After the release of their new album ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ last year, Godsticks have continued to keep up the momentum in 2024 with a run of UK shows at the start of this year alongside an appearance at Planet Rock’s Winters End Festival.
Now in June and September the band are continuing to build on this success with even more live dates across the UK. Frontman and guitarist Darran Charles had the following to say:
“Our last few tours have easily been our most successful to date. Upon reading some of the reviews of those shows, it’s heartening to see that we’ve become recognised as a high-energy live act, even a ‘must-see’. This recent success is why we’re planning on touring far more regularly and travelling to places that we’ve never been to before.
If we can keep growing the audience numbers as we have been, then it’s our ambition to create an even more special live experience and perform on some even bigger stages. However, we must admit that the intimate venues we’ve been playing of late have definitely made for some very memorable shows, so we’re determined to create more.
One thing we’re confident of is that once you come to one Godsticks show, we’ll guarantee you’ll come to the next one – it’s a great time for both the band and the audience. Miss us at your peril!”
Their love for writing and productivity had been reignited simply by being able to perform live. Experimenting with electronic sounds and delegating writing duties in the band allowed ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ to be their most collaborative album to date.
Anglo-Finnish progressive metallers Wheel are pleased to announce the release of their much-anticipated third studio album ‘Charismatic Leaders’ on the 3rd May 2024 (InsideOutMusic). The album was meticulously crafted to meet Wheel’s ever-heightening benchmarks and recording with engineers/co-producers Daniel Bergstrand and Fredrik Thordendal (Meshuggah) stretched from August to December 2023. The end result, mixed by Forrester Savell, has consolidated all the gains of what came before: singer/guitarist James Lascelles, lead guitarist Jussi Turunen and drummer Santeri Saksala’s third album represents their heaviest and most conscious music to date.
To mark the announcement, the band have launched the first single taken from the album, and you can watch the video for ‘Empire’ here:
Vocalist & guitarist James Lascelles comments of the track: “This is probably the most metal song I have ever written – it is intense as all hell when it kicks in and it keeps finding new ways to punch you in the face all the way to the end! Santeri did an incredible job with the drum track on this one and playing it live is really going to take some work in the rehearsal room..
Lyrically, it is about media empires and the effect they have on wider society – all of us are influenced to some degree, even if we would rather not admit it. Issues that require nuance are presented as binaries and opposing views are made into caricatures – a target for us to rage at that far too often, doesn’t even exist. This is not a new phenomenon by any means but it is one that seems to have been catalysed by the modern landscape of media, the internet and populist politics. As you might be able to tell from the mood of the song, this pisses me off immensely and it was cathartic to vent about it.”
‘Charismatic Leaders’ clocks in at just under 50 minutes, and will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (also featuring the Rumination EP tracks as bonus), and a Gatefold 180g LP, both featuring artwork from Lucas Mayer (Long Distance Calling, Blackout Problems). Pre-order your copy now here:
The band will be celebrating the release of their new album with their first ever shows in Australia (supporting label-mates Caligula’s Horse) as well as their first ever North American headline shows. Later in the year the band will return to Europe for further headline dates, which have just been announced and can be found below:
31st October – Olympia, Tampere, Finland
1st November – Sawohouse UG, Kuopio, Finland
2nd November – On The Rocks, Helsinki, Finland
7th November – Lutakko, Jyväskylä, Finland
8th November – Finlandia-Klubi, Lahti, Finland
9th November – 45 Special, Oulu, Finland
15th November – Logo, Hamburg, Germany
16th November – Melkweg Up, Amsterdam, Netherlands
17th November – 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
19th November – Rebellion, Manchester, UK
20th November – Cathouse, Glasgow, UK
21st November – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, UK
22nd November – 1865, Southampton, UK
23rd November – Underworld, London, UK
24th November – Thekla, Bristol, UK
26th November – Kavka, Antwerp, Belgium
27th November – Luxor, Cologne, Germany
28th November – Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
30th November – Backstage, Paris, France
2nd December – Komplex, Zurich, Switzerland
3rd December – Legend, Milan, Italy
4th December – Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
5th December – Analog Music Hall, Budapest, Hungary
6th December – Chelsea, Vienna, Austria
8th December – Hyrdrozagadka, Warsaw, Poland
10th December – Lido, Berlin, Germany
11th December – Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th December – John Dee, Oslo, Norway
13th December – Nalen Klubb, Stockholm, Sweden
Since forming in 2015, Wheel have swiftly grown from underdogs of Helsinki, Finland, to an international tour de force. The angular riffs, unforgettable melodies and adventurous scope of the trio’s 2019 debut, Moving Backwards, was instantly adored by fans of megastars from Tool to Coheed & Cambria. Then, 2021 follow-up Resident Humanreceived rave reviews from publications across the planet, praising its sonic evolution and bravely dystopian themes.
Following their recent acclaimed tour in the USA, progressive legends YES are set to return to UK stages in May and June.
Hot on the heels of their hugely successful ‘Classic Tales Of Yes’ American Tour, Progressive Rock legends, YES, are poised to hit the road in the UK once more on a 9-date trek across the country starting on 23rd May at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and ending in London on 4th June at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, a fitting end for such a majestic band.
‘The Classic Tales Of Yes Tour’ will see YES mining their rich catalogue to deliver a career spanning set of classics, rarely played vintage cuts and new songs from 1970’s ‘Time and a Word’ right up to ‘Mirror To The Sky’, their 23rd album released last year, together with a special section celebrating the 50th anniversary of their momentous ‘Tales From The Topographic Oceans’ opus.
Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venue’s foyer area. Dean’s masterful artwork of striking other-worldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters. He has sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide. His artwork appears on the cover of the current YES album Mirror To The Sky. Roger is planning to be at each show on the tour, to meet with fans.
Steve Howe, whose association with Yes began in 1970, along with Geoff Downes, a member of the 1980 ‘Drama’ era line-up are joined by Jon Davison, lead vocalist in Yes for well over a decade now; Billy Sherwood on bass, hand-picked by original bassist Chris Squire and Jay Schellen, who worked closely with Alan White, on drums completing the line-up.
“YES are very much looking forward to playing in Europe and the UK during April, May and June this year. It’s been a while since we toured here and we’ve really missed you all.” says Steve Howe
Geoff Downes goes on to say: “We’re very much looking forward to bringing the Classic Tales of YES Tour to the UK and Europe. It promises to be one of our most interesting sets to date, scanning through much of YES’s history and with some previously unheard pieces together with music from out latest album, ‘Mirror To The Sky’. As always, we’re committed to pushing new boundaries and are very excited to be performing another chapter in the rich legacy of the band.“
“Jon D. here, My band mates and I are very pleased and excited to bring to the UK and parts of the EU our current set of classic Yes music which, covering the rich spectrum of Yestory, delighted US fans last fall. We’ll be performing many song favourites but also adding rarities, some of which haven’t been performed in decades! Let’s all join together in May, band and audience alike, in celebrating what’s best about Yes music. See you there!”
“Very much looking forward to playing all this wonderful YES music across Europe and the UK. It’s an interesting set of music and one that spans the many decades of the bands unique and rich history” continues Billy Sherwood
Jay Schellen says: “I’m very excited and looking forward to performing our 2024 Classic Tales Of YES tour in the UK. This collection of songs is unique in many ways. A classic YES show, thrilling and dynamic! I’m sure our fans will be excited and pleased as well!”
The Classic Tales of YESUK Tour Dates 2024
Thursday 23 May Manchester Bridgewater Hall*
Friday 24 May Glasgow Royal Concert Hall*
Sunday 26 May Liverpool Philharmonic Hall*
Tuesday 28 May York Barbican*
Wednesday 29 May Southend Cliffs Pavilion*
Friday 31May Bristol Beacon
Saturday 1 June Birmingham Symphony Hall*
Sunday 2 June Gateshead The Glasshouse (formerly The Sage*)
Tuesday 4 June London Royal Albert Hall
*UK Shows rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
“It was fantastic to see the band dig deep and play selections such as ‘It Will Be A Good Day (The River)’, a song not played live since 2000. What tale can be complete without digging up ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’. The band did a condensed reimagined version which ended the main set with a thunderous ovation. Consider it a treat that YES still exists in 2023.”
Joseph Suto, ROCK SHOW CRITIQUE
“This show is bound to please and have something for everyone. Everyone together produces a sound that is almost indistinguishable from the earlier incarnations. The only real difference is the improvement of technology and better fidelity. If you have enjoyed Yes in the past, you will enjoy this show and if you have never seen them, there is no better time than now.”
Kim Hansen, GHOST CULT MAG
About YES
Steve Howe: guitars, backing vocals (1970 –1981, 1990–1992, 1995–present)
Geoff Downes: keyboards (1980–1981, 2011–present)
Jon Davison: lead vocals, acoustic guitar (2012–present)
Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans,Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.
With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125.
YES released their 22nd studio album in 2021, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe and which went to No. 1 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.
In 2022 came the sad news that drummer Alan White, ever-present in the YES line-up for 50 years, had passed away. The news came shortly before the band embarked on their classic, genre-defining album Close To The Edge50th Anniversary Tour, which he was intending to be a part of until ill-health determined otherwise. The tour was dedicated to Alan.
In February 2023, ahead of the news of the new studio album Mirror To The Sky, YES confirmed Jay Schellen as the new permanent drummer with YES, hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role. “I had done the 2016 tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a beautiful partnership. I learned and discovered so much about Alan’s style. His passion and creativity was phenomenal. The new album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So, this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”
Mirror To The Sky, YES’ 23rd studio album, was released on 19 May 2023 to universally positive reviews in the music press. ‘Mirror to the Sky is very much a band album, where all five members… have been at the top of their game’, stated The Progressive Aspect. ‘YES will continue to have a role to play in shaping the future sounds of prog.’
RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda checked in with the following comment:
“We’re coming back! We remember the fantastic shows in the UK and Ireland in the spring of 2023. Because we haven’t visited the Islands too often since the ‘Wasteland’ tour, we will return with our biggest UK/Ireland tour to date. We’d be very happy to meet you all (again). So before we close the chapter on ‘ID.Entity’ and take a break, come join us!”
RIVERSIDE’s UK/Ireland tour will feature Klone as special guests with a special “unplugged” set. Klone’s Guillaume Bernard adds:
“We are really happy to share the stage with Riverside on this UK/Ireland tour. We are very excited to play in great venues, like the amazing KOKO in London, where we played 12 years ago with Gojira. This time we will play ‘unplugged’ versions of our songs, but be sure that it will sound huge and heavy!”
RIVERSIDE – United Kingdom / Ireland Tour 2024 + Special Guests KLONE (‘Unplugged’)
Previous to this tour, RIVERSIDE will be performing in North America and Latin America as well appearing on several festival events in the summer as follows:
RIVERSIDE – Live 2024:
08.03.2024 Port Canaveral (USA) – Cruise To The Edge Festival
15.03.2024 Guadalajara (Mexico) – C3 Stage
17,03.2024 Monterrey (Mexico) – Café Iguana
19.03.2024 Mexico City (Mexico) – Auditorio Blackberry
21.03.2024 Bogotá (Colombia) – Teatro Astor Plaza
23.03.2024 San José (Costa Rica) – Pepper Club
28.03.2024 Buenos Aires (Argentina) – Groove
03.04.2024 São Paulo (Brazil) – Carioca Club
06.04.2024 Santiago (Chile) – Teatro Caupolicán
01.06.2024 Warsaw (Poland) – Torwar Hall
05-08.06.2024 Sölvesborg (Sweden) – Sweden Rock Festival
19-22.06.2024 Murcia (Spain) – Rock Imperium Festival
28-30.06.2024 Helsinki (Finland) – Tuska Festival
18-21.07.2024 Jarocin (Poland) – Jarocin Festival
19.07.2024 Sankt Goarshausen (Germany) – Night Of The Prog Festival
Most recently, RIVERSIDE have launched their “Making of ‘ID.Entity'” documentary, directed by Marcin Zawadziński. The documentary was screened a year ago at RIVERSIDE’s promotional meetings in Helios cinemas in Poland for the release of their latest studio album “’ID.Entity’ and now everyone will finally be able to watch it online, everywhere.
Check it out here:
“ID.Entity”, the group’s 8th studio album was recorded and mixed in two studios – The Boogie Town Studio in Otwock with Paweł Marciniak and in Serakos studio in Warsaw with Magda and Robert Srzedniccy -, mastered by Robert Szydło and produced by RIVERSIDE’s Mariusz Duda himself. The “ID.Entity” artwork was created by Polish artist Jarek Kubicki.
“ID.Entity” achieved the following outstanding chart positions upon release: Germany: # 4, Poland: # 2, Switzerland: # 6, The Netherlands: # 9, Finland: # 14, Austria: # 22, Belgium: # 97, France: # 155, UK: # 89, UK / Rock Charts: # 3, USA / Top New Artist Albums: # 7, USA / Current Album Sales: # 61, USA / Hard Music Albums: # 9, USA / Current Rock Albums: # 20.
Check out the singles/videos off “ID.Entity” here:
An ethereal, powerful and emotional expedition in the art of breaking spells personally and collectively, BROKEN SPELLS is the eagerly anticipated 3rd album from acclaimed UK Neo-Folk artist Jo Beth Young (formerly Talitha Rise/RISE).
Welcome to a world of electro-folk, dreamy, progressive and sometimes gut punching tracks from Neo-folk singer/songwriter and musician Jo Beth Young. ‘Broken Spells’ does not shy away from diving straight into difficult and deeper themes such as overcoming narcissistic abuse (Wolf Song) the lies that lead a soldier into war (Lazuli) spiritual warfare (Adversity) a collective book-of-revelations-style warning (Burning) themes of guilt and wrongdoing for an upcoming film soundtrack (Standstill) and ultimate truths being revealed in (Ockham’s Razor) to name a few.
Over the four years she spent making it, Jo Beth went from “confirmed life-long” pagan and non dualist to a born again Christian, a radical journey she says can be heard in the songs as they unfold.
Jo Beth says: “I think I was questioning absolutely everything in life when I started this album. What was happening in the media, the government, the World and to us as beings. I was also looking into what was happening inside of me. This meant asking myself deep questions such as whether for all my beliefs I was a good person? Had I been corrupted in any way? Did I need to purify my intentions in life? Looking at the World I started asking, does evil really exist? And if it does, does that mean the opposite must also exist and be true?”
“I started to see that there was something bigger than personal and physical conflict going on, that there was indeed a bigger spiritual war at play. I came to realise that spells are everywhere. When we believe anything we’re told or is spoken over our life, that is a spell in itself. I was exploring how I could break these? How we could find truth and clarity? I think that’s really the living impetus behind the songs; Seeking truth and breaking strongholds and illusions.“
Unlike anything Jo Beth has attempted before, this record has her hand in it from conception to mixing and features stunning performances from regular contributors Peter Yates on Guitars (Fields Of The Nephillim) Ben Roberts on Cello (Silver Moth/Prosthetic Head) Jules Bangs on Bass (Herija) as well as a guest appearances from her Nightsong colleague John Reed (Steel Guitar) and band member Jay Newton (Abrasive Trees) on Piano.
Along with her diverse and accomplished vocals (which are very much forefront) Jo Beth plays a multitude of instruments on the record, from acoustic and electric guitars, pianos, keys and synths, bowed guitars, home made percussion and field recordings including a recording of her washing machine in ‘Kinder Sea’. This time she experiments with loops and beats with the help of another long term collaborator; Alpujarra based Producer and Musician Matt Blackie (Spain).
The whole project was recorded on her laptop in the attic of her home at the time in the West of Ireland. Jo Beth was turned down for a grant to finish the record over 5 times, forcing her to mix the last of it herself; an endeavour she was surprised to take on.
Jo Beth says: “I thought ‘Strangers’ was a very DIY record but this one has absolutely no studio hours in it at all and is very home made. Perhaps the most ambitious bit of ‘bedroom’ recording yet. They say necessity is the mother of invention and I’ve become fond of the imperfections of the record caused by the situation. For instance on ‘Kinder Sea’ you can hear the old electric meter running through my guitar amp at the intro, a situation I couldn’t remedy so left in!”
For all it’s DIY creation, Broken Spells is potentially Jo Beth Young’s strongest work yet; An accomplished set of cinematic, dreamy, powerful, hypnotic and deeply thought provoking songs that lead the listener from darkness to the light.
The album single ‘Standstill’ will be released at the same time as the album on March 1st 2024.
After her 2023 Shadow Navigation Show Tour, Jo Beth will be performing a few select UK dates later in 2024 tba via her website.
Brace yourself for an exhilarating musical expedition as HeKz unveils their latest single, the energetic ‘Terra Nova.’ The accompanying video seamlessly weaves together electrifying moments from the band’s return to the live stage at the Underworld in Camden (September 2023) and the album launch spectacle at the Cart & Horses (November 2023), capturing the raw energy and intensity of these unforgettable performances.
“’Terra Nova’ is a perfect example of HeKz’s distinct fusion of intricate musicality and raw emotion,” explains singer and bassist Matt Young. “It kicks off the live show with a blast of energy and everyone on the stage gets their chance to shine – we really love to play this one and hear the audience shouting that anthemic chorus along with us! It’s one of the highlights of any performance.”
Check out the video:
Young, alongside Mirko Fadda (guitar), Lucia La Rezza (violin), and Jerry Sadowski (drums), will be performing live throughout 2024, commencing with a co-headline performance at The Black Heart in Camden on Saturday, 27th January, alongside the metallurgical talents of Primitai and Toledo Steel. HeKz will be onstage at 8:40pm.
Catch HeKz at these venues in 2024:
– Saturday, 27th January – The Black Heart, Camden, UK
Australian instrumental post-rockers sleepmakeswaves have announced they will tour Australia, Europe and the USA in support of their new album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It.’
The band have also released an animated video trailer to announce the new album and its planned release date of Friday 12th April (Bird’s Robe/MGM and Dunk Records).
Watch the trailer now:
The band will kick off their world tour in Australia in April, playing shows in Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane with support from Taiwanese math rock legends ELEPHANT GYM and fellow Australian post-rock veterans MENISCUS.
sleepmakeswaves will then return to Europe in May to headline Belgium’s Dunk Festival, and North America to co-headline PostFest in Indianapolis in July. Further shows will be added.
The new album ‘It’s Here, But I Have No Names For It’ was produced by the band themselves, at Golden Retriever Studios in Sydney, Australia. Written during the pandemic, it was originally recorded during 2022 just before the band embarked on a 3 month tour for their previous EP trilogy ‘these are not your dreams.’ Further recording was completed in 2023, including string arrangements by Simeon Bartholomew (SEIMS). The record was then mixed by Andrei Eremin (Closure in Moscow, Tash Sultana, G Flip, Luca Brasi) in Philadelphia USA and mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston USA.
Fans of the band’s heavy bombastic aggression will resonate with tracks such as ‘All Hail Skull’ and ‘Ritual Control.’ They also shine with invigorated melodic and emotive performances and arrangements on tracks like ‘Black Paradise’ and ‘Terror Future.’ Retaining their signature approach to heavy dynamics and crescendos the band are still at their unmatched peak when they turn their hand to cataclysmic emotional epics such as the title track and the album closer ‘This Close Forever.’
The band released a statement to fans, saying:
“The instrumental band sleepmakeswaves
Decided rock music they must save
In the year twenty twenty four
Fans were clamouring for more
So they dropped a new record
It’s a rave!
The mysterious phase of nothingness, crucial to the smw creative process, is over: our new album is finally done. Thank you so much to all our listeners for your patience. It has been a slow but intense labor of love and we are proud of the songs on this record, and grateful for the many people who helped bring it to life. Hope to see you on the road in 2024, more show announcements to come, and we truly hope the new music we’re about to release resonates with you in the same way it does with us.
After the release of their new album ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ earlier this year, Godsticks unveil a new video in celebration of the album’s next single ‘Throne’.
‘Throne’ itself exists very much in the heavier sphere of the band with downtuned chugging guitars forming the driving of the verse before the song opens up for a melodic and memorable chorus, culminating in a euphoric finale. The video, produced by Martin Holmes ( @ohmzfilm ) brings the ferocious nature of the band’s live performance to foreground.
Frontman and guitarist Darran Charles had the following to say:
“Throne was one of those tracks that had been taunting me for a number of years. I had the verse and intro nailed years ago but every time I tried to develop it further, I just hit a creative brick wall. I’m sure that wall gets higher and thicker for some songs more than others, but I don’t think I’ve ever given up on a song if, deep down, I knew there was potential there.
Thankfully with the help of the rest of the band, I broke through that goddamn motherfucking wall and as soon as I hit upon that chorus melody, everything flowed easy. It’s become one of my favourite songs on the record and also the hardest to play live, but given that we never shirk a challenge you can expect this song to feature in every setlist from now to eternity.”
Darran expands on the meaning behind the track as well:
“Lyrically, Throne is about the bottomless pit of someone’s narcissism when they have a position of power. Where they’re both absolutely sure minded and also the most fragile person ever, and how those two states usually go hand-in-hand. So as with the half of our songs, it deals with my frustration with other humans .. the other half of course dealing with my frustration with myself.”
To support their recent album the band will also tour the UK in 2024
31/1/24 – The Lousiana, Bristol
1/2/24 – The Peer Hat, Manchester
2/2/24 – The Hope and Anchor, London
3/2/24 – Planet RockStock
09/02/24 – The Bunkhouse, Swansea
The band is determined to do as many live performances as possible in support of ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’, especially because it was live performance itself that provided the initial creative spark that spawned so much of the music on the album.
Darran Charles commented that:
“We asked and listened to where our fans want to see us play, so as well as returning to happy hunting grounds like London and Manchester, we’re doing our first ever headline show in Bristol. Plus there’s not one, but two chances for our Welsh brethren to come see us live again! We love being on tour so we’re very excited to be playing more headline gigs, and to be working with the good people at Planet Rock again for the Winter’s End festival.”
Their love for writing and productivity had been reignited simply by being able to perform live. Experimenting with electronic sounds and delegating writing duties in the band allowed ‘This Is What A Winner Looks Like’ to be their most collaborative album to date.
The Classic Tales of YES Tour 2024 will include many iconic tracks from the YES back-catalogue covering fifty-plus years. The tour will also include a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Tales from Topographic Oceans as well as music from their current album Mirror To The Sky.
YES are: Steve Howe (guitars, vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Jon Davison (vocals and acoustic guitar), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals) and drummer Jay Schellen.
The evening will begin with an on-site presentation by world-renowned artist and designer Roger Dean, whose masterful artwork of striking other-worldly landscapes has graced classic album covers and posters, most prominently by YES and Asia. Every show will feature a Roger Dean gallery in the venue’s reception/foyer area. His work – which also appears on the cover of their current album Mirror to the Sky – has sold more than one hundred million copies worldwide.
“We’re all excited to be bringing our show home to Europe and the UK!” says Steve Howe, “We’ve selected a new playlist of Yes music but with some firm favourites in there too, of course! To keep our performances fresh, we ‘now’ carry our own lights, so we can present a consistent show each night, designed for us by William …….. Looking forward to seeing you out there!”
“We are very much looking forward to the 2024 European leg of our YES Classic Tales Tour. Having recently completed the US, we are now really excited to bring that out to all our fans in the UK and Europe. It promises to be one of our most interesting sets to date, scanning through much of YES’s history and with some previously unheard pieces as well as music from our latest album, ‘Mirror To The Sky’. Bring it on and see you all out there!” Best, Geoff Downes
The Classic Tales of YES European and UK Tour 2024 dates are as follows: Go to www.yesworld.com/livefor all ticketing information.
Europe
April 2024
Tuesday 30 Portugal Lisbon Sabres Sagres Campo Pequeno**
May 2024
Thursday 2 Spain Madrid Riviera
Friday 3 Spain Barcelona Sala Paral·lel 62
Sunday 5 Italy Rome La Nuvola
Monday 6 Italy Milan Teatro Arcimboldi
Wednesday 8 Italy Padova Gran Teatro Geox
Thursday 9 Switzerland Zurich Kongresshaus**
Saturday 11 Austria Vienna Simm City
Sunday 12 Germany Berlin Theater am Potsdamer Platz
Tuesday 14 Germany Halle Steintor-Variete
Wednesday 15 Belgium Antwerp De Roma
Friday 17Netherlands Arnhem Music SacrumTheatre**
Wednesday 18 Germany Moenchengladbach Red Box**
Monday 20 France Paris Salle Pleyel**
Tuesday 21 Luxembourg Luxembourg Rockhall**
UK Dates
Thursday 23 May Manchester Bridgewater Hall*
Friday 24 May Glasgow Royal Concert Hall*
Sunday 26 May Liverpool Philharmonic*
Tuesday 28 May York Barbican*
Wednesday 29 May Southend Cliffs Pavilion*
Friday 31 May Bristol Beacon
Saturday 1 June Birmingham Symphony Hall*
Sunday 2 June Gateshead Sage*
Tuesday 4 June London Royal Albert Hall
**European shows in bold are rescheduled from 2023 and tickets remain valid
*UK Shows rescheduled from 2023, all tickets remain valid.
Formed in 1968 by Jon Anderson and the late, and much-missed, Chris Squire, YES have been one of the most innovative, influential and best-loved bands in rock music history. Their 1970s albums The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Yessongs (a triple live album set), Tales From Topographic Oceans,Relayer and Going For The One were ground-breaking in musical style and content. Their music also became synonymous with artist Roger Dean whose distinctive YES logo design and artwork adorned the lavish gatefold presentation sleeves of many YES albums.
With sales of over 50 million records, the Grammy-award winning YES were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017 where they performed Roundabout from the album Fragile and the FM radio-friendly Owner Of A Lonely Heart from the 1985 album 90125.
YES released their 22nd studio album in 2021, The Quest, produced by Steve Howe and which went to No. 1 in the UK Rock Albums Chart and entered the Official UK Album Chart at No. 20.
In 2022 came the sad news that drummer Alan White, ever-present in the YES line-up for 50 years, had passed away. The news came shortly before the band embarked on their classic, genre-defining album Close To The Edge50th Anniversary Tour which they dedicated to Alan.
In February 2023, ahead of the news of the new studio album Mirror To The Sky, YES confirmed Jay Schellen as the new permanent drummer with YES, hand-picked to step into his mentor and friend Alan White’s role. “I had done the 2016 tour on my own for Alan,” says Jay. “From late 2017 onwards, we had a beautiful partnership. I learned and discovered so much about Alan’s style. His passion and creativity was phenomenal. The new album has Alan’s presence all over it. It is inside of us. So, this is still, in my heart, Alan just being present and with us, and with me, in a big way.”
Mirror To The Sky, YES’ 23rd studio album, was released on 19 May 2023 to universally positive reviews in the music press. ‘Mirror to the Sky is very much a band album, where all five members… have been at the top of their game’, stated The Progressive Aspect. ‘YES will continue to have a role to play in shaping the future sounds of prog.’
Acoustic guitar virtuoso Jon Gomm and acclaimed composer Jo Quail have announced details on the ‘Parallel Worlds Tour’ set to take place across the UK in December this year and into January 2024.
Jon Gomm, the singer-songwriter and acoustic solo performer based in Yorkshire, known for his once-seen-never-forgotten guitar style is one of only three artists to have an Ibanez signature acoustic guitar (alongside Satriani and Steve Vai) and has been voted the world’s best acoustic guitarist by MusicRadar/ Total Guitar/ Guitar World. In 2020 he released his most recent album ‘The Faintest Idea’ on Kscope. Jon comments on Jo,
“In Jo Quail I’ve found a musician who shares my vision of striving to use one instrument, and a load of technique, to create a sound as big and deep and detailed as possible, to build a world around the listener. Hopefully the two of us on the same show will be a fairly epic experience.”
Following the release of her latest album ’The Cartographer’ last year on By Norse and European tours with Wardruna, Emma Ruth Rundle and Amenra, virtuoso cellist Jo Quail was invited by Robert Smith of The Cure to perform twice at his Meltdown curation and has been commissioned by the prestigious Roadburn Festival. She has also performed with the likes of Wardruna, Low, Battles, Boris and MONO amongst many other artists. Jo comments on Jon,
“Virtuosic is one word to describe a performance from Jon, but does not come close to conveying the emotion and intent that threads through every song; awe-inspiring technical brilliance serving the music he creates. As two soloists, Jon and I share some similarities, yet we have strong individual musical identities, and to bring our worlds together for these unique concerts is an immensely exciting prospect.”
Parallel Worlds UK tour – December 2023 & January 2024