Jools’ 30th Birthday Bash

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Later... with Jools Holland

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Jools brings together hot, legendary and undiscovered artists for live studio performances

Jools brings together hot, legendary and undiscovered artists for live studio performances, interviews and musical magic.

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Jools Holland

Alison Howe

Caroline Cullen

Janet Fraser-Crook

Later... with Jools Holland: Jools’ 30th Birthday Bash

BBC Two - Later... with Jools Holland, Jools’ 30th Birthday Bash

Robert Plant, Imelda May, Poppy Ajudha, Richard Hawley and Celeste join Jools.

Robert Plant, Imelda May, Poppy Ajudha, Richard Hawley, Celeste, First Aid Kit, Seasick Steve, Michael Kiwanuka, Gogol Bordello, Benjamin Clementine and The Joy join Jools.

In the BBC’s centenary year, Later… with Jools Holland also celebrates a big birthday marking 30 years of the show, with the first ever episode being broadcast on 8 October 1992.

To mark this special occasion, the show moves in front of over 3,000 people at west London’s Eventim Apollo for an evening of live music with a star-studded cast staged in the usual ‘in the round’ spirit, and the audience completing the circle. Jools invites a stellar line-up of guests to join him and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, plus a selection of artists, many of whom have all previously appeared on the show and return to join the celebrations.

Joining Jools and his orchestra is rock 'n' roll legend Robert Plant, who makes his eighth appearance, having first performed on the show in 1993. Tonight, Robert takes on a couple of his favourite tunes: a Chuck Willis track made famous by Elvis Presley and a song originally recorded by Ray Charles, along with a Led Zeppelin classic where he is joined by Irish vocal powerhouse and friend of the show Imelda May, who made her debut back in 2008.

Fresh from her TV debut on the show, rising star Poppy Ajudha takes on a Marvin Gaye number, and Sheffield rock 'n' roll crooner Richard Hawley performs his tribute to Fats Domino.

Completing the guests with Jools, the inimitable songstress Celeste lends her hauntingly beautiful vocals to a classic Broadway tune.

Staged alongside Jools and his band on the Hammersmith stage are artists who made their debuts on the show. The first, who debuted in 2014, are Swedish sisters First Aid Kit, who perform a couple of songs from their recently released fifth album Palomino. Opposite them, having made his debut on the Hootenanny back in 2006, is Seasick Steve, who reprises the number he played that night as well as a new tune from his recent Only on Vinyl album.

The line-up also includes a handful of artists who make special appearances on this anniversary bash. Acclaimed, award-winning singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka first performed on the show in 2011, and tonight he plays two songs, including one from his most recent 2021 Mercury Prize-winning album Kiwanuka. Gogol Bordello first appeared on the show in 2006 and make a return visit led by their Ukrainian-born frontman Eugene Hütz, roaming the venue and enlisting the audience with their trademark Eastern European Gypsy swing with a furious punk passion.

In a different musical direction, legends of the British folk scene Martin and Eliza Carthy, who have appeared on the show over the
years, perform a Molly Drake song together. Finally, another Mercury Prize winner, the captivating Benjamin Clementine, returns to the piano to reprise the song he performed on his debut in 2013.

Completing the line-up and in true Later… style introducing brand new artists, The Joy, a brand new a cappella group from Durban, South Africa, make their debut on the show.

Jools also takes the opportunity to head down the time tunnel and unearth some treats from the Later… archives looking back at clips of some of the big stars whose first TV performances were on Later… They include the likes of Amy Winehouse, Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys, as well as some of the legends in popular music such as David Bowie, Grace Jones and Al Green. They have all joined Jools at the piano for entertaining chats and musical moments over the last 30 years.

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