Ian Anderson says he’ll showcase five new tracks on his Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera shows later this year.
He previously reported the theatrical presentation would feature Tull classics including Heavy Horses, Farm On The Freeway, A New Day Yesterday, The Witch’s Promise and Locomotive Breath. And he says while the vast majority of material will be recognisable to fans, there will be a few surprises.
He tells My Global Mind: “There are five new songs as such, short songs, but about 85% of the evening is the best-known Jethro Tull repertoire, whatever, that means.
“It includes many of the heavy hitters, those which people would generally agree were the most famous songs they would expect to hear in a best of Jethro Tull show.”
He says he’s attended several operas over the years and often finds them “hopelessly confusing” so he’s made a concerted effort to make the experience easy to follow for audiences.
He continues: “I’ve been to a few and I haven’t got a clue what’s going on unless I read the programme notes.
“Trying to read the programme notes and trying to relate those to what I’m seeing on stage is sometimes not that easy, so I’m trying to do this in a way that makes reasonable sense to people and they can follow what I’m doing with the classic Jethro Tull repertoire.”
Along with the rock opera dates which start in September, Anderson will perform a run of ‘Best Of Jethro Tull’ sets this summer, including an appearance at the TeamRock-sponsored Ramblin’ Man Fair at Mote Park, Kent on July 26.
Ian Anderson ‘Best Of Jethro Tull’ tour dates
Jun 14: Isle Of Wight Festival, UK
Jun 27: Kloften Festival, Denmark
Jul 18: Roots Festivalen, Norway
Jul 23: Winterback Festival, Germany
Jul 24: Ansbach Castle, Germany
July 26: Ramblin’ Man Fair, UK
Aug 28: Summerdays Festival, Switzerland
Aug 30: Bochum Zeltfestival Ruhr, Germany
Jethro Tull – The Rock Opera 2015 tour dates
Sep 18: The Anvil, Baningstoke, UK
Sep 10: O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, UK
Sep 11: Symphony Hall, Birmingham, UK
Sep 12: Barbican, York, UK
Sep 13: Sage Theatre, Gateshead, UK
Sep 14: Lowry Lyric Theatre, Salford, UK
Sep 18: Crocus City Hall, Moscow, Russia
Sep 19: DK Lensoveta, St Petersburg, Russia
Oct 24: Roundhouse, London, UK
Nov 01: Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, USA
Nov 03: Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI, USA
Nov 05: Citi Performing Arts Centre, Boston, MA, USA
Nov 06: Kings Theatre, Brookyln, NY, USA
Nov 07: Academy Of Music, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Nov 08: Grand Theatre, Mashantucket, CT, USA
Nov 10: Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, USA
Nov 11: Prudential Hall, Newark, NJ, USA
Nov 20: Barts, Barcelona, Spain
Nov 21: Victo Villegas, Murcia, Spain
Nov 23: Nuevo Apolo, Madrid, Spain
