This page will contain latest snippets of news in the Ian Hunter/Mott The Hoople camp. All of this news is second-hand, and has mostly already appeared on the mailing list; I present it here for completeness.
This page last updated 23rd April 2013.
The following press release was issued on 23rd April:
Mott The Hoople Announce UK Tour Dates - November 2013
The legends reform for historic UK tour
"Now people realise that we were innovators. When you work as hard as we did, you appreciate that" - Ian Hunter
"On tour as support to Mott The Hoople (the only time Queen ever supported anyone), I was always conscious that we were in the presence of something great, something highly evolved, close to the centre of the Spirit of Rock `n' Roll, something to breathe in and learn from." - Brian May
"I was into Mott The Hoople then The Clash came and I got into them, because one's prepared you for the other" - Bobby Gillespie, Primal Scream
"I followed Mott The Hoople up and down the country. I'd go to Liverpool or Newcastle or somewhere-sleep on the Town Hall steps, and bunk the fares on the trains, hide in the toilet when the ticket inspector came around. I'd jump off just before the train got to the station and climb over the fence. It was great times, and I always knew I wanted to be in a band and play guitar. That was it for me." - Mick Jones, The Clash
"My favourite ever band, there's not one dud on here, but there are some great tunes with very insightful lyrics and the ultimate pop song in "Honaloochie Boogie". Joe Elliott of Def Leppard on the `Mott' album
Formed in 1969, Mott The Hoople went on to become one of the best loved and most influential rock groups of all time. Their string of hits started with the David Bowie-penned "All The Young Dudes", after which the band's legend was written with original classics such as "All the Way From Memphis", "Roll Away The Stone", "Saturday Gigs" and "The Golden Age Of Rock N Roll".
The band, whose fame was established initially by their incandescent live shows, reformed to celebrate their legacy in 2009, which saw them play a series of critically and commercially successful live dates to mark their 40th anniversary. The gigs, including a 5-night, sold-out stint at London's Hammersmith Apollo, were the first time the original lineup had played together in over 35 years, and brought a tear to many a fan's eye. The universally lavish praise for them included a 5/5 Daily Telegraph review that declared "Mott The Hoople storm back to London for a dazzling night at the Hammersmith Apollo."
The band will be returning to the UK in November 2013 for five dates only:
The shows will feature original members Verden Allen (keyboards/vocals), Ian Hunter (vocals/guitar / piano), Mick Ralphs (guitar/vocals) and Overend Watts (bass/vocals). Due to ill health, original drummer Dale Griffin will be substituted by Martin Chambers (The Pretenders).
All tickets are priced £40, except London, which is £45 - subject to booking fee and available through www.aeglive.co.uk. Tickets go on sale at 9am GMT Friday 26th April 2013.
Tickets will also be available through the official Mott The Hoople website tour page.
23rd April 2013
Widowmaker's debut album from 1976 has been reissued on Angel Air, complete with three live (BBC) tracks. Full review coming soon!
30th March 2013
Ian Hunter and the Rant Band will be playing the Isle Of Wight festival in the summer. A couple of warm-up gigs are also scheduled. For details, please see Ian's website.
30th March 2013
A live CD and DVD of the 1980 German concert featuring Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson has been released. This is the first Hunter show featuring Mick Ronson to be released on DVD. My CD review is here and the DVD review here.
23rd January 2012
Press reviews of the MTH reunion gigs in October 2009 were overwhelmingly favourable. The Independent said "I've seen a few reunion shows in recent years, including the Cream and Zep shows, and I can honestly say that none elicited quite the genuine waves of joy - as opposed to reverence or awe - as Mott did tonight". They also featured Joe Elliott interviewing Ian Hunter.
Meanwhile, The Times said that Mott The Hoople still rock after 35 years. The Guardian said that there's something slightly chaotic about the sound, but that somehow adds to the appeal. The Daily Telegraph says that the rocking went on, "unrestrainable, deafening, totally life-affirming". Meanwhile, Last.fm calls Mott "England's greatest-ever rock 'n' roll band", adding "There's no-one to touch 'em!". Praise indeed!
Classic Rock magazine says "Hunter retains form... [and] with the original Hoople line-up at his back he's invincible". Mojo meanwhile is positively gushing, saying "This was the best reunion concert, and arguably one of the best concerts in its own right, ever." Uncut magazine is more measured, saying that Mott The Hoople returned triumphant, adding "By the time [Saturday Gigs] has finished, grown men are clearing their throats, no-one in a hurry to leave, a lot of them hanging on as long as possible to the triumph the night has turned into".
14th November 2009
ConcertLive recorded the band at the Hammersmith Apollo on the 1st October to create an instant CD for fans to take home straight after the show.
This limited edition live CD is the ONLY recording of the Mott The Hoople reunion show. Presented in bespoke artwork, this is an exclusive 3 CD set featuring songs from their classic albums. Concert Live recorded the band's show on the 1st October, and sold this live CD directly at the show and at the following 4 dates the band played at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Visit the Concert Live website for ordering information.
11th October 2009
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