Arts & Culture
The Divine Comedy announce UK & Ireland tour and new album

The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon) announces 2022 April and May tour dates and the release of ‘Charmed Life - The Best Of The Divine Comedy.’

This album will be a collection of his greatest hits and will be out on February 4.

A 24 track career-spanning roster of hit singles and fan favourites, compiled by Neil and remastered at Abbey Road Studios, Charmed Life includes the tracks ‘National Express’, ‘Something For The Weekend’, ‘Songs of Love’, ‘Our Mutual Friend’, ‘A Lady of A Certain Age’, ‘To The Rescue’ and ‘Norman and Norma’. It also features brand new track ‘The Best Mistakes.’

Neil Hannon said: “I’ve been luckier than most. I get to sing songs to people for a living and they almost always applaud. So when asked what to call this collection I thought of Charmed Life. I like the song and it rather sums up how I feel about my life.”

The Best Of will arrive as a 24 track standard 2CD, double heavyweight black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, limited edition double heavyweight colour vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, and as a limited edition 3CD edition containing the 24 track Best Of as well as “Super Extra Bonus Album” - a collection of new and unreleased recordings.

Discussing the bonus album, Neil added: “It felt right to celebrate thirty years of The Divine Comedy. I can’t give you an overview of these songs. They’re a crazy mixed up bunch. Some are strangely seasonal, some relate to what we’ve all been going through recently, some are just nuts. Enjoy!”

In 1990, 20-year-old Neil Hannon signed his first record deal and began releasing one album after another under the name The Divine Comedy. Twelve albums and hundreds of live shows later, Neil Hannon is now considered a national treasure.

The Divine Comedy will be touring the UK and Ireland from April 2022 including a show at the London Palladium on the 3rd of May. 

Neil said: “I am so looking forward to playing live again. The last couple of years have been a reminder of how much it means to me personally. It really is my favourite thing. And it seems fitting that we’ll be coming back with a greatest hits set. You know, in case everyone’s forgotten who I am and what we do!”

Tickets for the tour go on sale at 10am on Friday 10 September at https://thedivinecomedy.com/live

Full tour date list:

April 2022

Mon 25, Birmingham, Symphony Hall

Tue 26, Manchester, Bridgewater Hall

Wed 27, Edinburgh, Usher Hall      

Fri 29, Brighton, Brighton Dome

Sat 30, York, Barbican
 

May 2022

Sun 1, Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Tue 3, London, Palladium 

Thu 5, Cambridge, Corn Exchange

Fri 6, Ipswich, Regent Theatre       

Sun 8, Oxford, New Theatre Oxford

Mon 9, Southampton, O2 Guildhall

Tue 10, Bath, Forum       

Thu 12, Cardiff, St Davids Hall

Fri 13, Halifax, Victoria Theatre

Sat 14, Newcastle, O2 City Hall

Sun 15, Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall

Tue 17, Cork, Opera House

Thu 19, Dublin, Olympia Theatre

Sat 21, Belfast, Waterfront Hall

 

Charmed Life - The Best Of Divine Comedy Tracklisting

  1. Charmed Life

  2. National Express

  3. Norman And Norma

  4. Something For The Weekend

  5. Songs Of Love

  6. The Best Mistakes

  7. At The Indie Disco

  8. Bad Ambassador

  9. A Lady Of A Certain Age

  10. Becoming More Like Alfie

  11. Come Home Billy Bird

  12. Have You Ever Been In Love

  13. Our Mutual Friend

  14. Generation Sex

  15. How Can You Leave Me On My Own

  16. Perfect Lovesong

  17. Your Daddy’s Car

  18. You’ll Never Work In This Town Again

  19. Absent Friends

  20. Everybody Knows (Except You)

  21. The Certainty Of Chance

  22. Sunrise

  23. To The Rescue

  24. Tonight We Fly

 

Bonus (Deluxe 3CD / Deluxe Digital) Tracklisting

  1. I’ll Take What I Can Get

  2. Don’t Make Me Go Outside

  3. Who Do You Think You Are

  4. The Adventurous Type

  5. When When When

  6. Home For The Holidays

  7. Te Amo España

  8. Perfect Lovesong 2021

  9. Simple Pleasures

  10. Those Pesky Kids

 

More information about The Divine Comedy can be found at thedivinecomedy.com