Southbank Centre announces series of livestream gigs

The Southbank Centre has announced a series of livestream events set to take place over the next three months.

Reviving its ‘Inside Out’ multi-arts series which took place last autumn, the London arts institution is inviting audiences to enjoy a number of online performances and discussions from the comfort of their own living rooms.

On the music side of things, The Cinematic Orchestra’s postponed global stream from the Royal Festival Hall will now take place on January 29. With “mesmeric event production”, fans can expect “a truly unforgettable visual experience for this very special one-off event”, according to a press release.

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The event, which will be the first time the band have played the Southbank Centre, will be streamed globally on DICE – get tickets here.

On March 6, Black Country, New Road will play their first major gig of 2021, performing a streamed show from the Queen Elizabeth Hall (tickets here), while the London Contemporary Orchestra will perform from the same venue on March 19 – get tickets here.

“While 2020 was undoubtedly a horrific year for our industry, we did see unprecedented demand for music streaming and on-demand gigs, showing – more than ever – just how much the UK’s cultural scene means to its people,” Bengi Ünsal, the Southbank Centre’s head of contemporary music said.

Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra’s postponed Royal Festival Hall performance will take place later this month. CREDIT: Dan Medhurst

“One particular success story was Black Country, New Road who, on the back of just two tracks, found critical acclaim. The Southbank Centre has always championed some of the country’s most exciting new prospects and we are delighted to be platforming the band as they release their debut album; we can’t wait to watch them take their alt-rock sound to international audiences.”

He continued: “Elsewhere, we ring in 2021 with a global stream from the ever-innovative London Contemporary Orchestra who present orchestral versions of two of 2020’s electronic masterpieces. And to kick things off, we host the much-anticipated global stream from The Cinematic Orchestra; undoubtedly one of the most influential British bands of the last 20 years, they’ll treat audiences to exclusive new music from their forthcoming album.”

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Elsewhere on the programme, Skunk Anansie‘s Skin will launch her new memoir on March 4 – she is also due to play Grace Jones’ Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre in June.

Ethan Hawke, Fearne Cotton and Raven Leilani will be taking part in some of the non-musical ‘Inside Out’ events. For more information, visit the Southbank Centre’s website.






Meanwhile, Skunk Anansie have announced rescheduled dates for their planned 2020 tour, and added an additional show.

The 25th anniversary shows, initially announced in February, were meant to take in a trio of summer gigs last year followed by an extensive tour throughout October, November and December.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the gigs were unable to take place, but the band have now announced a new run of shows beginning in June.