GIGS June WolvesShropsStaffs.qxp_Layout 1 23/05/2022 10:15 Page 2
Gigs
Live music from across the region...
Glenn Tilbrook Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 5 June
Over 40 years after he answered an ad, placed by Chris Difford, looking for likeminded individuals to form the band that became the much-loved Squeeze, Glenn Tilbrook shows no sign of slowing down. Armed with ready wit, raucous vibes and a shedload of great and grin-inducing songs, he connects with his audience in a way that must surely be the envy of many a fellow artist. His acoustic solo performances contain both Squeeze hits and tracks from his highly acclaimed solo albums.
Texas Formed in Glasgow in 1986 by singer Sharleen Spiteri and bassist Johnny McElhone, Texas caught the world’s attention with the release of global hit I Don’t Want A Lover.
Over 40 million record sales, 13 top-10 UK singles and three number-one albums later, their journey continues following the release of 2021’s top-three album, Hi. Expect a setlist featuring songs both old and new when they visit Cannock Chase Forest this month as part of the Forest Live programme of shows.
The Beat
Midnight Skyracer
The Robin, Bilston, Wed 29 June
The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 10 June; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 25 June
Cannock Chase Forest, Thurs 9 June
Eddi Reader Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 25 June
Credit: Sean Purser
With an MBE sitting behind her name and numerous BRIT Awards decorating her mantelpiece, Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader is well remembered for her association with Fairground Attraction, with whom she scored a UK number one, Perfect, in 1988. Her solo-career highlights have included her 2003 album of material by Scotland’s ‘bard’, Robert Burns. The subsequent international resurgence of interest in Burns’ work saw Reader awarded an MBE in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to the arts. Appearing in Wolverhampton to headline the New Horizons folk festival, she is joined at the event by all-female five-piece bluegrass band Midnight Skyracer (see elsewhere on this page), leading fiddle player Tom McConville and guitarist, singer & songwriter Dave Newey.
Along with their contemporaries, The Specials, Madness and The Selecter, The Beat became an overnight sensation following the release of their debut single, an infectious cover of the Smokey Robinson classic Tears Of A Clown, which went straight into the UK national charts at number six. Having toured alongside artists such as The Clash, The Police and David Bowie, the legendary 2-Tone, ska and reggae group, led by vocalist Dave Wakeling, are here celebrating their 40th anniversary.
Bob Mould
All-female quintet Midnight Skyracer features: Leanne Thorose, with her powerhouse vocals and driving mandolin; the virtuoso banjo playing and delicate vocals of Tabitha Benedict; Eleanor Wilkie and her rock-solid bass grooves; the versatile Laura Carrivick, equally adept on both fiddle and dobro; and the lightning guitar playing of Charlotte Carrivick. Their music is described as ‘a scintillating mix of hard-driven bluegrass and mountain balladry, both edgy and infectious, tender and tough’, with second-to-none vocal harmonies shared between all five musicians.
The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 18 June
American musician Bob Mould is best known for his work as guitarist, vocalist & songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s. His UK tour, perfectly timed with the release of his Distortion: Live vinyl boxset, will see him perform solo versions of music from across his career, as well as from last year’s explosive and critically acclaimed Blue Hearts solo album. whatsonlive.co.uk 17
