About this Event
40 years after the release of debut album Rave on, Irish songwriter Andy White is touring the UK and Ireland January–February 2026 in support of new live album The night is approaching though some would say it was morning (Floating World Records). Starting in Bangor, Northern Ireland, before Christmas, the tour builds towards a special music and conversation event at the cross-community Four Corners Festival in White’s hometown of Belfast on February 6th.
The story of the live album begins with the friendship between Andy and producer John Leckie (The Bends, Muse, Roy Harper, Baba Maal). The two met during one of Peter Gabriel’s recording weeks at Real World Studios and immediately hit it off, with John mixing and producing many of Andy’s recordings (including the recent AT album with Tim Finn). After one of Andy’s concerts, John told him he wanted to buy an album of what he had just heard. A solo album recorded live. No band. No overdubs. “Where are we going to record it?” “The bestsounding room in the world – Studio Two at Abbey Road.”
Andy and John met at Abbey Road. John got his first job there in 1970. The day of his interview the Beatles were wearing suits, getting ready to cross the road. Andy had listened to albums recorded there and looked at photos taken there since Revolver played at school parties. Giles Martin was driving out as they drove in. Andy brought three guitars and an amp. John organised everything, and when he took Andy down the stairs into Studio Two, told him to stop and smell the room. Nothing had changed since those great records had been recorded. You could feel it in the equipment, the fabric, the floorboards.
John had asked Andy to write his best set list. In the afternoon they recorded the first half, in the evening a small group of friends and family arrived, and they recorded the second. You can see what it looked like on the album sleeve, you can hear the room on the record.
Dedicated to Janice Long and Joanna Beckitt, the double-CD set has both evening and afternoon sessions, one on each disc, and includes songs from throughout Andy’s songwriting career – including ‘Religious Persuasion’, ’James Joyce’s Grave’, ’Street Scenes From My Heart’ and ‘Italian Girls on Mopeds’. ‘Theresa Theresa’ is new.
You can hear all of these and selections from his recent spoken word album Good Luck I HopeYou Make It on tour this new year. Andy’s last UK concert appearance was at Glastonbury Festival Left Field Stage with Billy Bragg. Be sure to catch his next.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Border Club, 43 North Bridge Street, Hawick, United Kingdom
GBP 11.55
