Bebo

15th October @ QMU, Glasgow
16th October @ Academy 2, Manchester
17th October @ University Basement, Newcastle
18th October @ Rock City, Nottingham
19th October @ The Wulfrun, Wolverhampton
20th October @ The Academy, Oxford
22nd October @ Met Uni, Leeds
23rd October @ The Junction, Cambridge
24th October @ University, Plymouth
25th October @ The Lemon Grove, Exeter
26th October @ Anson Rooms, Bristol
27th October @ Solus, Cardiff
28th October @ The Guildhall, Winchester
29th October @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Hello from Austin TX. I have a hangover and a handlebar moustache, which is a winning combination if ever there was one. The US shows are fun. But I'm here to discuss the UK...

As you may already know, Long Live The Queen is coming out as a download single on October 20th, the day before the start of the UK tour. It's going to have a few unreleased B-sides packaged with it as well. A lovely package, I'm sure you'll agree. Now you may also know that proceeds from the single are going to Breast Cancer Campaign. You might also be aware of the fact that recently I've been getting support from people like Jo Whiley and Sara Cox at Radio 1, and MTV2.

All of this together leads us here at FTHQ to an idea. We're basically in the middle of sneaking into the mainstream music world, which is hilarious, and most of it is thanks to you guys doing what you do best: getting organized and pestering people. So it occurred to us that it would be genius to break the Top 40 with this single.

I know that a download-only single of a song on the album already isn't necessarily something everyone's going to rush out and get. But at 79p, it's not a massive ask. If we can get over 4000 people to download the song in the week of release, then we'll have done it. And the best part is, we'll be raising some serious cash for charity in the process. We're going to sort out a pre-order thing for y'all as well. The important thing is that the downloads are all in that week.

So, are you with me?

I'm back from a short holiday in Cornwall, much refreshed, and I'm now going to do something totally fucking insane: I'm actually going to use this blog to impart important information! Loads of it.

Right, we'll begin with news about releases, and we'll start on that with the UK. First of all, there's a three-way split album with me, Jonah Matranga and Chris T-T due for release on Xtra Mile later this year. However, we're having issues with the title. So YOU can decide! Check out this thread http://www.frank-turner.com/forum/vi... and add your contributions. The record will be available exclusively through iTunes at the end of September.

In other news, the song 'Long Live The Queen' is due to be released as a single in the UK on October 20th. It'll be a download, with some exclusive b-sides.. And more importantly, proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Research (for obvious reasons) so even if you already have the song, get downloading!

Finally, there's a rarities compilation due to be released at the end of this year, which will be called 'The First Three Years'. The idea is that I've always been a stickler for not ripping people off by duplicating songs across releases; however, this means that it's getting harder for people to legitimately get all my material. So the CD will have everything that's not on either of the albums. We're jamming as much music on there as physically possible. Good times.

Now to the USA. The dates I have with Chuck Ragan have long been up, and the shows with Fake Problems are slowly being announced - keep checking the gigs page or the myspace for details. The big news is that Love Ire & Song will be properly released on October 2nd in the USA and Canada through the good people at Arbor Records. At last, you yanks will be able to get it without paying import prices. It has a couple of bonus tracks on too. How can you resist?

Odds and sods.. The UK October Tour is selling well, so if you're planning on coming I'd get a ticket sooner rather than later. The Reading Warmup show at New Slang in Kingston on 21st August is going to be boss, not just because I am going to publicly piss on Cahir from Fighting With Wire, but also because the first 100 people through the door will get an ultra-limited, ultra-collectible split 7" featuring me and FWW. Madness!

Video Schmideo... There's a nice film about the excellent 2000 Trees Festival which you can watch here http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JVOHOQ..., and a mammoth interview I did in Reading which starts here http://uk.youtube.com/view_play_list... and goes on forever. And finally, here's a little video for 'I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous'... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcQ2X...