Post-punk legends Wire have announced their fall North American headline tour in support of its critically acclaimed studio album, ‘Silver/Lead’. The upcoming dates follow up the band’s successful West Coast tour and DRILL festivals in Los Angeles, Leeds and Berlin. Wire will be touring the U.S. and Canada with the tour kicking off on September 16 in Chicago at The Metro and will include three shows in Brooklyn at Baby’s All Right. The band will also visit markets such as Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Toronto. All upcoming shows are listed below.
‘Silver/Lead’ is the 15th studio album from the band. It arrived on the 40th anniversary of their debut performance. Yet it’s about as far from nostalgia as you could get. This is the sound of a uniquely addictive 21st century psychedelic post-punk.
On ‘Silver/Lead,’ Colin Newman and Matt Simms’ guitar work is alternately jagged and luminous, while bassist Graham Lewis’s ear-catching lyrics are vivid yet oblique. Meanwhile, drummer Robert Grey provides a virtual masterclass in percussive minimalism. But it’s how the various instruments mesh together that really counts. And Newman’s production creates a sonic space in which even the smallest gesture is accorded some recognition.
Highlights include the optimistic dazzle of Diamonds In Cups, with its almost T. Rex-style buzz and chug, and the moody swing of This Time. Elsewhere on the musical spectrum, there’s the menacing widescreen grandeur of Playing Harp For The Fishes and breakneck-paced guitar pop of Short Elevated Period.
‘Silver/Lead’ track list:
1. Playing Harp For The Fishes
2. Short Elevated Period
3. Diamonds in Cups
4. Forever & A Day
5. An Alibi
6. Sonic Lens
7. This Time
8. Brio
9. Sleep On The Wing
10. Silver/Lead
Wire are one of the world’s most ground-breaking bands, their influence acknowledged by bands as diverse as Blur, Sonic Youth, R.E.M. and Savages. But they have never been interested in exploiting past glories. For Wire, there is only ever one possible direction: forwards. So it’s perhaps not surprising that over recent years, they’ve played strings of sold-out shows, achieved career-best record sales, and been cited as a strong influence by yet another generation of bands.
Tour dates
09.16 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
09.17 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
09.18 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
09.19 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
09.20 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
09.21 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
09.22 – Portland, ME @ Space
09.23 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
09.25 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09.26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09.28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
09.29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
09.30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
