To coincide with his UK tour this May, the folk legend invites fans to hear his album Seven Psalms in darkness

If you missed out on tickets to Paul Simon's sold-out UK tour, A Quiet Celebration, then get a little piece of the action at one of Pitchblack Playback's listening sessions. Timed to run alongside the tour, the three free events in London, Liverpool and Glasgow invite fans to listen to the New Jersey folk icon's 15th solo album Seven Psalms in full through a top-tier soundsystem. Each playback takes place in the dark, allowing for an immersive experience, uninterrupted by other sounds and visual distractions.

The Grammy-nominated Seven Psalms, which was released in 2023, is an acoustic record comprising seven movements that are intended to be heard in one sitting. The idea for it came to the artist in a dream in 2019, he told the Big Issue, and is inspired by the Book of Psalms – the first book in the third section of the Hebrew bible containing religious hymns. "This piece is very much about the subject of God," he said. "But not always a praise."

Coming in at 33 minutes long, Seven Psalms is a suite of songs that also feature guest vocals from Voces8, an a capella eight-piece from London, and Simon's wife Edie Brickell, the Texan singer-songwriter. Brickell will also join the live tour, which features a performance of Seven Psalms in its entirety, followed by a selection of Simon’s hits and songs he rarely plays live.

The intimate Pitchblack Playback event will take place the night before Simon's gig in each of the three cities and will be followed by a mini exhibition of the artist’s previous UK performances.

By Danielle Goldstein

Photo by Jake Edwards

Pitchblack Playback x Paul Simon: Seven Psalms takes place:
Wednesday 6 May // Liverpool
7pm. FREE (entry only), £20.39 (inc CD), £31.72 (inc vinyl). Music Room at the Royal Philharmonic, L1 9BP
Friday 8 May // Glasgow
7pm. Sold Out. The Planetarium at the Science Centre, G51 1EA
Tuesday 12 May // London
7pm. FREE (entry only), £20.39 (inc CD), £31.72 (inc vinyl). Regent Street Cinema, W1B 2HW
pitchblackplayback.com

Paul Simon: A Quiet Celebration tour takes place:
Thursday 7 May // M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Saturday 9 May // SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
Sunday 10 May // SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
Wednesday 13 May // Royal Albert Hall, London
Thursday 14 May // Royal Albert Hall, London
Sunday 17 May // London Palladium
Monday 18 May // London Palladium
tour.paulsimon.com