In August and September 2023, multi-national Progressive Rockers Big Big Train undertook their longest ever tour to date, performing 17 shows over 21 days across nine countries in the UK and Europe, and concluding with two triumphant concerts at London’s prestigious Cadogan Hall. Those two concerts are now immortalised as “A Flare On The Lens,” released today on InsideOut Music.
To celebrate, a clip of the band performing “The Connection Plan” has been released, and you can watch it now through the YouTube player below:
Lead vocalist Alberto Bravin comments: “We’re delighted to unveil ‘A Flare On The Lens’, which captures our two shows last September at Cadogan Hall perfectly in my view. It was the end of a pretty arduous and intense tour. But we gelled better and better every single night and there was amazing energy in the hall for both our London performances.”
Drummer Nick D’Virgilio adds: “Before last year, the longest consecutive run of shows that Big Big Train had ever performed was six. By undertaking the 17 shows last August and September, we really bonded closer than ever before, both musically and personally, and that comes across with this release. And now we get to do it all again from next week!”
The new live release comes ahead of the band’s September & October headline tour in the UK & Europe. Find the full list of dates below:
16th September – Thornden Hall, Eastleigh, UK (Warm-Up Show)
17th September – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, UK
18th September – The Riverfront, Newport, UK
19th September – Playhouse Theatre, Whitley Bay, UK
21st September – Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
22nd September – Palace Theatre, Newark, UK
24th September – Stables Theatre, Milton Keynes, UK – SOLD OUT
25th September – The Stoller Hall, Manchester, UK – SOLD OUT
27th September – Stadthalle, Weinheim, Germany
28th September – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
29th September – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
1st October – Cosmopolite, Oslo, Norway
2nd October – Viften, Copenhagen, Denmark
3rd October – Spirit Of 66, Verviers, Belgium
5th October – Cadogan Hall, London, UK
Ticket links for all shows are at www.bigbigtrain.com/live
This new concert film package includes every song performed by the band over those two evenings and is available as a Limited 3xCD+Blu-ray media book, with the concert film audio mixed in 5.1 surround sound and stereo. A gatefold 180g 2xLP vinyl version is also available, which features a carefully selected range of material from the Cadogan Hall shows.
Watch a video of the band performing “A Boy In Darkness” here: https://youtu.be/ksu0ZhDgxXM
Watch the band performing “Love Is The Light” here: https://youtu.be/oAlu6kzTp6Q
Order “A Flare On The Lens” here: https://bigbigtrain.lnk.to/AFlareOnTheLens-Live
“A Flare On The Lens” features the band’s full show at Cadogan Hall from the second of their two nights there last year and also includes seven songs which were played only on the first night.
As such, the Blu-ray film runs to around 3 hours and contains no fewer than 17 songs, including both back catalogue favourites such as “East Coast Racer,” “Hedgerow,” “Folklore,” “Judas Unrepentant,” “Curator Of Butterflies” and “Victorian Brickwork,” live instrumental tour de force “Apollo” and future classics “Love Is The Light” and “Oblivion,” plus a 3 song acoustic medley. ‘Love Is The Light’ and ‘Oblivion’ have subsequently been available on the band’s acclaimed studio album, “The Likes Of Us,” released in March this year.
Tracklist:
01.Folklore*
02.The Connection Plan*
03.Curator of Butterflies*
04.Summoned by Bells*
05.Drums & Brass 2023*
06.Love Is The Light*
07.A Boy In Darkness*
08.Apollo*
09.Acoustic Medley
10.East Coast Racer*
11.Victorian Brickwork*
12.Oblivion
13.Swan Hunter
14.Keeper of Abbeys
15.Brooklands
16.Hedgerow
17.Telling the Bees
18.Judas Unrepentant
*included on 2xLP vinyl release
“A Flare On The Lens” is the sight and sound of Big Big Train back on an upwards curve and re-establishing itself as one of the Rock music scene’s most compelling live bands.