Doves announce first live dates since 2019, with three intimate dates minus Jimi Goodwin

8 November 2024, 10:00 | Updated: 13 November 2024, 10:34

Andy and Jez Williams will take the lead for Doves at newly announced shows in Stoke, Birkenhead and Hebden Bridge.

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DOVES have announced their first live shows since 2019.

The Manchester band will return to the stage in 2024- with gigs that will take place without frontman Jimi Goodwin.

The three-piece cancelled a nationwide UK Tour in late 2021 in order to protect singer, Goodwin’s health and wellbeing.

Now, the Black and White Town outfit will play dates without Goodwin this month at the Sugarmill in Stoke, at Birkenhead's Future Yard and at Hebden Bridge Trades Club on 27th, 28th and 29th November respectively.

Andy and Jez Williams will perform on each of the upcoming tour dates with an expanded live band, which will include longstanding friend, Nathan Sudders on bass, who has performed with Elbow, Nadina Shah and King Creosote and multi-instrumentalist, Jake Evans, who was a touring member of Jimi Goodwin’s own band and joined Bernard Sumner as a member of Bad Lieutenant. Long-standing touring keyboard player, Martin Rebelski, will continue on with the band.

Tickets for the intimate dates go on general sale via www.dovesofficial.com on Tuesday 12 November 2024 at 9.30am.

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Speaking about the announcement, the band said in a statement: "We were beyond heartbroken to have missed out on touring our last record ‘The Universal Want’ one that we are still really proud of, but Jimi’s health came first. Jimi is irreplaceable but, with his blessing, we’re going to be able to play the songs from ‘The Universal Want’,‘Constellations For The Lonely’ and others on stage. As you know, vocal duties are shared on all our albums and we, Jez and Andy, will be taking on this role on the upcoming live dates.

"Recording is one thing but, we are compelled to play live, we always were, and not being able to do so has affected us all, personally, in ways we couldn’t have imagined. We’ll have some extremely talented friends with us to make the shows go off as Doves shows always did. It’s exciting to be starting off in really intimate venues, going back to our roots.”

“It’s wild to think of a Doves show I might be watching instead of hitting the stage for,” Goodwin continued, “but life just hasn’t led us all to the same place. I am doing so much better, taking looking after myself seriously and making music every day, but for now I just can’t commit to a lengthy tour. I need to work and trust in the process of my recovery. I am fully committed to it and right now it’s not compatible with a mad, city-to-city schedule.“

‘Constellations For The Lonely’ is an album we’re all immensely proud of and we feel we’ve pulled it out of the hat again. It’s gonna sound insane when it gets let off the leash. All my love and respect to Andy, Jez, Rebelski and the new boys for taking it to you, our people. Please give them all your support and enjoy the shows!”

See Doves' November 2024 dates below:

Wednesday 27th November – Stoke, Sugarmill
Thursday 28th November – Birkenhead, Future Yard
Friday 29th November – Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge Trades Club

The news of live dates comes after the band announced the details of their sixth studio album, Constellations For The Lonely, which is released on Friday 14th February 2025.

From the record comes its first single, Renegade, which marked the first new music from the band in over four years.

Watch the visuals for the majestic new single below:

Doves - Renegade

The band's drummer, vocalist and co-songwriter, Andy Williams says of the track: “Looking at everyone’s lives over recent years, and considering the news at the moment, Renegade feels a lot more loaded in retrospect. We wanted to go for a dystopian feel, thinking about Manchester itself over the next century or so. A totally imaginary thing… ‘Blade Runner’ set in our home city.”

Doves' Constellations For The Lonely album artwork. Picture: Press

Constellations For The Lonely follows 2000's Lost Souls, The Last Broadcast (2002), Some Cities (2005), Kingdom of Rust (2009) and The Universal Want (2020).

The album was written, recorded and produced by Doves between locations in Greater Manchester, North Wales and Cheshire with additional production from long-term collaborator, Dan Austin.

Released on multiple formats, including standard and special edition vinyl, CD, cassette and digital, the record is set for release on 14th February 2025.

Pre-order Dove's forthcoming album here.