Matchbox Twenty announce Manchester Apollo date

May 2 2008 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

AMERICAN rock giants Matchbox Twenty have announced a UK tour – including a Manchester Apollo date – to promote new album Exile on Mainstream.

The new release comes five years after their previous album. In the interim, singer Rob Thomas launched a chart-topping solo career.

When the band reconvened, the original plan was to contribute to a greatest hits collection that might have become their swan song.

But Thomas said: “We got together, we fought, we laid all our stuff out about what was important to us now, and we started to write. And suddenly it was like, ‘This is fun. Maybe we should do a new album’.”

The end result is really the best of both worlds with new tracks running alongside classic hits like Disease, Push and If You’re Gone.

Last year marked the tenth anniversary of Matchbox Twenty’s’s breakthrough into the mainstream. Their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You was released in the autumn of 1996 and began an initial slow burn with the rock radio success of Long Day.

The band will be appearing at the Apollo in Manchester on Monday, May 5. Ring 0844 477 7677 for tickets.