The Blow Monkeys announce UK Tour

The Blow Monkeys announce UK Tour

To support the release of their new album ‘If Not Now, When?’, The Blow Monkeys will embark on a nine-date UK tour in April 2015. 

The tour starts on 9th April at Mr Kyps in Poole and includes further dates in Havant, Hebden Bridge, Liverpool, Clitheroe, Hartford, Cardiff and London, with a further festival warm-up date added at Queens Hall, Nuneaton, on May 15th. 

Synonymous with the international hit songs from the 1980’s such as ‘Digging Your Scene’ and ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way’, Dr Robert said, “We’re on a roll! It’s not about nostalgia and never will be. Of course we play the old songs live and love doing them, but the buzz also comes from doing something new. Our audience is hip enough to know that.”

Due for release on April 6th, ‘If Not Now, When?’ is the tenth studio album of The Blow Monkeys’ career, and their fourth since reforming in 2007, seventeen years after splitting up. 

"These new songs have all our favourite elements; boogie guitar, baritone sax and big glam slam drums,” explains Dr Robert. “I think people are surprised by us live, as it's just the four of us up there making a big old noise - a melodic funky noise."

In addition, the album’s opening track ‘OK, Have It Your Way’ will be released as a single on the same day as ‘If Not Now, When?’.

Looking forward to the tour, Dr Robert said, “Playing live is still the best part of it all for me. There no barrier between us and the audience. I like to keep the set list loose. You never know what song might pop into our heads. It keeps us one our toes."

The Blow Monkeys’ UK tour dates are as follows: 

April 9th - Mr Kyps, Poole 

April 10th - The Spring, Havant 

April 11th - Trades Club, Hebden Bridge 

April 12th - O2 Academy, Liverpool* 

April 17th - The Grand, Clitheroe   

April 18th – Corn Exchange, Hertford 

April 19th – The Globe, Cardiff 

April 15th – Under The Bridge, London 

May 15th – Queens Hall, Nuneaton 

*Tickets from Ticketweb.co.uk / 0844 477 2000

The Blow Monkeys online: www.theblowmonkeys.com

facebook.com/TheBlowMonkeysOfficial?sk=wall

@theblowmonkeys

The Blow Monkeys play Eric's Liverpool Sunday 7 July

Eric's , 9 Mathew Street, Liverpool, Liverpool, L2 6RE
Tickets are £16.50 from Ticketmaster or 0151-236 9994 or the Eric’s box office

The Blow Monkeys formed in 1981, releasing a single Live Today, Love Tomorrow on the tiny Parasol label the following year and signing to RCA and releasing a debut album Limping For A Generation, produced by Jam/Style Council knob-twiddler Pete Wilson the year after that. It wasn’t until 1986, however, that the band achieved the commercial success that matched their nascent critical acclaim with the song Digging Your Scene followed by the hit single It Doesn’t Have To Be This Way.

The follow up album She Was Only A Grocer’s Daughter left controversy in its wake: if some remained unaware that erstwhile UK PM Margaret Thatcher was the daughter of a grocer then the subsequent duet with Chicago soul/funk legend Curtis Mayfield Celebrate (The Day After You) left no doubt where the Blow Monkeys stood on the subject. Naturally, the BBC banned the single and the band then nailed their colours to the mast by joining the Red Wedge tour.

Fast forward twenty years and the Blow Monkeys are back together and remain Robert Howard (vocals, guitar), Neville Henry (saxophone), Mick Anker (bass) and Tony Kiley (drums). Back in 1990, the split had enabled main-man Dr Robert to desert the capital for a remote cottage in Oxfordshire before embarking upon a solo career that’s produced several solo albums including Realms Of Gold, which spawned a songwriting partnership with Paul Weller on Wildwood and Stanley Road – both of which Robert contributed vocals and guitars to, the partnership extending to Robert playing bass on Changing Man and Weller reciprocating on Realms Of Gold and Flatlands, based upon Robert’s childhood memories of the vast expanses of East Anglia reclaimed from the sea and marshes.  As well as spells producing Beth Orton and Terry Callier and writing soundtracks to two UK documentary series Dave’s World and Gangsters.

In 2002, he also relocated his family to Sierra Nevada, Andalusia which enabled a more reflective take on life as well as a different way of making music. It was here in the mountains that he bumped into PP Arnold, sang some Hendrix and soul (“and The First Cut Is The Deepest!”) before recording an album entitled Five In The Afternoon that was inspired as much by the poet Frederico Garcia Lorca as it was by the hour that Spain kick starts its day. The collaboration, however, catapulted Robert into another headspace he hadn’t quite envisaged or, as he recalls: “I fancied being in a band again. I got in touch with the other guys and we talked about getting back together, then went away and wrote the songs quickly with the band in mind. The main thing was to do something new. I didn’t want to get back together and just play all the old songs.” Naturally, he’s talking about The Return Of The Blow Monkeys and an album – Devil’s Tavern, recorded in Motril, southern Spain and released in 2008.

The Blow Monkeys spent 2009 touring Devil’s Tavern, recording a live album at the 100 Club (Travelin’ Souls – Live At the 100 Club) before signing to FOD Records and settling down to write the follow-up. The resultant record deal has spawned Staring At The Sea, an album that has turned out to contain the best collection of songs the band have ever recorded.

With a new album scheduled for 2013 The Blow Monkeys continue to flourish and grow on a journey that after 30 years shows no sign of slowing...

http://www.theblowmonkeys.com/

https://twitter.com/theblowmonkeys

https://www.facebook.com/theblowmonkeys