Acclaimed actor to bring music tour to Wales

Nation Cymru staf

One of the UK’s most celebrated acting talents, who has often spoken about his Welsh heritage and love for the nation, is set to bring his music tour to Wales this autumn.

Damian Lewis brings his Sweet Chaos UK tour to The Globe, Cardiff on 9 October.

Lewis was born in 1971 at St John’s Wood, London, the eldest son of Charlotte Mary (née Bowater) and John “J.” Watcyn Lewis, a City insurance broker with Lloyd’s.

His paternal grandparents were Welsh, and he says he considers himself “London Welsh”.

He rose to prominence portraying U.S. Army Major Richard Winters in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Lewis won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of U.S. Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the Showtime series Homeland, and received nominations for his performance as Henry VIII of England in Wolf Hall.

Damian Lewis may be best known to many as an acclaimed actor, with memorable roles in Band of Brothers and Homeland, but his music has become much more than a side project.

Following his debut album Mission Creep, he has now released Sweet Chaos, a second record that finds him moving into a bigger, more layered sound while keeping the raw, honest songwriting at its heart.

Sweet Chaos has been described as a powerful follow-up to his acclaimed 2023 debut Mission Creep, blending blues-rock, indie rock, and soulful pop with cinematic storytelling and raw emotional intensity”.

Recorded in West London with renowned producer Guy Chambers (Robbie Williams), alongside collaborators Dave Archer (guitar) and Will Cleasby (drums), the album captures a more expansive and dynamic sound.

From the brooding, blues-infused opener “No Man’s Land” to the swaggering pop-funk storytelling of “Pentonville Prison” and the anthemic pull of “Traffic Jam,” Sweet Chaos explores themes of love, loss, frustration, and release. Highlights include “Leech,” a sharp indie-rock critique of media intrusion, the haunting and intimate “Question Mark,” and the electrifying closing track “Fix Me Up,” featuring Alison Mosshart of The Kills.

Written in the years following profound personal loss, Sweet Chaos marks a shift from the tenderness of Lewis’s debut to something more urgent, restless, and at times confrontational. There is anger here, but also warmth, humour, and moments of uplift – particularly in tracks like the spirited “Advent” and the expansive, reflective “King.” With vivid lyricism and a distinctive vocal delivery, Lewis leans into storytelling that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Reimagined and rebuilt in the studio with a more contemporary approach, the album reflects Lewis’s continued evolution as a songwriter and performer. Inspired by the energy of live performance, Sweet Chaos feels immediate and immersive – an album that embraces unpredictability and transformation, where moments of upheaval give way to something unexpectedly powerful.

Lewis has spoken about his Welsh heritage in the past, sharing: “On both side of his family, like so many of the Welsh did, they went across to Liverpool and Birmingham looking for work and all fell into Welsh communities and all married each other.

“My grandmother was a Welsh speaker. It’s in the blood…

“I’m quite romantic about my Celtic roots. And although I went to school in England, grew up in London, we’ve always been made aware of Welsh roots by dad, who’s been very keen to stay in touch with his Welshness, even though he can’t speak more than five words of Welsh…

“It’s London-Welsh, I guess!”

Damian Lewis will play The Globe – Cardiff, 125 Albany Rd, CF24 3NS on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. More info and tickets here.

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