5 Best Upcoming Music Concerts In York

Even though the summer is gone, this autumn still promises to be a hot season for York music fans. If you are still wondering which concerts in York to hit on a rainy night, here are just some of the events you definitely would not like to miss:

1.     Ronan Keating (21 SEP 6:30 pm, York Barbican Centre)

Thanks to the chart-topping successes of the ’90s boy-band Boyzone, Ronan Keating has been popular since he was a teenager. After the boy band, Robert has become an equally successful solo artist, beginning with the single “When You Say Nothing at All” in 1999. Recorded for the film Notting Hill, the track topped the UK charts and was released just before Boyzone broke up. Known for his warm, soulful voice, the Irishman has also had hits with “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and with Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens) on “Father and Son”.  Keating was also a judge on the Australian versions of The X Factor and The Voice and is a respected philanthropist.

Watch When You Say Nothing At All on Youtube.

2.     Jamie Lawson (10 OCT, 7:00 pm, York Barbican Centre)

Jamie Lawson is an acoustic singer/songwriter from St Budeaux, near Plymouth in England. Save for the single “Wasn’t Expecting That”, a big hit in Ireland in 2011, his first three albums came to no great attention, performing only very moderately. His self-titled fourth album topped the charts in the UK and has been a major success worldwide, aided by a successful re-release of “Wasn’t Expecting That”. A late-bloomer in the music world (success has finally reached him as he hits his forties) he is also the first artist to be signed to Ed Sheeran’s fledgeling Gingerbread Man Records record label.

Head over to Youtube and listen to Jamie Lawson.

3.     The Specials (01 NOV, 7:00 pm, York Barbican Centre)

Bursting out of the council estates of Coventry in the UK at the end of the ‘70s, buoyed by the rage of punk and the space and groove of ska, The Specials, with their monochrome suits and multiracial makeup, were one of the most refreshing bands of the time. Frequently political and staunchly fighting the prevailing political winds of the time, the band had a string of hits, including “A Message to You Rudy”, “Too Much Too Young”, “Do Nothing”, and the monumental “Ghost Town”. Intra-band fighting led to various splits, with half the band leaving to form The Funboy Three, while leading songwriter Jerry Dammers carried on under The Specials AKA. Though currently touring without Dammers, the band as a live prospect are still exciting, full of energy and anger, despite the sad death of drummer John Bradbury at the very end of 2015.

Listen to The Specials via Youtube

4.     Birdy (02 NOV, 7:00 pm, York Barbican Centre)

Barely out of her teenage years, Birdy has already been a regular fixture on the UK music charts for a number of years, thanks in part to her enchanting, expressive voice. A niece of legendary actor Dirk Bogarde, she was a chart-topper at the age of 14 with a solo piano cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love” which hit platinum the world over. She followed up with her acclaimed self-titled debut album later that same year, composed mostly of covers. Since then she has delved deeper in songwriting with her subsequent albums, as well as recording tracks for the films The Fault in Our Stars and The Hunger Games.

Check out Skinny Love by Birdy on Youtube.

5. Richard Hawley (17 SEP, 7:30 pm, Fibbers York)

A proud son of his native Sheffield, Richard Hawley has forged a unique career since the release of his 2001 debut album Late Night Final as one of the UK’s foremost contemporary songwriters. Initially part of Britpop band Longpigs, they released two albums in the ‘90s before breaking up, leaving Hawley to start a solo career. Writing songs steeped in hometown locality and influenced by such famed songwriters and singers as Roy Orbison and Scott Walkers. He is also a well-regarded session musician having recorded with a variety of artists in the studio and has collaborated with fellow Sheffield mainstays Pulp and Arctic Monkeys.

Richard Hawley is available to listen to on Youtube.