HARD-Fi headline Stand Up To Cancer @ Union Chapel on February 6th + support from The Big Pink, Monster Florence, Tom A. Smith and néomí
HARD-Fi have today been announced as the headliner of the illustrious charity gig Stand Up To Cancer @ Union Chapel 2023. Taking place on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH 2023, just days after World Cancer Day (Feb 4th), it’s set to be another sensational evening of live music. Joining them on the night for this very special evening of live performances is an array of exceptional artists including: The Big Pink, Monster Florence, Tom A. Smith and néomí.
Tickets cost £35 +booking fee and are on sale now from www.myticket.co.uk
Speaking about headlining this year’s show HARD-Fi’s Richard Archer says,
“Like so many people out there cancer has impacted our lives so much, we’ve lost dearly loved family members and friends to this shit disease. So we’re very happy to be involved with this years event, hopefully we can make a tiny contribution to having cancer f*ck off once and for all - and do that whilst having a great night out.”
Taking place at the iconic Union Chapel, London, this celebration of fantastic musical talent is all with one intention, to raise funds for Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, that raises money to develop cutting-edge treatments to help save lives.
Performances on the night from:
Making their debut with the Mercury Prize-nominated Stars Of CCTV in 2005, the four-piece proved progressive yet accessible, as with its tales of high street life, club-driven weekends and keeping your head above water on the breadline, the album yielded five top 40 singles. Stars Of CCTV itself reached No.1 and has since gone double platinum in the UK alone.
Second studio LP, Once Upon A Time In The West, also topped the charts, while its lead single Suburban Knights became a Top 10 hit and a firm life favourite at festivals around the globe.
Third album, Killer Sounds, boasted tracks produced by Stuart Price (Madonna, Killers, Dua Lipa), Greg Kirsten (Lily Allen, Beck, Paul McCartney), Andy Grey (Paul Ockenfold, U2) and HARD-Fi’s long-term producer and collaborator Wolsey White. It too reached the Top 10.
Still joint holders of the longest residency at O2 Academy Brixton (a record shared with the likes of Bob Dylan and The Clash) after the band performed at the landmark London venue for five nights straight in 2006, HARD-Fi’s shows were consistently praised by critics and gig-goers alike for living up to good times invoked by their anthemic single, Living For The Weekend.
HARD-Fi returned to the live arena at the end of last year having not played a show since 2014. Performing two nights back to back: Neighbourhood Festival’s Opening Party (Manchester, 30th Sept) and a standalone headline show on October 1st at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town London – the latter sold out in 10 minutes!
These shows featured HARD-Fi’s original line-up of Richard Archer (vocals/guitar), Kai Stephens (bass), Steve Kemp (drums) and Ross Phillips (guitar) performing together after an eight-year break.
Fans had become particularly vocal in calling for a HARD-Fi live return via social media over the last few years. Not only did Archer’s solo livestream charity gig in lockdown tease the prospect as he performed the band’s debut album, Stars Of CCTV, in full, but the Staines-based group’s influence has increasingly being felt of late on a new generation of artists who also fuse dancefloor-friendly grooves and beats with words that candidly chart modern life.
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In September 2022 The Big Pink released their long-awaited third studio album The Love That’s Ours, their first in a decade. Produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Phoenix), The Love That’s Ours features a host of guest collaborators, including Jamie T, Jamie Hince (The Kills), Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Ryn Weaver, Mary Charteris, Ed Harcourt and many more.
Around release it garnered critical support from to name a few The Times, The Independent, NME, Rolling Stone UK & US, NPR, Stereogum and many more. They performed album track ‘Safe and Sound’ live on US TV show The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Marking their first full-length release since 2012’s ‘Future This’, The Big Pink are looking to make this new phase in their journey their biggest yet.
A decade is a long time in music.
One listen to The Big Pink’s latest offerings however, and the ten years since we last heard from them melt away. Grandeur mixed with melancholy, singalong tunes tinged with nagging doubt, dreamlike atmosphere and pure noise, electronic dystopia shrouding a spirit of hope, all driven by the big questions on identity, purpose and belonging… It’s all in there. And those ten years out of view have brought to The Big Pink a new character: experience.
Following their appearance at Union Chapel on February 6th, The Big Pink will headline London’s Moth Club on February 15th. Tickets on sale now HERE.
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Hailing from Essex, the acclaimed six-piece behind ‘Deck of Cards’, ’26 Ghosts’ & ‘Beautiful Death’ have spent the last decade defying genres with their critically revered blend of rap, alt pop, punk, indie, psychedelic rock and more. What originally started off as a few studio sessions between producer Tom and vocalist Alex, soon turned into a full-blown musical project. As a six-member group, each with their own diverse individual backgrounds and mixed bag of musical styles makes Monster Florence somewhat of an anomaly in today’s musical climate.
Following the enormous support for their 2020 EP ‘Cowboys & Idiots’, Monster Florence look set to make their eagerly-awaited new album Master System (out February 10th through Project Melody Music) their most impactful to date. Moving on from their more recent offerings, this new collection sees them venture into unexplored territory to deliver a rousing album that blurs the lines of contemporary music, continuing to push their sound ever forward.
Speaking about the new album, they said, “The quick rise of the digital age has opened a sort of Pandora’s box. Some innovations are designed to connect and enhance our lives, and others are a mockery of life itself. We hang digital art on digital walls to impress digital friends, and meanwhile the world burns.”
Master System will feature the previously released singles; ‘Relax’ featuring legendary punk poet and fellow Colchester resident John Cooper Clarke, ‘Borstal’ and ‘Midnight Club’, which have collectively been praised by the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Gemma Bradley and Nels Hylton, and BBC 6Music’s Angelle Joseph, Kiss Fresh, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio and A&R Worldwide’s Passport Approved, and the vibrant new offering ‘Spaceman’ which it out today. Monster Florence headlined a riotous sold-out show at the Lexington in December ahead of the album’s release.
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Despite still being a teenager, Sunderland-based newcomer Tom A. Smith has already achieved more than most artists do in a lifetime. He played his first ever gig aged just eight, supporting local psychedelic rockers Detroit Social Club at legendary Newcastle venue The Cluny, performed at Glastonbury before he was even in secondary school, and Tim Burgess handpicked him to play his stage at Kendal Calling, making him the festival’s youngest ever performer.
Since releasing his debut single ‘Wolves’ late in 2021, 18yo Wunderkind Tom A. Smith has had a whirlwind experience. He’s released two highly praised EP’s the aptly titled ‘EP1’ and ‘EP2’. Picked up major support from; BBC Radio 1 (Track of the Week – Could I Live With Being Fake and Next Wave & Future Artist support for ‘Never Good Enough’), BBC 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Radio X, Triple J, Spotify, Apple, Deezer, NME, DORK, GIGWISE, The Times, WONDERLAND, NOTION, Official Charts, Louder Than War, Songwriting Magazine and Rolling Stone India's 'Hits of Tomorrow'.
His most recent single ‘Like You Do’ was co-written and co-produced by with Miles Kane. The two performed the track live together late last year on Soccer AM. Tom was personally selected by Sir Elton John to join him at his British Summer Time show at Hyde Park, not to mention appearances at a plethora of festivals in 2022 including Glastonbury, Barn On The Farm, F1 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and opening Leeds Festival to more than 6000 music fans. He was previously selected as Amazon Music's Breakthrough Artist of the month and features on Matt Wilkinson’s Ones to Watch 2023 list on Apple Music.
Having already played a ton of gigs throughout the last two years, including supporting Courteeners, Miles Kane, Martha Hill, Vistas, Blondes, The Pale White, Eliza and The Bear, Gang of Youths, and Sunset Sons, as well as shows at The Great Escape and Neighbourhood Weekender, Tom A. Smith completed his debut UK headline tour in December 2022. This year is set to be a breakout year for the Tom A. Smith.
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néomí, aka Surinamese/Dutch folk-pop singer-songwriter Neomi Speelman, made her incredible debut in 2022 with the release of her critically acclaimed debut EP ‘before’ via [PIAS]. Garnering over one million streams and 125k Spotify monthly listeners as well as landing her first global Apple Music playlists in ‘Breaking Singer/Songwriter’ and ‘New in Singer-Songwriter’ not to mention tastemaker support from the likes of CLASH, The Independent, GIGWISE, Under The Radar, La Blogotheque, Cool Hunting, Ones To Watch, Record Of The Day (Song of the Day for each single) and many more.
Having recently returning to deliver her stunning comeback single ‘red balloon’, she continues her vibrant ascent with the announcement today of her second EP ‘after’, which is set for release on April 14th via [PIAS] and showcased by the captivating new delight ‘skipping stone’. Over the course of the six tracks on néomí’s ‘after’ EP she demonstrates her emotional intelligence and beautifully bares her soul.
Ahead of her appearance at Union Chapel she will be performing at industry showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, Netherlands and she recently announced her debut headline show at the iconic Paradiso, Amsterdam on May 7th.
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Launched in 2016 and now going into its fifth year, the event is a key part of the Stand Up To Cancer fundraising calendar. Having welcomed to the stage over the years a host of incredible talent including; Lewis Capaldi, White Lies, Maisie Peters, Laura Mvula, Kodaline, James Morrison, Marika Hackman, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Tom Smith (Editors), Andy Burrows (Razorlight) and many more and raising over £40,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Past comperes on the night have been; current host du jour BBC Radio 1 daytime presenter Vick Hope, the inimitable Radio DJ and presenter Chris Stark and esteemed Radio and TV presenter Edith Bowman. 2023’s compere to be announced at a later date.
It’s a truly magical and unique evening of live performances from established artists to the rising stars of tomorrow. Get your tickets now to avoid missing out.
Tickets cost £35 +booking fee and are on sale now from www.myticket.co.uk
Kilimanjaro Live will donate the net profits from this event to Cancer Research UK in support of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. Net profits are calculated as the revenue from ticket sales less production costs. If the event sells out, this would equate to about £10 per ticket sold. Stand Up To Cancer and Stand Up To Cancer Brand Marks are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (No. 1089464), Scotland (No. SC041666) and Isle of Man (No 1103).
For more information on this event and all media enquiries please contact:
Lorraine Long
Tel: 07792 643575
E: Lorraine@longevitypr.com
Notes to editors
About Stand Up To Cancer (UK)
Stand Up To Cancer is a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 that brings the UK together to speed up progress in life-saving cancer research
Supported by the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) in the US and launched in the UK in 2012, Stand Up To Cancer funds translational research, turning academic breakthroughs in the labs into new treatments that make a real difference for people with cancer.
More than £93 million has been raised in the UK to date, funding 64 clinical trials and projects involving more than 13,000 cancer patients
Research projects include the development of pioneering technology to detect super low levels of cancerous DNA in blood to improve the way we diagnose ovarian cancer, developing a new immunotherapy drug to boost the power of the immune system against cancer, exploring an entirely new approach to treating bowel cancer, and much more
Stars such as Naomi Campbell, Noel Gallagher, Tom Hardy, Gillian Anderson, Idris Elba, Andy Murray, James Corden, Martin Freeman, Jamie Oliver, Richard Ayoade, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Peter Crouch, Abbey Clancy, Danny Dyer, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Lily James, Rosamund Pike, Sophie Turner, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones, Maya Jama, Joe Lycett and Roman Kemp are just some of the talent who have supported Stand Up To Cancer
To find out more about Stand Up To Cancer and how you can support, visit su2c.org.uk or channel4.com/SU2C or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok