UB40 ANNOUNCE UK TOUR DATES FOR 2015 DUE TO DEMAND
Following their sold-out UK tour of 2014, reggae stars UB40 have announced eighteen-date UK tour for May 2015 due to demand.
The Brummie legends are currently in the middle of the second leg of their ‘Getting Over The Storm UK Tour’, which has seen UK’s most successful reggae band play over forty UK shows to over 100,000 fans.
UB40’s 2015 tour dates, which start at Inverness’ Eden Court on Tuesday, 5th May and ends at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre on Friday, 29th May, continues the band’s preference to avoid arena venues in the UK, as founding member and principal songwriter Brian Travers explains, “The success of this year’s tour has confirmed what we already knew, that it’s better to play to 100,000 people across forty intimate venues across the whole of the country than playing to the same number of people at six enormous domes in the same cities. It’s a much better experience for both the band and our fans, and we get to play in towns and cities we haven’t visited for many years.”
Fellow UB40 founding member and principal songwriter Jimmy Brown agrees, “The atmosphere in the venues on our current tour has been amazing. You can feel it from the stage and it lifts the band to a different level. You rarely get that in an arena. We’re never happier than when we are on stage; we are a working band, it’s what we do.”
The success of the tour is bound to rankle with UB40’s former lead singer Ali Campbell, who has repeatedly attempted to discredit his former bandmates since he walked out on them in 2008.
UB40 founding member Robin Campbell said, “Ali’s spent the year shamelessly attempting to pass himself off as a ‘reformed’ UB40, which has confused many of our fans, the media and concert promoters all over the world. We’ve had to issue writs against Ali and two other former members. If they want to be UB40 so badly they should never have chosen to leave UB40 in the first place.”
Naming themselves after the unemployment benefit form, UB40 formed in 1978, before releasing their debut album ‘Signing Off’ in August 1980 – considered by many to be one of the greatest reggae albums ever released by a British band. It was the start of a career that has since seen the band have over forty UK Top 40 hit singles and achieve sales of over 100 million records, making UB40 one of the most successful British groups of all-time. The band’s latest Top 30 album ‘Getting Over The Storm’ was awarded BBC Radio 2’s ‘Album Of The Week’ accolade and received 5-star reviews from the UK’s music press on its release in September 2013.
UB40’s UK TOUR DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
May 2015
Tuesday, 5th May - Inverness, Eden Court
Wednesday, 6th May - Perth, Perth Concert Hall
Friday, 8th May - Warrington, Parr Hall
Saturday, 9th May - Halifax, The Victoria Theatre
Sunday, 10th May - Gloucester, GL1
Tuesday, 12th - Cambridge, Corn Exchange
Wednesday 13th - Guildford, GLive
Thursday, 14th - Yeovil, Westland
Saturday, 16th May - Watford, Colosseum
Sunday, 17th May - Plymouth, Pavilions
Tuesday, 19th May - Isle of Wight, Ventnor Winter Gardens
Wednesday, 20th - Eastbourne, Congress Theatre
Friday, 22nd May - Blackpool, Opera House
Saturday, 23rd May - Wrexham, William Aston Hall
Sunday, 24th May - Lincoln, Engine Shed
Tuesday, 26th May - Buxton, Opera House
Wednesday, 27th May - Bridlington, The Spa
Friday, 29th May - Dartford, Orchard Theatre
Tickets will be available via a pre-sale from 9.00am on Wednesday, 12th November 2014, and on general sale from 9.00am on Friday, 14th November 2014 from www.ub40.co.uk
UB40 ONLINE
www.ub40.co.uk / http://facebook.com/ub40official / @UB40official / http://instagram.com/ub40official
Notes to editor
UB40 have issued writs against former members Ali Campbell, Mickey Virtue and Terence “Astro” Wilson for using the band’s name, six years after Ali and Mickey walked out on the band.
Since 2008, UB40 have released three studio albums, and toured the world twice. The band’s most rcent studio album Getting Over The Storm was awarded BBC Radio 2’s Album of The Week Accolade.
In 2014 UB40 embarked on a sold-out forty-date UK tour, selling over 100,000 tickets:
UB40’s line-up is:
Duncan Campbell – co-lead vocals
Robin Campbell – co-lead vocals, guitar
Earl Falconer – bass, vocals.
Brian Travers – sax and keys
Jimmy Brown – drums
Norman Hassan – percussion, vocals.
Martin Meredith – sax
Lawrence Parry – sax
Robin Campbell, Earl Falconer, Norman Hassan, Jimmy Brown and Brian Travers are all founding members of UB40.
Jimmy Brown and Brian Travers are (and always have been) UB40’s principal songwriters.
Duncan Campbell (Ali and Robin Campbell’s brother) joined the band when Ali left in 2008. Duncan was originally asked to join the band when UB40 started, but declined the offer because he never thought UB40 would amount to much.
Duncan joined the band with Ali’s blessing, but Ali hasn’t spoken to him since.
Martin Meredith and Lawrence Parry have been in the UB40’s touring line-up for over 20 years.
For further information please contact Dave Clarke at:
Tel:+44 (0) 7966 557774 or E-Mail: dave@planetearthpublicity.com
www.planetearthpublicity.com