In Association with the Music Venue Trust.
Fresh from the release of their acclaimed debut album, Essex, Drugs and Rock and Roll and a raucous UK headline tour that included a sold-out night at London’s Electric Ballroom, Bilk have announced their return with a new set of dates this autumn – a Grassroots Venue Tour in association with Music Venue Trust.
The Chelmsford trio will become the first band to tour under the new Liveline Fund, created by Music Venue Trust and Save Our Scene (SOS). The initiative distributes funding directly to grassroots venues, artists and promoters, with support raised via contributions from arena and stadium ticket sales. Artists including Sam Fender, Coldplay, Enter Shikari and Katy Perry have already backed the Grassroots Levy, helping to secure the future of the UK’s independent music scene.
It’s a cause close to Bilk’s heart. Like many of the UK’s most vital bands, they earned their stripes playing tiny rooms across the country, building their cult following through sweaty, no-frills gigs and growing with each tour. It’s the same road taken by festival headliners such as The 1975, Bring Me The Horizon and Biffy Clyro – and Bilk are now determined to give back.
Frontman Sol Abrahams says:
“This tour is obviously gonna be chaos. We’ve been wanting to do a tour of grassroots venues for a while, as we’ve seen a lot of these places keep closing down and it ain’t good for music. Everyone deserves a chance to grow – when we were coming up as a band, those were the places we’d play week in and week out. We need real life, we need real energy, real connection, in the flesh, in person. That’s what it’s about. That’s why we’re doing this. It’s gonna be sweaty, intimate and a good time – so to our fans, we’ll see you there!”
Known for their raw blend of punk, indie rock and British realism, Bilk have spent the past year winning fans across the UK and Europe, with appearances at Reading & Leeds, The Great Escape, SXSW, Truck and more. Their notorious live shows – including one banned in-store at Rough Trade – continue to build their reputation as one of the UK’s most unmissable new acts.
In addition to their UK Grassroots dates, Bilk will also appear at a string of major European festivals and headline shows this summer and autumn.
Tour Dates (UK Only)
OCTOBER
5th – Sunderland, The Independent
6th – York, The Crescent
7th – Sheffield, Sidney and Matilda
8th – Hull, The Polar Bear
10th – Preston, The Ferret
11th – Manchester, SOUP
12th – Chester, Alexander’s Live
14th – Liverpool, The Jacaranda
15th – Lincoln, The Komodo
17th – Peterborough, The Met Lounge
18th – Hertford, Corn Exchange
19th – Colchester, Coda
21st – Bedford, Esquires
22nd – Oxford, Bullingdon
24th – Milton Keynes, Crauford Arms
25th – Bournemouth, Anvil
26th – Guildford, Boileroom
28th – Tunbridge Wells, The Forum
29th – Hastings, The Piper
NOVEMBER
1st – London, The 100 Club
Tickets are on sale now at bilkband.com
