A North East band which pays tribute to one of the most influential singer/songwriters and record producers of his generation have secured their first UK tour.
Freak Out – A Celebration of Nile Rodgers, will perform at venues up and down the country, including St George’s Theatre in Great Yarmouth, Nottingham Playhouse and Warner Hotels’ Nidd Hall in Harrogate, which is the first of the band’s national dates on Saturday, June 21.
They will also grace the stage in their native North East at the Fishburn Live Festival, performing songs including Le Freak, Everybody Dance and Dance, Dance, Dance which are part of a 26-song strong programme.
The UK tour comes after the band successfully played several sold-out gigs at Butlins in 2024, as part of the leisure venue’s summer programme of shows.
Freak Out was founded by Carl Arnott and Mike Williams in 2022 after they supported Nile Rodgers and Chic as part of a different project on the main stage at the Hardwick Live Festival in front of 10,000 people.
Carl said: “Over the past year or so, interest in our band has grown massively. Our gigs at Butlins have always been very popular but heading out on tour is a huge step up for us.
“It’s also a fantastic opportunity for us to put ourselves in front of a whole new, national audience and we’re all really looking forward to it.
“Rehearsals are going to be incredibly demanding, particularly for those members of the band who juggle their involvement with full time jobs or running businesses, however heading out on the roads on tour was something we hoped we’d get the chance to do, so we’ll be doing everything we can to ensure every single gig is a huge success and a sell out.”
Freak Out – A Celebration of Nile Rodgers, is made up of members Carl, from Bishop Middleham in County Durham, Mike and Rachel Lee from Sedgefield, Andrea Townsley from Wynyard, Claire Willmer and Rhiannon Walker from Darlington, Kayleigh Lane from Killingworth, Dan Charlton from Horden, Matt Jolley from Coxhoe and Julie Weir from Chester le Street.
Andrea Townsley, the band’s keyboard player, added: “We just love performing and have great fun when we take to the stage. If the audience have as much fun as we do, then they’re in for a real treat when we hit the roads later in the summer.”
Nile Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 750 million albums and 100 million singles worldwide. As well as being co-founder of Chic, he has also written and produced music for artists including Sister Sledge and Diana Ross.
Freak Out, A Celebration of Nile Rodgers, will play their first gig at Fishburn Live on Friday, June 27.
