Tag: York Barbican

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When Irishman Damien O’Kane meets Californian Ron Block, banjo magic happens at National Centre for Early Music

Damien O’Kane, left, and Ron Block, with their contrasting banjos

THE humble banjo is often maligned…until placed in the whirling hands of Northern Irishman Damien O’Kane and Californian Ron Block, whose banjo bromance blooms anew on third album Banjovial and its accompanying tour.

The 14-date itinerary opened in Barnsley last Friday and arrives at the National Centre for Early Music, York, on Wednesday (15/10/2025).

Seven years on from their Banjophany debut album, followed by 2022’s Banjophonics,  Coleraine-born, Barnsley-based O’Kane picks up his Irish tenor banjo once more to recharge his telepathic transatlantic connectivity with Gardena-born Block’s five-string bluegrass banjo on Banjovial’s ten new tunes and two original songs, supplemented by guest contributions from Irish button accordionist Sharon Shannon and American bluegrass fiddlers Aubrey Haynie and Tim Crouch.

Percussive and punchy, ebullient and life-affirming, their banjo union revels in light and shade and tempo shifts from fast, cracking fireworks to more reflective flowing timbres and tunes.

“It would have been in 2012 when we first performed together,” says Damien, as he looks forward to returning to the NCEM – “a gorgeous little place”  – for the first time in more than a decade.

“I first met Ron in 2011 as he’s involved in a bluegrass summer school called Sore Fingers at Kingham High School [in the Cotswolds], where Kate’s brother Joe works every year on the sound for the concerts.” Kate being Barnsley folk singer Kate Rusby, Damien’s wife since 2010.

“Ron invited us to see him playing with Alison Krauss & Union Station [his regular beat] and invited us backstage, and that was our first meeting.”

Block duly played on two songs on Rusby’s album 20, joining Eddi Reader and Dick Gaughan on Wandering Soul and Reader, Jerry Douglas and Philip Selway on Sho Heen. “Kate then asked Ron to play on the 20 tour , so it all went uphill from there!” says Damien.

The cover artwork for Damien O’Kane and Ron Block’s third album, Banjovial, released on Cooking Vinyl on October 3

Their partnership brings out the best in each other’s banjos. “The most notable difference is that the five-string banjo is bigger with more frets and those five strings, and Ron plays with two picks on his fingers and one on his thumb, so his style is very much fingerstyle, very ‘arpeggioed’, whereas the Irish tenor banjo is plectrum style,” says Damien.

“Over the years we’ve both tried in our playing to give a nod to the other style, so I’ll do a lot of cross-picking on the Irish tenor banjo.

“It makes for really interesting tunes with two completely different banjo sounds. The five-string strings are lighter, so there’s a brighter sound, whereas I like the mellow sound of the Irish tenor banjo that doesn’t ‘punch you in the face’!”

Damien has always been a fan of duel banjo playing. “I grew up listening to and playing Irish traditional music, watching music sessions from The Corner House on Irish TV [on Geantrai on TG4], when Cathal Hayden and Brian McGrath would play tunes together, just two banjos,” he says.

“I was about nine years old, and I remember it being one of the most amazing things I’d ever heard. It was like a banjo epiphany.”

O’Kane and Block first toured together on their own, but now perform with a band featuring Steven Byrnes on guitar and Duncan Lyall on double bass and Moog, both from Rusby’s band.

“It’s fascinating to do because I don’t really get to play much banjo on Kate’s tours, which is my main focus through the year, primarily playing guitar, and yet the banjo was my main instrument long before guitar, so to be able to record and play tunes with Ron is a real chance to push each other’s musicianship,” says Damien.

The Damien O’Kane and Ron Black Band, featuring Steven Byrnes and Duncan Lyall

“I remember thinking with the first album, ‘oh my god, I’m playing with Ron Block, I have to bring my A-game’.”

 He still does, this time in tandem with Block on tunes “triggered by comedic events, family and friends, CS Lewis’s The Chronicles Of Narnia’, heart-stopping moments, beloved animals, the craziness of Covid and even cartoon themes,  swinging from the humorous to the heartfelt”.

“We record everything live for the albums, as playing live give it an extra spark,” says Damien. “I think the new album is definitely our best, probably in a few senses, one of them being that we really learned how to lock on to each other’s playing.

“There’s a running joke we have that I’m always ahead and Ron is always behind, which adds to the excitement, as we’re not about making perfect music.

“This album is more mature. I’m not taking anything away from the other two but we’ve learned so much from each other and from the band. We’re tight-knit now, knowing each other’s strengths – and weaknesses too!”

It was Ron Block, by the way, who came up with the Banjovial album title. “We wanted to keep that title theme going, and I thought, ‘that’s the one’, as it sums up what we do, when people tend to be scared of one banjo, let alone two, but not us!”

Damien and Kate had first met Banjovial guest contributor Sharon Shannon when they were gigging at Monroe’s Live in Galway, where Sharon lives. “We were playing upstairs and she was playing a session downstairs; she came up to listen to the last half of Kate’s set and we went out for a couple of drinks afterwards,” he recalls.

Galway button accordionist Sharon Shannon: Played on Damien’s tune St Patrick’s Day on Banjovial

“That’s when I asked if she’d like to play on the album, and she said, ‘oh, absolutely’, which was a pinch-me moment, as I’d listened to her albums since childhood. She’s a sweetheart too.

“We sent her the track [Damien’s St Patrick’s Day], she recorded it in Galway, and that was that!”

Likewise, Damien and Ron sent the track Mario Kart Rides Again to bluegrass fiddler and mandolin player Aubrey Haynie. “I’d never come across him before but Ron said, ‘we’ve got to get him on an album some time because he’s amazing’,” says Damien.

“All the car sound effects on there, the car screeching, the police car, Aubrey did them all on his fiddle. He’s incredible.”

On the road from October 10 to 26, Damien will be on driving duty. “Ron stays in the passenger seat. He did drive us once over here, and I told him he’d never do that again!” he says.

Damien O’Kane and Ron Block Band’s Banjovial Tour plays National Centre for Early Music, York, tomorrow (15/10/2025), 7.30pm, and Otley Courthouse, October 24, 8pm. Box office: York, 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk; Otley, 01943 467466 or otleycourthouse.org.uk.

Damien O’Kane’s guitars and banjo will be in the band for Kate Rusby’s Christmas Is Merry concert at York Barbican on December 11, 7pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

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Francis Rossi goes down, down, deeper down into Status Quo songbook and stories at York Barbican and Bridlington Spa

Francis Rossi: Going solo with stories to tell. Picture: Jodiphotography

LET Francis Rossi introduce his solo tour show, bound for York Barbican on October 16.

“The show lifts the lid on a lot of what went on in the world of Status Quo, and I build in plenty of songs along the way – lots of my classic hits, but there are also versions of songs that I haven’t tried in the format before, and I have to say they sound fantastic. There’s a lot to get through so don’t be late!”

Welcome to An Evening of Francis Rossi’s Songs from the Status Quo Songbook and More, a chance to feature personal favourites, deeper cuts and songs never played before in this format and to offer first-hand backstage tales of appearing more than 100 times on Top Of The Pops, why Quo opened Live Aid, life with the late Rick Parfitt, more than 100 singles, 57 top forty hits, fellow rock stars and misadventures across the world.

Raconteur Rossi, now 76, is no stranger to chatter on stage, but this time he is featuring more music.

“I did a talk show, and I got asked to play a song and did two after saying I didn’t want to do them, but it made me think,” he says.

“Now doing this new show, it feels like starting again, and there’s a joy in it that I never expected – and I still don’t know what it is, except the intimacy.

“It can over-run, but I don’t mind because the more I’m on there, I so enjoy myself, whereas with Quo, you get up there and do the songs; once it starts it has a certain momentum and has to reach a finale at a certain time.

“But with this show’s audience, I can joke about them and with them, take the mick out of them and me, and if I get on to religion you can hear the breath being drawn in, or if I talk about ‘wokeism’, like saying ‘if I refer to you as ladies and gentlemen, some will be offended’, I get a cheer!”

Status Quo and Rossi himself are still going strong. “Sheer luck,” he says. “Very, very lucky. I think anyone that survives in this business, I don’t know how we do it. It must be an X factor, the way we’re still performing.

“What is it about this band that we were so lucky…and I’m still waffling after all these years! Obviously the tunes are quite good, though there’s a certain amount of ego you have to have, or you could disappear up your derriere.

“I know the tunes are quite simple, but I allude to classical music or Italian arias. Most of them are three chords. It’s still a fantastic melody and the fact you can get something so likeable out of that, whether three, four or five chords, I still love that.”

A new Rossi record is in the pipeline. “I’m going to record with Hannah Rickard. I’ve already done We Talk Too Much with her – she was on the acoustic tour with Quo. I’ve something coming out in January to be recorded with her,” says Francis.

“We’re going to write a bunch of songs together – I’ve got a studio in the garden with a new roof being put on it.”

As trim as ever in jeans, “I still exercise every day,” he says. “I now do those chair exercise, I do crunchies too, and I’ve stepped up the swimming. Everything to keep me alive. I’ll be the fittest thing in a box!”

Why jeans, Francis? “We started wearing jeans in Quo as a fight-back. I was a Mod, which is why I still wear a tie, but when I was told we couldn’t still be Carnaby Street, we rebelled against that by wearing jeans – and it meant we didn’t have to wear stage clothes, so it worked!” he says.

An Evening With Francis Rossi, York Barbican, October 16, 7pm doors. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. Also playing Bridlington Spa, October 11, 7.30pm, and Sheffield City Hall Memorial Hall, November 5, 7.30pm. Box office: Bridlington, bridspa.com; Sheffield, sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.

Did you know?

FRANCIS Rossi will be playing mostly his Acoustasonic guitar at An Evening With Francis Rossi shows. “It’s basically a Telecaster but is more compatible with a show of this nature – it still has the ring and sound of a Tele.”

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 44, from Gazette & Herald

Griffonage Theatre: Theatre at the intersection of the madcap and the macabre

IRISH village tales, love’s vicissitudes, folk and ceilidh nights and ghost & goblin storytelling bring autumn cheer to Charles Hutchinson. 

Time to discover: Griffonage Theatre in FourTold, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

YORK devotees of the madcap, the macabre and making the familiar strange and the strange familiar, Griffonage Theatre transport audiences to the quirky rural town of Baile Aighneas – The Town of Dispute – for FourTold, a quartet of comedies by early 20th century Irish playwright Lady Augusta Gregory, never presented together in the UK until now under Northern Irish director Katie Leckey.

Encounter the bustling market and all its gossip in Spreading The News; the restaurant where newspaper editors wine, dine and mix up their Coats; the post office, where the splendid Hyacinth Halvey has sent word he is coming to town, and the bus stop where strangers such as The Bogie Men can quickly become friends! Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Joe Layton and Hannah Sinclair Robinson in Frantic Assembly’s Lost Atoms at York Theatre Royal. Picture: Scott Graham

Relationship drama of the week: Frantic Assembly in Lost Atoms, York Theatre Royal, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

FRANTIC Assembly follow up York Theatre Royal visits of Othello and Metamorphosis with their 30th anniversary production, a two-hander memory play by Anna Jordan, directed by physical theatre specialist Scott Graham.

Joe Layton and Hannah Sinclair Robinson play Robbie and Jess, whose chance meeting, disastrous dates and extraordinary transformative love is the stuff of fairy tales. Or is it? Lost Atoms is a wild ride through a life-changing relationship, or Robbie and Jess’s clashing recollections as they relive the beats of connection, the moments of loss, but  are their stories the same and can their memories be trusted? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie: Pure entertainment at York Barbican

Oh, lucky you gig of the week: Lightning Seeds, Tomorrow’s Here Today, 35 Years Greatest Hits Tour, York Barbican, tomorrow, 8pm

NOW in his 36th year of leading Liverpool’s Lightning Seeds, Ian Broudie heads to York on his extended Tomorrow’s Here Today tour. Cue Pure, The Life Of Riley, Change, Lucky You, Sense, All I Want, Sugar Coated Iceberg, You Showed Me, Emily Smiles, Three Lions et al. Casino support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jack Fry’s Quasimodo and Ayana Beatrice Poblete’s Esmerelda in Black Sheep Theatre Productions’ The Hunchback Of Notre Dame

Musical of the week: Black Sheep Theatre Productions in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, October 10, 11 and 14 to 18, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

BLACK Sheep Theatre Productions bring a cast of five leads, seven ensemble actors and a 23-strong choir to the York company’s larger-than-life staging of Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz’s musical rooted in Disney’s 1996 musical film and Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel.

Combining powerful themes of love, acceptance and the nature of good and evil with a sweeping score, Matthew Peter Clare’s show will be “like nothing you’ve seen before”. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Alex Mitchell: Headlining the Funny Fridays comedy bill at Patch at Bonding Warehouse, York

Comedy gig of the week: Funny Fridays, Patch at Bonding Warehouse, Terry Avenue, York, Friday,  7.30pm

BRITAIN’S Got Talent star Alex Mitchell headlines October’s Funny Fridays bill at Patch, hosted by promoter and comedy turn Katie Lingo. On the bill too will be Pheebs Stephenson, Jacob Kohn, Lorna Green and Jimmy Johnson.

 “As this year’s event falls on World Mental Health Day, we’re raising money for Samaritans with bucket collections, ticket proceeds and a raffle. I’m a volunteer at the York branch and see first-hand the incredible work they do.” Tickets: eventbrite.co.uk or on the door.

Suthering’s Julu Irvine and and Heg Brignall: Playing Helmsley Arts Centre

Folk gig of the week: Suthering, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

ADVOCATES for the LGBTQ+ community and for the rights of women and other marginalised people, Tavistock folk duo Suthering’s Julu Irvine and and Heg Brignall weave harmonies through their original songs, paired with gentle guitar and emotive piano arrangements.

Known for their chemistry, storytelling and humour on stage, they intertwine their messages about the state of our climate, social conscience, the importance of community and connecting with nature, while  championing female characters, creating new narratives for women and unearthing the female heroines of the folk tradition, as heard on their second album, 2024’s Leave A Light On. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Ceilidh of the week: Jackhare Ceilidh Band, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 7.30pm

RYEDALE Dog Rescue presents the Jackhare Ceilidh Band in an evening of traditional English dance music this weekend. Doors open at 7pm and the Studio Bar will be open. Tickets must be pre-booked by emailing fundraising@ryedaledogrescue.org.uk, phoning 01653 697548, texting 07843 971973 or messaging on the Ryedale Dog Rescue Facebook page.

Robin Simpson: Storyteller and York Theatre Royal pantomime dame

Spooky entertainment of the week: Robin Simpson’s Magic, Monsters And Mayhem!, Rise at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, October 12, doors 4pm

YORK Theatre Royal pantomime dame Robin Simpson – soon to give his Nurse Nellie in Sleeping Beauty this winter – celebrates witches, wizards, ghosts and goblins in his storytelling show.

“The audience is in charge in this interactive performance, ideal for fans of spooky stories and silly songs,” says Robin. “The show is perfect for Years 5 and upwards, but smaller siblings and their grown-ups are very welcome too.” Tickets: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.

Beverley Knight: Stories and songs at York Barbican. Picture: Lewis Shaw

Concert announcement of the week: Beverly Knight, Born To Perform, York Barbican, June 20 2026

QUEEN of British soul Beverley Knight will share stories from her life on stage, as well as performing her biggest hits, musical theatre favourites and cherished songs that have inspired her.

“I’m excited to get back on the road but with a different kind of show that folk are used to with me,” says Wolverhampton-born Beverley, 52. “Born To Perform is me taking you on a journey through my life on both music and theatre stages, using my memories and of course my songs. I’m stripping back my sound so the audience can lean in a little closer and really hear my soul.” Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/beverley-knight-2026.

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Concert announcement of the week: Beverley Knight, Born To Perform, York Barbican, June 20 2026. Also Sheffield City Hall, June 4. Tickets on sale from Friday

Beverley Knight: June 2026 shows at York Barbican and Sheffield City Hall

QUEEN of British soul Beverley Knight will share stories from her life on stage, as well as performing her biggest hits, musical theatre favourites and cherished songs that have inspired her on next year’s 20-date UK tour.

“I’m excited to get back on the road but with a different kind of show that folk are used to with me,” says Wolverhampton-born Beverly, 52.

“Born To Perform is me taking you on a journey through my life on both music and theatre stages, using my memories and of course my songs. I’m stripping back my sound so the audience can lean in a little closer and really hear my soul.”

Knight’s live performances have gained her a legion of famous fans, from David Bowie to Stevie Wonder, and she has collaborated on stage and on record with Prince, Marvin Gaye, Andrea Bocelli, Jamiroquai, Take That and Joss Stone.

Knight has forged a formidable parallel career in theatre. Already a much revered leading lady of West End musicals, now she has been nominated for Best Female Lead Actor at the Black British Theatre Awards for her performance as the trailblazing “Godmother of Rock’n’Roll”, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in Maria & Rosetta, her first professional role in a play.

The production will transfer to the West End next year, playing Soho Place Theatre from February 28 to April 11.

Her portrayal of Emmeline Pankhurst in Sylvia at The Old Vic won Knight her first Oliver Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical in 2023. She has starred too in The Bodyguard, Sister Act and Memphis The Musical and played Grizabella in Cats, at the request of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the formidable manager of soul group The Drifters in The Drifters Girl. In the Olivier awards, that show was nominated for Best New Musical and Knight for Best Actress.

In 2023, she marked her 50th birthday with the sold-out 50 Tour and her first studio album in seven years, The Fifth Chapter.

Knight has notched hit singles with Made It Black, Greatest Day, Get Up, Shoulda Woulda Coulda, Gold, Come As You Are, Keep This Fire Burning and Piece Of My Heart.

She has sold more than a million albums in the UK, including four gold certificates. Who I Am reached number seven in 2002; Affirmation, number 11, 2004; Music City Soul, number eight, 2007; 100%, number 17, 2009; Soul UK, number 13, 2011; Soulsville, number nine, 2016, and The Fifth Chapter, number 39, 2023. The Voice – The Best Of Beverley Knight peaked at number nine in 2006.

In 2007, Knight was awarded an MBE for services to British music and charity. She has won three MOBO Awards and been nominated for Best Female at the BRIT Awards three times, Best Actress at the Olivier Awards twice and Best Album at the Mercury Music Prize.

Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/beverley-knight-2026. Knight will play a second Yorkshire concert at Sheffield City Hall on June 4 2026. Box office: sheffieldcityhall.co.uk.

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More Things To Do in York & beyond when the air turns blue and the skies glower. Hutch’s List No. 44, from The York Press

Roy Chubby Brown: No offence, but it’s simply comedy, reckons Britain’s stalwart potty-mouthed joker at York Barbican

FROM sacre bleu comedy to a French silent  film,  Graham Nash and Al Stewart  on vintage form to Grayson Perry on good and evil,  love’s vicissitudes to the Hunchback musical, October is brewing up a storm of culture, reports Charles Hutchinson. 

Blue humour of the week: Roy Chubby Brown, It’s Simply Comedy, York Barbican, tonight, 7.30pm

GRANGETOWN gag veteran Roy Chubby Brown, now 80, forewarns: “Not meant to offend, it’s simply a comedy tour”. After more than 50 years of spicy one-liners and putdowns, he continues to tackle the subjects of sex, celebrities, politics and British culture with a high profanity count and contempt for political correctness. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Gemma Curry in Hoglets Theatre’s The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio

Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre in The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale, York Theatre Royal Studio, today, 11am and 2pm

FRESH from an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe run, York company Hoglets Theatre invite primary-age children and families to an exciting adventure packed with beautiful handmade puppets, sea creatures, original songs and audience interaction aplenty.

Performed, crafted and directed by Gemma Curry, The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale celebrates friendship, difference and the beauty of being yourself in Andy Curry’s tale of Whale singing his heart out into the deep blue sea, but nobody singing back until…a mysterious voice echoes through the waves, whereupon Whale embarks on an unforgettable adventure. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Graham Nash: Sixty years of song at York Barbican. Picture: Ralf Louis

Vintage gigs of the week: Graham Nash, An Evening Of Songs And Stories, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm; Al Stewart, The Farewell Tour, York Barbican, October 7, 7.45pm

GRAHAM Nash, 83-year-old two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy award winner, performs songs spanning his 60-year career fromThe Hollies to Crosby, Stills andNash, CSNY (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) to his solo career, joined by Todd Caldwell (keyboards and vocals), Adam Minkoff(bass, drums, guitars and vocals) and Zach Djanikian (guitars, mandolin, drums and vocals). Long-time friend Peter Asher supports.

The poster for Al Stewart’s farewell tour, visiting York Barbican on Tuesday

Glasgow-born folk-rock singer-songwriter Al Stewart marks his 80th birthday (born 5/9/1945) with his UK farewell tour. After relocating to Chandler Arizona from Los Angeles, his home for the past 45 years, he is winding down his touring schedule with his long-running time band The Empty Pockets. Time for the last Year Of The Cat. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jonny Best: Leading Frame Ensemble’s improvised score for The Divine Voyager at the NCEM. Picture: Chris Payne

Film event of the week: Northern Silents presents The Divine Voyager with Frame Ensemble, National Centre for Early Music, York, Monday, 7.30pm

FRAME Ensemble’s spontaneous musicians Jonny Best (piano), Susannah Simmons (violin), Liz Hanks (cello) and Trevor Bartlett (percussion) accompany Julien Duvivier’s lushly photographed, beautifully poetic 1929 French silent film The Divine Voyage with an improvised live score.

In a tale of faith and hope, rapacious businessman Claude Ferjac sends his ship, La Cordillere, on a long trading journey, knowing it is likely to sink after poor repairs. An entire village of sailors, desperate to support their families, has no choice but to set sail. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

James Lee, left, Helen Clarke, front, Wilf Tomlinson, back, and Katie Leckey rehearsing for Griffonage Theatre’s FourTold. Picture: John Stead

Time to discover: Griffonage Theatre in FourTold, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, October 6 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

YORK devotees of the madcap, the macabre and making the familiar strange and the strange familiar, Griffonage Theatre transport audiences to the quirky rural town of Baile Aighneas – The Town of Dispute – for FourTold, a quartet of comedies by early 20th century Irish playwright Lady Augusta Gregory, never presented together in the UK until now under Northern Irish director Katie Leckey.

Encounter the bustling market and all its gossip in Spreading The News; the restaurant where newspaper editors wine, dine and mix up their Coats; the post office, where the splendid Hyacinth Halvey has sent word he is coming to town, and the bus stop where strangers such as The Bogie Men can quickly become friends! Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Hannah Sinclair Robinson’s Jess and Joe Layton’s Robbie in Frantic Assembly’s Lost Atoms, on tour at York Theatre Royal next week. Picture: Tristram Kenton

Relationship drama of the week: Frantic Assembly in Lost Atoms, York Theatre Royal, October 7 to 11, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

FRANTIC Assembly follow up York Theatre Royal visits of Othello and Metamorphosis with their 30th anniversary production, a two-hander memory play by Anna Jordan, directed by physical theatre specialist Scott Graham.

Joe Layton and Hannah Sinclair Robinson play Robbie and Jess, whose chance meeting, disastrous dates and extraordinary transformative love is the stuff of fairy tales. Or is it? Lost Atoms is a wild ride through a life-changing relationship, or Robbie and Jess’s clashing recollections as they relive the beats of connection, the moments of loss, but  are their stories the same and can their memories be trusted? Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Grayson Perry: “Finding out if you really are thoroughly good or maybe quite evil, but in a fun way” at the Grand Opera House

Question of the week: Grayson Perry: Are You Good?, Grand Opera House, October 7, 7.30pm

AFTER A Show For Normal People And A Show All About You, artist, iconoclast, television presenter and Knight Bachelor Grayson Perry asks Are You Good? A question that he thinks is “fundamental to our humanity”.

“In this show I will be helping you, the audience, find out if you really are thoroughly good or maybe quite evil, but in a fun way,” says Sir Grayson. “I always start out with the assumption that people are born good and then life happens. So, let’s pull back the curtain and see where your morals truly lie.” Add audience participation and silly songs, and expect to come out with core values completely in tatters. “Is it more important to be good or to be right? It’s time to update what is a virtue and what is a sin. No biggie.” Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Lightning Seeds’ Ian Broudie: Pure entertainment at York Barbican on Thursday

Oh, lucky you gig of the week: Lightning Seeds, Tomorrow’s Here Today, 35 Years Greatest Hits Tour, York Barbican, October 9, 8pm

NOW in his 36th year of leading Liverpool’s Lightning Seeds, Ian Broudie heads to York on his extended Tomorrow’s Here Today tour. Cue Pure, The Life Of Riley, Change, Lucky You, Sense, All I Want, Sugar Coated Iceberg, You Showed Me, Emily Smiles, Three Lions et al. Casino support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Jack Fry’s Quasimodo and Ayana Beatrice Poblete at Black Sheep Theatre Productions’s Selby Abbey photoshoot for The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, opening next week at the JoRo

Musical of the week: Black Sheep Theatre Productions in The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, October 10, 11 and 14 to 18, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

BLACK Sheep Theatre Productions bring a cast of five leads, seven ensemble actors and a 23-strong choir to the York company’s larger-than-life staging of Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz’s musical rooted in Disney’s 1996 musical film and Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel.

Combining powerful themes of love, acceptance and the nature of good and evil with a sweeping score, Matthew Peter Clare’s show will be “like nothing you’ve seen before”. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

In Focus: Prima Choral Artists in Prima XV, Selby Abbey, October 11, 7.30pm

Eva Lorian, artistic director of Prima Choral Artists

ARTISTIC director and producer Eve Lorian is marking 15 years as the visionary force behind Prima Choral Artists, the forward-thinking mixed voice choir that sets standards for diversity and innovation in the choral scene across York and beyond.

Even during the challenges of the pandemic years, Eve has crafted multiple bespoke programmes annually, both in Yorkshire and internationally.

Each concert reflects her distinctive musician’s insight, anticipating trends, celebrating diversity, honouring renowned choral names and championing the work of contemporary composers.

“It’s little wonder that such a portfolio can scarcely be captured in one individual concert, and so Prima have dedicated the entirety of 2025 to recognise these 15 years of musical creativity,” says Eve.

In this autumn’s pinnacle of those celebrations, Eve and Prima Choral Artists will return to Selby Abbey on October 11, where they will be joined once again by Greg Birch on piano.

The guest performers, the New World String Quartet, have a long history of high-level professional engagements across the region and their collaborations with Eve and Prima stretch back almost ten years.

“It’s impossible to express in words what this choir represents and what it has meant to people over these past 15 years,” Eve explains. “In much the same way, it’s nearly impossible to express our entire musical landscape in one single concert – the varied and diverse styles, the collaborations and the opportunity to embrace the new music of living composers.

“Our celebrations at Selby Abbey will, we hope, offer a glimpse of the multitude of genres and techniques that the choir has mastered over this time.”

Such musical diversity demands expertise. As an accomplished instrumentalist, vocal coach and performance mentor, Eve brings a wealth of experience, with her list of qualifications ensuring a steady and skilled hand to guide the singers through the ambitious programme planned for Selby Abbey.

Curated carefully to appeal to all tastes, Eve’s hand-picked selection will provide a glimpse into the breadth and versatility of her choir. The evening will feature the very best of choral music from across the decades, balancing timeless works by Handel and operatic master Verdi with contemporary highlights from Karl Jenkins, John Rutter and the genre-defying Christopher Tin.

In true Prima style, the choir also will celebrate linguistic diversity through its repertoire, performing in Italian, English, Hebrew and Xhosa, alongside the evocative, phonetic pseudo-language of Karl Jenkins.

This rich tapestry of vocal traditions reflects Eve’s long-standing commitment to global music expression, honouring voices and cultures from around the world and inviting audiences to connect through the shared experience of song.

Bridging the gap between classical masters and mid-century Broadway, Leonard Bernstein provides a natural link in the programme, with Stephen Sondheim bringing this genre firmly into the modern era.

The eclectic nature of the evening is enhanced further with music by female choral composers and arrangements of well-known songs by popular artists. Even a touch of “Girl Power” will be given a unique choral treatment.

Eve is in no doubt that this evening is for everyone: “Selby Abbey is a very special place for me and the choir and I am delighted to share this celebration of the choral world in all its wonderful variety, together with familiar and new faces at this most stunning location,” she says.

Prima’s year of anniversary celebrations will continues with two Family Christmas Concerts in St Olave’s Church, Marygate, York, on December 13 and 20 at 4pm.

Tickets for Prima XV are selling fast at https://www.primachoral.com/ or in person from the Selby Abbey Gift Shop, open daily 10am to 4pm. Alternatively, buy on the door from 7pm. A bar will be available on the night. For more information on concerts and all things Prima, visit www.primachoral.com.

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What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond. Hutch’s List No. 43, from Gazette & Herald

Ghosts In The Garden: York’s haunted history told in 58 wire-mesh sculptures

FROM garden ghosts to a lonely whale, Toussaint’s saxophone to Kurdish comedy, Charles Hutchinson finds joy both outdoors and indoors.

Spectral trail of the season: Ghosts In The Garden, across York, until November 2

ORGANISED by York BID (Business Improvement District), the Ghosts In The Gardens sculpture trail has returned to York’s public gardens, ruins, hidden corners and green spaces in a free family event featuring 58 3D wire-mesh figures inspired by York’s haunted history.

Crafted in partnership with York creative team Unconventional Design, the translucent figures range from soldiers to monks, with ten new spectral sculptures to “ensure fresh surprises for returning visitors”.

Saxophonist Jean Toussaint: Opening autumn season at National Centre for Early Music tonight

Jazz gig of the week: Jean Toussaint, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, tonight, 7.20pm

THE Jean Toussaint Quintet – saxophonist, composer and bandleader Toussaint, pianist Emile Hinton, bassist Conor Murray, drummer Ben Brown and trumpet player Joti (CORRECT) – showcases his JT5 project’s latest album, recorded at London’s Vortex jazz club in 2024.

York Music Forum students will be working with Toussaint earlier in the day to share their work on stage from 7.20pm to 7.40pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Gemma Curry in Hoglets Theatre’s The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale at York Theatre Royal Studio

Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre in The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale, York Theatre Royal Studio, Friday, 4.30pm; Saturday, 11am and 2pm

FRESH from an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe run, York company Hoglets Theatre invite primary-age children and families to an exciting adventure packed with beautiful handmade puppets, sea creatures, original songs and audience interaction aplenty.

Performed, crafted and directed by Gemma Curry, The Tale Of The Loneliest Whale celebrates friendship, difference and the beauty of being yourself in Andy Curry’s tale of Whale singing his heart out into the deep blue sea, but nobody singing back until…a mysterious voice echoes through the waves, whereupon Whale embarks on an unforgettable adventure. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Cooper Robson: Say Owt Slam special guest at The Crescent, York

Sizzling spoken words of the week: Say Owt Slam with special guest Cooper Robson, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm

HEATON slam champion and left-wing, left-field loudmouth Cooper Robson returns to York for a special-guest full set of hard-hitting poetry, raucous comedy and outlandish at The Crescent. Robson sports “more meter than Mo Farrah, more nonsense than a sapling touching Tolkien-tree”, while spouting more trash than a government coastal policy. Box office: thecrescentyork.com or on the door.

Helen Lederer: For bitter, for farce at Pocklington Arts Centre

Comedy conversation of the week: Helen Lederer, Not That I’m Bitter, Pocklington Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm

FROM Absolutely Fabulous to French & Saunders, Helen Lederer has been a familiar face in British comedy since her 1980s’ alt. comedy beginnings, being “in the spotlight but not always centre stage”. Now, she brings her signature wit and warmth to page and stage as she shares stories of fame, failure, family and finding your voice when the odds are stacked against you in a man’s world.

Expect sharp observations, outrageous anecdotes and a refreshingly candid take on everything from mental health to midlife reinvention, in conversation with presenter and podcaster Johnny Ianson, as Lederer discusses her memoir Not That I’m Bitter as part of East Riding Libraries Festival of Words. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

The Creepy Boys: Teenage birthday party. Picture: Nick Robertson Photography

“Bizarre comedy with just a splash of the occult”:  The Creepy Boys, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Friday, 8pm

THE Creepy Boys, Canadian creators of cult-smash Slugs and 2025 Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees, present their existential self-titled show – and you’re invited as they throw their 13th birthday party. Expect games. Gifts. Possibly Satan. Probably Cake.

Combining 2000s’ sexy songs and dances, satanic rituals and Willem Dafoe, horny little boys Sam Kruger and S.E. Grummett will do whatever it takes to make their birthday dreams come true, even re-enacting their own birth, while interrogating the trappings of millennial nostalgia, before driving the show off a wild horror-comedy cliff. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Kae Kurd in What’s O’Kurd: That’s what’s occurring at Pocklington Arts Centre on Saturday

Comedy gig of the week: Kae Kurd: What’s O’Kurd, Pocklington Arts Centre, Saturday, 8pm

KAE Kurd, British-Kurdish stand-up comedian, Ain’t Got A Clue podcaster and lead writer and voice of ITV’s dating show Loaded In Paradise, brings his new tour, What’s O’Kurd, to Pocklington.

Born Korang Abdulla in Saqqez, Iran, and now based in South London, Kae performed his debut show Kurd Your Enthusiasm at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, since when he has toured Spoken Kurd Tour in 2021 and Kurd Immunity in 2023. He has written for Cunk & Other Humans (BBC), Have I Got News For You (BBC) and A League of Their Own (Sky One), as well as for the i newspaper and Total Politics, and has appeared on Mock The Week and Celebrity Masterchef. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Our Biggest Ever Open Mic: Saturday’s evening of anything-goes entertainment at Milton Rooms, Malton

Open opportunity of the week: Our Biggest Ever Open Mic, Milton Rooms, Malton, Saturday, 7pm

THE stage is all yours on Saturday at the Milton Rooms’ “Biggest Ever Open Mic evening” for all manner of performers.  Admission is free and doors and the bar will be open at 6.30pm. Tech support will be provided. Go for it! For more information, email info@themiltonrooms.com.

Martin Ledger of Alchemy Live: Finding himself in Dire Straits in a good way at Helmsley Arts Centre

Tribute show of the week: Alchemy Live, The Music Of Dire Straits, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

FORMED by life-long Dire Straits fans and full-time musicians Martin Ledger and Neil Scott, Alchemy Live announced their first show for Friday the 13th in 2022 in York, duly selling out there and around Yorkshire and moving on to theatre shows from January 2023.

Fast forward to 2025 and the launch of an expanded line-up, featuring pedal steel and saxophone, enabling them to tackle the huge production of Dire Straits’ final album On Every Street and the resultant live record On The Night. Every song choice is taken from a specific live performance in Dire Straits’ history, for example the show-opening Money For Nothing from Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in 1985, “with every nuance of Mark Knopfler’s playing technique followed faithfully” throughout. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Pixies: Playing York for first time in 40-year career next May

Gig announcement of the week: Pixies, York Barbican, May 20 2026

CELEBRATING 40 years since their 1986 formation in Boston, Massachusetts, Pixies will head out on their Pixies 40 worldwide tour next year. The British and European leg will open with their long-overdue York debut on May 20 at York Barbican.

Founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering will be touring with bassist Emma Richardson as they head to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Tickets for their only Yorkshire concert are on sale at bnds.us/ziwfqx or yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/pixies.

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Christopher Cross to play York Barbican on May 16 with Squeeze’s Chris Difford as special guest. When do tickets go on sale?

Christopher Cross, photographed at Max Crace Studio in Austin Texas, February 2024

AMERICANsinger-songwriter Christopher Cross will play York Barbican as the only Yorkshire venue on his nine-date UK tour next spring.

Tickets for his May 16 show will go on general sale on Friday (3/10/2025) at 9am at  https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/christopher-cross/.

The multi-Grammy-winning artist, from San Antonio, Texas, is best known for Sailing, Ride Like The Wind and Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).

Cross, 74, will be joined by special guest Chris Difford, co-founder of Squeeze and one of London’s most respected and decorated songwriters.

Christopher Cross’s tour itinerary for May 2026

In 1980, Cross made Grammy history by sweeping the “Big Four” categories for the first time ever – Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year – with his self-titled 1979 debut album.

He went on to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Arthur’s Theme and has released more than a dozen albums. In 2020, he marked his 40th anniversary with The Complete Works box set.

All in all, it has been quite a ride for Cross, one that has taken him from his early days in Texas, where he once served as a drum tech for Ginger Baker, bought gear from Jimmy Page, and played lead guitar for Deep Purple on a night when Ritchie Blackmore fell ill, to his long-held place as a respected singer-songwriter and guitarist who continues to share his music with the world.

Opening act Chris Difford is the Deptford yricist behind Cool For Cats, Up the Junction and Tempted. A founding member of Squeeze, Difford’s songs are the soundtrack of a generation, filled with wit, warmth, and raw honesty. His solo performances are equally powerful – part musical journey, part stand-up storytelling.

Chris Difford: Squeezing in support role on Christopher Cross’s tour

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Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey to play York Barbican next September with Blancmange in support. When do tickets go on sale?

Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey

REMEMBER the Thompson Twins? Tom Bailey, the Sheffield-founded group’s lead vocalist and instrumentalist, now performs under the name Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey.

Next year, he will close his autumn tour at York Barbican on September 26, the only Yorkshire location on his 14-date itinerary, when fellow 1980s’ chart art Blancmange will support. Tickets go on sale on Friday (3/10/2025) from 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/tom-bailey/.

Known for their fusion of pop, new wave and synth-driven dance music, combined with an eclectic visual style, Thompson Twins enjoyed success in both the singles and albums charts on both sides of the Atlantic, being among the select group of British artists to “break” America.

On July 13 1985, they appeared with Nile Rodgers on guitar and Madonna on backing vocals at Live Aid at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia.

Songwriter and producer as well as performer, Bailey played on Grace Jones’s My Jamaican Guy and Foreigner’s ‘I Want To Know What Love Is, among others.

In his shows as Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey, he performs such Thompson Twins numbers as Love On Your Side, We Are Detective, Hold Me Now, Doctor! Doctor!, You Take Me Up, Sister Of Mercy, Lay Your Hands On Me, In The Name Of Love,  If You Were Here, Lies, Don’t Mess With Doctor Dream and King For A Day. In addition, he will showcase songs from his only solo album, July 2028’s Science Fiction.

This year, Bailey, 69, completed a mini-world tour, performing in some countries for the first time, and he joined forces with The Human League for a series of UK festival shows highlighting the best of British synth pop.

On next year’s tour, he will be joined by Charlotte Raven, vocals, keyboards and cello,Paulina Szczepaniak, vocals and drums, and Alice Offley,vocals, bass and keyboards.

On October 31, BMG will release the new compilation Industry And Seduction – A Thompson Twins Collectionon 3CD and 2 vinyl LP formats.

Neil Arthur, 67, now tours as Blancmange, long-time friends of Tom Bailey and fellow artist from the Eighties’ synth pop scene. Expect to re-live such Blancmange favourites as Living On The Ceiling, God’s Kitchen, Feel Me,Waves, Blind Vision, That’s Love, That It Is, Don’t Tell Me and Abba cover The Day Before You Came next September.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond when ghosts take over gardens. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 43, from The York Press

Sir Alan Ayckbourn: Marking 60th anniversary of his comedy Relatively Speaking with rehearsed reading and Q&A at the SJT tomorrow. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

FROM garden ghosts to Friends parody, Ayckbourn anniversary celebrations to Toussaint’s saxophone, Charles Hutchinson finds joy both outdoors and indoors.

Anniversary landmark of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Sunday, 2.30pm

AS part of the SJT’s fundraising weekend with Director Emeritus Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Sunday’s 60th anniversary rehearsed reading of Ayckbourn’s Relatively Speaking will be followed by a Q&A with Sir Alan.

Greg and Ginny are living together, but Greg suspects he is not the only man in her life. Prompted by Ginny’s plan to “visit her parents”, he decides to follow her. Ginny is in fact going to see a considerably older lover, but only to break up with him. Greg mistakes the ex-lover and his wife for Ginny’s parents, a situation only compounded by Ginny’s arrival. Antony Eden directs a cast of Hayden Wood, Gina Burnell, Liza Goddard and Russell Richardson. Box office:  01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Ghosts In The Garden: York’s haunted history told in 58 wire-mesh sculptures

Spectral trail of the season: Ghosts In The Garden, across York, until November 2

ORGANISED by York BID (Business Improvement District), the Ghosts In The Gardens sculpture trail has returned to York’s public gardens, ruins, hidden corners and green spaces in a free family event featuring 58 3D wire-mesh figures inspired by York’s haunted history.

Crafted in partnership with York creative team Unconventional Design, the translucent figures range from soldiers to monks, with ten new spectral sculptures to “ensure fresh surprises for returning visitors”.

Dave Johns: Playing Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club tonight in rare York outing

Comedy gig of the week: Dave Johns, Paul Pirie, Josh Sedman and Damion Larkin, Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, YO1 Live Lounge, York Barbican, today, 8pm

I, DANIEL Blake actor and comedian Dave Johns has appeared on the stand-up circuit since 1989. Now highly selective about where and when he performs, tonight’s show is a rare chance to catch him in York.

Scotsman Paul Pirie specialises in blurring the lines between real-life anecdotes and flight of fancy, jumping from bitchy to silly. Yorkshire comedian Josh Sedman is equipped with quips, “Wetherby Teeth” and a lovely head of hair. Promoter Damion Larkin hosts as ever. Doors open at 7:30pm. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Dame Imogen Cooper: Piano concert at Helmsley Arts Centre tonight. Picture: Sussie Ahlburg

Classical concert of the week: Dame Imogen Cooper, Helmsley Arts Centre, today, 7.30pm

AFTER playing St Peter’s Church, Norton, at July’s Ryedale Festival, pianist Dame Imogen Cooper returns to Ryedale this weekend to play Bach’s Nun Freut Euch, Lieben Christen G’mein, arranged by Kempff;  Bach’s chorale-prelude Nun Komm’ der Heiden Heiland, arranged by Busoni and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899. Post-interval, her programme continues with Beethoven’s Seven Bagatelles and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 935. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Alicia Belgarde (Monica), left, Daniel Parkinson (Chandler), Enzo Benvenuti (Ross), Eva Hope (Rachel), Amelia Atherton (Phoebe) and Ronnie Burden (Joey) in Friends! The Musical Parody, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Pamela Raith

The one where they sing: Friends! The Musical Parody, Grand Opera House, York, September 30 to October 4, Tuesday to Thursday, 7.30pm; Friday, 5.30pm and 8.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

NEW York and Las Vegas hit Friends! The Musical Parody is a musical comedy packed with iconic moments from all ten seasons of the beloved television series, complemented by an original musical score. Join Rachel, Ross, Monica, Chandler, Joey, and Phoebe, the world’s most famous group of twenty-somethings, as they navigate love, friendship and life’s ups and downs in 1990s’ New York City.

“Whether you’re in a love triangle, trying to make it as an actor, or just can’t quit your day job, you’ll be laughing, crying, and quoting your favourite lines all night long,” the show promises. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Saxophonist Jean Toussaint: Opening autumn season at National Centre for Early Music on Wednesday

Jazz gig of the week: Jean Toussaint, National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, York, October 1, 7.20pm

THE Jean Toussaint Quintet – saxophonist, composer and bandleader Toussaint, pianist Emile Hinton, bassist Conor Murray, drummer Ben Brown and trumpet player Joti – showcases his JT5 project’s latest album, recorded at London’s Vortex jazz club in 2024.

York Music Forum students will be working with Toussaint earlier in the day to share their work on stage from 7.20pm to 7.40pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Sue Ryding, left, recalling her 40-year comedy partnership with the late Maggie Fox (inset) in LipService in Funny Stuff at Pocklington Arts Centre

Reflections on grief: LipService in Funny Stuff, Pocklington Arts Centre, October 2, 7.30pm

SUE Ryding is one half of legendary satirical duo LipService. In March 2022, her comedy partner, York actress and writer Maggie Fox, died  leaving Sue with a shipping container full of 40 years of stage props, costumes, wigs, hats, shoes, sheep, you name it.

This show looks at all the “stuff” we accumulate, hoard and hate to let go in her humorous and creative response to grief, wherein Sue struggles to part with a life-sized stuffed sheep, a badger onesie, some ruby slippers, a sinking bog, Charlotte Bronte’s knickers and a host of soft toys. Touring anecdotes are combined with archive footage from LipService shows. Box office: 01759 301547 or pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Tom Smith: Editors’ frontman, playing solo show at Stockton on the Forest Village Hall

Indie rock gig of the week: Tom Smith, Stockton on the Forest Village Hall, near York, October 3, 7.45pm

TOM Smith, frontman of Birmingham indie rock band Editors since 2022, heads north to play a seated village hall gig in North Yorkshire, hosted by Off The Beaten Track and The Crescent, York. Expect a selection of new solo work alongside Editors’ favourites. Box office for returns only: thecrescentyork.com.

Cooper Robson: Say Owt Slam special guest at The Crescent, York

Sizzling spoken words of the week: Say Owt Slam with special guest Cooper Robson, The Crescent, York, October 3, 7.30pm

HEATON slam champion and left-wing, left-field loudmouth Cooper Robson returns to York for a special-guest full set of hard-hitting poetry, raucous comedy and outlandish at The Crescent. Robson sports “more meter than Mo Farrah, more nonsense than a sapling touching Tolkien-tree”, while spouting more trash than a government coastal policy. Box office: thecrescentyork.com or on the door.

Pixies: Playing York for first time in 40-year career next May

Gig announcement of the week: Pixies, York Barbican, May 20 2026

CELEBRATING  40 years since their 1986 formation in Boston, Massachusetts, Pixies will head out on their Pixies 40 worldwide tour next year. The British and European leg will open with their long-overdue York debut on May 20 at York Barbican.

Founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering will be touring with bassist Emma Richardson as they head to the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Tickets for their only Yorkshire concert are on sale at bnds.us/ziwfqx or yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/pixies.

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After 40 years, Pixies to make long-overdue York debut with May 20 Barbican show

Pixies: 40th anniversary tour heads for York Barbican next spring

PIXIES will play York for the first time in their 40-year career on their Pixies 40 tour next spring.

Celebrating four decades since their formation in Boston, Massachusetts, the American alt.rock band will open the British and European leg of their travels at York Barbican on May 20, the only Yorkshire venue on a 13-date June and July itinerary also taking in Ireland, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. Tickets go on sale today at 10am at https://www.yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/pixies/ and https://bnds.us/ziwfqx.

Founding members Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering will be joined by bassist Emma Richardson on a tour that fittingly will kick off on British soil, where they were first embraced by the music press before storming the globe.

More than 35 years since their groundbreaking platinum-certified album Doolittle album catapulted Pixies into the UK top ten, and more than 20 years since their re-formation at the Coachella festival, Francis and co are deep into their second creative act.

Pixies: Emma Richardson, Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering

From their first chaotic club shows, Pixies redefined what a live concert could be. No glamour, no stage banter, only a relentless, explosive surge of sound. A glimpse into a new way rock music could be performed.

1987’s Come On Pilgrim introduced Pixies’ surreal, fragmented songwriting. 1988’s Surfer Rosa proved they were unlike anything else and 1989’s Doolittle broke wider, twisting pop hooks into dark shapes and dragging swelling crowds into their jagged rhythm.

1990’s Bossanova and 1991’s Trompe le Monde ensued as relentless tours across the United States and Europe cemented Pixies as the essential alt-rock ticket before their 1993 split. Their 2004 reunion was seismic: instant sell-outs, Coachella triumph and bigger audiences than ever.

Sharper, fiercer, and now spanning generations, Pixies became living proof of their own influence with five albums since 2014: Indie Cindy; Head Carrier (2016); Beneath The Eyrie (2019); Doggerel (2022) and The Night The Zombies Came (2024).

Pixies’ poster for their Pixies 40 travels, opening at York Barbican on May 20 2026. Royal Albert Hall, London, debut awaits on May 28.