X ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL SPRING & SUMMER TOUR DATES

JOINING VIOLENT FEMMES FOR SELECT MAY DATES

The iconic punk rock band, X, have announced additional dates for the first leg of their upcoming spring/summer tour plans. The first tour leg will begin on May 2 in Hermosa Beach, CA at a VIP party for the BeachLife Festival after which Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, and DJ Bonebrake will then join the Violent Femmes for a 9-date co-headlining tour starting May 6th at Humphrey's in San Diego, CA and continuing on through May 17th in St. Louis at The Pageant. In addition, X and Violent Femmes will be among the top stars at Arlington, TX's upcoming KAABOO Texas, set for Saturday, May 11th alongside The Killers, Kid Rock, Sting, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Avett Brothers and many more.

X recently announced the reissuing and remastering of their first four classic albums via their collaboration with Fat Possum Records. Los Angeles (1980) will be released on February 22nd, Wild Gift (1981) will be released on March 22nd, while Under The Big Black Sun (1982) and More Fun In The New World (1983) will each be released on April 12th. In addition, the band recently re-entered the recording studio for the first time since 1984. In two days, five songs were recorded with producer Rob Schnapf, release plans are pending.

Formed in 1977, X quickly established themselves as one of the best bands in the first wave of LA's flourishing punk scene; becoming legendary leaders of a punk generation. Featuring vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer DJ Bonebrake, their debut 45 was released on the seminal Dangerhouse label in 1978, followed by seven studio albums released from 1980-1993. X's first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift are ranked by Rolling Stone among the top 500 greatest albums of all time. Over the years, the band has released several critically acclaimed albums, topped the musical charts with regularity and performed their iconic hits on top television shows such as Letterman and American Bandstand. In 2017, the band celebrated their 40th anniversary in music with a Grammy Museum exhibit opening, a Proclamation from the City of Los Angeles and being honored at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, where Exene threw out the first pitch and John Doe sang the National Anthem. The band continues to tour with the original line-up.

X on Tour

May 02 – Hermosa Beach, CA – Beach Life Festival (VIP Party) **

May 05 – San Diego - Humphrey’s *

May 07 – Phoenix – Van Buren *

May 09 – Austin, TX – ALC Live * 

May 10 – Houston, TX – HOB *

May 11 – Dallas, TX – KAABOO Festival **

May 13 – San Antonio – The Aztec *

May 14 – Tulsa, OK – Caines *

May 16 – Memphis, TN – Graceland *

May 17 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant *

May 21 – Detroit, MI – El Club

May 22 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage

May 24 – Albany, NY – TBA

May 25– Holyoke, MA – The Gateway City Arts

May 28 – Pawling, NY – Daryl’s House

May 30 – Chicago, IL – HOB

May 31 – Thornville, OH – Camp Anarchy Festival **

More X Summer tour dates to be announced soon

*X with Violent Femmes

**Festival Date

GANG OF FOUR RETURNS TO DETROIT ON THEIR 40th ANNIVERSARY TOUR

Words: Sue Static - Photos: Kim Ski

U.K. post-punk stalwarts Gang of Four returned to Detroit on their 2019 tour to promote their
new album,” Happy Now” on February 16 at El Club in Detroit. The tour also celebrated their
40th Anniversary of the stellar debut album “Entertainment.” This was the second time back
with the current lineup and the show drew old fans as well as new who have never seen the
band before and now had a chance to experience their live musical assault.

They wasted no time bringing on their musical attack as they struck the opening chords of the
song “Anthrax” from the 1979 EP “Damaged Goods.” Guitarist Andy Gill proceeded to whip
his guitar onto the stage floor they launched into an epic 17-song set covering many early
songs from their catalog that had the audience in a frenzy. The new songs from their latest
releases, “Happy Now” and “Complicit” sounded right at home with the old classics. They
knew what the audience came to hear and delivered the damaged goods! The encores of “I
Found That Essence Rare” and “He'd Send In the Army” had singer John “Gaoler” Sterry
meet his match with a very unfortunate microwave oven that he attempted to smash into
smithereens.

The highly influential band made its debut in 1977 playing a mix of punk and funk with heavy
social and political themes. They are widely considered one of the leading bands of the late
1970s/early 1980s post-punk movement. Their debut album, “Entertainment” ranked as the
fifth greatest punk album and made it to Number 483 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums
of All Time, and is listed by Pitchfork Media as the 8th best album of the 1970s. David Fricke
of Rolling Stone described Gang of Four as "probably the best politically motivated band in
rock & roll." The mid-80s found the band digressing from their early sound into electronic
territory, but the darker themes remained.

The new album, “Happy Now” continues to explore this electronic fare, but still retains the
signature edgy guitar sound. It was released via Pledge Music and follows the April 2018
release of the EP “Complicit,” their latest recording since their return with the new
configuration of the band back in 2015.

For more information on the band, check out www.gangoffourofficial.co.uk