Incredible news for The The fans in North America -- Matt Johnson announced today that The The will return to North America for their first live American gigs in 18 years. The very brief tour will take place in September and includes a stop at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on September 21st. Tickets for this extremely rare engagement go on sale Friday, April 6th at 12PM.
In the press statement for the newly announced North American tour Johnson revealed that it took the death of his brother Andrew (Andy Dog) Johnson to help put things in perspective and inspired him to get back to making music. He's also stated that he's been working on new songs which he hopes to record later this year if his schedule allows. In previous interviews Johnson has referred to the new material he's written as having a warmer and more mature perspective.
Last year The The released a new single for Record Store Day titled "We Can't Stop What's Coming," which was written in memory of Johnson's brother Andrew. The single, which also featured Johnny Marr, was later released as part of a three disc set The Radio Cineola Trilogy, which includes a disc of The The covers (The The originals performed by artists selected by Matt Johnson), along with soundscapes, poetry, spoken word recordings, and portions of Johnson's recent Radio Cineola broadcasts. In interviews promoting the release Johnson had said he was thinking about performing some live shows, and eventually announced select dates in the U.K. that take place this June. It is truly fantastic that Johnson has now decided to bring his talents and magical music to North America.
As for what to expect to hear at the shows:
In an interview last November with John Dolan, Johnson said he will likely be touring The The as a five piece band. He revealed there will be some songs he won't be able to play -- not because the songs are "too painful," but because of the difficulty of pulling them off in a live setting with only a five piece band. He also was quick to point out that he won't be a "killjoy" over the setlist - he knows there are songs fans want to hear and will make it a balanced career-spanning set.
Let's be honest: it doesn't matter what's on the setlist, because whatever The The end up playing you know it will be utterly phenomenal. Don't wait to get tickets for this tour - it is sure to sell out quickly.
The The -- North American tour
Sep 14 -- Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
Sep 16 -- Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Sep 17 -- New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Sep 19 -- Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
Sep 21 -- Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Sep 22 -- Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
Sep 24 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Ford Theatre
Sep 27 -- San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
Published April 3rd, 2018