The ‘80s were ten vibrant years that served as a wondrous bridge between the turbulence of the ‘70s and the optimism of the ‘90s. The decade was filled with indelible cultural moments, ranging from the rise of MTV to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The ‘80s gave us “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, “Jump” by Van Halen, “Take On Me” by a-ha, and so many more marvelous hits.

UB40’s “Red Red Wine” was another unforgettable song that was a gift to us from the ‘80s. The upbeat, laid-back, easy groove made this cover more popular than the original version by Neil Diamond. The single was an immediate chart-topper in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. Five years later, A&M Records re-released the track, and it finally hit No. 1 in the U.S. as well. “Red Red Wine” turned a popular UK band into global superstars.

This summer, the band is releasing a new album. Then, on September 18, UB40 begins a 40-city tour that runs through November 15. “The Unstoppable Tour” celebrates the band’s fifth consecutive year bringing its live music to North America with hits including the aforementioned “Red Red Wine” as well as “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You,” “Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” and “The Way You Do The Things You Do.”

The line up features original and founding members Jimmy Brown (drums), Robin Campbell (guitar/vocals), Earl Falconer (bass/vocals) and Norman Hassan (percussion/vocals) along with Martin Meredith (keyboards/WX7/saxophone), Jahred Gordon (keyboards), Laurence Parry (trumpet/flugelhorn/trombone), Ian Thompson (saxophone), Gilly G (MC vocals), Matt Campbell (backing vocals) and lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Doyle

Robin Campbell expressed, “We can’t wait to embark on ‘The Unstoppable Tour,’ as the tour title says that’s how we are feeling! New music, more shows than our last visit, and a more extensive tour of Canada. This will be our fifth consecutive year back in North America, and we couldn’t be happier to be coming back. We are currently in the studio working on our new album, which will be out before we arrive, and we can’t wait for the fans to hear what we have been cooking up!”

Jimmy Brown added, “Really looking forward to this year’s USA tour. It’s always fun getting on the road. We could fly on the longer journeys, but we prefer to go by road. You get to see the changing landscape and meet ordinary people along the way. I think this is the fifth year in a row now that we have toured the states, and it just keeps getting better. More gigs, bigger venues, bigger production. American audiences are the loudest in the world, and the crowd has become more and more diverse over the years. Can’t wait to get there.”

Birmingham, England’s UB40 formed in 1978. The band was named after the UK government’s Unemployment Benefit Form 40 because all original band members were unemployed and claiming government benefits at the time. Now, UB40 is the world’s biggest-selling reggae group with more than 50 UK charting singles and 17 UK Top 10 albums.

Tickets for The Unstoppable Tour are available via the band’s website. If you want the experience to be a bit more personal, fans can find VIP Meet & Greet and Merch Packages on the site as well.

UB40 links:
website • Instagram • Facebook • X • membership • tickets

UB40 “The Unstoppable Tour” dates:September 18 – Ottawa, ON – Venue TBA
September 19 – Montreal, QC – MTelus
September 20 – Moncton, NB – The Molson Canadian Centre at Casino New Brunswick
September 22 – Portsmouth, NH – The Music Hall
September 23 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur
September 25 – New York, NY – The Town Hall
September 26 – Morristown, NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center
September 27 – Philadelphia, PA – Keswick Theatre
September 29 – Ridgefield, CT – Ridgefield Playhouse
September 30 – North Bethesda, MD – Strathmore
October 2 – Windsor, ON –The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
October 3 – Niagara Falls, ON – Fallsview Casino Resort
October 4 – Fort Wayne, IN – Foellinger Theatre
October 7 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
October 8 – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
October 9 – St. Paul, MN – Palace Theatre
October 10 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
October 13 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
October 14 – Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Casino
October 16 – Bremerton, WA – Admiral Theatre
October 17 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
October 18 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
October 20 – Modesto, CA – Gallo Center for the Arts
October 22 – Wheatland, CA – Hard Rock Live
October 23 – Saratoga, CA – Mountain Winery
October 24 – Cabazon, CA – Morongo Casino
October 25 – Thousand Oaks, CA – Kavil Theatre
October 28 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
October 30 – Fort McDowell, AZ – We-Ko-Pa Casino
October 31 – San Diego, CA – Open Air Theatre
November 1 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
November 3 – Tucson, AZ – Fox Tucson Theatre
November 4 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel
November 6 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues
November 7 – Pine Bluff, AR – Saracen Casino Resort
November 8 – Houston, TX – House of Blues
November 10 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Music Hall
November 12 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
November 13 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
November 14 – St. Petersburg, FL – Duke Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theatre
November 15 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live