Pre-sale: GUN announce November and December 2022 UK tour

They play nine headline shows

GUN
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 30th May 2022

GUN have announced a new headline UK tour for this coming November and December.

The Scottish rockers will play a total of nine shows opening at Bradford Nightrain on Wednesday 30th November and calling in at London, Nuneaton, Blackpool, Bath, Sunderland, Galashiels and Glasgow before concluding at Aberdeen Lemon Tree on Sunday 11th December.

Planet Rock has an exclusive 48-hour tickets pre-sale to the tour, which starts RIGHT HERE at 10am on Wednesday 1st June. General sale follows on Friday.

The tour follows the Friday 14th October release of GUN’s new album ‘The Calton Songs’ via Cherry Red Records.

Taking its name from the area of Glasgow where the band grew up, ‘The Calton Songs’ features reworked versions of tracks from GUN’s distinguished 33-year recording career.

Songs given new reworkings include their debut single ‘Better Days’ and latest release ‘Backstreet Brothers’, which is currently on the Planet Rock playlist.

Guitarist Jools Gizzi says of the record: “When the pandemic hit we realised that it was the perfect time to try and counteract the bleakness that was all around.

“It felt like we couldn’t write anything, or of course tour. Out of that darkness came a desire to completely rework these songs that we know the fans love, and bring a different, stripped-down vibe. ‘Better Days’ was the first one to get the treatment, and that really brought all our enthusiasm back and relit the creative fires.”

GUN - 'The Calton Songs'

Singer Dante Gizzi adds: “It’s ironic that those feelings of negativity led to something so positive, a celebration of our career up to now. It turned into something great, and ‘Backstreet Brothers’ really sums up that unalloyed enthusiasm that has been brought back into the heart of the band”.

GUN’s UK tour dates:

NOVEMBER 2022

Bradford Nightrain – Wed 30th

DECEMBER 2022

London Islington Academy – Thu 1st

Nuneaton Queens Hall – Fri 2nd

Blackpool The Waterloo – Sun 4th

Bath Jomedia – Mon 5th

Sunderland Firestation – Tue 6th

Galashiels Mac Arts Centre – Wed 7th

Glasgow Barrowland – Sat 10th

Aberdeen Lemon Tree – Sun 11th

Buy GUN tickets

23 rock bands named after movies:

Black Sabbath

Previously called Earth (and prior to that The Polka Tulk Blues Band), Black Sabbath named themselves after their own song 'Black Sabbath', which took its moniker from the 1963 horror anthology film of the same name starring the legendary Boris Karloff.

Black Sabbath (1963)

A poster for the 1963 Black Sabbath movie starring Boris Karloff.

Them

Northern Irish rockers Them, whose timeless anthem 'Gloria' launched Van Morrison's musical career, named themselves after the 1954 science fiction monster movie Them!

Them! (1954)

A poster for the 1954 horror movie Them!

White Zombie

In 1985, the then 20-year-old Rob Zombie – born Robert Cummings – named his band after the 1932 horror movie White Zombie starring Bela Lugosi. The highly influential movie is widely considered the first feature length zombie film, and it even inspired Cummings' stage name.

White Zombie (1932)

Bela Lugosi and a zombie in 1932's White Zombie.

Five Finger Death Punch

After watching Quentin Tarantino's 2004 martial arts classic Kill Bill: Volume 2, the Las Vegas metallers toyed with calling themselves Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique in homage to the character Pai Mei's fearsome killing technique. Although fascinated with the concept, former drummer Jeremy Spencer told Michigan Live in 2013: "That didn't sound cool. So, we changed it to Five Finger Death Punch."

Kill Bill 2 (2004)

Uma Thurman (The Bride / Beatrix Kiddo) and Gordon Liu (Pai Mei) in 2004's Kill Bill 2.

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden bassist and founder Steve Harris came up with the band's name after watching the 1939 movie The Man in the Iron Mask, which featured an iron maiden torture device.

The Man in the Iron Mask (1939)

A still from the 1939 movie The Man in the Iron Mask.

Gojira

The French heavy metallers take their name from Gojira, the original Japanese name for Godzilla. The 1954 Japanese kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda is widely regarded as a classic of cinema.

Gojira (1954)

A poster for the 1954 movie Gojira – aka Godzilla.

My Bloody Valentine

It's widely reported that the influential Irish shoegaze band are named after the 1981 Canadian slasher film My Bloody Valentine. However, MBV vocalist and guitarist Kevin Shields claims that it was only a few years after they formed that they discovered they shared their moniker with a "really crap terrible Canadian film."

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

A still from the 1981 horror movie My Bloody Valentine.

Misfits

Glenn Danzig named his highly influential horror punk band after Marilyn Monroe's final movie, 1961's The Misfits.

The Misfits (1961)

Marilyn Monroe in 1961's The Misfits.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Canadian purveyors of apocalyptic post-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, are named after the 1976 Japanese documentary film God Speed You! Black Emperor, directed by Mitsuo Yanagimachi. The film follows a group of motorcyclists called the Black Emperors.

God Speed You! Black Emperor (1976)

God Speed You! Black Emperor the movie (1976)

The Searchers

The Merseybeat group took their name from the epic Western film The Searchers, starring John Wayne and directed by John Ford.

The Searchers (1956)

John Wayne in 1956's The Searchers.

Mogwai

Scottish post rockers Mogwai are named after the ultra-cute little furry creatures in classic 1984 movie Gremlins, who turn into monstrous gremlins if you feed them past midnight.

Gremlins (1984)

The cute lead Mogwai called Gizmo in Gremlins.

Mudhoney

The first of three consecutive acts named after Russ Meyer movies, Seattle grunge pioneers Mudhoney took their moniker from Meyer's 1965 movie Mudhoney.

Mudhoney (1965)

A still from Russ Meyer's 1965 movie Mudhoney

Faster Pussycat

In 1985, a good three years before Mudhoney formed, Los Angeles hard rockers derived their name from the Russ Meyer's movie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! about three go-go dancers who embark on a kidnapping and murder spree in the California desert.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)

A still from Russ Meyer's 1965 movie Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Motorpsycho

With Mudhoney and Faster Pussycat having already taking their monikers from Russ Meyer flicks, Norwegian psych-rockers Motorpyscho named themselves in homage to Meyer's ultra-violent 1965 film Motorpsycho.

Motorpsycho (1965)

A still from Russ Meyer's 1965 movie Motorpsycho

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

San Francisco alt-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are named after Marlon Brando's motorcycle club in the 1953 film The Wild One.

The Wild One (1953)

Marlon Brando and his Black Rebels Motorcycle Club in The Wild One (1953)

Atreyu

American metalcore band are named after the character Atreyu in Michael Ende's fantasy book The NeverEnding Story and its 1984 movie adaptation.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Atreyu in The NeverEnding Story (1984)

Bring Me The Horizon

Although not directly named after a movie or character, Bring Me The Horizon took their memorable moniker from a line spoken by Captain Jack Sparrow in the 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp, says: "Now, bring me that horizon!"

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the 2003 movie Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Billy Talent

Canadian rockers Billy Talent took inspiration for their band name from the character Billy Talent, played by Callum Keith Rennie, in the 1996 mockumentary Hard Core Logo.

Hard Core Logo (1996)

Callum Keith Rennie (Billy Talent) in Hard Core Logo.

They Might Be Giants

Brooklyn alt-rockers They Might Be Giants are named after the 1971 comedy mystery film of the same name starring George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward.

They Might Be Giants (1971)

The poster for 1971 movie They Might Be Giants.

Eppu Normaali

One of Finland's most popular rock bands, Eppu Normaali is a Finnish translation of "Abby Normal" from Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy horror movie Young Frankenstein.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

In Mel Brooks' 1974 comedy horror movie Young Frankenstein, the character Igor (pictured) confesses he took the monster's brain from someone called "Abby Normal."

The Damned

Although the gothic rockers haven't confirmed or denied it, it's reported that guitarist Brian James named the group after the 1969 historical drama movie The Damned.

The Damned movie (1969)

A still from 1969 movie The Damned.

Fine Young Cannibals

The Birmingham pop rockers, who scored chart hits with 'She Drives Me Crazy' and 'Suspicious Minds', are named after the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals starring Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood.

All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960)

Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood in All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960).

Duran Duran

Admittedly they're NOT rock (despite being 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees) but Duran Duran are named after Dr. Durand Durand, Irish actor Milo O'Shea's character from the 1968 sci-fi movie Barbarella.

Barbarella (1968)

Dr. Durand Durand in Barbarella (1968).

Listen to Planet Rock on DAB nationwide, on our free app, online, via your smart speaker (“Play Planet Rock”) and on Freesat.