EMF

EMF are playing Gloucester Guildhall on Saturday 12 December, a date that falls right in the middle of the 35th anniversary of their debut album, Schubert Dip.

If you're wondering where the name comes from, Schubert Dip came out on Parlophone on 7 May 1991, put together by five Cinderford lads who'd barely been a band eighteen months. It hit number three in the UK Albums Chart and number twelve on the Billboard 200, and 'Unbelievable' went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1991. That was the big one, but there were others too: 'I Believe', 'Children' and 'Lies' all got their turn in the spotlight. The band formed in Cinderford in 1989 with James Atkin, Ian Dench, Derry Brownson, Zac Foley and Mark Decloedt, and their sound sat somewhere between dance, rock and pop.

The anniversary comes after the death of founding keyboardist Derry Brownson, who died of a brain tumour in August 2025 at the age of 55. He was one of the original five from the Cinderford start, so it's a bit of a heavy backdrop to the celebrations.

There's also a proper reissue to go with it. Cherry Red Records is bringing Schubert Dip back on 4 December as a 57-track four-CD box set and a limited-edition double vinyl. The box set pulls in remixes, B-sides and live recordings, and includes a full disc of previously unreleased demos from Bath Moles Studio in May 1990 — stuff that predates the album's release by nearly a year. So if you're heading to the Guildhall, you can have the record on the go home. The gig is Saturday 12 December at Gloucester Guildhall.