Mott The Hoople: "We Thought It Was All Over"
Ian Hunter and Verden Allen explain the legendary British band’s unlikely return.
IN 2009 MOTT THE HOOPLE reformed to play a five stand at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. It was, for all intent and purposes, designed as a final bow. Four years on, however, and the British bovver rockers have announced a further set of five UK shows, much to surprise of all and sundry.
“I was totally convinced that was it,” says Mott frontman Ian Hunter, recalling the band’s Hammersmith run. “Now and again someone comes up with an offer and this time it got silly, so we thought why not?”
While Hunter is honest enough to admit that “it’s always nice when you get a few bob”, he’s also keen to stress just how much he enjoyed playing with the band again.
“It was great and it felt like now. It didn’t feel like on the pier at Butlins at all. So it was real good,” he smiles.
Speaking to MOJO’s Editor-In-Chief Phil Alexander on the MOJO Rocks radio show on Planet Rock, keyboard player Verden Allen also admits that the entire experience was “every emotional” the last time around. “We’ve got to keep up to the standards at the Apollo, if not get better than that,” he says of the forthcoming shows.
“Last time we genuinely didn’t know if we were going to work and it did,” adds Hunter. “We were never that great a band but there was something weird with us. If that had gone then we would have known that it was all over but it was still there, you know. The madness was there.”
Mott’s 2013 UK tour dates run as follows:
11 November – Birmingham Symphony Hall 13 November – Glasgow, Clyde Auditorium 16 November – Newcastle, City Hall 17 November – Manchester, O2 Apollo 18 November – London, The O2
Tickets are available here
Mott’s 2013 line-up features original members Ian Hunter (vocals/guitar / piano), Mick Ralphs (guitar/vocals), Verden Allen (keyboards/vocals), and Overend Watts (bass/vocals) with Martin Chambers replacing original drummer Dale Griffin who continues to battle health issues.
Hear Phil Alexander’s interview with Ian Hunter and Verden Allen (all of whom are pictured above) on MOJO Rocks on Saturday 6 July from 7.00pm. The show is repeated on Wednesday July 10 at 7.00pm
MOJO Rocks on Planet Rock can be heard on Digital Radio (Sky 0110, Virgin Media 924, Freesat 730), 105.2 FM West Midlands, planetrock.com and via iPhone & Android apps.