In quick succession, York Barbican has confirmed 1, 2, 3 new shows for 2024 in a booking bonanza that begins with ABC

Martin Fry fronting ABC with orchestral backing next January

A.

IN a new addition to The Lexicon Of Love Orchestral Tour, Sheffield’s ABC will play their classic 1982 album in its entirety with the Southbank Sinfonia at York Barbican on January 27.

Led as ever by Martin Fry, now 65, ABC will combine their chart-topping, million-selling debut with greatest hits cherry-picked from such later works as Beauty Stab, How To Be A Zillionaire and Alphabet City.

Fusing soul-powered dancefloor finesse with a post-punk attitude, The Lexicon Of Love spawned the gilded hit singles Tears Are Not Enough, Poison Arrow, The Look Of Love and All Of My Heart.

The Lexicon Of Love Orchestra first toured in 2009, prompted by the reaction to a one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall, where Fry donned his iconic gold lame suit once more.

Longtime collaborator Anne Dudley will conduct the Southbank Sinfonia on the newly extended January and February 2024 tour, marking the 15th anniversary of the partnership’s debut. Tickets will go on sale on Friday (4/8/2023) at 10am at ticketmaster.co.uk and yorkbarbican.co.uk.

B.

The Gilmour Project

THE Gilmour Project, an all-star band tasked with exploring the music of Pink Floyd and David Gilmour, will play York Barbican on February 3 on their debut tour.

In the line-up will be Jeff Pavar (lead guitar with Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Crosby/CPR, Phil Lesh); Kasim Sulton (bass and vocals with Todd Rundgren, Utopia, Meat Loaf); Prairie Prince (co-founder of The Tubes, original drummer with Journey, drummer for Todd Rundgren); Mark Karan (guitar and vocals with Bob Weir, RatDog, The Other Ones) and Scott Guberman (keyboards and vocals with Phil Lesh & Friends).

The Gilmour Project will combine songs from the Gilmour years of the Pink Floyd catalogue in all their complexity with highlights from Gilmour’s solo career.

C.

Whitney – Queen Of The Night: Returning to York Barbican next April

AFTER a sold-out gig in March 2023, tribute show Whitney – Queen Of The Night will return to York Barbican on April 13 next spring.

Elesha Paul Moses, from What’s Love Got To Do With It?, The Voice and The X Factor, will hit the vocal heights as she celebrates Whitney Houston with a live band, revelling in I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), One Moment In Time, I’m Every Woman, I Will Always Love You and so many more.

The Gilmour Project and Whitney – Queen Of The Night tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.uk and yorkbarbican.co.uk.