{"id":31434,"date":"2025-12-11T10:09:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T10:09:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/?p=31434"},"modified":"2026-02-16T15:22:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T15:22:24","slug":"preview-hard-life-at-the-o2-academy-saturday-20th-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/preview-hard-life-at-the-o2-academy-saturday-20th-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview – Hard Life at The O2 Academy, Saturday 20th December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Hard Life: The Homecoming Gig!<\/h2>\n

\u200bLeicester’s very own Hard Life<\/a> (formerly Easy Life) is set for a triumphant, emotional return to their hometown with a highly anticipated gig at the O2 Academy Leicester<\/a> on Saturday, December 20th.<\/p>\n

\u200bThis show is more than just a concert\u2014it\u2019s a powerful homecoming. The Leicester-born indie-pop group, fronted by Murray Matravers, are wrapping up a monumental year that saw them re-emerge as Hard Life, culminating in the release of their third studio record, Onion. After a period of legal and personal upheaval, this concert promises to be a celebratory, full-circle moment for the band and their devoted local fanbase.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u200bExpect Raw Energy and New Grooves:<\/p>\n

\u200bFans can expect a performance packed with the raw, honest energy that has always defined the group, along with an added bite. Hard Life’s sound is a unique, captivating blend of Alternative and Indie Pop with deep grooves rooted in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Funk, and Punk.<\/p>\n

\u200bWhat to look forward to:<\/p>\n

\u200bNew Tracks: Hear tracks from the introspective and emotionally charged new album, Onion.<\/p>\n

\u200bFan Favourites: Dive back into their history with beloved singles from their previous records.<\/p>\n

\u200bElectrifying Live Show: The band is renowned for their energetic and engaging live presence, promising a loud, passionate, and unforgettable show.<\/p>\n

\u200bDon’t miss this chance to witness one of Leicester’s biggest musical exports as they close out the year with a powerful statement on their own turf.<\/p>\n

\u200bWho: Hard Life<\/p>\n

\u200bWhere: O2 Academy Leicester<\/p>\n

\u200bWhen: Saturday, December 20th<\/p>\n

\u200bDoors: 7:00 PM<\/p>\n

Click here to see our interview with the band as they prepare for the gig.<\/a><\/p>\n

Get tickets here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hard Life: The Homecoming Gig! \u200bLeicester’s very own Hard Life (formerly Easy Life) is set for a triumphant, emotional return to their hometown with a […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":31432,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[346,218,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-346","category-gig-previews","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Hard-Life1.jpg?fit=1800%2C944&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p73uhX-8b0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":31510,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/gig-review-hard-life-at-the-o2-academy-saturday-20th-december-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":31434,"position":0},"title":"Gig review – hard life at The O2 Academy, Saturday 20th December 2025","author":"Kevin Gaughan","date":"07\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The band\u2019s music gave us strong beats and engaging rhythms. Not only did hard life sing their own songs, they also sang several Christmas number one hits which added to the party atmosphere.","rel":"","context":"In "2025"","block_context":{"text":"2025","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/Music\/2025\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_8216.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_8216.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_8216.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_8216.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16839,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/preview-skinny-lister-at-the-o2-academy-saturday-9th-march-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":31434,"position":1},"title":"Preview – Skinny Lister at The O2 Academy, Saturday 9th March 2019","author":"Kevin Gaughan","date":"15\/02\/2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Almost a homecoming gig, March sees the return of Alt Folk heroes Skinny Lister, as the 6 piece play their biggest Leicester show to date. 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