Photo credit: Massimo Goina
Big Big Train are back with their 15th studio album ‘The Likes Of Us’ which will be out on March 1st, 2024. The album is the internationally-based group’s first full collection of songs since the unexpected passing of long-serving lead vocalist David Longdon in late 2021. Besides marking the debut of new frontman Alberto Bravin, a former member of the Italian band Premiata Forneria Marconi, ‘The Likes Of Us’ also heralds the beginning of a new relationship with InsideOutMusic, the group having self-released their music for almost two decades.
Today, on Valentine’s Day, the band are pleased to reveal the video for ‘Love Is The Light’, filmed in May 2023 during their time recording the album in Trieste, Italy. Watch the Tim Sidwell-directed video here:
Alberto Bravin comments: “This song recounts a difficult period in my life and how I got through it. In 2018 my daughter was born, I had a happy life and was travelling around the world playing a lot of gigs with PFM. But for no apparent reason I became deeply depressed. The most difficult challenge is not to heal, but to admit what’s happening. And you can do it only if you have real support from the people around you. My wife, Nicole, was always there for me and she helped me find the light. And she’s still doing it: with love.”
Gregory Spawton adds: “When Alberto submitted Love Is The Light as a song to be considered for The Likes Of Us, we really required no discussion about whether to include it on the album or not – it was an absolute no brainer that we should record it. It’s a beautiful ballad that draws from Alberto’s personal experience but also has universal appeal. When we played Love Is The Light live on tour last year, it got a terrific response every night and I hope people will take the song to their hearts as we have.”
The band have also just announced UK & European tour dates for September/October 2024. The full list of dates is below:
17th September – Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, UK
18th September – The Riverfront, Newport, UK
19th September – Playhouse Theatre, Whitley Bay, UK
21st September – Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
22nd September – Palace Theatre, Newark, UK
24th September – Stables Theatre, Milton Keynes, UK
25th September – The Stoller Hall, Manchester, UK
27th September – Stadthalle, Weinheim, Germany
28th September – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
29th September – Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
1st October – Cosmopolite, Oslo, Norway
2nd October – Viften, Copenhagen, Denmark
The band will also perform for the first ever time in the USA in March 2024, including an appearance on Cruise To The Edge. The full list of shows can be found below:
1st March – Sweetwater Performance Theatre, Fort Wayne, Indiana (sold out)
2nd March – Rivoli Theater at the Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
3rd March – Rivoli Theater at the Williams Center, Rutherford, New Jersey
5th March – Regent Theatre, Arlington (Boston), Massachusetts
6th March – Electric City, Buffalo, New York
8th-13th March – Cruise To The Edge (sold out)
The band have also confirmed two summer 2024 festival appearances at the final Night of the Prog Festival in Germany on 21st July, and Cropredy Festival in the UK on 9th August.
Ticket links for all shows are at www.bigbigtrain.com/live
Pre-order now here: https://bigbigtrain.lnk.to/TheLikesOfUs
The album’s full track listing is as follows:
1. Light Left In The Day 06:10
2. Oblivion 05:27
3. Beneath The Masts 17:26
4. Skates On 04:28
5. Miramare 10:17
6. Love Is The Light 06:11
7. Bookmarks 06:23
8. Last Eleven 07:55
