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MELODY MAKER
11 December 1976
JETHRO TO TOUR
Jethro Tull return to the British concert stage early next year, playing their first tour in over two years. And the band's new album, Songs From The Wood, will be in the shops at the start of the tour.
Ian Anderson, Tull's leader, told the Melody Maker this week:
"We've not been able to do a major British tour so we're concentrating on the sort of halls which any group of our level should be proud to play.
"If there's one country in the world where you have to play for the troops, it's Britain — it's no good doing London, Manchester and Birmingham and expecting thousands of fans to travel.
"All those giant shows as status symbols are a thing of the past. There should be no need for anyone to prove they're bigger than Elton John or Led Zeppelin any more. We're growing up!"
The tour starts at ABERDEEN Capitol on February 1 and continues at GLASGOW Apollo (2), NEWCASTLE City Hall (3), MANCHESTER ABC Ardwick (5), BIRMINGHAM Odeon (6), LIVERPOOL Empire (7), SOUTHAMPTON Gaumont (9), LONDON Hammersmith Odeon (11, 12) and BRISTOL Colston Hall (14).
Tickets are available from the end of this week. Provincial prices are £2.80, £2.20 and £1.75 while tickets for the London shows cost £3, £2.50 and £2.
In addition to the stage shows, Tull also appear on BBC 2's In Concert on February 19.
The new album is released February 4. Commented Anderson:
"The songs are related to my environment. I'm not a gentleman farmer, exactly, but I do lead a fairly rustic life among the foxes and badgers and pheasants.
"I also want to dispel the post-hippie syndrome which says everything's groovy and psychedelic about the countryside. In fact, it's a very cruel place, and I've been studying the ecology of country life.
"The songs are a result of this — you can call it funky British rock music, not rock 'n' roll. I suppose I'm the first medieval punk."
Note: the actual quote was possibly "folky British rock music", above; not 'funky'.
Thanks to Mike Wain for this article