TOM Robinson Band’s debut album Power In The Darkness was first performed 40 years ago in Victoria Park, London in front of 80,000 people at Rock Against Racism’s Carnival Against The Nazis alongside Steel Pulse, The Clash and X-Ray Spex.

The album was certified gold in the UK and Japan resulting in a major 28-date UK tour supported by Stiff Little Fingers in the Autumn of 1978. 

When Tom performed the entire Power In The Darkness LP at London’s 100 Club in 2017, all three shows sold out almost instantly. In October, to mark the album’s 40th anniversary, Tom will once again perform it live on tour in the UK – culminating in a special headline show at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Saturday October 27.

As ever his incendiary band features Faithless drummer Andy Treacey, guitarist Adam Phillips (Richard Ashcroft Band), keyboard virtuoso Jim Simmons and Tom himself on bass and vocals. Tom Robinson first became known in 1977 as a musician, LGBT activist and anti-racist campaigner with the Tom Robinson Band (TRB) whose debut release 2-4-6-8 Motorway became one of the landmark singles of the UK punk era.

Other well-known songs at the time included Glad To Be Gay, Up Against The Wall and Too Good To Be True. Tom later co-wrote songs with both Peter Gabriel and Elton John and had further solo hits in 1983 with War Baby and Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio. His 15th studio album Only The Now (2015) included guest appearances by Billy Bragg, Nadine Shah, John Grant, Ian McKellen, TV Smith, Lisa Knapp and Martin Carthy.

As a radio broadcaster Tom hosts three shows a week on BBC Radio 6 Music, served for 10 years on the Ivor Novello Awards committee and was awarded a fellowship of LIPA in recognition of his support for new music with BBC Introducing. Support on all shows is Mancunian soul singer Lee Forsyth Griffiths, whose first two albums were produced by Trevor Horn and Ian Grimble.

  • The Tom Robinson Band, Gateshead, Sage, Wednesday, October 17. Go to sagegateshead.com for tickets or contact the ticket office on 0191 443 4661

KT Tunstall...

Following three sold out intimate rock club shows this September, award-winning singer and songwriter KT Tunstall, who is about to release her 6th studio album, WAX, announces a full UK & Ireland tour for March 2019. This month KT has released lead single The River, taken from her forthcoming 6th studio album WAX, which will be released 5 October.

KT Tunstall emerged in 2004 with Eye To The Telescope. She has since released a further four critically acclaimed albums and her songs have been used everywhere from the opening credits of The Devil Wears Prada to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign theme. Her last album KIN, released in 2016, received rave reviews and debuted at No.7 on the official UK Album Charts.

Recently KT has been awarded the Inspirational Artist gong at the Women In Music Awards. She was chosen as the first ever female Grand Marshal (following the likes of Sir Sean Connery) to lead April’s annual New York Tartan Week parade. In May she and Mike McCready, of legendary multimillion selling Pearl Jam, also released a cover of Tom Petty’s huge hit single I Won’t Back Down with proceeds going to Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation. KT has spent the summer touring worldwide with superb artists including, The Pretenders, Simple Minds and Barenaked Ladies.