Arab Strap to reunite for 20th anniversary shows

The pair have not played live since 2006.

After teasing their return with a mysterious message last week, Scottish indie duo Arab Strap have confirmed that they will reunite for a trio of 20th anniversary shows.

The band have four shows set for October, in London, Manchester and Glasgow. They will also release a remix of their 1996 debut single ‘The First Big Weekend’, now called ‘The First Big Weekend of 2016’.

Speaking to Steve Lamacq on 6 Music yesterday (June 15), the pair – aka Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middelton – said that they had always planned to reunite after 10 years.

“I think the day we went to the pub and split up, we made a joke about Arab Strap getting back together in 10 years’ time to celebrate,” guitarist Middleton explained. “So that’s basically what this is: a chance to enjoy the music we made once more.”

Moffat added: “We wanted to celebrate it while we’re still relatively young and don’t look too embarrassing on the stage.”

Arab Strap formed in Falkirk in 1995 and became a key part of Glasgow’s music scene in the ’90s. They released six studio albums, starting out with The Week Never Starts Round Here in 1996 and finally, The Last Romance in 2005. They announced their split in September 2006 and played their final gig to date two months later in December in Japan.

The new single has been remixed by Glasgow-based producer Miaoux Miaoux. Listen to it below.

Listen to their debut 1996 single.