Go West meet Wet Wet Wet at Symphony Hall.
Two of the most iconic bands of their era, Wet Wet Wet and Go West, have announced they will unite for the first time ever for a co-headline UK tour calling at Symphony Hall on 22nd January.
The Best of Both Worlds tour will see the legendary bands play shows across the UK in early 2024, performing their seminal songs from a combined treasure-trove of hits; with 36 Top 40 UK Singles between them!
Both Wet Wet Wet and Go West have carried on captivating fans all over the world for the past four decades and show no signs of slowing down. The 12-date tour kicks off at Cardiff St David’s Hall on 21st January concluding in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 7th February.
Wet Wet Wet bass player Graeme Clark said: “This is a first for us, it’s our debut co-headline tour and we are super vibed about it. It’s always great to be on the road and this will be something special. We look forward to making new friends and maybe picking up a few new converts around the country.”
Lead singer Kevin Simm added: “We’re really excited to be co touring with Go West, they are great guys and their hits speak for themselves. Being a vocalist I have always greatly admired Peter Cox’s unique tone and soul so I’m looking forward to hearing it every night on the tour!”
Richard Drummie from Go West said: “Peter and I are really looking forward to getting out on the road with the Wet Wet Wet boys. It’s going to be a lot of fun for us and of course, the audience! The shows will be like a jukebox of each bands’ hits. That’s why we’ve called it ‘The Best of Both Worlds Tour’. Prestigious venues, great songs, two fabulous bands .. one great night out! See you all there.”
With an incredible catalogue of songs, Wet Wet Wet are a musical phenomenon who have made a massive impact with their music over the years, making them one of the most successful bands in British pop history.
The band have sold more than 15 million singles and albums to date and have featured in the UK official singles and album charts for over a colossal 500 weeks. Their albums have been certified 20x platinum in the UK alone whilst the band appeared on the renowned BBC TV show Top Of The Pops an amazing 56 times, a record for a Scottish artist.
Having formed in 1982 after taking their name from a line in a Scritti Politti song, the band’s first single Wishing I Was Lucky was released in 1987. It quickly entered the charts, starting a phenomenal run of 27 Top 40 hits including three UK No.1’s – With A Little Help From My Friends (1988); Goodnight Girl (1991); and Love Is All Around (1994) – which spent fifteen weeks at the top, a record for any UK artist that still stands. The band’s debut album Popped in Souled Out (1987) also burst into the charts hitting No.1.
Since 2018, Wet Wet Wet have been fronted by Kevin Simm (winner of ‘The Voice UK’ and former member of Liberty X) and they released their first album with Kevin, The Journey, in 2021 to massive critical acclaim. Alongside Kevin, the ever-present Graeme Clark (bass) and Graeme Duffin (guitar) front the full seven-piece band that have been headlining several huge festivals.
Go West’s Peter Cox and Richard Drummie first met in 1974. Their debut single We Close Our Eyes was released in the spring of 1985. It reached number 5 in the UK charts and became a top 10 hit in the USA. This ‘overnight’ success was followed by three further UK top 10 hits – Call Me, Goodbye Girl and Don’t Look Down.
The album ‘West sold 2 million copies worldwide and remained on the UK chart for 83 weeks, establishing them as one of the finest song-writing partnerships to emerge in the 80’s. In 1986 they won the BRIT Award for Best British Newcomer – the one BRIT which was decided by the listening public.
They have enjoyed numerous chart singles worldwide, notably King Of Wishful Thinking, the opening song in the extremely successful film Pretty Woman. The film’s soundtrack has sold over 10 million copies. King Of Wishful Thinking received ASCAP Awards in 1991 and 1992 as one of the most played songs on American radio. Faithful, the second single from their Indian Summer album received similar BMI Awards in 1992 and 1993.
Six albums and 20 million sales later, Go West are stronger than ever, entertaining audiences at huge festivals worldwide.
Tickets will be available from Ticketmaster.