Big Big Train announce new live album recorded at London's Cadogan Hall

Big Big Train
(Image credit: Anne-Marie Forker)

UK prog rockers Big Big Train have announced they will release a new live album and Blu-ray, A Flare On The Lens, through InsideOutMusic on September 13.

The new live release was recorded at the band's show at London's Cadogan Hall during last year's tour throughout August and September, during which the band performed 17 shows over 21 days across nine countries in the UK and Europe.

A Flare On The Lens features the band’s full show at Cadogan Hall from the second of their two nights there last year and also includes seven songs which were played only on the first night. 

The band have also released a video or the song A Boy In Darkness, originally from 2012's English Electric Part One, which you can watch below.

"A Boy In Darkness is one of the most emotional and difficult Big Big Train songs to sing and interpret," says singer Alberto Bravin. "It’s amazing how the mood of the song changes completely from a very dark place to a crowd-pleasing clapping section that leads to a tragic and powerful finale."

“There is a weight to A Boy in Darkness, a held tension, which is there right from the start and builds throughout the song to the magnificent final chorus," adds violinist Clare Lindley. "It’s a tremendous song to play live, full of interesting lines and melodies and, for me, an exciting instrumental section where I play all the violin and flute solos. I think the music carries the subject matter perfectly."

Big Big Train will be appearing at this year's Night Of The Prog Festival in Lorely, Germany and Cropredy Festival in the UK in August and then undertake their own headline tour in September and October. You can see all the dates below.

A Flare On The Lens is available as a limited edition 3CD+Blu-ray media book, with the concert film audio mixed in 5.1 surround sound and stereo. A gatefold 180g 2LP vinyl version is also available, which features a carefully selected range of material from the Cadogan Hall shows. You can see the artwork and tracklisting below.

Pre-order A Flare On The Lens.

BIG BIG TRAIN - A Boy in Darkness (Live in London 2023) - YouTube BIG BIG TRAIN - A Boy in Darkness (Live in London 2023) - YouTube
Watch On

Big Big Train

(Image credit: InsideOut)

Big Big Train: A Flare On The Lens
1. Folklore*
2. The Connection Plan*
3. Curator of Butterflies*
4. Summoned by Bells*
5. Drums & Brass 2023*
6. Love Is The Light*
7. A Boy In Darkness*
8.  Apollo*
9. Acoustic Medley
10. East Coast Racer*
11. Victorian Brickwork*
12.  Oblivion
13. Swan Hunter
14.  Keeper of Abbeys
15.  Brooklands
16.  Hedgerow
17.  Telling the Bees
18.  Judas Unrepentant

*included on 2LP vinyl release

Big Big Train

Jul 21: GER Loreley Night Of The Prog
Aug 9: UK Cropredy Festival, Oxfordshire
Sep 17: UK Swindon Wyvern Theatre
Sep 18: UK Newport The Riverfront
Sep 19: UK Whitley Bay Playhouse Theatre
Sep 21: UK Edinburgh Queens Hall, Edinburgh
Sep 22: UK Newark Palace Theatre,
Sep 24: UK Milton Keynes Stables Theatre SOLD OUT
Sep 25: UK ManchesterThe Stoller Hall SOLD OUT
Sep 27: GER Weinheim Stadthalle
Sep 28: NED Zoetermeer Boerderij
Sep 29: NED Zoetermeer Boerderij
Oct 1: NOR Oslo Cosmopolite
Oct 2: DEN Copenhagen Viften
Oct 5: UK London Cadogan Hall

Get tickets.

Jerry Ewing

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.