The band first announced the tour in July 2020, with hopes they’d be able to take to the stage back in April. However as the month approached with very little change in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation, the band decided in February to hold off until January 2022. Now, as the Omicron variant has begun to spread quite rapidly Funeral For A Friend have once again decided to push back the dates even further.

Funeral For A Friend said in a statement on Facebook, “Whilst this news is disappointing, you can rest assured that we’ve been working behind the scenes to ensure that these shows WILL go ahead when it’s safe and feasible to do so, and we have already confirmed new dates for this run starting at the end of February and into March.”

“We appreciate you sticking with us, and would appreciate you sticking with us just a few more weeks as we aim to finally get this tour over the line, and in the safest of circumstances. Thank you, and wishing a wonderful Christmas and holiday season to you and your loved ones.”

The band will now kick things off again with two back-to-back shows in Cardiff on Monday, February 28, and Tuesday, March 1. They’ll head to Manchester next, before rolling through London, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol and Bournemouth. From there, they’ll return to London for one last gig at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire. New shows for Glasgow and Newcastle are yet to be announced, but according to their statement, fans can expect news on those gigs to come soon.

This latest run will be Funeral For A Friend’s first full tour since their 2019 reunion when they played two charity shows in Cardiff and another in London. To celebrate their return, the band will perform material from their first three albums 2003’s Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation, 2005’s Hours and 2007’s Tales Don’t Tell Themselves.

Tickets for the dates that haven’t fully sold out yet (in Leeds and Bournemouth) are still on sale now.

Funeral For A Friend UK Tour Dates:

02/28/22 Great Uni Hall – Cardiff
03/01 Great Uni Hall – Cardiff
03/02 Manchester – Academy
03/04 Electric Brixton – London
03/05 Electric Brixton – London
03/06 O2 Academy – Leeds
03/07 O2 Academy – Birmingham
03/11 O2 Academy – Sheffield
03/12 O2 Academy – Bristol
03/13 O2 Academy – Bournemouth
03/15 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – London

The anniversary tour, originally scheduled for April of 2021, was set to feature songs from the band’s first three full-length, studio albums- their 2003 debut ‘Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation’, 2005’s ‘Hours’ and their third album released in 07′ ‘Tales Don’t Tell Themselves’.

In an instagram post, the band wrote, “It’s with a sense of regret and inevitably that we announce that our headline shows this April and May will not be permitted to take place as scheduled. In light of current restrictions, we have made the decision to reschedule these shows to January next year, with the hope that by then we’ll be in a place where it’s safe to do so.”

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The band concluded their post by informing fans of the validity of the tickets purchased, and said, “Original tickets will remain valid, and some limited additional tickets will be available for select dates. Stay safe, and we’ll see you on the other side.”

The band reunited in 2019, after their 2016 break for a trio of charity gigs. The band’s comeback performance had been to support of their biggest fans, Stuart Brothers, who had been told by his doctors that he had “a few short weeks to live”.

The band, on their social media at the time had written, “Recently, a man who can quite legitimately lay claim to being the world’s biggest FFAF fan (both literally and figuratively!), our friend Stuart ‘Big Stu’ Brothers, has been stricken with a terrible illness which has ultimately led to a terminal prognosis. As Stu’s friends, we wanted to do something to help; particularly for his family and three young sons, who are going through unspeakable trauma right now.” All of the proceeds from the band’s show had been sent to the Brothers’ family.

You can see the band’s rescheduled dates down below:

January 2022
8/01 – University Great Hall- Cardiff
9/01 – University Great Hall- Cardiff
10/01 – University- Newcastle
11/01 – O2 Academy- Glasgow
13/01 – O2 Academy- Birmingham
14/01 –  Academy- Manchester
15/01 – Electric Brixton- London
16/01 – Electric Brixton- London
18/01 – O2 Academy- Leeds
19/01 – O2 Academy- Sheffield
20/01 –  O2 Academy- Bristol
21/01 – O2 Academy- Bournemouth
22/01 – Shepherd’s Bush Empire- London

After 15 years of being a band, heavily influential in the post-Hardcore music genre, Funeral for a Friend took to social media to announce their end as a musical collective. On their Facebook page the band said that:

“We’ve had many curveballs thrown at us over the last fifteen years, some we’ve managed to avoid and others that quite nearly derailed us but we’ve always said to each other that when it’s time for this to end then we end it on our own terms, no one else’s. So there we go, one chapter closes and another opens and life goes on.”

However, there is a somewhat silver lining to the end of Funeral for a Friend, they have also announced a farewell tour, allowing their numerous fans to see them perform at least one last time. These shows have the potential to be something special, being the last gigs/concerts that FFAF will do, as the band put it themselves:

“It only seems fitting that we make these shows something pretty special. These will be an incredible amount of fun so we hope you can join us for one last crazy ride.Tickets go on sale 9am, Friday 18th of September. You can buy tickets for the individual shows or you can buy a bundle ticket for both nights at a special price.”

The Welsh outfit’s farewell tour is also a global one, including dates in Australia, Germany and of course their home, the UK; finishing their tour in London on the 16th.  Tickets for the band’s last tour will go on sale here: http://funeralforafriend.com/pages/on-tour.

Each city will get the option of two separate dates, one where FFAF will perform their debut and critically acclaimed album ‘Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation’ in full and another with their second, 2005 release ‘Hours’.

Despite the band ending, it seems that they have all ended on good, pleasant terms and in their social media message they go on to thank their fans and supporters:

“We want to thank all our families and friends, all the past members of the band and those who’ve helped us along the way. Let us not forget all the amazing bands and musicians we’ve had the honour of sharing stages with over the years. Finally, much love to the fans who have bought our records, bought the tickets and who come out to sing, scream and dance along with us.”

The ending of Funeral for a Friend is a definite loss for the music world, and for the post-Hardcore genre in particular. ‘Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation’ was an album that when released in 2003 drew a lot of attention, and has continued to be a defining sound for a generation of music listeners.

Tour Dates

Feb 11th – Brisbane, Australia – The Brightside
Feb 12th – Brisbane, Australia – The Brightside
Feb 13th – Sydney, Australia – Oxford Art Factory
Feb 14th – Sydney, Australia – Oxford Art Factory
Feb 16th – Melbourne, Australia – Richmond Central Club
Feb 17th – Melbourne, Australia – Richmond Central Club
Mar 23rd – Hamburg, Germany – Knust
Mar 24th – Hamburg, Germany – Knust
Mar 25th – Berlin, Germany – Magnet
Mar 26th – Berlin, Germany – Magnet
Mar 28th – Munich, Germany – Kranhalle
Mar 29th – Munich, Germany – Kranhalle
Mar 30th – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachtop
Mar 31st – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachtop
Apr 2nd – Cologne, Germany – Luxor
Apr 3rd – Cologne, Germany – Luxor
Apr 5th – Cardiff, UK – Y Plas
Apr 6th – Cardiff, UK – Y Plas
Apr 8th – Manchester, UK – The Ritz
Apr 9th – Manchester, UK – The Ritz
Apr 10th – Glasgow, UK – Garage
Apr 11th – Glasgow, UK – Garage
Apr 13th – Birmingham, UK – Institute
Apr 14th – Birmingham, UK – Institute
Apr 15th – London, UK – Oz Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Apr 16th – London, UK – Oz Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Having made a return to their post-hardcore roots with their two most recent albums (2010’s Welcome Home Armageddon and Conduit, released earlier this year) the Bridgend quintet will be playing three dates in Cardiff, London and Leeds. They will be supported by fellow post-hardcore troupe BoySetsFire, who themselves released their new album While A Nation Sleeps… this year, their first album since their reunion in 2010. You can find the dates below.

Friday 25th – O2 Islington Academy, London

Saturday 26th – Cockpit, Leeds

Sunday 27th – Solus, Cardiff

They will also be releasing a special edition of their first E.P Between Order And Model, which will feature live tracks as well as remixed and remastered versions of some of their much loved early music. The re-issue will be on sale from November 17th, and for the first time ever be available on vinyl, although this is limited to 1000 copies. Everyone who pre-orders via www.impericon.com will receive an acoustic version of Red Is The New Black as an MP3 download. You can find the tracklisting for the re-release below.

1. 10:45 Amsterdam Conversations

2. Juno

3. The Art Of American Football

4. Red Is The New Black

5. Storytelling Pt 2

6. Grand Central Station

7. The Getaway Plan

8. 10:45 Amsterdam Conversations (Live)

9. Juno (Live)

10. The Art Of American Football (Live)

11. Red Is The New Black (Live)

Meanwhile, they have also released a live video for Juno, which was shot during their recent European tour. Busy set of lads.

With a sound inspired by the likes of Poison The Well, Thrice and LA Dispute, the end result is the kind of raw, emotive post-hardcore that touches the hearts of so many. Think back to early From Autumn To Ashes but with a ballsy northern attitude and you have Cold Summer. They’re a breath of fresh air to the UK music scene, and they are not just restricted to the post-hardcore sound. In Waiting during the more melodic parts, there is a massive Brandon Boyd of Incubus vibe going on, with vocalist Dan Feast sounding incredibly similar to the Californian crooner. There is also a special treat as there is a beautiful alternative version of the track on the album, proving to outsiders that post-hardcore is not all undecipherable screams and throaty roars.

On Car Crash (In Progress) there is an element of funk, in the delicate riff that opens each verse at least. It shows yet another angle to the group, with their musical versatility shining through brightly. It is clear that they have picked up a lot from recent gigs supporting acts like Funeral For A Friend, Lemuria and Nai Harvest, and following the release of Cold Summer it would appear that the sky is their limit. With a strong wish to be touring all the time and embark upon a journey through the UK and potentially further, you’re going to be hearing a lot about Cold Summer in the coming years. Quite rightly, too.