RIDE, Tuesday March 21, The Limelight, Belfast / Wednesday March 22, The Olympia, Dublin
REUNITED shoegaze superstars Ride have announced their first Irish club dates for over 20 years with visits to Belfast and Dublin this March.
The Oxford indie rockers split in 1996 but have been playing live again since 2015, earning rave reviews around Europe (including 2015's Electric Picnic), the US and the far east from fans old and new.
The re-energised band recently recorded a brand new album with producer Erol Alkan which singer/guitarist/Oasis and Beady Eye survivor Andy Bell says is "equal parts Motorhead and (ambient composer) William Basinski", which certainly sounds like a potent proposition for the band once memorably described by indie guru Steve Lamacq as "the House of Love with chainsaws".
Their as-yet untitled album won't be released until the summer, but three new songs have already made their way into recent set lists.
Of course, experiencing the first new Ride material in 21 years won't be the major selling point for the majority of Irish fans rushing to get their tickets today – they want to hear Leave Them All Behind, Vapour Trail, Chelsea Girl, Polar Bear, Twisterella, Dreams Burn Down and other golden oldies not played indoors on this island since the late 20th century.
However, with 2017 also marking the 21st anniversary of the quartet's 99 per cent ghastly swansong, Tarantula, let's just hope they don't take the whole nostalgia trip too far, eh?
:: Tickets on sale at 9am via Ticketmaster priced £24 (Belfast) and €34.50 (Dublin)
