D E V O

To perform their 1978 milestone album
“Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo”
in its entirety for the very first time for Don’t Look Back

24 HR TICKET HOTLINE: 0871 220 0260 www.atpfestival.com, www.seetickets.com

All Tomorrow’s Parties are pleased to announce that DEVO have confirmed they will perform the world premiere live performance of their legendary 1977 Brian Eno produced album “Q. ARE WE NOT MEN, ARE WE DEVO?” at the London Forum on Wednesday May 6th 2009.

This will be a one-off performance of the album, exclusive to the London Kentish Town Forum, and the very first time the band will perform the album in its entirety. This rare concert will be part of the DON’T LOOK BACK album series. Tickets cost £30 and can be ordered from the ticket hotline: 0871 220 0260, or booked online at www.atpfestival.com or www.seetickets.com.

On May 8th, DEVO will perform a gala greatest hits concert at the world famous ATP Festival – The Fans Strike Back edition at Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead.

DEVO are the unmistakable American rock group formed in Akron, Ohio in 1972 by Kent State art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh. Their innovative and ground-breaking 1978 debut album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo, produced by Brian Eno, was originally released to worldwide acclaim in 1978. They were also one of the first American rock acts to sign to the UK-based record label Stiff Records.

Devo took its name from their concept of "de-evolution" — the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society.

Their music echoed this view of society as rigid, repressive, and mechanical, with appropriate touches — jerky, robotic rhythms; an obsession with technology and electronics (the group was among the first non-prog rock bands to make the synthesizer a core element); often atonal melodies and chord progressions — all of which were filtered through the perspectives of social misfits.

Devo evolved into a cult sensation, helped in part by their concurrent emphasis on highly stylised visuals, and achieved mainstream chart success with the smash single Whip It (the single made it to #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart), whose memorable video was made a staple by the fledgling MTV network in the early 1980s.

Over the years the band have released an collection of unforgettable songs including Jocko Homo, Mongoloid, Come Back Jonee, Secret Agent Man, Freedom of Choice, Through Being Cool, That’s Good, Girl U Want, Beautiful World, Peek-A-Boo and a deconstructed version of the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction.

Their style has been variously classified as punk, art rock and post-punk, but they are most often remembered for their late 1970s and early 1980s new wave music which, along with other name bands, ushered in the synth pop sound of the 1980s.

Devo's music and stage show mingle science fiction themes, surrealist humor, and mordantly satirical social commentary via sometimes-discordant pop songs that often feature unusual synthetic instrumentation and time signatures. After a critically acclaimed 35-year long run, a staggering discography and a solid, inimitable personality, Devo continue to push the envelope, and remain both an innovator and driving force on the ever-changing technological world of music.