Scorpions thank their fans as 'Wind of Change' hits YouTube milestone
They're the latest band to join the one billion club
Scorpions’ 1990 anthem ‘Wind of Change’ has become the latest rock music video to surpass one billion views on YouTube.
The video hit the 10-digit landmark this week, and Scorpions said in a statement: “1 billion views on the Wind of Change video!!! What a milestone. Thank you to all the Rock Believers for watching.”
‘Wind of Change’ is by far Scorpions’ most watched video on YouTube with second placed ‘Send Me An Angel’ on 328 million views. Arguably one of their defining tunes, ‘Rock You Like A Hurricane’ has just 15 million views.
Scorpions singer Klaus Meine wrote ‘Wind of Change’ following the band’s visit to the Soviet Union in the late 80s and the lyrics reflect on the changes in the Communist state that heralded the end of The Cold War.
Scorpions performed ‘Wind of Change’ at the Brandenburg Gate on 9th November 1999 to mark the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The song was a huge hit upon its release in 1991 and it reached Number 2 in the UK and the top spot in numerous countries across the globe.
Last June, Klaus Meine said he had changed the ‘Wind of Change’ lyrics at Scorpions concerts following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Meine told Ukraine’s TCH: ““We were booked for a residency in Las Vegas. I thought this is not the time to romanticise Russia with lyrics like, 'Follow the Moskva / Down to Gorky Park.' And I wanted to make a statement that we support the Ukraine in this very difficult situation.”
Rock tours and festivals taking place in 2023:
Europe
Swedish rock icons Europe will embark on a 40th anniversary UK tour this autumn. The UK leg of The Time Capsule Tour opens at Cardiff St David's Hall on Tuesday 17th October and visits Glasgow, Gateshead, Wolverhampton, Salford and Leicester before culminating with two nights at London's world-famous Palladium. The shows will consist of a career retrospective "evening with" performance featuring all the hits together with deep cuts and fan favourites from all of their 11 studio albums.
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Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro will celebrate the 50th anniversary of her breakthrough single 'Can the Can' with a five-date UK tour in November 2023. Visiting Cardiff St David's Hall, Brighton Dome, London Palladium, Wolverhampton The Halls at The Civic and Manchester Bridgewater Hall, Quatro will perform her hits, classics and more.
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The Who
The Who have announced a very special Hits Back! UK tour for July 2023 visiting outdoor venues and one arena. Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and co. will be flanked by a full orchestra each night on the nine-date tour, which opens at Hull Sewell Group Craven Park on Thursday 6th July. The Who play two nights at Edinburgh Castle before visiting London's The O2, Derby The Incora County Ground, Bristol Badminton Estate, Durham Seat Unique Riverside, St Helens Totally Wicked Stadium and Brighton The 1st Central County Ground.
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Planet Rockstock 2023
When: Thursday 30th November - Sunday 3rd December 2023
Where: Trecco Bay, South Wales
Headliners: Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Graham Bonnet Band, Michael Schenker Group and Glenn Hughes.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Planet Rockstock returns to Trecco Bay in south Wales from Thursday 30th November to Sunday 3rd December 2023. We'll bring you more details of the special event very soon!
Iron Maiden
Metal legends Iron Maiden are bringing a brand-new live show, The Future Past Tour, to UK arenas in June and July 2023. The Future Past Tour will feature previously unperformed songs from Iron Maiden's 2021 album 'Senjutsu' together with material from their seminal 1986 album 'Somewhere in Time', and classic tracks. The UK tour opens at Glasgow OVO Hydro and visits Leeds First Direct Arena, Manchester AO Arena, Nottingham Motorpoint Arena and Birmingham Utilita Arena before concluding at London's The O2 on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th July 2023.
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Elles Bailey
Planet Rock presenter and blues singer extraordinaire, Elles Bailey, is playing 15 shows in spring 2023. Elles opens her trek at The Globe in Cardiff on Friday 3rd March and visits Exeter, Liverpool, Hull, Sunderland, Wolverhampton, York, Edinburgh, Leeds (co-headline with Chantel McGregor), Brighton, Cambridge, Southampton, London and Newbury before concluding at Bristol Trinity Centre on Saturday 15th April.
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Roger Waters
The Pink Floyd icon's This Is Not a Drill Tour opens at Birmingham Utilita Arena on 31st May and takes in two nights at Glasgow OVO Hydro and two shows at London The O2 before culminating at Manchester AO Arena on Saturday 10th June. Waters has described the trek as his "first farewell tour."
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Kira Mac
Fast-ascending rockers Kira Mac will hit the road in May and June 2023 on The Downfall Tour. Named after their Planet Rock playlisted anthem 'Downfall', the UK tour opens at Chester Live Rooms on Wednesday 17th May and visits Blackpool, Glasgow, Sheffield, Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham and Stoke before culminating at London's The Garage on Sunday 4th June.
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Massive Wagons
Joined by special guests The Virginmarys, the mighty Massive Wagons play a 10-date headline tour in April 2023. The Lancaster rockers bring their searing sounds to Portsmouth, Cambridge, Bristol, London, Manchester, Norwich, Birmingham, Buckley, Leeds and Edinburgh, and at least two dates are already sold out. The tour is in support of their latest album 'Triggered!' which stormed into the UK official album chart at Number 6.
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Steelhouse Festival
Steelhouse Festival made its first big announcements for the 2023 line-up last year, revealing that Airbourne will headline the Saturday and Black Stone Cherry on the Sunday. Both headliners are performing UK exclusives and also their Steelhouse debuts. The line-up for the festival, which takes place from 28-30th July 2023 in Ebbw Vale, Wales, also includes Friday headliners the Kris Barras Band plus When Rivers Meet, The Karma Effect, Dead Man's Whiskey, The Answer, Blues Pills, Florence Black, The Vintage Caravan, The Damn Truth, Austin Gold, Kira Mac, Empyre, The Cruel Knives and Jordan Red. The Saturday night special guest slot will see the mighty Those Damn Crows, with the festival announcing the final five acts in February.
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Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
The Boss and his legendary band will open their four-date trek at Edinburgh's BT Murrayfield Stadium on Tuesday 30th May 2023 before playing Birmingham Villa Park on Friday 16th June 2023. Following the two stadium concerts, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band headline American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on Thursday 6th and Saturday 8th July 2023. Tickets are all completely sold out.
Beth Hart
Fresh from denting the UK album chart Top 20 with her 'A Tribute to Led Zeppelin' album last year, Beth Hart will play dates in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, London (two nights at The Palladium) and Brighton in March 2023.
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W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P.'s rescheduled 40th Anniversary tour finally comes to the UK in March 2023. The tour will kick off at Manchester Academy and visit Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Bristol and London.
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KISS
KISS have announced their final UK tour dates for 2023 as part of their multi-year End of the Road World Tour. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer will open their six-date swansong UK tour with an outdoor concert at Plymouth Argyle Home Park on Saturday 3rd June. KISS will then head indoors for arena shows in Birmingham, Newcastle, London and Manchester before saying goodbye to the UK for good at Glasgow OVO Hydro on Saturday 8th July. Skindred have been confirmed as the special guests on the trek.
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The Commoners and Troy Redfern
Canadian blues rockers The Commoners and British slide guitar maverick Troy Redfern are joining forces for a co-headline UK tour this spring. The 15-date tour opens at The Grace in London on Thursday 13th April 2023 and visits Sittingbourne, Southampton, Brighton, Sheffield, Oxford, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, York and Chester before concluding at Nottingham Bodega on Saturday 29th April 2023.
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When Rivers Meet
Husband and wife blues rock duo When Rivers Meet are playing their biggest UK tour yet in spring 2023. Joined by special guest Arielle, Grace and Aaron Bond will play a total of 14 headline shows in April and May 2023 on the Breaker of Chains Tour. Opening at Colchester Arts Centre on Friday 28th April, the tour visits Norwich, Brighton, London, Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, Tavistock, Barnard Castle, Glasgow, Newcastle, Nottingham and Bradford before concluding at Manchester Academy 3 on Saturday 27th May.
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Guns N’ Roses
Guns N' Roses are one of the big-name headliners of BST Hyde Park. Axl Rose, Slash, Duff McKagan, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer and Melissa Reese will perform in London on Friday 30th June 2023 as part of BST Hyde Park's 10th anniversary celebrations.
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Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe
Having wowed stadiums across the UK last summer, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are bringing their co-headline tour to the UK in 2023. The UK leg kicks off with a very special homecoming show for Def Leppard at Sheffield Bramall Lane – home of Joe Elliott's beloved Sheffield United – on Monday 22nd May 2023. Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe then play a gargantuan concert at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1st July 2023 before playing Lytham Festival in Lancashire (Sun 2nd July) and Glasgow Hampden Park Stadium (Thu 6th July).
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Chris Shiflett
Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett is coming to the UK & Ireland in March 2023 for a six-date solo tour. Shiflett kicks off his short run of shows at Whelan's in Dublin on Tuesday 21st March before he plays Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and London. "I am so excited to announce my upcoming tour of the UK & Ireland," says Chris Shiflett. "The gigs I did over there in 2019 were some of the wildest, most rocking solo shows I've ever done, and I expect this one will be even better. We've got a bunch of new tunes to play and we're fired up! See ya soon!!!"
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Tenacious D
Jack Black and Kyle Gass will bring their spectacular live show to London's The O2 on Friday 16th June 2023. It's the first time the comedy metal duo have graced our shores since they performed two sold-out concerts at The SSE Arena, Wembley back in early June 2019. Sadly, tickets for The O2 show are also sold out.
Download Festival
Metallica, Slipknot and Bring Me The Horizon headlined Download Festival's 20th anniversary event in 2023. Taking place over four nights at Donington Park from Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th June, Metallica headlined both the Thursday and Saturday nights with two completely different sets. Other acts included Ghost, Within Temptation, Placebo, Disturbed, Evanescence, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Architects, The Distillers, Skindred and many more.
The District X line-up, occupying the late night entertainment area at the festival across five days and nights, saw UK rock and metal club nights including Voodoo, Face Down, Uprawr, Peep Show, Decade, Ultimate Power, Chop Suey, Fat Lip, Black Parade, Master Of Pop Hits, Girl Power Rock Club, Alternative Anthems and We Are Still Young.
Peter Gabriel
Genesis legend Peter Gabriel has announced a four-date UK arena tour for summer 2022. i/o - The Tour opens at Birmingham Utilita Arena on Saturday 17th June and visits London The O2, Glasgow OVO Hydro and Manchester AO Arena. It's the first time Peter Gabriel has toured the UK since the Back To Front Tour back in autumn 2014.
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FM, Dare and Tyketto
Tyketto, FM and Dare are joining forces for a major headline UK tour in May 2023. The aptly entitled Triple Headline Tour will see the three musical kindred spirits share the stage together for the very first time at venues in England, Scotland and Wales. The 12-date, two-week trek opens at Glasgow The Garage on Thursday 11th May 2023 and visits Newcastle, Nottingham, Barnsley, Hull, Buckley, Wolverhampton, Newport, Manchester, Southampton and Norwich before culminating at London O2 Academy Islington on Thursday 25th May 2023.
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The Winery Dogs
The Winery Dogs - Richie Kotzen, Billy Sheehan and Mike Portnoy - kick off their short run of shows at Wolverhampton KK's Steel Mill on Friday 16th June before playing Nottingham Rock City (Saturday 17th June) and London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Sunday 18th June). The English shows follow the Friday 3rd February 2023 release of The Winery Dogs' third studio album 'III' via their own Three Dog Music label.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers
Having released two studio albums last year – April's 'Unlimited Love' and October's 'Return of the Dream Canteen' – funk rock icons Red Hot Chili Peppers play two stadium shows this summer. The quartet play London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Friday 21st July and Glasgow Hampden Park on Sunday 23rd July.
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Steel Panther
Comedy glam metallers Steel Panther have lined up a headline UK tour for May 2023, which visits Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Bristol and Leeds. The tour follows the Friday 24th February release of Steel Panther's sixth studio album 'On the Prowl', which is their first record without former bassist Lexxi Foxx, who departed after 21 years in July 2021.
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Samantha Fish
Always phenomenal in the live arena, Samantha Fish's nine-date tour opens at Sunderland's The Fire Station on Thursday 19th October and concludes at Birmingham O2 Institute on Saturday 28th October. The tour also calls in at Glasgow Barrowlands, Manchester Ritz, Bristol SWX, York Barbican, Cambridge Junction, Bournemouth O2 Academy and Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion.
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Stonedead Festival
Rock legends Blue Oyster Cult headline this year's one-day rock extravaganza. Also heading to Newark Showground on Saturday 26th August are the likes of Therapy?, The Answer, King King and Mason Hill. The Friday pre-party is headlined by Myke Gray's Skin with Kira Mac and The Karma Effect.
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Hollywood Vampires
Hollywood Vampires are coming to our shores for the first time in five years this summer. Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen's tour kicks off in Scarborough on Wednesday 5th July 2023, before calling at Swansea (Fri 7th July), Manchester (Sat 8th July), London (Sun 9th July), Birmingham (Tue 11th July), and culminating in Glasgow (Wed 12th July). Support comes from South-African hard rockers Seether, and San Franciscan punk legends The Tubes.
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The Australian Pink Floyd Show
Phenomenally brilliant Pink Floyd tribute act The Australian Pink Floyd Show are coming to the UK in October, November and December 2023 for their Dark Side of The Moon 50 1973- 2023 Tour. Kicking off on Friday 27th October 2023 in Swansea, The Dark Side of The Moon tour takes in concerts across England, Scotland and Wales and culminates at Bournemouth on Saturday 9th December 2023.
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Those Damn Crows
Those Damn Crows have announced a headline UK tour for February 2023. Opening at Leeds Key Club, the quintet play Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Bradford and London before concluding with a show at the 3,500-capacity Swansea Arena on Saturday 25th February. The shows support the release of Those Damn Crows' new studio album 'Inhale/Exhale'.
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Joe Bonamassa
Blues maverick Joe Bonamassa has announced a five-date headline tour for May 2023. Taking in four arenas and one theatre, Joe Bonamassa will open his run of shows at Bournemouth International Centre on Tuesday 9th May. The feted guitarist and singer will then visit Blackpool Opera House, Leeds First Direct Arena, Newcastle Utilita Arena, and Birmingham Utilita Arena.
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Bloodstock
Headlined by Killswitch Engage, Meshuggah and Megadeth, Bloodstock takes place at Catton Park, Derbyshire on 10th-13th August 2023. Other acts performing across the weekend are Triptykon, Helloween, In Flames, Devildriver, Biohazard, Sacred Reich, Heaven Shall Burn, Ugly Kid Joe, and many, many more.
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Muse
Muse's The Will Of The People 2023 UK Tour opens at Plymouth Home Park on Saturday 27th May and visits Huddersfield John Smith's Stadium (Tuesday 20th June) and Glasgow Bellahouston Park (Friday 23rd June) before concluding at Milton Keynes Bowl on Sunday 25th June. Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme will be joined by very special guests Royal Blood at all dates except Glasgow.
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Black Star Riders
Black Star Riders' 10th anniversary headline UK trek opens at Nottingham Rock City on Monday 13th February and calls in at Norwich, Ipswich, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Cardiff, Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle and London. Special guests on all dates are Michael Monroe and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. Frontman Ricky Warwick comments: "For the UK tour only, we will be bringing back the legendary Scott Gorham (guitar) and Jimmy DeGrasso (drums) for the dates to make them extra special!"
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Blackberry Smoke
Blackberry Smoke's quartet of UK shows take place 13 months later than planned, and they kick off at Birmingham O2 Academy on Sunday 26th March 2023 before calling in at Glasgow, London and Manchester. The band's seventh studio album 'You Hear Georgia' was released in May 2021 and it dented the UK album chart at no.17.
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Joe Satriani
Guitar icon Joe Satriani will grace the UK in May 2023 for a six-date trek. The Shapeshifting Tour will feature material from Satriani's seventeenth studio album, 'Shapeshifting', which was released in April 2020, alongside other gems from his sprawling back catalogue including 'Surfing With The Alien', 'Always with Me, Always with You' and 'Flying In A Blue Dream'.
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Sabaton
Swedish power metal titans Sabaton will be joined by special guests Babymetal and Lordi on their April 2023 UK arena tour. Supporting their chart-denting tenth studio album 'The War to End All Wars', The Tour To End All Tours opens at Leeds First Direct Arena on Friday 14th April 2023 and visits London OVO Arena Wembley (Sat 15th April), Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (Sun 16th April) and Glasgow OVO Hydro (Tue 18th April).
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King King
Following their triumphant appearances at Planet Rock's Rocktober and Planet Rockstock last year, Scottish blues rockers King King play 18 headline shows across the UK in March 2023. Opening with a homecoming show at Glasgow Barrowland on Thursday 2nd March, King King play concerts in Leeds, Newcastle, London, Norwich, Manchester, Nottingham, New Brighton, Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Oxford, Bexhill, Leamington Spa, Exeter, Frome, Bournemouth, Cambridge and Blackburn. Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook is the very special guest at all dates.
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Stone Broken
Stone Broken hit the road in early 2023 playing 13 shows across England, Scotland and Wales. The Come Closer tour will offer fans a more intimate chance to experience Stone Broken perform the breadth of their fan-favourite repertoire, but with a more personal set-up to previous shows.
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The Answer
Fresh off their March 2023 tour, which supported their first new album in seven years, 'Sundowners', The Answer announced they would be hitting the road once more for a November/December 2023 UK tour. Following their string of European festival performances across the summer, The Answer will play five headline shows - travelling through Manchester, London, Wolverhampton, Glasgow and Belfast.
On the upcoming tour dates, Cormac Neeson said: "Our recent run of album showcases for the Sundowners release was the best time we've had on the road for many a decade! To get the reaction we did from fans in UK & Europe to the new material has been a shot in the arm for everyone.
"We're so fired up to get back out again and go even further this time with our new live show. It's going to be awesome, and this band of brothers are chomping at the bit to see you down the front again soon!!"
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GUN
GUN frontman Dante Gizzi and his brother/band mate Jools Gizzi (guitars) will head out on an acoustic tour in April and May 2023. Taking in 13 shows in some of the UK's more intimate spaces, Dante and Jools will perform stripped-back versions of songs from GUN's back catalogue, and they will also be regaling stories about life on the road too. The tour opens at Dundee Beat Generator on Thursday 6th April 2023 and visits Bathgate, Stoke, Raynes Park, Dover, Gravesend, Manchester, Norwich, Brighton, Southend and Milton Keynes before culminating with a full band show at London's 100 Club on Friday 5th May 2023.
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Marcus King
Grammy nominated blues rock maverick Marcus King is coming to the UK in March 2023 for five headline shows. Supporting the 26-year-old's critically acclaimed second album 'Young Blood', the aptly entitled Young Blood Tour sees the South Carolina musician play London O2 Forum Kentish Town (Tue 21st), Bristol O2 Academy (Wed 22nd), Glasgow SWG3 Studio Warehouse (Thu 23rd), Leeds Beckett Students Union (Sat 25th) and Manchester O2 Ritz (Sun 26th). Special guests at all dates will be British purveyors of Americana, IDA MAE.
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Winter’s End 2023
Headlined by Elles Bailey (Friday) Von Hertzen Brothers (Saturday) and Kris Barras Band (Sunday), Planet Rock presents Winter's End 2023 took place at Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, Wales from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th February 2023.
The Darkness and Black Stone Cherry
The Darkness and Black Stone Cherry kicked off 2023 in spectacular style with a co-headline UK arena tour.
British Lion
British Lion, the side-project of Iron Maiden founder/bassist Steve Harris, will be embarking on a 15-date European tour this summer - starting in June. Alongside two festival appearances (Hellfest, France and Sweden Rock), the band will play 13 standalone headline shows in Slovenia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Ireland, England, The Netherlands, Italy and Spain.
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Mr. Big
In 2023, Mr. Big singer Eric Martin teased the band's comeback, which was officially confirmed with the announcement of their expansive farewell world tour - The Big Finish. The tour will see the three remaining members of the band perform around the world - with the comeback announced five years on from the untimely death of their drummer, and co-founder Pat Torpey. The tour will kick off in Japan this July, before performing various dates around Asia.
Following the Asian trek, Mr. Big will head to South America, Europe, the UK and the US in 2024.
The Damn Truth
As well as their appearance at Steelhouse Festival, Canadian rock n' rollers The Damn Truth will play seven headline UK shows starting in July.
Their tour will see them perform at London O2 Islington Academy (21st July), Shoreham Ropetackle (22nd July), Leicester Musician (25th July), Buckley Tivoli (27th July), Leek Foxlowe Arts (28th July), Sheffield Greystones (30th July), and Milton Keynes Stables (1st August).
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Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons
From September, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons will embark on their headline UK tour. Motörhead legend Phil Campbell, his sons Todd (guitar), Dane (drums) and Tyla (bass), and vocalist Joel Peters will play a total of 11 headline shows in support of their upcoming third album 'Kings of the Asylum'. Shows begin from 19th September in Brighton, continuing through to December - taking place alongside their headline appearance at Planet Rockstock 2023.
Robert Jon & The Wreck
Robert Jon & The Wreck will be heading on tour again in 2023, bringing a stream of headline shows from September. Playing 10 headline shows, they open at Exeter The Phoenix on 13th September and will visit Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Bristol and Cambridge before finishing at Southampton The Brook on 23rd September.
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Black Stone Cherry
Celebrating the release of their eighth studio album 'Screamin' at the Sky', Black Stone Cherry are heading on an intimate headline UK & Ireland tour. Beginning on Tuesday 26th September, the band will play at eight small capacity venues up to Friday 6th October. Alongside the tour, the band will also hold a series of in-store signings.
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Sari Schorr and Matt Pearce & The Mutiny
Blues rockers Sari Schorr and Matt Pearce & The Mutiny will be embarking on a co-headline UK tour later this year. Joining forces for dates throughout October and November, shows begin from Wednesday 25th October 2023 at York Crescent. From there, they will play shows through Glasgow, Carlisle, Barnsley, Staffordshire, Newbury, London, Gloucester, and Birmingham before wrapping up in Grimsby on 4th November.
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Greta Van Fleet
Part of the European leg of Greta Van Fleet's Starcatcher World Tour, the band have lined up a four-date UK & Ireland arena tour. The dates take place in November, and will see performances at London OVO Arena Wembley, Dublin 3Arena, Manchester AO Hydro and Glasgow OVO Hydro. Playing support at all four shows will be Los Angeles indie rockers Mt. Joy.
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The Darkness
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album 'Permission to Land', The Darkness will be heading on a world tour. Performing all 11 tracks from the multi-million selling album - including legendary tracks like 'Growing On Me', 'Love Is Only A Feeling' and 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' - the shows will also include a bonus 'Best Of The Rest' set, featuring gems from their subsequent six albums. The first wave of the 'Permission to Land' 20th anniversary tour dates take place in November 2023, on mainland Europe.
The Long Road Festival
The Long Road returns in 2023 to bring the fields of Stanford Hall, Leicestershire, the finest country, Americana and roots music. Taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend of Friday 25th to Sunday 27th August 2023, headliners include southern rock powerhouses Blackberry Smoke, and Californian country musician Jon Pardi - in what will be his UK debut. The Long Road have reveal 46 more acts that will be taking to the stage, which you can see on the line-up poster here.
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Extreme
Boston rock icons Extreme will embark on their headline UK 'Thicker Than Blood Tour' through November and December 2023. The tour will mark almost six-years since the band last did a UK trek, and includes six dates - with special guests Living Colour. Opening the tour at Newcastle O2 City Hall on Monday 27th November, Extreme will then visit Glasgow, Manchester, Wolverhampton and Bristol before culminating at London O2 Forum Kentish Town on Monday 4th December.
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KK Priest with Iron Maiden's Paul Di'Anno
Judas Priest co-founder K.K. Downing announced that his spin-off band KK's Priest will tour the UK in October 2023. The heavy metal trailblazer's band will play five headline shows, with special guests Paul Di'Anno - early Iron Maiden vocalist, who will sing songs from the band's first two albums 'Iron Maiden' and 'Killers' - plus Swiss rockers Burning Witches. The Priests, Killers & Witches Tour opens at Birmingham O2 Institute on Saturday 7th October, then visiting Glasgow, Nottingham and Manchester before concluding at the 2,000 capacity London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Thursday 12th.
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Sweet
Sweet will bring 2023 to a triumphant close as they embark on The Full Circle Tour. Providing 13 headline shows in England, Scotland and Wales throughout December, it is thought this could be the rock icons' final UK tour. Opening at Wrexham William Aston Hall on Friday 1st December, Sweet will then play shows through Wolverhampton, Holmfirth, Glasgow, Sunderland, Bury St Edmunds, Manchester, Lytham, Cardiff, Nottingham, London and Poole before finishing at Frome Cheese & Grain on 23rd December.
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