Big Special have released a new single with John Grant, ‘Stay Down, Lazarus’, ahead of the two artists’ UK and European tour together – listen to it below.
The Black Country punk duo, comprised of Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney, will be joining Grant on his tour of the UK later this month, before heading out around Europe with him in November. See the full list of dates below and get your tickets here.
Ahead of those dates, the duo have shared ‘Stay Down, Lazarus’, a thunderous new collaboration with Grant that sees Big Special’s scabrous, political lyrics and a storming, industrial arrangement enhanced by Grant’s anthemic chorus. Watch the lyric video here:
Hicklin has said: “’Stay Down, Lazarus’ is just a big moan about the social promise of elevation and rising up, that doesn’t really exist for most people. It was actually the first song written for Big Special, but it didn’t make our debut album. We always felt it needed something more, so we took a shot in the dark and asked John Grant, a major influence of ours, to have a crack at it with us. We are proper chuffed he wanted to get involved and still pinching ourselves.”
Grant has added: “Was very psyched that Big Special asked me along for the ride on this track. Had a blast doing this!”
In addition to the upcoming tour, Big Special will also play a huge headline show at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, London on March 29. Find remaining tickets for that show here.
John Grant and Big Special will play:
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OCTOBER
17 – Hackey Church, London, UK
18 – Hackney Church, London, UK
19 – The Fire Station, Sunderland, UK
21 – Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow, UK
22 – Vicar Street, Dublin, IE
24 – The Tramshed, Cardiff, UK
25 – Beacon, Bristol, UK
26 – De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill, UK
28 – Town Hall, Birmingham, UK
29 – Epic Studios, Norwich, UK
31 – New Century Hall, Manchester, UK
NOVEMBER
01 – Project House, Leeds, UK
02 – Philharmonic, Liverpool, UK
05 – Melgweg, Amsterdam, NL (John Grant only)
06 – Kulturkirche, Cologne, DE
07 – Columbia Theater, Berlin, DE
09 – Train, Aarhus, DK
10 – Vega, Copenhagen, DK
11 – Nalen, Stockholm, SE
13 – Rockefeller Music Hall, Oslo, NO
Big Special spoke this summer about their decision to play The Great Escape amid the boycott surrounding the festival’s sponsor Barclays. “We will still be performing at The great escape this week and donating our fee to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, of which our label will also match the donation,” they said.
The duo released their debut album ‘Post Industrial Hometown Blues’ in May, and in a four-star review, NME wrote: “That redemption and resolve to “make it through the night” arrives fully on the synth-punk meets The National triumphant closer of ‘DiG!’. Sure “every day is a balancing act, trying to find truth and divide fact, but we’re only born to pay bills and dig holes”. Amen. But as the horns ring out, you end this record knowing that now is not the time for defeat. Keep going. At least Big Special see you.”