Weekly News Round-Up: Doves, The Specials and more

You’re in the right place if you’ve missed any of the week’s top news stories – here Live4ever’s Weekly News Round-Up presents a recap of the biggest headlines in British music we featured during the last seven days.

London’s Royal Albert Hall hosts the Teenage Cancer Trust (Alberto Pezzali / Live4ever)

Doves will return to play their first live show in nearly a decade for next year’s Teenage Cancer Trust series.

The band’s comeback has been set for March 29th at the Royal Albert Hall in London, with Rudimental, Take That, The Levellers and The Script also on the line-up.

Sam Fender has been named the BRITs Critics’ Choice winner for 2019.

Fender was picked ahead of the other shortlisted artists Mahalia and Lewis Capaldi to land the first Brit Award for next year. “I am truly humbled to win The BRITs Critics’ Choice Award,” he’s responded.

Pete Shelley, lead singer of the Buzzcocks, has died at the age of 63.

“This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do,” his brother Gary McNeish wrote on social media last week, “is tell you my brother Pete Shelley had a heart attack this morning and passed away.”

A few more North American dates have been added to Paul McCartney‘s Egypt Station tour.

He’ll now play gigs in Wisconsin, Texas and California during the previously announced May/June tour, while July also has a concert booked – on the 13th at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Specials (Photo: Andy Crossland for Live4ever Media)

The Specials have shared the first single from their new album Encore, set for release on February 1st next year.

Vote For Me was written and produced by founding members Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter with long-time collaborator Torp Larsen, their first single since the iconic Ghost Town of 1981.

Sleeper have confirmed a new album for release next year, and they’re as surprised as anyone.

“We had no plan to get back together,” says singer Louise Wener. “Sometimes life throws you a massive curve ball. You end up jumping off the cliff, just to see what it feels like.”

The summer of 2019 is fast becoming one of the biggest of Noel Gallagher‘s solo career so far.

After his plans for next year in the UK began in November with confirmation of a headline appearance at the This Is Tomorrow festival in Newcastle, a bill-topping performance at Heaton Park in Manchester was detailed last week, with chief support coming from the returning Doves.

Paul Weller and New Order will play Trinity College in Dublin next year for the city’s Summer Series.

Weller has been lined up to headline the venue on July 4th 2019, with New Order due for a long-awaited return to Dublin on July 7th.