Not long to go until and another star-spangled Nocturne Live against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace! Remember Monday share their thoughts ahead of supporting The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia on 21st June
This suitably majestic setting will host a royal flush of musicians from Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd of June. The Verve’s frontman Richard Ashcroft as the first act of the Nocturne concert series on Thursday 19th June, followed by headliner Gary Barlow on Friday 20th as part of his UK and Ireland Songbook tour.
Saturday night will see one of Ireland’s most succesful bands The Corrs make their return to Nocturne alongside support act Natalie Imbruglia.
Legendary Nile Rogers & Chic will headline on Sunday night. With countless hits such as Le Freak, Good Times and Everybody Dance this is not one to miss.
Remember Monday are supporting The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia at the Nocturne Live at Blenheim Palace concert series on Saturday, 21st June. Here’s a Q&A with the Eurovision stars…
Congratulations on representing the UK at Eurovision this year. How has life changed since the news was announced?
“It’s been mental, every single day has taken us by surprise! Every day is a new day of amazing things and we’re so grateful that the day we received that phone call happened! We had a little bucket list that we’ve had for years and ever since we got Eurovision, and especially since Eurovision was announced we’ve been ticking it off, and upgrading the bucket lists.”
How does it feel to go from Eurovision to one of the UK’s most iconic concert settings sharing the bill with The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia?
“To perform at Blenheim Palace is huge. We’ve grown up listening to The Corrs, we’re huge fans of them and Natalie Imbruglia, it’s wild. We can’t believe we’re on the same line-up as these incredible artists at such an incredible venue it all feels very surreal.”
Will your Eurovision experience influence how you approach live shows now?
“I think the Eurovision experience will definitely kind of set the bar for us now and we’re only aiming for that or higher. You know we want to take that level of performance into every single thing that we do, you know we’ve already making plans for loads of different festival appearances over the summer and even our own live tour, we’ve set the bar there and we just want to keep getting bigger and better.”
What’s next for you?
“We are going on a headline tour in October, we literally cannot wait. It’s our second headline tour and the last time it was just the most fun we’ve ever had, and this next tour is a huge step up. We’re playing some really amazing, huge venues and way more dates around the UK so we honestly can’t wait to do that. There might be an album in the works we couldn’t possibly give away all our secrets but definitely some new music is coming for sure, and we can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Trio of stars join Gary Barlow, Richard Ashcroft, Lightning Seeds, and The Zutons for summer shows at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire for Nocturne Live 2025
Nile Rodgers, the legendary songwriter, producer, and guitarist, has been confirmed as the latest headliner for the Nocturne Live concert series, returning to the iconic Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire from June 18th-22nd. Rodgers, a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will deliver a dynamic performance with his band CHIC on Sunday, June 22nd. Fans can expect a journey through his iconic catalogue, including hits like Le Freak, Good Times, and Everybody Dance.
Joining Rodgers are R&B legends En Vogue, known for hits like Hold On and Free Your Mind, and soul icons Shalamar, celebrated for disco classics such as A Night to Remember.
Other confirmed acts for Nocturne Live 2025 include Gary Barlow (Friday, June 20th) and Richard Ashcroft, Lightning Seeds, and The Zutons (Thursday, June 19th), with more artists to be announced.
Since 2015, Nocturne Live has become one of the UK’s premier stately home concert series, hosting stars like Elton John, Lionel Richie, and Kylie Minogue. The 2025 series runs from June 18th-22nd, with tickets for Nile Rodgers and CHIC starting at £54. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 24th, at 9:30am, with a pre-sale beginning Tuesday, January 21st, for mailing list subscribers. Limited VIP packages, including dining in Blenheim Palace’s State Rooms, are available at Nocturne Live | 18TH – 22ND JUNE 2025
Tickets for Nile Rodgers & CHIC go on sale at 9.30am this Friday January 24th 2025 from www.nocturnelive.com
Liz Nicholls shares a chat with singer Chaka Khan who will star at Nocturne Live at Blenheim in June & Love Supreme festival in Sussex in July
Q. Hi Chaka, wonderful to talk to you! What’s your first memory of music?
“Hello! I was lucky to be born to parents who are artists. I recall hearing a lot of opera and jazz growing up: Billie, Ella… my father played Max Roach a lot. My mother was a dance instructor, she taught modern and ballet, so we did a lot of dancing around the house. We had a big ol’ Zenith hifi and big ol’ speakers and we all sang, danced and did our chores on Saturdays. I thought everybody did that, haha! We had murals, frescoes on every wall in the house. In our bedroom we had a circus scene. In the kitchen we had flowers, fruit. It was great to grow up with art everywhere.”
Q. You’ve worked some greats in your time, including Prince. Are there any other artists you’d love to collaborate with?
“Well I’ve done some stuff with [the R&B star] H.E.R and Sia and I are doing some stuff together.”
Q. How do you decide who to work with? Do you listen to the radio or stream new music?
“Well they [the collab artists] mostly find me! I’m not on any kind of quest, haha! I don’t listen to the radio, no. I listen to as little music as possible because it’s what I do for a living. I think too much and if I listen to music I have a hard time having fun with it. I don’t go out to clubs any more – when I was younger I did a little bit. For me a fun day is doing absolutely nothing, lying on my chaise lounge watching telly, a movie… passive entertainment!”
“I’m not nostalgic, I’m really a next girl”
Q. Do you feel nostalgic looking back on your 50 years in the biz while curating this year’s Meltdown festival?
“No, I’m not nostalgic, I’m really a next girl! I don’t live in the past, I don’t remember a lot. This is a good thing! The only thing I’m interested in is what’s happening in the moment. All we own is this moment right now. And how it’s going to affect what’s going to happen next. I don’t get caught up in things I can’t do nothing about, like yesterday. But I can influence tomorrow.”
Q. What’s been your personal biggest achievement?
“Getting out of the city and moving; leaving LA is the biggest and best thing I’ve done. I’m communing with nature here in Georgia, with all this beauty here. I truly get rest here, I get silence. And I’ve got my family here with me. My mother lives in the east wing, I’ve got my sisters, my nephews.”
Q. You lived in London for 30 years. Did you like living in the UK?
“I loved it but I’m happy now as my neighbours are miles away! I did a lot of great work in the UK, including with the London Philharmonic and worked with a lot of people I’ve loved for years. I’ve lived in many places; Germany, Switzerland… Why?! Well, I live on Earth, the whole planet, that’s the way I look at it! I’ll be in the UK all summer which will be great.”
Q. So many of your songs have been covered many times. Are there are songs that are so precious you wouldn’t want them covered?
“Well I wouldn’t want any of my songs to be copied or covered if they weren’t done well or with the best of intentions, honorably… I don’t want anybody to do a shlock job! But having said that, music is a free agent unto itself – it doesn’t belong to me, it’s for everybody.”
Q. You’re considered one of the great divas. How do you feel about the term ‘diva’ and do you embrace it?
“I know inside what I am. Whatever everybody wants to say about me, so long as it’s in a positive light, I’m happy. Titles don’t mean a lot to me, they do not define me.”
Q. You’ve achieved so much. Anything you still want to do?
“I can’t think of anything else but believe me that doesn’t stop stuff happening. I’m just very open and willing, that’s all I can do. I’ve been doing a lot of talks with children in schools. We have an open floor and they can talk about anything. I’m looking to start doing some podcasts with younger kids, young adults. That’s half of my job right now as a human being. I love my grandchildren and the focus on young people because they’re our future. We owe them a great deal of our time, energy and respect.”
Q. What advice would you give young performers paving their own way?
“Be true to yourself. Honesty is the best policy, even if it hurts! Especially if it hurts: that means it’s meaningful. This is the best thing you can do for yourself and everyone who’s around you.”
Q. How will you cater to a jazz crowd at Love Supreme festival?
“I’m not doing anything specific! I’m a multifaceted singer, I can sing anything. The best thing I’m doing is getting rid of that Queen of Funk s***. I hate to be boxed in. I do as much as is humanly possible on that stage. And everyone’s happy! I’m going to start implementing strings in my show, so I can do To Sir With Love and Big Spender and all that. I’ll be very happy to be doing shows. And I have my hits. I keep it moving, changing, that’s how you keep it interesting.”
Q. What do you think is most challenging about the music industry today for new singers coming into the industry?
“There is so much that needs to change, it’s horrific. First of all how women are set up to compete with one other. There’s no place for competition in self-expression. But often labels count on us [women] being competitive with each other, which is stupid.”
Q, What advice would you have for younger singers and your younger self?
“I think be honest and faithful with yourself and don’t be afraid. You have to keep yourself clear on what your goals are and stay true to yourself, which is a tough thing to do for young people, I think. I control my life and I’ve never let success run away with me. I’ve taken it and ran. The only thing that could threaten my stability is me. I’m my only threat and my own worst enemy. You’ve gotta follow your own path, trust your heart and listen to the warnings. You can’t argue with the universe. It’s not about that. It’s more about relaxing and knowing that you can handle it and feeling empowered. Knowing you have the power to do whatever the hell you want to do! That’s what it’s about. It really is.”
With 2023 coming to a close, it’s about time we started looking to next year and the fun we can have once the sun returns.
A surefire hit for music fans is Nocturne Festival with runs from 12th – 16th June at Blenheim Palace. The festival began in 2015 and has played host to music royalty over the years with the likes of Elton John, Kylie, Van Morrison, and Nile Rodgers gracing the stage over the years. With some of the headliners only recently announced we have to say we’re really excited about these shows..
Music legend and pop culture icon Chaka Khan will be performing on June 13th. The 10-time Grammy winner, who is touring in celebration of both her 70th birthday and 50th year in music, will be joined by disco legends Sister Sledge and party-starting funk group The Fatback Band.
Sugababes are one of the most successful British girl bands of all time with six number one singles, multiple platinum selling albums, and numerous awards to their name. Since reforming in 2022 with their original 1998 line up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy, Sugababes have played at Glastonbury and performed live to over half a million fans.
Melanie C needs no introduction, surely. But just in case…she was in the Spice Girls and was known as the slightly less formal Sporty Spice, or Mel C. Melanie, is far fitting for the auspices of Blenheim Palace, isn’t it? As a solo artist she has over 3 million album sales, two number 1 singles, and six top 10 singles to her name.
Shaznay Lewis was in All Saints.
Sugababes are apparently jazzed to be taking part in this year’s festival, saying, “We are excited to be performing next year at the stunning setting of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. To get to play alongside our friends Mel and Shaznay is going to make the evening even more special.”
The third date to be announced features Crowded House, Sheryl Crow and Turin Brakes. This show, on 16th June, has all but sold out, with just a few VIP tickets remaining. So, if you have a quid knocking about and fancy a unique dining experience in the State Rooms of Blenheim Palace, followed by Crowded House, head to the Nocturne Live website. You may be required to rattle your jewellery during Weather With You.
The Lighthouse Family’s Tunde Baiyewu chats to Liz Nicholls ahead of playing as part of the Nocturne Live series at Blenheim Palace with Gregory Porter & Emeli Sandé in June.
Q. Hi Tunde! Are you looking forward to playing at Blenheim?
“Hello. Yes, I am. I haven’t been to Blenheim. A few years before the pandemic we had been asked to play the palace but everything went topsy turvy. I’m chuffed that it’s happening now. You usually look on from the sidelines with these kind of events. It’s an amazing venue so I feel blessed.
This date comes in the middle of my tour which starts 26th May in Cardiff, goes on to 24th June. I’m a fan of Gregory Porter as well as Emeli Sandé so I’m going to be enjoying it as much as any other member of the audience.”
Q. How do you take care of that wonderful voice?
“I’m very quiet on the day of the show. A couple of hours before a show I say almost nothing – but partly that’s nerves! I resort to a lot of ginger, lemon and honey drinks. You know what it’s like, we Africans sometimes get overexcited. You know those situations in a bar or a club with your friends and everyone’s trying to talk over the music? You think you’re whispering but you don’t realise you’re shouting over the din, and find out when you’ve left. The next day you’re hoarse. So I won’t be raising my voice at all.”
Q. What’s your first memory of music?
“Well, I was born in London but when I was about five my mum took my sister and I back to Nigeria because my biological father died. She had to relocate to Lagos. Back then my mum, in her infinite wisdom, decided the best thing to keep me out of trouble was to enrol me in the church choir, singing lots of hymns. Then you’d be back to terra firma, you’d do some naughty things and then you’d go back to church on Sunday!
I never really could get my head round the idea that people wrote those hymns. I used to think as a kid, oh these songs are wonderful but nobody created them, they just existed. They’re just there and they help us feel good. In Nigeria growing up Michael Jackson was on the radio a lot, and James Taylor was very big and I love a lot of his stuff. So when I went up to Newcastle with Paul [Tucker] after college we were always going to nightclubs and listening to music, that sort of scene. Always liked buying records cheap – I had a lot of R&B, hip hop on vinyl. When I realised people wrote those hymns, that inspired me. A lot of the Lighthouse Family songs definitely have a spiritual connotation to them. That’s where they come from, but in a modern way – not a Kumbaya sort of way – songs that were like sitting with someone having a meaningful chat about life & love & spiritually – those were the sort of conversations we’d be having in the studio, Paul and myself.”
Blenheim beauty is the backdrop for Nocturne Live stars. Singer/songwriter Mick Hucknall chats about being back on the road performing as Simply Red get set to star at Nocturne Live at Blenheim Palace on 15th June
“What I’m most looking forward to about going back on tour is the audience because I think all of us have been through so much,” says Mick. “Some of us have lost family and friends, which is clearly a very emotional thing, and I just want to be a reassuring figure to the audience that we’re here, you know, entertaining them with the music they clearly love because they’re at the shows.
“The other part of it is that there’s great camaraderie between the band and I’ve missed them and very much look forward to being on a stage. And I know that we’re all gonna be really proud and thrilled to be performing to the audience.”
Q. Is there anything you don’t like about being on tour? “Well, you know, maybe three years ago I would have said yes, but I’m now saying there’s nothing, because I’m actually quite thankful to just even be on tour.”
Q. Without being able to perform over lockdowns, what has helped you cope? “Well, during the pandemic I’ve been lucky enough to have a family and we’ve been in it together, and we’ve had to deal with it like every other family has. I feel particularly for those people that don’t have a family, who have been on their own throughout this time. And again, that’s one of the beautiful things about being on the road is that you can actually be part of their family by having them come to the show and share the experience. The other thing I’ve been doing in the pandemic is writing songs, so that’s been a very positive experience and I’m hoping to share some of that music with you when the time is right, in the autumn I would think.”
Q. What can the fans expect from the tour? “Well, I want to effectively give the fans what they want. We’re gonna perform our ‘best of’, we’re gonna perform the biggest songs of our career and some familiar album tracks from over the years, but it’s just gonna be a real review of the story of Simply Red from 1985 to now, and we hope to give you the big hits.”
Q. Do you have a favourite song to perform and why? “I guess I have to say the favourite song to perform will always be Holding Back The Years. It’s just such a key song on so many levels. But then again there are others. Stars is always a favourite to perform. But always I think, for everybody, Holding Back The Years, it’s the first major song I ever wrote, and it’s something that will always be played.”
Simply Red join headliners Lionel Richie, Simple Minds, UB40 featuring Ali and Astro, and David Gray (celebrating the 20th anniversary of his seminal album White Ladder) on the line-up for the popular concert series, which will run across five nights from Wednesday June 15th to Sunday June 19th 2022.
Support acts for next summer’s event include the likes of Macy Gray, Deacon Blue, Brand New Heavies, Nerina Pallot, Jimmy Cliff, Aswad and James Morrison (full details below). Tickets, along with a limited number of VIP packages – which provide an exclusive opportunity to dine in the State Rooms of Blenheim Palace – are available from www.nocturnelive.com.
