Updated/rescheduled shows announcement: A staple of MTV back in the day, via a string of #1 hits in the USA, The Fixx will embark on a run of UK shows in May 2025 rescheduled from December 2024. The band played a show in London earlier this year, (2024) and things went so well that they’re back for more. The Fixx still features their classic 80s line-up, and the dates are on sale now

Mark Eitzel will return to Europe in early 2025 for a run of shows set to include multiple UK dates. Eitzel has an extensive body of work to call on as a solo artist and frontman of American Music Club. It will be his first European tour in eight years. The songwriter will be playing solo acoustic shows with two full band shows (London/Hassocks) to conclude the run of dates. More about Mark Eitzel and those all-important ticketing links follow:

Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis, and Karine Polwart have announced the release of their new album Looking For The Thread (Thirty Tigers) on January 24; an exciting debut collaboration from the trio. The full press release below digs deep into the project’s genesis and includes the first single from the album ‘Hold Everything’ plus details of a not-to-be-missed run of UK shows set for March 2025.

With a solid decade of hard work and long road miles under their belts, Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will return to the UK in February 2025 for a run of headline shows in support of their fourth album, ‘Broken Hearted Blue’, which was released in June 2024 (Fluff And Gravy Records). Word continues to spread about Jenny Don’t and the Spurs and their particular brand of country music influenced by their roots in the garage and punk scenes. More about the band and those all-important tour dates follow:

Toto aka The Dogz of Oz will return to the UK in February 2025 for four arena shows as part of a European run that will see the legendary band visit ten further European countries. The band has dates in Glasgow, London, Birmingham and Manchester and tickets are available for general sale this Friday the 13th. So hopefully none of you are superstitious. More great news, Christopher Cross is the special guest on this European run of dates. More details including dates and ticket links follow:

Lyle Lovett will be honoured at the UK Americana Awards on Thursday, 23 January, at Hackney Church, where he will receive the International Trailblazer Award. The Texas-born Grammy award-winning singer will also squeeze in a short run of live dates, including Celtic Connections and two shows at London’s Cadogan Hall accompanied by his Acoustic Group. More about Lyle Lovett, the UK Americana Awards and those highly anticipated tour dates follow:

Sunny Sweeney recently released a 10th-anniversary reimagining of her 2014 album ‘Provoked’ via Thirty Tigers. ‘Still Provoked’ features new versions of all thirteen tracks on the original release plus two new songs and is available for the first time on vinyl as a limited edition 2LP set alongside CD and Digital. Sunny will return to the UK in November for a ten-date tour. Please read on for more about Sunny Sweeney, the visualizers for ‘My Own Lane’ and ‘My Bed’ (featuring Will Hoge') plus those tour dates.

Following the success of his 2022 album ‘Ride’ and equally well-received UK dates in 2023, Walter Trout has a new album ‘Broken’ set for release on March 1st via Provogue / Mascot Label Group featuring appearances from Beth Hart, Twisted Sister's Dee Snider and Harmonica virtuoso Will Wilde. In support of the album, Walter will return to the UK for a run of shows, including a return to Islington Assembly Hall in London, where he played a blinder of a show on his last visit. Full tour details and the video for ‘Broken’ featuring Beth Hart follow:

In recent weeks, many artists have been forced to cancel tour dates, big and small, as the financial demands on us all prove insurmountable. Unfortunately, a night out at a gig is a special occasion and rarely, if ever, inexpensive. Ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett is bucking the trend with his Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo Tour as 10 shows of the 16-date UK tour in October are SOLD OUT with limited ticket availability for the remaining shows. More about the tour, Steve Hackett and the announcement of special guests follow:

Singer-songwriter Hannah Scott embarks on an extensive UK tour tonight (Sept, 21st) at Faringdon Corn Exchange. The dates coincide with the album ‘Absence Of Doubt’ set for release on October 25th. More about Hannah Scott follows including a full list of dates and ‘Broken Homes’ the latest single from the album.

Sean Taylor recently embarked on an extensive tour that will keep him busy into the long, dark winter nights. The shows are in support of his upcoming The End Of The Rainbow album, set for release on September 13th, 2024. The run of shows includes an album launch night at London’s Betsey Trotwood to coincide on September 12th. The latest single from the album ‘Only Beauty Can Save The World’ is available now.

The Long Road festival has announced the one and only Don McLean will headline the Saturday night of the 2024 festival. The legendary singer/songwriter is at the forefront of a host of new additions to the festival announced today including a first-ever UK show from Paula Cole alongside Ron Pope, Alan Power & the Take Twos, Brooke Eden, Dylan LeBlanc, Gangstagrass, Katie Pruitt, The National Parks, Scott Matthews, Georgia Van Etten, Toby Sebastian, Jess Williamson, The Deep Blue and more joining an already stacked line-up featuring Russell Dickerson, The Red Clay Strays, Randall King, Drew Holcomb, Morganway, American Aquarium, Chapel Hart and many, many more. The full press release follows with all the info you’ll need for a fantastic weekend of great music.

No stranger to our shores, Toronto-based singer and songwriter Julian Taylor returns to the UK for a run of shows kicking off in Shoreham-By-Sea on August 22nd. The dates are in support of his upcoming album Pathways, which is set for release on 27th September 2024 via his Howling Turtle, Inc. label, and include shows at The Long Road festival and London’s Water Rats. A full list of dates and a little more about Julian Taylor, including a link to the title track featuring Allison Russell follow:

A double dose of good news regarding Mobile, Alabama’s The Red Clay Strays as they announce their first-ever visit to the UK and a physical release for their excellent ‘Moment Of Truth’ album. Already making waves on the other side of the pond, ‘Moment Of Truth’ will see a physical release on May 3rd, with UK fans able to order an exclusive limited edition transparent Root Beer colour vinyl alongside the standard Seagrass vinyl pressing on sale worldwide. The other good, make that great, news is the band will be playing a short run of UK shows in August, culminating in a slot at The Long Road Festival on August 24th. The full press release, full tour details and more follow:

Acclaimed US singer-songwriter Amigo The Devil (aka Danny Kiranos) recently announced a string of UK and Irish dates in support of his third album ‘Yours Until The War Is Over’. The force of nature that is Amigo The Devil is an impressive experience in a live setting so I’d urge you to get along to a show if possible. Full tour details and a little more about Amigo The Devil and the album follows:

The press release claims The Hot Damn! are effervescent, and that seems to be a very accurate description of a band that is the musical equivalent of a well-shaken bottle of pop primed to explode. With a string of ultra-catchy tunes delivered with infectious enthusiasm, fine playing and spot-on vocal harmonies, their debut album ‘Dancing on the Milky Way’, set for Friday 27th September 2024, via Fat Earth Records, should be on your musical radar. The Hot Damn! also have a new deal in place with global booking agency Echelon Talent so 2024 looks like being a busy year. To coincide with the headline tour announcement (full details below), check out an acoustic take on fan favourite ‘Loud and Clear’.

Robin Trower will return to UK stages in May 2024 for a select run of shows taking in London, Gateshead and Holmfirth. It’s been six years since Robin Trower last played in the UK, but the iconic guitarist has certainly been keeping busy. Recent album releases include the United State Of Mind project with Maxi Priest and Livingstone Brown and three albums in four years on the Provogue label, including his most recent ‘Joyful Sky’ with vocalist Sari Schorr. It’s hard to believe that Robin Trower first came to prominence with Procol Harum in 1967 and was selling out stadiums in the USA with his solo band in the 1970s. More about Robin Trower and those tour dates follow:

To coincide with the release of his latest album ‘Ship To Shore’, due May 31st via New West Records, highly acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist Richard Thompson will embark on a full-band UK tour commencing May 25th in Cambridge and concluding on June 8th at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall The UK dates will be followed by a run of solo/with friends shows in the USA with further touring plans stretching into 2025. Full tour dates and much more about ‘Ship To Shore’, including the latest song taken from the album ‘Freeze’ follow:

Glen Hansard has announced a solo acoustic UK tour for April 2024 set to include two shows at Union Chapel in London. Tickets are on sale from 10am on Friday December 8th 2023

Tom Heyman will bring a slice of San Francisco to the UK in March when the US singer-songwriter visits our shores for a run of dates opening for Dan Stuart of Green On Red fame that will crisscross the country and include two London shows. Tom is promoting his recent ‘24th Street Blues’ release, an album rooted in the sounds and the people that inhabit the city he calls home. Following on from his run of shows with Dan Stuart, Tom will squeeze in a special in-the-round songwriters show with Our Man In The Field and Michele Stodart at London’s Green Note on March 24th. Tom Heyman is a seasoned performer, and ‘24th Street Blues’ is his sixth solo album while still being an in-demand guitarist and pedal steel player with many artists, including Hiss Golden Messenger and Chuck Prophet. Tour dates and much more about Tom Heyman follow:

Justin Hayward, the voice of The Moody Blues, has announced The Blue World Tour for March 2024. Justin is, once again, joined by guitarist Mike Dawes, Julie Ragins and Karmen Gould. I was lucky enough to catch the quartet on their last UK tour and thoroughly enjoyed the evening despite being a relative newbie to Justin’s work beyond the obvious hits. Please read on for more about Justin, the tour and ticketing details (Updated December 8th 2023).

Connor Selby has enjoyed a terrific 2023 and 2024 looks to be shaping up equally well. The on-the-rise blues singer and guitarist is set to open for Joanne Shaw Taylor on a run of shows through the Netherlands and the UK in February 2024. Connor continues to support his self-titled album voted a Top 10 Blues Album of the Year by Mojo Magazine. More about Connor Selby and Joanne Shaw Taylor follows:

Looking for an opportunity to blow off any lingering seasonal fatigue and get back in the rock n’ roll saddle? Buckcherry return to the UK for a run of dates kicking off tonight, January 23rd, at Thekla in Bristol. The US rockers have UK classic rock act The Treatment and, from Boston, Massachusetts, Rubikon along for the ride. Tour details and more follow:

Alex Ellis, aka Our Man In The Field, released his excellent second album ‘Gold On The Horizon’ in November 2023 to universal acclaim. RGM was lucky enough to get along to a launch show at London’s Slaughtered Lamb to coincide with the release and left highly impressed by a superb set of songs delivered beautifully by Alex and his band with unhurried, understated grace. I’m pleased to report that OMITF will be playing selected shows in January, commencing at London’s Green Note on the 14th, before embarking on a longer run of dates in February. Full tour details follow:

To mark the occasion of the reissue of three albums on vinyl for the first time, as well as 24-page CD book packaging, The Unthanks will perform a pair of one-of-a-kind concerts (two-of-a-kind?) in Gateshead on September 9th and the Barbican in London the following day. Tickets for both shows go on sale at 10 AM on Friday, April 7th, for an event no fan of the duo will want to miss. Full details of the various ticketing possibilities follow, including more about the albums, special guests etc.

Over the last few months, Jill Andrews has been drip-feeding us tracks from her upcoming ‘Modern Age’ album due August 18th On Vulture Vulture/Tone Tree Music. The latest single is the gorgeously melancholic ‘Better Life’. Lush, yet intimate, ‘Better Life’ is probably my favourite of the four singles released from the album thus far, and it had to beat some pretty stiff competition to win that accolade. One listen to the sublime blend of Jill and Becca Mancari’s vocals as the song closes is all you need. Jill will make a flying visit to the UK for The Long Road Festival in August before returning for a full tour in September. More about the single, the tour and Jill follows:

The Long Road Festival returns to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire for an event that is now an essential part of the UK summer for fans of all things Country, Roots and Americana. The first set of artists announced for August 25-27th is an impressive mix of big names, rising stars and a wide range of talented newcomers. Jon Pardi making his UK debut is a coup, while Blackberry Smoke are guaranteed to rock late into the Leicestershire night. Scratching the surface of the initial batch of artists, you will find Breland, Margo Price, Tenille Townes and Nickel Creek, highlighting the sheer range and variety of music waiting to be discovered. Tier 4 Tickets are on sale from Friday, March 3rd, so please read on for more about the festival, the artists and ticketing links.

Tenille Arts will return to the UK in August for a performance at The Long Road festival, but it gets even better for fans of Tenille and country music in general. The Canadian singer-songwriter has also squeezed in a trio of shows co-headlining with Caylee Hammack including a London show at Lafayette. Tickets for the tour will be available to purchase tomorrow (Friday, 14th July) at 10am BST here, and her full UK dates can be found below.

The 2023 edition of the Cambridge Folk Festival features a typically eclectic range of artists. If you’ve a pre-conceived idea of what constitutes “folk”, then Cambridge in late July will surely open your eyes and ears to a wide range of sounds from all parts of the globe. From stalwarts of the festival such as Kate Rusby and Eliza Carthy to progressive rap collective Arrested Development. Not convinced? How about Hollywood actor turned highly impressive singer/songwriter Kiefer Sutherland or the more home-spun silver screen success of Fisherman’s Friends. More info about the festival and the artists follows, including ticketing details:

Australian trio Sons Of The East recently kicked off a European tour in the Faroe Islands with UK dates commencing on July 18th and festival appearances to follow, including The Long Road Festival and Latitude. To coincide with the dates, an excellent new single, ‘Hard To Tell’ is available now, which is sure to please fans of their debut album ‘Palomar Parade’ (40 million streams and counting). More about Sons Of The East, the video for ‘Hard To Tell, and those all-important tour dates follow: