Punk icon and DJ Tom Robinson is set to return to Coatbridge for an intimate gig next month, hosted by music club 50rpm. The much-anticipated show will take place at The Georgian Hotel on August 5, marking a return to the venue where Robinson played a sell-out performance in 2023 as part of his Then & Now tour, celebrating over 50 years in the music industry.
Tom Robinson's Musical Legacy
Born in Cambridge in 1950, Robinson first rose to prominence in the late 1970s as a musician and LGBT activist with the Tom Robinson Band (TRB), who were early supporters of Rock Against Racism and Amnesty International. In 1977, their debut single "2-4-6-8 Motorway" reached the top five in the UK charts, becoming a landmark track of the punk era. Other hits included "Glad To Be Gay," "Up Against The Wall," and the band's debut album "Power In The Darkness," which achieved gold status in both the UK and Japan.
As a solo artist, Robinson had further success in 1983 with "War Baby" and "Listen To The Radio." He also co-wrote songs with Peter Gabriel, Elton John, and Dan Hartman. Beyond music, Robinson is a renowned broadcaster, hosting the Sunday request show "Nowplaying" on BBC Radio 6 Music, for which he has won two Sony Radio Academy awards. He also served on the Ivor Novello Awards committee for 15 years. In 2016, he received a fellowship from LIPA for his support of new music as the original founder of the BBC Introducing Mixtape and the independent music blog Fresh On The Net.
Details of the August 5 Gig
A spokesperson for 50rpm told Lanarkshire Live: "The gig marks the return of the highly regarded music club after our summer break, with other shows later in the year from the revered Irish singer songwriter Matt McGinn, the enigmatic Little Sparrow, I Am Kloot’s John Bramwell, folk hero Beans On Toast, iconic punk poet Attila The Stockbroker, and the legendary guitarist Robbie McIntosh, who was guitarist for The Pretenders and Paul McCartney."
Robinson will be joined onstage by Tom Robinson Band guitarist Adam Phillips, with Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Houston opening the show. Doors open at 7:30 PM, and tickets are available at www.50rpm.co.uk.
