BIG BIG TRAIN - THE LIKES OF US MARCH 1st 2024

[Sunlight Caller]

I really like the new song. I thought it must be a Greg Spawton composition but apparently the music stems from Alberto Brevin.

[rdclark]

Has it even been mentioned here that BBT are doing four US shows in March, prior to CTTE? Indiana, 2x New Jersey, Boston.I believe there are still seats available for all shows, which are being mounted by local promoters on low budgets.

• Friday 1st March 2024 – Sweetwater Performance Theatre, Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Saturday 2nd March 2024 – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
• Sunday 3rd March 2024 – Rivoli Theater at The Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
• Tuesday 5th March 2024 – Regent Theatre, Arlington (Boston), Massachusetts
Ticket links for these shows are at www.bigbigtrain.com/live.

I jumped on tix for both NJ shows, which they say will feature substantially different sets each night. As a still-in-mourning ticketholder for The Tour That Never Was in 2020, there's a sense of impending redemption. The personnel are substantially different; there will be no brass section; much of the repertoire has changed. Yet the band remains forward-looking and powerfully creative, and these shows, I believe will both evoke the magic of the past while shining a light into the future. BBT continues to somehow be something special.

[moecurlythanu]

^ I had forgotten about this. Thanks for the post, as I intend to make Ft. Wayne.

[kenschwartz]

I jumped on tix for both NJ shows, which they say will feature substantially different sets each night. .

In addition to the sets being different, so are the openers: David Bainbridge on Saturday, and a subset of IZZ on Sunday (which is the show I'll be attending)

[Dan Roth]

I jumped on tix for both NJ shows, which they say will feature substantially different sets each night. As a still-in-mourning ticketholder for The Tour That Never Was in 2020, there's a sense of impending redemption. The personnel are substantially different; there will be no brass section; much of the repertoire has changed. Yet the band remains forward-looking and powerfully creative, and these shows, I believe will both evoke the magic of the past while shining a light into the future. BBT continues to somehow be something special.

I too jumped on tix for both NJ shows as well, and had tickets to the 2020 shows as well. Really looking forward to these!

[Dan Roth]

Also just announced by BBT:

We are delighted to announce that we have been able to add one further show to our short tour of the USA.
We will be appearing at Electric City in Buffalo, New York on Wednesday 6th March – just a couple of miles from the Canadian border and Niagara Falls!
This show will feature the full Big Big Train brass section and it should be a very special night before we head to Florida for Cruise To The Edge.
Tickets will go on sale at 10am Eastern time on Tuesday 23rd January via www.prekindle.com/event/17587-big-big-train-buffalo.

[polmico]

I really like the new song. I thought it must be a Greg Spawton composition but apparently the music stems from Alberto Brevin.

It's very good.

I went back and listened to Welcome to the Planet the other day. It's not quite the misfire I thought. The last song isn't for me (and, if I'm being fanboy-ishly pedantic, doesn't sound like BBT--of course, that's not for me to decide) and sort of sours my impression of the album. But the good is very good.

There is a likely a great BBT album somewhere in WttP and Common Ground. I guess I've got time before the new album is released to figure out what that great album is.

I still don't like Grand Tour, though.

[ca1ore]

Very much looking forward to the new album. I’ve liked most of their recent albums, though I agree about the title song from the last one.

[LeFrog]

Very much looking forward to the new album. I’ve liked most of their recent albums, though I agree about the title song from the last one.

Opinions about the song have definitely been divided among the fanbase. They gave Carly Bryant a chance at songwriting, which is always a nice way integrate new members into the band. It was a mistake in retrospect since she left shortly afterwards.

[Splicer]

I'm going to try and give Big Big Train another chance with the new album coming out. For some reason, their music doesn't click. It's nice when I'm listening to it, but nothing stays with me afterwards.

[ChrisXymphonia]

Opinions about the song have definitely been divided among the fanbase. They gave Carly Bryant a chance at songwriting, which is always a nice way integrate new members into the band. It was a mistake in retrospect since she left shortly afterwards.

I quite liked the song ... and if Carly Bryant had been given time to integrate further in the band her writing would have added a nice touch. BTW, the reason she left was purely due to family commitments: https://www.loudersound.com/news/mul...-big-big-train

[LeFrog]

I quite liked the song ... and if Carly Bryant had been given time to integrate further in the band her writing would have added a nice touch. BTW, the reason she left was purely due to family commitments: https://www.loudersound.com/news/mul...-big-big-train

I'm aware of the reason for which she left and FWIW was really looking forward to her further integration in the band as I thought she was an excellent vocalist. From an instrumental point of view, she mostly played piano with the band on a few tracks from Welcome To The Planet so I was wondering what else she was going to bring to the table as the band's main keyboard player. Her joining and leaving so soon was a real missed opportunity.

[Progatron]

My review of the new album is up!

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/big-...-us-insideout/

[mozo-pg]

^^ Wow! That's encouraging and a great review!

[Steve983]

My review of the new album is up!

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/big-...-us-insideout/

Thanks for the review, from what we've heard so far the music still has the same character.

[Sunlight Caller]

I see that a new U.K. / Europe tour has been posted today. I don’t want to be that guy, I wish them well in their new locations, but … No London date? That has to be a misstep, surely? There’s no better chance of selling out than in the country’s biggest catchment area? I’m already 100 miles East of the capital, and so that makes it very unlikely I’ll get to see this tour. It may be that the Dutch shows are closer!

Perhaps more dates to follow.

[JKL2000]

My review of the new album is up!

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/big-...-us-insideout/

Wow, exciting! Now I have to decide if I want to read the review now, or wait until I've heard the album (I haven't listened to the single yet). I sort of want to keep this all fresh for release in a couple of weeks. But that's pretty soon, I guess it's time to begin, so I'll go ahead and read this...

I have the album pre-ordered from Band Wagon USA, and I'm hoping they will have their stock first among the US distributors. It's possible I'll not have to wait the full couple of weeks until March 1st!

[Progtastic]

I see that a new U.K. / Europe tour has been posted today. I don’t want to be that guy, I wish them well in their new locations, but … No London date? That has to be a misstep, surely? There’s no better chance of selling out than in the country’s biggest catchment area? I’m already 100 miles East of the capital, and so that makes it very unlikely I’ll get to see this tour. It may be that the Dutch shows are closer!

Perhaps more dates to follow.

I would hope so. They have had success filling good size venues in London over the last 9 year or so. The announced tour dates in the UK couldn't be worse for me, I'm out of the country for the whole period. This will be the first time I not attending at least 1 UK date since they started touring in 2015.

[rdclark]

There are still too many tickets remaining for the New Jersey (2 shows), Boston and Buffalo shows coming up in early March. If you're on the fence, jump! If you know music fans in these regions, get the word out! It would be nothing short of a tragedy for these concerts not to sell out their relatively small venues.

FRIDAY 1ST MARCH 2024 (sold out)
SWEETWATER PERFORMANCE THEATRE, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, USA

SATURDAY 2ND MARCH 2024
RIVOLI THEATER AT THE WILLIAMS CENTER, RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, USA*

SUNDAY 3RD MARCH 2024
RIVOLI THEATER AT THE WILLIAMS CENTER, RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, USA*

TUESDAY 5TH MARCH 2024
REGENT THEATRE, ARLINGTON (BOSTON), MASSACHUSETTS, USA

WEDNESDAY 6TH MARCH 2024
ELECTRIC CITY, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, USA

[JKL2000]

I have tix for both the NJ shows. That looks like a nice, intimate venue - it would truly suck if they don't sell enough tix to go through with it! It does seem like the word hasn't gotten out much. Have you been in communication with the organizers or something?

[JKL2000]

My review of the new album is up!

https://www.velvetthunder.co.uk/big-...-us-insideout/

Ok, I just read it - great review, Lorne! Now I can't wait to hear this. I hope they start having Rikard sing more. No reason he couldn't take on the vocals on entire songs, except that it might open the door for Nick to do the same, which I wouldn't care for.

Lorne, how do you think you rate this against the last two albums?

[Progatron]

Ok, I just read it - great review, Lorne! Now I can't wait to hear this. I hope they start having Rikard sing more. No reason he couldn't take on the vocals on entire songs, except that it might open the door for Nick to do the same, which I wouldn't care for.

Lorne, how do you think you rate this against the last two albums?

Thanks Jed. I prefer this one to the last two albums, which my little quip about recent 'staleness' was meant to allude to (nicely).

[rdclark]

I only know what's posted on Facebook (both oin the main BBT group and in the special group for the NJ shows) and what can be seen looking at the ticketing pages for the events.

The NJ shows (I'm going to both as well) appear to be maybe 75% sold on Saturday (most of the center section gone, much of the sides still unsold, while Sunday looks more like 50%, with many seats still available even in the back third of the center. The other two shows are similar, though the venues seem even smaller.

There has been no hint that the shows would be cancelled, but the potential for any future North American gigs would seem greatly reduced. It's hard to imagine the band will become any better known over here than it already is. Which isn't very, I guess.

[JKL2000]

I only know what's posted on Facebook (both oin the main BBT group and in the special group for the NJ shows) and what can be seen looking at the ticketing pages for the events.

The NJ shows (I'm going to both as well) appear to be maybe 75% sold on Saturday (most of the center section gone, much of the sides still unsold, while Sunday looks more like 50%, with many seats still available even in the back third of the center. The other two shows are similar, though the venues seem even smaller.

There has been no hint that the shows would be cancelled, but the potential for any future North American gigs would seem greatly reduced. It's hard to imagine the band will become any better known over here than it already is. Which isn't very, I guess.

Thanks. I'm in the main BBT FB group, but it never comes up in my feed. I forget to read it too. What's the name of the group for the NJ shows?

[moecurlythanu]

I only know what's posted on Facebook (both oin the main BBT group and in the special group for the NJ shows) and what can be seen looking at the ticketing pages for the events.

The NJ shows (I'm going to both as well) appear to be maybe 75% sold on Saturday (most of the center section gone, much of the sides still unsold, while Sunday looks more like 50%, with many seats still available even in the back third of the center. The other two shows are similar, though the venues seem even smaller.

There has been no hint that the shows would be cancelled, but the potential for any future North American gigs would seem greatly reduced. It's hard to imagine the band will become any better known over here than it already is. Which isn't very, I guess.

I wonder how the Fort Wayne show has managed to sell out? It's not like Indiana is a hotbed of Prog-Rock. I'm assuming some of the audience will be people who work for Cirque, who will be wanting to see what one of their co-workers is getting up to, but I can't imagine that gets them to sold out.