Mott The Hoople Reunion

Mott the Hoople to reunite They may no longer be, well, young dudes, but nothing short of war, death and famine can stop the 1970s glam-rockers from re-forming for the first time in 35 years.

Mott the Hoople are to reform, playing their first gigs in 35 years. Decades after the release of All the Young Dudes – and boasting members who are, well, no longer young dudes – the band's original lineup will reunite for two London gigs.

Singer Ian Hunter, 69, lead guitarist Mick Ralphs, organist Verden Allen, drummer Dale Griffin and bassist Overend Watts are to give performances on 2 and 3 October 2009. Both gigs will take place at the Hammersmith Apollo, which will be renamed the HMV Apollo from 9 March.

Hunter made the announcement online as a casual comment to fans. "Just thought you'd like to know the Mott the Hoople reunion is going to take place," he wrote. "Why are we doing it? I can't speak for the others, but I'm doing it just to see what it's like."

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the band's formation, although it took the David Bowie-penned All the Young Dudes to usher them into glam-rock history. Bowie wrote the song as a beleaguered Mott the Hoople considered breaking up. Though they turned down Bowie's first suggestion – a little tune called Suffragette City – All the Young Dudes made it almost to the top of the charts.

Mott the Hoople later became pals with Queen, taking the band on tour and inspiring part of the song Now I'm Here.

Though Mott the Hoople did not become arena stars like some of their peers, they still enjoy a fiercely loyal fanbase. The band received renewed attention last year, after appearing on the soundtrack for the surprise hit film Juno.

Hunter said this week that (almost) nothing can keep the re-formed Hoople back. "Short of war, death, famine etc," the sexagenarian boasted, "it's ON."

Tickets for the gigs go on sale 22 January, at £36 and £42.50.

I never knew these guys existed in the first place...Maybe now I'll buy the plane ticket to London to see the reunion.

Or maybe not

HdVd, This is one of those bands that you need to respect. If you don't like the music, you just don't comment

Know your rock n' roll roots! Rock on!

my dad got to open up for these guys he was always bragging about it,don't know much about them, I thought all the young dudes was a pretty funny tune,look at that dudes suspenders :)Rocknroll man

A Faces and MTH double bill would be insane. Throw in a slice of Humble Pie and we are talkin a killer dinosaurs of rock tour.

I wish UFO were still around too.

^^ humble pie is nice

Um, Cookie? UFO IS still around .....

".... All the OLD DUDES ...Eatin' their PRUUUUUUUUnes!!!...."

i think your phone's ringing dude

First the Faces and now Mott The Hoople in 2009...nice!

The "Mott The Hoople Live" album was a required listening in the school of fu's musical musts. The sound of Ariel Bender's guitar just fuzz's the hell out of your speakers. It almost sounded as if they were going to implode on stage!

First, I can't believe Ian Hunter is 69, but I guess time is really slipping past, and it makes sense that when I was in my early teens discovering them, he was in his early 30's.

Secondly,in an interesting bit of timing, my 6 yr old daughter asked me what my i-pod looked like when I was a kid, tonight at the dinner table. I explained I didn't have i-pods, but had "records". My 9 yr old daughter then took it upon herself to go to the rec room and bring back an album to show her. Out of the 350 - 500 or so albums I have left, guess what album she randomly picked out. Yup, Mott the Hoople's "Mott". Of course we had to play it, and loud. One of the most beautiful / sad songs ever written is on there; "I Wish I Was Your Mother", a song Alejandro Escovedo (and if you've never heard of him you should check him out), covers quite often. In fact, I saw Alejandro at the Ottawa Bluesfest a couple of summers ago, and he played it as an encore, with sparse instrumentation, and it took me a few seconds of wheel spinning before I recognized it. It had been decades since I had heard it. I looked around and the crowd was just stunned, mouths open, by the sheer weight and emotion of the lyrics. Later, at the autograph tent I said to him, "Nice Mott cover, Alejandro, you nailed that", to which he looked up with a big smile and said "Thanks man, Ian Hunter's one of my favorites".

Anyways,,,a little more trivia,,,Bowie also sang back-up on "Dudes", and Mick Ronson, then a guitarist with the Spiders, eventually ended up in Mott, replacing one of the best rock and roll "names" Ariel Bender, who had replaced Mick Ralphs who had left to form Bad Company with Paul Rodgers. Hunter also wrote a great book "Diary of a Rock and Roll Star" required reading at the time. The Clash were huge fans too, & Mick Jones & Topper Headon played on "Short Back and Sides", which Jones also co-produced with Ronson.

Finally,,,it wouldn't hurt anyone here interested to pick up any or all of the triumvirate of "All The Young Dudes ('72), "Mott" ('73), & "The Hoople" ('74). They might've been connected to the glam movement, but they could rock with the best of the British scene then, and Hunter had a Dylan-esque delivery & way with words that separated them from the pack. Required listening. I hope the shows go well.