The The Announce First Shows In 16 Years
The The, the once ultra-popular UK new wave band, have been quiet in recent decades, as frontman Matt Johnson, the band’s sole permanent member, has mostly been doing soundtrack work. But earlier this year, The The returned with the Record Store Day single “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming.” We’re about to get a new documentary and box set from the band, and now they’ve announced that they’re returning with two live shows at historic venues next year. They’ll be the first The The shows since they played at David Bowie’s Meltdown Festival in London in 2002.
As the band’s website reports, The The will play 6/1 at Denmark’s Egeskov Castle, as part of the Heartland Festival. Then they’ll also play 9/15/18 at London’s Royal Albert Hall. That’s more than a year away, so be sure to leave your ticket someplace where you can find it.
The new documentary on the band is called The Inertia Versions, and it’ll chronicle Johnson’s return after not singing a single song in more than a decade. It’ll premiere in London next month, and you can read more about it here. Here’s a trailer:
Meanwhile, the box set is called Radio Cineola Trilogy: A Broadcast By The The. It’s not a career-spanning work; rather, it’s a kind of art object. The set will feature “songs, interpretations, performances, poetry, soundscapes, spoken word, electronic scores, political commentaries, and broadcasts.” You can read more about it here, and it’s out 10/20.