UB40
Red Red Wine Tour
Four-time Grammy® nominated band UB40 announces the addition of 17 new shows for their upcoming “RED RED WINE TOUR” U.S. summer tour, which kicks off in New York City on July 2. With an evening at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California announced for July 31, the tour will also expand to cities in West Virginia, Delaware, Indiana, Illinois, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona, at major amphitheaters and performing arts centers across America. Tickets and fan experiences are available for purchase at UB40.GLOBAL and local ticket outlets (fan experiences are provided by 237 Global).
Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, May 3, at 10AM.
Coinciding with the recent release of the legendary band’s 45th Anniversary album, UB45, (HERE), the group returns to the U.S. for a third straight year, bringing fans special live performances of their worldwide hit singles to the stage with “Red Red Wine,” “Food For Thought,” “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You,” and more, in addition to new songs from UB45. Special guests will be featured on select dates including The English Beat, Maxi Priest, Inner Circle and Third World (check local listings).
UB45, available worldwide, recently topped the UK album charts, and their new single, “Forever True,” scored #1 on the UK iTunes single download chart, clocking in more than 200,000 YouTube views since its release. As the new official anthem of Birmingham City Football Club, the band’s UK hometown, the song features new lyrics set to the beat of “Food For Thought,” and was released to mark the opening of St. Andrew @ Knighthead Park and UB40 playing their first show of the year there. (Knighthead Park owned by Knighthood Capital which includes Tom Brady & Tom Wagner) It will be also available as a bonus track on the limited edition vinyl and CD of UB45. Listen/view “Forever True” HERE.
Says Robin Campbell, “We’re excited to get back to the States again for our third year in a row, as we love coming to America. We can’t wait to play songs from our new album that we’re so very proud of, showcasing Matt Doyle’s vocals on the tracks. He’s brought a new lease of life to our music, as has the addition of our 'permanent guest’ MC Gilly G and my son on backing vocals, Matt Campbell, carrying on the legacy. When you play songs over so many years, the arrangements and vocals evolve and change. These updated versions of our hits are still close to the originals, but now reflect how we perform them today and they sound better than ever.”
Adds Jeff Epstein of UAA: “It’s always such an honor to work with these legends and to bring them to the USA for their yearly run. They are so talented in being able to replicate the quality of their recorded albums and at the same time bring a freshness and excitement that gets the crowd going every time.”
The world’s biggest-selling reggae group, with more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, UB40 members James Brown (drums), Robin Campbell (guitar/vocals), Earl Falconer (bass/vocals), Norman Hassan (percussion/vocals), Martin Meredith (keyboards/WX7/saxophone), Jahred Gordon (keyboards), Laurence Parry (trumpet/flugel/trombone), Ian Thompson (saxophone), Gilly G (MC vocals), Matt Campbell (backing vocals) – and lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Doyle – are an English reggae and pop multi-cultural band originally formed in Birmingham, England. With more than 50 UK Top 40 singles and 10 UK Top 10 albums, the group has been recording and touring since 1978.
Originating as a group of young friends with working-class origins, to creating the world’s most successful reggae band, UB40 has gone on to becoming four-time Grammy® nominees for “Best Reggae Album,” spending a combined 11 plus years on the UK album charts with hit singles including “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You,” “Red Red Wine,” “I Got You Babe (Ft. Chrissie Hynde),” and many more. UB40 is one of the most successful British groups of all time.
UB40’s current lead singer, Matt Doyle, joined the band in 2021, taking over for a retired Duncan Campbell after Doyle’s group, KIOKO, opened for UB40 at The Royal Albert Hall in 2018 -- and then supported them on UB40’s subsequent UK tour and European tours. Doyle’s lead vocals were first featured on the track "You Don't Call Anymore" from UB40's collaboration album BIGGA BAGGARIDDIM, released in 2021; and 2022’s "Champion", the official song of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, which also featured Gilly G and Dapz on the Map, two emcees also from Birmingham.