THE CAT EMPIRE announce the European leg of their World Tour

The Cat Empire 

announce the European leg of their WORLD TOUR

photo Paul Smith Images

 “Celebrating their 10th year as a self-made touring phenomenon"

The youngest Aussie band to turn 10 years old, in 2011 THE CAT EMPIRE celebrate the 10th anniversary of their first show together. In an industry where few bands survive beyond the first album, if even making it that far, 10 years is a big achievement. Considering they are still all under the age of 30, and have consolidated themselves as a world class touring act, it's outstanding.

To celebrate this milestone, the band are undertaking a world tour, and Europe is the next stop. "We feel incredibly grateful to the fans who supported in the early days, and have continued to support as our career gained momentum. Its important to get to all of them this year to celebrate. Europe – you’re next."

For fans in London, this means the chance to go back to where they first discovered The Cat Empire – undoubtedly on the dance floor at The Shepherds Bush Empire, or step it up a notch and see them lift the roof off Brixton Academy. Fans in Amsterdam will be quick to grab tiks to two shows at The Paradiso, and those French fanatics who have been known to cross multiple borders in car convoys to see the band, will be happy to see a run of shows closer to home. This string of almost 30 live dates kick off in the UK on Oct 18, finishing up in Germany on Nov 17 after visiting France, Switzerland, Austria and The Netherlands.

The Cat Empire’s 10 year anniversary is rare success story, which shows that a combination of hard work, great songs, a good vibe, a genuine vision, and a little bit of luck go a long way.

The first Australian tours were undertaken in a convoy of cars handed down from parents, or borrowed from friends, sleeping on the floors of friends of friends, and putting up their own posters at each stop. Word quickly spread about this young band that could deliver a party like no other. Soon they were undertaking national tours, and financing their first album, all under their own steam. By the time they signed their first record deal they were packing out concert halls in each Australian major city, and had a solid fan base all over the country.

It wasn’t long until the rest of the world heard about The Empire, and an international army of supporters formed. The band members credit their Australian fans and international backpackers in Australia for marketing them overseas. "Everywhere we went overseas, people would come up to us and say a friend in Australia sent the album to them, or ‘one of our mates who travelled through Australia brought it back and we all burned it!’" In fact, The Cat Empire suspect illegal piracy of their album in countries where it was not available overseas ended up being their greatest marketing machine. "We would arrive in cities like Berlin and Barcelona for the first time, and everyone in the audience would already know the words to every song. I guess the money we lost in cd sales through those territories, we have made by getting so many fans on board, so although we don’t endorse it, we certainly cant begrudge the file sharing."

The band has now sold over a million albums and DVDs in all parts of the world. They have headlined global festivals, won ARIAs, and played on Letterman and Leno, contributed where they can to a range of causes, and maintained a cool under the radar presence while still playing to stadiums worth of fans at each stop. When asked what their biggest achievement is in 10 years as a band, there is a unanimous "staying together". While other 20 something’s were going to university, working odd jobs, hanging out with friends in share houses, Ryan, Will, Ollie, Harry, Jumps, Felix and the Empire Horns - Ross and Kieran, spent their twenties trawling across continents in tour buses, playing to audiences night after night, quietly building their Empire, and making you-tube videos to pass the time. This experience has brought them together as a band, and defined them as individuals. It has made them into nothing short of world class.

SHOW DATES AND TICKET DETAILS – THE CAT EMPIRE EUROPE 2011

Tues Oct 18 UK, Bournemouth O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Wed Oct 19 UK, Birmingham O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Thurs Oct 20 UK, London O2 Shepherds Bush Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Fri Oct 21 UK, London O2 Brixton Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Sun Oct 23 UK, Bristol O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Mon Oct 24 UK, Bristol O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Tues Oct 25 UK, Sheffield O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Wed Oct 26 UK, Glasgow O2 ABC Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Thurs Oct 27 UK, Newcastle O2 Academy Tel: 0844 477 2000 ticketweb.co.uk
Sat Oct 29 UK, Manchester Academy Tel: 0844 811 0051 www.gigsandtours.com

Mon Oct 31 FRANCE, Rouen Le 106
Tues Nov 1 HOLLAND, Amsterdam Paradiso
Wed Nov 2 HOLLAND, Amsterdam Paradiso
Fri Nov 4 FRANCE, Paris Olympia
Sat Nov 5 FRANCE, Rennes Le Liberte
Sun Nov 6 FRANCE, Nantes La Carriere
Mon Nov 7 FRANCE, Bordeaux Krakatoa
Wed Nov 9 FRANCE, Clermont Ferrand La Cooperative
Thurs Nov 10 FRANCE, Strasbourg La Laiterie
Fri Nov 11 TBC
Sat Nov 12 SWITZERLAND, Zurich Komplex
Mon Nov 14 AUSTRIA, Vienna Gasometer
Tues Nov 15 GERMANY, Munich Kesselhaus
Wed Nov 16 GERMANY, Berlin Astra
Thurs Nov 17 GERMANY, Hamburg Docks