Posted on

Bryan Adams moves Scarborough Open Air Theatre July concert to the Summer of ’22

CANADIAN rocker Bryan Adams is moving his entire ten-date UK outdoor tour from 2021 to the Summer of ’22.

Next year, he will play Scarborough Open Air Theatre on July 1 and Harewood House, near Leeds, on July 10. Tickets remain valid for the new shows.

Adams, 61, will be making his second appearance at the Scarborough arena after his sold-out debut on August 8 2016. Once more, he will do Run To You, Cuts Like A Knife, Summer Of ’69, I Do It For You et al for you.

Prompted by Cuffe and Taylor, this summer’s Scarborough OAT programme bears a much-changed look, with some shows moving to later in the summer, others being put back to 2022, and late additions at the back end of the 2021 season too.

Boy George and Culture Club: Playing Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 14

For this year’s diary, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, have switched from June 19 to August 28; Snow Patrol, from July 3 to September 10; Duran Duran, from July 7 to September 17; Keane, from July 9 to August 21; Olly Murs, July 10 to August 27, and Kaiser Chiefs, July 11 to August 8.

Westlife’s sold-out show retains its August 17 date; likewise, Nile Rodgers & Chic stick with August 20.

Crowded House, the Australian band re-formed by New Zealander Neil Finn, move from June 8 2021 to June 11 2022; Lionel Richie, from June 12 2021 to July 2 next summer; Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Werq The World, from June 20 to May 29; Lewis Capaldi, from July 25 to July 7. The Beach Boys’ June 20 concert this summer is yet to be rearranged.

Additions to the 2021 calendar are: Stereophonics, July 28; Culture Club, August 14; Anne-Marie, August 2, and James, September 9.

Tickets are on sale at: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Posted on

Easy does it as Lionel Richie switches 2020 Scarborough OAT show to next summer

HELLO again, Lionel Richie will play Scarborough Open Air Theatre next summer.

The Alabama soul luminary’s June 9 show on the East Coast this summer was ruled out by the Covid-19 lockdown, but now he is booked in for June 12 2021.

This will be 71-year-old Richie’s second appearance at Scarborough OAT, having made his sold-out debut there in 2018.

“I was really excited to be playing at Scarborough Open Air Theatre this summer as I enjoyed a truly wonderful night there in 2018,” says Richie.

“I was very sad that, like so many things, the show had to be delayed but obviously, everyone’s health and safety comes first. I’m now looking forward to it even more and know we’ll all have such an incredible night of partying together.”

Richie’s set-list will span his early years in The Commodores to the present day, taking in such favourites as Three Times A Lady, Easy, Truly, Dancing On The Ceiling, Say You, Say Me, Running With The Night, Endless Love, Hello and All Night Long.

“I’m now looking forward to it even more and know we’ll all have such an incredible night of partying together,” says Lionel Richie of his re-arranged Scarborough Open Air Theatre concert

The American has sold more than 125 million albums worldwide and has received an Oscar, Golden Globe and four Grammy Awards, along with the Ivor Novello PRS for Music Special International Award. On June 28 2015, he drew a crowd of 200,000 at Glastonbury festival. Last year, he released the concert album Live From Las Vegas.

Programmer Peter Taylor, of Scarborough OAT promoters Cuffe and Taylor, says: “We are incredibly proud and excited that Lionel Richie – one of the most successful and celebrated music artists of all time – is returning to Scarborough Open Air Theatre.

“His 2018 sold-out show here was just a brilliant night and this is going to be another amazing show by an undoubted global superstar. Roll on June 12 next year. We cannot wait!”

Cuffe and Taylor also booked Richie for the closing concert of their inaugural York Festival at York Sports Club on June 21 this summer, only for Coronavirus to intervene.

Tickets for June 12 2021 will go on sale from 8am on Friday, October 30 at scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Posted on

OFF: York Festival cancelled. OFF TOO: Scarborough Open Air Theatre season shut

Goodbye, not Hello: Lionel Richie’s York Festival and Scarborough Open Air Theatre concerts have been cancelled

THE inaugural York Festival with Lionel Richie, Madness and Westlife in June is off.  The entire Scarborough Open Air Theatre summer season has been cancelled too.

The “unavoidable” double blow for promoters Cuffe and Taylor was confirmed in a brief statement at high noon, enforced by the grip of the Coronavirus pandemic.

“We are sad to announce both York Festival and the 2020 programme at Scarborough Open Air Theatre will not go ahead,” they said. “We did not want to take this step, but it was unavoidable. The health and safety of concertgoers, artists, staff and community will always be our top priority.

Grey Day for Madness: no House Of Fun after all at York Festival on June 19

“We are working with our ticketing partners and they will contact customers very soon to process refunds. Peace, love, kindness and thanks.”

So, alas, this means goodbye to Hello and Lionel Richie at York Sports Club, Clifton Park, Shipton Road, on June 21, when the American soul legend, now 70, would have been supported by Grammy Award winner Macy Gray and Newcastle soul-pop duo Lighthouse Family.

Camden Town nutty boys Madness were to have headlined the opening night, June 19, joined by Ian Broudie’s Lightning Seeds, Craig Charles, for a Funk and Soul Club DJ set, Leeds indie rockers Apollo Junction and York band Violet Contours.

Westlife: York and Scarborough shows grounded without wings

Irish matured boy band Westlife were booked to top the June 21 bill, backed up All Saints, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Scouting For Girls and Take That’s Howard Donald for a DJ set.

Over on the East Coast, Cuffe and Taylor had lined up big hitters galore for Scarborough Open Air Theatre’s 2020 season, opening with Lionel Richie on June 9, followed by Westlife on June 17.

Further bookings were: Supergrass, June 20; Alfie Boe, June 27; Snow Patrol, July 4; Mixtape, with Marc Almond, Heaven 17 and Living In A Box featuring Kenny Thomas, July 10; Keane, July 17; Little Mix, July 21; McFly, August 14; Louis Tomlinson, August 15, and Nile Rodgers & Chic, August 21. What’s more, further shows were to have been added. Not any more.

Leopard king: Rod Stewart at York Racecourse last June, promoted by Cuffe and Taylor

Last year, Cuffe and Taylor promoted Rod Stewart’s first ever York concert, erecting a pop-up amphitheatre in the centre of York Racecourse and duly drawing 35,000 people to Knavesmire on June 1. Ah, those were the days.

Earlier this spring, Cuffe and Taylor were given the City of York Council thumbs-up for a licence for their first York Festival, albeit with the proviso that the volume must be turned down. Now, there will only be silence.

Posted on

Lionel Richie says Hello to Macy Gray and Lighthouse Family for York Festival bill

Lionel Richie: headlining York Festival’s Sunday line-up

MACY Gray and Lighthouse Family are big-name new additions to the bill for Lionel Richie’s closing night at this summer’s inaugural York Festival.

Grammy Award winner Gray, from Canton, Ohio, and Newcastle pop-soul duo Tunde Baiyewu and Paul Tucker will perform at the three-day event at York Sports Club, Clifton Park, Shipton Road, on June 21.

This is more good news for festival promoters Cuffe and Taylor after the City of York Council thumbs-up for a licence, albeit with the proviso that the volume must be turned down.

York Festival will run from June 19 to 21, with Camden Town nutty boys Madness headlining on the first night and Irish matured boy band Westlife on the Saturday, before American soul legend Lionel Richie says Hello on the Sunday.

Macy Gray: Sunday new addition

Macy Gray made her breakthrough in 1999 with the single I Try and the seven million-selling debut album On How Life Is, her American R&B and soul song-writing inspired principally by Billie Holiday.

Over the next two decades, Gray released ten studio albums, the latest being 2018’s Ruby, as well as featuring on songs with Dolly Parton and Ariana Grande and appearing in films and on TV shows.

Lighthouse Family singer Baiyewu and keyboardist Tucker released their first single, Lifted, in 1995, en route to selling ten million albums and charting with the singles High and Ocean Drive.

Six-times platinum debut album Ocean Drive was followed by Top Ten albums Postcards From Heaven and Whatever Gets You Through The Day. After an 18-year hiatus, the duo reunited last year to record Blue Sky In Your Head, their fourth studio set.

Lighthouse Family: reunited

York Festival director Peter Taylor says: “We’re delighted to add both Macy Gray and Lighthouse Family to our debut line-up. Together with the global icon that is Lionel Richie, this is going to be an amazing and unforgettable night.”

Opening-night headliners Madness will be joined by Ian Broudie’s Lightning Seeds, Craig Charles, for a Funk and Soul Club DJ set, Leeds indie rockers Apollo Junction and York band Violet Contours.

Westlife’s Saturday line-up features All Saints, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Scouting For Girls and Take That’s Howard Donald for a DJ set.

For more information and tickets, go to york-festival.com.