Former Dead Can Dance man and long-time Cavan resident Brendan Perry has confirmed that he’s playing on the Sunday at the Electric Picnic.
As part of a massive 100-date world tour, he’s also visiting the Tripod, Dublin (May 26); The Pavilion, Cork (27); and Roisin Dubh, Galway (28). Tickets for the Tripod go on sale on Monday April 12 priced ?24.70 and ?29.50.
Ahead of that comes the release of a new solo album, Ark, which has been delayed as a consequence of Perry hiring and firing two managers. The Londoner is now being looked after by “trusted colleague” Colin Wallace who also guides the career of the Cocteau Twins’ Liz Frazer.
“My latest album Ark has been a truly independent effort on my part, in which I have written, performed, recorded and produced all of the compositions therein,” he says on his ark.brendan-perry.com website. “My working process for this album is more akin to that of an artisan who oversees the entire creative process from start to finish. Ark comprises eight original compositions in total that explore the recurring themes of identity, alienation, war, political corruption and the threat that we as a species now pose to our environment.
“Despite the dystopian themes that pervade these eight compositions, there are also expressions of great hope and optimism for a better world to be found within the subtext of the songs. For an Ark as well as being a refuge from the world's harsher realities is also a vehicle for regeneration and renewal. Ark is not really a concept album in the traditional sense of the term, but rather a series of sustained observations and commentaries on the human condition. 

"Like most of my previous work I had no preconceived notion of what the songs subject matter would be other than to follow my gut instinct, refining and distilling the music and my thoughts as they came to me.”
The good news for seasoned fans is that, “Ark is more reminiscent of the music I have written for Dead Can Dance than my previous solo work and contains two tracks, ‘Babylon’ and ‘Crescent’, that were originally composed for the Dead Can Dance reunion tour of 2005.”
The site also has a fascinating ‘Making Of’ mini-documentary, which suggests we’re in for a treat!