Following last Friday’s announcement of the new studio album “The Likes Of Us” by award-winning progressive rock band Big Big Train to be released on 1st March 2024, the band is delighted to announce four shows in the USA in March 2024. These shows are in addition to the band’s previously announced co-headlining appearances next year on board Cruise To The Edge in March and at the final Night Of The Prog in Germany in July as well as their debut at Cropredy Festival in the UK in August.
The band will perform for the first time ever in the United States as follows:
- 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 can be found HERE. The band’s two performances at the Rivoli Theater will feature substantially different set lists. Tickets for all shows will go on sale at 10 AM Eastern US time on Friday 15th December.
“We could not be more pleased to be bringing Big Big Train to the USA for the first time,” comments lead vocalist Alberto Bravin. “We know that over the years a number of fans have traveled huge distances from North America to see the band play live in the UK and Europe. It’s wonderful that we can now re-pay that commitment so that they will be able to have the opportunity to see us in the States.”
“I’ve wanted Big Big Train to play in North America for many years,” drummer Nick D’Virgilio adds. “We’ve been thwarted a couple of times previously, so this is long overdue. We can’t wait to perform for our North American fans who have been so patient waiting for the band to cross the Atlantic. As we have only a small time window that works for all of us, this is a very short run of dates, but if the shows go well then we will aim to return soon!”
For these four shows the band’s line-up will consist of Alberto Bravin (lead vocals), Nick D’Virgilio (drums), Oskar Holldorff (keyboards), Clare Lindley (violin), Rikard Sjöblom (guitars/keyboards) and Gregory Spawton (bass) as well as an additional multi-instrumentalist who will play trumpet, guitar and keyboards.
“In an ideal world Big Big Train would include a full brass section at every show, but financial realities just don’t allow us that luxury currently,” explains Gregory Spawton. “Going forward we want Big Big Train to play as many shows as possible – meaning that we will be performing some shows with and some without the brass section. We’re keen to retain a brass element in all shows however and therefore Dave Foster has very graciously agreed to sit out our North America shows so that we can bring in a trumpet player, whose name we will be announcing soon.”
“Playing with a trumpet player is going to give these US shows a different flavor,” Rikard Sjöblom says. “We’ve got a great set list planned and I’m excited about being able to show what Big Big Train can do as a seven-piece live band before we re-unite with a full brass section for the two shows on board Cruise To The Edge.”
Las week the band shared the music video for the first single from the album, a track titled ‘Oblivion’ which the band was seen performing on their UK and European tour in August and September 2023. The clip was filmed by Tim Sidwell of Toward Infinity at Urban Recording Studio in Trieste, and you can watch it below.
“The Likes Of Us” will be released on several different formats, including for the first time as Dolby Atmos mixed by The Pineapple Thief’s Bruce Soord, while the stereo mixes were undertaken by the band’s regular engineer Rob Aubrey.
The Dolby Atmos mix will come as part of the Limited CD & Blu-ray Mediabook edition that also contains the album as 5.1 Surround Sound & 24-bit high-resolution stereo. The album will also be available as a Gatefold 180g 2LP (available in black, sky blue, olive green, and orange formats), Standard CD Jewelcase, and Digital Album. The stunning artwork was created by the band’s longstanding collaborator Sarah Louise Ewing, with layouts by Steve Vantsis.
Pre-order “The Likes Of Us”: UK, Europe, Rest of the World HERE, North America HERE, and digitally HERE.
The album’s full track listing is as follows:
- Light Left In The Day 6:10
- Oblivion 5:27
- Beneath The Masts 17:26
- Skates On 4:28
- Miramare 10:17
- Love Is The Light 6:11
- Bookmarks 6:23
- Last Eleven 7:55
