Dub War (Benji Webbe) announce new UK tour dates
2022 was the year that 90s metal fusion legends Dub War returned with their first album of all-new material in over 25 years, 'Westgate Under Fire'; 2023 is the year that fans get to hear it in full force from the live stage.
Starting at Corporation in Sheffield on 1st March and finishing at Esquires in Bedford on 9th March, Dub War will be marching 'Westgate Under Fire' across the UK for nine consecutive nights. The tour is due to be a celebration of Dub War's long-anticipated return, as well as the album achieving the #1 spot in the UK Rock and Metal Albums Chart upon its release in August 2022. Support comes from Gen and The Degenerates across the tour, with the exception of Bradford and Nottingham. Tom Lumley & The Brave Liaison will step in for the support slot at Nottingham's Rescue Rooms. Tickets are available here.
To commemorate the announcement of their tour, the band have released their new video “Celtic Cross”, created by long-time collaborator Aran Webster. An ominously rumbling track taken from 'Westgate Under Fire', the band comment:
“”Celtic Cross” sends out a message of defiance and hope, and features the amazing drummer Tanner Wayne, who many of you will recognise from the Swedish heavy metal band In Flames. From 1st March, we will be touring England and we’ll be hitting some great intimate venues - come and see what we got to say!”
Fronted by the phenomenal vocals and unmissable showmanship of Benji Webbe (who many may know from the renowned ragga-metal rock outfit Skindred), Dub War are completed by the lightning-weilding guitar of Jeff Rose and the relentless bass thunder of Richie Glover.
Tour dates
March
1st - Sheffield, Corporation*
2nd - London, Garage*
3rd - Southampton, Suburbia*
4th - Nottingham, Rescue Rooms^
5th - Exeter, Phoenix*
6th - Bristol, Thekla*
7th - Bradford, Nightrain~
8th - Blackpool, Bootleg Social*
9th - Bedford, Esquires*
*Support from Gen and The Degenerates
^Support from Tom Lumley & The Brave Liaison
~Support TBC
Dub War will also be performing as part of WDR's Rockpalast Crossroads Festival at Harmonie-Bonn, Germany on Saturday 18th March. Rockpalast will live-stream the event.
A band born and raised in Newport, 'Westgate Under Fire' shines a light on a crucial event in their hometown's history, the Newport Uprising. An event which would play a role in transforming democracy in Britain and the world, the uprising in 1839 saw thousands from the Chartist movement march through south Wales, seeking social reform, including the right for men of all classes to vote. The marches ended in a bloody battle at the Westgate Hotel, which saw many of the Chartists dead or wounded. 'Westgate Under Fire' aims to embody the empowerment that Chartists took upon themselves and coincided with the local community resurrecting the derelict Westgate Hotel into an exciting new venue.
'Westgate Under Fire' is available to order on limited edition coloured vinyl, black vinyl, CD and limited cassette at earache.com/dubwar.
