Cardinal Black, the Welsh-formed trio of frontman Tom Hollister, guitarist Chris Buck, and drummer Adam Roberts – take their next monumental step with the announcement of their new album, ‘Midnight At The Valencia’ - out May 23rd on Thirty Tigers.
The resplendent Midnight At The Valencia is a testament to the band’s self- carved path, from their humble beginnings in university dive bars to sharing stages with legends like Peter Frampton, at his sold-out Royal Albert Hall show, as well as Joe Bonnamassa and Myles Kennedy. Produced by Cyrill Camenzind (James Morrison, Alain Clark) at Powerplay Studios in Zurich, the album is a rich tapestry of love, loss, grief, and hope, brought to life by vintage analogue equipment and the band’s undeniable chemistry. With ‘Midnight At The Valencia’, the band set out to create a record that represented their “10,000 hours” of work, having played in just about every backwater dive bar and neon-soaked club they’d come across: “It’s a long, shared history we have,” Hollister says. “We feel like we’ve paid our dues, and this album is the culmination of all that effort.”
Now, Cardinal Black have honed their sound into a powerful, genre-defying statement.From the haunting introspection of ‘Push/Pull’, written in the wake of Buck’s father’s passing, to the Americana-infused uplift of ‘Need More Time’, the album is a masterclass in storytelling and musicianship. Hollister’s evocative lyrics and Buck’s virtuosic guitar work shine throughout, culminating in the rousing closer, ‘Your Spark’, a heartfelt tribute to Hollister’s wife.
The road to success has been anything but conventional. Their story began when theywere tipped by Steve Winwood, who invited them to record at his own Wincraft Studios. Soon came the offer of a U.S. record deal and a collaboration with Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven. Reality didn’t match expectations, and the band went their separate ways before ever releasing an album. The band’s paths diverged but never truly separated. Buck’s distinctive guitar playing earned him numerous accolades and praise from some of the most distinguished players in Slash and Jason Isbell. The band remained close, reuniting sporadically to play together until they decided to reform.
Nearly two years of writing, recording and rehearsing provided solid foundations, andwithin 24 hours, their debut single ‘Tell Me How It Feels’, caused an instant sensation,knocking Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds from their perch at the top of the iTunes and Amazon Rock Charts.. Both their first EP and subsequent debut album also reached #1, and the band soon found themselves recording in Abbey Road’s legendary Studio Two. “It was a blessing and a curse, releasing an album while the world was still distracted in that way,” Buck says. “It took a lot of the pressure off and enabled us to figure things out as we went along.”
Having cemented themselves as live powerhouses, Cardinal Black have embarked on tours across Europe, the UK, and the US, selling out iconic venues like London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, The Troubadour in L.A., and Basement East in Nashville. Their electrifying performances have earned them a reputation as one of the most compelling live acts today.
Access Information
The Union building – although challenging, is accessible with lift access across all floors of the venue and accessible gender-neutral WC’s available in each venue.
The Union building is set-out on six levels but there is either ramped or lift access to every level with the distance from the main entrance to the furthest part of the venues approximately 200 metres.
We have drop-down bars in all of our venues.
Bookings & Ticketing
The LUU Stylus venue has limited space for accessibility. Accessibility tickets are only purchasable through the LUU Stylus website and once these tickets have been sold, we cannot accept any further accessibility requests. If you require Accessibility tickets and these are no longer available, please do not purchase a GA ticket and expect to be accommodated as these will be refused. This is a strict policy to make sure the venue is safe for all customers. Tickets will be verified on the door so please be aware that if you have bought an access ticket and do not have access requirements, you will be refused entry to the venue.
Accessible Viewing Platform: All of our venues have a designated accessible viewing area.
Please note: there is limited space in this area, and it is reserved on a first come, first served basis.
Wheelchairs: We have space for 4 wheelchairs per event in our venues. Please note: there is limited space in this area, and it is reserved on a first come, first served basis.
Priority Entry: This will allow you access 15 minutes early entry prior to doors, so you can find a suitable position that is comfortable for you. We also provide this for all seated and wheelchair spaces.
Seated Spaces: We can provide seated spaces for anyone who needs them. Please note that any companions will not automatically be provided a seated ticket, as these are of limited availability, we always reserve these for those with accessibility needs. Companions are however welcome to stand in the seated area.
Customers With Medical Needs:
We welcome attendees who need to bring medicines, food or drink to manage medical conditions, or medical equipment. Please contact our access team if you have any concerns.
Assistance Dogs: We are proactive on the use of assistance dogs and can provide water and other facilities should you require them.
Strobe Lighting: The venues do include strobe lighting and other ‘flash-based’ effects as standard. In addition, as many of our events include aspects of ‘toured production’ – which are outside of the venue’s control, we urge you to contact us for more information on an event-specific basis at the earliest opportunity.
Toilets:
We have an access toilet on almost every floor of the building.
All of our toilets are accessible by lifts, which means whichever venue you’re in, you’re never far from your nearest accessible toilet.
Baby Changing Facilities: Our accessible toilets are equipped with baby changing facilities. We also have a dedicated changing place.
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