Hi and welcome to the latest news where we're going to share some exciting live dates, announce some releases, and introduce some changes to the lineup!
Upcoming Live Dates
First of all, we have a really exciting first live date on Saturday April 5th in Spain! We'll be appearing at the Sixties Weekend Miranda de Ebro festival - this is the first time we've been to Spain since 2013, so it's an exceptional opportunity.
The Ebro club press release says (as translated from Spanish - always more fun to read!):
"Squire needs no introduction, are living history of the revival that emerged in England in the late 70's… We can enjoy them in Miranda downloading all their arsenal of eternal and great hits of all time. A real luxury to have them at #ebroclub25"
We agree with that!
Following that, we'll be at the Mods Mayday 2025 at the 229 Club, London on Sunday 4th May. Yes, here we are again, stalwarts of the event we opened for in 1979 - I think we've played almost every one since!
In fact, looking back through the Squire archive and here we are playing not one, but two 30th Anniversary Mods Maydays in 2009! Headlining both the Birmingham Mods Mayday '09 Sound Bar weekender, and then the 100 Club Mods Mayhem event! That year marked a special milestone for us in more ways than one, as you'll see below.
New Releases
To coincide with the Mods Mayday, Heavy Soul are releasing a second Mods Mayday album on vinyl and CD. Last year, we were included with a special single edit of "Circular Motion" and the Los Angeles mix of "Stop That Girl!"
This year, as a parallel to our recent newsletter trilogy that looked back at the mod lyrics of "It's A Mod Mod World," "Noonday Underground," and "The Life," we are releasing two of these tracks on the new album!
Special Fan Offer
Speaking of "It's A Mod Mod World," we've put together something special for our most dedicated fans. We've been revisiting our gig merch box and found a limited number of our classic white "It's A Mod Mod World" T-shirts that we'd love to get into the hands of true Squire supporters.
For the first 5 fans who respond, we're offering the T-shirt bundled with not one, but two companion CDs - The Sugarplum EP and the Squire Tribute CD for just £15 (normally £50!). It gives you a chance not only to get ready for summer with some Squire apparel, but to enjoy some records you may not have considered for your collection!
This package represents pieces of Squire history that connect perfectly with our upcoming shows. We thought this would be a great way to celebrate our return to the stage and thank those who've supported us through the years. Click the link to reserve yours before they're gone!
Lineup Changes
We're thrilled to announce that joining us on the upcoming Squire dates will be James on bass and Thomas on drums. James had already reappeared on guitar last year for the two 2024 Mods Mayday gigs in London and Cambridge, and the homecoming series of dates in Haslemere.
Of course, my son James first played on stage with Squire at the 2000 Purple Weekender when we shared the bill with The Pretty Things and Telltale Hearts! The lineup with Kevin and James was, for me, the classic and longest-lasting Squire lineup. Indeed, James has played Squire bass for 18 years and counting! - with those 2009 Mods Mayday headlining shows falling perfectly at the midpoint of his tenure! And let's not forget his design for the "Girl On A Train" record sleeve and his regular radio show on Soho Radio - he's a rock and roll star!
Thomas is also a Squire acolyte! Having first played with James in their band Speedkillers, he joined us on drums for the Sugarplum dates in 2008, which included many Squire songs in the live set. You may have seen the videos on YouTube and in previous newsletters.
Thomas brings his knowledge of the songs along with fresh energy! He's been part of the Squire family since before then, as Speedkillers used the Squire backline for gigs, and shared our rehearsal space in Camden. Additionally, Henrik will join us on second guitar for occasional dates. He also played with Speedkillers and Sugarplum, and appeared with Squire on guitar for our dates in Los Angeles in 2013, and in London in 2014 for the Mod Festival at the 229 Club.
You can see us altogether on this Sugarplum Dublin Castle flyer. James, Henrik, Thomas, Anthony & Kevin!
This revised line up allows us to evolve into a faster, more energetic band with the added excitement that a new lineup brings. It gives us a chance to revisit songs that were set aside for the last live dates, and introduce some new material written over the past year or so. We're happy to share with you our revived enthusiasm, energy, inspiration, and creativity!
Farewell to Jon and Ray
These changes came about because, sadly, Jon and Ray decided they couldn't continue with Squire.
Jon's note on his Facebook page explains it best:
"Just wanted to explain to the MILLIONS of people who have asked, no I will NOT be playing bass with Squire at this year's Mods Mayday event on 4th May at the 229 venue in London…Ray is also suffering from old age, and will also NOT be playing with Squire. We would both like to thank everyone who came to see us playing with Anthony over the past 6 years, they were good times and we have many great memories and made a lot of new friends. All good things come to an end, but fear not! Drums And Wires UK are still going strong!"
Jon & Ray stepped in for the 2018 Mods Mayday when Kevin became too ill to play and James had moved on to join Wendy James (of Transvision Vamp!).
Although I didn't expect them to stay with Squire for so long, given their own Drums & Wires project, we made it onto the 2019 Secret Affair tour which was unmissable! We all then endured a 2-year gig hiatus during the COVID pandemic, but followed it up with more Mods Mayday dates, the 2023 Secret Affair tour, and our own 2023 headline dates in Brighton and Blackpool!
Our final performances together were at the recent Mods Mayday and homecoming dates, which fittingly saw James return to the band.
It's obviously sad to see them go - we've had some great times together, but we understand they want to get back to their Drums & Wires project now.
Indeed, the passing of time and saying goodbye to old friends has unfortunately become part of the narrative of the mod revival era.
However, we're excited to take this opportunity to rejuvenate with James on bass and Thomas on drums! See you at the shows - and say hello!
All the best from Squire!