‘Gonna Be Fine’ features on their latest album ‘Under The Sun’ (9/10 – Classic Rock), a homage to Beirut and exploration of its identity. The Wanton Bishops will be bringing ‘Under The Sun’ on the road throughout Europe over the next month, culminating with a sold out? show at London’s Camden Assembly on 4th February. Tickets are on sale here and dates are: 15 Jan – Haarlem, Patronaat Stage 2 (NL) 16 Jan – Paris, Le Cafe De La Dance (FR) 17 Jan – Diksmuide, 4AD (BE) 18 Jan – Wasquehal, The Black Lab (FR) 19 Jan – Hamburg, Nochtspeicher (DE) 21 Jan – Praha, Cafe V Lese (CZ) 22 Jan – Budapest, Durer Kert (HU) 23 Jan – Vienna, Arena (AT) 25 Jan – Berlin, Privatclub (DE) 27 Jan – Munich, Import Export (DE) 29 Jan – Belfort, La Poudrière (FR) 30 Jan – Villeurbanne, CCO La Rayonne (FR) 31 Jan – Zurich, Papiersaal (CH) 1 Feb – Thun, Mokka (CH) 4 Feb – London, Camden Assembly (UK) Nader speaks on the tour, “The level of excitement for this tour is only equaled by the level of fear! The fear or getting back at it after a long forced hiatus, the fear of whether our “fans” are still out there and if they’ll show up, and the fear of not delivering to our own expectations – it’s exhilarating, to be sure” The Wanton Bishops, though a band by every definition of the word, is primarily the vision of one eclectic man – Nader Mansour. A cultural anomaly, considering the fact that he was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Nader as lead singer is the very epitome of a howling blues man. Following the release of debut album ‘Sleep With The Lights On’, a Delta blues record inspired by the likes of RL Burnside and Muddy Waters, Nader journeyed to America’s deep south to experience the roots of Mississippi blues. The experience spawned a musical epiphany, as he returned home to Lebanon a changed man with a newly inspired musical vision. Nader’s music slowly emerged from the Delta swamps into the Lebanese mountains, and the music of The Wanton Bishops began to reflect Nader’s homeland, his people, and his personal journey. To quote Nader, “I’m finally getting to the core of the music I want to create, and that core is scarily confused, yet uniquely special, much like our own identity as Lebanese people living in Beirut, that eternal cultural crossroad”. This experimentation is initially heard on the band’s EP ‘Nowhere Everywhere’, and has now become fully realised on new album ‘Under The Sun’ out now on Gnu Roam, distributed via Kartel Music Group. UNDER THE SUN |