Back in the '90s, Boston alt-rockers The Lemonheads, led by indie pin-up Evan Dando, were a force to be reckoned with. Their track 'It's a Shame About Ray', and the album of the same name, were a big hit here and in the US.

College drop-out Dando had formed The Lemonheads in a 1986 (as 'The Whelps'), along with Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz, but the breakthrough didn't come until the band's fifth studio LP, 'It's a Shame About Ray', a top 40 album in the UK.

The tracks for 'Ray' were written when Dando briefly relocated to Australia and the Antipodean sunshine comes through in the music, to whose warm embrace thousands flocked. A cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'Mrs Robinson' was tagged onto the re-release after being a surprise hit and featuring on the Wayne's World 2 soundtrack. The follow-up album, 'Come on Feel The Lemonheads' did even better, reaching No 5 in the UK.

For all the magazine covers, there was always the sense that fans loved Dando first and the music second and in 1997, after a relatively short time in the limelight, The Lemonheads hit the pause button. They didn't reform until 2004, although with a new line-up (Dando is the only constant).

The Lemonheads are playing their first UK gigs in two years with a series of dates announced for late 2011 and, as is the fashion (and as they did in 2005), an influential band is playing its most influential record live 'in its entirety'.

The band will be performing 1992's 'It's a Shame About Ray' at Portsmouth's Wedgewood Rooms on 30th November, moving on to Nottingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester and others, before the final show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on 13th December.

We will have tickets for all dates from 9AM (5PM for Birmingham) on Friday 15th July, priced from £15 - £17.50.