Gene have announced plans to play their first gig in over two decades at London’s Eventim Apollo on 4 October.
Marking the 30th anniversary of their debut album,
Olympian
, the original lineup of Martin Rossiter, Steve Mason, Matt James and Kevin Miles will share the stage again for the first time since their farewell show at the London Astoria in December 2004. “It will be a joyous occasion,” said Rossiter, “I don’t think musically we were ever prosaic. Even for a song that was three chords and the truth, we always weaved an extra melodic interest into everything we did. So to play those songs again, alongside the people who created them, is going to be very special.”
After being approached last year by Creation Records founder Alan McGee and Toura Toura’s Kevin Fitzgerald, the band reconvened for the first time in December 2024. “It immediately felt like it always had,” said James. “We were always self-deprecating, and the banter quickly kicked back in... Straight away it felt like we were a band again. We’ve just got to make sure we can do it musically now, too.”