WHAT'S GOING ON?

Carpe Noctum, Leeds – a successful return for LS...

Luxury Stranger made a triumphant return to a favourite event / venue on Saturday 8th November, and to add to the delight, LS were playing alongside one of Simon York's favourite bands to play with – Cold In Berlin...

Carpe Noctum (based at the Library in Leeds) has been a long-time supporter of Luxury Stranger – and vice versa. Simon managed to grab some time to chat with the event manager, talking about the various styles and line-ups of LS and how the band continues go from strength to strength in its almost 20 year Chameleonic life-span.

The night was opened by West Wickhams, giving an electro-garage art-Coxon(esque) buzz...

Next up was the 'big reveal' – the event had been billed as a co-headline show between Luxury Stranger and Cold In Berlin, with fans not being told who was on first or second out of the two. Even two different posters were produced to add more to the mystery! And the answer was Luxury Stranger hitting the stage as the first of the two headline-level acts.

A strange opening of KLF's It's Grim Up North marked that it was LS' time to get ready and that something big was coming... "1 - 2 - 3 - 4!" BANG – Luxury Stranger opened with the classic 2010 song Empty Men. Sounding tighter and more powerful than ever, Luxury Stranger ploughed through song after song breaking only to say thank you or to tune up. Simon broke his 'non-singing' silence by saying he wanted to dedicate The Empty to those who had lost what fills the hole in their hearts...

Closing with yet another powerhouse of a song, Another Intoxicated Release, Luxury Stranger left the stage and the audience ready for Cold In Berlin – who did not deny the wanting crowd and continued the reign of power and darkness in the room! 

Chatting with Simon afterwards, he said: "I think I'm almost back to my 'me' place after all that's been happening for me personally – performing again on this stage, and the belief and support that Howard and the Carpe team has continued to have for LS has been a big catalyst. Also being on stage with CIB again was great – we're so different as bands but what they do taps into sounds I was listening to and making in earlier life, so I feel there's this strange concealed kinship there. We both should be wider-known and supported in this world that doesn't work how it should. And I also discovered West Wickhams tonight – really enjoyed what they're doing."

A great night with three great bands who are so dissimilar to each other YET there's something in the nooks and crannies that links them – whether it be great songs, professional performances, or just an honesty in the art they create: these are the types of bands that will truly be in people's minds and ears in another twenty-plus years!

Earth-Two Records Rep

Pics by Lisa Waterman

Luxury Stranger land in Whitby in 2026

We're excited to announce that we'll be playing at The Spa in Whitby next April – the last time we played Whitby was in November 2013, and the last time at the Spa was back in March 2011!

This show will be part of the Gothic Gathering which covers the Friday 24th and Saturday 25th April – we're playing on the 24th, and we can't wait!

For tickets, head over to the Gothic Gathering website and to find out what's happening, add yourself to the GG Facebook event page.

LS return to AWTP in 2026!

Luxury Stranger will be returning to play Alice’s Wicked Tea Party festival next July and if this year’s event is anything to go by, 2026’s promises to be one of the most amazing independent extravaganzas!

This festival has grown and developed over the years and is such a brilliant and welcoming environment! It's always featured some of the most diverse and exciting acts, and so far it's looking like 2026 will continue the tradition, with more acts still to be announced...

Get your tickets NOW so’s to avoid disappointment! 

A return to one of LS' favourites...

Luxury Stranger have been invited to play at Pagan Pride, Nottingham this year – the band last played this event in 2013!

The band will be headlining the Grove Stage as part of the 'post-ritual party' from 6pm. The Grove Stage is set up in the lanes in Sneinton Market, Nottingham. Head to Avenue B of the market for entry, further information and a map of the full event.

Feel free to attend the whole day, or just come along in time to catch LS' set – it promises to be a fun and welcoming event! See you there...

Special live show!

Luxury Stranger return to play Carpe Noctum this November – this is the first time the band have played the Leeds-based event since 2022!

The show is on Saturday 8 November at the regular Carpe Noctum event (upstairs at the Library, Leeds), and will be a co-headline with LS favourites Cold In Berlin – the two bands have shared the stage several times and despite being so different, they compliment each other very well. You can find out more about Cold In Berlin here.

Also on the bill are West Wickhams – find out more  about them here.

Tickets

Get your tickets today via skiddle.com. And you can get involved with the event via Facebook.

Physical re-releases

We're so happy to announce that several long-out of print albums have now been re-released through Earth-Two Records, over on our Bandcamp page.

You'll be able to find Precious For Evermore, Nothing Holy and (most importantly) 'Commitment And Discipline' which has been out of print for 14 years! Get yours at luxurystranger.bandcamp.com.

Also re-released today on CD by Earth-Two Records, by Simon York – Other Voices and Nothing's Ever Quite What You Thought It Would Be. Get yours at simonyork.bandcamp.com.

Earth-Two Records

Many of you will have seen the extra online push that the band's now able to get via Earth-Two Records – this is via the label's website (as well as it's socials on Facebook and Instagram), and the label's merch store.

The merch store features E2R label T-shirts (similar to how labels promoted in the 70s) and Luxury Stranger designs (some of which have been out of print for years!). Also included on the site are items promoting Simon's "Uh-Huh..." and More Than Just Movements albums, and also designs by the Lux-Strang label. Lux-Strang was originally intended to be out there from 2020 but various issues meant the project had to be put aside. Lux-Strang is aiming to reflect the 'punkier' and 'arty' side of Luxury Stranger.

Earth-Two Records was set-up in 2016 to aid with releases of Luxury Stranger and Simon York music. Head over to the  Earth-Two Records website to find out more...

More Than Just Movements – the NEW album from Simon York...

Simon York (singer of Luxury Stranger) releases his third solo album – titled More Than Just Movements – and it promises to excite and intrigue, with its dark undertones on life, death and our place in the cosmos... Long-time fans of LS will be happy to know that this album possibly the darkest work that Simon's produced!

Read the full article here...

STRANGEZINE

In Spring 2025, Luxury Stranger published its first fanzine!

Available for subscribers via the band's Bandcamp page, the first issue of STRANGEZINE touched on work on the new album and also featured fan-focussed articles. The idea is to try and recapture fans who have lost touch since social media has gone a little 'less social'...

Simon York says: "we were really excited by how people took to this idea – it's nothing new, it's a little nostalgic in places. It was a lot of fun putting together and taking ideas from old fanzines and old British comics. It's working and fans are loving it!" 

Above And Below

Work on the new LS album Above And Below continues... Updates on this can be found mainly on social media and, for subscribers, inside issues of the new STRANGEZINE fanzine.

Track listing for the album looks like this:

1. Toy
2. Transitional Thoughts
3. The End Is Only A Whisper Away
4. Memories Can’t Wait
5. When I Close My Eyes
6. Slow
7. The Empty
8. All Will Be Well
9. To Fall In Love
10. Crowd Thinker
11. Some Will Not See This
12. Joke Romance
13. Contact