Hi all,

Looking out of our window in Blairhill Towers, it's clear and blue and beautiful ... time for some summer gigs we think! We've just confirmed an outdoors gig at the Midlands Music Festival at Tamworth Castle - a piano-vocal set along with artists like Billy Ocean, Level 42 and Hot Chocolate. Profits are going to ‘Just 1 Life’ - a premature babies charity in Birmingham, so it won't just be a great day out, but all for a good cause too.

Don't forget our forthcoming Kilmarnock gig at the Palace Theatre on 27th May. It's always a thrill to take an acoustic piano vocal set into a major venue - lots of pin-drop moments and real intimacy to be had on those nights. Hope to see you there.??

And on the forthcoming new studio album - if you've been visiting the Hue And Cry Music Club, you'll know that we have been running a very rich 2010 Studio Diary blog. Lots of details of how it's coming together, exclusive clips from the rehearsal room, snatches of new songs, Greg's detailed production notes... If you want to look inside the highs (and sometimes lows) of making a record, this is where to go. It's sounding good'n'funky'n'soulful, we're excited, hopefully you will be too!

Ok, after you've read this, clicked a few ticket links (of course), go out and get some early-summer rays, and we'll see you at some of these forthcoming gigs. Make sure to say hello if you're there!

best, pat and greg x??

Hue And Cry to appear at the Midlands Music Festival

We’re delighted to announce that Pat and Greg will be performing a piano and vocal show at the Midlands Music Festival at Tamworth Castle on Saturday 17th July. And with the likes of Billy Ocean and Hot Chocolate also playing on the bill it will be a very special day. The event is in aid of ‘Just 1 Life’, a charity dedicated to raising funds to improve the care and treatment of premature babies in the UK. The event starts at 1pm, and more information including ticket links can be found on the Hue and Cry website.

Hue And Cry at Kilmarnock Palace Theatre

Hue And Cry will be heading to Kilmarnock in May to play a special one-off piano and vocal gig at the Kilmarnock Palace Theatre. The all-seated venue is guaranteed to make the evening a special one so make sure you don’t miss out on the opportunity to see them in such an intimate setting. The show takes place on Thursday 27th May and tickets are on sale now. More details can be found on the Hue and Cry website.

ANDY BELL will release a new solo album, 'Non-Stop', on June 7th preceded by a single 'Call On Me' on May 31st. Anyone pre-ordering the album (see NEWS for the preorder link!) will also receive a free remix of the title track by his ERASURE partner VINCE CLARKE. The album also features a duet with JANE'S ADDICTION frontman PERRY FARRELL. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

KYLIE MINOGUE will release a new album 'Aphrodite' on July 5th preceded by a single 'All The Lovers' on June 28th.

ADAM ANT is working on new material in collaboration with a number of musicians including former ADAM & THE ANTS partner MARCO PIRRONI and MORRISSEY collaborator BOZ BOORER. The new album, reportedly called 'Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying The Gunner's Daughter', is described by Adam as 'a very old fashioned, old school, step-by-step album'.

PRINCE has lined up three European festival shows this summer with appearances at Denmark's Roskilde festival, Belgium's Rock Werchter and France's Arras Main Square in July.

BLONDIE will release a new album 'The Panic of Girls' in June and are in the process of announcing live dates to support the record, including three shows in the UK as well as Scotland's Rockness Festival. See GIGS for all the dates.

BOY GEORGE, RICK ASTLEY, KIM WILDE, PAUL YOUNG and NIK KERSHAW will play a special HERE AND NOW concert in Hungary on October 2nd at Budapest's Papp Laszlo Sport Arena.

PET SHOP BOYS will be headlining the Other Stage on the Saturday night of this year's Glastonbury festival.

BROS have reissued their 1989 album 'The Time' in a special expanded edition that also includes remixes and b-sides. See NEWS for the full tracklisting.

SHAKATAK will play a London residency at The Pizza Express Jazz Club from May 27th to 29th May with two shows on the Saturday.

JOHNNY MARR has composed the soundtrack music for the forthcoming film 'The Big Bang' and has described his work for the movie as orchestral sounding using guitars.

JUDIE TZUKE will play a gig to support her recent 'Moon on a Mirrorball' on October 7th at the Union Chapel in London and will be announcing more shows shortly.

BIG FUN have reissued their debut album 'A Pocket Full of Dreams' in a remastered expanded edition featuring the original album alongside seven exclusive bonus tracks including an unreleased cover of 'You've Got A Friend' performed with SONIA and a number of are remixes. See NEWS for the full album tracklisting.

SIMPLY RED will play their last ever concert in December when they finish their farewell tour with a show at London's O2 Arena on December 19th.

Thanks to www.remembertheeighties.com for this weeks news!