Sufjan Stevens announces European tour

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/apr/20/sufjan-stevens-announces-european-tour

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Sufjan Stevens will perform his first UK shows in four years, as part of a European tour in August and September.

Related: Sufjan Stevens talks to Dave Eggers: ‘I was recording songs as a means of grieving’

This series of dates will be the first opportunity fans have had to hear the intimate songs from his latest album, Carrie & Lowell, performed live. Prompted by the death of Stevens’ mother, Carrie, in 2012, the album is a return to the artist’s delicate, confessional folk music.

“I was recording songs as a means of grieving, making sense of it,” he told David Eggers in an interview for the Guardian. “But the writing and recording wasn’t the salve I expected. I fell deeper and deeper into doubt and misery. It was a year of real darkness. In the past, my work had a real reciprocity of resources – I would put something in and get something from it. But not this time.”

Stevens performs two shows at Dublin’s Helix and the Royal Festival Hall in London, as well dates in Edinburgh, Manchester, Brighton and Bristol. His only UK festival appearance this year will be at End of the Road in Salisbury. He then heads out for further dates around Europe, finishing in Madrid on 30 September. Tickets for all dates go on sale on the morning of 23 April via carrieandlowell.com/tour.

Sufjan Stevens’ full tour dates

28 August: Dublin, Helix 29 August: Dublin, Helix 30 August: Edinburgh, Playhouse 31 August: Manchester, Apollo 2 September: London, Royal Festival Hall 3 September: London, Royal Festival Hall 4 September: Brighton, Dome 5 September: Salisbury, End of the Road festival 6 September: Bristol, Colston Hall8 September: Paris, Grand Rex 10 September: Brussels, Bozar12 September: Oslo, Spektrum 13 September: Stockholm, Gota Lejon 14 September: Copenhagen, Falconer 15 September: Hamburg, Mehr Theatre 16 September: Berlin, Admiralpalast 17 September: Berlin, Admiralpalast 19 September: Essen, Colosseum20 September: Geneva, Theatre Du Leman 21 September: Milan, Teatro Della Luna 23 September: Amsterdam, Royal Theatre Carre 24 September: Amsterdam, Royal Theatre Carre 26 September: Luxembourg, Grand Theatre 27 September: Lyon, Le Radiant29 September: Barcelona, El Forum 30 September: Madrid, Teatro Price