Celebrated British folk icon Roy Harper has announced part two of his final tour this autumn. Performing three very special live dates across September and October at some of the UK’s most prestigious venues, Harper will also be joined by special guest Nick Harper.
Roy Harper is one of the very few surviving singer-songwriters from the counterculture of the 60s who has kept their reputation intact. Of the generation of troubadours who came of age in the London folk clubs of that era, some have passed away, while others have surrendered to the regurgitation of the blandest form of acoustic folk music. But among the survivors, Harper is one figure whose body of work, comprising 23 studio LPs and almost as many live and compilation releases, has come to stand for a particularly single-minded form of integrity.
Now officially ‘retired’, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. The likes of Fleet Foxes and Jim O’Rourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements and tributes from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floyd’s Dave Gilmour and many more.
Excited for the new shows, Harper said: “Six years had gone by. I’d written poems and chopped wood, but I was restless. I needed to be back on a stage. I made a few calls, got the team together again, including my son Nick Harper. Nick and I will be on the road together for three shows this autumn. It’s been far too long since we’ve played together. I’m looking forward to it and to seeing you all again.”
In January 2013 Harper received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award. In September 2013 Roy Harper: Man & Myth – The Documentary, directed by George Scott, was broadcast on Sky Arts and his first album in thirteen years, ‘Man & Myth’, was released on Bella Union followed by three special concerts. The album received rave reviews.
Following his last tour in 2019, Harper will perform at Glastonbury this summer before hitting the road for these final UK live dates. Celebrating all his classic tracks and timeless albums, this is a show not to be missed!
Tickets go on sale Friday 16th May at 9:30am and will be available from www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk
