After a ten year hiatus, Ian Anderson has resurrected JETHRO TULL, and we are honoured to welcome them to A New Day Festival.
With album sales of well over 60 million, countless concert attendance records and a Best Heavy Rock Grammy award to their name, Jethro Tull is a legendary name, and their first new album for 18 years, due next year, is certain to bring yet more success.
 

SWEET are a National Treasure, British at the core and a Rock Music Phenomena that has taken every continent by storm for more than five decades. The Golden Thread that links the past through to the present and into the future is Andy Scott. His determination to maintain high standards with the band's musical legacy and touring is legendary. The band today has an illustrious pedigree recreating "live" the high energy and soaring vocals associated with the Sweet sound that is the band's trade mark. SWEET are Paul Manzi - Lead vocals. Bruce Bisland - Drums and Vocals. Lee Small - Bass Guitar and Vocals. Andy Scott - Guitar and Vocals.

Welsh songwriter and producer Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress, has found a room of her own beneath pop’s playground, in the basement of prog’s castle, creating her one-woman sonic vision.

Whilst her debut won awards and critical acclaim, the follow-up, The Art of Losing (released in March 2021) successfully transformed those wall-to-wall critical plaudits into a Top 40 position in the album charts, as well as the #1 spot on iTunes.

Produced and written by Davies, The Art of Losing was created in the aftermath of several years of huge personal loss, after the untimely death of her father, undergoing treatment for cervical cancer, and navigating baby loss, the record follows Dylan Thomas’ instruction to “rage against the dying of the light” - and there is nothing sonically “gentle” about its enquiry.

The album tackles death and trauma with a defiant optimism, firmly concerned with how to find purpose in the midst of grief: “Was there some purpose to losing my mind?”, she asks on the title track. At the emotional centre of the album is ‘5am’ - a brutally simple song that looks at the visceral physical impact of sexual assault, centred around Davies’ own assault as a teenager.

It is a a sonically ambitious album that is helmed by Davies on sole production duties - a move she said felt both natural and necessary after having a “side hussle” in engineering/producing for others.  The Art of Losing also features guest appearances from James Dean Bradfield (Manics) as well as legendary drummer Sterling Campbell (David Bowie, Duran Duran).

As a voracious devourer of words and music, the concept of her Prog Award-winning debut married her love of literature with a dark sense of humour. The Observer called it "a compelling & blackly witty break up album", while PROG hailed it as "Kate Bush’s Hounds Of Love updated for the 21st century". It was named amongst the Guardian critics’ Albums of the Year, won HMV’s Welsh Album of the Year, Best Newcomer at the PROG awards, and a nomination for Welsh Music Prize.

It also caught the ear of various musicians including Robert Smith of The Cure (who personally invited her to play at his Meltdown Festival) and perhaps - most significantly - her childhood heroes, Manic Street Preachers.

Davies’ diverse talents as an arranger and multi-instrumentalist have been put to use across a range of other projects, most recently via the collaborative album In Memory of My Feelings with Bernard Butler and duetting with the Manic Street Preachers on Resistance Is Futile. She also brought a new generation of ears to Simple Minds, where she spent much of the last four years recording and touring on keys/vocals, before departing in 2019.

 

Hugh Cornwell is one of the UK's finest songwriting talents and accomplished live performers. The original guitarist, singer and main songwriter in the British rock band The Stranglers, he’s enjoyed massive UK and European success with 10 hit albums and 21 Top Forty singles, etching himself into the UK and Europe's musical psyche with classic songs, including Peaches, No More Heroes, Golden Brown, Always the Sun, Grip, Nice N Sleazy, Duchess and Skin Deep

“Hold on to your tri-corn hats and be prepared to stamp your wooden legs – Blackbeard’s Tea Party are in town. Sea-shanties will be given a bombastic rock edge, and folk instrumentals will become late-night floor-fillers when this raucous bunch of reprobates hit the stage. They have dirt under their fingernails and a twinkle in their eyes, and you can expect fantastic musicianship, playful choreography and an unstoppable urge to move your body.

Two drummers, electric guitars, fiddle, melodeon and 4-part harmonies combine to create music that is drenched in tradition, but filtered through a kaleidoscope of modern rock and pop.

Established as the go-to band for late-night folkin’ shenanigans, Blackbeard’s Tea Party have played memorable sets at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival, Fairport’s Cropredy Convention, The Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo and many more. Playing with a brand new line-up since 2021, they’re gearing up to release their fourth LP very soon. ”

Our beloved FOCUS, back again!

With their unique brand of progressive rock, Focus manifested themselves at the start of the '70s as the most successful and appreciated of all the Dutch pop-rock exports. Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, and best known for their hits "Hocus Pocus", "House of The King" and "Sylvia", as well as critically acclaimed albums 'Moving Waves', 'Focus 3' and 'Hamburger Concerto', the iconic Dutch music masters are back with their tenth album, which is guaranteed to please their legions of fans!    

After a comeback in the early 2000's, which resulted in the well-received albums 'Focus 8' and 'Focus 9', the band regrouped with a fantastic new line-up. Along with Thijs van Leer on vocals, flute and keyboards, back on the drums is famed Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden, who joined the group on their second album 'Moving Waves' in 1972. Internationally renowned for his rhythmic skills, Pierre remains a defining factor in the Focus sound. Guitarist Menno Gootjes, who participated in Focus at an earlier stage, and acclaimed bass player Udo Pannekeet, complete the band's current line-up. Recently, Focus's biggest hit "Hocus Pocus" was used in a 4-minute Nike commercial before the World Cup broadcast. Focus music can be regularly heard on Top Gear and Saxondale on TV in the UK.          

A new Focus era has arrived! There is a rejuvenated passion amongst the band as they released the first studio album for 6 years, Focus 11, in early 2019.  They toured the world in in support of the new album, and are now building up to its 50th Anniversary.

The current Line Up:

Thijs van Leer - Hammond-organ -flute and vocals
Pierre van der Linden - drums
Menno Gootjes- guitar
Udo Pannekeet - bass.

Atomic Rooster are a British rock band originally formed by members of The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, organist Vincent Crane and drummer Carl Palmer. Throughout their history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods: the early-mid-1970s and the early 1980s. The band went through radical style changes, but they are best known for the hard, progressive rock sound of their hit singles, "Tomorrow Night" (UK No. 11) and "Devil's Answer" (UK No. 4), both in 1971. In 2016 Atomic Rooster reformed with permission from Crane's widow, with the new line-up featuring two members from the various 1970s incarnations of the band.

Atomic Rooster Current Band Members

Pete French  I  Vocals (1971, 2016–present)

Steve Bolton I Guitar (1971–1972, 2016–present)

Adrian Gautrey  I  Keys (2017–present)

Shug Millidge  I  Bass (2016–present)

Paul Everett I  Drums (2019–present)

“Kaz Hawkins isn't just a classic blues interpretation. She is a generation and culture where blues emotion is gladly mixed with a soul voice, gospel flights, some rock guitars and cry ballads”.

Kaz’s reputation as a powerhouse live performer stretches beyond her humble beginnings in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her soulful presentations have astounded new fans when they discover this old school diva and are even more surprised at her fun loving attitude on stage.

She has won UK Blues Awards, British Blues Awards and been nominated numerous times at the Northern Ireland Music Prize. In 2016 Kaz represented United Kingdom at the International Blues Foundations Challenge in Memphis, USA. She then represented UK again at The European Blues Challenge in Denmark in 2017 which led to her taking home the crown of European Blues Band at European Blues Union.

Kaz has released four studio albums and has just finished producing her new record due for release in March 2022 on Dixiefrog Records.

Dee Palmer was the long-time musical arranger, keyboard player and occasional sax player with JETHRO TULL, and recently a member of Martin Barre's band. She has arranged and orchestrated works by Queen, Genesis, Pink Floyd and many others, performed by world famous symphony orchestras.

Last year A New Day released the TALLIS album, recorded 1979-1981 with John Evans of Jethro Tull amongst others.

Dee will perform her exquisite piano arrangements of Jethro Tull classics

The John Hackett Band is made up from four gents who are also artists in their own right. We thought you’d appreciate a handy guide to who they are!

John is probably the best known of the band, from his work with his brother Steve, both on record and countless live appearances, extensive session work, and (of course) his solo output.

He’s mostly recognised for his exquisite flute work, though he’s a multi-instrumentalist, also playing guitars and keyboards in the band.

As well as bringing both gentle and fiery electric guitar to the band’s sound, Nick Fletcher is also a stellar classical guitar player and composer, with many albums to his name, performing around the country. He and John also perform together as a duo, and have a released couple of albums together.

Jeremy Richardson was the final piece that formed the band. He has brought bass, vocals and guitar to complete the sound, but is also a writer, both musically and dramatically – we perform some of his tunes on stage, and those lovely bits of prose that get posted, well…

Finally, Duncan Parsons wears many hats, though in performance with the band it’s mainly drums and triangle (as in, he plays them, rather than wearing them..). He has a variety of album credits playing a variety of instruments, and releases his own material (some with video), including instrumental albums under the banner of ‘Music for Stairlifts’ – make of that what you will.               

New Wave pioneers, still rocking!

Is Vic there yet?

No, Tony McPhee is not with them... but just give them a listen, it is very hard to tell! We are absolutely delighted to welcome this sensational band back to A New Day.

With Del Bromham still at the helm, and just as powerful as they ever were, the legendary Stray have been going strong for 50 years and more... on and off! Definitely on these days! STRAY (Del Bromham, Karl Randall, Simon Rinaldo, Colin Kempster, Pete Dyer) will deliver the goods, that's for sure.

Andy Glass
Andy founded the band in 1980 with violinist Marc Elton and the following 4 years would see them make the Marquee Club their home and take the band to the main stage at Reading Rock Festival, Glastonbury and many others. Following the split in 1985, a change of tack led to touring as guitarist for American soul legends Bill Withers and Geno Washington alongside his work as studio engineer and session musician.   After recording Ian Anderson in the studio, Andy was invited to take the job of 'front of house' sound engineer with Jethro Tull leading to  five American tours and long outings  through Europe and the UK, as well as a 3 album deal with A New Day Records.

Nothing would prove as satisfying as playing with Solstice though and so, inevitably, Andy reformed the band in in 2007.

Pete Hemsley
Pete first played drums with Solstice on the 1992 album, New Life. Pete and Andy had already been working together closely having met whilst Pete was signed to Virgin with the Jazz Devils. Soon after New Life Pete immigrated to Australia where he made a name for himself as an award winning producer and artist and released the acclaimed Lords Garden album through Sony....oh and he worked with Page and Plant too!!! Since his return from Oz Pete's encouragement played no small part in the band's 2007 reformation.

Jess Holland
Jess, Jenny and Andy have been working together since 2018 in Jenny's highly successful Festival ceilidh band, FCPB, and joined Solstice in 2020 to begin work on the sixth studio album Sia. 

Jenny Newman
Andy had been looking for a new fiddle player ever since Marc Elton's tinnitus made it impossible for him to continue playing amplified music. A mutual friend introduced Jenny and, although she was up for playing on Circles, by the time recording started Jenny was touring in Canada and beyond with folk rock band Rock, Salt and Nails. On her return though, she joined the band for live shows and her celtic musical roots have been gracing gigs and recordings ever since.

Robin Phillips 
Robin is the son of Margaret Phillips, who played on Silent Dance and occasionally joined the band onstage at the Marquee. He grew up surrounded by music and so it was destiny that he should join Clive Bunker to form the Solstice rhythm section that gigged in support of 1996's Circles. His reputation as a great bass player and 'the nicest guy you could meet' has led to work with numerous projects alongside his recent work as a wolf handler......yes really!

Steven McDaniel
Steven's brilliant piano playing came to the attention of Andy during a recording session in the dungeon that was the Madcap Studio, where Steven was conjuring poetry from a Fender Rhodes so battered that it was a miracle it worked at all. Steve joined Solstice in the wake of Circles and remains the only Solstice keyboard player. Beyond Solstice Steve is an accomplished sessioneer and songsmith as his solo album, Lark, will testify.