This week’s roundup of Slicing Up Eyeballs headlines includes news about The Cult, Billy Bragg, Ultravox, The Wedding Present, Duran Duran, Peter Gabriel, Morrissey, John Doe and Exene Cervenka, and Fad Gadget — plus a new Auto Reverse mixtape.
The Wedding Present is just about finished with its North American ‘Seamonsters’ tour, but you can now watch a full performance from the beginning of the trek, thanks to Seattle radio station KEXP, which filmed this 30-minute set at Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop in Austin, Texas, during South By Southwest.
Billy Bragg this week announced an 11-date U.S. tour this summer — dubbed ‘The Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me Tour’ — that’ll find the troubadour performing a set of Woody Guthrie songs from his soon-to-be-three ‘Mermaid Avenue’ collaborations with Wilco and a second set of his own songs each night.
The ’80s-era lineup of Ultravox — Midge Ure, Billy Currie, Chris Cross and Warren Cann — last week announced plans to release ‘Brilliant,’ their first new studio album together in 28 years, and now are offering fans the first taste of the project via a two-and-a-half-minute behind-the-scenes video of the band in the studio.
Three days after releasing ‘Choice of Weapon’ — their first album in five years — next month, The Cult will embark on a 20-date North American tour, with punk band Against Me! and hard rockers The Icarus Line supporting most dates of what frontman Ian Astbury is promising will be ‘a very intense, high-energy tour.’
With the their comeback extending into a second summer of touring, the revived Duran Duran has announced plans to release a new live DVD and CD called ‘A Diamond in the Mind,’ recorded last December at a tour stop in Manchester, England. No other details of the project, but you can check out the trailer here.
Peter Gabriel this month will release a 2CD concert album called ‘Live Blood’ recorded March 23, 2011, at London’s Hammersmith Apollo — the same performance that yielded last year’s ‘New Blood: Live in London’ DVD — and today he’s teasing the release by streaming this live, orchestral version of ‘Solsbury Hill.’
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 