Alan Parsons returns to UK after 10 years

Alan Parsons will play his first UK show in over a decade on March 18 at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, he’s confirmed.

He’ll be joined by PJ Olsson, Alastair Greene, Danny Thompson, Guy Erez, Manny Focarazzo, Todd Cooper and Dan Tracey, with support to be confirmed.

The show is billed as an evening of greatest hits, with Old And Wise and Don’t Answer Me to be on the setlist.

Artist, engineer and producer Parsons recently spoke of the studio apprenticeship that led to his work with the George Martin and the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios, and his later work on Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon.

He told ProSound Network: “You would start making tea and coffee. You would watch your mentors at work and you’d see what one engineer did that was right in your eyes, and what they did that was wrong in your eyes. You learned to have your own style – and that’s gone. It’s so sad.

“I think possibly I try to model myself on George Martin. He was a great, great mentor. Every moment was an influence. The Beatles had total respect for him and he was musical enough to be able to translate what they couldn’t themselves translate into dots and rests and bar lines and stuff. He would fill in that gap for them. He’s was a great asset to me.”

Tickets for the Alan Parsons Live Project show are on sale now.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.