The Incredible String Band

• 18th Oct 2004

The Incredible String Band have released 12 albums on Elektra and Island Records and toured the world extensively as well as appearing at the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969. This year the band have returned with a new show based around their much loved, first 5 classic albums with the highlight being Mike Heron’s 13-minute epic A Very Cellular Song – including a stop over at Life Café, Peter St, Manchester on the 7th November.

The name of The Incredible String Band entered folk-rock’s annals in 1966, when they inaugurated a momentous decade in which they established a unique musical identity, influencing such diverse artists as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones (who tried unsuccessfully to sign them to their label and management company) and Led Zeppelin; Bob Dylan was also an admirer. Recently the Archbishop of Canterbury confessed a love of the band and David Bowie placed their 5000 Spirits album in his Top 25 all time favourite albums.

At the turn of the Millennium Heron, Williamson and Palmer finally bowed to the clamour of Stringfandom worldwide and renewed their partnership. The Incredible String Band were reborn, and this time round included Welsh keyboard wizard Lawson Dando as well as Bina Williamson. Between 2000 and 2002 they toured a show generously stocked with classics from the band’s high summer but also featuring some less identifiably “string band” material.

After these concerts fans increasingly demanded that the band renew full time gigging and sought the return of the multi-instrumentalist approach core to the band’s ethos. The decision to meet this demand and become a full-time touring band was incompatible with the demands of Robin Williamson’s varied solo projects and therefore it was felt best that the band would change its line-up reflecting the renewed commitment to touring.

In 2004 the band will tour the UK to promote their new album Nebulous Nearnesses which was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios and their new DVD filmed at the Lowry, Salford on their last UK tour. The band will again visit the city of Manchester for one exclusive date in November. Other tour plans include the USA, Europe and Australia. Be glad for the song has no ending…

Sunday 7th November
Life Café, Peter St, Manchester.
Doors 8pm, £14.50 adv
Tickets available Piccadilly Box Office 0161 832 111- link