Brand New Heavies bring the funk back to Northampton

Acid Jazz royalty The Brand New Heavies bring their ‘The Funk Is Back’ tour to the Roadmender next week.
Brand New HeaviesBrand New Heavies
Brand New Heavies

The band, based around the core original members of Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy, released their new album TBNH in September.

The record features guest appearances from Beverley Knight, N’Dea Davernport, Angie Stone, Siedah Garret, Laville and Angel Ricci. The lead single was a cover of Kendrick Lamar’s song These Walls which was produced by Mark Ronson. At the Roadmender, they will be joined by Ricci live.

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Pioneers of the London Acid Jazz scene, The Brand New Heavies, have been responsible for some of the UK’s biggest R&B and soul tracks, scoring 16 top 40 singles including Dream On Dreamer, Never Stop and Midnight at the Oasis, and have sold more than two million albums.

Forming in the mid 1980s, they were originally an instrumental group inspired by the James Brown and Meters records.

Adding a brass section, they signed with Acid Jazz and released their debut LP in 1990 to strong critical acclaim.

Rappers Q-Tip and MC Serch inspired the group to begin absorbing hip-hop with their second LP Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1 featuring guest appearances by rappers including Main Source, Gang Starr, Grand Puba and the Pharcyde.

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It was the band’s 1994 LP Brother Sister which went platinum in the UK and was the last with singer N’Dea Davernport’s before temporarily reuniting with the group in 2006.

The Brand New Heavies headline the Northampton venue on Saturday, November 23.

Doors open at 7.30pm, tickets cost £25 before fees.