Photo: Press
Dutch Uncles are to launch their fifth album ‘Big Balloon’ with a go-kart race against their fans around a track beneath Manchester Arena.
Fans with the best lap time at the race day, set for 2pm on Sunday February 19, will win signed vinyl, t-shirts and tickets to the band’s tour in March.
The new album will be played over the 550-metre, multi-level TeamSports track as entrants race around at up to 40mph. The event follows similarly outlandish launch stunts for previous Dutch Uncles albums, including chefs at Manchester’s Almost Famous restaurant creating a special burger in honour of 2013’s ‘Out Of Touch In The Wild’ and a half-time penalty shoot-out during a non-league football match sponsored by the band to launch 2015’s ‘O Shudder’.
‘Big Balloon’, a record inspired by Kate Bush’s ‘The Red Shoes’ and European techno, is released on February 17. The Dutch Uncles play the following tour dates:
18 February – Manchester, Piccadilly Record (instore / outstore) @ Old Granada Studios
20 February – Nottingham, Rough Trade (instore)
21 February – London Rough Trade East (instore)
22 February - Bristol, Rise (instore)
01 March - Edinburgh, Electric Circus
02 March - Newcastle, The Cluny
03 March - Leeds, The Wardrobe
04 March - Nottingham, Bodega
06 March - Birmingham, Hare and Hounds
07 March - Sheffield, The Plug
08 March - Oxford, O2 Academy2
09 March - Bristol, Fleece
11 March - Brighton, The Haunt
12 March - Southampton, Talking Heads
13 March - London, Village Underground
15 March - Manchester, Dancehouse Theatre
