Ian Anderson “Thick As A Brick”

40th Anniversary Tour Update

And “Thick As A Brick 2”

Ian Anderson will hit the road in April 2012 for a 19 date UK tour commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Jethro Tull’s 1972 Billboard No. 1 ‘Thick As A Brick’; it can now be revealed that, to coincide with the release of the groundbreaking album sequel ‘Thick As A Brick 2’ on 2nd April, there will be a second part to the show where Anderson and the band will also perform the new material.

‘Thick as a Brick’ was a concept album based on a poem written by a fictitious 10 year old boy Gerald Bostock – in reality Anderson himself, who wrote both music and lyrics. The anniversary “part two” album will examine the possible different paths that the precocious young schoolboy might have taken later in life through alter-ego characters with song-section identities illustrating the hugely varied potential twists and turns of fate and opportunity.

The band’s chart-topping record will be played in its entirety – as initially recorded – for the first time since its original tour in 1972. The original only featured one seamless 45 minutes long track, although it was split to accommodate the album on vinyl and cassette. It reached number 5 in the UK charts.

‘Thick As A Brick – Whatever happened to Gerald Bostock’ promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience, rediscovering a timeless milestone of progressive rock. The performances will also incorporate video projection and other theatrical elements. Ian Anderson performs some of his finest work with the added maturity and skill acquired across a 44 year-long career.

Anderson says: “I really look forward to this opportunity to bring the wee Gerald Bostock into the new millennium and to explore the ups and downs of his possible life journey.”

Widely recognised as the man who introduced the flute to rock music, Ian also plays ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin family of instruments, providing the acoustic textures which have been an integral part of most of the Tull repertoire and his solo material. In recent years, he has toured more and more under his own name in solo concerts with orchestras, string quartets, featured soloists and in his other eclectic acoustic shows.

During the ‘Thick As a Brick’ tour Anderson will be joined by John O’Hara on keyboards, David Goodier on bass, Florian Opahle on guitar and Scott Hammond on drums as well as a guest performer.

Full details are:

APRIL 14th Perth Concert Hall 15th Glasgow Theatre Royal 17th Newcastle City Hall 18th Liverpool Philharmonic 19th Sheffield City Hall 20th Blackburn St George’s Hall 21st Harrogate Royal Hall 22nd Manchester Opera House 24th Derby Assembly Rooms 25th Ipswich Regent Theatre 27th London Hammersmith Apollo 28th Bristol Colston Hall 29th High Wycombe The Swan Theatre 30th Birmingham Symphony Hall MAY 2nd Oxford Apollo 3rd Reading Hexagon 4th Guildford G Live 5th Cardiff St David’s Hall 6th Southampton Guildhall

Doors open at 7.30pm except for Southampton – 7pm. Tickets are onsale from www.gigantic.com and are subject to booking fee.