New York-based art-punk-party-rockers Mindless Self Indulgence are a full-force electronic juggernaut of scream-along songs, big ideas and Day-Glo beatz. The Kerrang! 2009 headliners have been pestering the planet for over a decade now, thanks to the warp-speed creative energy of maniac frontdude Jimmy Urine and his cohorts in crime; Steve, Righ? (guitar), Kitty (drums) and the infamous back-bending Lyn-Z (bass). “We feel good!” Jimmy tells K!. “Kerrang! and Mindless Self Indulgence are together again, like Smokey and the Bandit, like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers! We really like that this year’s tour is such an eclectic bill. I like it when there’s a lot going on and people try to mix it up, that’s my favourite thing.” Love 'em or hate 'em, without a doubt Jimmy and co will deliver a serious poptastic gut-punch all across the country. “We’re coming for the food!” the singer laughs. “Oh man, I want me some bangers and mash and little marmite sandwich! I dunno why Kerrang! have entrusted us with running the ship!” he smiles. “The lunatics have taken over the asylum!”
The Bands
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Never ones to shy away from controversy or the limelight, Sheffield's noisiest mosh-masters Bring Me The Horizon are out to show you exactly why they are one of the UK’s most fast-rising and internationally-adored propositions. With second full-length album Suicide Season now in stores, the group will use these K! gigs as a chance to showcase their new direction – full-on industrial-strength, northern metal and devastating ferocity. This time around, the deathcore five-piece are older, heavier and armed to the hilt with cranium-splitting tunes. “We are psyched to play this tour,” vocalist Oli tells Kerrang!. “We’re going to bring a bit of metal to the shows. It’ll be fun to see how kids react and how we go down with our new material. Hopefully some kids will dig it, and maybe we’ll even win over some new fans!” If you're looking for trouble, you came to the right tour. Just don't forget that hard hat! “The Kerrang! Tour always has great bands on it,” drummer Matt chips in. “We really can’t wait!”
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Japanese rock quintet Dir en grey are the latest addition to the Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour 2009 package. The 5K-rated live band are super stars the world over, with their theatrical, emotional and powerful performances setting pulses racing across the planet. The band’s visit to the UK last year was a great success, and the group cannot wait to the return to these shores for the K! Tour outing. “The headline shows provided us with very valuable experiences and we are ecstatic about playing in the UK again,” bassist Toshiya tells Kerrang!. “The thing I remember most about the tour was the excited screams of everyone who came out to see us live, it really left a deep impression. We really felt welcomed. We are looking forward to meeting everyone who has supported us thus far and also everyone who may learn about us by coming to shows on the Kerrang! Tour!” The band’s latest album, Uroboros (their seventh studio record to date!) reached Number One on the impressive Billboard Heatseekers chart and has propelled the band onto stages across the globe. With a sassy sense of style, an attitude that screams “just you fucking dare!” and tunes that get feet tapping, bums shaking and heads banging, Dir en grey are the cherry on the cake of the most exciting tour of 2009!
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Young, fun and full of… riifs, Floridian metal misbehaviours Black Tide are ready to hit the UK and give us all a nice fat dose of old school thrash. The band may all be under 20-years old, but they’ve been going strong since 2003, and have honed their craft to perfection. Winners of this year’s Kerrang! Award for Best International Newcomer – and also contributing a cover of Iron Maiden’s Prowler to Kerrang!'s Maiden Heaven project earlier this summer - these lads are firm favourites in the UK and have fans baying at their (bus) doors for more. "We are super excited to be coming back to the UK to do the Kerrang! Tour,” says bassist Zakk. “England is always so good to us and our fans there are amazing. After playing Reading and Leeds and the amazing experience at the Kerrang! Awards, we can’t wait to come back and play!" January 2009 will see these naughty newbies come of age – head out to the Kerrang! Tour 2009 and see these Americans thrash 'em all!
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Northern Irish trio In Case Of Fire are the brains to the brawn of the 2009 Tour. With fistfuls of stadium-sized prog-rock 'n' roll revelations, the awe-inspiring three-piece are primed and ready to blow you away. Pitched somewhere between Muse and an atomic explosion, their magnificent self-released debut album will be out February 2009, so get a taster on the K! Tour first! “We are honoured to be playing the tour,” says drummer Colin. “It’s going to be a great way to lead up to the release of Align The Planets, and will be a great way to start the year. Obviously being the opening band, it’ll be a challenge to win the crowd over but we relish that and it’s up to us to prove to them that we've merited our place on the tour and that they'll all remember us by the time we finish. We'll be bringing something a bit different to the table, but you'll have to wait until January to see what!” In the meantime, check out the band’s new single This Time We Stand – and the accompanying video on www.kerrang.com - and get ready to sing along!
