The Bluetones

The Bluetones tune up for the 30th anniversary of Expecting To Fly with a warm-up show at The Flowerpot, Derby, on 1 October 2026. The quartet will play their debut album in full, track by track, with room for other favourites pulled from a catalogue that counts three Top 10 albums and thirteen Top 40 singles. It’s a focused return to the songs that set their course in the mid-90s, mixing jangly guitars, tight melodies and a pop sense that leans slightly bittersweet.

Still together in their original line-up, Mark Morriss (vocals), Adam Devlin (guitar), Scott Morriss (bass) and Eds Chesters (drums) take centre stage. Expecting To Fly hit Number 1 on release in 1996, briefly nudging What’s The Story (Morning Glory) from the top spot, while Slight Return climbed to Number 2. Three decades on, the band revisit that material with the ease of players who know exactly where the spark lies, and balance the front-to-back album set with key singles and a few deep cuts to sketch a clear picture of The Bluetones then and now.