Band member Duncan James addressed the news on Good Morning Britain (which he currently presents), saying, “I have some great news that won’t leave you feeling Blue because we are putting on a special tour.” He added, “there’s been a lot happening in the last two decades,” ensuring fans that many exciting stories from Blue’s expansive career would be coming their way.

The tour will celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary, with the setlist promising to contain the best material from their six studio albums. On Good Morning Britain, James said, “We could put your city in lockdown when we fly by on a low ride very soon.”

The group took to Twitter to share their excitement, also referencing their iconic noughties tracks, “All Rise” and “Fly By.”

All rise, we’ve got an announcement!

Tickets for our #GreatestHitsTour are going on sale soon – exclusive pre-sale starts Wednesday at 9.00am (BST) – sign up at https://t.co/NJdbW35Z6k

Then, you can ‘Fly By’ to the general sale, starting at 9.00am (BST) on Friday! pic.twitter.com/hjdYD5UpWe

— BLUE (@officialblue) October 23, 2023

Duncan James also shared a video, encouraging fans to purchase their tickets with their titular single from their No.1 album, “One Love” playing in the background.  

Get ready to make some noise! Tickets for our Greatest Hits Tour are officially ON SALE! Get yours at https://t.co/XwQaKct680 and secure your spot to see us live in 2024! pic.twitter.com/PCm40FHGYA — BLUE (@officialblue) October 27, 2023

The tour won’t solely rely on nostalgia though, as the group are set to perform tracks from their newest album too, released in 2022. Members Antony Costa, Duncan James, Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe produced their latest effort, Heart and Soul in October 2022, with the album debuting at No.22 on the UK Top 100 Chart.

Who’s got a copy of our brand new album? If you haven’t, you know what to do… https://t.co/lMCCQIfEXN pic.twitter.com/61ZhJsswXT

— BLUE (@officialblue) December 19, 2022

Tickets for Blue’s Greatest Hits Tour are on sale now, available to purchase here.

The tour has been renamed The Good Times Tour, with band member Tina Barrett explaining in a video, “We are calling the tour The Good Times tour in tribute to Paul because that was his song and all the fans know it was his song so it just feels right.“

The band also revealed that Hannah Spearitt will no longer be joining the tour, with Jon Lee sharing in their video announcement, “You’ve probably noticed that there’s only five of us here today, and although Hannah will always be part of S Club 7, she won’t be joining us on this tour.”

Lee continued, “We wish her all the best for the future. However, the five of us are really excited and geared up.”

Hannah has not publicly commented on her choice to pull out from the tour, but did share her feelings after his death was announced. The two were in a relationship during S Club 7’s heyday, with Hannah sharing, “He was my first true love. I think it was something that grew from a solid friendship. I’m glad I had that first time round. I was completely in love with him — probably more so than he with me.”

The band also shared their feelings about Paul in their announcement video, with Bradley McIntosh saying, “No one could ever replace our Paul, but he lives on inside each and every one of us.”

Rachel Stevens commented, “He’s always going to be with us. He was such a big part of this tour, so involved in everything that we are planning. And we are just going to keep his memory alive and share it with all of you and it’s going to make it even more special.”

The band have subsequently removed the number 7 from their social media pages, and will be known simply as S Club for this tour.

The Good Times Tour is set to commence in October 2023 as part of the group’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets can be purchased here.

13/10/23 – M&S Bank Arena – Liverpool
14/10/23 – Utiilita Arena – Sheffield
16/10/23 – 3Arena – Dublin
18/10/23 – Hydro Arena – Glasgow
19/10/23 – Utilita Arena – Newcastle
20/10/23 – First Direct Arena – Leeds
21/10/23 – AO Arena – Manchester
23/10/23 – International Arena – Cardiff
24/10/23 – Motorpoint Arena – Nottingham
26/10/23 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham
28/10/23 – The O2 Arena – London

Speaking on the forthcoming 25th-anniversary release, Spice Girls provided the following statement, “The ‘Spiceworld’ era was such a fun time for us, We’d just had a number one album with Spice, we were travelling all over the world and meeting our amazing fans, we released our second album AND we had our very own movie! Who would’ve thought it? It’s crazy to think that 25 years have passed.”

Say hello to #Spiceworld25

To celebrate 25 years of Spiceworld, we’ll be releasing a new anniversary edition on November 4th that features lots of goodies such as demos, unreleased live recordings, new remixes and unreleased tracks.

Pre-order: https://t.co/zEHgRhOvuw pic.twitter.com/8L3sbfDoLz

— Spice Girls (@spicegirls) September 27, 2022

The special anniversary edition has become a hotly anticipated release due to its additional content; the full tracklisting of the original release is partnered with bonus tracks, B-sides, previously unreleased recordings and never-before-released live tracks taken from the archive at Virgin Records. Included within the exclusive content is a demo recording of fan favourite “Step To Me”, a track not included in Spiceworld’s initial release. Originally written for inclusion on debut album Spice, “Step To Me” was utilised within an advertisement campaign for Pepsi featuring the Spice Girls.

Included within the digital deluxe version of Spiceworld 25 are a collection of live songs taken from recordings of their Europe and North American tour conducted in 1997-1998. With the purchase of the digital deluxe edition, the tracklist will also feature a new “ambient” version of the landmark single “Viva Forever”. During its original release, the pop ballad was accompanied by a new infamous music video featuring the band as animated fairies; the single holds great importance within the band’s career as it marked the departure of Geri Halliwell. The remixed version of the track was created by John Themis, known for his work with Bunton on her solo track “What Took You So long”. The 25th-anniversary edition of Spiceworld also includes a 15-minute megamix entitled “Spice Girls Party Mix”, serving as a musical montage of the band’s career; the mega mix incorporates the quintet’s biggest hits.

Initially released in November 1997, Spiceworld was the band’s second studio album, released a year after their seminal debut album Spice. After the release of their first studio album, the Spice Girls were propelled into stardom and soon became household names. With the tornado of Spice Girls fever came a new feminist revolution; the phrase Girl Power became not just the band’s tagline but a motto for a new generation. Upon its initial release, Spiceworld debuted at the top of the UK album charts and spent three weeks as the UK’s number one album.

During the 1997 album’s production, its visual partner Spiceworld was released in theatres; the album served as the soundtrack to the feature film, including all of its tracks except for “Move Over”. With the release of Spiceworld the movie, Spice Girls morphed from British pop stars into bonified movie stars. Both the film and album became worldwide hits turning the group into cultural icons seemingly overnight; amongst the heavy media attention attracted due to Spiceworld’s success, an incident involving the then Prince Charles also got the world talking. In 1997 the Spice Girls were invited to play in front of the royal family for the first time; during the appearance, Mel B and Geri Halliwell caused a stir when they both kissed the now King Charles. The year of Spiceworld’s release was a significant era of the band’s career, a rollercoaster of immense success and hits cemented their status as a prototype for a successful girl group within the pop music genre.

Spiceworld 25 is available to pre-order now via this link and will be available to purchase in various formats. Fans can buy the upcoming album as a double CD album with a handbook book, Spiceworld 25 2XLP, Double Cassette, Coloured Vinyl (D2C Exclusive), Vinyl LP with Picture Disc, Picture Disc and 2LP, 2CD with Hardback Book and double cassette and coloured Vinyl with Picture disc and 2 CD, 2 LP and 2 Cassette.

Spiceworld 25 Tracklist

“Spice Up Your Life”
“Stop”
“Too Much”
“Saturday Night Divas”
“Never Give Up On The Good Times”
“Move Over”
“Do It”
“Denying”
“Viva Forever”
“The Lady Is A Vamp”
“Step To Me’ (7” Mix)”
“Outer Space Girls”
“Walk Of Life”
“Step To Me (Demo Version)”
“Too Much (Live In Toronto, July 1998)”
“Stop (Live In Madrid, March 1998)”
“Move Over (Live In Istanbul, October 1997)”
“Spice Up Your Life (Live In Arnhem, March 1998)”
“Viva Forever (Live In Manchester, April 1998)”
“Spice Up Your Life (Morales Radio Mix)”
“Stop (Morales Remix Edit)”
“Too Much (SoulShock & Karlin Remix)”
“Viva Forever” (John Themis Ambient Mix)”
“Step To Me (Extended Mix)”
“Spice Girls Party Mix”

Next question on THAT Instagram post from last week. JC: “It was deliberately cryptic. It’s a line from This Is Hardcore… Next year Pulp are going to play some concerts!”

HUGE APPLAUSE!!!

— Acrylic Afternoons (@AcrylcAftrnoons) July 25, 2022

Last Thursday (July 21^st) Cocker posted a short video quoting a line from the band’s 1998 album This Is Hardcore’s title track. Reading “What exactly do you do for an encore?”, many fans were led to believe there were shows coming. Many thought perhaps we were going to be disappointed with a 25th-anniversary re-issue. Again, Cocker went silent. But now, with a few obligatory days of letting the people wait, we have an answer. After confirming on Twitter that the post was “deliberately cryptic”, the band have announced that despite having “No idea what the line-up will be” - “we’ve finally got our Pulp back.”

No idea what the line-up will be, but 3,828 days later, we’ve finally got our Pulp back. Overjoyed! #pulp2023 pic.twitter.com/0YSGzYbMTq — Acrylic Afternoons (@AcrylcAftrnoons) July 25, 2022

The news came from Cocker at a Guardian-hosted talk and Q&A that was supposed to be in support of his new memoir Good Pop, Bad Pop. But after the wave of uncertainty caused by his post only a few days before, it was only a matter of time before someone addressed the elephant in the room. The reception of the news so far seems to be overwhelmingly positive, the band’s drummer, Nick Banks, took to Twitter soon after the announcement to try and calm the mob. “Hey folks, unsurprisingly it’s all gone a bit mental on here. Gig details will be revealed as and when.” He then concluded, “Stay calm, hug your Pulp records and dream of going mental sometime in 2023.” How sweet.

Hey folks, unsurprisingly it’s has all gone a bit mental on here. Gig details will be revealed as and when.

Stay calm, hug your #pulp records and dream of going mental sometime in 2023.

— Nick Banks (@therealnickbank) July 25, 2022

When quizzed on the band’s last reunion tour in 2011 and 2012, a tour which featured a now legendary surprise set at Glastonbury and a headline slot at Reading and Leeds Festival, Cocker told The Creative Independent, “We rehearsed for quite a long time and I think we’ve managed to play the songs convincingly and authentically, and by that I just mean that we managed to locate what the songs were about. They still rang true.” Adding, “I thought it was pretty much a perfect tour, really; and that was a good end to that. But then I just had to try and think about what I would do after that.”

The cliff-hanger of an ending was left with even more tension in 2015 after a conversation with NME likened Pulp to a volcano, “You can think ‘wow, that’s dormant’ and then the next day your house has gone, because it’s erupted, everything to do with Pulp or to do with me happens at such a glacial pace, that’s it hard to tell whether anything’s happening or not, but when it does, the whole geography of the planet is changed.” It was always in the cards.

And you can bet the importance isn’t lost on the band’s members either. Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien posted a long message on Instagram, recounting the days when they were making the album and working their way towards becoming one of the most respected musical forces out there.

He described the time as feeling “like an age away.. 1997 belonged to a different era .. we were just kids.. with unswerving focus and drive”. There are also some special insights into the creative process behind the album, noting certain influences such as Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew (1970), The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (1966) and Portishead.

Also, if you’ve ever wondered how the album managed its distinctive sound, the answer may lie in geography. O’Brien notes some of the unusual places the band found to record in, such as “inside a vast metal box for storing apples … [or] the magical St Catherine’s Court owned by Jane Seymour“. So if you’re trying to record some music and can’t find yourself a proper studio, don’t bother – they’re overrated apparently.

O’Brien had some kind words to say about long-term Radiohead collaborator (and currently working with The Smile) Nigel Godrich, who helped co-produce the album: “he did a beautiful job .. think it was his first production work .. we knew he was the one”. They were right – Godrich’s been a mainstay in their production credits ever since, right up until their most recent album A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).

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And if he’s being this nice about their co-producer, he might as well say something about his fellow bandmates, referring to them as his “Brothers, Philip, Colin, Jonny and Thom .. All love“.

 

 

 

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Despite a lack of new studio LPs as of recent, it’s not like Radiohead’s members have been starving the public of new music as of late. O’Brien’s debut solo album Earth was released back in 2020 and was followed by a brief tour in North America before Covid cut it short. It received good marks from the likes of NME, whose 4-star review said it proves O’Brien to be the band’s “secret weapon“.

As for Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, they went along and made themselves a nice new band with drummer Tom Skinner (of Sons of Kemet). The Smile released their debut album last week, titled A Light for Attracting Attention and more of which you can read about here. They also began a European tour last Monday. They may be getting older, but that doesn’t mean the music has to stop just yet.

According to an insider, “The four girls have been discussing a world tour for a while, and this – very confidential – meeting was put in the diary so they could iron out the final details.” Apparently, the plan is to start off in Australia and go from there. The talks come about just as the Spice Girls are celebrating the 25^th anniversary of their debut single, “Wannabe”, back in 1996, which became number one in 37 countries, as well as their debut album, Spice, which sold over 23 million copies. Other ways the girls have gone about celebrating the anniversary include releasing a deluxe reissue of their debut album last October, along with a new video for their single “Wannabe”.

Mel B had this to say about the anniversary: “All I hope – 25 years on – is that message has been heard loud and clear. It’s true that in the end love IS all you need so I thank everyone who has ever bought a Spice Girls record or stood in the rain to greet us or got dressed up in pink, in a tracksuit, a ginger wig, a leopard print catsuit or put on Vic’s iconic pout!”

Release day is here! #Spice25 is out now. A celebration of our debut album ‘Spice’. We had such a great time listening to the old demos and putting this together. We hope it brings back some amazing memories for you, just as it did for us https://t.co/6A1C9xXLMq pic.twitter.com/jPqJtflVv4

— Spice Girls (@spicegirls) October 29, 2021

The hype seems to be growing for a new tour, with singer Adele reportedly promising to be there and encouraging them to get back on the road. The Spice Girls last performed together with the Spice World tour of 2019, which made £4 million between them all. However, it’s been a long time since the original quintet was all there, with Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) last joining them in their 2007-2008 The Return of the Spice Girls tour. Ever since then she’s been absent, focussing on her family and fashion business.

In commenting on her decision to step back from the last tour, Victoria told Vogue Germany that “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, ‘You know, I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to’… I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company’.” Beckham also reportedly turned down an offer to help with a new online Spice Girls game being made.

Despite this, Mel C and Mel B are reportedly determined to get Beckham to appear in at least one show, with Mel C saying “We would love to have her back on stage. In all honesty, I think it’s gonna happen. At some point, I think Posh Spice will be back on stage“.  So we shall have to wait and see whether the allure of a 25^th anniversary and worldwide tour will finally be enough to bring all the Spice Girls together again, just for one more shot at girl power.

SURPRISE!! To mark the 25th Anniversary of our debut album ‘Spice’ we are releasing a limited-edition collection of vinyl and cassettes PLUS a 2CD deluxe featuring some previously unreleased tracks and demos. You can pre-order now #SPICE25 – https://t.co/0puSjzmONB pic.twitter.com/qJR70ClHyx

— Spice Girls (@spicegirls) September 1, 2021

The deluxe album entitled Spice25 will feature the original songs,  remixes, bonus songs, previously unheard songs and B sides. The group shared a version of their previous number 1 single “Say You’ll Be There” on September 1st with the harmonica replaced with a saxophone solo in celebration of the album.

The band were originally called Touch and were formed in 1994 with band members Victoria Adams (Posh Spice), Melanie Brown (Mel B/ Scary Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Melanie Chisholm (Mel C/ Sporty Spice) and Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice).

The band are known for promoting Girl Power and their success began with their iconic debut single “Wannabe”. The single sparked global success and hit the number 1 spot in the UK Official Singles Charts when it was released on June 26th 1996.

The band achieved further success with the release of their debut album Spice originally released on September 19th 1996. The album sold over 23 million copies with the follow-up album Spice World released on November 1st 1997 selling 14 million copies.

The band has scored 9 number 1 singles and has sold 100 million albums worldwide thus making them the biggest selling girl band of all time. The bands popular singles include their first Christmas number 1 single “2 Become 1″ (1996), “Who Do You Think You Are” (1996), “Mama” (1996), “Spice Up Your Life” (1997), “Stop” (1997), “Viva Forever” (1997), “Holler” (2000) and “Goodbye” (2000).

Halliwell left the band on May 31st 1998 and embarked on a solo career. The band continued as a four-piece until they all sought solo careers. The band reunited on June 28th 2007 for their tour The Return of The Spice Girls as a five-piece.

On November 5th 2018 the band returned as a four-piece without Adams (Know known as Victoria Beckham following her marriage to ex-footballer David Beckham) for their tour entitled The Spice World Tour 2019.

All members of the band have children and have continued to pursue solo projects over the years with T.V presenting roles coming from Mel B with X-Factor, America’s Got Talent and Lip Sync Battle UK. Mel C released solo material.

Bunton also embarked on a solo career and Halliwell following her solo career presented All Together Now and was a judge on Australia’s Got Talent. Beckham also went on to release solo material, she also created her fashion line and continues to work in the fashion industry.

The release of the 25th Anniversary album includes all band members, who to mark the 25th Anniversary of their single “Wannabe” released an EP that included previously unreleased demo’s. In respect to the upcoming release, Bunton said “It’s been 25 years of pure magic. Spice Girls forever!”

Chisholm stated, “This is the record that set us off on our incredible journey. A huge thank you to our fans and family all around the World” Halliwell said, “Whoever you are, whatever your dreams – live them, be them. The Spice Girls motto is testament to that”

Brown said, “I thank everyone who has ever bought a Spice Girls record or stood in the rain to greet us” and Beckham concluded “We couldn’t let 25 years pass without thanking the fans for their incredible support” Spice25 is to be released on October 29 and is to be packaged as a 2 cd set, with an A5 hardback book.

There is to also be a variety of vinyl and cassette versions of the album, as well as the use of Dolby Atmos for an exclusive Apple remastered edition of the original album. Bunton said that she is sure that the band will tour again in the future.  

SURPRISE!! To mark the 25th Anniversary of our debut album ‘Spice’ we are releasing a limited-edition collection of the album! #SPICE25 Thank you to the best fans in the world, we LOVE YOU! You can pre-order now: https://t.co/CnKX3VZiuf pic.twitter.com/poofbsNOJo — Mel C / Melanie C (@MelanieCmusic) September 1, 2021

Listen to the Spice Girls album Spice25 via the free streaming link here and see the tracklist below

CD1
Wannabe
Say You’ll Be There
2 Become 1 (Single Version)
Love Thing
Last Time Lover
Mama
Who Do You Think You Are
Something Kinda Funny
Naked
If U Can’t Dance

CD2
Wannabe (Dave Way Alternative Mix)
Say You’ll Be There (7-inch Radio Mix)
2 Become 1 (Orchestral Version)
Mama (Biffco Mix)
Love Thing (12-inch Unlimited Groove Mix)
Take Me Home
Last Time Lover (Demo)
Feed Your Love
If U Can’t Dance (Demo)
Who Do You Think You Are (Demo)
One of These Girls
Shall We Say Goodbye Then

We’re excited to announce that the 25th Anniversary Reissue of New Adventures in Hi-Fi will be released on October 29! Pre-Order now at https://t.co/UjZg0ez2sO pic.twitter.com/khk91jkUOE

— R.E.M. HQ (@remhq) August 24, 2021

The album will be published on the 29th of October as part of the band’s 40th-anniversary festivities and will feature an alternate version of the song “Leave,” which was recorded in the first edition.

New Adventures In Hi-Fi is available in two formats and will feature a restored version of the album, B-sides and rarities along with an hour-long video that was only previously displayed as projections on buildings to promote the record in 1996.

The anniversary edition will also include a hardcover book with images and memorabilia. The memorabilia will include an exclusive poster along with a selection of collectible postcards and a booklet.

Along with the remastered album, a Blue-ray disk will feature in the deluxe edition that will also include an unreleased 30-minute electronic press kit, a hi-fi audio version of New Adventures, and five HD-restored music videos.

New Adventures in Hi-Fi will be reissued as a two-CD set and digital collection with just the remastered album and rarities.

For Vinyl lovers, the remastered album will be available as a double-LP vinyl set also.

You can pre-order the remastered album here

Along with the announcement of the anniversary vinyl, the band posted on twitter a video of the album art, new band images and details on the availability of the record. This vinyl is only sold at the band’s blur-store and is now available to order here.

The original release of The Great Escape was in 1995 and was met with critical acclaim and brought the London natives worldwide fame. The band hit the top 100 Billboard charts and reached number 5 on the UK hit charts during their brit-pop years in the early 90s.

To celebrate it’s 25th anniversary, @parlophone are releasing a limited edition split vinyl version of The Great Escape, only available from the blur store: https://t.co/nWV6oPkwu7 pic.twitter.com/DuqETfFJqL

— blur (@blurofficial) November 26, 2020

Blur had been on hiatus since the mid-2000’s and recently got together for a surprise reunion at Damon Albarn’s Africa Express Show in East London. Though it is not confirmed, some of the band members have expressed interest in playing Blur gigs in the future, including the lead-singer Damon Albarn.

Albarn is also known as one of the co-creators and lead singers of the virtual band Gorillaz, which will be on tour in 2021 for their latest album Song Machine: Season One-Strange Timez. The record was released last month and will likely post-pone any possible Blur reunions in the near future. 

 

 

 

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Blur has not played together seriously for years before their 2008 reunion, which saw a spring of summer concerts around the UK and even a headlining gig at Glastonbury festival. Their performance was noted as one of the best Glastonbury headliners in years. In 2009 the band reached their peak with a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video for the documentary No Distance Left to Run.

In 2012 they won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. In April 2015, Blur released their first studio album in twelve years, The Magic Whip. This album received critical praise worldwide and it was a triumphant comeback for the group.

The band has since been on another long hiatus despite their impressive comeback. There are no upcoming tour dates or music announced as of yet and their newest celebratory 25th anniversary vinyl is available for purchase today.