RICK WAKEMAN CBE ANOUNCES HIS OPENING ACTS FOR THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE UK TOUR 2022

Rick Wakeman CBE has today announced his opening acts for the forthcoming English Rock Ensemble’s March/April tour of the UK.

The English Rock Ensemble will take in four cities, kicking off on the 30th March at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London, followed by Birmingham’s O2 Academy on the 31st March, Glasgow’s O2 Academy on April 1st and then dropping down to Newcastle’s O2 City Hall on the 3rd April.

The following acts will open the shows:-

March 30 London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire : Russ Ballard

March 31 Birmingham O2 Academy : Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy

April 1 Glasgow O2 Academy : Edgar Broughton

April 3 Newcastle O2 City Hall : Edgar Broughton

Watch Birmingham show opener Carl Palmer performing ‘Welcome Back My Friends’ with his ELP Legacy group below:

Rick Wakeman comments: ”Russ is one of rock’s great writers, as well as being a very talented musician. I haven’t seen Edgar for over fifty years, but he’s always produced fantastic music. I really admire the way that Carl is keeping the ELP flag flying in a unique way with his band. He’s a great friend too, so between us all, I think there will be a lot of reminiscing!”

The English Rock Ensemble is one of Rick’s many varied musical projects and these shows are the first time they have toured the UK with such a diverse programme of music in almost twenty years. Their set will feature a wide range of material spanning his career, from his early days in YES through his platinum-selling epic concept albums, right up to his latest prog rock release, The Red Planet.

With the addition of some of his brilliant contemporaries to the bill, the tour will most definitely be, as Rick describes it: “solid prog from start to finish!”