Billy Bibby brings The Balcony Tour to Strings Bar & Venue in Newport on Friday 29 May, playing Catfish and the Bottlemen's debut album in full as a stripped-back acoustic set. Bibby was the founding member and lead guitarist of the band, instrumental in writing the record that went double platinum in the UK and sold more than a million copies worldwide. This is not a tribute act. It is the co-writer of The Balcony performing the songs in their original stripped form, something he has not done before on any previous tour.
The set is acoustic throughout, and Bibby has said the evening will include short stories about the time spent writing and recording with the band. For anyone who had The Balcony on constant rotation between 2014 and 2016, that combination of familiar songs delivered from the inside is a different proposition to the usual gig night. The room at Strings is compact, which suits the format well. Close to the stage, the bar as part of the evening, the kind of setting where the anecdotes land properly.
Tickets cost £15 (£16.50 including the booking fee), and the show is 16 and over. Doors open at 19:30 and the night runs until 22:30. The venue is on Bowling Green Lane, a short walk from Newport town centre. For more live music on the Isle of Wight, the guide has other nights at Strings listed, including the Baron Strange & The Blackbyrds Album Launch coming up at the same venue.
