Big Special: Last News

Sprints, Big Special and more. Find out the details below.The live event is set to return to Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham, between Wednesday July 9 and Saturday July 12.The new announcement comes following the first wave of artists being confirmed back in October, when organisers, for the first time in the festival’s history, announced all of the headliners simultaneously.

BBC Radio 6 Music has announced a series of programming and a one-off Leeds show from Big Special to celebrate Independent Venue Week 2025.This year’s IVW will run across seven days between January 27 to February 2, with hundreds of live shows set to take place across the UK. Gwenno and rEDOLENT were announced as official ambassadors last month.Now, 6 Music has shared details of a week of programs to coincide with the celebrations – including “a five-day deep-dive into the UK’s independent, live music industry”.

Big Special and Master Peace are among the most eye-catching of the 160 new names added in the second round of Showcasing Artists joining the SXSW 2025 line-up.SXSW will be celebrating its 39th year next year, and is set to take place in Austin, Texas from March 10 to 15.Punk duo Big Special and London indie sleaze revivalist Master Peace will be making the journey from the UK alongside Manchester-based jasmine.4.t, who became the first Brit signee to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory record label earlier this year, and singer and multi-instrumentalist Freak Slug.Sam Ryder, who gave the UK its best Eurovision result since 1998, is another notable new inclusion, as are Liverpool indie-punks Gen and the Degenerates.Big Freedia, a pioneer of the New Orleans rap genre bounce who’s been sampled by Beyonce, is set to appear, as are the Tokyo futurepop sister duo Tamanaramen, Barcelona indie rockers HEAL, and Czechia’s Eurovision 2024 entrant Aiko. With over 160 artists, countries from Brazil to Indonesia to Nigeria to Ukraine are represented.

Big Special have shared a statement explaining why they have decided to play The Great Escape amidst the boycott.The gothic Black Country duo – comprised of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – took to their official Instagram account to explain why they will go ahead with performing at this year’s edition of the Brighton-based music festival.The 2024 event – which showcases new and rising artists – is due to take place across various music venues in Brighton from today (May 15) until Saturday (18).The Great Escape is sponsored by Barclays, which has been a source of controversy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza because of the bank’s financial investment in companies that supply arms to Israel.“We will still be performing at The great escape this week and donating our fee to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, of which our label will also match the donation. Here is our statement,” wrote the duo in an Instagram post.A post shared by BIG SPECIAL (@bigspecial_)“There’s been a lot of chat about The Great Escape festival recently and their sponsorship from Barclays, who are helping fund arms sales to Israel, weapons being used to commit war crimes against the Palestinian people.“A lot of bands have boycotted the event in solidarity.

Big Special have shared the politically aware new single ‘Butcher’s Bin’ – check it out below.Announced today (March 13), the new single is the latest to be taken from the duo’s upcoming debut album ‘Postindustrial Hometown Blues’, which is set for release on May 10 via SO Recordings.Following on from the lead single ‘Dust Off / Start Again’, the new track sees Big Special hone in on a synth-dominated sound, and shed light on the attitudes shown towards the working classes in today’s Britain.“‘Butcher’s Bin’ is about class awareness and the realisation that the working classes are used as nothing but a commodity and set against each other at every turn, their existence trivialised and struggles denied; the off cuts tossed to feed the rabid hounds of neoliberalism,” said lead singer Joe Hicklin of the inspiration behind the track.“The song is about all of this from the perspective of declining mental health whilst trying to make a living as an artist and to break through in a time and place where a life In art is seen as a luxury granted to those of a higher social class or a fruitless pursuit for idealistic fools.”Check out the single below.The alternative duo first announced details of their debut album last month, when they revealed the details around the LP and dropped the first teaser ‘Dust Off / Start Again’.According to the band, both tracks capture the essence of the forthcoming album, and look to unite them with listeners through their “common struggles”.“‘Postindustrial Hometown Blues’ is an album about depression.

Big Special have shared a cover of Jona Lewie’s Christmas Classic ‘Stop The Cavalry’ to raise money for children in Gaza.The duo – comprising Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney – took to their official Facebook page to announce the cover of the holiday track. “One last thing to top off the year.