Smokie Tickets

Smokie Tickets

One of the great British bands of the 70s, Smokie have never stopped touring thanks to their army of devoted fans. Score some Smokie tickets, lie back in the arms of someone and listen to the sweet sounds of this great band as they prepare to go back on the road once more.

Schedule

Their schedule takes them all over Europe, so you can snap up Smokie tickets for great shows at Poznan in Poland, Ostrava in the Czech Republic, Oslo and Kristiansand in Norway, Tel Aviv and Haifa in Israel, and Graz in Austria. They also regularly pop up in venues around the UK and Ireland.

Trivia

The guys were originally named Smokey, having changed from their previous name, The Elizabethans, when they signed their first record deal. They gigged as Smokey for a long time without incident, until their second album became a major hit. It came to the attention of American soul legend Smokey Robinson, who accused the band of ripping off his name and threatened to sue. Not wanting to enter into a protracted lawsuit, they agreed to make the relatively minor spelling change, and Smokey consented to leave Smokie alone.

Band

Haling from the industrial Northern town of Bradford, Smokie started gigging together in 1965 after getting to know each other in a local music shop. While plugging away under the name Essence, they failed to achieve much of anything. After a lineup shuffle, they became The Elizabethans and eventually managed to win interest from Decca records in 1970. Nothing much happened for them until 1975, at which point they had their breakthrough when they teamed up with songwriting team Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, who set them on the road to stardom.

Breakthrough

Chinn & Chapman wrote most of the band's hits during the 70s, but they also wrote for other bands. One of those acts was the Australian outfit New World, who got to number 35 in the Australian charts with a song called "Living Next Door To Alice." Although it was essentially a flop, Smokie decided to record their own version. To say it was a hit is a huge understatement. Smokie's "Living Next Door To Alice" is one of the most recognisable pop songs of the 20th century, a staple of every jukebox, every karaoke machine, every pub singalong. It's even spawned two parody singles, which were hits in their own right, by Roy "Chubby" Brown and the Australian Kevin "Bloody" Wilson.

Hit Albums

Although "Living Next Door To Alice" is the song that made them legends, Smokie had hits before and after. Their 1976 album "Changing All The Time" spawned two UK Top Ten singles: "If You Think You Know How To Love Me" and "Don't Play Your Rock and Roll To Me." They've released 22 studio albums in total, and their "Greatest Hits" has sold huge numbers over the last few decades, featuring songs such as "Oh Carol" and "Needles and Pins," as well as the incomparable "Alice."

Show Experience

Smokie have always been happy to describe their music as denim-clad pub rock. The denim is still there, but the pubs are a little more salubrious than they were in 1975. Smokie play a mix of stand-up gigs in rock venues and sit-down gigs in theatres, depending on the city, but one thing stays the same: a terrific mix of hits from the golden age of British pop. You will absolutely be required to sing along.