Unkle Bob are to reform for a UK tour, “tentatively” scheduled for October this year.

The live dates are to coincide with the re-release of ‘The Hit Parade’ – the 15th Anniversary Edition of the band’s debut EP, recorded by Geoff Allan at Cava Studios.

Originally released in February 2005, ‘The Hit Parade’ was followed by two long-players – ‘Sugar & Spite’ in 2006, and by 2010’s ‘Shockwaves’.

The band split in 2011 with main singer and songwriter Rick Webster continuing under the name the following year, although in 2014, for the third album ‘Embers’, the original band members reunited briefly for the recording sessions in Wales.

One further album, ‘The Deepest Sea ‘, followed, before Webster dropped the Unkle Bob and working and working under the Richard Luke moniker. ‘Voz’ – an instrumental collaboration with violinist Amira Bedrush-McDonald – the singer rest his vocal cords following a case of muscle tension dysphonia.

However, the anniversary of their debut EP has seen the return of original members – guitarist Stuart Cartwright, drummer Ron Yeadon, keyboard player Geoff Widdowson, and bass player Chloe Peacock – after a nine year hiatus.

The 15th anniversary edition, via Highpony, contains the previously unavailable, original mix from 2005 as well as versions of ‘Swans’, ‘This Way’ and a remix entitled ‘A Hard Teeth Pi’ by Colditz (James Chapman). There’s also a version of ‘Swans’ a string section comprising Fergus Hetherington, Emily Macpherson, Jessica Beeston, and Peter Nicholson, arranged by Peter MacCalman, while Una Macglone provides double bass and backing vocals across the EP’s tracks.

The reformed ‘Bob’ have plans for new recordings as well as the October live dates.
London – Fri 9 Oct – St Pancras Church (w Treetop Flyers)
Durham – Sat 10 Oct – The Witham (w Andrew Yeadon)
Glasgow – Fri 16 Oct – The Hug and Pint
Edinburgh – Sat 17 Oct – Leith Depot

The EP is available to stream or download, via Spotify, Apple Music or Bandcamp.

More at www.unklebob.com