Following a #3 chart position for their critically acclaimed new album ‘What Went Down’ which commanded a Top 20 chart position for four weeks, Foals can now confirm details of their first UK and Ireland arena tour. The dates – scheduled as below – includes the band’s biggest headline show to date at The SSE Arena, Wembley:
February
Wednesday 10th – Dublin, 3Arena
Friday 12th – Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
Saturday 13th – Manchester, Arena
Tuesday 16th – London, The SSE Arena, Wembley
Friday 19th – Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena
Saturday 20th – Leeds, First Direct Arena
Tickets go on general sale from Friday October 9th. Everything Everything have been confirmed as main support on the tour.
Foals’ thrillingly visceral return with the single also titled ‘What Went Down’ earned a flurry of Radio 1 support (Hottest Record in the World, Tune of the Week and Track of the Day) as it accelerated past 2.4 million views at YouTube.
That sense of Foals ascending to new creative peaks was intensified with the reaction that greeted the follow-up single ‘Mountain At My Gates’ and its ground-breaking GoPro interactive video which was directed by Nabil, as well as with ‘A Knife In The Ocean’ which received a World Record premiere on Beats 1 courtesy of Zane Lowe.
Foals launched the album with a rammed intimate show at The Village Underground before stealing the show at with surprise sets at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. NME picked Foals’ set at Reading as the highlight of the weekend and stated: “Filling the tent to bursting, Yannis and co delivered a flawless set of hit after hit after hit to a crowd of rabid fans, culminating in the destructive, crowd-surfing blitzkrieg of 'What Went Down'. Not only was it the best gig of Reading 2015, it felt like a preview of what could very, very likely turn out to headline Reading 2016.”
The confirmation of Foals’ arena tour followed the recent announcement of a ten-date November club tour which is now almost sold-out. The club shows include the opening night of Rockfeedback and Moshi Moshi’s unique new ‘By The Sea’ event which will be held at Dreamland Margate on November 14th.
‘What Went Down’ is Foals’ fourth album after ‘Antidotes’ (2007, #3), ‘Total Life Forever’ (2010, #8) and ‘Holy Fire’ (2013, #2). After an almost unprecedented double-bill of shows in a day at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall, the summer of 2013 saw Foals present a teaser of their future as they headlined their first major festivals at Bestival, Latitude and Parklife with the biggest and most reactive crowds of the weekend. Next summer’s festival circuit, it seems, will see Foals ascend to new heights.
By the close of the year, the band’s critical reception had also continued to soar with a plethora of major honours including Best Live Act at the Q Awards, Best Single for ‘Inhaler’ at the NME Awards and Best Live Act at The Sun Bizarre Awards. As with ‘Total Life Forever’, ‘Holy Fire’ again earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination.
“An enormous, seriously impressionistic contemporary rock album imbued with spectacular splashes of gothic darkness” – Q
“"They refine their distinctive sound and conjure melancholy with accomplished, vast electronic textures. What Went Down is their most fully realised yet” - 8/10, Uncut
“Foals are very firmly on the good foot” 4* Mojo
“Has the potential to be the one [album] that makes Foals truly massive” – NME
“There’s no ignoring the fact that Foals are back” – Evening Standard
“Who’s going to dominate next year’s festivals? Foals – and this heavy-duty new album is why” - GQ
"Pushes the envelope - Foals are at their peak" - 5*, Shortlist