Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall
The essential concert series returns for 2024
Night 4:
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
With Special Guests Blossoms
Incredible gigs raising funds for young people with cancer
18-24 March 2024
www.teenagecancertrust.org/gigs
After a huge year for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, the band headlined Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall last night, treating fans to their globally-acclaimed hits from the past 10+ years. They were supported by special guests, Blossoms.
Getting the evening started were Indie rockers from Stockport, Blossoms, who lit up the Royal Albert Hall with a set jam-packed with crowd-pleasers, including ‘Honey Sweet’ and ‘Your Girlfriend’, before finishing with fan-favourite ‘Charlemagne’. Lead singer, Tom Ogden, told the audience how excited the band were to make their Teenage Cancer Trust Debut: “It’s wonderful to play such an amazing venue for such a wonderful cause”. At the show Blossoms signed a special poster designed by Adam Bridgland, which is on sale now here.
One of UK’s most prolific songwriters, the legendary Noel Gallagher took his stance at the front of the stage, beaming lights highlighting the full band alongside him. Crowd up on their feet, the show kicked off with ‘Pretty Boy’ from their latest album, Council Skies. Continuing with the high energy, Noel delivered a High Flying Birds set that did not disappoint – the audience sang along with every word of hits ‘If I Had a Gun…’, ‘AKA…What a Life!’ and more, with Noel rounding out with a moving performance of ‘Dead in the Water’.
Delving into the second half of his set, Noel relived his youth and back catalogue with Oasis: “back in the 90s, you were f*cking mad for it”. ‘Going Nowhere’ transported the Royal Albert Hall right back to that iconic decade, continuing through to fan favourites ‘Half The World Away’ and ‘Little By Little’. “I’m gonna finish off with a song I didn’t write,” Noel revealed, bursting into a cover of ‘The Mighty Quinn’.
Noel and the band couldn’t leave before giving this historic venue a proper send off, heading on to stage for an encore. Emotions ran deep with ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Live Forever’, Noel adding “On behalf of Teenage Cancer Trust, I want to say thank you for all the support. We will see you somewhere down the road”. They ended the night with an Oasis Number 1 single and one of the greatest Britpop songs of all time, raising the roof with ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’.
Last night’s show was part of a momentous week, celebrating the work of rock legend Roger Daltrey, founder and curator of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs, as he bows out as the driving force of these very special concerts.
The Who singer, who will continue as a Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron, has tirelessly fundraised and advocated for the charity for nearly a quarter of a century. A key part of this has been Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, the now iconic, annual concert series taking place at one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues.
Tonight (Friday 22 March) Scottish progressive hip-hop group takes over the historic venue, as BRIT nominees Young Fathers headline for Teenage Cancer Trust for the very first time.
The music continues for the rest of the week, courtesy of some of the biggest UK acts around: with multi-platinum selling, multi-award winning electronic duo Chemical Brothers (Saturday 23 March), and closing the week with ‘Ovation – A Celebration of 24 Years of Gigs For Teenage Cancer Trust’ on Sunday 24 March. Sunday’s show will feature Roger’s friends and fans, many of those who helped establish these gigs as a celebrated annual event: Roger himself, with Kelly Jones, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder and Paul Weller.
For 22 editions, Roger Daltrey has persuaded some of the greatest artists on the planet to perform unique, one night only gigs to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust, generating over £32 million from ticket sales alone and spreading word of this extraordinary charity far and wide. That money is enough to pay for over a million hours of specialist care from Teenage Cancer Trust nurses, or 13 Teenage Cancer Trust hospital units. In 2000, when the gigs began, Teenage Cancer Trust was a much smaller organisation with only 5 hospital units across the whole of the UK and far fewer nurses and youth support workers.
Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer. Since 2000, over £32 million has been raised by Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, and that money has helped fund specialist nurses, hospital units and support services right across the UK that help get young people through some unimaginably hard times.
Roger Daltrey CBE, Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron, and mastermind behind the gigs for 24 years, said:
“The generosity of the people who work in the music and comedy industries never ceases to amaze me. In this, our 21st year, after two years of artists having no shows at all, at a time where the only certain paydays are from live performances, artists are willing to give up their earnings from a London show. It shows us that miracles are everywhere, but if you cough or sneeze you’d miss them!”
Katie Collins, Chief Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust, said:
“These amazing gigs and their fantastic lineups help us change lives. Because of Roger, the artists, the teams who make these gigs possible and everyone who buys a ticket, we can make sure young people don’t face cancer alone and continue to provide the vital, expert care and support that is crucial for young people with cancer.”
2024 Show Dates:
Mon 18 March – The Who with Orchestra, with special guests Squeeze
Tue 19 March – A Night Of Comedy – Kevin Bridges (host), Rob Beckett, Paul Chowdhry, Joe Lycett, Joanne McNally, Seann Walsh
Weds 20 March – The Who with Orchestra, with special guests Squeeze
Thurs 21 March – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, with special guests Blossoms
Fri 22 March – Young Fathers plus special guests
Sat 23 March – The Chemical Brothers
Sun 24 March – ‘Ovation’ – A Celebration of 24 Years of Gigs For Teenage Cancer Trust with: Roger Daltrey, Kelly Jones, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Eddie Vedder, Paul Weller
Tickets:
Remaining tickets on sale now. For line-up and ticketing information please visit: www.teenagecancertrust.org/gigs
About Teenage Cancer Trust at The Royal Albert Hall
2024 marks the 22nd year of Teenage Cancer Trust’s phenomenally successful flagship events at the Royal Albert Hall, which were started by the charity’s Patron and lead-singer of The Who, Roger Daltrey CBE.
Some of the biggest names in entertainment have now raised more than £32 million which has helped fund specialist nurses, hospital units and support services right across the UK that help get young people through some unimaginably hard times.
Since 2000 audiences at Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual gigs have witnessed some extraordinary, once in a lifetime shows, from Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn performing together for the first time ever in 2013, Sir Paul McCartney in 2012, plus the likes of Oasis, Muse, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Ed Sheeran, Florence + The Machine, Rudimental and many more.
There have been many legendary moments. Sir Paul McCartney was joined on stage in 2012 for the Beatles’ ‘Get Back’ by Roger Daltrey, Ronnie Wood and Paul Weller – marking a Beatle, Rolling Stone and The Who joining forces.
Muse played in 2008, their only show in the UK that year apart from two sold out Wembley Stadiums. They called it, “one of the best gigs of our lives.” The Cure played a three-hour set on two consecutive nights in 2014, bringing the house down with 45 songs.
Some of the brightest lights in comedy have lit up the stage too, with an annual evening featuring the likes of Mo Gilligan, Kevin Bridges, Miranda Hart, Kerry Godliman, John Bishop, Frankie Boyle, Noel Fielding, Jon Richardson, Russell Howard, Russell Brand, James Corden, Joel Dommett and many more.
About Teenage Cancer Trust
Every day, more than seven young people in the UK aged 13 to 24 hear the words “you have cancer” Teenage Cancer Trust puts young people in the best possible place, physically, mentally and emotionally, for their cancer treatment and beyond.
We do it through our expert nurses, support teams, and hospital units. And we’re the only UK charity dedicated to providing this specialised nursing care and support.
Teenage Cancer Trust is a registered charity: 1062559 (England & Wales), SC039757 (Scotland).