The Night Call Tour was the third and final concert tour by the English synth-pop band Years & Years, which by then was a solo project of frontman Olly Alexander. The tour supported the Night Call album and began on 19 May 2022 at the Brighton Centre and concluded on 12 November in Melbourne, Australia.
| Tour by Years & Years | |
| Associated album | Night Call |
|---|---|
| Start date | 19 May 2022 |
| End date | 12 November 2022 |
| Legs | 4 |
| No. of shows | 20 in Europe 2 in North America 2 in Asia 2 in Oceana 24 total |
| Years & Years concert chronology | |
Background
editOn 18 March 2021, Years & Years, then a band featuring Olly Alexander, Emre Türkmen and Mikey Goldsworthy, announced their split, with Alexander stating that the trio had "grown apart musically". Alexander subsequently revealed that the band would instead become a solo project and that he would be releasing new music later in the year.[1][2]
The Night Call Tour was announced on 29 October 2021 ahead of the release of the album of same name, which was released on 7 January 2022.[3] On 22 March 2022, Alexander revealed via Instagram that Cat Burns, L Devine, Queer House Party and Eddy Luna would be supporting the UK and Ireland dates.[4] Alexander was due to headline the Colourboxx Festival at Glasgow's Bellahouston Park on 25 June 2022, with Becky Hill, Bimini Bon-Boulash and Sugababes also on the bill however, the festival was later announced to have been cancelled.[5]
In an interview with Hits Radio, Alexander said of the tour: "If anybody managed to catch a little bit of my New Year's Eve show, that was like a little taster of what the show is going to be. So I'm at the moment getting it together, but it’s going to be a very queer, very fun, party vibe. I just want to give the people the best night of their life. That's all I want".[6] Discussing the tour with the Evening Standard, Alexander explained that "my big inspiration for the tour was the movie Showgirls; especially the iconic scene towards the end where there’s lava onstage and they’re all in gold lamé and it’s just insane" and also highlighted 1971's Pink Narcissus and Bob Fosse's 1972 Cabaret films as major inspirations. Alexander collaborated with visual artist Theo Adams for the show's staging, stating that "Theo’s vision is super visceral and dirty, and a bit of a twisted take on a night out. We have toilet cubicles on stage! As far as bang for your buck, a toilet goes a long way. Visually they have a strong place in queer history as a place of hook-ups, love, lust and shame, as well as being this bodily space that we’re slightly repulsed by". The costumes for the tour were designed by Rory Parnell Mooney and Alexander also consulted with a magician in order to be able to execute an illusion that takes place during "Up in Flames".[7]
On 6 April 2022, it was announced that Years & Years would headline the rescheduled Summer Camp Festival, Australia's first touring Pride festival in November.[8]
Setlist
editThis set list is representative of the show on 19 May 2022, in Brighton. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour.[9]
- "Night Call"
- "Sweet Talker"
- "Consequences"
- "Sooner or Later"
- "Shine"
- "Muscle"
- "Play"
- "Sunlight"
- "Sanctify"
- "Worship/Rendezvous"
- "Desire"
- "Hallucination"
- "Up in Flames"
- "Here"
- "20 Minutes"
- "Eyes Shut"
- "It's a Sin" (Pet Shop Boys cover)
- "Crave"
- "Starstruck"
- Encore
Critical response
editReviewing the Wembley Arena show, Sam Rice of the Evening Standard stated that "solo suits the band's frontman, who kept the crowd in the palm of his hand". In his four star review, Rice praised Alexander's playfulness on stage, explaining that "The BAFTA-nominated, chart-topping renaissance man gave a slick performance on this London date of his Night Call tour - but with the humour and impish charm of someone who clearly still knows how to have fun" and highlighted that "even when dipping into songs from Years and Years’ previous two albums, the set was almost entirely roof-raising pop-synth and disco bangers". Rice summarized that "Alexander’s show was a triumphant showcase of the power of pop to liberate, titillate and be buckets full of fun".[10]
At the UK tour's closing show at the AO Arena, Nicole Wooton-Cane of Manchester Evening News noted that "Alexander had the crowd hooked from the start as him and his dancers somehow turned grotty British telephone boxes into a stage that sold his vision of a gritty yet sexy after hours world" and praised the show's visuals and set design. She acknowledged that, owing to it being the final show, Alexander's "voice struggled slightly to keep up with the intense and impressive choreography but he was such a captivating performer that this hardly even mattered - he clearly felt every word he sung". Wooton-Cane singled out the stripped down section of the setlist, which featured Alexander and his backing singers performing at a piano, as the show's most memorable moment, describing how "the crowd waved their phone torches and cheered Alexander on as he made his way through a tearful rendition of Eyes Shut, stopping occasionally as he became overwhelmed by emotion. It was a touching addition to the show that brought me to tears and filled the room with a thousand voices singing of heartbreak and strength. Despite the 21,000 strong venue, you felt a human side to Alexander that was intimate and moving". She concluded that "Alexander's unlimited energy and impressive performance was matched by the gripping visuals that might've dominated a less commanding performer - but the two blended together seamlessly to make an enthralling experience".[11]
Alexander reported that he had experienced some criticism from a small number of audience members who claimed that the show was not family-friendly enough and responded that "there’s never been anything explicit or gratuitous about a Years & Years show, so yeah, I find the reaction to be quite interesting", comparing it to a similar reaction that he received during his BBC New Year's show.[12][13]
Tour dates
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening acts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe[6] | ||||
| 19 May 2022 | Brighton | England | Brighton Centre | Cat Burns Queer House Party |
| 20 May 2022 | Bournemouth | International Centre | ||
| 21 May 2022 | Birmingham | Resorts World Arena | ||
| 23 May 2022 | Nottingham | Motorpoint Arena | L Devine Queer House Party Eddy Luna | |
| 26 May 2022 | London | Wembley Arena | Cat Burns Queer House Party | |
| 28 May 2022 | Manchester | AO Arena | L Devine Queer House Party | |
| 3 June 2022[a] | Plymouth | Plymouth Hoe | N/A | |
| North America | ||||
| 5 June 2022[b] | Los Angeles | United States | West Hollywood Park | N/A |
| 7 June 2022[16] | New York | Brooklyn Mirage | Miya Folick Ty Sunderland | |
| Europe | ||||
| 19 June 2022[c] | Werchter | Belgium | Werchter Festivalpark | N/A |
| 24 June 2022 | Dublin | Ireland | National Museum of Ireland | Cat Burns Queer House Party |
| 26 June 2022[d] | Somerset | England | Worthy Farm | N/A |
| 2 July 2022[e] | Montreux | Switzerland | Montreux Convention Centre | |
| 3 July 2022[f] | St. Gallen | St. Gallen | ||
| 9 July 2022[g] | Glasgow | Scotland | Glasgow Green | |
| 6 August 2022[h] | Charlbury | England | Cornbury Park | |
| 12 August 2022[i] | Piešťany | Slovakia | Piešťany Airport | |
| 1 September 2022[j] | Lisbon | Portugal | Bela Vista Park | |
| 3 September 2022[k] | Munich | Germany | Olympiastadion | |
| 4 September 2022[l] | Mogoșoaia | Romania | Mogoșoaia Park | |
| 8 September 2022[m] | Vigo | Spain | Balaídos | |
| 10 September 2022[n] | Malaga | Sacaba Beach | ||
| 17 September 2022[o] | Madrid | Complutense University of Madrid | ||
| Asia | ||||
| 27 October 2022 | Seoul | South Korea | Yes24 Live Hall | |
| 29 October 2022[p] | Tokyo | Japan | Ariake Arena | |
| 4 November 2022[q] | Jakarta | Indonesia | GBK Softball Stadium | |
| Oceania | ||||
| 5 November 2022[r] | Sydney | Australia | Centennial Park | N/A |
| 12 November 2022[s] | Melbourne | Reunion Park | ||
Notes
edit- ^ The concert on 3 June in Plymouth was part of the 1 Big Summer festival.[14]
- ^ The concert on 5 June in Los Angeles was part of the Outloud festival.[15]
- ^ The concert on 19 June in Werchter was part of the Werchter Boutique.[17]
- ^ The concert on 26 June in Somseset was part of the Glastonbury Festival.[18]
- ^ The concert on 2 July in Montreux was part of the Montreux Jazz Festival.[19]
- ^ The concert on 3 July in St. Gallen was part of the Open Air festival.[20]
- ^ The concert on 12 August in Piešťany was part of the TRNSMT festival.[21]
- ^ The concert on 6 August in Charlbury was part of the Wilderness Festival.[22]
- ^ The concert on 12 August in Piešťany was part of the GrapeFestival.
- ^ The concert on 1 September in Lisbon was part of the Kalorama festival.
- ^ The concert on 3 September in Munich was part of the Superbloom festival.[23]
- ^ The concert on 4 September in Mogoșoaia was part of the Fall in Love Festival.[24]
- ^ The concert in Vigo on 8 September 2022 was part of the Ano Santo Xacobeo Celebrations.
- ^ The concert on 10 September in Malaga was part of the Andalucia Big Festival.[25]
- ^ The concert on 4 September in Madrid was part of the D Code Festival.[26]
- ^ This was part of the TONAL Tokyo Festival [27]
- ^ The concert on 4 November 2022 at the GBK Softball Stadium in Jakarta, Indonesia was part of Joyland Festival.
- ^ The concert on 5 November in Sydndey was part of the Summer Camp festival.[28]
- ^ The concert on 12 November in Melbourne was part of the Summer Camp festival.[28]
Cancelled shows
edit| Date | City | Country | Venue | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 June 2022[a] | Newcastle | England | Town Moor | Festival cancellation |
| 25 June 2022[b] | Glasgow | Scotland | Bellahouston Park | |
| 30 June 2022[c] | Gdynia | Poland | Kosakowo Airport | Unforeseen circumstances[29] |
| 23 September 2022 | Oslo | Norway | Sentrum Scene | |
| 25 September 2022 | Stockholm | Sweden | Fållan | |
| 26 September 2022 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Vega | |
| 28 September 2022 | Hamburg | Germany | Edel-optics.de Arena | |
| 30 September 2022 | Amsterdam | The Netherlands | AFAS Live | |
| 1 October 2022 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National | |
| 3 October 2022 | Berlin | Germany | Columbiahalle | |
| 5 October 2022 | Prague | Czech Republic | Forum Karlin | |
| 7 October 2022 | Offenbach | Germany | Capitol Theater | |
| 8 October 2022 | Zürich | Switzerland | Volkhaus | |
| 9 October 2022 | Milan | Italy | Fabrique | |
| 11 October 2022 | Cologne | Germany | Palladium | |
| 12 October 2022 | Luxembourg City | Luxembourg | Den Atelier | |
| 13 October 2022 | Paris | France | Zénith |
Notes
edit- ^ The concert on 12 June in Newcastle was part of the Rock'N'Roll Circus.
- ^ The concert on 25 June in Glasgow was part of the Colourboxx Festival.
- ^ The concert on 30 June in Gdynia was part of the Open'er Festival.
Personnel
editYears & Years
- Olly Alexander - lead vocals, piano
Band
- Mikey Goldsworthy - synthesisers, keyboard, bass guitar
- Paris Jeffree - drums
- Joell Fender - backing vocals
- Yasmin Green - backing vocals
- Tehillah Daniel - backing vocals
Dancers
- Kibrea Carmichael
- Max Cookward
- Jamie Graham
- Sarah Li Baugstø
- Artemis Stamouli
References
edit- ^ "Years & Years to continue as "solo project" for Olly Alexander". NME. 18 March 2021.
- ^ "Olly Alexander on why Years & Years became a solo project: "We grew apart musically"". NME. 8 April 2021.
- ^ "Years & Years announce 'Night Call' 2022 UK and Ireland arena tour". NME. 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Years & Years on Instagram: "i am so excited to announce 🌙✨ @catburns, @l.devine, @queerhouseparty and @eddyluna__ will be joining us on the Night Call tour !!! I'm so happy with this beautifully and excellently queer line up! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 i love these people very much - make sure you get tickets and come see us all !!! Link in bio"".
- ^ "Colourboxx cancels 2022 summer festival in Bellahouston Park". Thenational.scot. 5 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Olly Alexander reveals details of what fans can expect from 'The Night Call Tour'". Planetradio.co.uk.
- ^ "Olly Alexander on why his new tour is going to be a 'queer festival'". Standard.co.uk. 13 May 2022.
- ^ "Summer Camp Festival 2022 Rescheduled Australia Tour". Frooty.com.au. 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Years & Years Setlist at Brighton Centre, Brighton". Setlist.fm.
- ^ "Years & Years at Wembley Arena: Olly Alexander knows how to have fun". Standard.co.uk. 27 May 2022.
- ^ "REVIEW: Years & Years stun in seductive and energetic tour finale". Manchestereveningnews.co.uk. 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Olly Alexander heeded Beyonce but not critics for sexy new tour". Gloucestershirelive.co.uk. 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Olly Alexander has 'walkouts' at his shows over celebration of queerness". Metro. 26 May 2022.
- ^ "1 Big Summer festival set times confirmed". Plymouthherald.co.uk. 21 May 2022.
- ^ "Here's Who's Performing at the 2022 Outloud Raising Voices Music Fest". Out.com. 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Years and Years at Brooklyn Mirage on 7 Jun 2022 | Ticket Presale Code, Cheapest Tickets, Best Seats, Comparison Shopping Zumic". Zumic.com.
- ^ "Werchter Boutique 2022". Musicfestivalwizard.com.
- ^ "Updated daily: Every artist confirmed and rumoured for Glastonbury 2022 so far". Thefestivals.uk. 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Programme 2022: Discover the Montreux Jazz Festival line-up!". Montreuxjazzfestival.com. 11 April 2022.
- ^ "YEARS & YEARS | OpenAir St.Gallen". Openairsg.ch. 12 April 2022.
- ^ "TRNSMT 2022: Headliners, line-up, stage times and more". Radiox.co.uk.
- ^ "Wilderness Festival 2019 Line-up". Wildernessfestival.com.
- ^ "Superbloom Lineup". Superbloom.de.
- ^ "Fall in love Festival returns 2–4 September in Mogoșoaia". Business-review.eu. 6 July 2022.
- ^ "Andalucia Big Festival". Andalucia.com. 28 April 2022.
- ^ "DCODE 2023 – Festival de música en Madrid". Dcodefest.com. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "TONAL Tokyo". Tonal.tokyo. 29 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Artists & Line up - Summer Camp". Summercampfestival.com.au.
- ^ "Years & Years".