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Diary Dates
O’Hooley & Tidow – Wednesday 29 November
The Guildhall
Join much loved folk duo O’Hooley & Tidow as they perform their critically acclaimed new album ‘Cloudheads’ in the the beautiful and atmospheric setting of The Guildhall.
Shalamar – Thursday 30 November
De Montfort Hall
As Shalamar, Howard Hewett and Jeffrey Daniel sold over 25 million records worldwide and collected no less than 100 gold, silver and platinum awards. They always whip the crowd into a frenzy with classics such as I Can Make You Feel Good, A Night To Remember, Friends, Make That Move, The Second Time Around, There It Is and I Owe You One. Completing the group is Carolyn Griffey (daughter of Shalamar founder Dick Griffey, the CEO of SOLAR records).
Jo Whiley’s 90s Anthems – Friday 1 December
O2 Academy
Jo Whiley is quite simply the ultimate authority on British music – and the voice and face of a generation is headed your way with a dazzling new show as she rummages through her record bag to dig out the very best of 90s Anthems. Now you can relive those magical memories on a dancefloor once again with the queen of the 90s… from Oasis to Blur, The Chems to The Prodigy, let Jo take you on a personal tour of her finest musical memories of the decade that defined them all.
Bar Stool Preachers – Friday 8 December
O2 Academy Leicester
“Mixing the ska-punk dexterity of prime time Rancid with the socialist sensibilities of the Newton Neurotics or Angelic Upstarts” – Purerawk.com Bar Stool Preachers are a fresh Punk and Ska band straight out of Brighton. They make intelligent punk anthems and poignant, unsentimental love songs.
SOFY – Friday 8 December
The Y Theatre
Leicester-raised artist, SOFY, picked up a pen and started work on her collection of songs in 2021, throwing herself headfirst into music after being placed on furlough. Her hip-hop inspired indie-pop bops quickly earned her recognition among top industry tastemakers such as Clara Amfo, Jess Iszatt, & Gemma Bradley. SOFY was runner up in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge’s nationwide talent search following over 10,000+ applicants – selected as the most promising new artist in London, with over 4,000 entries from the capital alone – and now counts the likes of YUNGBLUD, Sam Fender, Arlo Parks, and Tom Grennan among her fans.
Hardwicke Circus – Saturday 9 December
The Soundhouse
A rock ‘n’ roll band collective hailing from England, Scotland and Finland. They play indie rock with a confident swagger that somehow manages to channel the post Altamont malevolence of the Stones and broodiness of the Doors into a modern indie vibe, a-la Futureheads and Vampire Weekend.
Xmas with Fleetwood Bac – Friday 15 December
The Y Theatre
Fleetwood Bac, The World’s #1 Fleetwood Mac Tribute, come to The Y Theatre Leicester for a very special Xmas Show including for the first time ever a Stevie Nicks Solo Section.
Joolsmas – Saturday 23 December
Duffy’s
Jools are returning to the birthplace of the band for a one-off Christmas special. Expect outrageous outfits and maybe even a Jools cover or two from this post-punk rock six piece.
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PREVIEW: Billie Marten at O2 Academy Leicester
Following the release of her fourth studio album Drop Cherries earlier this year, Billie Marten is back in Leicester on her latest tour on Thursday 7 December.
Drop Cherries marked the very first time that Billie had both written and co-produced (with Dom Monks) one of her records; following critically-lauded 2021 album Flora Fauna, Feeding Seahorses by Hand (2019) and Writing of Blues and Yellows (2016). The album was preceded by lead single This Is How We Move.
Billie got her early start in music thanks to parents who surrounded her with the music of Nick Drake, John Martyn, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Kate Bush, Loudon Wainwright III and northern folk artist Chris Wood. The family lived in the cathedral city Ripon, North Yorkshire, where Billie grew up in and around the Dales. Billie was then signed to Chess Club Records, an imprint of Sony. Not long afterwards, she was nominated for the BBC Sound of 2016.
Her critically acclaimed debut album, Writing of Blues and Yellows, was a diarist, open-hearted collection of quietly beautiful songs released in 2016, when she was still just 17. The following year, she moved to London, where she worked on her 2019 follow-up, Feeding Seahorses ByHand, which The Line of Best Fit declared a “gentle and reserved masterpiece”. Towards the end of 2019, Billie underwent a total overhaul, leaving Sony and choosing a new management team. She signed to Fiction records, a division of Universal, in lockdown via zoom. She then went back into the studio and reunited with producer Rich Cooper. Billie felt empowered to experiment and rediscover herself.
Since then, she has toured frequently throughout the UK and US, returning home to record her fourth record Drop Cherries. Her writing themes explore social commentary, the struggle with modernity vs tradition, nature, mental health, relationships, and a general voyeurism on the world as she sees it.
“each song uncovers a different aspect of what it means to love and be loved”
Dork 8/10
“Hauntingly relatable … all thanks to the profound and adept musicality of Billie Marten”
The Skinny 8/10
“a rare glimpse into the vulnerability of imagination, and an ever-changing tapestry of introspection”
Gigwise 8/10
Don’t miss Billie at Leicester’s O2 Academy on Thursday 7 December. Remaining tickets are on sale HERE.
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WEEKLY PLAYLIST
On this week’s playlist take a listen to Billie’s latest album, Drop Cherries, to give you a flavour of her beautiful latest material before the show.
Have a listen and get in touch to tell us which tracks you’re loving.