jethro tull tour band members

JETHRO TULL Announces 'The Seven Decades' Summer/Fall 2023 U.S. Tour

Legendary rock band JETHRO TULL has announced "The Seven Decades" tour. Led by Ian Anderson , the concert will feature a rich collection of the best-known JETHRO TULL repertoire from 1968 to date. Fans will recognize the key songs from various albums — songs which put JETHRO TULL and Ian Anderson on the map during these seven decades. "The Seven Decades" tour will hit the U.S. from August through November, with stops in Indianapolis, San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Albany and more.

Tickets to all shows go on sale Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. local, with various presales starting Thursday, April 20 at 10 a.m.

Tour dates:

Aug. 18 - Ravinia Festival - Highland Park, IL Aug. 19 - TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park - Indianapolis, IN Aug. 20 - Rose Music Center at The Heights - Huber Heights, OH Aug. 22 - PNC Pavilion at Riverbend - Cincinnati, OH Aug. 24 - Wolf Trap - Vienna, VA Sep. 26 - The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park - San Diego, CA Sep. 27 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA Sep. 29 - Thunder Valley Casino Resort – The Venue at Thunder Valley - Lincoln, CA Sep. 30 - The Mountain Winery - Saratoga, CA Oct. 01 - Luther Burbank Center for the Arts – Ruth Finley Person Theater - Santa Rosa, CA Oct. 27 - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton, NH Oct. 28 - MGM Music Hall at Fenway - Boston, MA Oct. 29 – Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT Nov. 01 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY Nov. 02 - The Capitol Theatre - Port Chester, NY Nov. 04 - Palace Theatre - Albany, NY

JETHRO TULL will release its 23rd studio album, "RökFlöte" , on April 21 via InsideOut Music . Following 2022's "The Zealot Gene" , the group's first LP in two decades, Anderson and his bandmates are returning with a 12-track record based on the characters and roles of some of the principal gods of the old Norse paganism, and at the same time exploring the "RökFlöte" — rock flute — which JETHRO TULL has made iconic.

"RökFlöte" will be available on several different formats, including two limited deluxe formats that include bonus demo material, extensive liner notes and a Blu-ray featuring Dolby Atmos, 5.1 Surround Sound, alternative stereo mixes by Bruce Soord ( THE PINEAPPLE THIEF ),as well as a bonus track and in-depth interview with Anderson . The album will also be available digitally in the spatial audio formats Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 RA.

Ian explained the album's title and theme in more detail: "The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way. I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute — as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology — their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. The 'final showdown' scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as 'destiny of the Gods', the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can't miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut."

"The Zealot Gene" , released in January 2022, was JETHRO TULL 's 22nd studio album and it garnered critical acclaim across the board. Reaching No. 9 in the U.K. album charts, a feat the band hadn't reached since 1972, it also debuted at No. 4 in Germany, No. 3 in Switzerland, No. 5 in Austria, No. 8 in Finland, as well as top 10 in the U.S. album charts, Current Album charts and Rock Album charts.

With more than 30 albums to their credit and sales totaling more than 50 million, JETHRO TULL are one of the most successful rock bands of all-time with a catalog that contains classics that still resonate today. Led by Anderson , TULL continue to tour throughout the world, entertaining audiences of all ages.

The band consists of:

Ian Anderson - Concert and Alto flutes, Flute d'Amour, Irish whistle and vocals David Goodier - Bass John O'Hara - Piano, keyboards and Hammond Organ Scott Hammond - Drums Joe Parrish-James - Electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).

• Skip to Main Menu
• Skip to Main Content
• Notable Equipment
• Record Labels
• Additional Artists
• Things I Like

Jethro Tull

_________________________________________

Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in December 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.

Discography

• Girlfriend Undermined Perry
• Oates Hates This Hall & Oates LP
• Best '90s American Rock Bands
• Albums Without Their Title Songs
• Prince’s Sister Recalls Last Talks
• New Pete Townshend Live Box

Jethro Tull Announces ‘The Seven Decades’ US Tour

Jethro Tull has announced a 2023 U.S. tour stretching from summer into fall.

Dubbed the Seven Decades tour, the trek will be in support of the prog-rock group’s new album, RokFlote . Performances begin Aug. 18th in Highland Park, Ill. From there, Jethro Tull will wind their way through various parts of the U.S. before wrapping things up on Nov. 4th in Albany, N.Y.

A full list of tour dates can be found below.

RokFlote , Jethro Tull’s 23rd album, arrives Friday. Frontman Ian Anderson previously revealed how he drew on Norse mythology for the album’s title.

“I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute – as in rock music,” he explained. “When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarok from Norse mythology – their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. The ‘final showdown’ scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example.

“Ragnarok translates as ‘destiny of the Gods,’ the ‘rok’ part meaning destiny, course, direction,” he continued. “With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became ‘flote’ in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can’t miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut.”

Jethro Tull, The Seven Decades 2023 U.S. Tour Aug. 18 – Highland Park, Ill. @ Ravina Festival Aug. 19 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park Aug. 20 – Huber Heights, Ohio @ Rose Music Center at The Heights Aug. 22 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Aug. 24 – Vienna, Va. @ Wolf Trap Sept. 26 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Greek Theatre Sept. 29 – Lincoln, Calif. @ Thunder Valley Casino Resort Sept. 30 – Saratoga, Calif. @ The Mountain Winery Oct. 1 – Santa Rosa, Calif. @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts – Ruth Finley Person Theater Oct. 27 – Hampton, N.H. @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Oct. 28 – Boston, Mass. @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway Oct. 29 – Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena Nov. 1 – New York, N.Y. @ Beacon Theatre Nov. 2 – Port Chester, N.Y. @ The Capitol Theatre Nov. 4 – Albany, N.Y. @ Palace Theatre

Jethro Tull Albums Ranked

More from ultimate classic rock.

Jethro Tull announce The Seven Decades US tour

Jethro Tull are to tour The US later in the year in support of umlaut-friendly new album RökFlöte

Jethro Tull have announced a run of US dates. The Seven Decades tour consists of 17 dates spread over a four month period between August and November, with the first show scheduled for the Ravina Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, on August 18. Full dates below.

The tour is is support of the band's upcoming 23rd studio album,  RökFlöte , which will arrive via InsideOut Music this Friday. Pre-sale tickets will be available from April 20 at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster , using the code VINYL. General ticket sales begin the following day.

"The title of this offering went through a little change or two along the way," band leader Ian Anderson says of RökFlöte . "I started with the idea of a predominantly instrumental album for rock flute - as in rock music. When the subject material of the album presented itself, I was drawn to the term Ragnarök from Norse mythology - their version of apocalyptic end times or Biblical Armageddon. 

"The "final showdown" scenario is ubiquitous and inherent in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, for example. Ragnarök translates as destiny of the Gods, the rök part meaning destiny, course, direction. With umlaut firmly in place, courtesy of the Germanic origins of Old Norse, Flute became Flöte in keeping with the spelling. With me so far? I just can't miss the glorious opportunity for a good and legitimate umlaut."

Jethro Tull have released three singles from the album: Hammer On Hammer , Ginnungagap  and   The Navigators .

Jethro Tull: The Seven Decades US tour 2023

Aug 18: Highland Park Ravina Festival, IL Aug 19: Indianapolis TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park, IN Aug 20: Huber Heights Rose Music Center at The Heights, OH Aug 22: Cincinnati PNC Pavilion at Riverbend, OH Aug 24: Vienna Wolf Trap, VA Sep 26: San Diego The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, CA Sep 27: Los Angeles Greek Theatre, CA Sep 29: Lincoln Thunder Valley Casino Resort, CA Sep 30: Saratoga The Mountain Winery, CA Oct 01: Santa Rosa Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, CA Oct 27: Hampton Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, NH Oct 28: Boston MGM Music Hall at Fenway, MA Oct 29: Uncasville Mohegan Sun Arena, CT Nov 01: New York Beacon Theatre, NY Nov 02: Port Chester The Capitol Theatre, NY Nov 04: Albany Palace Theatre, NY

Prog Newsletter

Sign up below to get the latest from Prog, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox!

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.  

"A snapshot of a guitar man at the height of his powers": The first MC5 album in half a century is confirmed – first single out now

"We're excited to finally have a song come out!" Listen to Halestorm and I Prevail's new team-up single, Can U See Me In The Dark?

"Sure, Trower sounded like Hendrix, but he certainly didn't play like him": Robin Trower's classic Bridge Of Sighs gets a lavish 50th birthday makeover

Most Popular

List of Jethro Tull members

Jethro Tull are an English progressive rock band from Blackpool . Formed in December 1967, the group originally included vocalist and flautist Ian Anderson , guitarist and backing vocalist Mick Abrahams , bassist Glenn Cornick and drummer Clive Bunker . Other long-running members include guitarist Martin Barre , who played on all but the first and most recent studio albums, drummer Doane Perry , who was with the group for 28 years, and bassist Dave Pegg , who was with the group almost 16 years.

1967–1981

1981 onwards, bibliography, external links.

The group's current lineup includes Anderson, bassist David Goodier , keyboardist John O'Hara, drummer Scott Hammond and guitarist Jack Clark.

Jethro Tull are an English progressive rock band from Blackpool . Formed in December 1967, the group originally included vocalist and flautist Ian Anderson , guitarist and vocalist Mick Abrahams , bassist Glenn Cornick and drummer Clive Bunker . [1] After contributing to the band's debut album This Was , Abrahams left Jethro Tull in December 1968, citing disagreements with the band's "basic policies, both musically and otherwise". [2] He was replaced before the end of the year by Martin Barre , after rehearsals and stand-in performances by David O'List and Tony Iommi . [3] Keyboardist John Evan was added to the band's lineup in April 1970, after contributing to Benefit as a guest performer. [4] By the end of the year, Cornick had left the band due to "musical differences", with Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond taking his place. [5] Anderson was left as the sole original member of the group by May 1971, when Bunker also left due to their heavy touring schedule. [6] He was replaced by Barriemore Barlow . [7]

After contributing to five albums with Jethro Tull, Hammond-Hammond retired from music in December 1975, with John Glascock taking his place. [8] Dee Palmer (then known as David) was added to the group as a second keyboardist in 1977, having contributed orchestral arrangements to every studio album to date. [9] During the recording of Stormwatch in 1979, Glascock was dismissed from the band due to increasing health problems, with Anderson recording the majority of the album's bass parts. [10] Dave Pegg replaced Glascock for the album's promotional tour, [11] before the former bassist died of complications from heart surgery on 17 November 1979. [1] Following the conclusion of the tour, Barlow, Evan and Palmer departed, with new drummer Mark Craney and "special guest" keyboardist Eddie Jobson joining in early 1980. [12] [13]

Craney and Jobson both left after the A tour in 1981, with their places taken by Gerry Conway and Peter-John Vettese , respectively. [14] Conway left after performing on 1982's The Broadsword and the Beast and the European leg of the album's tour, [15] with Paul Burgess brought in to complete US dates later in the year. [16] In 1984, Doane Perry joined as Conway's permanent replacement after the recording of Under Wraps . [17] The group was placed on temporary hiatus during the mid-1980s as Anderson dealt with throat problems, before returning in 1987 (without Vettese) on Crest of a Knave . [18] Maartin Allcock took over as the band's keyboardist in 1988, remaining until 1991 when Andrew Giddings took his place. [19] Pegg left in 1995 to focus on Fairport Convention , with Jonathan Noyce brought in later as his replacement. [20]

The lineup of Jethro Tull remained stable until 2007, when Noyce and Giddings left the group and were replaced by Anderson's solo bandmates David Goodier and John O'Hara, respectively. [21] Anderson began focusing on releasing and touring under his own name in 2011, when Jethro Tull was essentially disbanded. [22] In August 2017, it was announced that Jethro Tull would return for a tour the following year to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut album This Was , with Anderson solo band members Florian Opahle (guitar) and Scott Hammond (drums) joining the frontman alongside Goodier and O'Hara. [23] In late 2019, Opahle left the band to concentrate on production work and family. He was replaced by Joe Parrish.

• Rabey, Brian (2013), A Passion Play: The Story of Ian Anderson & Jethro Tull , London, England: Soundcheck Books, ISBN   978-0957144248
• Rees, David (1998), Minstrels in the Gallery: A History of Jethro Tull , London, England: Firefly Publishing, ISBN   978-0946719228

Related Research Articles

Jethro Tull are a British progressive rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, in 1967. Initially playing blues rock and jazz fusion, the band soon incorporated elements of English folk music, hard rock and classical music, forging a signature progressive rock sound. The group's lead vocalist, bandleader, founder, principal composer and only constant member is Ian Anderson, who also plays flute and acoustic guitar. The group has featured a succession of musicians throughout the decades, including significant contributors such as guitarists Mick Abrahams and Martin Barre ; bassists Glenn Cornick, Jeffrey Hammond, John Glascock, Dave Pegg, Jonathan Noyce and David Goodier; drummers Clive Bunker, Barrie "Barriemore" Barlow and Doane Perry; and keyboardists John Evan, Dee Palmer, Peter-John Vettese, Andrew Giddings and John O'Hara.

Thick as a Brick is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 3 March 1972. The album contains one continuous piece of music, split over two sides of an LP record, and is intended as a parody of the concept album genre. The original packaging, designed as a 12-page newspaper, claims the album to be a musical adaptation of an epic poem by fictional eight-year-old genius Gerald Bostock, though the lyrics were actually written by the band's frontman, Ian Anderson.

Aqualung , released in March 1971 by Chrysalis Records, is the fourth studio album by the rock band Jethro Tull. Though it is generally regarded as a concept album, featuring a central theme of "the distinction between religion and God", the band have said there was no intention to make a concept album, and that only a few songs have a unifying theme. Aqualung 's success signalled a turning point in the career of the band, which went on to become a major radio and touring act.

A is the 13th studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull. It was released on 29 August 1980 in the UK and 1 September of the same year in the United States.

Stand Up , released in 1969, is the second studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull. It was the first Jethro Tull album to feature guitarist Martin Barre, who would go on to become the band's longtime guitarist until its initial dissolution in 2012. Before recording sessions for the album began, the band's original guitarist Mick Abrahams departed from the band as a result of musical differences with frontman and primary songwriter Ian Anderson; Abrahams wanted to stay with the blues rock sound of their 1968 debut, This Was , while Anderson wished to add other musical influences such as folk rock.

Dave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, primarily a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of folk and rock groups including the Ian Campbell Folk Group and Jethro Tull.

Minstrel in the Gallery is the eighth studio album by British rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1975. The album sees the band going in a different direction from their previous work War Child (1974), returning to a blend of electric and acoustic songs, in a manner closer to their early 1970s albums such as Benefit (1970), Aqualung (1971) and Thick as a Brick (1972). Making use of a newly constructed mobile recording studio commissioned and constructed specifically for the band, the album was the first Jethro Tull album to be recorded outside of the UK, being recorded in tax exile in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Stormwatch is the twelfth studio album by progressive rock band Jethro Tull, released in September 1979. The album is often considered the last in a trio of folk rock albums released by the band at the end of the 1970s, alongside Songs from the Wood (1977) and Heavy Horses (1978). The album's themes deal mostly with the environment, climate and seaside living, and were heavily inspired by the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where frontman Ian Anderson had recently purchased property.

Benefit is the third studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in April 1970. It was the first Tull album to include pianist and organist John Evan – though he was not yet considered a permanent member of the group – and the last to include bass guitarist Glenn Cornick, who was fired from the band upon completion of touring for the album. It was recorded at Morgan Studios, the same studio where the band recorded its previous album Stand Up ; however, they experimented with more advanced recording techniques.

Barrie " Barriemore " Barlow is an English musician, best known as the drummer and percussionist for the rock band Jethro Tull, from May 1971 to June 1980.

Martin Lancelot Barre is an English guitarist best known for his longtime role as lead guitarist of British rock band Jethro Tull, with whom he recorded and toured from 1968 until the band's initial dissolution in 2011. Barre played on all of Jethro Tull's studio albums from their 1969 album Stand Up to their 2003 album The Jethro Tull Christmas Album . In the early 1990s he began a solo career, and he has recorded several albums as well as touring with his own live band.

Jeffrey Hammond , often known by his former stage name Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond , is an English artist and former musician best known for being the bassist of progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1971 to 1975. With Jethro Tull, Hammond played on some of the band's most successful and well-known albums, including Aqualung (1971) and Thick as a Brick (1972).

The Broadsword and the Beast is the 14th studio album by rock band Jethro Tull, released in April 1982 by Chrysalis Records. The album's musical style features a cross between the dominant synthesizer sound of the 1980s and the folk-influenced style that Jethro Tull used in the previous decade. As such, the band's characteristic acoustic instrumentation is augmented by electronic soundscapes. The electronic aspects of this album would be explored further by the band on their next album, Under Wraps (1984), as well as on Ian Anderson's solo album Walk into Light (1983).

John Glascock was a British musician. He was the bassist and occasional lead vocalist of the rock band Carmen from 1972 to 1975; and the bass guitarist for progressive rock band Jethro Tull from 1976 until his death in 1979. Glascock died at the age of 28 as a result of a congenital heart valve defect, which was worsened by an infection caused by an abscessed tooth.

Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick was an English bass guitarist, best known as the original bassist for the British rock band Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970. Rolling Stone has called his playing with Tull as "stout, nimble underpinning, the vital half of a blues-ribbed, jazz-fluent rhythm section".

The Best of Jethro Tull – The Anniversary Collection is a greatest hits album by Jethro Tull, released in 1993. It includes some of the band's biggest hits from 1968 to 1991.

Anthony Williams is an English musician who played bass guitar in the folk rock/rock band Stealers Wheel and who also played with Jethro Tull.

" The Witch's Promise " is a single by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released in January 1970, on the Chrysalis label. It reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart, and was promoted by an appearance on the British chart show Top of the Pops . The B-side was "Teacher", an alternate version of which later appeared on the US release of the album Benefit . In the U.S., the single was released on the Reprise label.

The Zealot Gene is the 22nd studio album by the British rock band Jethro Tull, released on 28 January 2022 by Inside Out Music. Nearly five years in production, it is their first studio album since The Jethro Tull Christmas Album (2003), and their first of all original material since J-Tull Dot Com (1999), marking the longest gap between the band's studio albums.

" Teacher " is a song by the British rock band Jethro Tull, first released as the B-side to the January 1970 single "The Witch's Promise", on the Chrysalis label. Written by the band's frontman Ian Anderson, the song is a comment on the corruption of self-styled gurus who used their followers for their own gain.

• 1 2 Eder, Bruce. "Jethro Tull: Biography & History" . AllMusic . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Guitarist Abrahams Leaves Jethro Tull" . Melody Maker . IPC Magazines . 21 December 1968 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• 1 2 3 Rees 1998 , p.   30
• ↑ "Jethro Tull Is Now a Quintet" . Disc & Music Echo . IPC Magazines . 25 April 1970 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Cornick Has Quit Jethro – New Bassist Set" . Disc & Music Echo . IPC Magazines . 12 December 1970 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   80
• ↑ "Jethro Drums: Surprise Switch" . NME . IPC Magazines . 19 June 1971 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "New Bassist for Tull" . Melody Maker . IPC Magazines . 27 December 1975 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "David 'Dee' Palmer" . Jethro Tull . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ Reed, Ryan (14 September 2014). "How Jethro Tull Ended the '70s With the Underrated 'Stormwatch' " . Ultimate Classic Rock . Loudwire . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Tulls Ancient and Modern" . Melody Maker . IPC Magazines . 20 October 1979 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Did Tull Man Jump or Was He Pushed?" . Sounds . United Newspapers . 12 July 1980 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "New Jethro Tull in the A-Stream" . Melody Maker . IPC Magazines . 30 August 1980 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Jethro Tull" . Chrysalis Records . March 1982 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Gerry Conway" . Jethro Tull . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• 1 2 "The Drummers of Jethro Tull" . Modern Drummer . Modern Drummer Publications. December 1990. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Wrapping Yarns" . Kerrang! . No.   75. United Newspapers . 23 August 1984 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ Larkin 2011 , p.   2,004
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , pp.   127, 208
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   144
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   219
• ↑ Dunham, Nancy (5 December 2011). "Jethro Tull Not Included on Ian Anderson's 'Thick as a Brick' Tour" . Ultimate Classic Rock . Loudwire . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ Munro, Scott (14 August 2017). "Ian Anderson reveals Jethro Tull 50th anniversary tour" . Prog . TeamRock . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• 1 2 "Instagram" . www.instagram.com . Retrieved 2024-02-19 .
• ↑ "Set lists of Jethro Tull live concerts in 1985 and 1986, at the Ministry Of Information" . ministry-of-information.co.uk . Retrieved 2022-12-14 .
• ↑ "Set lists of Jethro Tull live concerts in 1989, at the Ministry Of Information" . ministry-of-information.co.uk . Retrieved 2022-12-14 .
• ↑ Niall DohertyContributions from Fraser Lewry (2023-05-18). "In 1968 Tony Iommi joined Jethro Tull for two weeks: it was the making of Black Sabbath" . louder . Retrieved 2023-05-20 .
• ↑ "Tull-Evision" . Melody Maker . IPC Magazines . 14 October 1978 . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   114
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , pp.   118–119
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   134
• ↑ Rabey 2013 , p.   132
• ↑ "Lucia Micarelli" . Jethro Tull . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Anna Phoebe" . Jethro Tull . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• ↑ "Ann Marie Calhoun" . Jethro Tull . Retrieved 20 November 2017 .
• Jethro Tull official website

Jethro Tull founder Ian Anderson on music, flutes, morphine drips and why he can’t stand hippies

The flute-playing founder and leader of Jethro Tull is the band’s only member who has been in all of the 30-plus lineups of the band. Nick Cave and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett are fans

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Ian Anderson is understandably pleased Jethro Tull — the pioneering progressive-rock band he founded and has led since 1967 — has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide and is now embarked on the aptly named “The Seven Decades Tour.” It includes a Tuesday San Diego concert at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.

The veteran flutist, singer, songwriter and guitarist is also pleased Jethro Tull counts a number of high-profile musicians among its fans. They include former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, Nick Cave and members of the bands Midlake and The Decemberists, as well as actress Lisa Lampanelli.

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull bites the bullet for 50th anniversary tour

Cited as an inspiration by everyone from Nick Cave to the band Midlake, Jethro Tull is now 51 years old, but band founder Ian Anderson is not one for nostalgia.

June 30, 2019

But Anderson scoffs when asked if he has seen any unlikely fans — a contentious political figure, perhaps — turn up at Jethro Tull’s concerts.

“I have no idea who is in the audience; they are all strangers to me,” he replied, speaking from his home in Wiltshire, England. “But that’s part of the appeal. You are in front of people you don’t know, will never meet, and don’t want to know.

“Concerts give you the opportunity to make some new friends, or some new enemies. Then, after the show, I disappear into my little dressing room and crawl under a rock, because I’m not a social creature.”

Depending on the day and his mood, Anderson can indeed be a prickly character on occasion. He can also be warm, endearing and an insightful commentator on his chosen profession. He is the only member of Jethro Tull who has been in all of its 30-plus lineups.

“Sometimes the people you dread meeting — because of anecdotal, spurious hearsay — turn out to be the nicest people,” Anderson said. “Sadly, the opposite is true, as well. People you think are going to be nice turn out not to be. I guess I’m the same.

“Catch me on the right day and you’re fine. But I’m sure I’ve disappointed some people who were catching me at the wrong moment, when I didn’t want to have to stop — in mid-mouthful in a restaurant — to take a selfie with them.”

Flute first, then and now

The Scottish-born Anderson turned 76 in August, 58 years after Tull — the band long synonymous with his name — was launched as a jazzy blues-rock ensemble.

Its latest album, the 12-song “RökFlöte,” was released this year and boasts lyrics inspired by the polytheistic beliefs of Norse mythology. The band’s 2022 album, “The Zealot Gene,” finds Anderson exploring themes of political fanaticism and using biblical texts to reflect on current events.

With Anderson’s 80th birthday just four years away, how important is it for him to surprise himself when creating new music?

“It’s incredibly important when you’re recording it,” he said. “And I’m pretty pleased with my aspirations to continue making music that we have brought to fruition through good luck and hard work. (It’s like) riding a bike. If you fall off, there’s a danger you might not be able to get back on. So, it’s good not to fall off.”

Jethro Tull’s most popular album, 1971’s “Aqualung,” has sold more than 12 million copies. Tull’s wildly ambitious 1972 concept album, “Thick as a Brick,” made history in at least two ways.

It is the only release to ever top Billboard magazine’s U.S. album charts that consists of just one song — albeit a very extended, complex song that lasts nearly 44 minutes. Moreover, “Brick” was a progressive-rock opus that simultaneously parodied the bombast and self-indulgence of progressive-rock.

Like all of Jethro Tull’s albums before and since, it featured Anderson singing and playing the flute. The instrument had not previously been a focal point of any rock band. But Anderson changed that, starting with Jethro Tull’s 1968 debut album, “This Was.” Nearly every song on it boasts prominent flute work, none more so than the spirited version of jazz sax and flute great Roland Kirk’s vocal-free 1965 classic, “Serenade to a Cuckoo.”

That Jethro Tull was led by a bearded, long-haired, seemingly crazed young musician — who often played flute and sang while perched on one leg — added to the band’s image and appeal.

Anderson discussed his move to the flute in a 1988 San Diego Union-Tribune interview, saying: “I was a not-very-good singer in a not-very-good blues band. And so I started also to play not-very-good harmonica, and ended up playing not-very-good flute. I did it largely because it was different, and because it was there.”

In 1967, the year Tull was formed, only a few rock bands memorably utilized a flute, but not as a lead instrument. One was the American band The Blues Project. The other two were both English: The Moody Blues and Family.

Did any of these bands inspire Anderson as a “not-very-good flutist?” In a word: no.

“What inspired me as a flute player was Eric Clapton, because it was his guitar playing I wanted to emulate,” he said.

Eric Clapton speaks up for J.J. Cale

The English blues-rock legend discusses Cale & ‘The Breeze,’ Clapton’s heartfelt tribute to his close musical friend and longtime Valley Center troubadour.

July 25, 2014

“It was really my determination to do something other than play the ubiquitous electric guitar, which everybody wanted to do — including me — when I was a teenager. I quickly realized Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and (Deep Purple’s) Ritchie Blackmore were the wiz-kid guitar players down in London and were way ahead of me.

“That made me look for something else to play. But I had no idea what to do with the flute once I got a couple of notes out of it. I tried to play the blues and went on from there. Like anything else, you realize there is more to it, so I did listen to a few other players, including — after a few months — Roland Kirk.”

But Kirk, Anderson contends, was not his primary influence.

“One of my favorites as a teen was Mose Allison,” he said. “Mose would mumble and sing along with his piano playing, which was rather endearing. I suspect I picked up on scat-singing (while playing flute) from him and other people in the world of jazz more than from a flute player like Roland Kirk.”

Mose Allison, influential blues and jazz great, dead at 89

His songs were recorded by such high-profile admirers as Bonnie Raitt, The Who, Diana Krall, The Kinks, Van Morrison, Blue Cheer and many more

Nov. 15, 2016

In the early 1970s, then-still-fledgling Anderson topped the masterful Kirk as the No. 1 flutist in Playboy’s annual jazz and pop poll. Was Anderson flattered, embarrassed, or both, at this turn of events?

“Well,” he answered, “I did actually meet Roland Kirk, who I was terrified of. Because word was that he was a pretty intimidating person and not flattering or kind to other people. We met when I played this jazz festival in 1969 on the East Coast, I don’t remember where.

The Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island?

“Yes, Newport,” Anderson said. “I don’t know why they booked us and Led Zeppelin, which seemed weird. Our manager said: ‘Roland Kirk wants to meet you.’ I thought: ‘Oh, god, what am I going to do?’ Plus, Kirk was blind which made it even more difficult to confront him in a social setting. But he was really kind and nice. Or, at least, he pretended to approve of my rendition of his song because he was getting the mechanical royalties for it!

“Many years later, Kirk’s second wife (Dorothea) showed up at one of our shows in New Jersey, long after he was dead. She said: ‘Thanks. I get a (royalty) check twice a year for your performance of Roland’s song and it’s helped to have that coming in to help pay the bills.”

Nyet to Russian oligarchs

Paying bills has not been a problem for Anderson since Jethro Tull began selling millions of albums and filling arenas in the 1970s. By the 1980s he owned several salmon farms in Scotland. At their peak, they employed 400 people and — in 1997 alone —produced 900 tons of smoked salmon, with annual revenues of $26 million.

Commenting on his fish-fueled entrepreneurship in a 1988 Union-Tribune interview, Anderson said he would rather be remembered for providing hundreds of new jobs than for selling tens of millions of albums.

“I guess I’m a socialist at heart,” he said at the time. “Actually, I’m a communist bastard at heart, but I live in a capitalist world, so I try to be a good capitalist. My kids usually prefer to say: ‘My daddy’s a fish farmer.’ It’s easier to say that than: ‘He plays in an old man’s rock group with these fat, balding fellows!’ ”

By 2003, Anderson had sold his salmon farms and processing plants. His concert tours with Jethro Tull and as a solo artist are a near-constant. And he has the financial liberty of declining performance opportunities as he sees fit.

“There are quite a few offers that have come my way, for large amounts of money,” Anderson acknowledged. “The offers are to do things I feel are quite inappropriate, whether it’s a private party for some Russian oligarch, or a cruise ship tour, or things at big, multi-act festivals. I think I know what I’m worth and there are times I would not do things just for the paycheck. It’s not worth it.”

By his count, Anderson has performed in 55 countries on at least five continents. He recalls first encountering Russian President Vladimir Putin at a 1992 Jethro Tull concert in St. Petersburg. At the time, former KGB agent Putin was the chairman of the city’s External Relations Committee and an assistant to its mayor.

“We were supposed to play in Kyiv last year on a tour that we had to cancel because of the invasion of Ukraine by Putin,” Anderson lamented. “And we canceled our tour of Russia, where I’ve enjoyed playing in the past. Given Putin’s propensity for extremism — and his desire to rebuild the Soviet Union to resemble what it was when he was an officer in the KGB — I don’t expect we’ll ever play again in Russia in my lifetime.”

Earlier in his lifetime — 1969, to be exact — Anderson turned down an offer for Jethro Tull to perform at the now-legendary Woodstock festival, citing the fact that he didn’t “like hippies.” In the 1970s he sometimes berated concertgoers for smoking pot because the smoke impacted his singing and flute-playing.

Yet, in photos of Jethro Tull in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Anderson looked very much like a full-blown hippie.

“Clearly, my personal outlook was very much not aligned with the hippie lifestyle, especially when it came to drugs,” he said. “It wasn’t as individuals — some of them were probably nice people, if they ever had a shower — but the lifestyle seemed synonymous with all the drugs and the ‘free sex’ thing, which I just never got the hang of...

“I didn’t go in that direction, and I‘m glad I didn’t. But in my final years, I might deduce I want to catch up on that. And there’s a 50 percent chance I’ll end my days on a morphine drip.”

He chuckled.

“Of course, at my age there is that element of uncertainty,” said Anderson, who titled Jethro Tull’s 1976 album “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die.”

“You have to be realistic about longevity, potential ill health and the onset of dementia,” he continued. “Although, theoretically, for people who do what I do there’s a fighting chance of staving that off. Because, playing concerts and making new music, we are so engaged with the process of concentration, performance and remembering things we did last night and 50 years ago.

“Ultimately, nothing will save us but our genes. But, to some extent with music, you can increase your odds of longevity.”

Jethro Tull: The Seven Decades Tour

When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday

Where: The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, 222 Marina Park Way, downtown

Tickets: $45-$170

Phone: (619) 235-0804

Online: theshell.org

Get U-T Arts & Culture on Thursdays

A San Diego insider’s look at what talented artists are bringing to the stage, screen, galleries and more.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

More from this Author

San Diego County Fair 2024 Grandstand Stage concert picks cover an array of styles

June 7, 2024

Ringo Starr, with new San Diego and L.A. concerts set, talks candidly: ‘I’m giving away all the secrets here!’ he says

June 3, 2024

Reflections on Street Scene: San Diego’s original music fest was vital precursor to Coachella, Wonderfront, CRSSD, KAABOO and more

June 2, 2024

Rady Shell’s 2024 summer concert season boasts four Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and rising stars alike

May 31, 2024

Jane’s Addiction’s San Diego-bound tour will reunite band’s classic lineup: Here are all the dates

May 28, 2024

Appreciation: Bill Walton was a passionate music fan who saw the Grateful Dead more than 850 times

May 27, 2024

More in this section

Entertainment

Everything you need to know about the 2024 San Diego County Fair

Gates open June 12: Here’s all the details on tickets, dates, how to get there, new attractions, what not to miss and a sneak peek at this year’s new fair food items

Vampire Weekend did not make a ‘doom and gloom record’

The indie-rock band, which plays Monday night at SDSU, is making a but it’s a journey out of negativity into “something a little deeper.”

Caifanes love to perform. That’s why the band’s drummer hopes to die onstage

The venerable Mexican rock group, touring with Cafe Tacvba, performs Saturday at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista

Doug Ingle, voice of San Diego-bred band Iron Butterfly, dead at 78

The group’s biggest hit, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” was a 17-minute psychedelic journey that sold millions. Jerry Sanders, San Diego’s former mayor and chief of police, was a big fan.

June 5, 2024

Raise a glass: These jazz, country and yacht rock stars are coming to Temecula Valley wineries

Here’s a look ahead at the summer concerts headed to Temecula Valley in the coming months

S.D. Arts & Culture Newsletter: San Diego’s 2024 Fringe festival winds down

This week, Sarah McLachlan, Byron Stamps’ Truth in Comedy, Mandy Patinkin, Sacra/Profana and more

May 30, 2024

• Entertainment
• Celebrities
• Ticket Sales

Recommended

Breaking news, don’t miss jethro tull’s first us tour since 2011: get tickets today.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

After 12 long years, the flute is back.

Legendary classic rock group Jethro Tull is returning to the U.S. for their first North American tour since 2011 from August through November this year.

The tour, titled ‘Seven Decades,’ will celebrate the band’s output of music dating all the way back to their formation in 1967 to the release of their upcoming 2023 album “RökFlöte.”

Along the way, the outfit that brought the world “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath” and “Thick As A Brick” will play three gigs in New York to close their 16-concert run.

First up, Ian Anderson and co. are scheduled to hit New York City’s Beacon Theatre on Nov. 1.

After that, they’ll end the tour with stops at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre on Nov. 2 and Albany’s Palace Theatre on Nov. 4.

And if you need tickets to hear the prog rock icons and winners of a controversial 1989 Grammy over Metallica (!) live today, we’re here to lend a helping hand.

Although inventory isn’t available on Ticketmaster until Friday, April 21, fans who want to ensure they have tickets ahead of time can purchase on sites like Vivid Seats before tickets are officially on sale.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

Jethro Tull 2023 tour schedule

A complete calendar including all upcoming Jethro Tull North American concert dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Martin Barre solo tour

Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre , who played with the group from 1968 up until 2011, is also touring North America this summer and fall.

His 13-concert tour kicks off June 3 in Rocky Mount, VA and concludes Oct. 20 in Greensburg, PA .

Along the way, he’ll play two shows in New York.

Barre’s first NY gig is at New York City’s Sony Hall on June 14.

Later on in the run, he’s scheduled to perform at Westbury’s The Space At Westbury on Oct. 6.

A complete calendar of his 2023 tour can be found here .

Jethro Tull band members

As expected, when a band is together for 56 years (!), there’s a bit of turnover.

Here’s who’s in the group with frontman Ian Anderson these days:

Ian Anderson – vocals, flute, acoustic and electric guitar, other instruments (1967–2012, 2017–present) David Goodier – bass (2007–2012, 2017–present) John O’Hara – keyboards, accordion, vocals (2007–2012, 2017–present) Scott Hammond – drums (2017–present) Joe Parrish – electric and acoustic guitars, vocals (2020–present)

Jethro Tull new music

In 2022, Jethro Tull released “The Zealot Gene,” their first official record since 2003’s “The Jethro Tull Christmas Album.”

And now there’s another record on the way.

“RökFlöte” is due out Friday, April 21.

You can listen to the three lead singles for their 23rd studio album here .

Jethro Tull set list

Although Jethro Tull hasn’t performed in the U.S. since 2011, they’ve been quite prolific overseas.

Here’s what the band has been playing at recent shows courtesy of Set List FM .

01.) “Nothing Is Easy” 02.) “Cross-Eyed Mary” 03.) “With You There to Help Me”

04.) “Sweet Dream” 05.) “We Used to Know 06.) “Wicked Windows” 07.) “Holly Herald” 08.) “Hammer on Hammer”

09.) “Mine Is the Mountain” 10.) “Bourrée in E minor” (Johann Sebastian Bach cover)

11.) “Heavy Horses” 12.) “The Navigators”

13.) “Warm Sporran” 14.) “Mrs Tibbets” 15.) “Dark Ages” 16.) “Aqualung” Encore:

17.) “Locomotive Breath”

Classic rockers on tour in 2023

Many acts that have been touring since the ’60s are still kicking it today.

Here are just five of our favorite legends that have been around before Woodstock you can see live this year.

•  Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band

•  Robert Plant with Alison Krauss

•  Dead and Company featuring John Mayer

• Peter Gabriel

•  Three Dog Night

Want to see who else is on the road? Check out our list of the 22 biggest classic rockers on tours in 2023 here .

Share this article:

​  JAN 6-7   - Recording single 'Sunshine Day' - Abbey Road Studios London.   JAN 8 -   Decision made to use the name 'Jethro Tull' on the single  JAN 15 - ​ The first ever 'Jethro Tull' concert.

FIRST EVER TULL PROMO POSTER

Jan 16 billed at the marquee club as 'navy blue'  but introduced themselves as 'jethro tull'. feb 2 the first appearance billed as jethro tull ;  marquee club , london, uk (supporting savoy brown blues band) feb 16 release of 'sunshine day' single ​ ​ ​ ​ ​  .

b/w 'Aeroplane' famously originally mis-credited as “Jethro Toe”

May 3 marquee club,  london uk..

MAY 24 - Blues Loft (Nag's Head)              High Wycombe, UK

JUNE 13 Recording their first album for 'This Was'.

June 29   - hyde park,  london, uk     britain's first large-scale free outdoor concert, including roy harper, jethro tull, trex & pink floyd. bbc newsreel film exists you can see the tull portion below, colorized by us. the source film was black and white, with no sound..

JULY 20 Radio session for 'Top Gear', broadcast in April 1968. Released officially on the 40th Anniversary edition of 'This Was'. A Song For Jeffrey, Serenade To A Cuckoo, My Sunday Feeling, So Much Trouble; Cat's Squirrel AUG 11 - Sunbury Race Course, Kempton, UK  - Jazz & Blues Festival Tull's 'breakthrough' gig, in front of their first large audience: 50,000. Also David Palmer's first experience of Tull, as an audience member

AUG 16 - Candlelight Club Scarborough, UK

AUG 31 - T he Van Dike Club -  Plymouth, UK supported by 'Gethsemane' (penny peeps) Martin Barre 's band

SEPT 3 - Tull's first headline appearance on the Marquee's 'Star Night'

Sept 29 croydon gala, the near-4-hour show was titled 'olympop' and in aid of the british olympic appeal fund. compered by john peel  tull, alan price & julie driscoll were filmed for the tv show 'colour me pop '. the appearance was believed to have been wiped from the bbc archive..

​ OCT 25 UK release of 'This Was' 

NOV 9 - NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS UK

NOV 30 , Mick Abrahams' last concert with Tull -  London School Of Economics London, UK 

Dec 12  rolling stones 'rock'n'roll circus'  miming  “a song for jeffery” with new (for a brief time) guitarist tony iommi (who later formed black sabbath) filmed but not released for nearly 30yrs (1996).

DEC 24 Martin Barre joins Jethro Tull. DEC 30 Martin Barre's first concert with Tull. Winter Gardens    Penzance, UK  

Jethro Tull announce US Tour dates

Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 21st, the same date as the release of the band’s latest album RökFlöte.

Jethro Tull have announced a run of dates in the US titled The Seven Decades Tour. The tour kicks off in Illinois on August 18th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 21st, the same date as the release of the band’s latest album RökFlöte. Check out https://jethrotull.com/tour-dates for more info.

Jethro Tull, The Seven Decades 2023 U.S. Tour Aug. 18 – Highland Park, Ill. @ Ravina Festival Aug. 19 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park Aug. 20 – Huber Heights, Ohio @ Rose Music Center at The Heights Aug. 22 – Cincinnati, Ohio @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Aug. 24 – Vienna, Va. @ Wolf Trap Sept. 26 – San Diego, Calif. @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park Sept. 27 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Greek Theatre Sept. 29 – Lincoln, Calif. @ Thunder Valley Casino Resort Sept. 30 – Saratoga, Calif. @ The Mountain Winery Oct. 1 – Santa Rosa, Calif. @ Luther Burbank Center for the Arts – Ruth Finley Person Theater Oct. 27 – Hampton, N.H. @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom Oct. 28 – Boston, Mass. @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway Oct. 29 – Uncasville, Conn. @ Mohegan Sun Arena Nov. 1 – New York, N.Y. @ Beacon Theatre Nov. 2 – Port Chester, N.Y. @ The Capitol Theatre Nov. 4 – Albany, N.Y. @ Palace Theatre

https://jethrotullband.lnk.to/RokFlote

You may also like

Mandoki Soulmates — A Memory of Our Future (Album Review)

Leslie Mandoki on his favorite albums from the Mandoki Soulmates members and the new album ‘A Memory of Our Future’

Mandoki Soulmates release new single and video “The Big Quit” from upcoming album “A Memory Of Our Future”

The Chronicles Of Father Robin – The Songs & Tales Of Airoea – Books I, II & III (Album Review)

Support the prog report.

If you like what we do please support us on Ko-fi

Subscribe to our email list:

Email address:

Subscribe to Newsletter

The prog report.

The Source for the Latest in Progressive Rock

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Sale
• Artist Submissions

• Arts & Lifestyle
• Competitions
• Games & Tech

Jethro Tull announce ‘The Seven Decades’ tour for 2024

Jethro Tull will tour the UK next year with their ‘The Seven Decades Tour’ it has been announced.

Kicking off at Bristol Beacon on 17th April 2024, the tour will take in 11 dates and see the band performing songs from across their entire catalogue of music. Tickets for the tour are on sale 9am Friday June 16 th from the venues direct or www.Ticketline.co.uk  

The tour will encapsulate the seven decades in which Jethro Tull have written and performed music through their 23 studio albums. One of the most important bands that the UK has ever produced, the band continues to push boundaries with their music.

Upon announcing the tour, Ian Anderson, the bands founding member, said, “We have been playing UK tours in many of the same venues for the past 55 years. But the quiet magic of towns and cities I know so well never fails to amuse and amaze. As the equivalent of Michael Portillo with a flute, I tend to use the train for UK tours and travel alone while the others go in a tour bus or vans. Many of the UK theatre venues have changed their names and had the odd facelift, The London Palladium is new for us, as far as I recollect, and takes me back to my youth with nights of TV variety shows. Anyway I digress… 

“We shall be playing songs from each of the seven decades of Jethro Tull albums. Learning and rehearsing some half-forgotten tracks from our catalogue is like meeting old friends after a long silence. Yes – they have aged, but the years drop away after a few run-throughs and a couple of beers.

“We hope to see you along the way and bring a hankie for those tearful nostalgic moments. Or to wipe off the flute spit if you are in the front row. Sorry about that!”

The globe trotting The Seven Decades Tour kicks off this August with headline shows and festival appearances through North America before coming to the UK. 

The dates for the UK leg are:

Wednesday 17 April – Bristol Beacon

Friday 19 April – Bournemouth Pavilion

Saturday 20 April – Birmingham Symphony Hall

Monday 22 April – London Palladium

Tuesday 23 April – Cambridge Corn Exchange

Monday 29 April – Aberdeen Music Hall

Tuesday 30 April – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Thursday 2 May – Gateshead Sage

Friday 3 May – Sheffield City Hall

Sunday 5 May – Manchester Lowry

Monday 6 May – Liverpool Philharmonic Hall

Tickets at all venues priced at a face value of £42.50 – £50, except London priced at face value of £60, £50 & £45. Tickets are available direct from the venues or www.Ticketline.co.uk .

• Jethro Tull

EF newsletter sign-up

Join our mailing list to get the latest entertainment news to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Review: CMA Fest Friday: Luke Bryan, Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini and more

Angie k releases heartbreak anthem ‘red dirt on mars’.

UK-based entertainment site offering news, reviews, interviews, features and much more!

[email protected]

Latest articles, orville peck teams up with kylie minogue and diplo for ‘midnight ride’, popular categories.

• Music 10143
• EF Country 4710
• Games & Tech 4353
• Arts & Lifestyle 3496

© 2024 Entertainment Focus | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

Jethro Tull

The Seven Decades Tour

This event has passed

Access priority booking…

Get unique deals , great benefits and priority booking on your favourite shows, and support music in the city.

Bristol Beacon Memberships are £45 a year and include these benefits .

• Watch & Listen
• Seating Plans
• Getting Here

Pioneers of 70s psychedelia and prog-rock legends, Jethro Tull have announced ‘The Seven Decades Tour’ – a celebration of the iconic band’s sprawling discography that began with the seminal 1968 album ‘This Was’ all the way to their current status as globally renowned sonic experimenters.

By the mid-seventies and with a number line-up changes, Ian Anderson remained the focal point and driving force of the band, progressing their sound and live performance to become as globally renowned as Led Zeppelin, Elton John and the Rolling Stones.

Jump on seven decades to 2023 and they’ve sold over 60 million albums, have an extensive global fan base and over 30 studio and live albums to their name… but much remains the same! With Ian Anderson at the helm, the band’s hunger for creativity and experimentation is as strong as ever and only evolves and develops.

Presented by Ian Anderson

Format:  Reserved seating

Age:  Under 14s to be accompanied by an adult

Performance times

Doors: 19.00 Start:  19.30 Interval: 20.25 Second half: 20.45 Finish: 21.35

All timings are approximate and subject to change

“The timeless Ian Anderson — as mischievous as he is musically gifted – [always] delivers a performance for the ages.” The Music.AU

About Beacon Hall

Our new flagship venue at Bristol Beacon

Seating plans

Beacon Hall has three levels that can be used in a seated or standing format. View seating plans, auditorium entrances and exits and accessible viewing areas.

Venue information

Take a closer look at our beautifully restored venue, see what’s on and view detailed information about the performance space.

Beacon Hall

at Bristol Beacon

Getting to the venue

Location: Beacon Hall is located within Bristol Beacon. Head to Level 1 and follow signs to find the auditorium.

Address: Bristol Beacon, Trenchard Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR

Bicycle racks can be found in front of the main entrance on Trenchard Street, Colston Street, and on the city centre promenade. Find your nearest cycle routes using Cycle Planner .

Car parking

Trenchard Street multi-storey car park is 200m away, directly behind Bristol Beacon.

  Bristol Clean Air Zone

Bristol Beacon is inside the Bristol Clean Air Zone. Check if your vehicle will be charged and how much you’ll have to pay.

Most bus services stop in and around the city centre promenade, 250m from Bristol Beacon.

View detailed travel information

Spaces for wheelchair users are in:

• row S in the centre of the rear Stalls (10 spaces)
• row Z in the left and right wings at the back of Lower Tier (4 spaces, 2 on each side),
• rows G/H on the left only at the back of Upper Tier (2 spaces)

Assistance Dogs

Assistance dogs and emotional support animals are allowed in the performance space. Seats in row F are most suitable. If you prefer, you can leave your animal with a member of staff during the performance.

Hearing Facility

A Sennheiser MobileConnect assistive listening system is installed in the venue. Download the free App and use your own mobile device and headphones to listen to the performance. (Devices are available on request.)

View detailed access information

Eat & Drink

We’ve got plenty of places for you to relax and refill. From coffee and cake, to delicious sharing boards, to full menus.

View places to eat & drink

You may also like

Event ticket coverage.

Protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances with Booking Protect and get a full refund if you’re unable to attend.

Find out more

Sun 9 Jun 2024

Rock and Pop

Plus support

Iglooghost presents 'ᕮⵋම'

Plus Misogi

Lantern Hall

Wed 12 Jun 2024

Aoife O’Donovan

Plus Michele Stodart

St George's Bristol

Fri 14 Jun 2024

An Evening with Alfie Boe

Sat 15 Jun 2024

Shalamar 'Greatest Hits' Tour

Plus Special Guest Gwen Dickey - The Voice of Rose Royce

Mon 17 Jun 2024

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets

Set The Controls Tour

Wed 19 Jun 2024

Bat for Lashes

Plus Mui Zyu

Wed 19 - Sat 22 Jun

Windrush To Bristol

Exploring the cultural impact of the Windrush generation

Bridgehouse

Fri 21 Jun 2024

Masicka & Malie Donn

Plus Special Guests TBA

We use cookies to ensure we give you the best experience of our website. Learn about how we use them .

Register for email updates

Stay up to date with the latest events

MICK ABRAHAMS

JETHRO TULL’S FIRST GUITARIST

ALL ABOUT MICK

Mick was born on the 4th of July, 1943, which was a very long time ago. There was a war still going on at the time, which may explain why Mick can be a cantankerous old git and a right proper and loyal gent at the same time.

He took up the guitar in the early 60’s, playing with a variety of UK acts in the Rock and Roll context and later with R&B outfits which took him to the Blues idiom, via a little Jazz music.

He formed the band “McGregor’s Engine” in 1967 with Clive Bunker and Andy Pyle and came to the attention of Ian Anderson when the Engine supported the John Evan Band at a club near Luton, Bedfordshire in 1967. Mick was asked to join the band later that year, although by then, the other Evan Band members had departed, leaving only Anderson and Glenn Cornick to team up with Abrahams and Bunker in the prototype of Jethro Tull in December of ’67.

Abrahams (right) performing with Jethro Tull in 1968

Throughout the Winter and early Spring the group persevered with their Blues-based covers and original compositions, finally being blessed with a residency at London’s famous Marquee Club in March, 1968.

After recording the first Tull album, “This Was”, Mick left the band in the November 1968 under a cloud of bad feeling due to disagreements as to musical direction and personality clashes with Anderson and Cornick.

Mick went on to form the cult group “Blodwyn Pig” in 1969 and enjoyed success with that band in addition to his solo efforts which have endeared him to a series of fans through three decades.

Mick continued to tour and record, both as a solo act and in various reincarnations of Blodwyn Pig, The Mick Abraham’s Band and, more recently in the controversial cover band performing the music from “This Was” which recently toured the UK prompting confusion as a result of a dubious “Jethro Tull” style billing.

Ian Anderson has played with Mick live and on solo recordings of acoustic, Blues-based songs in recent years.

Mick suffered ill-health in recent years and, following a stroke, has been forced to retire from performing. He continues to live with his family in Luton, England.

• Discography