Long-running Manchester act James has enlisted Echo & The Bunnymen for a 10-date tour of the U.K. this spring in support of the band’s The Gathering Sound box set, a career-spanning collection that originally was due out in fall 2011 and then this past spring — and is now finally due for release next month in the U.K.
As Louder Than War notes, neither James nor the Bunnymen have announced the tour on their websites yet, but James guitarist Larry Gott this week tweeted the tour poster you can see reproduced above. The trek will open April 13 in Glasgow and wrap up on April 26 with an arena show in Manchester, with London getting two shows in between (see full dates below).
Tickets for the U.K. dates go on sale 10 a.m. Friday.
Due out Dec. 10 in the U.K., the long-delayed box set features three CDs, a DVD, a 12-inch record and 8GB of digital music, collecting all of the band’s albums plus 32 previously unreleased recordings, 12 of which are completely unreleased songs (see full details and tracklist).
The set also includes “the first ever official release of live and studio material from 1982, first appearances on CD of the Sire-era B-sides and the Weather Change flexi-disc from the 1990 tour programme, exclusive release of BBC archive material from key James shows and, of course, the legendary ‘Come Home’ video of the triumphant Manchester G-Mex performance that broke James in 1990 — on DVD.”
The box set can be pre-ordered via Amazon.co.uk for £96.40, or about $153.
Tour dates: James with Echo & The Bunnymen
April 13: SECC, Glasgow, UK
April 15: O2 Academy, Newcastle, UK
April 16: O2 Academy, Sheffield, UK
April 17: Colston Hall, Bristol, UK
April 19: O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
April 20: O2 Academy Brixton, London, UK
April 22: O2 Academy, Bournemouth, UK
April 23: O2 Academy, Leeds, UK
April 25: O2 Academy, Birmingham, UK
April 26: Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Video: James’ Coachella highlights (4/13/12)
- James unveils U.S. dates around Coachella, finally will release ‘Gathering Sound’ box
- Coachella 2012: Pulp, fIREHOSE, Buzzcocks, James, Squeeze, Madness on the bill
- James releasing career-spanning ‘Gathering Sound’ box set with 32 unreleased tracks
These chumps have the Bunnymen supporting them? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Seriously!
James – best live band ever. Com back to the States next summer!!!
Not even the best live band mentioned in this article!
Ooo, how droll, trying to argue on the internets! Pete’s dead. Les and Ian don’t speak to each other anymore. Ian is a total mess now. Sure, they used to be great, but it’s been a while. I’ve never seen a live band as transcendent as James, seven artists playing as one. Give em a try, you may be surprised. At least accept that music fans can disagree. Geez.
Ok, “What For?” and “Born of Frustration” were cracking songs, but The Bunnymen supporting James? What kind of F-ing parallel universe is this exactly? A band which issued some of the greatest LPs in history (Crocodiles, Heaven Up Here, Porcupine, Ocean Rain, Evergreen) in such a slot. For shame.
Great tour. I will try to go to a couple of gigs. James is one of my fav bands
Echo supporting? This has to be printed wrong. Forgetaboutit.
Echo and the Bunnymen were great but so were/are James: I definitely want a ticket.
Hey, if you don’t like James, leave at half-time, get pissed, and piss on the steps of the nearest Anglican Church. Cheers!
Behave. James are one of the live bands ever and are still selling out arenas u fool
James are a very brave band to get Echo & the Bunnymen to support them, knowing the support band are far superior. Very strange -what is it that’s really going on. Think.