Gigs

Live music from across the region...

The Subways

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 27 January

Surely needing no introduction, The Subways celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2022. Discovered by Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis, the band played the festival’s Other Stage (after winning an unsigned competition) and were immediately catapulted into the limelight. Numerous wellreceived albums have followed, including Young For Eternity (2005), All Or Nothing (2008), Money And Celebrity (2011), and the self-titled The Subways (2015). Hit singles, meanwhile, include Rock & Roll Queen, Oh Yeah, Girls & Boys and We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time. The band’s January 2023 release, Uncertain Joys, is their first full-length album in seven years and features new drummer Camille Phillips.

Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Sat 21 January

Punk-folk troubadour Frank Turner is never slow to hit the road - an impulse which has ensured his die-hard fans get plenty of opportunity to catch up with their hero. One of the most successful UK solo artists of recent times - who makes music very much on his own terms - Frank was educated, via a scholarship, at Eton College (alongside Prince William, no less), but has since described boarding school as a traumatic experience. This Steel Mill date sees him accompanied by his talented backing band, The Sleeping Souls.

Gigs

Lauren Housley & Nigel Wearne

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sun 22 January

Yorkshire-born singer-songwriter Lauren Housley first encountered blues, folk & Americana-noir Australian musician Nigel Wearne at the 2019 Folk Alliance International in Montreal. The pair hit it off immediately and kept in touch during the pandemic, working hard at chiselling out an opportunity to get together and make some music. That opportunity is finally presenting itself this very month, courtesy of a double headline touring show that will see Lauren and Nigel each give an intimate acoustic performance. They will then come together at the end of the evening to lock harmonies, meld styles and share a celebration of their ‘cross-continental connection’.

The Stones

Lichfield Guildhall, Fri 20 January

These Rolling Stones do gather moss, accumulating plenty of plaudits for the accuracy of their portrayals of Mick, Keith and the boys - and in the process producing a sound that’s incredibly authentic. An evening in their company offers a nostalgic but vital journey through 60 glorious years of always fabulous, sometimes drug-addled musicmaking by one of the biggest bands in rock & roll history. Expect all the hits - played on authentic vintage instruments, of course - including Satisfaction, Start Me Up, Honky Tonk Woman and Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

The Jive Aces

The Robin, Bilston, Fri 27 January

One-time Britain’s Got Talent favourites The Jive Aces regularly play around 300 shows per year - they are that popular. And why wouldn’t they be, given that they bring with them a high-energy feelgood factor that somehow makes the world seem like a better place? In fact, their irrepressible enthusiasm is so infectious that watching their videos was once even prescribed by a doctor in the US as an antidote to depression!

Martyn Joseph

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 29 January

Dubbed ‘the Welsh Springsteen’, Martyn Joseph is a mesmerising performer who boasts the rare ability to speak to the soul with his expressive and poignant lyrics. With a career spanning 30-plus years, 30plus albums, over half a million record sales and thousands of live gigs, Joseph is a unique talent whose passion for his trade always guarantees his army of dedicated fans an exceptional evening of musicmaking.

TIME WITH TIM

Legendary lyricist Sir Tim Rice talks about his brand-new touring show, Circle Of Words...

Circle Of Words is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a selection of songs featuring your lyrics. How did the show come about?

I’d done it quite a lot for charity concerts and also on the seaborne cruise ships, and it always goes down very well. You get some very good singers singing the songs, and then I tell a few stories about how they got written, things that went wrong. I like to think it’s quite entertaining.

Listening to the songs again, do you find yourself assessing them favourably?

I don’t think I’d do many of the successful songs differently. I mean, occasionally there’s the odd line, maybe; but no, I don’t think so. Certainly the songs I feature in the show are ones that basically I’m very happy with. I do, for example, sing myself on one occasion. I sing the original, very bad lyric, for the tune, I Don’t Know How To Love Him. It was completely different because that wonderful tune of Andrew’s was written first as a sort of pop song, but it never got anywhere, quite rightly. But the tune was too good to waste, so it went into Jesus Christ Superstar and then became very successful.

What does a collaboration between lyricist and composer look like in terms of how it works? Does everything always get done in the same order?

No, not at all. It all depends on the composer, really. I mean, some composers like to write the tune first, some like to set words to music. Most composers prefer to do their tunes first, which in a way is quite good because I believe that music should flow quite freely, and lyrics need to be concise. So that’s the kind of general way it goes, but it is different from one performer to another. It also depends on what the song is for - if it’s part of a show or if it’s just a one-off song. All these things are relevant to how the thing gets written.

Looking back at your career, if there was only one stage show or film that you could preserve for posterity as an example of your own particular talents, which would it be and why?

I’m not sure. I really don’t know. It might be Chess, actually. It’s very hard to tell because sometimes if I haven’t heard something for a long time, then I think “That’s alright, I quite like that.” But when you hear something too often, you might get a bit fed up with it. So I can’t really answer that, but I think Joseph will go on for a long time because of its endless appeal to children of different generations. I’m very lucky because quite a few shows have kept going in a very big way.

Can you recall the review of your work that’s made you happiest, and conversely, cut you deepest?

Well, I think, as time goes on, one doesn’t pay much attention to reviews. Obviously, it’s nicer to get good reviews than bad ones. The first review we ever got for Joseph in a national newspaper was from the Sunday Times. That was very pleasing, as we never thought it would be reviewed. Basically, the Sunday Times’ music critic, Derek Jewell, was reviewing a school concert which he’d come along to because his son was in the choir, and we didn’t know that. He wrote a very enthusiastic review of Joseph when we hadn’t expected to get one at all. So that was probably the most exciting review we got. But we’ve had a lot of bad reviews over the years. Any bad or abusive review is a bit annoying at the time, but people do tend to forget about them. Perhaps not so much now, with all the internet and things. But no, I don’t think there was any particularly bad review where I thought, this has ruined everything. After a while, you get so many reviews they all balance each other out really.

What does it require to be a good lyricist?

If you’re writing a musical, then a good story is absolutely key. That’s the most important thing. Some of the songs I’ve written that have been successful would never have been written if I’d just been given the tune and we tried to write a pop song. If you’ve got a good story, that can really inspire good lyrics. I would say, try not to do too many bad rhymes. With a show, if you’re starting out in theatre, I would say it’s easier to be funny than serious when you start out. You’ve got plenty of time for your angst later. I don’t think people want to hear too much about your torment or sadness. Once they know you, they might feel a bit more intrigued by ups and downs, but try and be funny to begin with.

How has the business of writing music for the theatre changed for you since you started out more than 50 years ago?

It’s probably the same for me because I haven’t changed my method of working very much over the years. I think when we got going, we had a certain original style which in the end worked, once we stopped copying other people. I don’t think there is any sort of rigid method of working. I would say my method of working hasn’t changed. I would be incapable of changing it, I think.

What do you think about the state of theatre in the UK in the 2020s?

Well, it seems to have got over most of the Covid scares and things. I haven’t seen an awful lot of stuff lately. I’ve probably actually been to more shows in New York because whenever I go to New York for work reasons, I try to see as many shows as possible. In London, you think, I’ll go to see that some time, but you never get around to it. The situation with shows today seems to me to be quite good. SIX has done very well. I’m trying to think of any other big musicals. Well, Hamilton was the last mega one, really. I think you only ever get a sensationally big musical every two or three years at the most, if not more like every five, but SIX and Hamilton are probably the two big ones at the moment.

And finally, what are your new year hopes and resolutions?

Keep alive, really. No, not really! I just sort of potter on. I don’t think I’ve got any particular ambitions or resolutions for the new year. I mean, there are one or two places I’d like to visit, including Malvern and places like that. I think if I can just keep going, doing some more stuff; I’ve got one or two ideas floating around. I don’t feel a great urgency to come up with a new show every week. I’m more in the looking-back mode, I think.

Sir Tim Rice takes Circle Of Words to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Thursday 9 February and Malvern Theatres on Friday 10 February

Festivals to look forward to in 2023

When it comes to music, regardless of your preference - be it jazz, indie, folk, classical, world or pop - you’re sure to find a festival in the Midlands - and beyond, to suit your taste. So let’s make 2023 a year to remember for all the right reasons... Get your diary out and get booking!

APRIL

NANTWICH JAZZ, BLUES & MUSIC

FESTIVAL Line-up includes Turin Brakes, China Crisis, The Beat, Thurs 6 - Mon 10 April, various venues Nantwich, Cheshire

nantwichjazz.com

CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Wed 26 April - Mon 1 May, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham

cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz UPTON UPON SEVERN FOLK FESTIVAL

Line-up includes Miranda Sykes and Hannah Martin, Martin Carthy, The Wilderness Yet, Fri 28 April - Mon 1 May, various venues, Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire

uptonfolk.org

SWINGAMAJIG Line-up tbc, Sun 30 April, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

swingamajig.co.uk

LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY Line-up includes Maisie Peters, Beren Olivia, Courtung, Delights, Finn Foxell, Fri 28 - Sun 30 April, Baltic Triangle and Cains Brewery, Liverpool

soundcity.uk.com

MAY

Wales

focuswales.com BEARDED THEORY SPRING GATHERING

Line-up includes Interpol, Primal Scream, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Thurs 25 - Sun 28 May, Catton Hall, South Derbyshire

beardedtheory.co.uk

BREAKING BANDS Line-up includes Sellsword, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Daxx & Roxane, Rhabstallion, Thurs 25 - Mon 29 May, Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club, Bromsgrove

breakingbandsfestival.com

LECHLADE MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 26 - Sun 28 May, Riverside Park, Lechlade, Gloucestershire

lechladefestival.co.uk

GLASTONBUDGET Line-up includes Antartic Monkeys, Jilted Generation, Fore Fighters, Totally Tina, Young Elton, Fri 26 - Sun 28 May, Turnpost Farm, Leicestershire

glastonbudget.org

CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Churchfitters, Will Pound & Tim Edey, Ben Robertson, Fri 26 Mon 29 May, Kelsall Village, Cheshire

chesterfolk.org.uk

MELLO Line-up includes Fleur East, Goldy Lookin Chain, Rebecca Fergusson, Fri 26 - Sun 28 May, Quay & Pattern Meadow, Upton Upon Severn, Worcestershire

mellofestival.co.uk

HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN Line-up tbc, Fri 26 - Mon 29 May, Hay on Wye, Hereford

howthelightgetsin.org

NEIGHBOURHOOD WEEKENDER Line-up includes Pulp, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbot, The Kooks, Self Esteem, Sat 27 Sun 28 May, Victoria Park, Warrington

nbhdweekender.com

BIRMINGHAM PRIDE Line-up tbc, Sat 27 - Sun 28 May, Birmingham Gay Village

birminghampride.com

DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL Line-up includes Yard Act, Alvvays, Beka, Sun 28 May, various venues in Nottingham

dottodotfestival.co.uk

JUNE

THE ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN

Line-up includes King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, Old Time Sailors, King Hammond & The Ska Mafia, Merry Hell, Fri 2 - Sun 4 June, Uttoxeter Racecourse

acousticfestival.co.uk

FORBIDDEN FOREST Line-up includes Andy C, Camelphat, High Contrast, Marco Carola, Fri 2 - Sun 4 June, Belvoir Castle, Nottinghamshire

forbidden-forest.co.uk

WYCHWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 2 - Sun 4 June, Cheltenham Racecourse

wychwoodfestival.com

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Line-up includes Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot (pictured), Thurs 8 - Sun 11 June, Donington Park, Derby

downloadfestival.co.uk

PARKLIFE FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Sat 10 Sun 11 June, Heaton Park, Manchester

parklife.uk.com NOCTURNE LIVE AT BLENHEIM PALACE

Line-up includes Lionel Richie, Pete Tong presents Ibiza Classics, Wed 14 Sun 18 June, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

nocturnelive.com

BEARDY FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Skerryvore, Seth Lakeman, Rusty Shackle, Valtos, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June, Hopton Court, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire

beardyfolkfestival.co.uk

SONIC ROCK SOLSTICE 2023 Line-up includes Henge, Keepers Brew, Eat

Festivals

Static, David Smale, Thurs 15 - Mon 19 June, Stoke Prior Sports and Country Club, Bromsgrove

sonicrocksolstice.com

UPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL Ben Holder’s Hot Club Quartet, Jake Leg Jug Band, Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band, Sat 24 - Sun 25 June, various venues in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire

uptonjazz.co.uk

GATE TO SOUTHWELL Line-up includes Raghu Dixit Project, Dog Show Sessions, Nine Below Zero, Thurs 29 June - Sun 2 July, Kirklington, Southwell, Nottinghamshire

gtsf.uk

BACK 2 FESTIVAL Line-up includes Blue, Basshunter, Cascada, A1, Boyzlife, Thurs 29 June - Mon 3 July, Catton Hall & Park, Derbyshire

back2festivals.co.uk

ALDERFEST Line-up includes McFly, Fri 30 June - Sat 1 July, Alderford Lake, Shropshire

alderford.com

PUB IN THE PARK Line-up includes Bananarama, Toploader, Ronan Keating, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July, Victoria Park, Leamington Spa

pubintheparkuk.com/leamingtonspa

HEAL FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Enemy, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July, Greenhous West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury

healfestival.co.uk

GODIVA FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 20 June - Sun 2 July, War Memorial Park, Coventry

godivafestival.com

JULY

EL DORADO FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Thurs 6 - Sun 9 July, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Ledbury

eldoradofestival.com

2000TREES FESTIVAL Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes, Hundred Reasons, Rival Schools, The Wonder Years, Wed 5 - Sat 8 July, Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk

NOISILY Line-up tbc, Thurs 6 - Sun 9 July, Barkestone Wood, Leicestershire

noisilyfestival.com

NAPTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 7 - Sat 8 July, Napton Village Hall Grounds, Napton On The Hill, Warwickshire

naptonfestival.co.uk

TIMBER FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 7 Sun 9 July, Feanedock, The National Forest

timberfestival.org.uk

CAMPERJAM Line-up tbc, Fri 7 - Sun 9 July, Weston Park, Shropshire

camperjam.com THE MOSTLY JAZZ FUNK & SOUL

FESTIVAL Fat Freddy’s Drop, Goldie, Jungle DJ set, Mr. Scruff, Mafalda (pictured), Fri 7 - Sun 9 July, Moseley Park, Birmingham

mostlyjazz.co.uk

THE BIRMINGHAM, SANDWELL &

WESTSIDE FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 14 - Sun 23 July, venues tbc, Birmingham

birminghamjazzfestival.com

UPTON BLUES FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 21 - Sun 23 July, various venues around Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire

uptonbluesfestival.com

LET’S ROCK SHREWSBURY Line-up includes Soft Cell, The Boomtown Rats, Soul 2 Soul, Midge Ure, Sat 15 July, The Quarry, Shrewsbury

letsrockshrewsbury.com

NOZSTOCK Line-up tbc, Thurs 20 - Sun 23 July, Rowden Paddocks, Bromyard, Herefordshire

nozstock.com

TRUCK FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 21 Sun 23 July, Hill Farm, Oxfordshire

truckfestival.com

WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Thurs 27 - Sun 30 July, Castle Park, Warwick

warwickfolkfestival.co.uk

Y NOT FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 28 Sun 30 July, Pikehall, Derbyshire ynotfestival.com MADE BIRMINGHAM Line-up tbc, Sat 29 July, venue tbc

made-festival.co.uk

LICHFIELD JAZZ FESTIVAL Fri 28 - Sun 30 July, various venues, Lichfield

litchfieldjazzfest.com

AUGUST

WILDERNESS FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Chemical Brothers, Christine And the Queens, Fatboy Slim, Thurs 3 - Sun 6 Aug, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire

wildernessfestival.com

ROCK THE PARK WREXHAM Line-up includes Scooter, Cascada, Darren Styles, Thurs 3 - Mon 7 Aug, Borras Hall Lane, Wrexham

rockthepark.co.uk

110 ABOVE FESTIVAL Line-up includes Everything Everything, Sea Girls, Palace, Thurs 10 - Mon 14 Aug, Gopsall Hall Farm, Leicestershire

110above.com

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR Line-up includes Killswitch Engage, Megadeath, In Flames, Thurs 10 - Sun 13 Aug, Catton Hall, Derbyshire

bloodstock.uk.com

LAKEFEST Line-up tbc, Thurs 10 - Sun 13 Aug, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire

lakefest.co.uk

FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 11 - Sun 13 Aug, near Gatten Farm, Ratlinghope, Shropshire

farmerphilsfestival.com

GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Thurs 17 - Sun 2o Aug, near Crickhowell, Brecon Beacons

greenman.net

CAMP BESTIVAL SHROPSHIRE Line-up includes Primal Scream, Rudimental, The Human League, Thurs 17 - Sun 20 August, Weston Park

shropshire.campbestival.net THE MOIRA FURNACE FOLK FESTIVAL

Line-up includes Jez Low & The Bad Pennies, Tom McConville, Pete Morton, Fri 18 - Sun 20 Aug, Moira Furnace Museum and Monument Site, Leicestershire

moirafurnacefolkfestival.co.uk

THE JUST SO FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 18 - Sun 20 Aug, Rode Hall, Cheshire

justsofestival.org.uk

OLD BUSH BLUES FESTIVAL Line-up includes Vincent Flatts, Aynsley Lister, The Terraplanes, Fri 18 - Sun 20 Aug, The Old Bush, Callow End, Worcester

oldbushblues.co.uk

SUNSHINE FESTIVAL Line-up includes Ronan Keating, The Proclaimers, Marc Almond, China Crisis, Thurs 24 - Sun 27 Aug, Fish Meadow, Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire

uptonfestival.co.uk

SHAMBALA Line-up tbc, Thurs 24 - Sun 27 Aug, a secret location in Northampton

shambalafestival.org

LOST VILLAGE Line-up tbc, Thurs 24 Sun 27 Aug, The Village, near Newark, Lincolnshire

lostvillagefestival.com

BEERMAGEDDON FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 25 - Sun 27 Aug, Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club, Bromsgrove

beermageddon.co.uk

CAMPER CALLING Line-up includes McFly, Ocean Colour Scene, Feeder (pictured), Reef, Fri 25 - Sun 27 Aug, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire

campercalling.com

SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Fri 25 - Mon 28 Aug, Greenhous West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury

shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk

SEPTEMBER

CREATION DAY FESTIVAL Line-up includes tbc, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Sept, West Park, Wolverhampton

creationdayfestival.com

MOSELEY FOLK & ARTS FESTIVAL Wilco (pictured), Squeeze, The Proclaimers, Blindboy, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Sept, Moseley Park, Birmingham

moseleyfolk.co.uk

OFF THE TRACKS Line-up tbc, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Sept, Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel, Castle Donington

offthetracks.co.uk

BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up tbc, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Sept, Bromyard, Herefordshire

bromyardfolkfestival.co.uk

ONBOARD THE CRAFT Line-up includes The Bevis Frond, Eddie And The Hot Rods, Krankschaft, Department S, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Sept, Stoke Prior Sports and Country Club, Bromsgrove

sonicrocksolstice.com