Squeeze to play Birmingham on anniversary tour

Symphony Hall dates to form part of golden anniversary tour.

To celebrate their momentous 50th anniversary, British music legends Squeeze have announced a massive UK tour for 2024 including two shows at the Birmingham Symphony Hall on the 5th and 6th October. With a half-century distinguished by some of the smartest and sweetest guitar-pop made during the rock & roll era, Squeeze will be performing an impressive list of hits and rare gems from their extensive back catalogue. They will be joined by special guest Badly Drawn Boy.

Tickets go on sale 10:00AM, Friday 1st December via gigsandtours.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.

Squeeze are one of rock’s vital institutions, a band who carved out a distinctive place in the pop firmament with their vibrantly melodic, perceptive songs. Those songs were written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, the composers who have remained at the heart of Squeeze since its inception. Hits such as Up the Junction, Cool for Cats, Another Nail in My Heart, and Tempted led critics to label Difford and Tilbrook the next Lennon and McCartney, an assessment that wasn’t proven to be hyperbole.

Squeeze in the 1990s delivered exquisitely crafted record. Reuniting in 2007 after solo careers, the ensuing decades have found Squeeze continuing to build their formidable body of work and the band have stayed on the road through the early 2020s, taking time to record the Food for Thought charity EP in 2022 raising foods and funds for food banks.

With Difford and Tilbrook joined by bassist Owen Biddle, guitarist Melvin Duffy, percussionist Steve Smith, keyboardist Stephen Large and drummer Simon Hanson – the sound and spirit of Squeeze remains vital and vibrant for its fiftieth year.

Squeeze have confirmed that they will once again be supporting charity The Trussell Trust, which provides emergency food and support to people who cannot afford the essentials, while campaigning for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. Fans are invited on the tour to bring along food donations to the shows, where there will be collection points across the venue each night. There will also be collection buckets for any cash donations. All donations will be distributed to people in crisis across the 1,300 food bank centres in the Trussell Trust network. Visit trusselltrust.org/donate-food to find out how to make a donation to your local food bank and the items they most need this winter.

Joining Squeeze on their anniversary festivities is one of the UK’s most treasured songwriters Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy, who also recently celebrated a musical milestone, 25 years of releasing music. His set will feature a career-spanning set of hits and fan favourites.

Squeeze’s 28 date nationwide tour, culminating at London’s Royal Albert Hall, is only part of their 50th anniversary celebrations. Difford and Tilbrook are currently working on their first new material since The Knowledge and are deep diving into the archives for previously unreleased material. Watch this space….