For The Unthanks, it’s three albums in less than a year, with Diversions Vol. 3 and an accompanying tour with a difference. Songs from the Shipyards is the beautiful and moving film tracing the story of shipbuilding, accompanied by a soundtrack performed live by The Unthanks. It’s also the title of Vol. 3 – a studio album containing the music from the soundtrack for the Tyneside Cinema commissioned film.
Made by internationally acclaimed North East filmmaker Richard Fenwick, Songs from the Shipyards is made from archive footage from the past 100 years, and illustrates in microcosm the highs and lows of Britain’s industrial journey. Fenwick and The Unthanks collaborated on the film from the start of the creative process, devising a strong political and human narrative to the story, and creating a unique, powerful, live audio-visual event, in which The Unthanks perform a live soundtrack to the film.
The October tour of the film with The Unthanks playing live, will go predominantly to towns and cities with a history of shipbuilding, such as Newcastle, Hull, Barrow, Southampton, Glasgow and Belfast. Even inland shows in Preston, Manchester and at the Royal Shakespeare’s theatre in Stratford Upon Avon are due to unlikely connections to the shipyards. There are also shows at London’s South Bank Centre, in Bristol, Dublin, and Bexhill’s fabulous De La Warr Pavillion.
The album will be available to buy on the October tour exclusively at shows before the November retail release.
Watch a clip from the film here
Dates
The Unthanks – Songs from the Shipyards
* Please note, at some venues, there are 2 shows in one night.
Sun 14th Oct
Mitchell Library – Glasgow
Tue 16th & Wed 17th Oct
Tyneside Cinema – Newcastle Upon Tyne
Thu 18th Oct
The Ropery, Ropery Hall – Barton Upon Humber
Fri 19th Oct
Forum – Barrow in Furness
Sat 20th Oct
The Arc – Stockton on Tees
Sun 21st Oct
The Mac – Belfast
Mon 22nd Oct
Pavilion Theatre – Dún Laoghaire, Dublin
Tue 23rd Oct
The New Continental – Preston
Thu 25th Oct
Gorilla – Manchester
Fri 26th Oct
Southbank Centre – London
*extra showing now on sale!
Sun 28th Oct
The Courtyard Theatre (RSC) – Stratford Upon Avon (TBA)
Mon 29th Oct
Harbour Lights Picturehouse, Southampton (TBA)
Tue 30th Oct
St George’s – Bristol
Thu 1st Nov
De Le Warr Pavilion – Bexhill On Sea
Sat 3rd Nov
Epstein Theatre – Liverpool