Gigwise today posted their review of the RAH gig. A lovely review from a website that has always been supporters of Doves.

Check out the review here.

19 years ago today Lost Souls was finally released. Maybe now we can allow ourselves to dream of a twentieth anniversary box set full of demos, live cuts, videos and whatever they can dig out of the vaults?! A reissue of the vinyl is due out soon at least.

ICYMI: I spoke to Andy & band manager Dave Rofe late last year about the Cedar EP. Plenty of talk about the making of Lost Souls. Links:

Andy Interview / Dave Rofe Interview

So after all that, Doves are back! Apologies for the lack of updates. Lots of traveling, family time before returning to the states, but in case you missed what happened..

Unsurprisingly, the band played it safe with the setlist, plenty of fans favorites, of course they couldn’t play them all. Darker got a rare live outing, first time since 04 maybe? The Outsiders was also a surprise choice for some. After 9 years away the band sounded well rehearsed to my ears.

A shorter set at the Royal Albert Hall, due to an 11pm curfew. An even better performance than the night before I thought. Some media reaction…readers beware, those reviews are a bit odd in places!

NME / The Times ****/ The Telegraph ****

Stereogum also celebrates Doves live return, picking their top 10 Doves tunes here. Some interesting choices in there for sure.

Doves next scheduled live performance is on May 26th at Bearded Theory.

Here’s the first review of Doves live return at Warrington Parr Hall last night, includes the setlist.

Expect much more follow up over the coming days! We’re en route to London for the Teenage Cancer Trust gig tonight.

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. When Doves left the stage at the Warehouse Project in October 2010, they vowed it wouldn’t be the last broadcast!

Almost 9 years later the band are preparing to make their live return at the Parr Hall in Warrington, a warm up for tomorrow’s Teenage Cancer Trust show at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

I will do my best to post something post gig either tonight or most likely en route to London! For those of you not wanting to know the setlist, I will post tonight’s gig info behind a spoiler tag.

Whether you’re going tonight, tomorrow or both!

Doves talk through their favourite tracks with the Line of Best Fit. You can read the full article here. Full of interesting wee anecdotes, Nice to see a shout out for the Cocteau Twins, rarely mentioned but I have always linked their sound with Doves.

The Royal Albert Hall just released the set times for the TCT gig. As always these times are approximate and subject to change. Thanks to Reform Doves for the heads up!

7 Days until Doves return to the Royal Albert Hall, London to perform for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Here’s what happened the last time in 2003!

As promised, here is the pre-sale link for the Somerset House July 16th show.

Pete McKee has designed posters for each of the artists playing at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Signed by the band and Pete these are endorsed by the TCT with all proceeds going to the charity. Doves poster will go on sale 10am on Saturday the 30th, day after the event priced at £145 each, only 100 are available. They are only available to buy from Pete’s website.

Of course the Warrington Parr Hall gig sold out in seconds! The first gig back after almost 9 years away was always going to be a bit of a mad scramble for tickets.

The Warrington Guardian reports the gig sold out in 4 minutes! Some folks on social media report tickets were unavailable at 10am! Apologies to those asking, I have no ‘in’ to get tickets. The best thing you can be doing is join the ticket waiting list. But really keep checking the ticket & venue websites on the off chance returns are made available. Don’t give up, best of luck!

A bit of a return for Doves who opened the Kingdom of Rust tour at the same venue back in 2009. Here’s how we reported the show back then! It was a great gig by all accounts with the new stuff blending in well with the ‘classics’. Though the chatter from the night and that tour was the omission of The Cedar Room!

Having heard from those of you traveling from all over… North & South America, South Africa, Dubai, New Zealand, Australia, all over mainland Europe and Stockport…safe travels!