The Cherrytree Music Company and Big Concerts have confirmed that Sting will perform a special My Songs concert in Cape Town at the Grand Arena, GrandWest on Wednesday the 1st and 2nd of February 2023 and in Pretoria, Saturday 4th and 5th of February 2023 at the SunBet Arena, Time Square. Tickets went on sale on Friday 2 from http://www.ticketmaster.co.za/

Sting’s My Songs concert is an exuberant and dynamic show featuring his most beloved songs, written throughout the 17-time Grammy Award winner’s illustrious career both with The Police and as a solo artist. Following a sold out six-night residency at the London Palladium, My Songs was hailed "a masterclass” by The Times; "Sting remains an undeniably skilled performer with a gold-plated back catalogue". A musical journey taking in hits like 'Fields of Gold', 'Shape of my Heart', 'Roxanne' and 'Demolition Man', the concert was described as "a rare treat" by The Telegraph and saw Sting praised as "near peerless" by The Guardian with "sublime pop alchemy". Fans can also expect to hear 'Englishman In New York,' 'Every Breath You Take,' 'Roxanne,' 'Message In A Bottle' and many more.

On tour, Sting will be accompanied by an electric, rock ensemble. Special Guest Joe Sumner appears at all newly announced dates.


• More info + FAQ will be on the Big Concerts website www.bigconcerts.co.za

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

Pack away those winter blues, Spring has sprung, and Summer is getting ready to spread its wings. What better way than to welcome & celebrate the change of weather with three days of fun, the Portuguese Way, at the colourful Madeira Fest, featuring mouthwatering food, vibrant music, captivating folk dancing and unlimited fun, from 30 September to 2 October 2022 at Casa de Madeira in Alberton and brought to you by the Portuguese Forum, the hosts of the successful Caravela Portuguese Festivals.

It`s a Festival of Music featuring International Portuguese artists Joao Quintino & Sergio Rossi, superstars Kurt Darren and Lee Cole, local heartthrobs Irene van Wyk & Diana de Sousa, and, if that wasn’t enough to keep you entertained, you can dance your boots off with party pleasers Dr Victor and The Rasta Rebels as well as Brent Harris and Thee Jam. To keep you moving there are also beat-filled DJ sets from Luis Almeida, Dino Bravo and Nicole de Silva Performance times TBA.

It`s a Festival of Food - In addition to their love of life and family the Portuguese community are world renowned for their scrumptious food. You can expect the warmest welcome and lip gastronomic delights on the menu at the Madeira Fest including juicy prawns, spicy chourico, the iconic espetada and delicious pastel de nata.
It’s a Festival of Dance - “It is with your feet that you move but it is with your heart that you dance”, and there is passion galore in Portuguese folk dancing. There are many types of dances on show at the Madeira Fest including the traditional Vira and Chula, each with a different story to tell.

Make a date for the whole family to head South to enjoy the culture and sounds of Madeira Island, Party at the Madeira Fest from 30 September to 2 October 2022.
Where: Casa de Madeira @ 46 Goodwood Road, Newmarket, Alberton.

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

Multi-platinum Grammy award-winning rock band Imagine Dragons announce the South African leg of their massive Mercury World Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the tour celebrates the release of their latest album, Mercury – Act 1 (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope) kicking off in Cape Town at DHL Stadium on Wednesday 1st February 2023 and then heading to FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 4th February 2023. This tour marks the band’s biggest shows of their career to date.

On the heels of “Enemy,” which has topped the Alternative Radio chart for the past seven weeks and is rapidly ascending at Top 40 radio (#10) and Hot AC (#9), Imagine Dragons unveiled their new single, “Bones,” the first new music from their forthcoming release Mercury – Act 2. A spirited examination of life and death, the song explodes with an infectious chorus that celebrates the intangible spark that ignites our beings. Listen to “Bones” here and view the lyric video here.

Don't miss Imagine Dragons perform all their hits! To find out more about the #ImagineDragonsSA23 tour, go to bigconcerts.co.za.

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

Queensryche hit Tempe again on "The Verdict" tour

Photo Credits: Fred Kuhlman

There's one thing that is fairly certain about veteran progressive hard rock band Queensryche: they love playing Arizona.

After all, their show at Tempe's Marquee Theatre on Tuesday Jan. 28 marks the second time in under a year that they've visited us on their current tour supporting their latest album, 2019's The Verdict.

"We've been touring this album since March of last year", said lead guitarist and Queensryche founding member Michael Wilton a few hours before showtime.

"We've worked hard over the past few years successfully rebuilding the band with our current lineup", which also includes original bassist Eddie Jackson, guitarist Parker Lundgren (since 2009), lead vocalist Todd La Torre (since 2012), and touring drummer Casey Grillo (since 2017).

When Queensryche hit the Marquee stage with Prophecy for a 90-minute, 17-song set, there was no stopping them. They meant business, and their loyal Arizona fans couldn't have been more welcoming.

Although the band utilizes video to enhance the music onstage, it's never a distraction. With Queensryche, the music always does the talking.

Fun fact: Prophecy was originally written during sessions for their 1984 album The Warning.

However, it wasn't recorded until 1986 during the Rage For Order sessions. It was eventually released as a bonus track on their self-titled 1983 EP that was re-issued on compact disc for the first time in late 1988. Confusing, isn't it?

Next up was the title track from 1988's landmark album Operation: mindcrime, widely considered Queensryche's finest creative achievement on record. Walk In The Shadows followed, while deep cut Resistance (from Empire, 1990) returned to their live set after a lengthy hiatus.

Speaking of deep cuts, the undisputed surprise of the night had to be No Sanctuary off The Warning. Truth be told, it hadn't been played at any Phoenix-area show since the Rage tour in Oct. 1986. That was also the first time they headlined here in the Valley of the Sun.

With momentum building onstage, it wasn't until the seventh song in the set when the current lineup was represented. Man The Machine, from The Verdict received respectable applause. La Torre was in fine form vocally, especially on new songs Bent and Dark Reverie.

Interestingly, on this night there were no songs represented from the band's two previous albums, 2013's Queensryche and 2015's Condition Human.

I asked Wilton if he could ever envison an entire live set with "La Torre-era" material, especially considering the demand from many fans online to feature more of it live. Not to mention they're already looking forward to writing the next album later this year.

Would a Queensryche show be the same without any material from the original lineup that also included guitarist Chris DeGarmo, drummer Scott Rockenfield, and vocalist Geoff Tate? I'll let "Whip" tell you.

"Ummm....no", Wilton said after a brief pause.

"The albums (from the original lineup) are the band's legacy", he continued. "We wouldn't want to stop playing those songs, no matter how many more albums we do in the future", Wilton stated proudly.

"Having said that, we wouldn't mind splitting new and old material 50-50 eventually. It's very gratifying that people are enjoying what we're doing today, so that would be the ideal scenario."

If there's one criticism I have of the current lineup live, it would have to be the length of their set. Considering the amount of albums they have, it would be nice if they would play 20 songs minimum.

As strong as the current lineup is, I know they could pull it off with ease.

Back onstage, Queensryche winds down the main set with a blistering version of Screaming In Digital. By all appearances, that's one song where one can tell they have a blast playing, and rightly so. It's nothing less than quintessential Queensryche.

Next, La Torre asks the crowd if they're ready to "go old school"? They immediately tear into Queen Of The Reich (which concluded the main set), from the aforementioned debut EP.

The crowd wasn't quite ready to head home yet, so the band happily obliged with a three-song encore of Light years (the fourth new song played from The Verdict), Empire, and the mandatory Eyes Of A Stranger to close out the night.

I couldn't help but notice that Wilton seemed to be the proud papa onstage. When it comes to delivering the goods onstage, there's no question that Queensryche intend to continue doing just that for the forseeable future. Don't miss them when they pass through town.

-Val Tapia

Author's note: On Jan. 10, 2020 the music world received the sad and shocking news that Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart had passed away on Tues. Jan. 7 after a three-year long battle with brain cancer.

Knowing that Rush was a prime influence on Queensryche in their formative years, I asked Wilton to share his thoughts on this.

"Yeah, we definitely lost one of the greats in Neil", Wilton said somberly. "The music of Rush is just so amazing, it's so hard to pick  a favorite memory."

"I will say that I really loved Clockwork Angels though. I missed that tour unfortunately, which I really regret now", Wilton continued.

"They truly went out at the top of their game. He'll definitely be missed."

With a relative resurgence in pop culture, new generations are being turned on to the sounds of bluegrass and traditional music. Bluegrass in its modern form is capturing those seeking out both its traditional and a more modern jamband style of the genre. Enter Songs From The Road Band.

Songs From The Road Band is an Asheville, NC based band whose members each have an impressive musical background. In their current form, the bands members are Charles Humphrey III, Sam Wharton, Mark Schmick and James Schlender. Their roles are as follows: Charles Humphrey III (bass), Mark Schimick (mandolin), Sam Wharton (guitar), James Schlender (fiddle) and Ryan Cavanaugh is a guest on the album playing banjo.

Waiting On A Ride is their fifth studio album. They say “every good story has a good beginning, middle and end”, well Waiting On A Ride has a great beginning, middle and end! From the moment I started listening to their new album, I knew this was something new and fresh yet at the same time familiar and comforting. Waiting On A Ride begins with the track Any Highway. This song sets the scene for the album and draws you into the music without delay.

To me this is the mark of great music, when you hear new songs yet it’s as if you’ve been familiar with them for years. The composition and arrangements bring bluegrass and Americana into the present without abandoning the traditional roots of this great music.

The lyrics are smart, witty, easy to relate to and thread a constant theme throughout the whole album. Whether you are or have been a musician playing out on the road or not, I believe you’ll find yourself nodding in agreement with the heartfelt lyrics and delivery of these songs. The album also contains some instrumentals, of which “Thunderstorm Serenade” is nothing short of brilliant and could easily be a memorable cinematic score.

In addition to picking up this album, I’d highly recommend catching a show if you find Songs From The Road Band anywhere near your town. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you find them delivering tight, seamless jams and improv.

To me it’s a pretty safe bet that Songs From The Road Band and Waiting On A Ride, will surely fill in some spots on your favorite playlist.

Glenn DePretis

Picker Magazine

Buy Waiting On A Ride

Find A Tour Date Near You...

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of his playing at Woodstock, Davis Crosby and the Sky Trails Band put on a memorable performance at the 58th Annual Philadelphia Folk Festival.

The crowd at the Philadelphia Folk Festival was eager to see the two time Grammy winner perform. Crosby was engaging and offered up conversation as well as his signature sound for all to enjoy. Crosby and the band mesh well and deliver a sound that to long time listeners and fans is both familiar yet fresh.

Crosby treated everyone to a classic setlist of songs. You can check out the setlist here - https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/david-crosby/2019/old-pool-farm-schwenksville-pa-b9fcd26.html

No Encore!

Musicians Reveal Their Weirdest, Wildest, Most Embarrassing Gigs

Drew's book features never-before-told stories, No Encore! takes you on tour with over sixty iconic musicians as they relive their weirdest, wildest, most embarrassing gigs.

No Encore! is an unflinchingly honest account of the shows that tested the dedication to a dream—from Alice Cooper’s python having a violent, gastric malfunction on stage to Lou Barlow’s disastrous attempt to sober up at Glastonbury, from Shirley Manson’s desperate search for a bathroom to the extraordinary effort made to awaken Al Jourgenson as Ministry was taking the stage. As Hunter S. Thompson famously wrote, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” 

You can pre-order Drew's book now on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2N3rQNE

With Opioid addiction at an all time high, the Massachusetts community and over 20 Music Legends banned together Wednesday night to raise awareness of and funds for opioid addiction, treatment and recovery programs in the heavily impacted town of Cape Cod

Substance abuse and death by overdose is at epidemic proportions throughout the United States. The most impacted states are in New England, the Midwest and Appalachia. According to The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), Barnstable County, which overlaps with Cape Cod, experienced a 340 percent increase in the annual opioid overdose death rate between 2000 and 2015.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

The Hope Music Festival brought 20 Rock'n Roll Legends together to perform under the famed Cape Cod Melody Tent -- all to benefit Cape Cod Healthcare and address the opioid addiction and overdose issue head on.

Legendary artists lending their support included Grammy Award-winners Rick Derringer (Hang on Sloopy fame), Elliot Easton (The Cars), Barry Goudreau (former Boston guitarist) and The Uptown Horns (The Rolling Stones); Paul Nelson (Johnny Winter), drummer Marty Richards (J. Geils) Jeff Howell (Foghat), bluesman James Montgomery, Charlie Torres, Charlie Farren, Sandy McDonald, Grace Kelly (saxophonist, Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and more.

The brainchild of Brian Serpone, Brian Serpone Productions and his partners John Ippolito and Linda Apsey, who set out to use music and the arts to revitalize Cape Cod and combat drug abuse.

“The vision of the Hope Music Festival as a single event is to raise money and awareness to fight a national epidemic in one region — Cape Cod and the surrounding area — as a starting point.” -- Brian Serpone

The benefit concert continued to entertain and raise funds with the Red White and Blues After Party across the street at the Cape Cod Resort & Conference Center. An artist meet & greet, cocktails, food and more rock & roll music featuring the NY-based Red, White and Blues Band -- who rocked the late night with many of the artists from the Hope lineup.

A special bonus was a memorial to those members of the community who had lost a loved one to addiction. They were asked to submit photographs of their loved ones in advance of the show so that their memories could be honored at the festival’s after-party.

EPIC CONCERT FUNDRAISER RAISES OVER $250,000.00

In its inaugural year, The Festival raised $250,000 dollars for the new Hope Foundation to combat the opioid abuse epidemic in the area. The concert fundraiser benefits Cape Cod Healthcare, which operates two hospitals in Cape Cod and runs programs to help combat addiction under its Substance Use Disorders Initiative.

The Hope Music Festival initiative is Community Activism at its best. While just a starting point addressing one small region of the country, wouldn't it be great to see them take this show on the road to address the national epidemic in all regions? -- Abbe is SOCIALLY SPARKED™!  

[Submitted by Abbe Sparks]

Ronan Keating has been back in South Africa over the past week to contribute to charitable causes, in conjunction with Citadel as well as to perform in Cape Town and Pretoria. Ronan performed at the Grand West Arena on the 3rd of March, which coincided with his birthday.

Citadel hosted their annual charity gala dinner with Keating and Gary Player at The Table Bay Hotel on Saturday 4 March 2023. After a performance by Keating and his band, Citadel Head of Philanthropy, Jean de Villiers, took to the stage to facilitate the charity auction.

The auction raised over R2.1 million. The proceeds will be managed and distributed by the Citadel Philanthropy Foundation. The beneficiaries are the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town and the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School in Johannesburg.

“I’ve visited South Africa many times and, although it’s such a beautiful country, there are many challenges South African children face today and I care deeply about ensuring that cancer treatment is not one of them. I’m thankful to Gary Player and Citadel for supporting these efforts,” says Keating, who is well known for his cancer advocacy and relationship with the Oncology Unit at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital

This Citadel event began in 2018 and was inspired by the loss of Keating and Player’s mothers to cancer. Both their moms were passionate about giving back. Since then, this event has raised R7.1 million in total.
On Sunday the 5th of March he performed at the Sunbet Arena in Pretoria in front of 5000 excited fans. The aim was to play hos greatest hits as well as to showcase the release of his lockdown albums, Twenty Twenty and Songs From Home.

As the lead singer with one of the biggest ever Irish boy bands, he needed no introduction. Accompanied by a five piece band, when he walked on to the stage dressed in a grey suit, the screams from the predominantly female crowd were deafening.

Despite the Dublin singer ( although he now lives in London) promising all of his hits, he did open the proceedings with new song Heyday, but after that he certainly delivered. Lovin’ Each Day induced the evening’s first sing along and with everyone on their feet where they remained for the entire evening; he followed it up with Isn’t It A Wonder.
Slowing things right down for a cover of Tracey Chapman’s Baby Can I Hold You, the Bee Gees’ Words and Anne Murray’s You Needed Me, the crowd swayed, arms aloft as they sung every word right back at him.

The set list was peppered with classic hits from his Boyzone catalogue, such as No Matter What, One More Song and Picture Of You, which took the crowd on a trip down memory lane. With record sales declining, Keating is undoubtedly a great live entertainer, and with his soft Irish lilt, he had the crowd hanging on his every word. And when he launched into When The Going Gets Tough and set closer Life Is A Rollercoaster, he was rewarded with a well earned standing ovation.

We cant wait to see him next year, like he promised.



[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]

Big Concerts confirmed today that due to exceptional demand, two new dates have been added to the Backstreet Boys South African tour. The new dates are 17 May at the Grand Arena, GrandWest and 20 May at the SunBet Arena, Time Square. Brought to you by 947 and KFM.

The band also released the first episode of their new docu series Making Of The DNA Tour, giving fans an inside look of the preparation for their highly-anticipated world tour – watch it here! Additional episodes will be available on The Backstreet Boys YouTube channel.

For 29 years the Backstreet Boys have delivered the finest pop music one has to offer, making them one of pop’s most influential performers. With countless #1s, record-setting tours, numerous awards and worldwide sales in excess of 130 million, BSB has been recognized as the best-selling boy band in history.
In early 2019, BSB released their GRAMMY nominated 10th studio album “DNA” on RCA Records. The album debuted at #1 and features the Top 10 hit “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” The critically acclaimed and chart topping single was nominated for the “Pop Duo / Group Performance” 2019 GRAMMY, and was BSB’s first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 10 years. Upon its release, the single went straight to #1 on iTunes Top Songs and Global charts and charted in over 22 countries.

In May 2019 the Backstreet Boys kicked off “The DNA World Tour” - the group’s biggest arena tour in 18 years thanks to the global success of their #1 new album. The DNA World Tour has seen the group sell out arenas all over North America, Europe, Asia and South America.
Over the years, the Backstreet Boys have continually captivated millions of people with their impressive catalogue of hit songs and creative partnerships.

Backstreet Boys “DNA World Tour” 2023

Cape Town
16 May 2023 – SOLD OUT
17 May 2023 – NEW DATE ADDED
Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town
Tickets are only available exclusively from Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.co.za) from 9 am Friday 24 February.
For complete tour and ticket information visit www.bigconcerts.co.za

Pretoria
19 May 2023– SOLD OUT
20 May 2023 – NEW DATE ADDED
SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria
Tickets are only available exclusively from Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.co.za) from 9 am Friday 24 February.
For complete tour and ticket information visit www.bigconcerts.co.za

[Submitted by Kevin Rademeyer]