Another big-name ‘Old Skool’ musical act is on its way to South Africa, with Big Concerts and HOT 102.7FM once again teaming up to deliver a quality live music experience for local audiences.
This time it’s English supergroup Mike + The Mechanics, with HOT 102.7FM taking on a strategic media partner role, as the band brings their ‘Looking Back - Living The Years 2025 Tour’ to South Africa early next year.
The tour kicks off at GrandWest Casino in Cape Town on 30 January, before heading to the SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria on Saturday the 1st of February, with Mike + The Mechanics set to play all their unforgettable hits, including ‘Over My Shoulder’, ‘The Living Years’ and ‘All I Need Is A Miracle’, as well as some of Genesis’s much-loved classic tracks.
“Mike + The Mechanics are exactly the type of act that resonates with the HOT 102.7FM audience and that’s why we’ve partnered with Big Concerts,” said Lloyd Madurai, Managing Director of HOT 102.7FM. “It’s just another way for us to connect with our loyal listenership, as well as play a strategic role in furthering the objectives of Big Concerts, which, of course, is selling tickets.”
Originally formed in 1985 by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford “as a side project”, Mike + The Mechanics originally featured Paul Young and Paul Carrack as frontmen, and together they achieved huge commercial success throughout the 80s and 90s, with number ones all over the world and over 10 million albums sold.
After Young’s sudden death in 2000 the band released one further album before deciding to call it a day. In 2011, Rutherford started writing songs again and invited Andrew Roachford and Tim Howar to join him. They released ‘The Road’ album and the band began touring again, with huge success.
“Getting back on the road with the guys last year was a real pleasure and even though it had been four years, we slotted back into the old ways, the old jokes and the camaraderie like it had been a day,” said Rutherford in a Big Concerts statement. “We had so much fun on the last tour and the audiences were so gracious and warm, when we played the final show in Dusseldorf we all agreed then that we wanted to do it all again. We can’t wait to see you.”
As the Big Concerts media partner, HOT 102.7FM has been tasked with using its influential platforms to drive awareness with its engaged upper SEM audience and, ultimately, ticket sales.
This campaign launched on the HOT 1027 Breakfast on Monday, 3 June, with tickets going on sale to the public at 09h00 on Friday, 7 June on ticketmaster.co.za and bigconcerts.co.za.
It’s been a busy first half of the year for HOT 102.7FM as it approaches its third birthday in July, with ‘Old Skool’ acts Deacon Blue and OMD already playing to enthusiastic audiences in Johannesburg and the station announcing that Swedish group Roxette would be visiting South Africa early in 2025.
HOT 102.7FM has also added experienced broadcasters Jeremy Maggs and Darren Scott to its line-up and is in the process of wrapping up a successful media partnership with Showtime Management for the stage show MAMMA MIA! - which has played to sold-out crowds at Montecasino.
This, after celebrating being honoured in three categories at the 2024 New York Festivals Radio Awards – widely regarded as the ‘Oscars of the radio industry’.
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