CUD – UK Tour
Steam and Whistle Cheltenham on Thursday 27 August
The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham on Saturday 24 October
For the full tour details and tickets check visit CUD’s Linktree.
Celebrating 40 years of witty, infectious indie rock, Leeds favourites CUD are hitting the road this autumn with a UK anniversary tour that revisits four decades of cult classics, chart hits and fresh material.
During their UK tour CUD will be dipping in and out of the midlands with shows at The Steam and Whistle, Cheltenham on Thursday 27 August, before heading to The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham on Saturday 24 October, promising the same energetic live shows that have kept fans dancing since the late 1980s.
Formed in Leeds in 1986 by art and graphic design students, CUD emerged from the same creative scene that produced Soft Cell, Scritti Politti and The Mekons. While many of their contemporaries embraced the introspective sounds of indie and shoegaze, CUD carved out their own niche with a playful mix of jangly guitars, funky rhythms and Carl Puttnam’s distinctive vocals. Their quirky humour, sharp songwritting and irresistible melodies quickly earned them a loyal following.
The band’s fortunes changed almost overnight after legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel invited them to record a session at Maida Vale just weeks after receiving their very first demo. That breakthrough led to a string of acclaimed releases, including When in Rome, Kill Me and Leggy Mambo, produced by XTC’s Dave Gregory. Tracks such as Only (A Prawn in Whitby), Hey!Wire, Robinson Crusoe and Magic became staples of indie club nights across the UK and remain highlights of their live set today.
A move to A&M Records in the early 1990s brought mainstream success, with Rich and Strangeand Purple Love Balloon both reaching the UK Top 40, while the album Asquarius earned widespread critical acclaim. Although the band narrowly missed the commercial explosion of Britpop before calling it a day in 1995, their reputation has only grown with time.
Following a reunion in 2013 to celebrate the release of their Complete BBC Sessions box set, CUD have become a regular fixture on the live circuit once again, appearing alongside fellow indie favourites including The Wonder Stuff, The Wedding Present, Peter Hook, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Embrace.
Forty years on, CUD remain as entertaining as ever, balancing “proper jobs” with annual tours that continue to attract original fans and a new generation discovering their uniquely British brand of indie pop. Expect a set packed with singalong favourites, overlooked gems and a few new surprises, all delivered with the humour, groove and infectious energy that have defined the band since day one.
The celebrations continue in October when CUD host the second edition of their own mini-festival, Only (A Weekend in Whitby), featuring appearances from The Wedding Present, The Primitives, Young Knives, bis, Slime City and Mt. Misery.
Whether you’ve followed them since the John Peel sessions or are discovering them for the first time, CUD‘s 40th anniversary tour is a chance to catch one of Britain’s most enduring and distinctive indie bands still doing what they do best.