Gramotones ready for take-off

The Gramotones - Inspiral gigs

Band to support Inspiral Carpets on tour

Oldham’s two top bands will team up at five venues across the country in the run-up to Christmas.

Iconic Oldham stars the Inspiral Carpets are touring throughout December to promote their new album, their first in two decades.

Most of the 12 shows will be sell-outs, and fellow Oldham favourites the Gramotones - Jake Fletcher, Sid Cooper, Ryan Comac and James Cardus - will play support in Portsmouth, Cardiff, Sheffield, Birmingham and London.

The dates will cap a memorable year for the Gramotones, who themselves sold out Manchester’s legendary Band on the Wall earlier this month.

Guitar/vocalist Cooper said: “It’s great news. We got a call from the Carpets’ Graham Lambert asking us to play with them.

“If you’re from Oldham you can’t fail to be into the Inspiral Carpets really, or certainly not know who they are. They have deserved all their success over the years.

“It’s going to get us around the country again and hopefully we can pick up some more new fans, like we have been doing over the summer. It’s good; we’re all looking forward to it.”

Lambert said: “What a great line-up. It’ll be lovely to have the melody of the Gramotones on with us.”

Following superbly-received gigs supporting Paul Weller across Europe this summer and then the triumphant return to the Band on the Wall, 2015 promises plenty for the Gramotones following what is gearing up to be a hectic end to 2014.

Before the Gramotones’ first date with the Inspirals in Portsmouth on December 4, they head out for three more local shows in early November.

Listen to clips from Simon Smedley's interview with Sid Cooper.

Tickets for the Inspiral Carpets tour can be bought at www.gigsandtours.com.