Keanu Reeves is bringing his "certainly not grunge" band Dogstar to the UK

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90s alt rockers Dogstar - featuring Keanu Reeves on bass - have announced a run of shows in Europe and the UK as part of their reunion

Dogstar
(Image credit: Getty Images/Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for ABA)

Dogstar - the 90s alt rock band featuring Hollywood megastar Keanu Reeves - have announced a UK and European tour for early this summer. The band's UK shows are at Manchester's New Century on June 18 and the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London on June 19. 

The tour will also see Dogstar playing headline shows in Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany and Italy, as well as a number of European festival appearances including Primavera Sound and Rock Am Ring/Rock Im Park.

Formed in 1991 by bassist Keanu Reeves and drummer Robert Mailhouse, Dogstar arrived at a point where alternative rock was fast becoming the dominant cultural force in music. But while Nirvana had helped usher in a changing of the guard in rock, Reeves was keen to point out in a 2023 interview with Variety that Dogstar "were never a grunge band." 

"Dogstar never chased a sound," Reeves explains. "We never chased being like anybody else. And we certainly weren’t grunge, ever."

With singer and lead guitarist Bret Domrose, the band released two albums - 1996's Our Little Visionary and 2000's Happy Ending before quietly splitting after a Japanese tour in 2002. Dogstar announced their reunion in 2022 via an Instagram post and released third album Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees in October 2023. 

Speaking to Variety about the band's reunion, Mailhouse said, "this time around it just seems like a lot more love (for the band). I don’t know whether it’s deserved or not, but I feel that and it’s appreciated."

Tickets for Dogstar's UK tour go on-sale Friday. See the full list of dates in the post below and visit the band's official website for more details. 

Rich Hobson
Rich Hobson

Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token.