MC5 Announce First New Album In Over 50 Years, ‘Heavy Lifting’
MC5 have announced their first album in over 50 years, titled Heavy Lifting, and a series of US tour dates for May 2022.
The band took to Instagram yesterday, 9 March, to post a video, featuring old footage of the punk veterans and a snippet of the album’s title track, Heavy Lifting. The song also features Rage Against The Machine‘s Tom Morello.
MC5 have reformed with original member Wayne Kramer, Pollo Elastica’s Brad Brooks, Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Vicki Randle (Mavis Staples) and guitarist Stevie Salas.
Heavy Lifting, which is due to drop later this year, will be the band’s first proper studio effort since 1971’s High Time and sees Kramer collaborating with Morello, Kesha, Jill Sobule, Tim McIlrath, and Alejandro Escovedo.
The band will also hit the road for a US tour in May, dates for which you can view below. Tickets for the shows will go on sale this Friday, 11 March and further information is available via Wayne Kramer’s Facebook page.
Meanwhile, MC5 were recently nominated for this year’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame alongside Eminem, Kate Bush, Beck, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Rage Against The Machine, A Tribe Called Quest, Carly Simon, Judas Priest, Fela Kuti, New York Dolls, Dionne Warwick, DEVO and Pat Benatar.
A body of more than 1,000 artists, industry members and historians will help decide which five acts out of the 17 will progress into the final round of induction consideration. Fans also have the chance to contribute to the selection process by voting every day online or at the museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
This year’s is the Detroit rockers’ sixth nomination over the years ahead of the final shortlist in May.
Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Tina Turner all featured in the 2021 cohort of inductees alongside The Go-Go’s, Carole King and Todd Rundgren in the Performers category. Kraftwerk, Gil Scott-Heron and Charley Patton, meanwhile, each received the Early Influence Award.
MC5 play the following dates:
May 05: El Club, Detroit, MI
May 06: Thunderbird, Pittsburgh, PA
May 07: Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA
May 08: Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY
May 12: Harlow’s, Sacramento, CA
May 13: Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
May 14: The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
May 15: Soda Bar, San Diego, CA