It’s been 20 years since the release of their self-titled debut album and to mark the occasion French bossa nova new wave stylists Nouvelle Vague return to the UK to perform the classics and launch their new album, ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?’, which will be released on 16th February.

The band created their own genre by cherry-picking the finest new wave and indie classics and reinventing them in an irresistible Brazilian bossa style. Their repertoire has included songs from the likes of Buzzcocks, Depeche Mode, Joy Division and Yazoo, amongst dozens of others and their third album NV3 (2009) featured collaborations with Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, Ian McCulloch from Echo & The Bunnymen, Terry Hall and Barry Adamson.

Opening the show are Kill The Pain, a collaboration between Melanie Pain and Phoebe Killdeer, long-time and occasional vocalists respectively for the headliners. This intriguing pairing create a kaleidoscope of sounds and styles, a joyful helter skelter of Latin percussion, funky bass, fraught electric guitars, uninhibited vocals, Afrobeat drums, and 80s keyboards that should ensure a busy crowd from early doors.

Chalk, Thursday 7th March 2024