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8/7/2019 GigPreviews

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Gig Prev iewsmod e r n a g e ~

Bon Jovi return to the UK and Ireland inJune for a series of huge outdoor shows. Ti-tled Open Air 2011, the shows will seethem visiting Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh,Dublin and Londons famous Hard RockCalling festival at Hyde Park.The bands latest release, 2010s Bon JoviGreatest Hits reached #2 in the UK albumcharts, with the album soaring high at #1 inAustralia, Canada, Ireland, Portugal and theofficial European Top 100 Chart. To pro-mote the album, the band will tour theworld once again following on from lastyears The Circle Tour.Now, Bon Jovi are not every music fans cupof tea, but the band have built a fierce livereputation, and with 25 years of touring ex-perience, they know how to put on a show.

With guaranteed sing-alongs You Give Lovea Bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive, Its MyLife and Always the shows are sure to be en-tertaining ways to spend a summers day, andbeing part of a 60,000 strong crowd singingLivin on a Prayer is a moment that every-one deserves to experience.The first stop sees the band hit MurrayfieldStadium in Edinburgh on 22nd June, theband then move on to Old Trafford CricketGround in Manchester on Friday 24th June.A day later the band head to Hyde Park toheadline the Saturday of Hard Rock Calling2011, with the UK and Ireland tour finishingwith two dates at Irelands RDS Arena on the29th/30th June. The band also return to Bris-tols Ashton Gate stadium, returning to thevenue they first played in 2008 as part of the

Lost Highway tour.Rumours had surfaced that the band wasdue to the play a London date at WembleyStadium over the summer. These rumourswere a surprise due the bad blood betweenthe bands promoters and the stadium man-agement after Bon Jovis official stadiumopening had to be cancelled back in 2006.Take Thats huge summer tour is likely tohave effected the venues Bon Jovi is due toplay. The band have taken over the majorityof the UKs stadiums in June, includingWembley, and the City of Manchester Sta-dium, the later a venue Bon Jovi have playedtwice before on previous tours.Tickets range from 50-80 depending onthe venue, more information www.ticket-master.co.uk and www.bonjovi.com

Your guide to the biggest gigs of 2011

BON JOV IMANCHESTER-DUBLIN-BRISTOL

EDINBURGH-LONDON


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Benicassim 2011 promises something spe-cial, with the headliners already an-nounced, it is looking to leave all other2011 festivals in its shadow.July will see The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys,Arcade Fire and Primal Scream descend onthe port town of Benicassim for the fourday event, with over 100 acts set to play.The event has become more of a Britishfestival abroad in recent years, with suchartists as Oasis, Morrissey and Kasabianplaying, as well as the thousands of touriststhat travel each year.The Strokes return to the festival this year,five years after headlining the 2006 festival.With the as yet untitled fourth studioalbum due for release in early 2011, youcan expect two hours of no frills pure rockn roll, that is all to rare in the more mod-ern indie rock bands of recent years.Arcade Fire will also headline the mainstage at some point over the long week-end. Still touring their brilliant third albumThe Suburbs, they will make their ( ) ap-

pearance at the festival. Their 2010 UKarena tour sold out instantly, as did allother European dates, so a huge crowd willbe expected for their headline slot.Another act certain to draw the numbers,Arctic Monkeys, also play the festival. Theband have not played any UK tour datessince 2009, so fans will be eager to see theband after a couple of years away. Al-though last album, Humbug, didnt pro-vide as many hit singles as their previewstwo efforts, it presented a band with amuch more mature sound, it was a criticsfavourite if not everyones cup of tea.They have become one of the best livebands in recent years, producing a power-ful sound with their arsenal of anthems.Go to headliners Kings of Leon arestrongly rumoured to be making an ap-pearance, promoting their newest releaseCome Around Sundown.Pulp make their return to the music scenein 2011, with a headline slot at the Isle ofWight festival. They will join Kings of

Leon, Foo Fighters and Kasabian over thethree day event in June.Since their last gig in 2002, singer JarvisCocker has released a number of solo ef-forts in the nine years that has passed, andit will be interesting to see how the bandwill form after such a lengthy hiatus.The opening night will see Kings of Leonheadline their only UK festival in 2011.Foo Fighters headline the Saturday night, amonth before they host two massive showsthe MK Bowl.The 2011 event will be closed by Kasabian,who are rapidly earning a reputation as thecountrys best live act. Their last album,West Pauper Lunatic Asylum, took theband to a new level, with the album gain-ing commercial and critical success. SinglesUnderdog and Fire where two of thebiggest selling releases of 2009, allowing theband to sell out some of the countrysbiggest arenas and catapulting them toheadline status all over the world.

BENICASSIM&IOWFESTIVAL20

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THE STROKES - KASABIAN - ARCADE FIRE

KINGS OF LEON - FOO FIGHTERS


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Foo Fighters make their comeback with twomega shows at the MK Bowl. Over 120,000fans will pass through the gates over the 2days, which will mark the bands first liveshows anywhere in the world since 2008.Dave Grohls men have been slaving awayin the recording studio since summer 2010,and these shows will see them showcase newmaterial alongside tracks found on theirGreatest Hits release in 2009. Grohls liveshowmanship is not to be missed, with hisability to make a stadium show feel like anintimate club gig between just the band, youand a few thousand friends.The shows sold out within hours, which isastonishing considering the capacity of thevenue, although it does prove that the loveis still strong for the band on these shoreseven after a few years away. Foos live gigsare really not to be missed, while they docarry an impressive production (that onceincluded a separate acoustic stage descend-ing from a venues ceiling into the middle ofthe crowd), they let the music do the talking,boasting a sound louder than any band cur-rently performing.There are still ticket and coach packagesavailable from various ticketing agencies,however do not leave it too late as these aresure to sell fast.

w ith his ability tomake a stadium showfeel like an intimateclub gig ...

2011 Gig Round Upminutes of going on sale, with only a few ofthe European dates still selling tickets.Gem Archer has already ruled out the pos-sibility of the band playing songs from Oasisback catalogue, therefore the set list willconsist of material from the bands debutalbum, Different Gear, Still Speeding, duefor release in February.

Robbie Williams rejoins Take That for theirmammoth UK stadium jaunt in the summer.With every person in the country seeminglytrying to buy tickets, the gigs sold out in-stantly. The demand has left to the Mancun-ian five piece to playing an amazing sevennight at the City of Manchester Stadium,and another seven nights at Wembley Sta-dium, as well as numerous nights at othervenues across the country.Robbie will get his time in the limelight atthe gigs, with some of his solo materialscheduled to be performed. Whilst this mayannoy some people, the majority will behappy hearing these songs standing shoulderto shoulder with the full bands hits.Tickets are selling for hundreds of poundson auction website, with the gigs likely to bethe most talked of this summer.

Elton John will play a trio of outdoor datesthis summer.Accompanied by his backing band, the artistwill perform shows in Shrewsbury,Northampton and Sussex.John has recently announced that he will beretiring from the music business, thereforeshows such as these will offer a final glimpseof a true living legend doing what he doesbest.

FOO

FIGHTERS

BEADYEYE

Liam Gallagher makes his live music returnin March with a short UK and Europeantour with new band Beady Eye.After Noel Gallagher quit Oasis in August2009, the remaining band members decidedto ditch the Oasis name, and continue mak-ing music. This decision has seen a numberof changes in the bands live set up. GemArcher takes over on lead guitar, with Oasisbassist Andy Bell moving onto guitar. JeffWooton, part of Gorillaz joins to take overon bass duties. Chris Sharrock stays ondrums, with Matt Jones on keyboard.The band will play nights in Gallaghers homecity of Manchester, at the Apollo venue, aswell as multiple nights in Glasgow and Lon-don. All of the UK dates sold out within

TAKETHAT

ELTONJOHN

NMEBIGGIG

The annual NME Big Gig takes place thisyear at Londons Wembley Arena. Theevent will be headlined by Foo Fighters,whose front man Dave Grohl will receive aGodlike Genius award at the 2011 NMEAwards.Other artists on the bill include Cee LoGreen, Band of Horses and No Age. Theevent is staged each year as part of the NMEAwards Show, and will take place on 25THFebruary.The event has previously seen bands such asManic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Klax-ons and The Cribs take to the stage, with lastyears event at the O2 Arena headlined byThe Cure.

Eric Clapton will perform a short residencyat the Royal Albert Hall in May.The singer songwriter will play six dates atthe famous venue during May, with a furtherfive nights accompanied by Steve Winwood.Clapton also played the venue in late 2010,headlining the Princes Trust Rock Gala Con-cert.The dates form part of a tour that will seeClapton also visit Glasgow and Cardiff, thereare no other England dates planned as of thistime.

ERICCLAPTON

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