As the mania around them was erupting in early 1963, the Beatles toured the UK supporting Helen Shapiro, including shows in Wakefield, Taunton and Hanley (now amalgamated as part of Stoke-on-Trent). In late 1971, as their untitled fourth album was released, Led Zeppelin roared around the country, including stops in Preston, Bournemouth and Salisbury. Gathering a head of steam in 1994, Oasis performed in Tunbridge Wells, Derby and Newport. Promoting his debut album in 2011, Ed Sheeran stopped off in Keele, Falmouth and Aberdeen.
But over the decades, most of these regional cities and towns steadily fell off the touring map as focus turned to the bigger cities, often those with large student populations. By the early 2000s it was contracting further due to a mix of rising costs, venue closures and tour support from record labels drying up as CD sales collapsed.
