It's finally happening.

For as long as I've been putting out Adult Cinema records, the question I get asked most is: when are you playing live?

And for as long as I've been answering it, the answer has been the same. I've only got one pair of hands and one pair of feet. Every note on those four albums is me, recorded one instrument at a time in my studio in Southend. There's no way to play that on a stage on your own.

Today, finally, I can give you a different answer.

In February 2027, Adult Cinema goes on tour for the first time. Six dates around the UK, with a five-piece band.

Tickets are on sale now.

How it happened

A while back I started playing bass in another band, and I found out something I didn't expect: I actually enjoyed playing live. It wasn't nearly as nerve-racking as I'd thought it would be.

That got me thinking about Adult Cinema. But to do it properly I needed other musicians, and finding people who are good enough, and in a position to commit to a band, isn't easy.

It's taken me the best part of a year. But I've found them.

The band

Mark Bates, keys. Mark is Dido's keyboard player, on stage and in the studio. That's his playing on "Thank You", the song Eminem sampled for "Stan", and he co-wrote "Do You Have a Little Time" on Life for Rent. He's also played with Faithless and Pet Shop Boys.

Pim Jones, guitar. Pim was in Hipsway, the Glasgow band behind "The Honeythief". He went on to form Witness with Hipsway's singer Grahame Skinner, then led his own band, Big Yoga Muffin.

Pat McNamara, bass. Pat is a stalwart of the Southend scene. He's played with Dooyah and the Phrogs, and he currently plays in No Good Woman and the King Snakes, and in the Roman Jugg Band, led by former Damned member Roman Jugg.

Jeremy Noble, drums. Jeremy trained classically at Trinity College London, spent the nineties doing session work in London studios, and had his drums sampled by Norman Cook at the start of the Fatboy Slim era. He toured Europe and the USA with Lunatic Calm and he once played Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony with his right hand broken in three places, which tells you most of what you need to know about Jeremy.

And me, on vocals and guitar. I'm still getting used to not playing everything.

Honestly, I'm honoured to be sharing a stage with these guys.

Rehearsals

We've been rehearsing, and it's going really well.

When we played the first song at our first rehearsal, I felt a tingle up my spine. I've spent years building these songs on my own, one part at a time, and suddenly there were four other people playing them with me. It's a novelty to look round the room and react to another human being as I play.

These songs were made in a room with one person in it. February is the first time you'll hear five people play them.

The dates

The last night is at the Fickle Pickle in Southend. It's my home town, and it's where all of this started, so it felt right to finish there.

And these are the only cities that I could find a viable venue in the February window. If this goes well we will play other places, but I apologise if none of these are close enough for you.Then again, there's always the option of travelling and I would love to see anyone who wants to make it at any of these shows.

These are small rooms. It's my first tour, and I wanted the kind of venues where you're close enough to see what everyone's playing. But it does mean there aren't many tickets for each night, so if you want to come, don't leave it too long.

Then come and hear what happens when five of us play them together.

See you in February.

Mike