Kit Marsden // Musician

Tag: news

  • Smalltown Boy at Cologne Pride

    Smalltown Boy at Cologne Pride

    Kit Marsden

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    I will be appearing at Cologne Pride in Germany with Smalltown Boy, the leading tribute to the iconic Jimmy Somerville (Bronski Beat, The Communards).

    I’ve been working with Smalltown Boy over the last couple of months playing piano and keys, and I love doing this joyful, fun, high-energy show for audiences around the UK… now I can’t wait to take it to Germany too.

    Featuring huge hits including You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Never Can Say Goodbye, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Why?, Read My Lips (Enough Is Enough) and, of course, the global smash Smalltown Boy, audiences can expect an unforgettable journey through some of the most iconic anthems of the 1980s.

    We will be in Cologne on Saturday 4th July. And as always, check the calendar page for all upcoming gigs dates.Calendar

  • Midhurst Jazz Festival

    Midhurst Jazz Festival

    Kit Marsden

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    I shall be helping my friend and colleague Chris Barwise run production, sound and lighting at Midhurst Jazz Festival for three days in November. I’m looking forward to spending time in Midhurst and helping this brilliant event come alive, and I shall hope to see you there!

  • Alexander Carson

    Alexander Carson

    Kit Marsden

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    I’m delighted to be able to announce that I’ll be playing drums for singer-songwriter Alexander Carson on their upcoming live shows this year and next year – starting with two gigs in November, at The Holloway in Norwich, and The Finsbury in London.

    Alexander Carson is a non-binary singer-songwriter/composer based in Norwich Norfolk, United Kingdom, They spend the majority of their time bumbling around the house making obtuse sounds, comforted and accompanied by two ambivalent cats, one over-excited dog, and one long-suffering partner.

    Carson first picked up the piano at age 4 (which is especially difficult considering the weight) and was classically trained,their music reflects this discipline and sounds like a cross between Chopin and Rufus Wainwright.

    Carson is inspired by the mundanity of modernity and aims to articulate the absurdity of human existence in their music. This is all presented with a surrealist sense of humour to soften the often melancholic timbre of the music.

    Essentially their music is trying to set one Oscar Wilde quote to music: “Life is much too important a thing ever to talk seriously about”.

    Keep an eye on the Calendar page for more exciting new dates with Alexander Carson soon.

  • Candacraig At Nene Valley Rock Festival

    Candacraig At Nene Valley Rock Festival

    Kit Marsden

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    Already a Prog Magazine ‘Limelight’ band in 2024, 2025 has already started strong for Candacraig, being voted among the top five Best New Artists by readers of Prog Magazine in a nationwide readers’ poll.

    Following the success of the Brave tour and livestream, I am deilghted that I’ll be linking up with Candacraig again later this year to play the Kingfisher Stage at Nene Valley Rock Festival at Grimsthorpe Castle in south Lincolnshire.

    Candacraig will appear on Sunday 7th September, presenting ‘their unique blend of neo prog, art rock and dark folk’ with their full five-piece line-up, including me on keyboards. Early bird tickets are available now from the NVRF website.

  • Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats – Nell’ Ora Blu – On Tour

    Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats – Nell’ Ora Blu – On Tour

    Kit Marsden

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    I am very excited to announce I’ll be touring with Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats at the start of the new year, as they perform their critically-acclaimed album Nell’ Ora Blu in full.

    Described as ‘breathtakingly impressive’ by Distorted Sound magazine, and ‘the most original and thematic album of the year (9.5/10)’ by Metal Injection, Nell’ Ora Blu is a gritty, doom metal concept album inspired by classic Italian cinema, with a storyline which encompasses corrupt politicians, vigilante justice, and inevitably, murder.

    I will be joining the band on keys to perform the album in full at venues across Europe, the UK, the US and Canada. Catch me with Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats at the following gig dates throughout January and February (full details and links to ticket sales are on the Calendar page, or on the Uncle Acid and The Deabeats website).

    • 16th January 2025 – Alhambra, Paris, France
    • 18th January 2025 – Palco 19, Asti, Italy
    • 21st January 2025 – Sala Petrassi, Rome, Italy
    • 24th January 2025 – Heimathafen, Berlin, Germany
    • 25th January 2025 – Heimathafen, Berlin, Germany
    • 26th January 2025 – Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven, Netherlands
    • 29th January 2025 – Vooruit, Theater Zaal, Ghent, Belgium
    • 31st January 2025 – Alexandra Palace Theatre, London, UK
    • 5th February 2025 – The Fillmore, Silver Springs, Maryland, USA
    • 6th February 2025 – The Town Hall, New York City, New York, USA
    • 7th February 2025 – Somerville Theater, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA
    • 8th February 2025 – Mtelus, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
    • 9th February 2025 – Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
    • 11th February 2025 – Masonic Cathedral, Detroit, Michigan, USA
    • 12th February 2025 – Thalia Hall, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • 13th February 2025 – Fitzgerald Theater, St.
  • Candacraig Presents ‘Brave’

    Candacraig Presents ‘Brave’

    Kit Marsden

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    I will be joining up with Lincolnshire-based prog outfit Candacraig next month to play keys on three very special shows, retelling influential prog giants Marillion’s seminal concept album ‘Brave’, thirty years after its original release.

    To celebrate this incredible piece of work, Candacraig will be devoting the entire second half of these shows to a retelling of the story from the perspective of the girl on the bridge, 30 years later.

    Using projection and a full five piece band, Sharon and Martin will play a selection of their own songs in the first half, and then devote all of the second half of the show to Brave.

    The ‘Brave’ shows will be at 45 Live in Kidderminster on 10th October, at Southside in Lincoln on 17th October, and then at Manchester Academy 3 on 24th October. I shall look forward to seeing lots of prog fans there to celebrate ‘Brave’ with us!

  • Band Theft Audio

    Band Theft Audio

    Kit Marsden

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    Band Theft Audio

    I’m delighted to be joining the UK’s hottest event band Band Theft Audio as a keyboard player this year!

    Filling the gap between band and DJ, BTA provide the ultimate musical entertainment experience for your event. Musically focused on keeping heads nodding and feet moving, the BTA repertoire moves from dance, RnB, and hip-hop seamlessly to rock, funk, and pop to cater for all audiences.

    It’s the perfect opportunity to flex my synth and programming muscles whilst getting stuck into an immersive live performance guaranteed to leave audiences wanting more.

    I’ll be playing with BTA on a number of festivals and other events throughout the year, so keep an eye on the Calendar page and don’t miss the chance to come and check us out.

  • Candacraig At The Portland Arms

    Candacraig At The Portland Arms

    Kit Marsden

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    I’m very excited that I’ll be playing keys with Lincolnshire’s alt-folk duo Candacraig at The Portland Arms in Cambridge next weekend, on Sunday 26th February, showcasing songs from their debut album Thunder of Whispers.

    Doors are at seven o’clock with Candacraig going onstage at eight o’clock. Hope to see you there!

  • When The Autumn Comes

    When The Autumn Comes

    Kit Marsden

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    The past few months have been a difficult time for many people in the music industry. Lockdown has meant a complete lack of live gigs – and coupled with school closures, a lot of us have found ourselves with very little work, and with an unexpected amount of time on our hands instead. This has been quite a challenging period for me, with a large proportion of my normal work coming from touring. However, I have been recording and producing in my studio more than ever before, and this has also presented opportunities.

    Over the last couple of months, I have revisited several songs which I began writing a while back, but which never got finished as I ran out of steam or became too busy to finish working on them. Gradually, these songs have become an EP which I have called When The Autumn Comes (after one of the tracks on the record).

    When The Autumn Comes is a collection of five original songs, initially written between 2014 and 2016, and completed during the first half of 2020. The songs are all written and performed by me – except guitars (James Porter, Jamie Roe and Simon Yaxley), and bass guitar (Giles Meehan) – and recorded and mixed by me in my own studio at home.

  • Axis Percussion Artist

    Axis Percussion Artist

    Kit Marsden

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    Axis bass drum pedals and hihat stands have been been my number one choice for years. For me, the build quality and the responsiveness of the direct-drive mechanism Axis use are second-to-none.

    As a session musician playing a lot of live gigs every year, I need to have absolute confidence in the quality and reliability of the equipment I use – especially pedals, which take a big beating on every show. Even with the rigours and stresses of regular touring – traveling around the country and loading in and out of different venues all the time – I know that Axis pedals won’t let me down on the road, and that my feet will feel fully connected to the drumkit when I am onstage. I still regularly gig with the very first Axis pedal I ever bought, over ten years ago, and it feels just as comfortable to play on as it always has.

    In the studio, the smoothness of the pedal action and the quality of the components mean that I always get the consistency of tone and the lack of extraneous pedal noise which my remote recording clients expect from my playing.

    Over the lockdown period I have enjoyed some extremely productive discussions with the guys at Axis, and I am very honoured to be able to announce that I am joining the Axis Percussion artist roster this summer. I

Kit Marsden // Musician