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Lumiere have announced that they are to play their first live dates since a major re-working of the band's lineup towards the end of last year. Although not all of the dates are confirmed, it seems likely that they will all take place in the Camden Town area, with the first confirmed date seeing a return to the band's first ever venue, the Camden Dublin Castle, on 24 January. The official Lumiere website, www.lumiere.org.uk, is updated weekly, so as soon as the gigs are confirmed, all information can be found there.
The January dates will be the band's first live performances since singer and co-founder Shelley Hannan regretfully announced that he had to retire from the band for health reasons. Under the new lineup, former keyboard player Kim will be stepping behind the microphone, with his place taken by Cade, younger brother of co-founders Shelley and Ryan. The band's lineup has also been affected by the departure of bass player Toshi, who has since fulfilled a personal dream by joining AntiProduct. Although it seems likely that the band's forthcoming live dates will be performed without a bass player, their website implies that in the long term, they are hoping to replace Toshi.
These various setbacks arrive shortly after the band released its first record, the 'Faith EP', which is still available at gigs and online at www.burbs.co.uk, as a reminder of the achievements of the old Lumiere.
Despite the strange and difficult circumstances surrounding Lumiere at the moment, they proceed with optimism. A letter from Ryan to fans of the band towards the end of last year explained that Shelley "will still be involved... in the song-writing and visual direction of the band", and described the change as "A different voice, but still with Shelley's words". It seems that in the face of tragic and obstinate challenges, the band is more determined than ever to continue bringing about its unique vision.
