Academy Events in association with Fireball are extremely pleased to announce the return of the ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire’ Tour for a second year, celebrating the best in punk rock, ska, reggae and roots music.
Following the huge success of the inaugural 2016 leg featuring Less Than Jake, The Skints, Mariachi El Bronx, KEMURI and The Bennies – which sold nearly 20,000 tickets with eight dates at O2 Academy venues across the UK – the tour is set to return this Autumn with further details of this year’s line up to be announced May 2017.
In addition, Fireball are extremely pleased to reveal that Sheffield quartet Sweet Little Machine have been crowned Fireball’s Hottest Band 2017 and will be taking the opening slot on the 2017 leg of the ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire’ Tour, as well as being added to the bill for the forthcoming Me First & The Gimme Gimmes UK tour dates alongside Masked Intruder, promoted by Academy Events.
Commenting on the news, the band say: ‘We are so psyched to be joining Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their UK tour and of course opening the Fuelling The Fire Tour is a dream come true!
‘Working with Fireball and Academy Events is an amazing opportunity and we’re looking forward to making loads of noise and showing people what we can do.’
After being hand-picked to open O2 Academy Sheffield on last year’s tour by a panel of music industry experts including Alex Baker of Kerrang! Radio and members of Less Than Jake, Sweet Little Machine were subsequently chosen as Fireball’s Hottest Band 2017 from the eight local opening bands on the tour.
Based on the strength of their material, performance and professionalism, Sweet Little Machine stood out as the leaders of the pack, initially blowing the panel away with their track We Used to Own These Playgrounds which you can listen to here.
Fireball UK Brand Manager, James Pattison, says of the news: ‘Not only are we thrilled about returning for our second instalment of the Fuelling The Fire Tour after an incredible inaugural response, but we’re so psyched to be working alongside an amazingly talented young band in Sweet Little Machine.
‘All of the local support bands were fantastic last year, but for these guys the sky really is the limit.
‘We’re excited to work with them over the 12 months and having them on board for the entire Fireball Tour 2017 as well as, of course, announcing our Year 2 line up in full…but that’s top secret for now.’
Fireball and Academy Events will be nurturing the band for the entirety of 2017, with a raft of upcoming opportunities and special announcements to be revealed over the course of the year.
Further details of the ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire’ Tour 2017 coming May 2017
2017 Tour Dates w/ Me First & The Gimme Gimmes:
Wednesday 22nd Feb – O2 Ritz Manchester
Thursday 23rd Feb – O2 Academy Bristol
Friday 24th Feb – O2 Institute Birmingham
Saturday 25th Feb – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London