Press room

Celebrated Northumbrian song maker and one-of-a-kind live performer Richard Dawson returns to the Barbican on Friday 5 May 2023, playing tracks from his latest album The Ruby Cord — a sonic dive into the wonders and horrors of a future world rooted in augmented reality. 

His seventh studio album, The Ruby Cord follows on from his state-of-the-nation opus 2020, which was hailed by many as a masterpiece and Henki, a collaboration with Finnish metal group Circle. Written between 2019 and 2021, the lyrics were conceived throughout the various Covid-19 lockdowns, as the side effects of isolation and state-imposed inwardness affected millions around the world.

The resulting record is seven tracks that plunge us into a fantastic, sometimes sinister future where social mores have mutated and ethical and physical boundaries have evaporated.

“So many of us are moving into these fantasy worlds… Whether it's actual constructed virtual realities, computer worlds, or retreating into even more fantastical realms, conspiracy theories, nationalism, amateur football punditry. People construct their own world because this one is so flawed.” — Richard Dawson

Domino will release The Ruby Cord on November 18, 2022.

Produced by the Barbican in association with Upset the Rhythm.

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