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Babes in Toyland UK tour starts next weekend! PINS added to London show. New mix ft Tom Morello, John Peel sessions & more‏

May 15, 2015
Image from The Roxy, Feb 2015. Photo credit: Debi Del Grande.

Image from The Roxy, Feb 2015. Photo credit: Debi Del Grande.

BABES IN TOYLAND
– UK TOUR STARTS NEXT WEEKEND
– PINS ADDED TO LONDON SHOW ON MAY 26TH
– NEW YOUTUBE MIX ONLINE

After a come-back LA show in February, Babes in Toyland are getting ready to play their first UK tour for the best part of two decades, kicking off next Sunday in Bristol.

The band previously announced that teen grunge duo Skating Polly will be joining them for the full tour, and this week they have confirmed that PINS have been added to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire show on May 26th.

To whet your appetite, we’ve put together a playlist of Babes in Toyland web highlights, featuring Tom Morello, John Peel, Reading Festival & much more.

“Second time’s the charm,” said drummer Lori Barbero.

“It was brought to my attention that not only do we have a lot of diehard fans from back in the day, but also a whole new generation of kids–my son Henry included– that were eager to see us live,” explained singer/guitar player Kat Bjelland in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine. “I felt some kind of obligation for them to see us, too. But mainly, I just missed my girls and the feeling that comes from playing with them–visceral live therapy.”

“The first time we played together again,” added bass player Maureen Herman“we weren’t sure what it would be like. After knocking the hell out of ‘He’s My Thing’ on the first try, we knew this was going to be fun–and it was going to rock like a motherf***er.”

The Minneapolis-born band came to prominence in the late ‘80s with a raw live show that captured a musical and cultural moment; angry, talented and unfettered by societal norms, there were no costumes, no matching outfits and no harmonies. Babes in Toyland were as punk as their contemporaries, male or female, and made history along the way. Releasing three full-length albums and a number of singles and EPs, the trio influenced a legion of musicians including Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill and Jack-off Jill.

They were the first of their female contemporaries to sign to a major label (Fontanelle, the band’s second release, arrived in 1992 via Reprise Records) and as a by-product of their individualism, Kat kick-started the return of baby doll dresses and plastic barrettes. Babes in Toyland graced the covers of Alternative Press, NME and the aforementioned Entertainment Weekly. They played the Reading Festival three times (1991,1993 and 1995), Lollapalooza once (1993) and have been featured in numerous documentaries including 1991: The Year Punk Broke and Not Bad for a Girl. Herman left the band in 1997; Barbero and Bjelland played the final Babes in Toyland show in 2001.

Babes in Toyland forthcoming shows:

May
24 Bristol Trinity Centre (http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/babes-in-toyland-tickets)
25 Southampton Engine Rooms (https://www.gigantic.com/)
26 London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/babes-in-toyland-tickets)
27 Manchester Gorilla (http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/babes-in-toyland-tickets)
28 Glasgow Oran Mor (http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/event/161625 )
29 Barcelona, Spain Primavera Sound Festival (http://www.primaverasound.es/)
June
Ravenna, Italy Beaches Brew festival (http://www.beachesbrew.com/)
4 Milan, Italy Lo Fi Club
6 Porto, Portugal Primavera Sound Festival (http://www.optimusprimaverasound.com/)

Links:
Babes in Toyland on Facebook

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