The line up for NME Awards Tour with Austin, Texas has now been announced, and we’re already eager for the countrywide live music extravaganza to begin. Starring headliners (and this week’s NME cover stars) Bloc Party plus Drenge, Rat Boy and Bugzy Malone, 2016’s tour showcases both established talents and the sounds of the future. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (November 6) and to get you in the mood, we’ve got the lowdown on each act.
Bloc Party
Who: The London four-piece led by Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack return with new members Justin Harris (bass) and Louise Bartle (drums). The band will come to the tour bearing brand new music from forthcoming album ‘Hymns’ (released on January 29) and hits from their blistering debut ‘Silent Alarm’ onwards.
Killer Tracks: ‘The Love Within’, ‘Helicopter’, ‘Flux’
Watch out for: Brand new material. First single ‘The Love Within’ showcased their well-known talents for creating indie disco staples, but ‘Exes’ and ‘The Good News’ suggest a continuation from the less frantic sections of preceding album ‘Four’.
Drenge
Who: Derby brothers Eoin and Rory Loveless have been making huge noise across clubs and festivals over the last two years. Now with added bass from Rob Graham, the grunge rock trio released their second album ‘Undertow’ earlier this year as the follow up to 2013’s self-titled debut.
Killer Tracks: ‘We Can Do What We Want’, ‘Bloodsports’, ‘Running Wild’
Watch out for: A collection of moshpits that will inevitably open up, allowing fans to go wild to their guitar-thrashing tunes. Probably best to finish your pint before heading down the front.
Rat Boy
Who: Nineteen-year-old Jordan Cardy mixes the youthful lyrics of Jamie T and the chaotic urgency of The Libertines in his burgeoning collection of singles and homemade mixtapes. Stories about fake IDs and getting sacked from Wetherspoons will no doubt strike a chord with those fans seeking teenage thrills.
Killer Tracks: ‘Sign On’, ‘Fake ID’, ‘Left 4 Dead’
Watch out for: Stage invasions.
Bugzy Malone
Who: Born and bred in the North West, Bugzy Malone is firmly establishing Manchester as a grime hotspot to rival London. His independent mixtape ‘Walk With Me’ reached number eight in the UK album charts this July, so expect his hometown’s Albert Hall to go crazy.
Killer Tracks: ‘MEN’, ‘Relegation Riddim’, ‘Watch Your Mouth’
Watch out for: If anyone is going to start a feud on the NME Awards Tour it’s Bugzy. He successfully dispatched barbs towards fellow UK rapper Chipmunk this year, but we could see a diss track brewing if someone starts snoring on the NME tour bus.
Tickets go on general sale at 9am on November 6.
Visit NME.com/awards for more details and to buy tickets.