Fat Friday 24th Feb 2012: Blur, One Direction, Pulp, Jay-Z and Kanye West, New Order, Queen, Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and more
Posted: 12 years agoWith the BRITs out of the way for another year, attentions turn to what is a MAMMOTH week for new tickets. Award-winners Blur and One Direction, kings of urban Jay-Z and Kanye West, the biggest names in rock announced for Sonisphere and the Teenage Cancer Trust, including Paul McCartney and Queen, the list goes on and on. It's a tough choice, but someone's gotta buy them (before they sell out).
Truly, the very Best of British has been unveiled for the snappily-titled BT London Live 2012 Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert with Blur, New Order and The Specials all performing on 12th August, the last day of the Olympics. Tickets for the entire day's entertainment cost £55 - more guests are due to be confirmed in due course.
Their BRIT award should ensure an immediate response to their 2013 UK tour which kicks off with two dates at The O2 Arena in Greenwich on 22nd and 23rd February, followed by Glasgow, Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester and more arenas until Newcastle on 24th March 2013, priced from around £30 for UK shows and from €40 for the Ireland dates.
Seven huge fundraising gigs at the Royal Albert Hall begin on 28th March with Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller and Kelly Jones, then Paul McCartney on 29th, followed by Example on 30th, Pulp on 31st and Jessie J on 1st April. Comedy takes over on 2nd with Jason Manford hosting, before Florence and the Machine head-up the final gig on Tuesday 3rd April. Support and special guests to be confirmed - priced from £25.
Classic rock from Queen, KISS and Faith No More dominates the bill at Knebworth this year, with Incubus, Marilyn Manson, Cypress Hill, Mastodon and more on the exceptional bill (so far). Tickets are due on sale from 9am on Thursday 23rd February, priced £80 for day passes, £145 for three-day tickets and £170/£180 for three- or four-day tickets with camping.
So far there are nine confirmed UK shows for May, including Newcastle, Glasgow, Folkestone, Birmingham, Brixton and more. Tickets for the tour, which will support the release of their 5th album, cost £25 for the regionals, a bit more for Folkestone (£26) and more for London (£28.50).
The Coventry trio's third LP 'Streets In The Sky' will be offered as a free download when it is released in the summer. Meanwhile, May dates kick off with a Live at Leeds 2012 show on the 5th, followed by gigs at the Manchester Academy, the Shepherds Bush Empire and, finally, Glasgow Barrowlands on 25th May.
His recent number one single, 'Hot Right Now', is his second chart-topper in six months - which will translate into super-fast sold-out shows. His next full tour takes place in May from Leeds (7th) to Cambridge (16th), prior to his Big Beach Bootique 5 etc. £12.50 - £15 and on sale now.
Revered for their energetic, intoxicating live shows, Bellowhead's autumn tour kicks off in Wolverhampton on 6th November, followed by Camden on 7th, and dates in Norwich, Cambridge, Brighton, York, Salford and more, before the final gig announced so far at the The Engine Shed in Lincoln on 23rd November. £18, rising to £22.50 for the Camden show.
With recent album 'Guitar Man', the jazzy soully guitarist begins his UK tour at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 28th June, followed by shows in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Nottingham, before the final date in Bournemouth on 4th July 2012, priced from £42.50.
Their new tour is entitled "30 Years of Thunder" and will incorporate a two-hour show of three sets, including a new shorter rendition of "Crimson Idol", plus new songs. The tour starts in London on 21st Sep, calls at most cities before stopping in Bristol on 4th Oct. Tickets are around £28.50.
Your next chances to see them are during the summer with their next string of headliners (plus a few festival slots). First stop for their tour is Southampton on 31st May, followed by Oxford, Birmingham, York (on sale now) and more until Cambridge on 15th June. All cost around £8.50. In addition and also on sale from Friday is a show at London's Heaven on 31st October - £12.
His 50/50 cycling/singing (!) tour pushes off at Heaton's own Salford pub on Tuesday 15th May followed by another 30 or so dates at the rate of three every four days, taking in Scotland, Ireland and Wales before winding his way to London for the final show, and a cushion, on Saturday 23rd June at the Pelton Arms in Greenwich. £15.
Canada's dry one-liner king has extended his 2012 activities by adding a swathe of new shows, some as a response to demand in certain towns. Swindon, Dorking, Leeds (three shows), Jersey and many more will set you back around £18.50
Also on sale this mammoth week are tickets for Chris Cornell's Songbook tour, jaunts for Suzanne Vega, Mystery Jets, The Sunshine Underground, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly., Flux Pavilion, The Wailers, Elton John and many MANY more....
Happy clicking!