Barbara to play their first hometown gig since Summer 2023: News

By John Barlass on 20th December 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

(and news of ANOTHER prestige support slot…!)

One of At The Barrier’s perennial favourites Barbara have lined up a Brighton Bonanza to get 2024 off to a racing start . Get yourselves along to Latest Music Bar in Kemp Town on Thursday 18th January for what is sure to be an early contender for Gig of the Year! AND – Stop Press! – Barbara will be supporting no less a personage than PAUL WELLER on his April UK Tour!!

As far as ways of shedding those post-Christmas blues go, they don’t come much better than this! By way of delivering an early Christmas present, At The Barrier faves, Barbara – quirky fop-poppers, all-round good guys and megastars-in-waiting – have just announced that they’ll be playing their first shows in their Brighton hometown since the summer. And what’s more, this time around, they’ve got together with local heroes The Brighton Beach Boys to put on a show that promises to be very special indeed.

2023 was a momentous year for Barbara. A veritable deluge of new singles have emerged for our delectation – Enduring Love, Pretty Straight Guy and Master Narrative – each one seemingly taking Barbara to to an even more rarified level and, during October and November, they had that tremendously successful jaunt around the UK and Ireland in support of Haircut 100. We caught them at the O2 Ritz in Manchester, and they were truly amazing.

And now, to get 2024 underway with a bang, they’re back. A joint show with The Brighton Beach Boys has long been a fixture on the Barbara Bucket List. Barbara represent just one pocket of admiration for this amazingly talented bunch, known far and wide for their forensic recreations of some of the best pop and rock records ever made. Barbara, of course need no introduction to At The Barrier readers but with a double-bill like this, 18th January will be a night to remember. And – who knows – perhaps the Brighton Bonanza will feature a Barbara/ Brighton Beach Boys burst of Barbara Ann! That’s a whole swarm of bees! We’ll be there – watch this space for the match report.

Latest Music Bar is a small, intimate, venue in the heart of Brighton’s Kemp Town district, close to the Palace Pier. There’s only 100 tickets available for this memorable event and punters seeking some special January memories to tide them through the winter should place their orders without delay. Tickets are available here – see you there!

And, as if this wasn’t all the good news we needed to start 2024 in style, we heard, just as we went to press, that Barbara have been gifted the honour of supporting the great Paul Weller when he tours the UK in April. The exposure gained by playing to sold-out houses in such prestigious venues as Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, York Barbican, Sheffield City Hall and Cambridge Corn Exchange will be invaluable to one of our favourite bands. Who knows – maybe 2024 will be the year that one of our Hot Tips hit the Top!

This is Barbara LIVE! Enjoy this recent performance of Barbara’s May 2023 single, Pretty Straight Guy: