Canadian progressive polymath Devin Townsend has never been one to waste time (his various bands and projects have released more than 23 albums in under 30 years), so it should come as no surprise that the first European tour dates in support of his forthcoming Empath album (out March 23) have already been announced.
We know very little about Empath at this time of writing, although we do know Devin Townsend well enough to expect great things. In a lengthy Facebook post, in which he first announced the tour, the always very expressive Devin hints at a more free-form musical approach for Empath:
‘I am going to stretch my wings in ways I have not had the opportunity to do before and tour with a “backing band” that can shift and morph as the music dictates instead of adhering to a click track. ‘Empath Europe Volume 1′ will be the first example of this, and the first tour will be in Europe (other territories to follow).
I have spent considerable effort think about the things I wanted to do for these shows, and one thing I came out of (Devin Townsend Project) with was the awareness that I wanted to incorporate a more improvisational element to what I do. With the best players I can find, my plan is to interpret my back catalogue, as well as the Empath material, in ways that may change nightly. Less computers, and less of a rigid structure. I want to use Volume 1 as a way to bring my music to people in a potentially new way. People playing music…’
The identities of his current ‘backing band’ members are not yet known.
The ‘Empath Volume 1’ European tour covers 22 dates in 15 countries in just under a month’s time. Find the dates below:
15.11. – Salle Pleyel, Paris, France
16.11. – Trix, Antwerp, Belgium
17.11. – 013, Tilburg, Netherlands
18.11. – Gruenspan, Hamburg, Germany
20.11. – Logomo, Turku, Finland
21.11. – Cirkus, Helsinki, Finland
23.11. – Münchenbryggeriet, Stockholm, Sweden
24.11. – Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Norway
25.11. – Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark
27.11. – Astra, Berlin, Germany
28.11. – Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic
29.11. – A2, Wroclaw, Poland
30.11. – Barba Negra, Budapest, Hungary
02.12. – Simm City, Vienna, Austria
03.12. – X Tra, Zurich, Switzerland
05.12. – Great Hall, Cardiff, UK
06.12. – Academy, Dublin, Ireland
07.12. – Limelight, Belfast, UK
09.12. – SWG3 Galvanisers, Glasgow, UK
10.12. – Albert Hall, Manchester, UK
12.12. – Roundhouse, London, UK
13.12. – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 1, 2019 at 10am local in each city. Consult local listings or Devin Townsend’s website for more information.
