Tenacious D planning June jaunt with summer 2012 UK dates - tickets available now/Friday 9th March

Tenacious D

Five years after their last visit, Tenacious D are returning to the UK for a whistle-stop June tour to promote their new album. The D's third album, 'Rize of the Fenix', will be released on 15th May and will once again feature Dave Grohl on drums as Jack Black and Kyle Gass continue to teeter between an homage to rock's great traditions and outright parody.

Formed a (slightly staggering) 18 years ago, Tenacious D didn't really start to blossom until Black's film career coincided with a few roles with musical leanings, including High Fidelity and, after the release of the self-titled debut, 2003's School of Rock. The first album made the Top 40 in both the UK and US markets, turning Platinum in the US.

Following the School of Rock revelation that Jack Black was an accomplished vocalist and, less surprisingly, a theatrical frontman, the 2006 record 'The Pick of Destiny' faired even better. It helped that it was paired with a hit film of, more or less, the same name, this time making the Top 10 either side of the pond.

Six years after audiences finally came to terms with Black's myriad talents ("He sings! He plays guitar!! He's fat and he doesn't care!!!"), an altogether leaner Black has, with Gass, finally completed a third album.

Jack Black and Kyle Gass will be bringing Tenacious D back to the UK with a series of June gigs that begin with two nights at the O2 Academy in Brixton on 5th and 6th, followed by an appearance at Download 2012 on Saturday 9th June, Manchester Apollo on 10th June, before the final date announced so far at the SECC in Glasgow on 12th June 2012.

We will have tickets for the London and Manchester dates available when they go on sale at 9am on Friday 9th March, priced around £35.

We have tickets for Download 2012 available now, priced from £75 for Saturday day tickets. Saturday sees Tenacious D sharing the bill with Metallica and Biffy Clyro, among others.

Stewart Darkin