Two young local acts will share the stage when Lancastrian rockers Massive Wagons perform in Lancaster University’s legendary Great Hall on September 19th and 20th, following in the footsteps of many world famous acts who played at the venue in the 1970s and ‘80s.
The selection process will be coordinated by Lancaster Music Festival who have worked frequently with Massive Wagons as part of the festival’s outreach programme, with band members recently touring local primary schools to perform their anti-bullying workshops. The festival will be working together with other Lancaster music organisations, venues and pre-existing events and programmes to choose the opening acts.
The band’s guitarist Stephen Holl comments:
Lancaster has always been a musical city, it’s a scene we grew in and it only seems right that we have a couple of local young acts open our Great Hall show to help highlight the talent of the Lancaster scene. When not on the road I try to get myself to local gigs and it’s great to see it so busy!
Lancaster Music Festival director Stuart Marshall explains:
We briefly discussed running a Battle of the Bands competition. However we felt that it would be much more appropriate to highlight the initiatives that are already in place which promote and develop emerging and unsigned acts, and to use those programmes as a means of choosing the acts. It will make the event a great celebration of Lancaster’s rich music scene.
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These initiatives include Lancaster Music Co-op Presents which features three grassroots acts at The Pub on the last Friday of the month; Your Own Stuff curated by Jennie White at Ye Olde John O’Gaunt on the last Thursday of the month, which again features three acts; and Tap House Unsigned which showcases an unsigned act every Wednesday evening, run by the Tap House in partnership with Beyond Radio.
Derek Meins who programs the Lancaster Music Co-op showcases says:
Each month we have three emerging artists from the local area and beyond playing live original music. We’ve been packed out at every event since we started and have a regular crowd of friendly faces. It’s been a fantastic way for us to spread the message of the Co-op as we work towards re-opening. The calibre of new music being made in and around Lancaster is phenomenal and every month it’s been a treat to watch these bands perform. What a fantastic opportunity this is for new bands from the area… Get involved! It is certainly going to be very special.
Jennie White adds:
Your Own Stuff has hosted 58 shows with over 100 acts performing their own music highlighting the density of Lancaster and Morecambe-based writers and music contributors. We are delighted to be a part of the selection process for the Great Hall music events.
Acts will be chosen by representatives of Massive Wagons, Lancaster Music Festival, Lancaster Music Co-op, The Tap House Unsigned, Your Own Stuff and Beyond Radio. Acts who have already performed will be included in the selection process which will take place in early August. There is still the opportunity for acts to apply to perform at the sessions and organisers can be contacted via their social media pages.
Tickets for the Great Hall gig are on sale now and can be purchased from Massive Wagons’ website.
As an incentive and special treat for the children of the local area, an exclusive full band matinee performance will also take place in September for all schools – the concert will be the first taste of loud, live, electric music for many!
Riding high from a fruitful, successful, and busy 2024, the hard-working rockers celebrated a massive #1 album in the UK Rock Album Charts and a stellar #4 placement in the Official UK Top 40 Album Charts for their new release Earth To Grace. Fresh off the road from promoting the 11-track LP on their second leg of the UK, the Lancaster five-piece were also recently special guests at Myles Kennedy’s EU shows this past June.
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This summer, you can catch them opening up for seminal Boston rockers Extreme, at their O2 Academy show in Birmingham on 6th August. They are also your Friday headliners for the 12th annual Planet Rockstock, taking place at Trecco Bay Holiday Park in South Wales this November, joining Ugly Kid Joe and The Quireboys on the star-studded lineup. After Rockstock, the quintet will be headed to the EU on their Blood & Bone tour with The Virginmarys and The Hot Damn! in tow.
- Weds 6th Aug – BIRMINGHAM – O2 Academy (supp. Extreme)
- Fri 19th Sep – LANCASTER – Lancaster University’s Great Hall (matinee show)
- Fri 19th Sep – LANCASTER – Lancaster University’s Great Hall
- Sat 20th Sept – LANCASTER – Lancaster University’s Great Hall
- Fri 28th Nov – WALES – Planet Rockstock
- Sat 29th Nov – BELGIUM Kortrijk – DVG Club
- Mon 1st Dec – GERMANY Munich – Backstage Halle
- Tues 2nd Dec – GERMANY Stuttgart – Wizemann Club
- Thurs 4th Dec – NETHERLANDS Haarlem – Patronaat 2
- Fri 5th Dec – FRANCE Paris – Backstage By The Mill
- Sat 6th Dec – GERMANY Essen – Nikolautrockfest
- Mon 8th Dec – GERMANY Hannover – Muzikzentrum
- Tues 9th Dec – GERMANY Berlin – Franz Club
- Weds 10th Dec – GERMANY Frankfurt – Dasbett
- Fri 12th Dec – GERMANY Lubeck – Riders Cafe
- Sat 13th Dec – GERMANY Wissen – Kulturwek
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