Rudimental + Anne-Marie @ 02 Academy, 7th March 2016
Rudimental followed up last year’s triumph of their We The Generation album hitting the number one spot, by embarking on a nine-date 2016 UK headline tour, starting last month. The tour included what was their biggest show to date at The O2 Arena on 3rd March, but more importantly for us also included an appearance at the o2 Institute. We sent photographer Chris Bowley to deepest Digbeth to capture the event for Birmingham Live!
Support tonight came from Anne-Marie, on the back of her of her first-ever UK headline tour earlier this year. She is obviously no stranger to Rudimental having spent over two years as their lead live vocalist. Anne-Marie’s energetic performances earned her four features on the We The Generation album, including the infectious ‘Rumour Mill’. She is currently recording finishing her début album, set to be released this summer.
The band’s 2015 We Are The Generation tour was truly wide-ranging, taking in the USA, Europe, Japan and Australia and following on from a stellar year where they were a highlight of every festival including their headline set at Lovebox, Glastonbury where they headlined The Other Stage to critical acclaim and their very own Wild Life Festival in Brighton which sold out within hours of going on sale. Returning to the UK this year it is clear that the band are no stranger to playing huge crowds and only a few weeks ago the guys supported their friend and label mate Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium, where they played to 85,000 people!
Keeping head of the game the band Rudimental also launched their first official App (iOS & Android), allowing the band to connect with their fans better than before, on tour and everywhere. Built by tech partner, Disciple Media, the App is all about getting front row access to Rudimental’s world for in-the-moment experiences – real-time live streaming, exclusive content, fan chats/hang-outs, pre-sale tickets, special App-only merch, friending & messaging and loads more. Download it here .
Photographs: Chris Bowley