PREVIEW: The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light – The Streets return to Leeds after a 4 year absence
Written by Thomas Dent Edited by Eve Moat
The Streets: the long time project of Birmingham born producer, vocalist and DJ Mike Skinner have returned with an exciting new album, companion film and tour. The UK and Ireland headline tour consists of 15 dates beginning on 22nd October in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Streets will be heading to the O2 Academy in Leeds on 4th November, the 9th date of the tour:
22nd Oct - Belfast @ The Telegraph Building 23rd Oct - Dublin @ 3Olympia Theatre 24th Oct - Dublin @ 3Olympia Theatre 26th Oct - Nottingham @ Rock City 27th Oct - Manchester @ O2 Victoria Warehouse 28th Oct - Sheffield @ O2 Academy 2nd Nov - Glasgow @ O2 Academy 3rd Nov - Newcastle @ O2 City Hall 4th Nov - Leeds @ O2 Academy 9th Nov - Liverpool @ The Mountford Hall 10th Nov - Birmingham @ O2 Academy 11th Nov - Birmingham @ O2 Academy 13th Nov - Norwich @ The Nick Rayns LCR 14th Nov - Bournemouth @ O2 Academy 16th Nov - London @ Alexandra Palace
This is their first full tour of the UK since 2019, as a planned tour in 2022 was cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns and Skinner has opted to stick mostly with festival slots since then. Support is being provided by Hak Baker, Joy Anonymous and Master Peace, so I am expecting a high energy night and hope that The Streets play a good mix of new and old tracks. Tickets for the gig in Leeds are now fully sold out, as is the case for the majority of the tour due to very high demand.
The tour is in support of the new album The Darker The Shadow The Brighter The Light, Skinner’s first full studio album since 2011’s Computers and Blues and his first release since 2020s
collaborative mixtape None of Us are Getting Out of This Life Alive. The Streets began a campaign to tease the album, which was released on 13th October, with lead single ‘Troubled Waters’ on 12th July. Since then, 2 other singles were shared by Skinner, ‘Too Much Yayo’ and ‘Each Day Gives’. The album is said to be “inextricably linked to the dancefloor, with tidal waves of bass, garage and house laced in, an experience akin to stumbling through different rooms of the club. Skinner, as always, is the keen eye tying his disparate world together, shining with his customary lyrical wizardry and eclectic production.” I personally believe the album is a real return to form for Skinner even though it features a different style for him, with more of a focus on garage and dance beats rather than the catchy hooks and rap styles of his earlier works. Despite this, it may be his best effort since 2004’s A Grand Don’t Come For Free which earned The Streets a Brit award for best male solo artist in 2005.
Skinner has also dedicated his long hiatus to writing, directing, shooting, editing, scoring and funding a film which carries the same name as the album. In an interview with Sky News at the film’s premiere on 16th September, Skinner said of adding the final touches, “It was completely bonkers. I didn’t sleep literally for a week. I could have gone on, to be honest, I could have gone on for another six weeks. But, you know, you don’t finish a work of art. You just abandon it”. He also admitted that the film was “a nightmare” and became “an obsession”. It is described as a “stripped out noir murder mystery based in London’s clubland. The songs on the album soundtrack the film and also play the role of narrator of the film”. The film was shown at Everyman cinemas across the UK and reached the end of its run on 6th October at Screen on the Green cinema in London.
The Streets being back really is something to get excited about as they are legends of the contemporary UK music scene. This tour is not about recapturing past glories, it is about what Mike Skinner is creating now and there seems to be a heady sense of optimism building over his new musical direction with this album.
