Deacon Blue dropped their brand new studio album ‘The Great Western Road’ on Friday 21 March 2025 via Cooking Vinyl and they also announced some new UK and Ireland tour dates, with one of those being here locally at the Brighton Centre on Saturday 20 September – Tickets HERE.
Ricky Ross says: “I love the idea that a circus coming to town is a temporary existence, a little bit of magic suddenly appears in the middle of a town or a village and then it goes away. It’s very similar to what you do live. The live experience is so ephemeral, at the end of a show people lose all their inhibitions, and then it’s over. You have to be there. That’s what’s magical about it.”
He added “….we have some amazing nights at the big shows in the arenas, we suit the show to the place we’re playing and our mantra is ‘we want people to have the best night of their lives’. Every night has got to be brilliant.”
2025 marks 40 years since Ricky Ross met Dougie Vipond and they started to form Deacon Blue, the songs on ‘The Great Western Road’ reflect the journey the band has taken and remain honest to the age and experience they all share. Ricky Ross: “It’s just the next part of the adventure and it’s as exciting now as it was back in 1988”.
The new album was preceded by the ‘Late ’88’ single on Friday 29 November last year which fondly remembers the care-free excitement of those early days. ‘The Great Western Road’, recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios, sees Ricky Ross and (Deacon Blue guitarist and long term collaborator) Gregor Philp return to production duties, having last produced the bands’ Top 5 charting and their previous full length album, 2020’s ‘City Of Love’. This album was recorded by Matt Butler, who first worked with the band on their debut, ‘Raintown’.
Deacon Blue Arena Tour Dates 2025:
Fri 19 Sept Liverpool M+S Bank Arena
Sat 20 Sept Brighton Centre
Mon 22 Sept Birmingham Utilita Arena
Tues 23 Sept Leeds FirstDirect Arena
Thurs 25 Sept Bournemouth International Centre
Fri 26 Sept Cardiff Utilita Arena
Sun 28 Sept Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Mon 29 Sept Sheffield Utilita Arena
Weds 1 Oct Manchester AO Arena
Fri 3 Oct London Wembley OVO Arena
Sun 5 Oct Hull Connexin Live
Mon 6 Oct Newcastle Utilita Arena
Weds 8 Oct Dublin 3Arena
Fri 10 Oct Glasgow Hydro
Sat 11 Oct Glasgow Hydro
Tour tickets can be purchased HERE and HERE.
Deacon Blue last performed live in Brighton on 30th September 2023 – Read our review of that night HERE.
