Former Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi has unveiled a huge new career move, confirming he will be going on tour. The star, who was previously in a punk band called The Dreamboys before he made it as an actor, shared how the “punk explosion” initially inspired his musical ambitions.
The Twelfth Doctor actor will do eight dates across the UK next February and March, kicking things off in Newcastle before hitting stops such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Nottingham and London.
The tour is set to showcase the “dark synths, fuzzy guitars and noirish romanticism of a young rocker trapped in the body of a beloved television veteran”, and comes after a live appearance earlier this year.
“I was in a band at art school. Fired up by the punk explosion, we went out into the world in search of rock stardom, and well… I became an actor,” Capaldi explained. “But I never lost my love for music, and in recent years have produced two albums of original songs, St. Christopher and this year’s Sweet Illusions.
“Recording, with all the advantages of the digital age is one thing. Playing live is another, but I wanted to see if I could go out after all of these years and play live in front of an audience. Well, let’s see what happens. I’ve lucked out with my band, a group of wonderful young musicians who have bravely come on board for the ride.”
Simon Ridgway//BBC
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Tickets for the tour will go on sale tomorrow at 10am, and are available here. The full dates are below:
• Tuesday 24 February – Newcastle, The Cluny
• Thursday 26 February – Manchester, Academy 3
• Friday 27 February – Edinburgh, La Bell Angele
• Sunday 1 March – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
• Tuesday 3 March – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
• Wednesday 4 March – Cardiff, The Globe
• Thursday 5 March – Brighton, Concorde 2
• Sunday 8 March – London, 100 Club
Meanwhile, last year Capaldi ruled out a return to the role of the Doctor, having played the Time Lord between 2014 and 2017.
Ray Burmiston//BBC
“No,” he told Forbes. “I’m a long-standing Doctor Who fan from being a kid. [Criminal Record character Daniel] Hegarty is the same age as me, so maybe he watched Doctor Who, too.
“He’s of that era. I like the idea that my Doctor is still out there. He’s not available to come and be on television. The real Doctor is not on TV, the real Doctor is out there.”
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.