Mansun, who release their new EP ‘Legacy’ on June 29, are seeking NME‘s help in finding support acts for their biggest-ever UK tour, which kicks off this October.
Lead singer Paul Draper rang NME to put the word out to readers who are in bands and who’d like to open for Mansun to send him their tapes. The band will then personally listen to all entries and choose the best support band in each venue’s locality on their 25-date tour, which follows the release of their second LP ‘Six’ in September.
Paul explains: “Over the past year, I’ve had so many people giving me tapes and asking if they can support us. So we thought if everyone sends all their tapes in now, we can pick out the ones we really like for each town. Then we can satisfy as many people as we can at once. When we first started out we couldn’t get a gig anywhere, not even in Chester! (The band’s hometown) It’s too concentrated around London for signing bands, and there’s so many great bands who might have the opportunity to get spotted if they support us.”
Paul promised Mansun will listen to every tape submitted, and as a result, is asking bands to include only one or two songs on the tape, preferably recorded live. All entries should be sent to: Mansun Support, PO Box 72, Liverpool L69 1YG, England.
Mansun’s tour takes in Glasgow Barrowlands (October 3), Middlesbrough Town Hall (4), Leeds Town And Country (5), Sheffield Octagon (7), Manchester Academy (8), Blackburn Windsor Hall (9), Leicester De Montford University (11), Derby Assembly Rooms (12), Llandudno North Wales Theatre (13), Cardiff University (16), Bristol University (17), Warwick University (18), Southampton Guidhall (20), Norwich UEA (21), Cambridge Corn Exchange (22), London Brixton Academy (23), Brighton Event (26), Guildford Civic (27), Margate Winter Gardens (28), Chester Northgate Arena (30), King’s Lynn Corn Exchange (31), Oxford Brookes University (Nov 1) and Torquay Riviera (2).
As well as the different local bands for each date, the band will have a second support from special guests who have yet to be announced.
Tickets for the gigs are on sale now at ‘9.00 each/’10.00 in London on the NME 24-Hour Ticketline on 0870 1212-500. All calls are charged at National (UK) standard rate.
Mansun are also to release a Paul Oakenfold remix of their previous hit ‘Wide Open Space’ next month and the band will play a handful of secret warm-up dates the week before their appearance at Glastonbury Festival. Mansun then appear at Reading Festival.