ROGER TAYLOR
“ For some time now , we ’ ve all just been trying to get by ,” says Taylor . “ Now , it ’ s back to the basics , myself and some great musical pals getting back out there to play some rock . Obviously , we ’ ll include some of the Queen classic catalogue , and some of my earlier solo work , but we ’ ll also be introducing them to some of the new stuff . So we hope folks are going to come on down .”
Rock icon Roger Taylor made the surprise announcement today that he will play a UK solo tour this Autumn , introducing brand new material and revisiting some of his very own Queen classics .
With the pandemic putting Queen + Adam Lambert ’ s epic UK and European tour on pause until 2022 , the acclaimed drummer has decided to hit the road for a set of intimate shows . The upcoming concerts will showcase his distinctive percussive , vocal and song writing talents that have been integral to Queen ’ s live and recorded output since 1970 .
Marking his first live performances outside Queen in over two decades , Taylor will tour the UK across October playing 14 shows that will coincide with the release of his latest solo album Outsider on October 1st .
As the songwriter of many of Queen ’ s biggest hits and much-loved tracks including A Kind of Magic , Radio Ga Ga , I ’ m In Love with My Car , Sheer Heart Attack and These Are the Days of Our Lives , while also being one of rock ’ s most distinctive vocalists , Taylor promises a solo tour with an enthusiastic foray into Queen and his own classic catalogues , while also including new songs written in lockdown that feature on the multi-instrumentalist ’ s new Outsider album .
The rock legend will perform with a specially assembled band for the tour made up of Queen + Adam Lambert ’ s keyboardist Spike Edney and supporting drummer Tyler Warren , plus guitarist Jason Falloon and Goldfrapp live players keyboardist Angie Pollock and bassist Charlie Jones . Outsider is Taylor ’ s first album of new material since 2013 ’ s Fun on Earth . Over the last decade , the drummer has also released the occasional solo track reflecting on his worldview and observations in songs like Journey ’ s End , Gangsters Are Running This World . His most recent was Isolation , which was written and recorded in response to the first lockdown last year .
With much of Outsider recorded during lockdown , this new album finds Taylor in reflective mood . Across the record he conveys a palpable sense of seclusion , concerns over the passing of time , and tellingly , dedicates it “ to all the outsiders , those who feel left on the sidelines ”.
On recording the Outsider album after isolation Taylor says : “ I ’ ve had a bit of a creative spurt and suddenly found myself with an album , which was lovely . It was a surprise !
“ I just found myself in the studio and they came out one after the other . It was a pleasure really .”
A highly personal project , Outsider ’ s instrumentation is almost entirely performed by Taylor , with his largely restrained vocals matching the album ’ s contemplative ambience . But Taylor does cut loose along the way with a foray into some hard-riffing blues-rock as well as an adrenalin charged BIG surprise retread of a classic 1965 novelty song , which is exactly the fun on earth we need in these challenging times .
Roger Taylor ’ s brand-new album ‘ Outsider ’ is released by Universal on October 1 .
THE SHAKERS
Few groups have successfully recreated the sound , feel and look of that wonderful early 60s Mersey beat sound and these guys are as good as it gets . It ’ s little wonder that ‘ Shakin ’ Sunday ’, their weekly residency at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool , is packed every week !' - Vee Tone Records .
The Cavern Club ’ s resident Merseybeat combo , The Shakers , have a 7 ” vinyl single available on Vee-Tone Records ( via their website ). This fab forty-five perfectly captures the earthy , raw sound of the early 60s beat boom with the killer twin spin of driving rocker , ‘ Hi-Fi Baby ’ on the A side , featuring great vocal harmonies and top-notch guitar licks , and the flip side , their thrashing , atmospheric guitar-led version of the Little Willie John classic , ‘ Fever ’. It ’ s been a staple of rock ’ n ’ roll radio around the world during the last year , even reaching number 1 on American radio ! The ' best Merseybeat group out of Liverpool since the 60s ' (' The Beat ' Magazine ) also have two local gigs coming up in original Merseybeat venues . The first on Saturday , August 21st is at Wallasey ' s famed Grosvenor Ballroom , where The Beatles appeared 14 times , and then on Saturday 20th November they are at Crosby ' s original ' Jive Hive ', St Luke ' s Hall , now Crosby Comrades club , for a night of ' Maximum Merseybeat ' also featuring the fab Victoria Jones as Cilla . Tickets for both events on sale now !
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