After a sublime performance supporting Robert Plant at DLWP in April, we’re really pleased to welcome Scott back for a headline show.
If there’s one quality that defines the career of Scott Matthews it’s this: evolution.
The singer/songwriter has challenged himself creatively during a career that has been characterised by rare quality. As Matthews gears up for the release of his seventh studio album, new horizons loom into view as he finds different ways to cast a spell.
The quality of Matthews’ craft is a given. The Ivor Novello-winning artist is part of a lineage that includes such greats as Buckley and Drake, John Martyn and Paul Simon. With guitar in hand and a voice that conveys raw emotion, he has long been established as one of the world’s foremost purveyors of song.
Introspective and reflective, combining blues and folk, mixing the ethereal with the empyrean, Matthews is a musical alchemist who transforms base metal to gold. He has expanded his sonic palette while making his new record, introducing new moods and musical textures as he addresses universal truths.
Having broken through with the much-loved Passing Stranger and more recently mastered the delicate art of one-man-and-a-guitar music with sparse musicianship and an otherworldly falsetto, through the records Home Pt I, Home Pt II and The Great Untold, Matthews is travelling along new roads.
Waves of electronica are matched with big, chiming electric guitars as Matthews finds different colours for his canvass. His new work will be out later this year and it will be accompanied by a tour, during which he’ll revisit fan favourites from an extraordinary canon of work.
“It’s been a welcome diversion to work on my seventh record. For the first time in the making of any of my records, I have given myself a very clear blueprint and can hear how every song should sound given the limitations I have set myself.”
Matthews new record will feel sparse with an air of electronic minimalism. There will be less instrumentation than on earlier works; with percussion, strings and woodwind being replaced by a world of emotive synthesisers and pulsing drum grooves. Rehearsing in his local church, he’s been testing himself, pushing himself far outside his normal comfort zone as he explores new sounds and ways of making music.
If you’re looking for examples, consider the career progressions of David Sylvian, Mark Hollis, Brian Eno or Thom Yorke, who all found new ways of working in an ever-changing world.
“In many ways, it’s like starting again. I feel reborn in an oscillating world. The fact that the music is so different forces me to sing and write lyrics in a pleasingly unexpected way, it breathes a whole new energy into my approach and song-writing ethos. There’s a pulsating dynamic, which I’m captivated by.”
Matthews will tour the UK in November and play at a number of churches and unusual spaces with natural ambiences suited to his newfound lo-fi sounds. “It will be one man and a guitar with a wave of electronica washing over me. I am fascinated by thought provoking sounds and how they totally immerse the listener and encourage them to dig a little deeper into their being. I think these songs will prick people’s ears up. They’ll keep people on their toes and hopefully their electronic grace will sweep them off their feet too.”
Over 14 years and with his seventh album on the horizon, Matthews has continued to push the envelope with songs of breath-taking majesty. And now he is setting himself new challenges as his evolution takes a beautiful turn.
Please note that Booking Fees apply on the following transactions:
Online: Tickets booked online are subject to booking fees when purchased through our website. E-tickets are emailed instantly on the account you have registered with DLWP, please check your Junk folder if they don’t arrive within 30 minutes. Customers can also download their tickets through our website within ‘My Account’.
Telephone: £3.50 per transaction + £2 postage or free collection at the Box Office.
In Person: There are currently no charges for booking tickets in person.
There is a £2 charge to post tickets.
We strongly recommend ticket buyers to take out Ticket Protection insurance with Secure My Booking available when you book your tickets at check out.
Please note that we are only able to post tickets within the UK. If you live overseas please select box office collection or print at home tickets. Tickets purchased for post will be sent 10 – 14 days before the show date.
Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Book online: Pre-show dining can be booked online as an add-on when purchasing tickets for selected events. You will be purchasing a ticket to guarantee your meal before the show.
Please note you must be a ticket holder to the show to book pre-show dining.
Already booked your tickets? If you’ve already booked tickets for a show and would like to add dining, please contact Box Office: boxoffice@dlwp.com
On the night: If you have pre-booked please come to the bar to order from the gig menu and sit at one of the reserved tables.
Please be aware that we operate no re-entry for gigs. This means that once you have entered the building, you cannot go out and re-enter. This policy is in line with other major music venues across the UK and put in place on police advice. No re-entry is clearly signposted as you come through security on the front door.
There is a fenced-off area on the terrace for people who go out to smoke or vape.
There are plenty of welcoming and good value B&Bs & boutique hotels in Bexhill. The De La Warr Pavilion regularly uses the following:
- By Rail
Direct trains go from London Victoria, Brighton and Ashford to Bexhill.
There are also trains from London Charing Cross, changing at St. Leonards Warrior Square and from London Bridge or Charing Cross going to Battle. Battle is only a short taxi journey away (15 mins approx).
Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk for up-to-date train travel information. - Taxis
Town Taxis: 01424 211 511
Parkhurst Taxis: 01424 733 456 - By Car
If driving from the London area:
Take the M25, then A21 to Hastings. Turn off at John‘s Cross and follow the signs to Bexhill.
OR
Take the A22 to Eastbourne, go across the Bishop roundabout to the A271 and follow the signs to Bexhill and the seafront. The De La Warr Pavilion is on the Marina.
From the Brighton area:
Follow the A27 out of Brighton until you arrive in Bexhill On Sea. - Parking
Please be aware the Rother District car park outside the De La Warr Pavilion operates paid parking until 7pm. After this time parking is free.
Within the limits of this Grade One listed building, the De La Warr Pavilion strives to be fully accessible with a range of facilities to support your visit.
Assistance Dogs are permitted into the building.
Please contact the Box Office on boxoffice@dlwp.com to arrange a visit.
Facilities for disabled visitors
- Ramped access at the front of the building
- A low counter at the Box Office and Information Desk
- Disabled toilets on two floors
- A lift to all floors
- Accessible galleries on both floors
- An accessible Café
- Spaces for wheelchairs in the auditorium for seated events
- Ramped access in the auditorium for events during the day
- Ramped access into the Studio
- Two travel wheelchairs are available for use at the De La Warr Pavilion. To reserve, please call our box office and information desk on (01424) 229111 or ask a member of staff on arrival. The chairs are provided on a first come, first served basis and are intended for use inside the Pavilion. Please contact us for more information.
Facilities for blind or visually-impaired
- Large print season brochures
Facilities for the hard-of-hearing
- An T-Switch induction loop in some areas of the auditorium (please indicate when booking as this facility is not available on the balcony)
- British Sign Language interpretation tours of the building and exhibitions are available on request.