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Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Arab Strap announce Philophobia 25th anniversary tour
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 31 March 2023
Arab Strap have announced a series of shows to mark the 25th anniversary of their second album ‘Philophobia’. Billed as ‘Philophobia Undressed’, the shows will see the duo perform a stripped back version of the full album, featuring “a guitar or two, some drum machines and probably a digital Mellotron”.
“With a new album about halfway ready for release next year, we thought we could easily ignore our second album’s 25th birthday”, they say. “But we find it hard to say no to ‘Philophobia’”.
“If our first album [1996’s ‘The Week Never Starts Round Here’] was a ramshackle oddity filled with in-jokes and formerly private tape moments that we never expected to bother many ears”, they go on, “it was ‘Philophobia’ where everything started to come together, when we began to realise making music might have a future for us, and the Arab Strap sounds and themes began to take shape”.
“If you’ve seen us play in the past few years, you’ll know we still include quite a few of its songs in our setlists”, they add. “These tunes seem to have endured, and it’s probably the only album we’d ever consider performing all the way through”.
Eight shows have been announced so far, with more set to be revealed in the coming weeks. Here’s what we have so far:
8 Jun: Carlisle, Brickyard
9 Jun: Birkenhead, Futureyard
11 Jun: Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
12 Jun: Bristol, Fleece
13 Jun: London, EartH
14 Jun: Brighton, Chalk
15 Jun: Manchester, Yes
16 Jun: Gateshead, Sage 2
