Ian Anderson Celebrates Jethro Tull With a New Show – UK Dates Announced

Ian Anderson Celebrates Jethro Tull With a New Show – UK Dates Announced

Progressive Rock pioneer Ian Anderson has announced 6 dates of a 2015 UK tour, titled ‘Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera’. The shows will take place in September, with tickets on general sale from 9th March.

‘Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera’ honours that 18th Century English agriculturalist after which the band was named back in 1968.

The shows tell the story of the original Jethro Tull’s life, reimagined as if in the near future and illustrated with Anderson’s best-known material from the repertoire of the rock band Jethro Tull.

Ian Anderson

The set list will include many songs that Anderson found to be natural parallels with Tull’s life story: Wind Up, Heavy Horses, Aqualung, Back to the Family, Farm on the Freeway and Songs from the Wood to name a few. Some songs have been incorporated with slightly revised lyrics and five newly written songs have also been added to the mix.

Performing with Ian Anderson will be David Goodier on bass, John O’Hara on keyboards, Florian Opahle on guitar, Scott Hammond on drums plus some ‘virtual guests’ on a big HD video screen.

Anderson explains: “Instead of spoken introductions to the songs in the show, there will be the use of that operatic device, the “recitative”, where the links are made by short sung vocal segments in a usually-simple musical backdrop, making it a little easier and more entertaining for non-English-speaking audiences.”

Full Dates are:

DATE               CITY                        VENUE                                                     BOX OFFICE  
   
September

8th                   Basingstoke             Anvil                                                         0125 684 424

10th                 London                     O2 Shepherds Bush Empire                0844 477 2000

11th                 Birmingham             Symphony Hall                                      0121 345 0493

12th                 York                           Barbican                                                  0844 854 2757

13th                 Gateshead                 Sage Theatre                                          0191 443 4661

14th                 Salford                       Lowry Theatre                                       0843 208 6000

 

Tickets are priced £28 and £32, except in Birmingham £27.50-£32.50. Doors open at 18:30. There is no support. Show starts at 19:30, with a brief interval at 20:30, and ends at 22:00.

www.jethrotull.com

About Louise Swift

I first went to a gig in 1981, Gillan at Leeds University. I've been a regular gig goer ever since. I haven't kept count of how many gigs I've been to over the intervening years, but it's a lot! My favourite bands are AC/DC then, in no particular order, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughter and the Dogs, Towers of London and Dirt Box Disco. I tend to like Glam/Punk and rude offensive lyrics, not sure what that says about me but as Animal would say 'So What!' The question was recently put to me - did I write for any online publications? My reply - No, but I'd like to! Planetmosh was suggested and I found myself offering to review Aces High Festival. Easy peasy I thought! Well not quite, if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing well! I had sixteen bands to research. I found I actually enjoyed that and it kept me too busy to be making lunatic comments on Facebook! ;) Then I felt a bit inadequately qualified. I mean, who am I to comment on others, when my musical expertise extends to being able to play a mean Greensleeves on the recorder and a passable Annie's song on the flute! Haven't picked up either instrument for years! What I do have, however, is over 30 years of experience as a gig goer, so I can comment on what I like and what I don't! It's only my opinion and, if I don't like a band it doesn't mean they are bad, just not to my own liking. I admire anyone who has the guts to get up on that stage and have a go!