Lead singer Rick Witter in Shed 7 York City home shirt on the halfway line at York LNER Community Stadium
SHED Seven’s biggest-ever headline show at the York LNER Community Stadium on May 29 2027 has sold out.
The news of the 14,000 full house at the home of York City and York Knights breaks on the day York’s premier band share new single Let The Good Times Roll, the third to be lifted from their self-titled seventh studio album, set to arrive on January 8 2027 through Cooking Vinyl.
Released amid a sold-out run of UK tour dates in celebration of the 30th anniversary of their definitive Britpop album, 1996’s A Maximum High, the latest single shows yet another side to what the new album, Shed Seven, has to offer.
Where lead single Stand Together heralded a muscular and sky-scraping sound and its follow-up, The Centre Of My Everything, paraded sweeping strings and a rousing chorus, Let The Good Times Roll is “as epic as the band come”.
Shed Seven’s Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield, left, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin, Rick Witter and Tim Wills in the seating at York LNER Community Stadium. Picture: Tom Oxley
Lead singer Rick Witter says of the new single: “Eyes on the prize, watch silver turn to gold. Winning in life, a time to be positive and enjoy the things happening around you. Forget the negativity and Let The Good Times Roll.”
It will feature unique artwork and three bonus tracks – Let’s Go Dancing, Talk Of The Town and Chasing Rainbows, all live recordings from the Sheds’ concert at The Piece Hall, Halifax, on June 6 2026 – and £1 from every York Edition sale will go to the York City Foundation to support the charity’s work with communities across York.
Keen to use the stadium occasion to support York’s next generation of musicians, Shed Seven will provide a fan zone stage ahead of the main stadium show to showcase up-and-coming artists from the city.
The cover artwork for Shed Seven’s seventh studio album, next January’s Shed Seven
Rick comments on the sold-out stadium show: “Our ambition, even as school kids, was to one day play our own stadium show. What kid who dreams of being in a rock’n’roll band doesn’t want to do that? Now, almost 40 years later, we’ve reached the point where we thought… it’s now or never. And if we were going to do it, it had to be York.
“What will make it even more special is that the stadium is a stone’s throw from where we met, went to school and where we first formed a band. We’re coming back to pretty much where it all began to play the biggest show of our career and that is a proper full-circle moment.”
The Sheds will conclude their Shedcember X tour with two nights at Leeds O2 Academy. December 12 has sold out but tickets are still available for December 13 at https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/shed-seven-leeds-13-12-2026/event/.
New album Shed Seven can be pre-ordered/pre-saved at https://s7.lnk.to/shedseven. The track listing will be: Stand Together; The Fifth Amendment; The Centre Of My Everything; Lost In Space (featuring Lotte Witter); Winter; We Got The Love (featuring Elles Bailey); What Becomes Of The Ones Left Behind; Can’t Help It; Let The Good Times Roll and Drifting.
Shed Seven’s Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield, left, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin, Rick Witter and Tim Wills at LNER Community Stadium, York, where they will play to 14,000-capacity crowd on May 29 2027. Picture: Tom Oxley
SHED Seven are to headline a stadium show for the first time at York’s LNER Community Stadium on May 29 2027, a stone’s throw from where a teenage Rick Witter and Paul Banks first composed songs at Huntington School.
Joining the Sheds for this hometown gig – at the football ground where Chasing Rainbows rings out before every York City home match and has become a “Chasing City” terrace anthem too – will be special guests The K’s, Reverend And The Makers and The Mersey Beatles.
“Our ambition, even as school kids, was to one day play our own stadium show,” says lead singer Witter, now 53. “What kid who dreams of being in a rock’n’roll band doesn’t want to do that? Now, almost 40 years later, we’ve reached the point where we thought… it’s now or never. And if we were going to do it, it had to be York.
“What will make it even more special is that the stadium is a stone’s throw from where me, Paul and Tom [bassist Tom Gladwin] met, went to school and where we first formed a band. We’re coming back to pretty much where it all began – I remember when it was just fields – to play the biggest show of our career and that is a proper full-circle moment.”
Speaking in York City’s dressing room at Wednesday morning’s press launch, Rick adds: “This gig has been mooted for about a year. We were approached by Cuffe & Taylor, who we’ve done shows for at Scarborough Open Air Theatre last summer and Halifax Piece Hall this summer, so we have history and a good working relationship with them already, and why would we not want to do a concert like this in our home city?
The poster for hometown heroes Shed Seven’s May 29 2027 gig at LNER Community Stadium featuring lead singer Rick Witter in SHED 7 York City shirt
“It’s always been a thing, growing up here, to play at York City’s ground, because it’s so connected with us. We always talked about playing Bootham Crescent, but that ground went, and there was even talk of us doing a last hurrah there [before its conversion into housing], but this show makes more sense.
“It’s a new ground; we’ll be the first band to play there, just like we were the first rock band to play at York Museum Gardens in many years [since Roxy Music in 1973], and fingers crossed it will set up the stadium for more gigs.”
To promote the gig with a 14,000 capacity, look out for a special pre-sale for people in York that will see the city being flooded with Shed Seven posters and beer mats carrying QR codes to give local fans access to tickets before they go on general sale at 10am on Friday, October 23 via ticketmaster.co.uk.
In addition, an exclusive Shed Seven artist pre-sale will open at 10am on Tuesday, October 20 for anyone signed up to the Shed Seven mailing list at https://shedseven.os.fan/sign-up?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Fans wishing to access the artist pre-sale must sign up by 12 noon on Monday, October 19.
Next spring’s stadium extravaganza will build still more on the momentum of two number one albums, January 2024’s A Matter Of Time and September 2024’s Liquid Gold, in a year when Shed Seven heralded the launch of Futuresound’s Live At York Museum Gardens concerts with two sold-out July shows.
The green, green grass of a hometown stadium show: Shed Seven look forward to playing the LNER Community Stadium next May. Picture: Tom Oxley
The Sheds have since been crowned Best Live Act at the AIM Independent Music Awards; returned to Glastonbury Festival last July after a 30-year hiatus since their NME Stage debut; played the BBC Radio 2 Piano Room, backed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, and opened Cuffe & Taylor’s 42-gig 2026 calendar at The Piece Hall, Halifax, on June 6, when playing 1996’s hit-laden A Maximum High in full to mark its 30th anniversary.
In the in-tray for the Sheds are their biggest UK winter tour to date, Shedcember X, climaxing with Leeds O2 shows on December 12 and 13, ahead of chasing a hat-trick of number ones with the January 8 2027 release of their self-titled seventh studio album on Cooking Vinyl, showcased already by the singles Stand Together and The Centre Of My Everything .
Looking forward to returning to the York outdoors, Rick says: “The York Museum Gardens shows in 2024 were incredible…and to see Shed Seven fans travelling from all over the country to our hometown was amazing.
“Our fanbase has been incredibly loyal to us and they’re the reason we’re even in a position to attempt something like this. We really hope they’ll travel from all over again, make a weekend of it and let us welcome them to our wonderful home.
“Expect a huge career-spanning set and for us to push the production further than we ever have before. If we’re going to do it, we want to do it properly and make this the biggest and best Shed Seven show we’ve ever put on.”
CharlesHutchPress editor Charles Hutchinson talking tactics with Shed Seven frontman Rick Witter in the York City dressing room on October 14. Picture: Sarah Rhodes
What will “pushing the production further” entail, Rick? “It’s out first stadium headline show, so we’ll be pulling out all the stops with a hit-filled show with guests, and we’ll have to ramp up the spectacle, but these are the things we always enjoy doing,” he says.
To mark the landmark show, Shed Seven will release a special limited-edition York Edition of their forthcoming album, featuring unique artwork and live versions of fan favourites Let’s Go Dancing, Talk Of The Town and Chasing Rainbows, the anthem that fans take delight in sending Witter videos of their train-journey renditions from York City away matches.
From every York Edition CD sale, £1 will be donated to York City Foundation, supporting its work with communities across York. To buy, go to: https://store.shedseven.com/.
Furthermore, at the May 29 gig, Shed Seven will support York’s next generation of musicians, with a fan zone stage ahead of the main stadium show featuring up-and-coming artists from the city.
Introducing the special guests at Shed Seven’s LNER Community Stadium concert
The K’s: Album chart toppers from Earlestown
The K’s
EXPLOSIVE four-piece from Earlestown, near St Helens, Merseyside, riding the crest of a massive wave that has been building over the past few years. Debut album I Wonder If The World Knowsreached number three in UK charts in April 2024; sophomore album Pretty On The Internet hit the top spot on August 1 2025. Headlined sold-out shows this summer at The Piece Hall, Halifax, and Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl this summer.
Jon McClure: Putting “the Reverend” into Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers
FORMED by Jon “The Reverend” McClure and Laura McClure in Sheffield in 2005, their continual evolution has seen them cut across the creative spectrum and across many genres. June 2023’s seventh studio album, Heatwave In The Cold North, was their first Top Ten hit since 2007 debut The State Of Things, featuring fan favourites Heavyweight Champion Of The World, He Said He Loved Me and Open The Window. Laura McClure duetted with Rick Witter on Shed Seven’s Tripping With You, from the Sheds’ 2024 chart topper A Matter Of Time.
The Mersey Beatles
LIVERPOOL tribute to the Fab Four, resident at Cavern Club for more than a decade. Toured the world many times over the past 25 years.
The Mersey Beatles: Opening Shed Seven’s stadium gig with tribute to The Beatles
Sue Clayton’s portrait of Michael Miles, creator of the Y-Front fanzine, whose conversation with Sue on a park bench led to her York City centenary project
IT began with a chance conversation on a Museum Gardens bench on a summer’s day.
It ended with 140 portraits by a Wigginton artist from a family of football haters who became a season ticket holder, cheering on York City at the LNER Community Stadium as promotion to the National League was clinched last Saturday.
Sue Clayton’s portraits will be revealed en masse on Saturday at the York City Football Club Fans’ Centenary Celebration at Cliffe Village Institute, near Selby, where Bubwith-born club legend Chris Topping (463 appearances,1968-1978) will perform the opening ceremony at the 10am to 4pm event.
A3 prints of the entire collection will be available for the first time at the celebration: mounted and ready to pop into a frame for £25 each or £40 for a framed version.
Wigginton artist and York City supporter Sue Clayton with her 140 portraits
“This year-long project came about from having a chat last year with Michael Miles, a lifelong York City fan who creates the Y-Front fanzine,” says Sue. “The passion Michael showed for his club captured my attention: it was one of those conversations where someone’s passion for something sparks your own interest to listen to them.
“I suggested I should paint a few fan portraits. Then, when he mentioned it would be the club’s centenary this year, I realised a new art project was germinating in my mind and I was fizzing with creativity.”
At first, Sue anticipated painting maybe ten portraits from the photographs and stories sent to her. Instead, the project grew and grew, not even stopping at 100 paintings to mark 100 years.
“It was so strange really, a total perseverance on my behalf, with many 3am finishes,” she says. “In reality it may have been prudent to stop when I reached 100 but I still had images I wanted to paint; I wanted to do the fans justice.”
Baby: Sue Clayton’s painting of York City’s “youngest supporter”
Each 30cm square in size, the portraits span multiple media, from watercolours to oils, acrylics to charcoal, pencil to collage. “In the collection, there are brides, babies, fans pictured in celebration sadly no longer with us, sisters, dads and sons, friendships…the full range of life in all its glorious forms,” says Sue, who is now adding former players to her portrait portfolio.
She is drawn to “painting portraits of people whose stories I want to tell”, such as her exhibition of children and young adults with Down Syndrome, entitled 21, on display in the Tent of Hope at the NHS York Vaccination Centre at Askham Bar, York, last May and June.
“I’m equally passionate about making art accessible to all and love the concept of art meeting football,” she says. “A wonderful year-long journey has led me to the fantastic warmth of the fan community. From knowing so little about football, my son James and I are now fully signed-up season ticket holders roaring with the crowds on the terraces, culminating in the amazing play-off final last weekend.”
Sue believes passion creates the best portraits. “As an artist, I was on a roll with this project and became very quickly immersed within it. The range and scope of the photos sent in could let my imagination free, and it enabled me to paint such a range of ages within the series,” she says.
Match of the day at Bootham Crescent: A newly married couple at York City’s former ground, as painted by Sue Clayton
“From a sitter’s perspective, I think the fan in the act of celebrating, oblivious to all, just consumed with joy, is really delicious to paint. Equally, the moment capturing a fan watching the team intensely, apprehension etched on their face tells a great story.”
Saturday’s celebration is taking place at Cliffe on account of Michael Miles living there. “There’s quite a gathering of fans in the village, who call themselves ‘The Cliffe Minstermen’,” says Sue.
“Michael was eager to create an event just for the fans. The response has been phenomenal, with offers of help, sponsorship from the fans and fabulous raffle prizes donated. It’s a perfect chance to gather and celebrate not just the centenary but last week’s victory to go up a division.”
Look out for Jack Radcliffe’s match reports from the 2021-2022 season, on full display on Saturday. “Jack, who, like my son James, has Down Syndrome, has captured the hearts of the team, in particular goalie Pete Jameson, and the fans too,” says Sue. “His match reports are superb with such honesty and integrity. He led the team on to the pitch for the final game and did the lap of honour with them.”
The poster for Saturday’s York City FC Fans’ Centenary Celebration
“Football-type” food and drink will be available; a colouring competition for children promises fabulous prizes, and the raffle prizes will range from football kits and signed footballs, to a portrait commission from Sue and signed lyrics from Shed Seven’s Rick Witter for the club’s terrace anthem, Chasing City Rainbows.
The legacy of Sue’s portraits will build. “Work will begin soon on a book about the portrait project and some of the wonderful stories behind the faces,” she says. “I believe so strongly that these stories should not be lost and want them to be part of the archives for the club’s centenary.
“The portraits will form a large art installation inside the fanzone at the LNER Community Stadium later in the year as a permanent feature, and the Give It A Go Joe drama group has expressed an interest in developing these stories further to create some community theatre. Not bad from a chat on a park bench, eh?!”
As for the future of the original portraits, “some will go on display in York Hospital, and I would dearly love to show them again in their entirety in York centre before the collection will be broken up at the end of the year. If any galleries, museums or community spaces are interested, I would love to hear from them via [email protected].”
CharlesHutchPresshas a hatful of questions for artist Sue Clayton
That winning feeling: Portrait artist Sue Clayton, her son James, 20, and daughter Lily, 17, celebrate York City’s promotion-clinching victory over Boston United last Saturday
Just how exciting was last Saturday’s play-off final?
“OH my!! Fab-u-lous!! I was already in bits when Jack [Radcliffe] led out the players to start the game. What a superstar Jack is and a great ambassador for the club. When that second goal went in, it was just amazing!
“The feeling of ‘we’ve got this…we’ve really got this’! Y-Front fanzine editor Michael Miles said he’d worked out he’d been supporting York for 34 years with three promotions; James and I come along and we’re promoted in our first year! Who knows what next season will bring at this rate!”
Were the stories you were sent as important as the photographs you transformed into portraits?
“Often the stories came after the photos were sent. I can’t say they directly informed my paintings but I did have a wry smile on my face with some as fans had told me some of their escapades.
Sue Clayton’s portrait of York City supporter Phil, “painted in blue and yellow as a testament to his daily posts on Twitter as he worked as a teacher in Ukraine”
“The one portrait that did affect me profoundly was the painting of Phil, the fan who was working as a teacher in Ukraine. His daily posts on Twitter, sharing the terror of the situation, haunted me. His portrait is painted in blue and yellow as a testament to this time.
“I’m hoping that more anecdotes and tales will emerge at Saturday’s event as the fans see the whole collection. There will be a book there to write down any memories and I will be interviewing fans as my next mini-project to get those stories down before they are lost.”
How did you settle on the 30cm square size and the wide range of materials for the portraits?
“I decided on the 30cm square format as I knew there would be a lot of paintings. I like a square, I feel it’s more contemporary and I always feel it works well if I want to closely crop an image and focus in on the action of the face.
City Till We Die: Sisters show their colours in Sue Clayton’s painting
“I’ve used a wide range of mediums because that’s me, I suppose! I enjoy the luscious butteryness of oils, the quick drying and layering of acrylics and the wonderful flow of watercolours. Spoilt for choice!
“I did worry that the whole collection might not adhere to one particular style: would people realise they were all by the same artist? It’s often advised to pursue a particular style so that your work is recognisable, but I’ve long decided to just do ‘me’ and try not to play to any rules.”
Last year, when announcing this project in CharlesHutchPress, you said you were “not a follower of football myself”. Earlier this month, you told the Yorkshire Post: “I grew up in a football-hating family, never watched football and we were the least sporting family going.” How come you have caught the York City bug, along with James, both becoming season ticket holders?
“Well, obviously I didn’t know what I was missing! Initially, I suppose I went for a bit of research to find out what it was all about. I soon became caught up with the match; it was a glorious day and the season had just begun. Having a season ticket meant I saw the same faces each match; a smile and a nod to other fans led on to conversations and before you know it ,you are part of a community.
Sue Clayton’s portrait of former York City defender Chris Topping, a promotion winner in 1971 and 1974, who will open Saturday’s centenary fan celebration at Cliffe Village Institute
“It’s not just the game of football, it’s the fans, the people who work with the team, the stadium, the traditions. It has also become a chance to share something special with James.”
Saturday’s centenary event carries the promise of “full football-type food and drink”. What represents such delights to you?!
“The warm smell of a fresh pie wafting by as the fans make their way to the seats (I have got to say, I have never tasted anything so good as the pie in Bromley!) I notice quite a few fans still like their Bovril.
“For the event on Saturday, the lads have arranged local pies, pasties, sausage rolls and peas. There’ll also be a curry or chilli and chips.”
York City cult hero Richard Brodie, bustling centre forward in the 2007-2010 seasons and for a 2016-2017 second coming, nicknamed Angel of the North on account of his arms-outstretched goal celebration. “Such a lovely chap, and he’s still passionate about City,” says Sue
How come Rick Witter is donating his Chasing City Rainbows lyrics to Saturday’s celebration?
“Shed Seven’s Chasing Rainbows was adopted as York City’s song when it came out in 1996 and was sung on the terraces by City fans. It can be heard at most matches. Rick has kindly supported Saturday’s raffle for the fans by sending in a hand-written, reworded version for the fans to now say ‘Chasing City Rainbows’. A lovely collector’s piece for both City fans and music fans.”
How will the portrait book project progress?
“The book is still an embryo of an idea but it will happen! I’d love for all the images to be recorded in one book alongside the fans’ stories. I kind of feel it is my duty to record this project, so that it’s not forgotten, archived away for future fans, along with the stories. My daughter Lily is a passionate reader and writer, so this will be a joint project with her.”
Iain Dunn, York City winger (1988-1991) turned matchday summariser for BBC Radio York, portrayed in City red and blue by Sue Clayton
When will your portrait installation be in place at the LNER Community Stadium?
“No date as yet, as I have only just finished painting them. Talks will begin soon to get the ball in motion.”
What will be your next project?
“The book – a new, uncharted territory for me. I’ll also work on a range of portraits of ex- players. There’s a wonderful network out there; fans are loyal and never forget their heroes, so I think it’s time to honour them.
“But hey, who knows? I might find myself chatting to someone on a park bench again and that spark of an idea begins again. It certainly opened up a whole new exciting challenge for me last time.”
