{"id":45684,"date":"2026-06-12T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45684"},"modified":"2026-06-06T08:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T12:21:07","slug":"forward-russia-are-back-20-years-of-give-me-a-wall-and-theyre-not-done-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=45684","title":{"rendered":"\u00a1Forward, Russia! are back: 20 years of \u2018Give Me A Wall\u2019 and they\u2019re not done yet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Twenty years. Over 260 gigs in a single year. A debut album that somehow got made in the middle of all that chaos. And now, finally, a reason to lose your mind all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leeds four-piece \u00a1Forward, Russia!<\/strong> have announced a run of reunion shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘Give Me A Wall’<\/strong> \u2014 and they’re bringing the whole thing with them, performing the record in full. Dates are set for Glasgow, London, and Leeds<\/strong> in February 2027, marking the band’s first live appearances in over 12 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Record, The Scene, The Legacy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When ‘Give Me A Wall’<\/em> dropped in 2006 via the Leeds-born Dance To The Radio<\/strong> label (founded by guitarist Whiskas himself in 2005), it landed in the middle of a genuinely electric moment for the city. \u00a1Forward, Russia! were running alongside Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, The Cribs, and The Sunshine Underground in what the music press dubbed the “New Yorkshire”<\/strong> movement \u2014 but they were carving their own lane entirely, fuelled by a DIY ethos and live shows that were, by all accounts, an experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Singles ‘Nine’<\/em> and ‘Twelve’<\/em> hit the UK Top 40. The album earned international praise. Pitchfork, the Guardian, NME, Clash \u2014 everyone took notice. Then came the follow-up, ‘Life Processes’<\/em>, in 2008, a brief hiatus, two celebrated hometown returns in 2013 and 2014 (one for Brudenell Social Club’s centenary, one headlining Live at Leeds at Leeds Town Hall), and then… quiet. Until now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s Coming<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the tour, a 20th anniversary vinyl edition<\/strong> of ‘Give Me A Wall’ arrives Friday 2nd October 2026<\/strong> via Launchpad+ and EMI North \u2014 limited-edition clear 12″, complete with a new lyric sheet and sleeve notes from BBC 6 Music legend and long-time band champion Steve Lamacq<\/strong>. It’s the first time the album has been available on vinyl since its original release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Alongside that, the band are dropping a brand new rarities compilation<\/strong> titled ‘A Fearless Guide to Communication’<\/strong> on CD (with tracks rolling out to streaming over the coming months), a fresh run of their beloved exclamation mark merch, and \u2014 perhaps most excitingly for the obsessives \u2014 a new online archive<\/strong> packed with gig footage, photos, and video rarities, with fans invited to submit their own memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Their Own Words<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Vocalist Tom Woodhead<\/strong> put it beautifully: “Between July 2005 and the end of 2006 \u00a1Forward, Russia! played 268 gigs. In amongst the motorways, feedback and fatigue we somehow carved out the time to record and release Give Me a Wall… twenty years later I think we’ve finally gained some perspective and can appreciate GMAW for the youthful and uninhibited document it is.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guitarist Whiskas<\/strong> also took a moment to address something real: the band’s name, and the discomfort it now carries given current world events. “It was seemingly relatively meaningless 20 years ago,”<\/em> he noted, “and I worry that someone affected by world events may see our name and be negatively affected by that.”<\/em> It’s a candid, thoughtful acknowledgment \u2014 and the kind of honesty that’s always set this band apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tour Dates<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Saturday 6th February 2027<\/strong> \u2014 Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
Friday 12th February 2027<\/strong> \u2014 London, Oslo
Friday 19th February 2027<\/strong> \u2014 Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
Saturday 20th February 2027<\/strong> \u2014 Leeds, Brudenell Social Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were there in 2006, you already know. If you missed it \u2014 here’s your shot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty years. Over 260 gigs in a single year. A debut album that somehow got made in the middle of all that chaos. And now, […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,23,25,28,30,1907,11526,39],"tags":[14311,964,1245,14317],"class_list":["post-45684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guitar-rock","category-indie","category-live","category-music","category-new-release","category-news","category-reissue","category-vinyl","tag-give-me-a-wall","tag-reissue","tag-tour-dates","tag-forward-russia"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_0995.jpeg?fit=889%2C595&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2B2TV-bSQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44034,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=44034","url_meta":{"origin":45684,"position":0},"title":"Max\u00efmo Park celebrate 20 years of\u00a0\u2018A Certain Trigger\u2019\u00a0with UK tour + reissues","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Two decades on and still firing on all cylinders \u2014 Max\u00efmo Park are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their game-changing debut album\u00a0\u2018A Certain Trigger\u2019\u00a0with a massive UK tour in 2026 and a deluxe reissue dropping\u00a0October 31st. 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In addition to the 11 original album tracks, the LP pressing also includes the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "indie"","block_context":{"text":"indie","link":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?cat=23"},"img":{"alt_text":"Telekinesis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/telekinesis-band.jpg?fit=700%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/telekinesis-band.jpg?fit=700%2C526&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/telekinesis-band.jpg?fit=700%2C526&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cultureaddicts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/telekinesis-band.jpg?fit=700%2C526&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38078,"url":"https:\/\/cultureaddicts.com\/?p=38078","url_meta":{"origin":45684,"position":2},"title":"Ash announce reissues of ‘1977’ and ‘Free All Angels’","author":"cultureaddicts","date":"May 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Ash have announced the upcoming re-issue on newly re-mastered splatter vinyl of two of their beloved albums,\u00a0\u20181977\u2019\u00a0and\u00a0\u2018Free All Angels\u2019.\u20181977,\u2019 the band\u2019s spectacular debut album, was a defining record for 90s guitar music, reaching No.1 in the Official UK Albums Chart, and going to achieve platinum status. 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