Currently charging around the UK on their most extensive sold out UK tour for almost 6 years, Lostprophets announced details of a new single set for release on 5th April 2010. ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Felon’ is taken from the bands fourth album ‘The Betrayed’ which entered the UK album charts at No. 3 in January. The track is already proving a live favourite and will feature exclusive b-sides across the formats.
After the UK tour the band head to Australia, Japan and then Europe for dates taking them up to their rescheduled Welsh date. Lostprophets were forced to cancel their Afan Lido gig in Port Talbot after a fire damaged the building and made it impossible to go ahead. The group will now play Cardiff International Arena on 1st May 2010. The group are performing tracks from all their albums and generating an ecstatic response around the country with ‘Felon’ becoming a stand out track already.
Lostprophets are made up of guitarist Mike Lewis, frontman Ian Watkins, Lee Gaze (guitar), Stuart Richardson (bass), Jamie Oliver (keyboards, programming) and new drummer Luke Johnson. They formed over 10 years ago in Pontypridd, Wales and have risen to be one of the UK’s biggest rock bands selling over 2 million albums along the way.
New single:‘FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELON’ out from 5th April 2010
Live:
4 February LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall
6 February HULL, Ice Arena
7 February NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
9 February MARGATE, Winter Gardens
10 February PORSMOUTH, Guildhall
11 February LONDON, BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY
13 February DONCASTER, Dome
14 February LEEDS, O2 Academy
15 February CAMBRIDGE, Corn Exchange
17 February BIRMINGHAM, O2 Academy
18 February GLASGOW, Academy
19 February EDINBURGH, Corn Exchange
21 February YEOVIL, Westlands
22 February NORWICH, UEA
23 February NEWCASTLE, O2 Academy
25 February MANCHESTER, Apollo
26 February SOUTHAMPTON, Guildhall
28 February BRISTOL, O2 Academy
1 May CARDIFF International Arena (new show)
Interview with Lee Gaze:
You guys are headlining the Camden Crawl this year, how are you feeling about that?
It's going to be awesome. It's the first time for us so we are really excited about it. They have had some great bands play it in the past so we have to go out there and blow everyone away.
Have you played the Roundhouse before?
This will be the first time for us. We shot the video to ‘Burn Burn’ there in 2003 though.
You have just finished your tour promoting your latest album 'The Betrayed', how did that go?
The UK tour was one of the best that we have ever done; our audience gets better every time we tour. We managed to get to some cities that we have never played before and they did not disappoint.
How did the crowds react to the new tracks?
The reaction to the new stuff has been amazing. We have been playing nearly all of the songs off ‘The Betrayed’ and people really seem to be into them.
What have been your favourite old and new songs to play live on this tour?
Our favourite old songs to play are ‘Sway’, ‘Rooftops’, ‘1000 Apologies’ and our favourite new songs are ‘Darkest Blue’, ‘The Light That Shines’ and ‘DSTRYR/DSTRYR’
How about your ultimate Lostprophets track, the one that gives you goosebumps?
That has to be ‘The Light That Shines’...It's my favourite Lostprophets track of all.
How is it being on the road these days? Do you find it hard being away from home for so long?
It can get hard, especially with two little ones at home. Thankfully we live in a world of awesome technology. With Skype and webcams and mobile phones you are never far from home. I would probably have had a much harder time in the 1980s. Touring is great though. We have one of the best jobs and we love getting out there and rocking people’s proverbial socks off.
Will you be playing any big festivals this year aside from The Camden Crawl?
Watch this space...
Tease. At the end of 2009 you played your first ever acoustic show for the Little Noise Sessions at Union Chapel, what was that like? Is it something you would like to do again?
That session was in the top three best gigs we have ever done. It has a completely different dynamic and is something we have considered taking on a mini tour. The songs take on a whole new life acoustically and I love that.
What's next for you guys, as you will have released three tracks from the album now?
We are headed to Australia and Japan then we will be doing a European tour. We have some shows in May also.
Tell us a bit about the new single?
The new single revolves around us and where we grew up.
You had been away quite a long time before you released 'The Betrayed', did that make you nervous about coming back and releasing it?
After being away for so long we were feeling anxious about getting back out there. A lot can change in three years and we were well aware of that. I'd say it's a testament to how amazing our fans are that it felt like we had never been away.
The latest album was a long time in the making, was that a conscious decision? Was it a hard album to write?
We basically chose the wrong producer and it cost us over a year and a half. I have no regrets though as we had to go through this to get to ‘The Betrayed’ which we are all 100% happy with. It was not a difficult album to write, it just proved impossible to find anyone that understood the songs that we were writing other than ourselves; hence why we produced it ourselves in the end.
How has it been in terms of fans? Have they reacted well to your return?
The general reaction is that 'The Betrayed' is our best album yet. I really do believe that and things can only get better. Album number five will destroy it; that's always the mission, to better the last effort.
Obviously having been on the scene for a long time now you have seen a lot of bands come and go. What would you say is the key to the longevity of Lostprophets?
We are real people who do this for the love of music. We have always done what we believe in and always maintained our integrity. These bands come and go because their hearts aren't in it and they can't write great songs.
You guys have achieved a hell of a lot in your careers so far, are there any ambitions you have left to fulfil?
Stadium tours and outer space tours.
Finally, where would you like to be in five years time?
Still out there killing it...
You can get your hands on a copy of ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Felon’ now and the album ‘The Betrayed’ is out now, too.
After the UK tour the band head to Australia, Japan and then Europe for dates taking them up to their rescheduled Welsh date. Lostprophets were forced to cancel their Afan Lido gig in Port Talbot after a fire damaged the building and made it impossible to go ahead. The group will now play Cardiff International Arena on 1st May 2010. The group are performing tracks from all their albums and generating an ecstatic response around the country with ‘Felon’ becoming a stand out track already.
Lostprophets are made up of guitarist Mike Lewis, frontman Ian Watkins, Lee Gaze (guitar), Stuart Richardson (bass), Jamie Oliver (keyboards, programming) and new drummer Luke Johnson. They formed over 10 years ago in Pontypridd, Wales and have risen to be one of the UK’s biggest rock bands selling over 2 million albums along the way.
New single:‘FOR HE’S A JOLLY GOOD FELON’ out from 5th April 2010
Live:
4 February LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall
6 February HULL, Ice Arena
7 February NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
9 February MARGATE, Winter Gardens
10 February PORSMOUTH, Guildhall
11 February LONDON, BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY
13 February DONCASTER, Dome
14 February LEEDS, O2 Academy
15 February CAMBRIDGE, Corn Exchange
17 February BIRMINGHAM, O2 Academy
18 February GLASGOW, Academy
19 February EDINBURGH, Corn Exchange
21 February YEOVIL, Westlands
22 February NORWICH, UEA
23 February NEWCASTLE, O2 Academy
25 February MANCHESTER, Apollo
26 February SOUTHAMPTON, Guildhall
28 February BRISTOL, O2 Academy
1 May CARDIFF International Arena (new show)
Interview with Lee Gaze:
You guys are headlining the Camden Crawl this year, how are you feeling about that?
It's going to be awesome. It's the first time for us so we are really excited about it. They have had some great bands play it in the past so we have to go out there and blow everyone away.
Have you played the Roundhouse before?
This will be the first time for us. We shot the video to ‘Burn Burn’ there in 2003 though.
You have just finished your tour promoting your latest album 'The Betrayed', how did that go?
The UK tour was one of the best that we have ever done; our audience gets better every time we tour. We managed to get to some cities that we have never played before and they did not disappoint.
How did the crowds react to the new tracks?
The reaction to the new stuff has been amazing. We have been playing nearly all of the songs off ‘The Betrayed’ and people really seem to be into them.
What have been your favourite old and new songs to play live on this tour?
Our favourite old songs to play are ‘Sway’, ‘Rooftops’, ‘1000 Apologies’ and our favourite new songs are ‘Darkest Blue’, ‘The Light That Shines’ and ‘DSTRYR/DSTRYR’
How about your ultimate Lostprophets track, the one that gives you goosebumps?
That has to be ‘The Light That Shines’...It's my favourite Lostprophets track of all.
How is it being on the road these days? Do you find it hard being away from home for so long?
It can get hard, especially with two little ones at home. Thankfully we live in a world of awesome technology. With Skype and webcams and mobile phones you are never far from home. I would probably have had a much harder time in the 1980s. Touring is great though. We have one of the best jobs and we love getting out there and rocking people’s proverbial socks off.
Will you be playing any big festivals this year aside from The Camden Crawl?
Watch this space...
Tease. At the end of 2009 you played your first ever acoustic show for the Little Noise Sessions at Union Chapel, what was that like? Is it something you would like to do again?
That session was in the top three best gigs we have ever done. It has a completely different dynamic and is something we have considered taking on a mini tour. The songs take on a whole new life acoustically and I love that.
What's next for you guys, as you will have released three tracks from the album now?
We are headed to Australia and Japan then we will be doing a European tour. We have some shows in May also.
Tell us a bit about the new single?
The new single revolves around us and where we grew up.
You had been away quite a long time before you released 'The Betrayed', did that make you nervous about coming back and releasing it?
After being away for so long we were feeling anxious about getting back out there. A lot can change in three years and we were well aware of that. I'd say it's a testament to how amazing our fans are that it felt like we had never been away.
The latest album was a long time in the making, was that a conscious decision? Was it a hard album to write?
We basically chose the wrong producer and it cost us over a year and a half. I have no regrets though as we had to go through this to get to ‘The Betrayed’ which we are all 100% happy with. It was not a difficult album to write, it just proved impossible to find anyone that understood the songs that we were writing other than ourselves; hence why we produced it ourselves in the end.
How has it been in terms of fans? Have they reacted well to your return?
The general reaction is that 'The Betrayed' is our best album yet. I really do believe that and things can only get better. Album number five will destroy it; that's always the mission, to better the last effort.
Obviously having been on the scene for a long time now you have seen a lot of bands come and go. What would you say is the key to the longevity of Lostprophets?
We are real people who do this for the love of music. We have always done what we believe in and always maintained our integrity. These bands come and go because their hearts aren't in it and they can't write great songs.
You guys have achieved a hell of a lot in your careers so far, are there any ambitions you have left to fulfil?
Stadium tours and outer space tours.
Finally, where would you like to be in five years time?
Still out there killing it...
You can get your hands on a copy of ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Felon’ now and the album ‘The Betrayed’ is out now, too.
