Credit: Harpic Bryant
Last week, Ian Hunter wrapped up a run of U.S. reunion dates with a revised version of his old band Mott the Hoople. Now the group, dubbed Mott the Hoople ’74, will launch a series of seven U.K. concerts with a performance tonight in Leamington Spa. Meanwhile, the age-defying Hunter will turn 80 June 3, and to mark the milestone he’ll play a four-night engagement with his longtime backing group The Rant Band at the City Winery in New York City.
The shows are scheduled from May 31 through June 3, with the May 31 and June 2 gigs focusing on songs that Hunter wrote for Mott the Hoople, the June 1 concert featuring music from Ian’s long solo career, and the June 3 finale dubbed the Gala 80th Birthday Celebration. Tickets for events are on sale now, and the June 3 show already is sold out.
Hunter, who also played the City Winery on his 70th birthday, tells ABC Radio that he never thought he’d make it to his ripe old age. “[S]omehow some do, some don’t,” Ian notes. “It’s genetic, it’s whatever it is.”
Turning back to the subject of the Mott the Hoople reunion, Hunter says he isn’t that interested in extending the tour beyond the U.K. shows.
“Mott has a good name, you know. I want to keep it that way,” Ian declares. “And we do [the music] justice. When you see it, it’s good…and I’d like to leave it like that.”
Having said that, Hunter admits that if there was enough interest in bringing the group to the West Coast, Japan and Australia, he would do that, “because it’s somewhere where we haven’t been.”
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