Sleep Play at ATP

Yes, Sleep played shows May 10 and 11 at the ATP festival in the UK. Wow, is all I have to say. 

However, why the hell did these California natives (and super-influential doomsters) play their first show together in almost a decade in the UK? Why, why, why, why?! 
Here’s a clip from the show–a sample of Dopesmoker:
And for further reading, here an article from Brooklyn Vegan, which provides some interesting background info. 

Sleep reuniting for The Fans Strike Back, an ATP UK festival

by Black Bubblegum

Al Cisneros & Matt Pike of Sleep in High School 1990 
Sleep

From our interview with Om at ATP:

BV: If you got a call from Matt Pike and Chris [Hakius] today to reunite for a show or two, would you be into reforming Sleep?

Al Cisneros: Reforming? No.

That interview was conducted 42 days ago. Today comes word that, Al Cisneros DID indeed get a call and WILL reform doom titans Sleep to perform their classic mid-90s touchstone, Holy Mountain as well as “highlights from Dopesmoker and more”! Al Cisneros (OmShrinebuilder). Matt Pike (High On FireKalas). Chris Hakius (ex-Om). Together.

Sleep will share the stage with DevoSpiritualized, and Grails at ATP UK’s The Fans Strike Back in Minehead on May 8th-10th, 2009, playing two nights which will be a “world exclusive that will never be repeated”. DAMMMIT! Ugh. Anyway, what does “The Fans Strike Back” mean?

For this festival we are reviving something we did in 2007; asking the people that come to the festival to decide who plays! So half of the lineup is chosen by us (ATP) and the other half by you. Everyone that buys a ticket will get a chance to vote for 10 acts they would like to appear at the festival, and we will be compiling charts of the results and approaching acts to see if they are available to play the festival…

Voting will commence in just over 2 weeks on Monday 17th November.

ATP are also playing host to the Melvins / Mike Patton curated Nightmare before Christmas on Dec 5-7th.

In other ridiculously-awesome-American-doom-bands-that-are-not-reuniting-in-America-news, Al Cisneros’s Shrinebuilder bandmate Wino is getting Saint Vitusback together at Roadburn.

Also Om related: Grails have a show coming up at Union Pool and another withFlower Travellin’ Band.

Om is currently touring Europe. Tour dates and some videos are below…

Sleep – An ENTIRE LIVE SET from 1994, while on tour with Hawkwind

Sleep – “Dragonaut”

OM – 2008 TOUR DATES
Nov 1 Custard Factory Birmingham
Nov 2 Ikra Club Moscow
Nov 3 Tavastia Helsinki
Nov 5 Garage Oslo
Nov 6 Nefertiti Jazz Club Gothenburg
Nov 7 Loppen Copenhagen



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