In August and September 2023, multi-national progressive rockers Big Big Train undertook their longest ever tour to date, performing 17 shows over 21 days across nine countries in the UK and Europe, and concluding with two triumphant concerts at London’s prestigious Cadogan Hall. Those two concerts are now immortalised as A Flare On The Lens, released on 13th September 2024 via InsideOutMusic.
This new concert film package includes every song performed by the band over those two evenings and is available as a limited 3CD+Blu-ray media book, with the concert film audio mixed in 5.1 surround sound and stereo. A gatefold 180g 2LP vinyl version is also available, that features a carefully selected range of material from the Cadogan Hall shows.
To mark the announcement, they have released a video of the band performing ‘A Boy In Darkness’ that you can watch here at RAMzine.
Lead vocalist Alberto Bravin commented: ’”’A Boy In Darkness’ is one of the most emotional and difficult Big Big Train songs to sing and interpret. It’s amazing how the mood of the song changes completely from a very dark place to a crowd-pleasing clapping section that leads to a tragic and powerful finale.”
Bassist Gregory Spawton said: “’A Boy In Darkness’ takes the listener – and the band – on a historical and musical journey. We had never played it live until last year and it was a bit overlooked within our back catalogue. I always thought that it was one of David Longdon’s most accomplished songs and deserved greater prominence. The audience reaction every time we performed it reinforced that view.”
Violinist Clare Lindley also commented: “There is a weight to ‘A Boy in Darkness’, a held tension, which is there right from the start and builds throughout the song to the magnificent final chorus. It’s a tremendous song to play live, full of interesting lines and melodies and, for me, an exciting instrumental section where I play all the violin and flute solos. I think the music carries the subject matter perfectly.”
A Flare On The Lens features the band’s full show at Cadogan Hall from the second of their two nights there last year and also includes seven songs which were played only on the first night. It is the sight and sound of Big Big Train back on an upwards curve and re-establishing itself as one of the rock music scene’s most compelling live bands.
Tracks featured are: ‘Folklore’*, ‘The Connection Plan’*, ‘Curator Of Butterflies’*, ‘Summoned by Bells’*, ‘Drums & Brass 2023’*, ‘Love Is The Light’*, ‘A Boy In Darkness’*, Apollo’*, ‘Acoustic Medley’, East Coast Racer’*, ‘Victorian Brickwork’*, ‘Oblivion’, ‘Swan Hunter’, ‘Keeper Of Abbeys’, ‘Brooklands’, ‘Hedgerow’, ‘Telling The Bees’ and ‘Judas Unrepentant’ (NB: *included on 2LP vinyl release)
You can order A Flare On The Lens and stream ‘A Boy in Darkness’ here.
For more about Big Big Train and their forthcoming UK at RAMzine click here.
