Interpol: ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’ Anniversary Tour Announced

Interpol have announced a 15th anniversary tour in celebration of their 2002 debut album, Turn on the Bright Lights . On Monday, the rock band revealed European tour dates for the retrospective jaunt, which includes stops at summer festivals such as Romania’s Summer Well festival and Switzerland’s Openair festival.

In addition to the news of Interpol’s Turn on the Bright Lights anniversary outing, the New York-based indie outfit disclosed their progress in assembling a brand new album, tentatively slated to be released in 2018. It will be Interpol’s sixth studio album and the first since their critically heralded 2014 return-to-form LP, El Pintor .

The upcoming anniversary docket from Interpol — guitarist Daniel Kessler, singer-guitarist Paul Banks, and drummer Sam Fogarino — currently contains dates in Europe only. However, further tour dates are reportedly forthcoming. The TOTBL tour kicks off at Lucerna Music Bar in Prague, Czech Republic, on August 9, 2017.

Interpol performing in 2014. (L-R: Daniel Kessler, Paul Banks, Sam Fogarino) [Image by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images]

As reported by Paste magazine, the Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights 15th anniversary tour comprises concert dates from Austria to the Netherlands, wrapping up the currently publicized European leg with shows in the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. Interpol will be performing the Turn on the Bright Lights album in its entirety during the anniversary shows. TOTBL contained early Interpol hits like “PDA,” “Obstacle 1,” and “NYC.”

Interpol also made known the upcoming anniversary tour dates via their official website and social media outlets, posting a Turn on the Bright Lights tour announcement video on Instagram. Check out Interpol’s post below, which announces the anniversary tour dates with an animated version of the Interpol TOTBL album cover.

Pitchfork also covered the Interpol anniversary action, listing the announced tour dates for Interpol’s Turn on the Bright Lights outing. The online music magazine previously produced a video retrospective on Interpol’s TOTBL album, featuring interviews with Banks, Kessler, and Fogarino, which can be viewed online at their website.

Interpol singer Paul Banks during the ‘Turn on the Bright Lights’ era, ca. 2003. [Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]

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It has not been reported if former Interpol bassist Carlos Dengler (also known as Carlos D) will be rejoining the band for the anniversary tour. Dengler played bass and wrote orchestrations for Interpol from Turn on the Bright Lights through to their 2010 self-titled album, Interpol . He left the group after the completion of Interpol . Subsequent live bass duties in the band were then handled by David Pajo and ultimately Brad Truax. (Paul Banks recorded the bass tracks himself for Interpol’s 2014 album, El Pintor .)

In an interview with Interpol drummer Sam Fogarino promoting the 10th anniversary re-release of Bright Lights in 2012, the Athens, Georgia-based percussionist recalled his time performing with the erstwhile Interpol bassist. Fogarino told SPIN that he often misses the contributions of the bygone Interpol member.

“When we were putting this reissue together, there were moments where I missed Carlos. There was a part of me that took it personally when he left. […] But I still love him. I miss the times when we were a unit together.”

Carlos Dengler (Carlos D.) performing with Interpol in 2007. [Image by Michael Buckner/Getty Images]