Live in 2023: from the Arctics to Coldplay
SELF ESTEEM (February 21 to March 25; May 28; July 8-27).
The solo performer of last year was Rebecca Taylor, aka Self Esteem, the first pop star ever to dish up witty feminist gospel singalongs. She thrilled a packed room above a pub in Huddersfield and turned a marquee into a moshpit at Glastonbury, while also supplying the soundtrack for the West End hit Prima Facie.
This year she tours the theatres before supporting Pulp in Manchester and Blur at Wembley en route to headlining her first festival, Standon Calling.
RANDY NEWMAN
(February 15-17). Pop’s greatest wit will be 80 in November. Scandalously, his promoters are giving him only two UK dates, in London and Edinburgh, but if you feel like boarding the Eurostar, there are ten shows to choose from in the Low Countries.
ELTON JOHN (March 23 to April 17; May 30 to June 18; June 25). Elton’s farewell tour has lasted longer than some people’s whole careers. Now in its fifth year, it continues with six weeks in arenas and ends with the Sunday headline slot at Glastonbury, where he has never played before. Trust him to bow out with a bang.
THE ANCHORESS (April 30 to
May 21; September 21 to October 4). In 2021, Catherine Anne
Davies swept the albums-of-theyear lists with The Art Of Losing. In 2022, she had a baby, while also releasing some classy covers and acoustic remakes of her own synth-pop songs. Now, armed with experience on the keys for Simple Minds and Manic Street Preachers, she has two headline tours – electric first, then acoustic.
PULP (May 26 to July 21). Jarvis Cocker reconvenes Britpop’s most lovable band for their first tour in a decade. They begin in a crazy week, up against Roger Waters, Ozzy Osbourne and the next three acts on this list.
ARCTIC MONKEYS
(May 29 to June 25). Alex Turner’s gang are still the most exciting youngish rock band in Britain, even though their last two albums haven’t been rock.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND
(May 30 to July 8). A master performer gets the band back together. Only four dates in the UK – Murrayfield, Villa Park and two in Hyde Park – so diehard fans are booking for Dublin (May 5-9). COLDPLAY (May 31 to June 7). They’re not critics’ darlings, but Chris Martin and company have been blowing everyone away with a secret weapon: sheer joy. After wowing Wembley and Hampden Park last year, they concentrate on Manchester and
Cardiff this time.
BURNA BOY (June 3). Never mind the Moroccan football team, this Nigerian rapper has been making history too. At the London Stadium, he becomes the first African star to headline a British sports ground.
JONI MITCHELL (June 10). The living legend, now 79, electrified her fans by playing last summer’s Newport Folk Festival with Brandi Carlile. Now they are the joint headliners of The Joni Jam, near Seattle.
PETER GABRIEL (June 17-23). One of rock’s more elusive figures returns with his first album of new songs since 2002, entitled i/o, and his first tour since 2014. On past form, it’ll be a night to remember.
BLUR (July 8-9). A weekend at Wembley, where Britpop’s most creative band have never played. Three of them have albums out this winter – Damon Albarn with Gorillaz, Dave Rowntree solo, and Graham Coxon in an art-pop duo called The WAEVE.
Happy New Year, and thanks for reading.