In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough record and cult album, Music For Men, Gossip are reuniting for a special tour. The shows will bring the band together on stage for the first time since going on hiatus in 2012. The anniversary tour kicks off in France on July 4, and wraps up in Dublin August 18. The UK leg of the tour will also see stops in London, Glasgow & Manchester. Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow.

Described as “a raised fist of a record” (Guardian), “the disco record of the year” (Uncut) and “The greatest punk rock ‘n’ roll disco soul band on the planet”(NME); Gossip hit their prime with the release of their critically acclaimed album in 2009. Produced by multi Grammy Award winner Rick Rubin and recorded at the historic Shangri La Studios in Malibu, Music For Men sold over 1.5 million copies and expertly captured iconic frontwoman Beth Ditto’s powerful righteous vocals and the Gossip’s fiery sound. Lead single 'Heavy Cross' remains a favourite to this day racking up thousands of streams a month. 

The trio’s blistering brand of soulful swagger brought queer politics to the mainstream, confronted body politics head on and singularly refused to be pigeonholed or ignored, landing magazine covers around the world. Ahead of their time they garnered huge critical acclaim and cemented their reputation as one of the most exciting and relevant must-see live bands. Set against Nathan Howdeshell’s jagged riffs, slabs of synth and Hannah Billie’s pulsing drums, Beth Ditto's voice remains a thing of wonder; tender, but also capable of unleashing a ferocious range and exuding star power.

It feels like the perfect moment for these straight-talking rebel rousing icons to embark on a tour at a time when the political, cultural, gender and sexuality issues that fired and inspired Gossip’s anthems are so much a part of our daily currency. “We can’t believe it’s been 10 years since the release of Music For Men!  We are beyond excited to reunite with our Gossip family and fans.  We’ve truly missed playing these songs and connecting with our amazing and inspiring crowds. It’ll be a sweaty, outrageous time for sure. Can’t wait to see y’all in Europe in July!” says Gossip. 

TOUR DATES:

19/07 – Glasgow, UK - SWG3 Galvanizers Yard

20/07 – Manchester, UK - Academy

21/07 – London, UK - Somerset House

18/8 - Dublin, Ireland - Love Sentation 2019

A debut album from the former Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto has been long overdue. Fake Sugar is a collection of styles which illustrates her Southern roots and seriously sexy swagger. The album opens almost where the Gossip left off and should satisfy any long-suffering fans who have been having withdrawal symptoms. ‘Fire’ is the opening track and starts the album with a bang. It carries her signature energy and this album is a great starting point for her future career.

The lead single ‘In And Out’ is a rip-roaring belter of a tune. With her vocals making a more subtle contribution she is accompanied by a funky, lazy backing track and the combination is a welcomed return. We imagine this could do very well as it has all the elements of a catchy pop tune.

With the idea that less is sometimes more she continues this theme throughout the album. The title track ‘Fake Sugar’ is no different with its delicious catchy guitar loops. Ditto is able to use the power of her vocals in a refined way which only endorses her power. The track slides effortlessly along full of sexy Southern grit and attitude.

This is continued in the excellent ‘We Could Run’ lamenting about the dangers of playing it safe or doing what we all should do sometimes. The album then starts to change style and direction somewhat. The strong vocals and powerful display of ‘Oo La La’ represent an unfortunate decline in the album. After such a strong opening it’s not surprising that there are a few fillers on here. The whole album is the perfect platform for her relaunch, it just sometimes feels that she didn’t quite have enough material to sustain the excellent first half of the album.

Tracks like ‘Oh My God’ and 'Love In Real Life' do not carry the same sexy, catchy presence of the first half. It’s only ‘Do You Want Me To’ that returns the same quality with a glorious bass driven track. As with all debuts, there is a lot of positives with this new record. The welcome return of Beth Ditto is the major positive but more than that is a new sound which has clearly been honed over the months spent working to this point. There is still plenty of invention and lots more to come from the Southern queen. We look forward to it. 

Fake Sugar is available via Amazon and iTunes.