The Nightingales

If John Peel sessions are the rock and pop equivalent of England caps, then Nightingales mainstay Robert Lloyd is in Bobby Moore territory, with only The Fall and The Wedding Present notching up more Peel show appearances than the critically acclaimed and wilfully uncompromising 'misfit's misfit.' Between 1978 and 1991 he recorded 16 Peel sessions, including eight with The Nightingales plus others with The Prefects and latterly solo, before going to ground.

Since Rob reformed The Nightingales in 2004, the band have put out more albums of great new material than they managed in their original run and they toured the UK (including several outstanding shows here at The Continental), mainland Europe and the USA many times, impacted by constantly changing band members and record labels, which proved to be both a blessing and a curse.

However in recent years the band have settled on what may be their classic line-up – the current four piece 'Gales of Rob, drummer Fliss Kitson, bass player Andreas Schmid and guitarist Jim Smith – and a supportive label, Tiny Global, who have issued their last few records, including most recent album, 2020's 'Four Against Fate.'

This year has seen a huge upsurge of interest in the Nightingales due to the release of the long-awaited Stewart Lee/Michael Cummings film about Robert Lloyd, 'King Rocker.' The film weaves Rob's story of Birmingham's undervalued underdog into that of the city's forgotten public sculpture of King Kong, eschewing the celebrity interview and archive-raid approach for a free-associating bricolage of Indian food, bewildered chefs, vegetable gardening, prescription medicines, pop stardom and pop art.

King Rocker's screening on national TV in February generated a massive amount of appreciation and goodwill for Rob and the band and subsequently several dates on the Nightingales upcoming Autumn 2021 tour have sold out months in advance. We're lucky to have secured an August show from the band, which will turn out to be one of their first for a couple of years since the COVID pandemic derailed their plans. The Nightingales never rest on their laurels and will pin you to the wall for a non-stop hour of frighteningly-good newly-minted tunes. We urge you to book early to avoid disappointment.

Plus special guests

James King and The Lonewolves

Crayola

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