The reunited Pavement will headline and curate next year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead. Their appearance on the Butlins holiday camp stage is the re-formed indie band's only UK concert announced so far.
Pavement join a long line of past ATP curators, including Sonic Youth, Mogwai and Portishead. Curators not only perform at the festival, but work with organisers to select the lineup, film screenings, bonus events, and even help programme the resort's television channel.
The beloved American group broke up in 1999, not long before the first All Tomorrow's Parties event. Over the years, a Pavement reunion has often topped festival wish lists, and the group was solicited for several fan-curated events. Now, finally, Mark Ibold, Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West are coming to Minehead – and fans may even get the chance to watch them bowl.
Besides Pavement's ATP weekend, 14-16 May 2010, the reunited band have only announced one other concert, at New York's Central Park in September.
Pavement will of course be bringing friends to ATP. Though the rest of the festival lineup has not yet been announced, history offers some hints. Frontman Stephen Malkmus, with his band the Jicks, curated part of an ATP weekend in 2004, inviting Modest Mouse, the Shins, Mission of Burma, Fiery Furnaces, ESG, White Magic, James Yorkston and Deerhoof. The previous year, Malkmus chose the performers at London's Down the Dustpipe concerts, inviting Graham Coxon, Super Furry Animals and Vashti Bunyan to play.
Tickets for Pavement's 2010 ATP will go on sale 9 October at 9am. Passes start at £160.
