The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. performing solo in NYC, 2014 (Photo: Paul Bachmann for Live4ever)
The Strokes have announced they will return to the UK for a gig in London as part of this year’s British Summer Time festival.
The band teased the news on Facebook yesterday with an aerial photograph of London and a message which told fans to look out for ‘imminent news’ and to ‘check your inbox 9am GMT tomorrow’, and have now confirmed they’ll play Hyde Park on June 18th, joined by Beck, Temples, Future Islands and Public Service Broadcasting among others.
The UK, like most places, has been starved of live Strokes activity despite the release of new studio albums in 2011 and 2013. They did play the occasional US date last year and have some other European festival commitments for the summer, but this will be one of their first visits to Britain since the 2011 Reading/Leeds Festival – when Live4ever was in attendance.
“Always a more dynamic band on stage than on record, especially when Nick Valensi furiously explores the limits of his fret board when unleashed on lead duties, the New Yorkers continue to breath new energy into ‘The Modern Age’, ‘Last Nite’ and ‘New York City Cops’, giving them a vibrant feel which belies age and familiarity,” our review reads.
“The four bandmates stand close, tightening the scope of a vast festival stage, which zones the focus to a point and gives the sense of an intimate display which works superbly.”