MAXIMO PARK AMAZE PASSENGERS WITH SURPRISE HOMETOWN PERFORMANCE AT NEWCASTLE STATION AHEAD OF NATIONAL ALBUM DAY
NATIONAL ALBUM DAY PARTNERS WITH LNER TO CREATE ROUTE MAP CELEBRATING ICONIC ALBUMS FROM GREAT BRITISH GROUPS
Maximo Park performing at Newcastle Central Station
15th October 2024 – Chart-topping rock band Maximo Park amazed passengers with a surprise acoustic performance at their hometown railway station in Newcastle, which is managed by LNER. The surprise set was in celebration of the upcoming arrival of National Album Day on Saturday 19th October 2024, which this year celebrates Great British Groups.
Maximo Park said: “We grew up with albums, and they remain central to our craft. The idea of documenting a time in your life, artistically, requires a longer form, and an album can showcase a breadth of different emotions, or styles, which is how we approach it. It was great to be asked to play in Newcastle Central Station to draw attention to the National Album Day campaign – it was good fun! We played some songs from our latest album, Stream of Life, and told everyone how much the format means to us as listeners, as well as from our point of view as recording artists.”
Today, National Album Day has partnered with LNER to reveal a special train route map highlighting iconic British groups and their seminal albums along its route, showcasing the breadth and diversity of music from British groups across the UK. View the map and full list below:
The Xcerts – Hold On to Your Heart (Aberdeen)
Snow Patrol – Eyes Open (Dundee)
Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark (Falkirk)
Idlewild – The Remote Part (Edinburgh)
Travis – The Man Who (Glasgow)
Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger (Newcastle)
Utah Saints – Utah Saints (Harrogate)
Shed Seven – Change Giver (York)
English Teacher – This Could Be Texas (Leeds)
The Cult – Sonic Temple (Bradford)
The Cribs – The New Fellas (Wakefield)
Everything but the Girl – Amplified Heart (Hull)
Fields of the Nephilim – The Nephilim (Stevenage)
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (London)
Steve Wilson, Head of Stations at LNER said: “Music and travel go hand in hand – whether that’s listening to an album on a train journey or travelling to a concert. It’s been great to work with National Album Day on this special map to celebrate some of the great British groups that have been formed along our route. It was also a pleasure to welcome the mighty Maximo Park to play a special surprise set for our customers at Newcastle Central Station.”
Now in its seventh year since launching in 2018, National Album Day sees the music community come together to celebrate and promote the art of the album. This year’s theme, Great British Groups, aims to highlight some of Britain’s most influential music groups and bands. Spanning genres and styles from punk and metal to pop and hip hop, they have all helped build Britain’s varied musical landscape and global reputation for classic and contemporary albums. National Album Day previously announced this year’s album champions: Catherine Marks, Jeff Wayne, Liam Fray from Courteeners, Nova Twins, Shed Seven, Jazzie B of Soul II Soul and Travis.
National Album Day has been supported by a broad range of artist champions, including Kylie Minogue, Joy Crookes, Sharleen Spiteri, Lewis Capaldi, Mark Ronson, La Roux, Elbow, Paloma Faith, Blossoms, Alice Cooper, Novelist, Tom Odell, Mahalia, Toyah Willcox and Jazzie B. Last year Gabrielle, Declan McKenna, Tricky, Nuno Bettencourt, Shola Ama and The Corrs were the latest talents to add their voices as passionate advocates of the album.
National Album Day is organised jointly by the BPI – the UK association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize) – and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day). The event is supported across Radio 2 and the breadth of BBC Sounds, and is backed by the wider recorded music community, taking in UK record labels, AIM, PPL, managers and other trade associations; independent record stores and specialist chains including HMV and online retailers and digital services including Amazon, Spotify and YouTube.
Keep track of National Album Day online for regular news updates and for details of how to get involved.
ENDS –
For more information please contact
Chloe Munts – chloe.munts@dawbell.com
Donnay Clancy – donnay.clancy@dawbell.com
Tilly O’Brien – tilly.obrien@dawbell.com
Notes to Editors
About National Album Day – www.nationalalbumday.co.uk
Launched in 2018, and this year taking place on 19th October 2024 with a theme of Great British Groups, National Album Day is organised jointly by UK independent and major record labels association, the BPI, and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association, representing the nation’s music retailers and digital/streaming platforms. Celebrating the art of the album, the event draws on the backing of the wider music community, including artists, record labels, independent specialist and online music retailers, streaming and digital music services, album platforms, music trade associations, including AIM, and all those who share a love of the album.
About LNER
LNER is on a mission to transform rail travel. Their new modern Azuma fleet of trains continue more than a hundred years of LNER tradition – setting new, higher standards in comfort, reliability and customer experience.
LNER calls at more than 50 stations along almost a thousand miles on the East Coast route, including major towns and cities between London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East of England and Scotland.