New Music: Cowboy Junkies, Colin Hay, The Loud Family, Anton Barbeau

March 2022 is being marked by a number of stellar new audio releases.

Artist: Cowboy Junkies

Title: Songs of the Recollection (Proper Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Hope Sandoval, Cowboy Junkies, Mazzy Star

Tell me more: The Cowboy Junkies are back with Songs of the Recollection, a set of nine artfully reworked covers that surprise and thrill. The potent "Five Years" mines the introspective elements of the David Bowie classic, with Margo Timmins' signature vocals focused and then subsequently detached as the song purposely unravels to great effect in its burgeoning close. The cosmic country feedback-adorned reading of Gram Parsons' "Ooh Las Vegas" is equal parts Americana and shoegaze. The troupe's countrified folk rock is the perfect sonic brush to paint the lovely "No Expectations" (a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards co-write), haunting version of the Neil Young favorite "Don't Let It Bring You Down" (bolstered by some fiery electric guitar work) and atmospheric reading of Bob Dylan's "I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You." Other songs artfully revisited include Neil Young's "Love In Mind," Gordon Lightfoot's "The Way I Feel," Vic Chesnutt's "Marathon" and The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds." In addition to singer Margo Timmins, Cowboy Junkies' talented lineup includes her brothers Michael Timmins (guitar) and Peter Timmins (drums) along with Alan Anton (bass guitar). Songs of the Recollection will be released via Proper Records on March 25, 2022. Information: CowboyJunkies.com.  

Artist: Colin Hay

Title: Now And The Evermore (Lazy Eye/Compass Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Colin Hay, Men At Work

Tell me more: Let's face it; the last few years have been tough. A global pandemic that continues to claim thousands of lives everyday, relentless violence across American cities — and now a terrible invasion led by Russia against the Ukraine resulting in the genocide of countless men, women and children — is all enough to make even the best of us to retreat from the real world. Leave it to singer-songwriter Colin Hay to cast a welcome ray of hope amidst the darkness. His new album Now And The Evermore (available now) finds Hay frequently tackling life and mortality with an optimistic approach. Just listen to the bona fide singalong original "Love Is Everywhere," wistful "Into The Bright Lights," defiant "The Sea Of Always" and Celtic-minded "All I See Is You" to be inspired by Hay's infectious songcraft. The title track (enhanced by terrific drumming from Ringo Starr) is aimed at making the best of the days we have left ("Nobody gets a sequel, no / Everyone gets shown the door / I'll be counting on the rising sun / To give me all my waking days / Until it sets upon the now and evermore"). Hay is able to explore loss as well, as he does on the chamber folk gem "Starfish And Unicorns," reflective "A Man Without A Name" and shimmering album closer "When Does The End Begin?" Information: ColinHay.com.  

Artist: The Loud Family and Anton Barbeau

Title: What If It Works? (Omnivore Recordings)

You might like if you enjoy: Game Theory, Anton Barbeau, Big Star, The Three O'Clock

Tell me more: Founded by singer-songwriter Scott Miller in 1982, Game Theory released a number of outstanding albums and several EPs that secured the power pop band's hero status. After the end of Game Theory in 1990, Miller recruited a new group of players and formed The Loud Family. In 2014, Omnivore Recordings began to release a series of remastered and expanded reissues of Game Theory's complete catalog. That record label's ambitious effort to champion the work of Miller now includes an expanded and deluxe edition of The Loud Family's 2006 album What If It Works, an LP which found Miller teaming with rising singer-songwriter Anton Barbeau to create a true masterpiece (sadly, Miller passed away in 2013 at the age of 53).  The material across What If It Works? is melodic to be sure, but the surrounding layers made up of literate songwriting, sharp musical arrangements, great musicianship and experimental elements make for an action-packed listen with new discoveries to be heard with every listen. Just listen to original album track-list offerings "Rocks Off" (a Rolling Stones cover), "Pop Song 99," "Flow Thee Water" and the title track, as well as bonus tracks like the cascading "Don't Bother Me While I'm Living Forever," melodic "I've Been Craving Lately," and rocking "Little Daisy." The reissue (due March 25 via Omnivore Recordings) features the original 10-track release, as well as more than a dozen bonus tracks. The wonderful packaging includes a 16-page booklet filled with photos, an essay from Stew Stewart, and a conversation between Barbeau and Scott Miller's widow (Kristine Miller) discussing the making of the album. Information: OmnivoreRecordings.com. 

Artist: Anton Barbeau

Title: Power Pop!!! (Big Stir Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, The Beatles

Tell me more: March 25th is twice as nice for songsmith Anton Barbeau; not only is Omnivore Recordings issuing a must-hear reissue of his 2006 collaboration with Scott Miller and the Loud Family, but Big Stir Records is issuing his highly-anticipated new studio album Power Pop!!! the same day. Power Pop!!! features 19 tracks, including a mix of brief entries (including the 6-second "When I Am Happy") and full-length selections that are both listenable and ambitious. Barbeau's return comes on the heels of parade of notable titles including Manbird (2020) and Oh The Joys We Live For (2021). The title Power Pop!!! is somewhat sardonic with Barbeau's melodic music gifts on display even while he bends and outright expands the genre powerfully exclaimed in the album title itself. In addition to melodic and memorable tracks such as "Power Pop," the psychedelic "American Road," Beatlesque "The Drugs," bewitching "Rain, Rain" and Baroque ballad "Valerie's Waiting"; the intoxicating instrumental "Entrez-Vous Dans Les Maisons," driving electronica-tinged "The Never Crying Wolf Boy," hard-charging minute-long "Hillbilly Village," experimental "The Sound," jazzy instrumental "Fretless Bronze (For Matthew)" and Neo-funk sortie "Free" collectively keep the listener on the edge of their sonic seat. Information: antonbarbeau.com and bigstirrecords.com.

Robert Kinsler

Glen Phillips premieres new single/Lori McKenna co-write with No Depression

Fans of singer-songwriter Glen Phillips have to be excited by the strength of his new song "Nobody's Gonna Get Hurt," a beautiful and pensive gem - check out the media release below...

GLEN PHILLIPS PREMIERES NEW SONG/LORI MCKENNA CO-WRITE
"NOBODY'S GONNA GET HURT" TODAY AT NO DEPRESSION, LISTEN HERE

The song will be included as a bonus track on the broad release of Phillips' solo album SWALLOWED BY THE NEW out May 4 through Compass Records Group

US Tour Dates Announced

April 9, Nashville, TN: Compass Records Group, home of Colin Hay, the Infamous Stringdusters, Nicki Bluhm and others, is proud to welcome Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) to their roster. On May 4, Compass will deliver the commercial release of Phillips’ introspective, intimate 2016 solo album, SWALLOWED BY THE NEW, with the addition of a bonus track co-written with Lori McKenna,“Nobody’s Gonna Get Hurt.” The song is premiering today at No Depression:

Listen to "Nobody's Gonna Get Hurt"

“Lori McKenna and I wrote ‘Nobody’s Gonna Get Hurt’ at her home just outside of Boston," Phillips says. "I’d been reading and listening to a lot of David Whyte and was taken by his assertion that heartache is the inevitable byproduct of loving anything deeply, a sign of a life well lived instead of something to be avoided. I came in with the title and an idea that the song should be entirely lies. Lori jumped in and we finished it all in under two hours. That was a good day.”

"I’m excited to be partnering with Compass Records for the broad release of SWALLOWED BY THE NEW," Phillips says. “I’m proud of this piece of work and am excited to have their expertise and support in helping it be heard by a broader audience."

SWALLOWED BY THE NEW will be available worldwide on CD, vinyl and all digital service providers followed by tours in the US and abroad. It’s the most intensely personal album of Phillips' career, reflecting his mastery for converting raw emotion into sound. Taking on life’s difficult transitions -- the album was written following his divorce from his wife of 23 years -- Phillips delivers some of his most vulnerable songs to date.

“This album was written to give myself a set of tools to deal with transitions that big and to understand that just because something hurts doesn't mean it's injurious," Phillips told Billboard. "It can hurt, but it can also be a sign of growing and learning to allow change and have some fundamental trust that what's happening is what needs to happen.”

Glen Phillips will be touring through 2018; please contact us for press and interview requests.

TOUR DATES:
* acoustic trio
** solo acoustic 
Apr 14 - Broward Center - Ft Lauderdale, FL *
Apr 15 - The Kelsey Theater - Lake Park, FL *
Apr 17 - Hideaway Cafe - St Petersburg, FL *
Apr 18 - The Original Cafe Eleven - St. Augustine, FL *
Apr 20 - Red Clay Music Foundry - Duluth, GA *
Apr 21 - Hendershot’s - Athens, GA *
Apr 22 - Balch Residence - Morganton, GA *
Apr 25 - The Armory - Fort Collins, CO **
Apr 26 - eTown Hall - Boulder, CO **
Apr 28 - Daniel’s Hall - Denver, CO **
Apr 29 - Friend’s HC - Colorado Springs, CO **
May 04 - Bell’s Eccentric Cafe - Kalamazoo, MI **
May 06 - Yellow Cab Tavern - Dayton, OH **
May 07 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA **
May 09 - Music Box Supper Club - Cleveland, OH **
May 10 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI **
May 11 - The Ludlow Garage - Cincinnati, OH **
May 12 - Colectivo - Milwaukee, WI **
May 13 - City Winery - Chicago, IL **
Jun 02 - HopMonk Tavern - Novato, CA **
Jun 03 - Hopmonk Tavern - Novato, CA**

glenphillips.comtoadthewetsprocket.com
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Colin Hay follows banner year with definitive new release, 'Fierce Mercy'

One of the most interesting and talented singer-songwriters of the modern era, Colin Hay has just announced another new album is coming soon (in March 2017). Here is the official media release:

FIERCE MERCY is an epic, cinematic step forward from singer-songwriter Colin Hay, most beloved for his intimate, confessional live shows but most widely known for being an influential and celebrated frontman. The range of artists who have chosen to cite him as a muse or who have found themselves on stage with him in the past year spans the genre landscape from heavy metal, to Americana, to Cuban rhythms and beyond. His inclusion as a playlist favorite from the likes of Metallica to The Lumineers reflects his continuing relevance and broad appeal. Recorded in both Los Angeles and Nashville and mixed by Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton, Jack White) and Gordon Hammond (Buddy Miller, Don Williams), FIERCE MERCY explores themes of love and loss, mortality, and even the odd UFO sighting, but always with the singular perspective and insightful wit that define Hay’s work. He has created a new classic in his impressive repertoire (this is his 13th solo release), using a palette of pop songcraft, Americana flourishes, and soundtrack-ready strings.  FIERCE MERCY is animated by its pensive, honest, and impassioned lyrics, and, Hay adds, by a sense of urgency felt deeply in the song “The Last to Know,” which introduces the album’s title concept of “fierce mercy.” “When you’re in your 20s, you think you’ve got all the time in the world,” Hay said. “You get older, and you go through a quickening. Everything seems to get faster.” Using his gift for expressing struggle in a way that resonates with a wide variety of people, he compares this to the messages mankind is getting on a global level: “With the changing weather patterns, or the polar ice caps melting, we’re getting all of these warnings, and a lot of them are incredibly fierce. But they still feel somewhat merciful — they’re not destroying us totally. We’re all being told, ‘Listen, you can still maybe address this, and it won’t get to the point where I have to take you all out. You’ve still got a shot.’” Ten of the album’s 13 stellar compositions were collaborations with Michael Georgiades, who contributed to Hay’s previous sets Gathering Mercury (2011) and American Sunshine (2009). The pair co-wrote two of the album’s clear stand-outs, the pop vocal ballad “A Thousand Million Reasons” and the Americana leaning “Come Tumblin’ Down.”  "Michael Georgiades is my secret weapon but I guess now with this album it’s not a secret anymore,” Hay jokes. Some of the songs are deeply personal: “She Was the Love of Mine,” is an elegy for the singer’s mother, who died three years ago. Some are novelistic: “Frozen Fields of Snow” recounts the story of a war veteran returning to his childhood home after outliving the other members of his unhappy family.  “Sometimes lyrical ideas will come into your head, so you follow them and see where they go,” Hay says. Largely recorded in Topanga with Hay’s wife, Cecilia Noël and Hay’s regular accompanists — bassist Yosmel Montejo, drummer Charlie Paxson, keyboardists Fred Kron and Jeff Babko, and guitarist/tres player San Miguel Perez — FIERCE MERCY was completed in sessions at Compass Sound Studio in Nashville with Compass Records principal Garry West at the helm, who also contributed bass on a few cuts. Hay says, “Garry is always trying to get me to Nashville to do some recording, to get me out of the comfort zone of my own studio — get me out of my lair!  So I went to Nashville and we recorded the strings with a nine-piece section, and he introduced me to some players that he loves, who added another fantastic layer to the album.” The Nashville players include guitarists Audley Freed (Sheryl Crow, the Black Crowes, the Dixie Chicks) and Doug Lancio (John Hiatt), pedal steel guitarist and organist Jim Hoke (Iris Dement, Don Henley, Darius Rucker) and Compass co-founder Alison Brown (banjo). Though many music fans will be glad to see the end of 2016, it was something of a breakout year for this career artist that included a three-week run at the Edinburgh Fringe; performances on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and ABC’s Greatest Hits; sharing the stage with Of Monsters and Men, Milk Carton Kids, Choir Choir Choir!, Kings of Leon; being publicly cited as an influence by artists as distinct as James Hetfield of Metallica, Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers, Troy Sanders of Mastodon, and The Infamous Stringdusters; as well as the completion of a documentary film about his career entitled Waiting for My Real Life, named for one of his best known solo recordings. Now finding himself in the unprecedented place of having both ’80s fame and indie credibility, it's possible that Hay has delivered the defining album of his solo career. The album will be released March 3rd, 2017 on Compass Records. 2017 Colin Hay TOUR DATES: Fri., Jan. 13  BOULDER, CO  eTown Sun., Jan. 15  MORGANTOWN, WV WVU Creative Arts Center Tue., Jan. 17  ANN ARBOR, MI  Leon Loft Wed., Jan. 18  FRANKLIN, TN  Music City Roots at The Factory at Franklin Thu., Jan. 19  ENGLEWOOD, NJ  Bergen Pac Fri, Jan. 20  HOMER, NY Centers for the Arts of Homer Sat., Jan. 21  NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA  Fallsview Casino Resort Sun., Jan. 22  STATE COLLEGE, PA  State Theatre Sat., Jan. 28  SAN JOSE, CA  Sap Center Sat., Feb. 11  KEY WEST, FL Key West Theater Sun., Feb. 12  BOCA RATON, FL  Boca Raton Resort & Club Wed., Feb. 15  FORT LAUDERDALE, FL  The ’80s Cruise Sat., Feb. 18  FORT LAUDERDALE, FL  Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for the Performing Arts Sun., Feb. 19  CLEARWATER, FL  Capitol Theatre Mon., Feb. 20  ORLANDO, FL  The Plaza Live Wed., Feb. 22  ST. AUGUSTINE, FL  The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Thu.-Sat., Feb. 23-25  ATLANTA, GA  City Winery Wed.-Thu., Mar. 1-2  LOS ANGELES, CA  Largo at the Coronet Sun., Mar. 5  SAN FRANCISCO, CA  Palace of Fine Arts Tue.-Wed., Mar. 7-8  NASHVILLE, TN  City Winery Fri., Mar. 10  CHICAGO, IL  Thalia Hall Sun.-Mon., Mar. 12-13  ALEXANDRIA, VA  The Birchmere Wed., Mar. 15  GLENSIDE, PA   Keswick Theatre Fri., Mar. 17 BOSTON, MA  Wilbur Theatre Sat., Mar. 18  NEW YORK, NY  Concert Hall at NY Society for Ethical Culture Thu., Mar. 30  THE ACADEMY  Dublin, Ireland  Sun., Apr. 2  BELFAST, UK  The Limelight Mon., Apr. 3  GLASGOW, UK  Old Fruit Market Tue., Apr. 4 LONDON, UK  Union Chapel Thu., Apr. 6  MANCHESTER, UK  The Dancehouse Theatre Fri., Apr. 7  EDINBURGH, UK  Queen’s Hall Sat., Apr. 8  ABERDEEN, UK  Lemon Tree Mon., Apr. 10  GATESHEAD, UK The Sage

Sights and Sounds: MUSIC WORTH BUYING episode, Bobby Long, Mike Zito, Iron Maiden

Blues, classic hard rock and modern folk get their due via upcoming tours and new releases. Here is a quick roundup...And there is also a new episode of Music Worth Buying to watch!


Watch the latest episode of MUSIC WORTH BUYING where TJR and I discuss some of the saddest songs we know!

Bobby Long heads to Europe and UK in support of the worldwide release of his Ode to Thinking album from Compass Records

"Conflicted and clouded thoughts churn beneath the surface of Long's full-bodied melodies and full-blooded vocals. At times, his immersion in mordant Americana shades into melodrama, but that only adds to this set's bite. Long is an observer and outsider who sees an America where tradition is laced with venom, and the rustic clapboard hides a rusty nail." --Acoustic Guitar Magazine, November, 2015

Bobby Long / Photo credit: Eric Peterson U.S.-based British singer-songwriter-guitarist Bobby Long starts a month-long tour of Europe on Saturday (October 3) in Zwolle, Netherlands followed by his first tour of his native U.K., all in support of the worldwide release of his new album, Ode To Thinking from Compass Records. Fueled by a recently completed tour of two dozen U.S cities, Ode To Thinking has been enjoying AAA radio airplay and exceedingly positive notices, among them this from Canada's SunMedia Syndicate:  "While his soulfully weathered pipes and folk-troubadour stylings mark him as a throwback to the halcyon days of mid-'60s-imagine Sam Cooke jamming with Dylan-the 29-year-old's topical lyrics and evolving songcraft make it clear he's no mere nostalgist. He's well worth your time."   The recent U.S. tour included tapings of the nationally-syndicated Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour (to begin airing October 10), the Ohio-based PBS program for Western Reserve Public Media, airing on WNEO and WEAO-TV in October and The Alternate Root, which will air December. In addition, he made numerous promotional appearances on local television and radio. The music video for "I'm Not Going Out Tonight," the album's first single, can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHm1r-ppAL0    Recorded in Austin, TX, Ode To Thinking is a taut collection of 11 original songs, produced by veteran producer Mark Hallman at his Congress House Studios. It was originally financed by a highly-successful crowd-funding campaign via PledgeMusic (www.pledgemusic.com/bobbylong) that allowed fans and music supporters to essentially pre-order the album even before it was recorded. As a result a over 800 individual pledges, the album debuted onBillboard Magazine's Heatseekers chart the first week after its release. Long, who emerged from London's burgeoning folk music renaissance, relocated to New York in 2009, cultivating a loyal fan base for his evocative lyrics set to plaintive melodies. His catalogue includes two well received albums, A WINTER TALE (2011) and WISHBONE (2013) as well as a five-song EP called THE BACKING SINGER (2011) and a volume of poetry, LOSING MY BROTHERHOOD (2012). He is working on a sequel to be published next year. Long was one of the breakout artists to play the Acoustic Stage at this year's venerable Glastonbury Festival in England. It was his first high profile appearance in his native country and spawned the series of U.K. shows scheduled for November immediately following his month-long tour of Europe.  The European tour includes stops in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and the Czech Republic. Visit:  www.bobbylong.info               www.musicbobbylong.com              www.facebook.com/musicbobbylong               www.youtube.com/musicbobbylong              www.compassrecords.com

Mike Zito digs deep in Keep Coming Back

Blues Guitar slinger slides, picks and grooves

on new album

Produced by Trina Shoemaker and Zito –

CD out Nov 6

“He’s a rough-edge sculptor who has the classic masters in mind and then makes a unique modern artist statement.” – Boston Blues Society

Ruf Records award winning artist singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Zito paints a beautiful imperfect picture with Keep Coming Back. Colorful images of his past, present and future are all set to some of the most powerful melodies of his career. Recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana, the album was produced by Grammy Award winning Trina Shoemaker and Zito himself, is set for November 6, 2015 release. Taking cues from his musical collection, live shows and his solid backing band, The Wheel, the guitarist finds himself in a fine place.

“Having fun and playing music you love and believe in; it’s all about the song.” – Mike Zito

This Texas rocker bleeds the words in his songs – “I’m Drunk” (co-written with Anders Osborne) describes his life-long addiction struggles and how many victims he has left behind.  Mike always returns to his founding values of honest, original songs, drawn from the emotional depths, twisting the great American genres into bold new shapes. The Credence Clearwater Revival cover, “Bootleg”, closes out the album with a bang, is most fitting for Zito’s voice. That voice moved a writer enough to call it, “velvet”.

The title cut is a memo to himself of how life runs in circles.  It’s a typical slice of brutal honesty from a man who has always told it straight. Ask Mike for his backstory and he’ll give you warts and all.

"Keep Coming Back; Give your burden to the Blues

Keep Coming Back, Whatta ya got to lose"

Keep Coming Back is home to seven new Zito-penned originals, three co-writes with Anders Osbourne and two covers, Bob Seger’s “Get Out Of Denver” and CCR’s “Bootleg”.  “I love to tell stories,” says the bandleader, “and these songs are stories from my heart, my crazy mind and my life. With the help of Anders, I think I’ve got the best collections of songs I’ve written yet.”

“…his fiery playing elevates each and every song, as do the swallow-your-emotions vocals.” –Vintage Guitar

Working with producer Trina Shoemaker gave Zito a fresh new start. “Trina and I were simpatico in our ideas of what this album would sound and feel like,” recalls Mike, “and she nailed it. This album is raw when it needs to be, subtle, sincere and grooving all the way through. My band is in top form. The musicians gave their all to the songs and brought out the best in me.” This band took the energy from the road to the studio in a hot flash. Top notch players include Jimmy Carpenter (saxophone/vocals), Scot Sutherland (bass), Rob Lee (drums) and Lewis Stephens (keys).

This seasoned musician has a lot to reflect on, solo albums, a Blues Music Award winner, a founding member of Royal Southern Brotherhood, as the wheels keep rolling for him.  There’s a spectrum of genres that can only be called Americana – part-blues – half a cup country and another cup of rock – makes Mike Zito who he is.

Iron Maiden to open 'The Book Of Souls World Tour' in North America in February 2016

9 Shows announced for the U.S. - Band's new album THE BOOK OF SOULS” debuts at #4 on BILLBOARD 200 chart

#1 in more than 40 countries around the world

LOS ANGELES, CA - October 1, 2015 - Rock legends IRON MAIDEN will open their highly anticipated The Book of Souls World Tour in the U.S.A. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Feb 24, flying in on their enormous Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet Ed Force One, piloted by vocalist Bruce Dickinson, carrying band, crew and stage production and equipment over 55,000 miles around the world visiting around 35 countries. 

The full list of U.S. dates are:

FEB 24                   FT LAUDERDALE, FLA                                BB&T CENTER

FEB 26                   TULSA, OK                                                   BOK CENTER

FEB 28                   LAS VEGAS, NV                                           MANDALAY BAY EVENTS CENTER

MAR 30                 NEW YORK                                                  MADISON SQUARE GARDEN             

APR 05                  DETROIT, MI                                                PALACE OF AUBURN HILLS

APR 06                  CHICAGO, IL                                                UNITED CENTER

APR 11                  TACOMA, WA                                             TACOMA DOME

APR 13                  DENVER, CO                                               PEPSI CENTER

APR 15                  LOS ANGELES, CA                                      THE FORUM

Tickets start going on-sale October 8 – check www.ironmaiden.com for market specific info. As usual, there will be an exclusive pre-sale for IRON MAIDEN Fan Club members, details of which can also be found onwww.ironmaiden.com along with information on how Fan Club members can participate in the draw to be “First To The Barrier.”

Bruce comments;

“We cannot wait to get back out on tour. Maiden thrive on touring and getting out to our fans, it’s also what we enjoy the most.  When we play in Fort Lauderdale it will be 19 months since our last show at Sonisphere in the UK so we will be raring to go.

On previous Ed Force One Tours we only had time to play New York, L.A. and Florida. For the world tour next year we’ve made more time in order to take Ed Force One to our fans in many more parts of the country, like Tulsa where we haven’t played since 1987 on the Somewhere In Time Tour and Tacoma where we haven’t played in 15 years, along with Vegas, Detroit, Chicago and Denver too this time round. We wanted to start off in Ft Lauderdale so we could first visit Nicko’s “Rock ‘n Roll Ribs” nearby and have a few Trooper beers to celebrate the start of The Book of Souls World Tour! We will of course visit Canada too and those dates will be announced very soon!

We haven't decided on the set list as yet and won’t until we start rehearsing but we really look forward to playing a number of new songs live, especially as the recording was so much live. However, as it’s been a while since we saw you all, I am sure we will include plenty of older fan favourites too. I think the fans will be delighted by what we have in mind. We are also in the middle of creating the new show and rest assured we are working hard to bring you all something spectacular, something with a lot of heart!!! You certainly deserve it for your patience.“

The support band on The Book Of Souls World Tour will be The Raven Age www.theravenage.com

Iron Maiden continue to be actively dedicated to ensuring their fans always have full access to the best possible tickets in the fairest possible way. Manager Rod Smallwood comments:

“We are trying to ensure that our fans get the tickets they want in the prime positions without paying over the odds to unofficial ticketing agencies. Maiden get infuriated with the way fans sometimes have to pay more than the agreed ticket price at our shows. So we will, wherever possible and with the full assistance of the Promoters, arrange a paperless ticketing system at least for the floor and best seated sections to try to eliminate as much of the ticket scalping and exchanges as we can. We put this into practice for North American dates since 2010 and it worked well and we received many positive comments back from our fans. The intention is with paperless ticketing that only those who actually pay initially for the tickets will get into the show so scalping is generally avoided (please see the comments from Ticketmaster below). We are also doing everything we can to avoid any drain of tickets to the Secondary Ticketing sites which we feel make unfair profits from music fans.

Finally, we are of course once again arranging exclusive ticket pre-sales for our fan club members (go to ironmaiden.com for details) so they can be quick off the mark for great tickets and will also continue to run the contest in appropriate venues for fan club members so they can be ‘First To The Barrier’ prior to the show. We hope that these measures will help our fans as much as possible and ask that they keep checking for details on our website.”

TICKETMASTER comments,

Where possible the North American Iron Maiden shows will operate a paperless ticket policy. Select tickets will be sold via Ticketmaster’s Paperless Ticket delivery (also known as Credit Card Entry), which means fans will not receive a physical concert ticket for their entry into the event.  Buying paperless helps ensure fans have secure and convenient access to event tickets at the intended original sale price. On the day of show, concertgoers just need to bring the credit card they used for the ticket purchase and a government-issued photo ID to the concert. All members of the ticket purchaser's party must be present at the same time to enter the venue. The venue’s ticket usher will swipe their credit card upon entry and present each person in their party with seat locator slips for quick access into the show. To purchase paperless tickets or for more information, fans should visitwww.ticketmaster.com/paperless or call the Ticketmaster charge-by-phone number at 1-800-745-3000.

www.ironmaiden.com

www.theravenage.com