Funeral For A Friend have knocked back their forthcoming UK tour for a second time, with the run now slated to kick off in February.
The post-hardcore outfit first announced the tour in July 2020, with hopes they’d be able to take to stages back in April. As the month approached with no hope for a breakthrough in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the band decided in February to hold off until January 2022. Now, as the Omicron variant spreads across the continent, Funeral For A Friend have once again erred on the side of caution.
“Whilst this news is disappointing,” the band said in statement posted on Facebook, “you can rest assured that we’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure that these shows WILL go ahead when it’s safe and feasible to do so, and we have already confirmed new dates for this run starting at the end of February and into March.
“We appreciate you sticking with us, and would appreciate you sticking with us just a few more weeks as we aim to finally get this tour over the line, and in the safest of circumstances. Thank you, and wishing a wonderful Christmas and holiday season to you and your loved ones.”
The band will now kick things off with two back-to-back shows in Cardiff on Monday February 28 and Tuesday March 1. They’ll head to Manchester next, before rolling through London, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol and Bournemouth. From there, they’ll return to London for one last gig at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire.
New shows for Glasgow and Newcastle are yet to be announced, but according to their statement, fans can expect news on those gigs to land soon. Tickets for the dates yet to sell out (in Leeds and Bournemouth) are on sale now.
The run will mark Funeral For A Friend’s first full-scale tour since their 2019 reunion, when they played a pair of charity shows in Cardiff and a third in London. To celebrate their return, the band will perform material from their first three albums – 2003’s ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’, 2005’s ‘Hours’ and 2007’s ‘Tales Don’t Tell Themselves’.
The band are also due to play next year’s Download Festival in Donington Park, bumping shoulders with the likes of KISS, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro come June.
You can check out Funeral For A Friend’s rescheduled dates below.
FEBRUARY
Monday 28 – Cardiff, Great Uni Hall
MARCH
Tuesday 1 – Cardiff, Great Uni Hall
Wednesday 2 – Manchester, Academy
Friday 4 – London, Electric Brixton
Saturday 5 – London, Electric Brixton
Sunday 6 – Leeds, O2 Academy
Monday 7 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
Friday 11 – Sheffield, O2 Academy
Saturday 12 – Bristol, O2 Academy
Sunday 13 – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
Tuesday 15 – London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire