​The The Announce First Shows in 16 Years, Detail 'Radio Cineola Trilogy' Box Set

A documentary about the band called 'The Inertia Variations' also premieres next month

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Sep 11, 2017

The The have revealed plans for their first live performances in 16 years.
 
The Matt Johnson-led post-punk project hasn't performed live since 2001, but that will change next year, with European dates confirmed for Denmark's Heartland Festival on June 1, followed by a show at London's Royal Albert Hall on June 5.
 
In addition to the unexpected live shows, a new box set dubbed Radio Cineola: Trilogy is also on the way. The End of the Day compiles songs, interpretations and performances; The Inertia Variations features poetry, soundscapes and spoken word; and Midnight to Midnight highlights electronic scores, political commentaries and broadcasts.

The elaborate list of guest contributors includes JG Thirwell, Thomas Leer, Johnny Marr, James Eller, Meja, Anna Domino, Zeke Manyika, Colin Lloyd Tucker, John Tottenham, Thomas Feiner, Liz Horsman, Charlotte Etc. Tom Bright, Gillian Glover, Willis, Johanna St Michaels, Jacob Sahlqvist, Kate Wilkins, Gerald Jenkins, William Engdahl, Neil Clark, David Edwards / Media Lens, Marian St Laurent, Lucinda Rogers, Neil Sanders, Abdi Assadi, Zoe, Hepden, Eric Schermerhorn, Megan Drew, Polly Maberly, Niall Greig Fulton and others.

See the complete whopping tracklist here.

The box set is due out on October 20 via Johnson's own Cineola imprint. Pre-orders will be available here as of October 6.
 
Earlier this year, the Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr reunited with Johnson's band (as well as former collaborators Manyika and Eller) to release a brand new Record Store Day single titled "We Can't Stop What's Coming." The track also appears in an upcoming documentary about the group, called The Inertia Variations. It is slated to premiere in London next month, and additional screenings in London, Manchester, Bristol and Sheffield have just been announced. Find full details here.
 
The The's last studio album arrived in 2000 as NakedSelf, though in recent years, Johnson has released soundtracks under the same moniker for films like Tony (2010), Moonbug (2012) and Hyena (2015). He's previously hinted that a new album is in the works, though official details remain scarce.

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