Reaching the age of 40 is never a welcome occasion for anyone. Unlike most birthdays, this one seems to represent something much less joyous and exhilarating and far gloomier with just a tiny bit of dread. While most people prefer to greet the big 4-0 with a brave and somewhat obligatory grin, the truth is that the four-decade mark is a day that many would prefer to skip. Sorry to go all depressing, but try and picture this from a different perspective. As much as most people despise turning 40 with every ounce of their being, try to imagine how much worse this milestone must be for a highly-respected rock singer. You’ve been cheerfully going along, releasing killer albums and touring for the best part of 15 to 20 years, knee-deep in sex, drugs and rock’n’roll the whole way. Then suddenly… bang! You’re 40. What now? Must it all stop? The touring? The lifestyle? The music? More importantly, are the kids going to take you seriously as a musician anymore? Or are you destined to be forever smirked at for any sorry attempt at showmanship?
That’s a lot of questions all in one go, isn’t it? To answer them, let’s consider the case of Gruff Rhys. Yes, that’s right – the Super Furry Animals frontman, who last year turned… how old? Yes, you’ve guessed it – 40. Sad but true. However, did he let it get him down? Did he throw in the towel and hang up his guitar for good? No, of course he didn’t. Look – it’s just a hairdryer in that photo.
After more than 15 years and nine albums with the Super Furries – a band that, incidentally, remain far from over - as well as a number of other notable collaborations here and there, Rhys opted to return to his solo work. This lone side project, after all, had already seen him release two well-received records – his 2005 debut, the Welsh language album ‘Yr Atal Genhedlaeth’, and 2007’s ‘Candylion’. For his newest offering, which came out earlier this year, Rhys christened his third solo album ‘Hotel Shampoo’ – a reference to his habit of collecting complimentary toiletries from hotels while on tour with the band. This week, Rhys has announced his latest solo tour in support of ‘Hotel Shampoo’, which will take place in October and includes a date at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Wednesday 12th.
After spending several years in the band Ffa Coffi Pawb (Welsh for ‘Everyone’s coffee beans’), Rhys and drummer Dafydd Ieuan joined Super Furry Animals in the early ‘90s. The band were discovered in 1995 by Creation Records’ Alan McGee, who signed them shortly after, and they released their debut album ‘Fuzzy Logic’ the following year. Super Furry Animals remained with Creation Records for their following two albums, 1997’s ‘Radiator’ and 1999’s ‘Guerilla’, before the label’s dissolution. They have since been signed to Epic and, most recently, Rough Trade. Although the Super Furries have always been somewhat underrated during their career to date, their music has always been highly-regarded by critics and their albums have all received a consistently strong following. In addition to his solo project and his work with the band, Rhys also released the Mercury-nominated album ‘Stainless Style’ in 2008 as part of the duo Neon Neon.
Gruff Rhys UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri July 22nd 2011 - Hill Farm, Steventon
Sun July 24th 2011 - Hill Farm, Steventon, Oxfordshire
Sat August 6th 2011 - Victoria Park London, London
Sun October 2nd 2011 - Venue Cymru, Llandudno
Wed October 5th 2011 - St David's Hall, Cardiff
Thu October 6th 2011 - The Irish Centre, Leeds
Fri October 7th 2011 - CENTRAL METHODIST HALL, MANCHESTER
Sat October 8th 2011 - Bongo Club, Edinburgh
Sun October 9th 2011 - Middlesbrough Town Hall, Middlesbrough
Tue October 11th 2011 - Concert Hall, Reading, Reading
Wed October 12th 2011 - O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London
Thu October 13th 2011 - St Mary The Virgin, Ashford, Kent
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