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

Watchet Festival 2015 - First Acts Announced

Watchet Festival 2015 - First Acts Announced

WATCHETLIVE C.I.C, the organisers of WATCHETLIVE FESTIVAL have announced the first set of acts to be confirmed for 2015.

Fronted by the infamous Sir Bob Geldof, The Boomtown Rats have been storming festivals since the ‘classic’ line up of Bob Geldof, Simon Crowe, Garry Roberts and Pete Briquette re-formed in 2013. With a huge back catalogue of Top 10 hits including Rat Trap (the first UK No.1 by an Irish band), Someone’s Looking At You, Banana Republic and of course the ubiquitous multi-million selling I Don’t Like Mondays, this is set to be the biggest Saturday night performance that Watchet Live Festival have ever hosted.

Sunday night’s headliners are the magnificent Big Country. Formed in Dunfermline in the early 80’s the band went on to have a string of hits and four Top 10 albums, including 1984’s Steel Town, which went to Number 1.

Also headling the billing are 80’s New Wave legends The Blow Monkeys, the always-entertaining Dr and The Medics, double-necked guitar wizard John Otway along with long-term collaborator ‘Wild’ Willy Barrett, Merry Hell, Tankus The Henge and many many more – and there are still 2 major main stage headliners yet to be announced!

Once again taking place on the August Bank Holiday Weekend, Friday 28th – Sunday 30th August, Watchet LIVE Festival will showcase the very best music, food and entertainment from the Westcountry and beyond.

Camping and Campervan option early-bird tickets are on sale at Early Bird prices until 31st March 2015, when the remaining headliners will be announced. 

Watchet LIVE is a not-for-profit family-friendly festival with amazing views of the stunning West Somerset coastline and beyond. Three live stages will host more than 50 live acts, bringing a wide range of high-calibre musical acts not normally found performing in West Somerset, at a very affordable price.

Following the success of last year’s sold out event (the festival’s third in a row), Watchet LIVE Festival has made financial donations to local groups including The Children’s Hospice South West, West Somerset Brass band, and the local “Stand Against Speed” young driver’s awareness campaign.

2015 will see a doubling of the camping and car parking space available in previous years. There will again be even more emphasis on youth-oriented daytime and evening entertainment and workshops. A shuttle bus from the main town to the festival site in the afternoon and evenings on each day has been introduced.

Alongside a wide variety of high quality food stalls, the extensive in-house Cider and Real Ale Bar prices are always kept as low as possible, providing one of the best-value refreshments offerings to be found at any event in the UK.

WATCHET LIVE FESTIVAL 2015

Early-Bird Ticket Prices (valid until 31st March 2015)

Weekend Tickets (includes camping)

£60 (Adults 16+), £40 (Youths 13-15)

A Family Weekend Ticket for 2 Adults & 2 Youths is just £140. Campervans £20, Cars £5

Accompanied Children aged 12 and under can attend for free. No advance ticket required.

Weekend Tickets (no camping)

£40 (Adults 16+), £30 (Youths 13-15)

A Family Weekend Ticket for 2 Adults & 2 Youths is just £110

Day tickets (no camping)

£20 (Adults 16+), £15 (Youths 13-15)

A Family Day Ticket for 2 Adults & 2 Youths is just £50

Tickets subject to booking fees. Buy online and full T&C’s at

www.watchetfestival.co.uk

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/

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