Pitchfork

Things are looking up for Jason Pierce, Spiritualized principal and Spacemen 3 pilot. Having battled back from a bout with "advanced periorbital cellulitis with bilateral pneumonia" in summer 2005, Pierce returned to the road last fall with his special "Acoustic Mainlines" tour. Dude must like that road almost as much as he loves the cosmos, because he's at it again.

This April, the Spiritualized "Acoustic Mainlines" tour lands in five UK cities (including one Dirty Three-curated All Tomorrow's Parties engagement). Joining Jason for these gigs-- at which he'll play material from both the Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 catalogues, as well as covers-- are a string quartet, gospel singers, and Spiritualized guitarist Doggen on Rhodes electric piano.

Meanwhile, J. Spaceman continues work on the long-awaited new Spiritualized album, presently set for release later this year. It's the one he called "the work of the devil...with a little guidance from me" in a press release.

Pierce also joins Massive Attack as a special guest at tonight's Brixton Academy gig in London, a benefit show to raise money for the HOPING Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping children in Palestinian refugee camps. Actually, Pierce is probably up there massively tripping out onstage as you read this.

Acoustic Mainlines:

04-23 Glasgow, Scotland - Academy
04-24 Leeds, England - City Varieties
04-25 Wovlerhampton, England - Wulfrun Hall
04-26 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
04-28 Minehead, England - Bultins Holiday Centre (All Tomorrow's Parties)