Rhodes Media Blogs

James are delighted to announce a massive outdoor show at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer.

The Manchester indie legends – who release their new single Beautiful Beaches today and eagerly-awaited new album All The Colours Of You on June 4 – will bring their sensational live show to the UK’s largest open-air arena on Thursday September 9.

Tickets go on sale at 9am Friday April 23 via scarboroughopenairtheatre.com

This will be the third time James – who gave the world such timeless anthems as Sit Down, Born of Frustration, She’s A Star and Come Home – have headlined Scarborough OAT after amazing shows at the Yorkshire coast venue in 2015 and 2018.

Bassist Jim Glennie said: “We always have a great night there – even back in the days when you had to cross the old moat to get to the audience! We are looking forward to another very special night on the Yorkshire coast.”

James have sold more than 25 million records worldwide over the past 30 years – gaining both critical and commercial acclaim. Their enduring creativity and musical legacy has made them one of the most influential British bands of the last four decades.

They continue to be a huge live draw, headlining festivals and recently selling 60,000 tickets for their 2021 UK arena tour – their fastest selling tour ever.

Scarborough OAT venue programmer Peter Taylor said: “We are absolutely delighted James are returning to Scarborough OAT this summer.

“They continue to be one of the UK’s most relevant and influential bands – pioneers of the Manchester music scene since the 1980s – and a must-see live act. Roll on September 9… it’s going to be an amazing night!”

New single Beautiful Beaches was written by Tim Booth in response to climate change migrations and the subsequent increasingly regular Californian fires bringing devastation to his community.

All The Colours Of You – James’ 16^th studio album – follows the release of LIVE In Extraordinary Times, a live recorded collection of their last studio album Living In Extraordinary Times.

Recorded in part before the Covid pandemic struck, All The Colours Of You was produced by the Grammy award-winning Jacknife Lee (U2, REM, Taylor Swift, Snow Patrol, The Killers).

On production duties with James for the first time, he bought a fresh approach to their sound, working remotely from his studio liaising with them, reimagining their demos, and capturing a band in all their virtual glory.

The result is a record with the freshest and festival-ready tracks of James’ 38-year career. It is the sound of one of Britain’s best bands, deconstructed and reassembled by one of the world’s most renowned producers

West End and Broadway sensation Marisha Wallace is delighted to confirm she is adding a new date to her 2021 UK Tour.

The musical powerhouse – who recently released her debut Decca album ‘Tomorrow’ to widespread acclaim – will bring her unmissable live solo show to Southampton’s MAST Mayflower Studios on Sunday October 3.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday April 22 via cuffeandtaylor.com

Marisha, who is gearing up to star alongside Michael Ball in the all-new West End production of Hairspray this summer, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to confirm I will be bringing my all-new UK Tour to Southampton this October.

“The thing I have missed the most in the last year is performing in front of a live audience so it will be wonderful to get back on stage and do what I love the most.

“The response to my album has been simply incredible and I am so looking forward to singing it live on this tour alongside many songs from stage shows audiences know and love. So, what are you waiting for… go get your tickets now!”

MARISHA WALLACE – AUTUMN 2021 TOUR:

SEP 24           ILKLEY                      KING’S HALL

SEP 27           LONDON                   ARTS THEATRE

SEP 30           ABERYSTWYTH    ARTS CENTRE

OCT 1             CARDIFF                  ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA (DORA STOUTZKER HALL)

OCT 2             BIRMINGHAM          HIPPODROME (PATRICK STUDIO)

OCT 3             SOUTHAMPTON    MAST MAYFLOWER STUDIOS

OCT 6             LYTHAM                   LOWTHER PAVILION

UK audiences have taken Marisha to their hearts ever since the girl who grew up on a North Carolina farm arrived in London’s West End to take on the iconic role of Effie White in Dreamgirls.

With a sensational voice that is guaranteed to bring a chill to your spine and a tear to your eye – her awe-inspiring rendition of ‘And I Am Telling You…’ quite simply has to be seen and heard to be believed – Marisha proves she is more than a singer, more than a performer, she is an inspiration.

Her Decca debut ‘Tomorrow’ – which was BBC Radio 2’s ‘Album of the Week’ on its release – is a stunning collection of songs delivered by a true voice of our time.

The album includes the barnstorming hit singles ‘Faith’ ‘Alive’ and ‘Before I Go’ alongside Marisha’s own phenomenal renditions of ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Climb Every Mountain’ and ‘The Show Must Go On’ on which she duets with Michael Ball.

Marisha felt passionately there should be strong female representation on the album and all original tracks are written by women. ‘Free’ is written by JinJin (Little Mix, Paloma Faith), ‘Divine’ by Camille Purcell (Jess Glynne, Little Mix) and ‘Faith’ by Natasha Bedingfield.

Although the lockdown has meant theatres have remain closed, Marisha has won many plaudits for her recent televised live performances at the Royal Variety Performance, Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Dancing On Ice.

Craig McGown is back with his stunning new single I Want You – the exquisite third instalment of a mesmerising dark electro pop trilogy.

Following his haunting lo-fi debut Moonbeam and the soaring sonic brilliance of radio-hit follow-up Parallels, this wondrous new single cements a musical re-awakening for the Glasgow singer-songwriter.

I Want You is released on all DSPs on Friday April 23.

It’s true Lockdown has done strange things to the sanest people – just ask Craig McGown. There he was, happily circumnavigating the world as a hugely respected touring guitarist, and then March 2020… suddenly no more live shows.

Holed up at home and, after tiring of endless home improvement projects, shifts at his local supermarket and countless Zoom nights in, Craig did something he’d never done before – he went and got himself a Roland Juno synth.

This God-like slab of early 80s electronica has been quite simply a game changer for the Bellshill lad raised on such local heroes as Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits and The Soup Dragons.

Craig explained: “I really wanted to try something musically I’d never done before – and that basically meant putting my guitar down.

“The whole process has been really cathartic. For I Want You I wanted to make an 80’s pop song that could’ve been on Giorgio Moroder’s Scarface soundtrack. I know, it’s a big ask, but this is what I came up with and I’m really happy with it.”

After Parallels was picked up and championed by BBC Introducing Scotland, it
is fair to say Craig – a true stalwart of Glasgow’s indie scene – has found himself
re-energised and ready for action.

“A complicated new frontier, the start of something real,” he sings in I Want You – a prophetic line as true for himself as a songwriter in 2021 as it is for his song’s loved-up protagonist.

Is this Synthwave? Is this Retrowave? Who cares?

I Want You is just a damn good pop song that traverses the decades and doffs its cap to OMD, Depeche Mode and New Order through to latter day Arctic Monkeys along the way.

And the great news is it is released to the world on April 23.

FOLLOW CRAIG MCGOWN

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Drag Royalty will Ru-Turn in 2022 for the UK’s biggest ever Drag Race tour and the original 19-date tour has now been extended to 41 dates as shows continue to sell out across the country.

Join all the Series 2 queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for an evening of endless eleganza extravaganza as this brand-new tour takes in theatres and venues across England, Scotland and Wales including four dates at the world-famous London Palladium.

Witness the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent of your favourite queens LIVE on stage as they sashay into a theatre near you.

Tickets are available from www.cuffeandtaylor.com with tickets for the extra and final shows going on sale at 10am on Friday April 9.

Acclaimed for their amazing production values, expect the unexpected in this glittering tour featuring UK Season 2 winner Lawrence Chaney alongside A’Whora, Asttina Mandella, Bimini Bon-Boulash, Cherry Valentine, Ellie Diamond, Ginny Lemon, Joe Black, Sister Sister, Tayce, Tia Kofi and Veronica Green*.

Presented by Werq The World producers Voss Events and creators of Drag Race World of Wonder, in cooperation with Live Nation and Cuffe and Taylor, the extra dates for The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series Two Tour are:

24 MARCH       LONDON PALLADIUM

03 APRIL           SOUTHAMPTON, MAYFLOWER THEATRE

06 APRIL           NOTTINGHAM, ROYAL CONCERT HALL

07 APRIL           NEWCASTLE O2 CITY HALL

08 APRIL           STOCKTON, GLOBE THEATRE

09 APRIL           SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

11 APRIL           OXFORD NEW THEATRE

12 APRIL           SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION

14 APRIL           PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS

15 APRIL           BRIGHTON, THE BRIGHTON CENTRE

16 APRIL           NEWPORT, ICC

17 APRIL           MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

Ben Hatton, Director of Theatre Touring for Cuffe and Taylor, said: “The excitement for this tour is incredible so we have decided to add extra dates across the UK.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is always a huge hit so we look forward to presenting a series of outrageously entertaining shows starring all the queens from Series 2 of Drag Race UK.”

Tickets start at £35 and there are exclusive VIP options where guests can enjoy a private meet and greet with the queens before the show!

Legendary rock band Stereophonics are returning to the Yorkshire coast this summer for a headline show no fan will want to miss.

Widely regarded as one of Britain’s best live acts, the explosive Welsh four-piece will play Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Wednesday July 28.

Tickets go on sale via ticketmaster.co.uk at 9am on Friday April 2.

Stereophonics played a brilliant sold-out show at Scarborough OAT – Britain’s largest open air concert arena – in 2018 and fans have been demanding their return ever since.

Promoter Peter Taylor, of venue programmers Cuffe and Taylor, said: “Stereophonics’ show here at Scarborough OAT in 2018 has to go down as one of the best-ever at the venue. We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming them back this summer for what is going to be another legendary night!”

With almost 30 years under their belt, not to mention seven Number 1 albums and 10 Top 10 singles, it is no wonder Stereophonics are rated as one of the biggest bands to ever come out of the UK.

And with ever-growing legions of fans around the world, the band – founding members Kelly Jones (vocals/guitar) and Richard Jones (bass) together with Adam Zindani (guitar), Jamie Morrison (drums) and long-term touring keyboardist Tony Kirkham – continue to create stunning music.

Their 11th studio album ‘Kind’ was released in 2019 and became the band’s seventh LP to hit the top spot in the UK Album Charts,

Featuring the singles ‘Fly Like an Eagle’, ‘Bust This Town’, ‘Don’t Let The Devil Take Another Day’ and ‘Hungover For You’, ‘Kind’ sublimely added to a brilliant catalogue of work that includes such classics as ‘Local Boy In The Photograph’, ‘The Bartender and the Thief’, ‘Just Looking’, ‘Dakota’, ‘Have A Nice Day’, ‘Maybe Tomorrow’, ‘Mr Writer’ and ‘It Means Nothing’.

Global pop star ANNE-MARIE is heading to the Yorkshire coast this summer for a headline show at the UK’s biggest open-air arena.

The chart-topping singer-songwriter and nine-time BRIT Award nominee will bring her high-octane and empowering brand of pop to Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Sunday August 29.

HRVY,  GRACEY and Samantha Harvey join Anne-Marie on the bill for what promises to be a sensational August Bank Holiday show. Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday April 2 via ticketmaster.co.uk

Anne-Marie’s rise to stardom has been nothing short of meteoric. A former West End child star, she has gone onto become one of the world’s most-loved and successful, pop artists of recent years, with four UK Top 10 singles and 4.5 billion global streams to her name.

A swarm of relatable chart gems – including her breakthrough hit ‘Alarm’, the Number 1 Clean Bandit and Sean Paul smash ‘Rockabye’, and her Ed Sheeran collaboration ‘2002’ – have cemented her place as a ubiquitous, unshakable, and undeniable voice in pop music worldwide.

Last year’s comeback single ‘Birthday’ returned her to the Top 40 before ‘Don’t Play’ – her collaboration with KSI and Digital Farm Animals – hit Number 2 in the UK. Millions recently tuned in to see Anne-Marie’s debut Grand Final win as mentor on ITV’s The Voice.

With more than a billion combined streams to his name and a social media following of 10 million, HRVY has gone from singing in his bedroom to global star since signing his first record deal at just 15-years-old.

Hits like ‘Holiday’, ‘Phobia’, ‘Personal’, ‘Me Because of You’ and ‘Good Vibes’ have led to two sell-out UK and European tours and a new global record deal with BMG.

GRACEY is one of the most-talked about young artists around. A Platinum-selling songwriter since the age of just 16, writing for the likes of Rita Ora, Olly Murs and Kylie, GRACEY’S 2020 breakthrough collaboration with 220 Kid ‘Don’t Need Love’ was a UK Top 10 smash.

Follow-up ‘Empty Love’, a collaboration with Australian singer Ruel, assured her growing popularity before the release of her second EP ‘The Art of Closure’.

Samantha Harvey is a singer, songwriter and one of the UK’s top social media stars. Her singles ‘Forgive Forget’, ‘Please’ and ‘Get to Know You’ have amassed millions of streams and Radio 1 playlisted. On top of her own sold-out UK tour Samantha has supported the likes of Nick Jonas, Craig David and Rita Ora.

This unmissable Scarborough OAT line-up is presented by Cuffe and Taylor. Promoter Peter Taylor said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce a headline show this summer with Anne-Marie, supported by HRVY, GRACEY and Samantha Harvey.

“Anne-Marie has had hits around the world, and we’ve had so many requests to bring her here to Scarborough OAT. This is not only going to be a very popular announcement but one of the must-see shows of the summer.”

Get ready for WonderHall – a brand new six-day live music festival coming to Lancashire’s stunning coast this summer.

Launched by the team behind the hugely popular and successful Lytham Festival, WonderHall will see six nights of live music taking place in the grounds of historic Lytham Hall from Wednesday August 25 to Bank Holiday Monday August 30.

The already announced Lytham Proms concert headlined by celebrated tenor Russell Watson on Sunday August 29 will form part of the WonderHall festival.

The full line-up will include a mix of major headliners and picnic-style concerts with full details and tickets on sale soon.

WonderHall director Peter Taylor said: “We are so incredibly excited to be able to bring live music back to the Lancashire coast for 2021.

“WonderHall is a completely new concept for us and one that we hope will be a great success. Final plans are currently being put in place to bring an exciting and eclectic mix of fantastic headline artists who will appeal across age groups and we can’t wait to announce who they are.”

The announcement comes as the decision was taken to postpone this summer’s Lytham Festival until 2022.

Peter added: “It was with a heavy heart that we had to postpone Lytham Festival but the dates were just too close to the lifting of restrictions. WonderHall will take place almost two months after Lytham Festival was due to be held and gives us the opportunity to host what will be an incredible series of gigs in the picturesque parkland of Lytham Hall.

“Live music brings people together to enjoy some of the best moments of their life and we look forward to welcoming audiences to our very special WonderHall.”

For more details go to www.wonderhall.co.uk

ENDS

Drag Royalty will Ru-Turn in 2022 for the UK’s biggest ever RuPaul tour.

Join the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for an evening of endless eleganza extravaganza as this brand-new tour takes in 19 theatres and venues across England, Scotland and Wales.

Witness the Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent of your favourite queens LIVE on stage as they sashay into a theatre near you.

Tickets go on general sale from www.cuffeandtaylor.com at 10am Friday March 26.

Acclaimed for their amazing production values, expect the unexpected in this glittering tour featuring UK Season 2 Finalists Tayce, Bimini Bon Boulash, Ellie Diamond and Laurence Chaney, along with stars from Drag Race UK.

Presented by Werq The World producers Voss Events and creators of Drag Race World of Wonder, in cooperation with Live Nation and Cuffe and Taylor, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: The Official Tour will visit:

02 FEBRUARY    IPSWICH REGENT THEATRE

04 FEBRUARY    OXFORD NEW THEATRE

05 FEBRUARY    EDINBURGH USHER HALL

06 FEBRUARY    GLASGOW SECC ARMADILLO

07 FEBRUARY     NEWCASTLE O2 CITY HALL

08 FEBRUARY     NOTTINGHAM ROYAL CONCERT HALL

10 FEBRUARY     BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION

11 FEBRUARY    SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION

12 FEBRUARY    MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

14 FEBRUARY    SHEFFIELD CITY HALL

15 FEBRUARY    BLACKPOOL OPERA HOUSE

16 FERUARY       LLANDUDNO VENUE CYMRU

18 FEBRUARY    BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL

19 FEBRUARY    CARDIFF ST DAVID’S HALL

20 FEBRUARY    LIVERPOOL EMPIRE

23 FEBRUARY    BASINGSTOKE ANVIL

24 FEBRUARY    PORTSMOUTH GUILDHALL

26 FEBRUARY    PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS

27 FEBRUARY    LONDON PALLADIUM

Ben Hatton, Director of Theatre Touring for Cuffe and Taylor, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the Voss Events Team for what will be Drag Race’s biggest ever UK theatre tour.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is an exciting show and is always a huge hit so we look forward to presenting a series of outrageously entertaining shows.”

Tickets start at £35 and there are exclusive VIP options where guests can enjoy a private meet and greet with the queens before the show!

Two new shows have been added to BBC A Question of Sport’s biggest ever live tour.

Demand for tickets for A Question of Sport Live 2021 – the legendary TV show’s first live tour in a decade – has been so phenomenal two new matinee shows have been added at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall on Saturday September 11th and Birmingham Symphony Hall on Sunday December 5th.

Tickets for the new matinee dates in Nottingham and Birmingham go on sale at 9am on Friday March 26th via ticketmaster.co.uk. Last remaining tickets for all other dates are on sale now.

Starring long-time host Sue Barker and popular team captains Matt Dawson and Phil Tufnell – along with a host of big-name guests from across the sporting world to be announced – A Question of Sport Live is the perfect way for fans to see the hit show up close in a thrilling live environment.

This will be A Question of Sport’s first tour since 2011 and these unmissable live shows will be a fun-packed and joyous lap of honour for Sue, Matt and Phil who step down from the TV show this year.
The live shows follow the popular TV format featuring many of the rounds and challenges fans of the hit show know and love. This all-new live 2021 tour is brought to you by Cuffe and Taylor, Live Nation and Simon Fielder Productions in association with BBC Studios.

Ben Hatton, Director of Theatre Touring for Cuffe and Taylor, said: “This is the first ‘A Question of Sport Live’ tour in a decade and demand for tickets has been truly phenomenal.

“Therefore, we are delighted to announce two all-new matinee shows in Nottingham and Birmingham. We would advise fans to secure their tickets early as these dates will sell out.”

For full dates and ticket details click here

The charitable efforts of the late Bobby Ball will continue with the launch of a new charity in his name – The Bobby Ball Foundation.

The registered charity will support organisations Bobby was so passionate about along the Fylde coast.

And to launch it a weekend of spectacular events celebrating the life of the comedy legend is being planned to raise money for the foundation.

Bobby sadly died in October at the age of 76 after contracting Coronavirus.

Now his widow Yvonne has set up The Bobby Ball Foundation to raise money for the charities close to Bobby’s heart while also celebrating the very best of British variety.

Two star-studded events will be held at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens this November –  major stars of stage and screen will entertain with a variety performance in the splendid Opera House on Friday November 12, while a second night will see a spectacular “Bobby Ball” take place in the stunning Empress Ballroom on Saturday November 13.

The events will be organised through The Bobby Ball Foundation with all money raised given to Lytham’s Lowther Pavilion and Blue Skies Hospitals Fund – two organisations Bobby was an active patron and supporter of.

Money from the foundation will also be donated towards the cost of a Bobby Ball statue in Lytham’s Lowther Gardens. Fylde councillors have already given the green light to go ahead with the planning of a statue in Bobby’s memory, with more than £20,000 already raised towards its cost.

Speaking about the formation of The Bobby Ball Foundation, Yvonne said: “Bob was born to entertain and whether he was on stage or spending time with friends, it was always his mission to make people laugh. We are all devastated he has gone but we are lucky to have years of many happy and very funny memories.

“Bob was a huge personality and while he loved to perform he was also passionate about helping others. He would be absolutely honoured to know we have set up a charity foundation in his name and that we are planning two big fundraising events.

“Like Bob, these events are going to be filled with big personalities and we look forward to revealing more as final plans are put in place.”

Bobby was born and bred in Oldham where, in the 1960s, he met his life-long comedy partner Tommy Cannon when they both worked as welders.

They started out their careers as a singing duo but switched to comedy when they discovered, in Bobby’s words: “Comedy acts were paid a few quid more!” After years of hard work and playing working men’s clubs across the country the comedy duo Cannon and Ball eventually made them both household names entertaining TV viewers and live audiences from the 1970s onwards. Cannon and Ball enjoyed a hugely successful career as a double act and were loved and respected as singers too with a big part of their highly successful TV show regularly featuring the pair singing. More recently Bobby attracted a new generation of fans with TV dramas including Not Going Out and Mount Pleasant.

Bobby and Yvonne made the Fylde coast their home in recent years settling in Lytham where Bobby threw himself into being part of the community and getting involved and helping out where he could.

Yvonne added: “Bob loved living in Lytham, the whole of the Fylde coast had a special place in his heart as he and Tommy spent so much time here with their countless summer season shows in Blackpool.

“Bob was never one to sit and relax and when we came to Lytham he wanted to get as involved in the community as he could. Both Lowther Pavilion and Blue Skies Hospitals fund were two organisations he did as much as he could to help and he was proud to be involved with them.

“More than ever before, this past year has shown us how important it is to support charities where we can. Lowther Pavilion is a community theatre which relies on the public’s support and Blue Skies is an NHS charity providing extra facilities and amazing support for patients. Bob would be thrilled to know his legacy will help these charities and that we are working positively to make these events and The Bobby Ball Foundation a brilliant success.

“And the fact Bob’s fans called for a statue in his memory is something he would just be so delighted with. Fylde councillors voted unanimously to support the statue and, through the Foundation, we will help raise the money required for this wonderful and lasting tribute.”