Young Knives have always thrived on being the outsiders — the art‑rock misfits who somehow gate‑crashed the mid‑2000s indie boom with sharp suits, sharper riffs and a sense of humour that cut through the noise. Now, two decades on from the album that made them cult heroes, the band are stepping back into the spotlight to celebrate the record that changed everything.
This winter, the trio will head out on a 14‑date UK tour honouring the 20th anniversary of their Mercury‑nominated debut Voices of Animals and Men. Kicking off in Norwich on 12 November, the run winds through Nottingham, Portsmouth, Carlisle, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Bristol and Brighton, before closing with two hometown shows in Oxford on 10–11 December. Tickets are on sale now via their website.
Released in August 2006 and produced by Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, Voices of Animals and Men was a strange, brilliant bolt of energy — jittery post‑punk rhythms, surreal storytelling, and a sense of emotional rawness that lurked beneath the band’s eccentric exterior. It spawned Top 40 singles including Here Comes The Rumour Mill, She’s Attracted To and Weekends And Bleak Days (Hot Summer), and earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination the following year.
Frontman Henry Dartnall reflects on the album with a mixture of affection and awe:
“We’ve connected with so many people through Voices of Animals and Men, and it feels like the right moment to celebrate it. We owe a debt of gratitude to this record, so these shows are a chance to acknowledge where we came from.”
He remembers the sessions with Gill as chaotic, emotional and transformative — “a funny, drinky time,” he says, but also deeply thoughtful and ultimately life‑changing.
Formed in 1996 in Ashby‑de‑la‑Zouch by brothers Henry and Thomas Bonsu‑Dartnall (aka The House of Lords) with school friend Oliver Askew, Young Knives built their early reputation on wiry art‑punk and a gloriously awkward stage presence. Their move to Oxford brought them to local label Shifty Disco, and soon after, to Transgressive Records — then a fledgling imprint with major‑label muscle behind it.
For a while, Young Knives were everywhere: MTV2 rotation, BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music playlists, sold‑out tours, and a Mercury nomination that cemented their place in the era’s alternative landscape. Tracks like The Decision, Terra Firma and Turn Tail became calling cards for a band who never quite fit the mould — and never wanted to.
By 2010, the trio had built their own studio and launched their label Gadzook, choosing independence over industry expectation. The albums that followed — Ornaments From the Silver Arcade, Sick Octave, Barbarians and 2025’s Landfill — showcased a band committed to experimentation, self‑determination and the joy of making music on their own terms.
After a run of sold‑out dates in support of Landfill, the band are now ready to revisit the record that started it all — not out of nostalgia, but out of gratitude.
Support on the tour comes from rising London trio Hot Face, fresh from releasing their debut album Automated Response via Speedy Wunderground.
Full Tour Dates
12 Nov – Norwich, Waterfront Studio
13 Nov – Nottingham, Metronome
14 Nov – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms
19 Nov – Carlisle, Old Fire Station
20 Nov – Glasgow, Oran Mor
21 Nov – Newcastle, The Grove
27 Nov – Leeds, Brudenell
28 Nov – Manchester, Band On The Wall
03 Dec – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
04 Dec – London, Heaven
05 Dec – Bristol, Strange Brew
09 Dec – Brighton, Concorde 2
10 Dec – Oxford, The Bullingdon
11 Dec – Oxford, The Bullingdon
