Hugh Cornwell has announced his new ‘Moments of Madness’ tour, with shows in Birmingham, Manchester and Sheffield set for May 2023. Accompanied by a full band, the shows will see Hugh perform two live sets: one filled with solo songs including cuts from his recent album ‘Moments of Madness’ and another of The Stranglers classics. As leader of The Stranglers, Hugh Cornwell was the main songwriter of all the band’s most memorable songs across ten stellar albums: from “Golden Brown” to “Strange Little Girl” and from “Always The Sun” to “Peaches”, “No More Heroes” and “Nice ‘N’ Sleazy”. Consolidating his stature as a unique songwriter and musician, his lyrics played out like songwriting masterclasses with the band attracting widespread praise and high ranking spots in the UK Charts. Widely regarded as the poet laureate of the punk era, Hugh Cornwell embarked on an illustrious solo career after releasing album ten with the band, and he has created a body of impressive solo albums to date. HIs tenth solo LP ‘Moments of Madness’ was released last year, and the record sees the artist continue his illustrious output by experimenting with musical genres as his enviable reputation as a wordsmith resounds across each song. A high watermark and a modern-day masterpiece, the recent release has been tipped as one of the most significant albums of Hugh’s career with his pithy and witty observations attracting widespread critical acclaim. Attracting praise from the likes of Mojo and Uncut, Classic Rock enthused “the one constant with Hugh Cornwell albums is that they’re never dull”, while Louder Than War commended the record as “a late flowering classic from a man who has always known how to write a damn good tune.” Fresh off the back of a 23-date nationwide tour last year, Hugh is now gearing up to take to the road once again this Spring. Find full dates and details below. HUGH CORNWELL UK LIVE DATES 2023 MAY 5 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute 2 6 MANCHESTER Academy 3 7 SHEFFIELD O2 Academy 2
Former CEO Thane Lawrie learned firsthand the impact that the pressures of a leadership role can have on a person’s health. After taking an early retirement in 2021 due to his own health issues, Lawrie, a practicing Buddhist for more than 20 years, drew upon his experiences to inform his new book, The Buddhist CEO, in which he explores through the power of allegory a leader’s struggle to balance the constant pressures of his profession with being a committed Buddhist.
In The Buddhist CEO, the main character, Hamish, has a chance encounter with a Buddhist monk that profoundly effects his life. He dreams of becoming a monk one day, but he loves his family deeply, and at work his compassionate leadership unexpectedly makes him CEO of a struggling nonprofit. Over the years, he strives to apply Buddhism to everything he does, often seeking peace, solitude and everyday answers at a Buddhist monastery.
“On the face of it, my main character is a great success,” Lawrie said. “But he experiences inner turmoil as he deals with the challenges of his role, and the book follows his reflections on how he tries to lead like a Buddhist CEO. He thrives on the highs of making the impossible work, but he despairs at the difficult staffing issues he encounters and struggles with pressures to continually deliver.”
Behind the scenes, Hamish’s staff plots against him, secretly recording his meetings and even taking him to court. Mysterious physical symptoms force a spiritual reckoning. Is it possible for the Buddhist CEO to face these challenges and stay true to his core values and beliefs?
About the Author
Thane Lawrie lives in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with his wife and two children. Lawrie was an award-winning CEO for seven years, with his nonprofit company making it into the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK, in six of his seven years in charge. He also won a range of local business awards recognizing the world-class culture he built at the company. Lawrie has been a practicing Buddhist for 23 years, making him well placed to write a book called The Buddhist CEO.