LEGENDARY band 10cc are touring again this year – and have chosen Carlisle to kick off their 25-date schedule.

The UK tour takes places in autumn 2020, with the Sands Centre hosting the first night on Thursday, October 8, with tickets going on sale tomorrow.

The Sands Centre’s Niall Sanderson said it was down to the ‘luck of the draw’ that the Sands Centre got the first date of the tour.

“It is a good thing for us to have, although it is just down to the routing,” he said. “Some tours start or end with us for the same reason.”

As well as selling tickets across Cumbria for the gig, Niall said that dedicated fans of the band are likely to come from across the country to see the first gig of the new tour.

10cc will be performing the hits which have singled them out as one of the most inventive and influential bands in the history of popular music.

The tour marks the 45th anniversary of the release of the 10cc mega-hit I’m Not In Love, which landed the band a top five single in 10 countries and spawned a No 1 album in the US.

Led by co-founder Graham Gouldman, the art-pop band are heralded in equal measure for their ability to craft ingenious songs that also resonated commercially, with eleven top 10 hits, and over 15 million albums sold in the UK alone. The group also have three No 1 singles to their name – Rubber Bullets, Dreadlock Holiday and I’m Not In Love.

The line-up features Gouldman (bass, guitar, vocals), Rick Fenn (lead guitar, bass, vocals), Paul Burgess (drums, percussion) – both of whom have been with the band since the mid-’70s - Keith Hayman (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals) and Paul Canning (vocals, percussion, guitar, keyboards).

Since the most recent live version of the band has been established, 10cc have toured worldwide, including Australia, Japan, Iceland, New Zealand, across the UK and Europe. They’ve performed at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, and sold out London’s 5,200-seat Royal Albert Hall in advance last year.

It has been an eventful few years for Graham Gouldman. Not only is 10cc enjoying increasing success around the world, but recognition of his solo achievements has grown too.

He was invited by Ringo Starr to join his All Starr Band for tours of Europe in June 2018 and the USA that September, during which the band played three 10cc songs. elevated his profile yet further.

2020 is set to be another sell out year as the band take their inspirational live show back on the road. performing their timeless hits and more, and always with a surprise or two.

Tickets on sale on Friday at 9am at thesandscentre.co.uk or call 01228 633766