High-energy punk rockers The Iron Roses (featuring Boysetsfire‘s Nathan Gray) have announced a string of UK and European tour dates this November. With special guests Clowns and Smoke or Fire‘s Joe McMahon, the 15-date tour begins on 28th November in Austria and finishes up on 13th December in Manchester.
This tour marks the first time both Gray and McMahon have toured Europe since the Covid-19 pandemic, and is also Gray‘s first time touring with the full Iron Roses line-up.
Nathan Gray and The Iron Roses released their last full-length album, ‘Rebel Songs,’ in 2021 via End Hits Records and Iodine Recordings. Smoke or Fire recently released a collection of their rare and out-of-print material with ‘Beauty Fades,’ featuring some of the best songs the band has ever written that Joe McMahon often still plays in his live sets.
With a sound as diverse as its bandmates, The Iron Roses deliver high-energy, punk-driven music for the excluded, unheard and unseen self-healers of the world. They seamlessly bring together three-part harmonies, doo-wop, reggae, heart-pounding anthemic punk guitars, and hip-hop into one set while bringing a message of love and support for all.
Led by Nathan Gray, a 25-year veteran of the stage, band’s latest release ‘Rebel Songs’ is a melting pot of influences that Gray grew up on. For him, it was important to build a band that represents many, and the formation of The Iron Roses brought together a group of humans who share Gray’s passion for music and the human experience.
Many of them are very open about their own struggles with mental illness and trauma, and that vulnerability has made their live show and their fanbase what it is – a loving, inclusive gathering of people unafraid to be broken.
“What once began as the healing journey of one human has evolved beautifully into a community of individuals who create and heal together,” shares Gray about the band change and turning his solo project into a full band. “Each of the six of us have poured heart and soul into the both the art AND the purpose of what this band brings to the world, and we are honored to introduce you to The Iron Roses. No more ‘&’. Just us – together. This next chapter is a collective undertaking. Hope you’ll join us along the way.”
“As I’ve alluded to several times, I have come out as queer in both my sexuality and my gender identity, in order to express who I’ve always been,” Gray continues. “This has nothing to do with who I love and want to be with, and more about loving myself and who I want to be… and who I want to be is ME, an honest person who openly allows my family and friends to support and love me as I truly am. I chose them, they chose me, and now is time to move forward on this journey together without hiding myself any longer. I’m tired of living with deeply ingrained fear and shame, so I’m gonna be more me from now on.”
Full The Iron Roses tour dates with Clowns and Joe McMahon below:
November 28th – PPC – Graz, Austria
November 29th – Posthof – Linz, Austria
November 30th – Backstage – Munchen, Germany
December 1st – Exil – Zurich, Switzerland
December 2nd – Wizemann Club – Stuttgart, German
December 3rd – Musikzentrum – Hannover, Germany
December 4th – Conne Island – Leipzig, Germany
December 5th – Hirsch – Nurnberg, Germany
December 6th – Knust – Hamburg, Germany
December 7th – Columbia Theater – Berlin, Germany
December 8th – Essigfabrik – Koln, Germany
December 9th – Volt – Sittard, Netherlands
December 11th – Underworld – London, UK
December 12th – The Exchange – Bristol, UK
December 13th – Satan’s Hollow – Manchester, UK