Faces and Small Faces’ Ian McLagan says bands ‘will do something in 2015’
Ian McLagan has sketched out the plans for next year’s Faces and Small Faces reunions, suggesting that both groups could reform. Despite a recent argument about which project should take precedence, according to McLagan, “it’s looking very healthy” for a full Faces lineup in 2015. Fans should expect “big news any day”, the keyboardist told ABC News Radio. While Rod Stewart and the Faces will probably mount a full tour, the Small Faces are apparently more likely to stage a one-off London gig. “It’s a plan,” McLagan said. I hope it all comes together. It sounds like it will this time.”
Ironically, McLagan is the one who initially denied Stewart’s reunion proposal. “Why would we fuck around with the Faces when we’ve got bigger fish to fry?” he said in December, alluding to the Small Faces upcoming 50th anniversary. “[Rod]’ll have to wait until 2016 because 2015 is the Small Faces’ year.”
The following month, McLagan’s (Small) Faces bandmate Kenney Jones explained that the keyboardist just hadn’t been told yet. Stewart, Jones, Ronnie Wood and Conrad Korsch, Stewart’s touring bassist, had all apparently “started talking” about going on the road. At last, now, McLagan seems in on the scheme: “[We] will do something in 2015,” he confirmed.
All this is historic. Despite some recent shows with fill-in frontman Mick Hucknall, the Faces haven’t played with Stewart since 1993. The Small Faces haven’t headlined a bill since 1978. Then again, this is partly due to tragedy: Small Faces singer Steve Marriott died in 1991, and bassist Ronnie Lane in 1997. To play that Small Faces tribute show, McLagan admitted, “we need singers and bass players and guitarists”. “[But] we got lots of friends [who could join us],” he went on. “We’ll probably do … just one decent show and I think that would be really, really fine.”
McLagan is also performing at Austin’s SXSW festival, appearing with his group the Bump Band. They are due to release a new album this year.
Source: The Guardian
