The Big Interviews with Graham Walker

Say You Won't Let Go chart-topper James Arthur tells how magical duet From The Jump with Kelly Clarkson came about, reveals plans for new releases and gives set-list details about his upcoming Bitter Sweet Love UK tour - including how he's keeping his emotions in check ahead of 'a fairytale' homecoming at his beloved Middlesbrough Riverside Stadium.

All this and more in an exclusive chat with entertainment writer Graham walker.

204 Tour UK dates:

Tickets at www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Jun 08 – Middlesbrough, UK @ Riverside Stadium

Jul 12 – Leeds, UK @ Millenium Square

Jul 17 – Wigan, UK @ Robin Park

Jul 18 – Swansea, UK @ Singleton Park

Aug 02 – Newmarket, UK @ Newmarket Racecourse

Aug 17 – Market Rasen, UK @ Market Rasen Racecourse

Aug 27 – Belfast, UK @ Custom House Square

Aug 28 – Galway, Ireland @ Summer Sessions

Dec 18 - O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

It was one of the biggest selling albums of the 80s and spawned smash hit singles that became the soundtrack of a new wave invasion.

Hold Me Now, Doctor Doctor and You Take Me Up filled the airwaves as Into The Gap topped he UK charts for three weeks and turned new wave band Thompson Twins into global superstars.

From humble beginnings in Sheffield they went on to perform in front of millions during the Philadelphia leg of Live Aid - when Madonna and Nile Rodgers joined them on stage.

But even frontman Tom Bailey admits he never expected to still be performing their seminal album to the masses four decades on.

That’s exactly what he will be doing this month with an Into The Gap  40th Anniversary Tour - full details below - and shows across the UK in Birmingham, Gateshead, Edinburgh, Guildford, Bath, London, Cambridge and now, due to demand, an extra date added at Manchester New Century on Monday, May 13.

Here he talks to Graham Walker about the tour, the band's past and discusses future recording and tour plans in an exclusive chat, reflecting on the enduring demand for their music.

BUY TICKETS: For Manchester and all other available shows visit www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk. VIP packages are also available at www.sjm-vip.com.

You  know you're in for a fabulous read when the author's name towers in larger font above the title of the book - it's a sign of a great legacy and reputation.

Take so-called Saga Queen Margaret Dickinson - a publishing phenomenon.

Her exceptional talent for powerful storytelling, weaving human emotions into historical landscapes, usually in or around the two world wars, have earned her legions of fans world wide over three decades.

Now in her 80s, there's no slowing down...she continues to publish a book a year and fans won't be disappointed with  her 31st captivating page-turner - get your hankies at the ready for A Mother’s Sorrow, her latest gripping book full of heart-rending drama, out in paperback from Thursday, May 9.

PREORDER: Get A Mother’s Sorrow by Margaret Dickinson - visit https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/margaret-dickinson/a-mothers-sorrow/9781035024599

In an exclusive chat with Graham Walker, Margaret here discusses her new book, her writing process, how she creates her characters and she shares secrets, including the working title, of her next book.

Chart topping Il Divo are celebrating their 20th birthday with album XX and a UK tour heading this way which will be a visual spectacular, reveals tenor Urs Bühler.

The 10 date 20th Anniversary UK Tour in October 2024 - full details below - will play London, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Southend, Nottingham, Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

BUY TICKETS: Tickets go on sale Friday, April 19, 9.30am at tix.to/IlDivo2024

AUDIO: In an exclusive chat - listen in full here - founding member Urs tells Graham Walker about  the past two decades, looks to the future and reveals XX tour details.

Wednesday, 16th October - London Palladium

Thursday, 17th October - Cardiff Utilita Arena

Saturday, 19th October - Bournemouth International Centre

Monday, 21st October- Southend Cliffs Pavilion

Tuesday, 22nd October - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall

Wednesday 23rd October - Bristol Beacon

Thursday, 24th October - Brighton Centre

Saturday, 26th October- Birmingham Utilita Arena

Monday, 28th October - Liverpool Philharmonic

Tuesday, 29th October - Manchester Bridgewater Hall

Oasis superfan Thom says it 'means the world' to open the show for Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds at Wigan’s Robin Park on July 18.

It's promises to be a fairytale homecoming win for The Lottery Winners who hail just down the road from Leigh.

Also supporting are fellow Manchester indie chart stars The Slow Reader’s Club.

BUY TICKETS: For tickets, availability and more details visit www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

READ STORY: Check out the interview at www.wigantoday.net

In this exclusive chat with Graham Walker he says the greatest win is how their music has helped others.

The band's third album Anxiety Replacement Therapy, with its mental health themes, became their first UK number one in 2023.

It received worldwide critical acclaim and is described by self confessed ADHD sufferer Thom as a biographical self-help tape.

"It was nice getting a number one, the trophy and everything. But best of all are messages from people who reach out and say our music has really helped them through a tough time, or it really speaks to them," he says.

For more visit the band's official web site at www.thelotterywinners.co.uk.

The Charlatans and lead singer Tim Burgess today revealed their upcoming 11 date UK tour - November and December 2023 - will be a non-stop jukebox of back catalogue hits plus some rarely played album tracks. And its likely to change every night, he explains in this exclusive chat with Graham Walker.

In Glasgow they  plan to play in its entirety their second album, 1992's Between 10th and 11th - which includes singles Weirdo, Tremelo Song and I Don't Want to See the Sights.

Six years on since their 13th studio album, Different Days, Tim also promises fans they will be releasing more in the future but explained why they have yet to make a real start.

The Only One I Know hitmakers will perform Yorkshire dates at Sheffield Octagon - moved from the O2 Academy - on Tue Nov 28, and then Leeds O2 Academy, Sun Dec 3. They also play Newcastle, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, London, Wolverhampton and Nottingham. Full dates and links with this post on our web sites.

BUY TICKETS: Full dates, details and tickets via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Cuddly Toy hitmaker Andrew Roachford will give fans an early Christmas present - a UK tour singing festive soul hits.

A Soul Christmas Evening with Roachford will pay homage to his soul heroes featuring the likes of Stevie Wonder’s Someday At Christmas.

In an exclusive chat with Graham Walker - listen to the full interview here - he promised there will be no 'cheesy carols' but confirmed that fans will also be getting all his greatest hits.

Roachford's 2023 December tour will play a total of nine dates starting at Sheffield Leadmill (Dec 1), before playing London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (2), Birmingham Town Hall (4), Brighton Concorde 2 (5), Manchester O2 Ritz (7), Northampton Roadmender (9) Norwich Waterfront (11), Bristol St Georges (13) and Newcastle University (15).

BUY TICKETS: Tickets are available now, click on venue links above, or get them via www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Brit pop legend Rick Witter today told Shed Seven fans to "buckle up" as he revealed huge celebrations are being planned to mark the band's 30th anniversary.

The Going For Gold and Chasing Rainbows hitmakers will release their first album in more than six years with A Matter of Time on January 5, 2024, via Cooking Vinyl – pre-order and get bundles at store.shedseven.com and shedsevenn.lnk.to/AMOT.

And big plans are underway for live shows including Yorkshire homecoming gigs.

But first, this month (Oct 2023), they play Cardiff, The Tramshed ( October 19th), London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (20th), Nottingham, Rock City (21st SOLD OUT), Stoke-on-Trent, Victoria Hall (23rd), Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall (24th), Glasgow, The Barrowland Ballroom (26th SOLD OUT), Middlesbrough, Town Hall (27th), Manchester, Albert Hall (28th SOLD OUT).

BUY TICKETS: Get tickets, subject to availability, direct from the venues - click links above - or visit www.gigsandtours.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Golden girl Beverley Knight is celebrating her 50th year with a new album and tour - which is heading this way.

And in his exclusive chat with Graham Walker the British soul queen promised to party with fans like never before saying at 50 the girl definitely wants to have fun.

“It's great being 50, I'm having the best time ever. Fans coming to see me on tour can expect a great time. That's the number one thing that you're gonna get if you come and see me in a show. You're gonna have fun," promises Beverley, who will showcase new album, The Fifth Chapter, which looks set to chart top 10 this week. She will also perform surprise covers and all her hits, the likes of Shoulda Woulda Coulda and Come as You Are.

Beverley's 50 Tour will play 20 UK dates in autumn 2023 with most shows already sold out – but you can still get tickets to see her in October at  Sheffield City Hall (23rd), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (24th), Glasgow SEC Armadillo (26th), Leicester De Montfort Hall (31st) and at Brighton Dome on November 7th.

She has also announced  two extra special celebratory shows for 2024 at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall on September 23 and, in her hometown, the newly refurbished Wolverhampton Halls, on September 24.

BUY TICKETS: Tickets for the above shows are available from the venues, using the links above, or at www.gigsandtours.com and www.ticketmaster.com.

GET THE ALBUM: Listen to new album The Fifth Chapter, out on Tag8/BMG, available on all usual streaming and download platforms here and to buy in various formats, along with other merchandise, at www.beverleyknight.com.

Big beat techno music icon Ed Simons of The Chemical Brothers has revealed the duo are driven by delivering memorable live shows.

And the out-of-this-world laser, lighting and animation visuals are thanks to Doctor Who film-maker Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall.

Adam, who directed eleventh Doctor Matt Smith, has worked with electronic dance music pioneers Ed and Tom Rowlands to turn their tracks into immersive visual experiences since they started out almost three decades ago.

In an exclusive chat - listen to full interview with Graham Walker here - Ed paid tribute to their long term collaborators, who have been a key part of their success, as they head out on a six date 2023 autumn UK tour to promote tenth album For That Beautiful Feeling.

BUY TICKETS: The Chemical Brothers play OVO Hydro, Glasgow (October 26), AO Arena, Manchester (27), First Direct Arena, Leeds (28), 3Arena, Dublin (November 1), Utilita Arena, Birmingham (3) and The O2, London (4). Tickets from ticketmaster.co.uk, gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.ie (Dublin only).