Ahead of their new album, Western Approaches, Red Rum Club has been announced as official ambassadors for Bootle’s new outdoor music and events venue, Salt and Tar. Following a sold-out headline gig at the venue’s inaugural music festival in July 2023, Sefton Council (the owners of the venue) have now announced them as long-term ambassadors.
“Salt and Tar is such an exciting project to be a part of,” says front man Francis Doran. “It’s aimed at bringing people together through art, culture and music, which is deep within the Red Rum Club ethos. Like one of our gigs, this will be a place where everyone is welcome to come, have a good time and take in new experiences together.”
This fittingly ties together the band’s Crosby and Waterloo roots and Sefton Council’s future plans for the Bootle area; the hope is that the attention drawn by Salt and Tar can boost the local economy and attract both public and private investment. Councillor Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council, spoke on their partnership with the band:
“We were delighted that Red Rum Club headlined Salt and Tar’s inaugural music festival. We are also very grateful for their support to date, and it was an extension of this relationship which led us to consider partnering to help grow the music scene locally.”
With the Music Venue Trust having announced that 125 grassroots venues had closed in 2023 alone, Sefton Council’s investment in Salt and Tar could become a touchstone for other councils in England during a drought of creative arts funding. By partnering with a local group of increasing popularity, it’s hoped that this can give Salt and Tar a wider reach to help it achieve success.
“We hope there will be many mutual benefits to this collaboration. Salt and Tar is the start of an exciting regeneration programme for Bootle town centre, with music and events at its heart. With Red Rum Club now promoting their new album and tour, the opportunity to work together creatively is such a unique opportunity.”
Their ambassadorship aside, Red Rum Club are keeping other venues busy this year with their nearly sold-out UK tour, kicking off following the release of their fourth album, Western Approaches, on February 23rd, 2024. Doran had this to say about the album’s latest single ’Hole in My Home’:
“It’s a story of love and loss. An up-tempo song that descends into a wailing, melancholic chorus that tugs at the heartstrings. It’s our most honest and heartfelt release to date and we feel it really showcases new levels of maturity in our songwriting.”
This follows previous singles, ’Black Cat’, ’Undertaker’ and ’Godless’ all featured on the new album and likely to be featured in the set lists of the upcoming shows.
Album pre-orders, bundles, booking links and information on all upcoming shows and releases are available at www.redrumclub.com.
To be first to know about all release and live announcements from Red Rum Club, connect with the band online at:
https://www.redrumclub.com
https://instagram.com/redrumclub
https://www.facebook.com/RedRumClubBand
https://twitter.com/RedRumClub
