YORK’S home-grown ‘alternative rock’ band Shed Seven have announced details of two landmark 30th anniversary ‘homecoming shows’ – in which they’ll play live in York’s Museum Gardens.
As well as the Sheds themselves, the two live York dates – on Friday July 19 and Saturday July 20 next year – will also feature some of the biggest names in British music: including Libertines frontman Pete Doherty.
Announcement of the York dates comes as the Sheds prepare to release their eagerly anticipated new album – A Matter of Time – on January 5.
The band hopes it could be their highest-charting album to date – and a great way to celebrate their 30 years in the business.
Sheds vocalist Rick Witter admitted he couldn’t wait for the live gigs in York.
"We've been longing to perform special shows in York for many years and, finally, the stars have aligned perfectly for this to happen in our 30th anniversary year,” he said.
“We are already planning something extraordinary for these shows, so you can expect special guests and grand ideas galore.
“It's going to be a jubilant celebration of the last 30 years of Shed Seven and a performance like nothing we've done before in beautiful surroundings.”
Alongside the Sheds, Libertines frontman Doherty will perform on both nights at Museum Gardens.
The Friday night gig will also feature Lottery Winners, who scored their first No.1 album earlier this year, as well as York’s rising indie-rock stars Serotones, who are fronted by Rick’s son Duke.
Saturday’s gig, meanwhile, will feature the soul-infused alt-pop of Brooke Combe as well as Apollo Junction, who blend modernist touches into their Britpop roots.
The Sheds have released a YouTube trailer ahead of the York dates, which extols the unique beauty of their home city.
It’s a city with an ‘embarrassment of riches’, they say – full of ‘characters, cobbles and quirks’.
It’s the city of John Barry, Judi Dench, Dick Turpin and Guy Fawkes – and a place with a ‘pub for each day of the year’.
The trailer – which you can view at youtube.com/watch?v=kCA738XBWBk - concludes: “The boys are coming home!”
Shed Seven’s career will soon span three decades – with their debut album, ’Change Giver’, released in 1994.
The band have amassed fifteen Top 40 singles - including live favourites such as ‘Chasing Rainbows’, ‘Going For Gold’, ‘Disco Down’, ‘Getting Better’ and ‘On Standby’ - plus four Top 10 albums.
A fan pre-sale for the July 2024 York live dates starts at 9am on Wednesday, November 1 for those who are signed up to the Shed Seven mailing list.
Tickets for the shows will then go on sale widely from 9am on Friday November 3.
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