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:

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:

There are plenty of Americana/roots festivals to choose from, but Maverick Festival, returning for its sixteenth year at Easton Farm Park, Suffolk, can justifiably live up to its claim of “Getting it right since 2008”. This year’s offering is shaping up nicely with Tom Russell, Laura Cantrell, Suzie Ungerleider and The Hoth Brothers among the early announcements, alongside such returning favourites as Rich Hall, Carter Sampson, Amelia White and Jon Langford.

Jake Smith aka The White Buffalo, unveiled the most ambitious project of his career with the release of ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’ late last year to impressive reviews. The Jay Joyce produced work ebbs and flows via a series of striking musical diversions, opening up a world of possibilities for the singer-songwriter. If you think you know The White Buffalo, trust me, you don’t until you’ve heard ‘Year Of The Dark Horse’. One of the best ways to appreciate the record is the excellent film of the album linked below. More about The White Buffalo, the film, tour dates and much more follow:

No stranger to the UK, Chastity Brown makes a welcome return to our shores for a run of shows commencing at The Water Rats in London on May 23rd. Speaking from personal experience, I can say that Chastity is fantastic live, one of those rare artists with a story to tell and the ability to communicate that story to everyone in the room. Chastity released her sixth (by my count) album ‘Sing To The Walls’ in 2022. More about Chastity Brown and those dates follow: 

Legendary blues-rock guitarist Walter Trout returns to the UK in May 2023 in support of his recent ‘Ride’ album, available now via Provogue / Mascot Label Group. ‘Ride’ is Trout’s 30th solo album and received some of the best reviews of his career. The guitarist can justifiably claim to have seen and done it all in his solo career that dates back to 1989 after stints in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Canned Heat, amongst others. Much more about Walter Trout and those all-important tour dates follow:

We recently caught up for a chat with Jerry Leger (Baker's Dozen Interview) as the Canadian singer and songwriter had just released an EP of cover tunes. As it turns out, Jerry was keeping busy, as prior to a UK tour which kicks off in High Wycombe on May 8th, he has another EP, this time of self-penned material set for release on April 28th entitled ‘The Time Flew By’. This EP consists of cuts that he couldn’t squeeze onto previous albums for reasons such as the flow and the overall feel of the record, which is a pretty refreshing approach when many artists seem obsessed with single tracks. You can check out the video for the title track from the EP below, where you will also find the tour schedule.

Gareth Dunlop will continue to promote his excellent 2022 album ‘Animal’ with two upcoming tours and a London headline show. The tours are as the special guest of two very different artists, which reinforces the high regard in which Gareth is held as a songwriter and producer. First up, he’ll be playing shows with English singer-songwriter Lucy Spraggan in May before joining blues/Americana legend Bonnie Raitt for her UK ‘Just Like That’ dates with a solo headlining set at Pizza Express in London’s Holborn squeezed in along the way. Full tour details and a little more about Gareth Dunlop follow:

Gretchen Peters returns to the UK in May for a final run of shows following her announcement that she will retire from full-scale touring this year. The singer-songwriter has been incredibly well-received by UK audiences over the years, building a considerable fan base the old-fashioned way by touring regularly and releasing quality records. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve been lucky enough to see Gretchen a couple of times over the years, so I’d highly recommend popping along to a show. More about Gretchen and the tour follows:

When Rivers Meet formed in 2019, the husband-and-wife duo Grace Bond (vocals, mandolin, violin) and Aaron Bond (vocals, guitar) quickly established themselves on the blues-rock scene, winning multiple awards along the way, including Blues Band Of The Year at the UK Blues Awards 2021 and 2022. The duo have a new album ‘Aces Are High’ set for release later this year. The first taster from the record, ‘Play My Game’, is a definite statement of intent and bodes well for the upcoming album. Please read on for more about When Rivers Meet, the video for the new single, tour dates and plenty more.

Fresh from a run of shows opening for Beth Hart, singer and guitarist Connor Selby is now back out on the road playing headline shows, including Manchester and London, plus a string of festival appearances. The deluxe edition of his self-titled album has been getting great reviews while Connor has been picking up awards, including "Young Artist of the Year" at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022). We have loads more about Connor, including a selection of videos and those upcoming dates: