Weekly News Round-Up: Richard Ashcroft, Foals and more

Wondering if you’ve missed out on any of the week’s top news stories? Well wonder no longer – here Live4ever looks back on ten of the biggest headlines we featured during the last seven days in British music.

Richard Ashcroft (Photo: Paul Bachmann for Live4ever Media)

A more comprehensive return for Richard Ashcroft in 2016 has been primed with pictures of the former Verve frontman rehearsing in the presence of a new backing band.

Ashcroft can be seen in photos – posted on Twitter by musician Damon Minchella and apparently taken by his manager – holed up in the practice room, clearly pointing to some live action and perhaps more this year.

Noel Gallagher has offered a glimpse inside his recording studio as he continues work on a third solo album.

Sharing a picture on his Instagram account, Gallagher showed off some more brass being laid down on his new material, this after acclaimed drummer Pete Lockett, who has worked in the past with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Bjork, also uploaded a photo from the sessions on social media.

Having cancelled tour dates towards the end of last year citing ‘health issues’, Girl Band‘s hopes of a return to the road later this month have been dashed for the same reason.

As before, the band have avoided any specific details in cancelling dates which would have taken them around Europe and the UK up to mid-March.

Liverpool’s Sound City has added Catfish & The Bottlemen as headliners for this year’s leg.

The band joins The Coral at the top of the bill over the weekend of May 28th-29th at the Liverpool Waters, Bramley-Moore Dock, while Sound City organisers have also announced a partnership with dance promoters Freeze who will bring the likes of Leftfield and Hot Chip (DJ set) to the showcase.

Bloc Party‘s new album ‘Hymns‘ was streaming online as a YouTube playlist ahead of its official release last Friday.

It’s an LP which represents a regeneration for half of the band after bassist Justin Harris and drummer Louise Bartle joined up in place of the outgoing Gordon Moakes and Matt Tong.

Foals

Foals will take another step up the career ladder when they headline Reading/Leeds this summer.

Having topped Bestival in 2014, the band have gone a stage further this year and say: “We’re absolutely buzzing to be headlining Reading & Leeds this year. It’s a dream come true.”

As promised at the start of this month, The Joy Formidable have returned with a new single entitled ‘The Last Thing On My Mind‘ whose video can be seen in the full article.

“It’s a song about freedom, about feeling alive, and a part of that is about sexual liberation too which is why we wanted to make a music video from the perspective of a heterosexual female gaze,” says Ritzy Bryan.

New Order have confirmed the details of a show at Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl in the summer.

Having released ‘Music Complete‘ last year, the band returns home on Saturday, July 9th for the outdoor show. Tickets go on sale from this coming Friday (January 29th).

The Last Shadow Puppets have added more UK shows to their 2016 comeback.

Alex Turner and Miles Kane return under their Mercury-nominated moniker with second album ‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect’ on April 1st, and recently unveiled a run of European and US shows which will begin on March 26th at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.

A host of new acts have been added to this year’s Live At Leeds festival.

Now in its tenth year, Live At Leeds will take place across various venues in the city on April 30th, and has Mystery Jets new on its bill along with rising stars Blossoms.

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