Notorious Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft has been announced as the first act of the Nocturne Live concert series on Thursday 19 June, followed by headliner Gary Barlow on Friday 20 June as part of his UK and Ireland Songbook tour.
As The Verve’s mercurial frontman, Richard Ashcroft carved out a reputation as one of his generation’s most iconic performers, spearheading the group’s breakthrough album Urban Hymns which spawned timeless anthems ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, ‘Lucky Man’ and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and became one of the best-selling albums in UK history.
Ashcroft has also enjoyed a thriving solo career with the release of seven UK Top Five albums and a string of hit singles including ‘A Song For The Lovers’ and ‘Break The Night With Colour’.
Joining Ashcroft are one of the most successful acts of the ’90s, Lightning Seeds, celebrating their 35th Anniversary with enduring hits including ‘The Life of Riley’, ‘Pure’, ‘Lucky You’ and their undeniable 1996 smash ‘Three Lions’.
Multi-platinum-selling Liverpudlian band The Zutons complete the lineup, bringing their unstoppable hit singles ‘Valerie’, ‘You Will You Won’t’ and ‘Why Won’t You Give Me Your Love?’ to UNESCO World Heritage site, Blenheim Palace – one of the world’s most beautiful music venues.
The Songbook Tour will celebrate Gary Barlow’s status as one of Britain’s most successful songwriters and record producers. As part of the group Take That, he has won eight BRIT Awards and sold over 45 million records.
One of the band’s biggest hits, ‘Back For Good’, will turn 30 in March 2025. The track is still ranked as one of the UK’s favourite-ever pop songs, having reached No. 1 on its release in March 1995 and remaining top of the charts for four consecutive weeks, going on to become the band’s biggest-selling song of the 90s.
This year, Gary hit the road with his fellow Take That bandmates for a huge world tour, playing sell-out shows and delighting their huge fanbase around the world with This Life On Tour, which saw them sell over 1 million tickets.
Their album of the same name, ‘This Life’, released in 2023, scored the band their 12th No.1 album in the UK, spawning massive hits including ‘Windows’ and ‘This Life.’ The band also curated their very own four-day festival in Malta in October – The Greatest Weekend, where they performed their iconic album ‘Everything Changes’ live, in its entirety for the first time since its release in 1993.
Aside from his achievements with Take That, he has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists, including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams, and most recently, he wrote the song ‘Running Wild’ for JIN from Korean super group, BTS.
Gary recently toasted the 3rd anniversary of his award-winning wine range, Gary Barlow Wines, with the release of a 5-part ITV series, Gary Barlow’s Wine Tour: South Africa, which saw the much-loved musician explore the other passions in his life of wine and travel. With over 10 million glasses of his wine sold, the brand continues to grow its following among wine lovers across the UK.
