Friday 16 August 2013

Ian Anderson announces 2014 tour & is to be Honoured at the Progressive Music Awards 2013


Ian Anderson announces 2014 tour
& is to be Honoured at the
Progressive Music Awards 2013


Legendary Prog Rock icon Ian Anderson has announced a 2014 UK tour, following the release of his new concept album to be recorded early next year and released around Easter.

Anderson will also be recognised as one of the foremost influencers of rock at this years Progressive Music Awards, by being honoured with the Prog God Award.

Anderson will be touring throughout 2014, starting in the UK late April; the show will feature a selection from his new 2014-release concept album - which he defines as ‘Folk-Prog-Metal’ - in its more theatrical setting, together with a selection of Jethro Tull highlights. The upcoming record release will feature heavier, less acoustic guitar sounds and more of Anderson’s trademark flute.

He says “After winning the Grammy for best “Hard Rock/Metal” album back in 1988, this seems like an opportunity to justify that strange and misplaced accolade with a new album to celebrate the more forceful, full-on rock credentials which are found in many of my songs over the last 45 years. It's not an end to the acoustic and gentler moments but more of an emphasis on the louder aggressive flute style which marked me out from the earliest days of Jethro Tull.”

The Prog God Award celebrates the innovators of rock. The people who have inspired generations and have carved a way for others to be at their creative best. There is no one who has pushed the boundaries more than Ian Anderson, who to this day remains immersed in his love for the music.

On winning the award, Anderson continued, The innocent voyage of restless souls: that's prog rock. Sometimes bombastic, self-indulgent and worse, it is also an honest, gut-felt reaction to the often simplistic and repetitive nature of much of pop and rock. 

It is, indeed, an honour to receive this illustrious Prog award and dwell in such lofty heights amongst the good and the great of the last forty-plus years. I remain very happy to inhabit the progressive rock world, as both performer and listener. 

And where else could a self-taught, mediocre but extremely loud flute player make a decent living? Not in country and western, I would suppose. But, hey: if the boots fit and the buckskin-fringed coyote crooner calls, then count me in Cowboy! Brokeback Mountain could never sound sweeter.”

Jerry Ewing, Editor of Prog Magazine says, “For 45 years Ian has been playing live, and I don’t think I have ever seen two shows the same! It doesn’t matter if its Jethro Tull or Ian on his own – its always magnificent, groundbreaking and captivating. Without him rock would be a very different and lesser place, so to announce him as our Prog God at the same time as he announces a UK tour seems hugely fitting.”

Following the great success of his current ‘Thick As A Brick’ tour – including a one-off performance at the iconic Royal Albert Hall – tickets for the 2014 shows are expected to go fast when they go on sale on 4th September.

Full dates are:
Date               City                             Venue                        Box Office                Ticket Prices
APRIL
28th                 Brighton                     Dome                         01273 709 709        £26 + £30
29th                Southampton           Guildhall                       023 8063 2601        £26 + £30

MAY
                       
01st                 Salisbury                   City Hall                     01722 434 434        £26 + £30
02nd                 Liverpool                   Philharmonic            0151 709 3789        £26 + £30
03rd                 Birmingham               Symphony Hall        0121 345 0600         £27.50 + £32.50
04th                 Oxford                        New Theatre             0844 871 3020        £28 + £32
06th                 Bristol                        Colston Hall              0844 887 1500        £28 + £32
07th                 High Wycombe        Swan Theatre           01494 512 000        £28 + £32
08th                 Guildford                   G Live                         0844 7701 797       £28 + £32
09th                 Cambridge               Corn Exchange         01223 357 851        £26 +  £30     
10th                 Ipswich                      Regent Theatre        01473 433 100        £26 + £30
11th                 Leicester                   De Montfort Hall       0116 233 3111        £26 + £30
13th                 Derby                         Assembly Rooms    01332 255 800        £26 + £30
14th                 Manchester               Palace Theatre        0844 871 3019        £28 + £32
15th                 York                           Royal Opera House 0844 871 3024       £28 + £32
                                                                                                                                   
Date               City                             Venue                        Box Office            Ticket Prices
MAY

16th                 Newcastle                 Sage Theatre           0191 443 4661        £26 + £30
18th                 Edinburgh                 Festival Theatre       0131 529 6000        £26 + £30
19th                 Perth                          Concert Hall             01738 621 031        £26 + £30
20th                 Aberdeen                  Music Hall                 01224 632 080        £26 + £30
21st                 Inverness                  Eden Court               01463 234 234        £26 + £30
24th                 London     02 Shepherds Bush Empire   0844 477 2000        £28 + £32
25th                 London    02 Shepherds Bush Empire    0844 477 2000        £28 + £32
           
Tickets go on sale on 4th September at 9.00am online booking: 

or from venue box offices.  Tickets are subject to booking fee.  Ian Anderson will be onstage at 7.30pm.  There is no support.
Planet Rock are doing a 48 hour pre-sale – tickets go onsale on 2nd September at 9am from 


This is the second year of the Orange Amplification presented the Progressive Music Awards. They take place at Kew Gardens on Tuesday September 3rd and will be hosted by Gavin Esler.

Voting is open now and a full list of all the categories and nominees can be found at www.progrockmag.com/awards 

where readers can have their say by voting in the various categories. Readers who register to vote will have the chance to win a bumper prize of prog goodies compiled from nominated acts.

Fronting seminal Prog outfit Jethro Tull and as a solo artist, Ian Anderson has performed in more than 54 countries over 45 years; he is widely considered an icon of the genre and he’s recognised as the one who introduced the flute to rock music. With over 60 million albums sold in their career, Tull have been characterised by Anderson’s trademark acoustic textures, created with ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin family of instruments. In his most recent solo shows, Anderson has played with orchestras, string quartets and featured soloists. His eclectic acoustic performances are also a hit with fans of the genre.

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