British pop rock group Dexys (formerly known as Dexys Midnight Runners) have announced a tour that will see them travel the UK and Ireland in September 2023. The tour will follow the release of their sixth studio album, The Feminine Divine, on the 28th of July, and will thus be a first chance to show off their latest material in a live setting. Undoubtedly though, the tour will also allow the band to thrill their loving supporters with classic material from the albums that helped them first burst onto the UK and International music scene back in the early 1980s.
Perhaps known best for their tracks ‘Come On Eileen’ and ‘Geno’, Dexys Midnight Runners were formed in 1978 by ever-present lead vocalist Kevin Rowland and guitarist Kevin Archer. Inspired by punk (Both Rowland and Archer were previously in the punk band The Killjoys) and Northern Soul (indeed, the ‘Dexys’ in their name is short for Dexetrine, a stimulant popular with Northern Soul enthusiasts who used their drug-induced energy to dance all night), Dexys Midnight Runners released their first album, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels, in 1980 to critical acclaim. Their second, Too-Rye-Ay, released in 1982, adding new wave and folk elements to their sound, proved to be an even bigger hit as it reached number two on the UK Albums Chart.
Their third album, Don’t Stand Me Down (1985), was not as popular and preceded a twenty-seven year wait until the release of their next, One Day I’m Going to Soar, released in 2012 under the shortened name Dexys. Their latest release comes seven years after their previous, Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul (2016), featuring, as the name suggests, interpretations of Irish compositions. The Feminine Divine therefore marks a highly anticipated return to releasing original material penned by the band itself and is sure to be met with excitement and glee by adoring fans and critics alike.
Watch ‘I’m Going To Get Free‘, a single from the new album, below:
In a press release the band have stated, “After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity”, adding that the new record is evidence of Rowland being “a man whose views have evolved over time ” and an unlearning of “the masculinity he had been raised with”.
Tickets for all tour dates are available to pre-order from April 14th here.
See below for the September tour dates:
05/09/2023 – Barbican – York
07/09 – Philharmonic – Liverpool
08/09 – Bridgewater Hall – Manchester
10/09- O2 City Hall – Newcastle
11/09 – Royal Concert Hall – Glasgow
13/09- St David’s Hall – Cardiff
14/09 – Regent Theatre – Ipswich
16/09 – The Halls- Wolverhampton
17/09 – Cliffs Pavilion – Southend
19/09 – Dome – Brighton
20/09 – Palladium – London
22/09- Forum – Bath
25/09- 3Olympia Theatre – Dublin
(photo credit: Sandra Vijandi)
