events in over 40 countries which has made Ticketmaster.com the #3 eCommerce website in the world. For additional information, visit http://www.livenation.co.uk
About Barclaycard:
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a leading global payment business which helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and accept payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit when needed.
The company is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. It also issues credit and charge cards to corporate customers and the UK Government. Barclaycard partners with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.
In addition to the UK, Barclaycard operates in the United States, Europe and Africa.
Key facts published in August 2011;
- number of UK customers: 12m
- number of International customers: 10.2m
- number of retailer/merchant relationships: 90,000
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is an executive agency of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The Royal parks are: Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park.
For Further information please visit: http://www.royalparks.org.uk
Fran Therrien, Media relations 0300 061 2128 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Oct
28
28
CHARLIE SIMPSON announces biggest UK solo show to date… KOKO!
Islington Academy, Charlie Simpson has today announced his biggest solo
show to date at Koko, London. The date has been confirmed for March
22nd 2012. Further shows next year are set to be announced in the coming
weeks
Oct
27
27
BRIT AWARDS 2012-HOST, VENUE, DATE AND STATUE DESIGNER ANNOUNCED
The UK’s premier music awards announce 2012 date and their second year at The O2 in London
Iconic BRIT statue to be designed by Sir Peter Blake
James Corden returns to host the most important music event of the year
21st February 2012 – The O2 – Tickets on sale now
Exclusively broadcast live on ITV1
The BRIT Awards with MasterCard will take place on Tuesday 21st February at The O2 in London for the second year running, after a triumphant first year in the world’s most successful music venue.
The 2012 Awards will also see winners presented with an exclusive trophy designed by Sir Peter Blake, for one year only. This is the second year the BRITs have asked that their ‘blank canvas’ trophy be designed by a leading British creative individual - last year fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood adorned the coveted statue. Sir Peter is responsible for some of the most iconic album sleeves of all time including The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Paul Weller – Stanley Road, Oasis – Stop The Clocks and the single sleeve for the Band Aid single Do They Know It’s Christmas?
Sir Peter Blake said: “I am very proud to be this year’s designer for the iconic BRIT Award trophy. It is wonderful to be a part of this most important and exciting music event, honouring the greatest of talents shaping our musical landscape. I’ve enjoyed the creative challenge to honour such leading performers enormously.”
The BRIT Awards are also proud to announce the return of one of the most talented and talked about British actors/writers/producers and presenters James Corden. James who is currently winning five star reviews in the play One Man, Two Guvnors will take time out of his hectic schedule to return for the second year in a row.
Speaking about The BRITs James said: “I enjoyed presenting the show so much last year so being asked back for the third time is a real honour. Ever since I was a teenager I’ve loved the BRIT Awards. As a music fan I feel totally privileged to have the best seat in the house. I can’t wait.”
BRITs Chairman David Joseph said: “We are delighted to be back at The O2 for a second year and also to welcome James Corden back again as our host, he did a fantastic job last year. We feel hugely honoured that Sir Peter Blake accepted the challenge of designing the trophy this year - the result is incredible. Having created possibly the world’s most iconic album sleeve with The Beatles, Sir Peter’s work is synonymous with the best of British music.’
2011 saw a raft of changes that marked a new era for the legendary awards that saw them become more iconic and relevant than ever before. Following this year's event the charts were dominated by BRIT artists. In the official albums chart, seven of the Top 10 albums were either by BRIT winners, performers or nominees. In the iTunes chart nine of the top 10 albums were BRIT winners or performers. Adele’s stunning rendition of ‘Someone Like You’ became the most talked-about performance this year. Following the BRITs the single climbed 46 places in the charts, reaching number one, where it spent five weeks in total.
Like last year, the main focus of the awards will be on the all-new MasterCard British Album Of The Year Award. The night will showcase and highlight the incredible world-class albums released by British artists over the course of the year. This year's triumphant winner was Mumford & Sons for the critically acclaimed ‘Sigh No More’.
Another significant change from previous years came by way of the Voting Academy, which, for the first time in the awards' history, invited artists to sit on the academy and cast votes. The Academy is made up of invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry, from music critics to radio producers, music publishers, promoters, record companies, retailers and NUS representatives. With all 2011's winners and nominees being invited to join the panel for 2012, artists are now the single largest group represented.
Guests and viewers alike were this year treated to a magnificent array of performances which showcased the crème de la crème of both British and international talent in Take That, Adele, Rihanna, MasterCard British Album Of The Year Award winners Mumford & Sons, Plan B, Arcade Fire, Tinie Tempah and Cee Lo Green with guest performer, Paloma Faith. 2012 will see more amazing and exciting performances brought to the stage with tickets going on sale from today. Through MasterCard’s Priceless London campaign, MasterCard cardholders are being offered a priority window of one week to purchase their seats http://www.pricelesslondon.co.uk
More details of the 2012 Awards will be announced soon.
http://www.brits.co.uk
For further information, please contact:
Press/Online - DawBell
Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes – 0207 484 5012
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 924
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) / 07931 501 495
TV/Radio - Scream Promotions
Claire Jarvis/Tony Cooke – 0207 434 3446
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Notes to editors
The BRITs - Voting Academy **
The Academy is made up of 1,000 specially invited members from across the breadth of the UK music industry: music critics, music writers, online & student press, major & independent record companies, retailers, music TV and radio producers & presenters, music publishers, artist managers, live concert promoters, NUS representatives and DJs. Since 2011, Artists have been invited to join the Voting Academy.
Less than a quarter of the academy's membership is drawn from the recording industry and only 12% of the voting academy is drawn from major record companies.
All academy votes** are collected online, and are counted and verified by official scrutinisers ERS (Electoral Reform Services).
BRIT - British Record Industry Trust
The BRIT (British Record Industry Trust) Awards is organised by the BPI – the British recorded music industry association - which has over 400 record company members large and small who between them account for in excess of 90% of UK recorded music sales.
The BRIT Awards 2012 with MasterCard will be the 32nd BRIT Awards, which has raised more than £12.2 million for The BRIT Trust charity, whose main beneficiaries are the BRIT School for Performing Arts & Technology http://www.brit.croydon.sch.uk, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy http://www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk and other selected charities which match the mission criteria.
Over 8,000 young people have been given free education and the opportunity to enter the BRIT School since its opening in 1991 and more than 10,000 children and adults have been helped by the extraordinary music therapy work carried out by Nordoff-Robbins.
The BRITs Committee 2012
The steering group that puts the show together, is made up of: David Joseph, Chairman (Universal Music), Jason Iley (Universal Music), Miles Leonard (EMI), Christian Tattersfield (Warners), Mike Smith (Sony Music), Ben Beardsworth (XL Recordings), Geoff Taylor (BPI) and Maggie Crowe (BRIT Awards Ltd), Adrian Carter (BRIT Awards Ltd), Mark Fletcher (BPI), John Kaye Cooper (ITV), Suzi Aplin (BRITs TV Exec Producer), Craig Gledhill (BRITs TV Producer), Stuart Bell/Richard Dawes (DawBell PR)
ITV
ITV Plc is the UK’s leading advertiser-funded, free-to-air broadcaster and employs almost 4,000 staff worldwide within its Broadcasting, ITV Studios and Online businesses.
ITV’s broadcasting business is made up of ITV1, the UK’s largest commercial TV channel in terms of audience share, and the UK’s leading portfolio of digital channels - ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Annually ITV invests around £1 billion in content for its broadcast channels and its website itv.com.
About MasterCard
MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities - such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances - easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews
About AEG & The O2
AEG is one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. It owns or operates some of the world’s best arenas and theatres, numerous sports franchises including the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and LA Galaxy (MLS), and a collection of companies dedicated to producing, promoting and presenting world-class live entertainment.
In May 2005, AEG Europe announced that it would transform the former Millennium Dome and the surrounding area into the UK’s most exciting and technically advanced music, sport and entertainment destination. It was renamed The O2 and opened in June 2007.
The centrepiece of the multi-million pound development is the 20,000 capacity indoor arena, the most popular music arena in the world. There is also a live music venue – indigO2 - with a capacity of 2,350, The O2 bubble – a state of the art exhibition space that is host to the British Music Experience, a permanent, high-tech, interactive music museum, an 11 screen cinema complex, and a vibrant ‘Entertainment District’ featuring a variety of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The O2 arena sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year (breaking all previous records) – making it the most popular music venue in the world for the third year running.
Since opening The O2 has picked up many industry awards including Venue of the Year at the Music Week Awards, Pollstar International Arena of the Year (3 years running) and Best New Major Concert Venue, Venue of the Year at The Event Services Association and Favourite Venue at the TPI Awards.
In Zone 2 of London’s Underground, The O2 is situated on the Greenwich Peninsula next to the North Greenwich station on the Jubilee Line, which provides direct access to central London in less than twenty minutes. Thames Clippers, fast-speed catamarans run a ferry service from central London to the QEII pier next to the venue every 20 minutes.
The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics hosting both the gymnastic and basketball events.
AEG employs more than 3,000 staff in over 45 operating companies worldwide. Its international head office is in Los Angeles, and its European headquarters is based in London.
Jul
26
26
Charlie Simpson Announces UK Headline Tour
For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit http://www.charliesimpsonmusic.com
Jul
25
25
Hyro Da Hero Headline Tour
Jul
21
21
Follow us on Twitter!
Apr
05
05
Charlie Simpson set to release his debut solo single ‘Down Down Down’ on 16th May
Interlaced with a tender string section and haunting overlaid vocal parts as well as rough and ready guitar ‘Down Down Down’ is a handcrafted triumph setting the tone for the exciting new path that Charlies musical career is about to take.
“I definitely want this to be the first picture people see,” explains Charlie. “A lot of people say, ‘what is your solo stuff like?’ because they don’t really have an idea. I would always play ‘Down Down Down’ to them to show them. It’s a nice representation of what else is to come….”
With Fightstar being on a hiatus to allow Charlie to focus on this, ‘Down Down Down’ is the first single to be taken from his forthcoming debut solo album, which is set for release Summer 2011. More news to follow!
Mar
16
16
IRON MAIDEN RELEASE ‘FROM FEAR TO ETERNITY’ Best Of 1990-2010
‘FROM FEAR TO ETERNITY: THE BEST OF 1990-2010’ ON MAY 23RD 2011
EMI are proud to announce the release of ‘From Fear To Eternity: The Best Of 1990-2010’. A double-CD set spanning twenty years this follows the huge success of 2010’s studio album ‘The Final Frontier’ which hit the number one spot in 28 countries around the world. It also became the band’s highest-charting album in the USA where Iron Maiden have just been awarded their first Grammy for Best Metal Performance, for the song ‘El Dorado’, taken from ‘The Final Frontier’ album, and which is included in this selection.
Iron Maiden’s current phenomenal global success has seen the band not only scale new-found heights aided by their unique method of touring, using a customized Boeing 757 - named Ed Force One by their fans - to transport band, crew and all their equipment round the world to many new places, but has meant their ever-expanding fanbase now encompasses a brand new generation of metal lovers. ‘From Fear To Eternity’ is a chance for these new fans of the band to explore Iron Maiden’s rich history, with the highlights of their last eight studio albums distilled into this handy collection, which follows 2009’s compilation of their earlier work, the 1980-1990 ‘Somewhere Back In Time’ album.
Perennial favourites to be found on this album include songs also featured in Maiden’s current ‘The Final Frontier World Tour’ set list; tracks such as ‘Fear Of The Dark’, ‘The Wicker Man’, ‘Blood Brothers’ and ’Dance Of Death’ sit alongside recent classics ‘El Dorado’ and the hauntingly evocative ‘When The Wild Wind Blows’. It also include singles like ‘Holy Smoke’ and ‘Be Quick Or Be Dead’ together with more progressive thought-provoking album tracks like ‘Afraid To Shoot Strangers’ and ‘For The Greater Good Of God’. This new collection charts the musical development of Britain’s most successful metal band as they have evolved their sound, producing longer, more complex songs, gaining huge critical acclaim in the process. Featuring many of the epics for which the band has become renowned, it is accordingly released as a double-CD, but will retail for the price of a single album.
The full tracklisting for the CD album* is as follows:
DISC 1
1. The Wicker Man 4.36
2. Holy Smoke 3.49
3. El Dorado 6:49
4. Paschendale 8.28
5. Different World 4.19
6. Man On The Edge (LIVE) 4.40
7. The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg 7.22
8. Blood Brothers 7.14
9. Rainmaker 3.49
10. Sign of the Cross (LIVE) 10.49
11. Brave New World 6.19
12. Fear Of The Dark (LIVE) 7.41
DISC 2
1. Be Quick Or Be Dead 3.24
2. Tailgunner 4.15
3. No More Lies 7.22
4. Coming Home 5.52
5. The Clansman (LIVE) 9.06
6. For the Greater Good of God 9.25
7. These Colours Don't Run) 6.52
8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter 4.44
9. Afraid to Shoot Strangers 6.57
10. Dance of Death 8.36
11. When the Wild Wind Blows 11.02
*It will also be made available as a Digital Download Album and as a Limited Edition Triple Vinyl Picture Disc.
Iron Maiden’s 2011 The Final Frontier Tour is currently underway in an Around The World In 66 Days odyssey aboard Ed Force One, piloted by lead singer and qualified airline captain Bruce Dickinson. Having recently completed a series of shows in Australia and first-ever visits to Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea, they are now on their way to Mexico for concerts in Monterrey and Mexico City. After this they will play shows right across South America, including Argentina and Chile where both shows will be filmed for inclusion in a DVD to be released later this year.
Says bassist and founder member Steve Harris, “The tour has been amazing so far and we’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction from our fans everywhere. We are now on our way to Mexico and South America which the whole band is very excited about! We really enjoy playing there as the fans are so passionate and we always feel a huge responsibility to put on the best show we possibly can for them. For this tour we have a great set list, a brand new stage show, and of course Eddie!. This leg of the tour ends with two shows in Florida in April, which is another favourite place for us to play, then we’ll be taking a short break before a series of Summer headline Festival and Stadium shows in Europe, finishing up with our first UK Arena tour in many years. It’s a great way to round off what has been an incredible time for Maiden these last few years. We are really looking forward to seeing all our loyal fans again and welcoming all the new ones! ”
FOR FULL TOUR DATES AND ALL INFO VISIT http://WWW.IRONMAIDEN.COM
Feb
14
14
IRON MAIDEN WIN GRAMMY
The album, which went straight to no.1 in 28 countries worldwide, was also the band's highest-charting album in the US, debuting at no.4 in August 2010.
Iron Maiden have just kicked off their 2011 Final Frontier World Tour in Moscow, flying 50,000 miles to circumnavigate the Globe in 66 days on their customised Boeing 757 Ed Force One carrying band, crew and over ten tons of stage equipment. The next stop is Singapore on Tuesday. This will be their first-ever show in the country, playing to a sold-out crowd of 12,000 expectant fans. This is followed by debut performances in both Indonesia and South Korea, Australia's Soundwave Festivals, Japan and stadiums around Latin America before finishing with two shows in Florida. On this leg of the tour alone Maiden will play to over three quarters of a million fans.
The tour will continue to the UK and much of the rest of Europe in the summer, check out dates and news over at; http://www.ironmaiden.com
Jul
26
26
MAIDEN ANNOUNCE RELEASE DATE, ARTWORK AND TRACKLISTING FOR NEW ALBUM “THE FINAL FRONTIER”
Singer Bruce Dickinson explains: “‘El Dorado’ is a preview of the forthcoming studio album. As we will be including it in the set of our Final Frontier World Tour (which opens in Dallas On 9th June - full dates below) we thought it would be great to thank all our fans and get them into The Final Frontier mood by giving them this song up front of the tour and album release.”
The band reunited with long-time Maiden producer Kevin “Caveman” Shirley in early 2010 at Compass Point Studios, Nassau to record the album and then moved to LA to finish the recording and do the mixing. Compass Point Studio is very familiar to the band, it was where they recorded the Piece Of Mind (’83), Powerslave (’84) and Somewhere In Time (’86) albums.
Bruce comments: “The studio had the same vibe and it was EXACTLY as it had been in 1983, NOTHING had changed! Even down to the broken shutter in the corner...same carpet....everything... It was really quite spooky. But we felt very relaxed in such a familiar and well-trodden environment and I think this shows in the playing and the atmosphere of the album”
Thirty years on from their eponymous debut album in April 1980, The Final Frontier will be Maiden’s 15th studio album, making a remarkable average of a new album every two years for 30 years and totalling over 80 million album sales during this period.
The full tracklisting for the album (total running time 76:35) is:
THE FINAL FRONTIER
1. Satellite 15.....The Final Frontier 8:40
2. El Dorado 6:49
3. Mother Of Mercy 5:20
4. Coming Home 5:52
5. The Alchemist 4:29
6. Isle Of Avalon 9:06
7. Starblind 7:48
8. The Talisman 9:03
9. The Man Who Would Be King 8:28
10. When The Wild Wind Blows 10:59
The Final Frontier World Tour begins in Dallas on June 9th with 25 shows in major cities across the USA and Canada, playing to an expected 350,000 fans or more. Following this the tour will ship over to Europe starting in Dublin on July 30 and playing a few selected major festivals and stadiums, finishing in Valencia, Spain, on Aug 21 and including a concert in Transylvania.
Says bass player and founder member Steve Harris: “We’re hugely excited about this tour. I think the fans will really like the brand new stage production and lights and we will also be debuting one of the new album tracks, ‘El Dorado’. Our Texan fans will be the very first people anywhere to hear it live, so it will be interesting to see their reaction and how it goes down with the crowd on the night! Eddie has changed a bit for this tour but is possibly the most outrageous one to date...I can’t say too much about him as don’t want to spoil the surprise but I guarantee he will scare the hell out of you !”
The full list of dates for the First Leg are:
JUNE
Wed 9 US Dallas, TX Superpages.Com Center
Fri 11 US Houston, TX Cynthia Mitchell Pavilion Woodlands
Sat 12 US San Antonio TX AT&T Center
Mon 14 US Denver CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre
Wed 16 US Albuquerque The Pavilion
Thu 17 US Phoenix AZ Cricket Wireless Pavilion
Sat 19 US San Bernardino CA, San Manuel Amphitheatre
Sun 20 US Concord CA, Sleep Train Pavilion
Tue 22 US Auburn WA, White River Amphitheater
Thu 24 CAN Vancouver BC, GM Place
Sat 26 CAN Edmonton AB Rexall Place
Sun 27 CAN Calgary, AB Saddledome
Tue 29 CAN Saskatoon SK Credit Union Centre
Wed 30 CAN Winnipeg MB, MTS Center
JULY
Sat 3 CAN Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheatre
Tues 6 CAN Ottawa, ON, Cisco Blues Festival
Wed 7 CAN Montreal QC Bell Centre
Fri 9 CAN Quebec, QC Summer Festival
Sun 11 US Holmdel NJ, PNC
Mon 12 US New York NY, Madison Square Garden
Wed 14 US Pittsburgh PA First Niagara Pavilion
Thu 15 US Cleveland OH, Blossom Music Center
Sat 17 US Detroit MI, DTE Music Theatre
Sun 18 US Chicago IL, First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Tue 20 US Washington DC, Jiffy Lube Live
Fri 30 IRELAND, Dublin, The O2
AUG
Sun 1 UK Knebworth, Sonisphere Festival,
Thu 5 GERMANY Wacken Festival
Sat 7 SWEDEN Stockholm Stora Skuggan Sonisphere Festival
Sun 8 FINLAND Pori Kirjurinluoto Sonisphere Festival
Wed 11 NORWAY Bergenhus Festning Koengen
Sat 14 HUNGARY Sziget Festival
Sun 15 TRANSYLVANIA Cluj, Polux Mall
Tue 17 ITALY Villa Manin Codroipe, Nr Udine
Thu 19 BELGIUM Pukkelpop Festival
Sat 21 SPAIN Valencia Auditorio Marina Sur
For all the latest information on the tour and for ticket availability please go to http://www.ironmaiden.com
Jan
26
26
FIGHTSTAR RELEASE ‘BE HUMAN’ DELUXE EDITION CD/DVD ON MARCH 1ST 2010
The recording of “be human” was self-funded and saw the band collaborating with renowned arranger Audrey Riley (Coldplay, Muse), featuring a 22-piece string section recorded at George Martin’s legendary Air Studios. Released in April 2009, the album became their most successful release to date.
Now, as a thanks to their fans and to tie in with their forthcoming tour, the MTV Presents show at Dingwalls on March 4th, and an appearance on Channel 5’s Gadget Show, the band will be releasing a CD/DVD deluxe version of the album limited to 5,000 copies.
“be human” deluxe ltd edition will have all new artwork, and includes FIVE new tracks plus a live DVD entitled ‘Fightstar: Unplugged at the PictureDrome’. It is due to be released on March 1st 2010. The extra tracks are:
“A City On Fire” (the physical launch of the band’s recent single); “28k Resolution”; “It’s Blood Is Black”; Mvua Nyeusi” plus the track “Battlefield” which will be exclusive to the iTunes version. “Battlefied”, a Jordin Sparks cover, was recorded for Jo Whiley’s Live Lounge last year and made it to the semi finals in the competition for best cover version at Christmas.
The DVD “Fightstar Unplugged at The PictureDrome” was filmed on December 13th 09 at Northampton’s PictureDrome venue. The songs featured are:
1. Palahniuk’s Laughter
2. 99
3. The English Way
4. Our Last Common Ancestor
5. Sleep Well Tonight
6. Battlefield (Jordin Sparks cover)
7. Vincent (Don McLean cover)
8. Cross Out The Stars
The DVD also features videos for the singles “The English Way”, “Mercury Summer”, “Never Change” and “A City On Fire” as well as exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews.
Fightstar set out on another tour in February:
Mon 8th Cardiff - Millenium Music Hall
Tue 9th Brighton - Concorde 2
Wed 10th Wolvehampton - Wulfrun Hall
Fri 12th Sheffield - Corporation
Sat 13th Edinburgh - Studio 24
Sun 14th Liverpool - Academy 2
Tue 16th Norwich - Waterfront
Wed 17th London - Heaven
Fri 19th Brussels - VK Club /Joint headline with INME
Sat 20th Amsterdam - Sugar Factory
Sun 21st Berlin - Luxor
Tues 23rd Cologne - Blue Shell
Wed 24th Paris - Fleche D’Or
Check out the band on http://www.myspace.com/fightstarmusic or http://www.fightstarmusic.com
Jan
26
26
ALL TIME LOW HEADLINING KERRANG! RELENTLESS TOUR 2010 - JANUARY 2010 – NOW SOLD OUT
The bands lightning ascent is set to carry on with the imminent release of next single “Lost In Stereo”. Another classic slice of punk rock with pop sensibilities, the track has one of the catchiest choruses and an equally impressive video. The track is classic All Time Low – driving rhythms overlaid with punchy guitars and the powerful, infectious vocal melodies of singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth. The band – completed by Jack Barakat (guitar), Zack Merrick (bass) and Ryan Dawson (drums) are set to become one of the pop rock acts of 2010 – and in “Nothing Personal” they have a diverse album that delivers twelve pop rock songs of the highest quality.
All Time Low released their debut album “So Wrong, It’s Right” is late 2007 to critical and commercial acclaim worldwide. As UK born singer/guitarist Alex Gaskarth explained at the time “We’re proud of who we are, and we’re trying to take pop-punk back to where it used to be: a place that’s about having fun, being positive and building a community.”
All Time Low are an established live act having toured with the likes of Fall Out Boy, Cute Is What We Aim For, Sugarcult and Plain White T’s amongst others. 2008 saw the band on the 44 date Alternative Press Tour in the USA and also a full UK tour (including performances at Give It A Name festival and Reading/Leeds festivals in 2008). The band’s Sept/Oct tour of the UK sold out and the band have just announced as headliners on the forthcoming Kerrang! Relentless Tour 2010 alongside The Blackout, Young Guns and My Passion. Full dates for what promises to be one of the tours of 2010 are a follows:
January 2010
Sat 23rd Dublin, Academy
Sun 24th Dublin, Academy
Mon 25th Southampton, Guildhall
Tues 26th Bristol, O2 Academy
Wed 27th Norwich, UEA
Fri 29th Cardiff, Cardiff University
Sat 30th Birmingham, O2 Academy
Sun 31st Leeds, Academy
February 2010
Mon 1st Glasgow, Academy
Wed 3rd Newcastle, Academy
Thurs 4th Manchester, Academy
Fri 5th London, Roundhouse
Sat 6th London Roundhouse
The album “Nothing Personal” is out now. A single “Lost In Stereo)” is released on the 5th April 2010. Hopeless Records are distributed in the UK through ADA.
http://www.myspace.com/alltimelow
Jan
26
26
BLOOD RED SHOES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM & SINGLE DETAILS
SINGLE “LIGHT IT UP” FEBRUARY 22ND 2010
V2/CO-OP
Blood Red Shoes know you don’t need a whole string section to denote ‘emotional’, or a whole horn section to do ‘rousing’. They know rock music doesn’t need to be smothered in effects or laced with devious studio tricks to make an impact. There is another way, a way to make music that really resonates. It involves boiling songs down to their essence – just raw guitar riffs and drum hits presented crisp and unadorned.
‘Fire Like This’ is both a progression and a paring down, a record that sees Blood Red Shoes – vocalist/guitarist Laura-Mary Carter and vocalist/drummer Steven Ansell – getting back to their DIY/punk roots. Like its predecessor, 2008’s bright, propulsive ‘Box Of Secrets’, it was recorded with producer Mike Crossey, using the facilities of his new Liverpool studio The Motor Museum. This time, though, things would be different. Recording to analogue tape with the bare minimum of guitar or vocal overdubs, Blood Red Shoes’ second album slices away a lot of the gloss in favour of a gutsy, raw and more intense sound.
Intensity is the word. ‘Fire Like This’ is simply exceptional rock music, steeped in a knowledge of your alt-rock staples – Nirvana, Babes In Toyland, Drive Like Jehu – but with its own fingerprint. ‘Don’t Ask’ and ‘Count Me Out’ harness scything guitars and loud-quiet dynamics like they never went out of fashion. But there’s more ambitious fare here, too. Take dramatic seven-minute closer ‘Colours Fade’, originally released as a free download from their website– or the tender, fraught ‘When We Wake’, a sombre mediation on mortality that nonetheless burns with hot emotional force. “In the end is this all we can ask for?” breathes Laura-Mary, as Steven’s drums patter with a quiet intensity.
This is not your typical rock fare, but Blood Red Shoes thrive on such paradox. This, remember, is a band just as comfortable supporting Rage Against The Machine in front of 30,000 Parisians as they are rocking up at a benefit gig for Shelter or Love Music Hate Racism just because, you know, it matters.
The bulk of the Brighton duos second album was road-tested and honed on long tours throughout 2008 and 2009, tours plotted with an ambition and persistence that would shame many of Blood Red Shoes’ British peers. It’s also won them an international fanbase that’s the envy of their contemporaries.
Steven Ansell says of their sophomore album:
“We wanted to make a record that's heavier and more adventurous than the first album and ended up with something that feels a lot darker and eerie. It has more complex song structures and intricate guitar parts than before. We really tried to push ourselves as vocalists and not hide behind lots of overdubs, I think because of that it's more personal and more real too."
Blood Red Shoes will tour their second album this March, dates in support of the release are below. The single ‘Light It Up’ will be released a week prior to ‘Fire Like This’ on February 22nd.
MARCH 2010
Tues 2nd Birmingham, 02 Academy 3 http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
Weds 3rd Nottingham, Rescue Rooms http://www.seetickets.com/
Thurs 4th Bristol, Thekla http://www.seetickets.com/
Fri 5th Brighton, Komedia http://www.wegottickets.com/event/66111
Sat 6th Leeds, Cockpit https://www.lunatickets.co.uk/
Mon 8th Edinburgh, Electric Circus http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
Tues 9th Dundee, Doghouse http://www.gigsinscotland.com/
Wed 10th Glasgow, King Tuts http://www.gigsinscotland.com/
Thurs 11th Newcastle, 02 Academy 2 http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
Fri 12th Manchester, Academy 3 http://www.seetickets.com/
Sat 13th London, Garage http://www.seetickets.com/
http://www.bloodredshoes.co.uk
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