The Young'uns will celebrate 20th anniversary at West Midlands show this month

Last remaining tickets are available now for the Teesside act's West Midlands date at Worcester Huntingdon Hall on Thursday, May 29, part of their extensive 20th anniversary spring 2025 UK tour.

The much-loved trio – comprising Sean Cooney, Michael Hughes & David Eagle – will also each be celebrating their own individual 40^th birthdays during the UK tour.

Twenty years ago you might have thought it a far-fetched prediction. But today there’s no denying it - The Young’uns have become one of UK folk music’s hottest properties and best-loved acts.

The then teenage friends had literally stumbled over folk music in 2003 in the back room of The Sun Inn in their native Stockton-on-Tees, never knowing that such music existed. They heard people singing songs they’d never heard before. Songs without instruments. Songs in their own accents. Songs about places they knew. Folk songs. They joined in, became regulars and, as the youngest people in the room, were dubbed ‘The Young’uns’ – a name that, for better or worse, has stuck.

Twenty years since that fateful night, they’ve carried that unfortunate name around the globe, from Sydney to Vancouver, from Radio Tees to BBC Radio 4, won three coveted BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, played Glastonbury Festival and gained a reputation for singing life affirming songs of social conscience in immaculate three part harmony.

In recent years they have touched audiences on both sides of the Atlantic via their acclaimed stage show (and album) The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff, based on the life of a Teesside local hero, and released the powerful, socially aware follow-up Tiny Notes in April 2023. Their narrative songs - often moving, never mawkish - cut through the noise and get straight to the heart of the matter, be they personal stories that triggered global headlines or more intimate tales of everyday heroes closer to home. 

With their strong songwriting, spellbinding harmonies and rapid fire humour (the band’s David Eagle is also an award-winning stand-up comedian), they have achieved one of the trickiest balancing acts – an ability to truly ‘make ‘em laugh and make ‘em cry.’

Talking about the 20^th anniversary UK tour, Sean Cooney says; “It’s been quite a journey. From the back room of a pub in Stockton to the Albert Hall. We’ll be paying tribute to the singers who’ve inspired us and the songs that have taken us around the world and back.“

Any remaining tickets for The Young'uns' 20th anniversary tour are available here

Also, in addition to the spring 2025 UK tour, The Young'uns have also confirmed details of their very special Big Boro Bash family all-dayer, set to take place at Middlesbrough Town Hall on November 15. Various special live sets, guests and fun events are planned, running from 10:30am ‘til late – last few tickets for this exciting Young’uns 20^th anniversary celebration are on-sale here

Talking about this very special additional event, the band’s Sean Cooney said today: “We’ve been working hard on putting together a special party to celebrate our 20 years together (and also our joint 40th birthdays!) It had to be in Teesside, of course, and we’re delighted to be coming back to Middlesbrough Town Hall. 

"We’re cramming in a lot in one day - a family show where we’ll sing songs we’ve written with school kids over the years, the one off return of our anarchic lockdown TV show YTV, a concert with special guests and, maybe most specially of all, the only chance this year to see our acclaimed theatre piece ‘The Ballad Of Johnny Longstaff,’ inspired by the life of a true Teesside working class hero.”