Running throughout February, the NME Awards Tour kicks off in Glasgow (8th) and visits 12 venues across the UK, bringing the very best in new music directly to music fans, ending with a show-stopping finale in London (25th).
NME editor Krissi Murison says: “As far as NME Awards Tour line-ups go, it’s difficult to imagine one more exciting than this or more representative of the cutting edge sounds that will define 2012. Every week in NME we bang on about how brilliant these bands are, and this is an amazing opportunity to see them all on the same bill. Two Door Cinema Club are one of the most exciting live bands in the world right now, Metronomy recorded arguably the album of the year, Tribes are the future of British indie music and Azealia Banks is, well, pretty much the most exciting new act on the planet. It’s going to be a good one…”
Having quietly become one of the UK’s best loved bands, Two Door Cinema Club will headline the hotly anticipated annual tour. Since releasing their debut album ‘Tourist History’ in March 2010, Two Door Cinema Club have rapidly become one of the biggest new success stories in UK music. After selling out headline tours in the UK, US, Europe, Australia, Asia, Japan and South America, playing two successive sold out nights at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and selling out the O2 Academy Brixton in under four hours, the band have deservedly earned both a devoted word-of-mouth live following and huge critical acclaim.
Two Door Cinema Club say: “It feels great to be headlining the NME Tour and be amongst what feels like a great line-up as well. We had a taste of the tour when we did the local support slots when the Tour came to Ireland with the Maccabees when we were pretty much just starting out as a band. We feel a real sense of achievement to have made it this far and be one among the incredible list of headliners on the NME Awards Tour.”
Hailing from the tiny, bohemian market town of Totnes in Devon, Metronomy join the line-up this year. One of the most expansive and visionary pop bands in the country, Metronomy will be supplying the NME Awards Tour with proof that it’s possible for electronic bands to put on a show as authentic as any rock band.
Metronomy say: “It’s pretty exciting to be part of a travelling tour, a bit like a circus or something. It’s been a while since we did a tour this long with the same bands for the whole thing, so hopefully there will be some camaraderie between the bands. Failing that there should be some incredibly violent ‘beefs’ which will make for good reading in the magazine.”
London quartet Tribes have gone from prodigious debutant slots opening for their idols The Pixies, to relentless grassroots grafting of the UK dives, to being lauded ‘the future of rock ‘n’ roll’ by the Mystery Jets.
Tribes say: “We’re really f***ing excited to be going on the NME Tour. We’re really happy to be part of it, considering the history of the tour, and the fact the likes of The Vaccines and The Horrors have done it before. Hopefully there’ll be some good after parties too – we’re all about the partying.”
New York producer/MC Azealia Banks, who has been steadily perfecting her craft and making a name for herself, has bagged the coveted opening slot for the NME Awards Tour 2012. Since her first steps as a child in off-broadway theatre productions to her training at La Guardia High School of Performing Arts – a breeding ground for stars – Azealia Banks’ seasoned bars and angelic voice give everybody a reason to rewind that track.
Azealia Banks says: “I’ve been reading NME since I was old enough to ride the trains, where I’d buy it on newsstands… it’s almost surreal that I’ve been selected to participate in this tour… it’s such an honour.”
Tickets for the NME Awards Tour 2012 will be available on pre-sale exclusively through www.NME.com from 9am on Wednesday 9th November. They will then be on general release via Gigs and Tours and Ticketmaster on Friday 11th November.
NME Awards Tour Dates 2012:
08 Feb Glasgow O2 Academy
09 Feb Newcastle O2 Academy
10 Feb Manchester Academy
14 Feb Nottingham Rock City
15 Feb Leeds O2 Academy
17 Feb Norwich UEA
18 Feb Birmingham O2 Academy
19 Feb Cardiff University
20 Feb Bristol O2 Academy
22 Feb Bournemouth O2 Academy
23 Feb Brighton Dome
25 Feb London O2 Academy Brixton
