Birmingham City Football Club's proposed new stadium may still be years away, but the first band to perform there has already been secured. UB40, the iconic Birmingham reggae band and lifelong Blues fans, are set to headline the opening concert at the 62,000-capacity venue.
Robin Campbell's Conversation with Chairman Tom Wagner
Lead singer Robin Campbell revealed that he spoke directly with Blues chairman Tom Wagner about the band's involvement. Speaking exclusively to BirminghamLive, Campbell said: "We go to the games regularly, we're still fans of the club. We get looked after beautifully every time we go. We're in talks with Tom Wagner about various things."
He added: "I actually said to Tom: 'Don't forget. When you open the new stadium, we're the first band you will have there.' He (Wagner) said back: 'We'll make that happen.'"
Future Performances at St Andrew's and Beyond
While the band is not planning a single farewell gig at St Andrew's, they are open to multiple performances. Campbell explained: "But we're not looking at one final gig at St Andrew's either, we're looking at possibly more."
He also touched on the rivalry with Aston Villa: "Villa fans hate the fact we're connected to Birmingham City, but as far as we're concerned, we're all Brummies. Supporting Birmingham football teams is what it's all about."
UB40's Upcoming Tour and New Album
UB40 are preparing for an international tour this year, which includes a new album set for release in the summer. The band will also perform a homecoming show at the bp pulse LIVE arena on Saturday, June 20.
Founding member and drummer Jimmy Brown shared what fans can expect from their live shows: "You're going to see a real band for a start. We're not miming and don't use pre-recorded backing tracks. There's the classic hits, new material but we take a deep dive into the back catalogue to surprise people."
Robin Campbell added: "We're a big band, there's 11 of us on stage. There's a horn section, vocalists and everyone takes turns where we have a big party. It's all about audience participation. When we play 'Red Red Wine', we have thousands of people singing the song back to us. That's why we play those songs, we like to get that reaction from the crowd. We're not a cabaret act and we try to stay relevant, we're still releasing new music."
Vocalist Matt Campbell said: "Some people might like sitting down but we aim to get everyone out their seats. As much as we play all the hits, we mix in the new stuff as well."
For ticket information and to pre-order the band's new album, visit their official website ahead of the summer release.
