Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) returns to the U.K. in February 2013 for a tour with special guest Mark Gardener (Ride) and will be performing at the iconic Eric’s Club on Mathew Street on February 13th.
The timing for the tour could not be better, coinciding with the recent release of a collaboration between the pair entitled The Places We Go, and the release of Robin Guthrie’s latest album Fortune, his first new instrumental release since the acclaimed 2011 album Emeralds.
The upcoming dates will be the Cocteau Twins legendary founder and producer’s first trip to the U.K. as the Robin Guthrie Trio, performing his instrumental releases and featuring Steve Wheeler on Bass and Antti Mäkinen on drums. The U.K. dates follow performances in the US, Japan, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey.
All of this recent activity is but a small snapshot from a long career. Guthrie first came to prominence through his band Cocteau Twins, a unique and groundbreaking group whose influence can be heard today in artists such as M83 and School Of Seven Bells. He was not only hugely influential for the iconic shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine, but he also produced much-loved albums for Lush and Chapterhouse amongst many others.
“I grew up in Central Scotland and in 1981, at the age of 19, made my first album with my band at that time Cocteau Twins. This was undeniably pivotal in my progression as a musician and artist, although I had no idea of that at the time. Who would know that at 19? It certainly seemed a surprise to make a second record, but like any addictive drug, it’s not the first try that hooks you but the second. My path slowly unfolded in front of me allowing me to spent the rest of my life up to now producing a kind of music, which although highly personal, judging by the feedback I am given, seems to have touched people – a fact that can be both humbling and overwhelming” says Robin.
He adds; “With the exception of working with Siobhan De Maré as Violet Indiana, for the last few years I’ve been concentrating on instrumental music, some collaborative recordings, contributing scores to a couple of movies, playing concerts that present an instrumental soundtrack to animated film – something else I’ve become interested in making, continuing to produce artists that I believe in, travelling to many places never visited before and happy as ever to discover new ways to do what I do.”
Mark Gardener the former frontman of Ride appears as Guthrie’s special guest, playing songs from his extensive catalogue. Gardener has established himself as a solo artist playing shows extensively around the world alongside his ongoing production, mixing, collaboration and soundtrack work which includes the NME and Mojo 2011 vision award winning film Upside Down (The Story Of Creation Records) for which he scored the original soundtrack.
Tickets for The Robin Guthrie Trio and Mark Gardener are priced at £12.50 and are available from ticketmaster or via Eric’s Box office on 0151 2369994.
Ian D. Hall