Having completed his third full decade as a recording artist and announcing the treasure trove that is ‘Charmed Life – The Best Of The Divine Comedy’ out February 4th 2022 – Neil Hannon today drops the highly anticipated new single ‘The Best Mistakes’ – Listen HERE
Led by uplifting strings that open up the new offering into an explosion of raw, honest joy, ‘The Best Mistakes’ sees Neil at his finest, a timely reminder of his songwriting legacy, further cementing him as a musical great.
“I began writing The Best Mistakes around 2007/8”, says Neil. “I got stuck after the first chorus and put it to one side. It wasn’t until I was putting together this compilation that the concept of ‘my best mistakes’ suddenly made sense. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other.”
The video for ‘The Best Mistakes’, directed by long term collaborator Raphaël Neal, finds Neil in retrospective mode casting a reflective gaze over his career. Raphaël says: “It was Neil’s idea to have moments from his career projected onto him. Going through 30 years of imagery was really moving – so rich in colours, costumes, stories. We were witnessing an artist’s journey. The song is about looking behind with kindness, remembering the highs and the lows, but also pays tribute to being at peace with the present. As Neil says in the lyrics, “if I had to choose between then and now I’d choose now.” – watch HERE
A 24 track career-spanning roster of hit singles and fan favourites, compiled by Neil and remastered at Abbey Road Studios, ‘Charmed Life’ includes monumental tracks ‘National Express’, ‘Something For The Weekend’, ‘Songs of Love’, ‘Our Mutual Friend’, ‘A Lady of A Certain Age’, ‘To The Rescue’ and ‘Norman and Norma’ – as well as ‘The Best Mistakes.’
The Best Of will arrive as a 24 track standard 2CD; double heavyweight black vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with download card; limited edition double heavyweight colour vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with download card; and as a limited edition 3CD edition containing the 24 track Best Of as well as “Super Extra Bonus Album” – a collection of new and unreleased recordings.
In 1990 musical history was made when a 20 year old Neil Hannon signed his first record deal and began releasing one glorious album after another under the name The Divine Comedy. Twelve magnificent albums and hundreds of spellbinding shows later, Neil Hannon is now, without doubt, a national treasure and one of the finest singer songwriters of his generation.
Neil Hannon is also writing original songs for the film ‘Wonka’, starring Timothée Chalamet, set to open in theatres March 17th, 2023.
The Divine Comedy will be touring in Spring 2022. Tickets on sale now from HERE.
March 2022Sunday 6th – Teatro Kursaal San Sebastian, SpainMonday 7th – Casa da Música Porto, PortugalTuesday 8th – Aula Magna Lisbon, PortugalWednesday 9th – Teatro Nuevo Apolo Madrid, SpainThursday 10th – Palau de la Musica Catalana Barcelona, SpainSunday 13th – Le Bikini Toulouse, FranceTuesday 15th – Les Docks Lausanne, SwitzerlandWednesday 16th – Volkshaus Zürich, SwitzerlandThursday 17th – Triennale Milano Milan, ItalySaturday 19th – Paloma Nîmes, FranceSunday 20th – La Coopérative de Mai Clermont-Ferrand,FranceMonday 21st – Le Rocher de Palmer Bordeaux, FranceTuesday 22nd – La Sirène La Rochelle, FranceThursday 24th – Stereolux Nantes, FranceFriday 25th – Le MeM Rennes, FranceSaturday 26th – Philharmonie Luxembourg LuxembourgSunday 27th – La Laiterie Strasbourg, FranceTuesday 29th – Le Grand Rex Paris, FranceWednesday 30th – Théâtre Sébastopol Lille, FranceThursday 31st – De Roma Antwerp, Belgium
April 2022 Saturday 2nd – Gloria-Theater Cologne, GermanySunday 3rd – TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, NetherlandsMonday 4th – Admiralspalast Berlin, GermanyTuesday 5th – Gruenspan Hamburg, GermanyThursday 7th – Bremen Teater Copenhagen, DenmarkFriday 8th – Rockefeller Music Hall Oslo, NorwaySaturday 9th – Nalen Stockholm, SwedenMonday 25th – Symphony Hall Birmingham, EnglandTuesday 26th – The Bridgewater Hall Manchester, EnglandWednesday 27th – Usher Hall Edinburgh, ScotlandFriday 29th – Dome Brighton, EnglandSaturday 30th – Barbican York, England
May 2022 Sunday 1st – Philharmonic Hall Liverpool, EnglandTuesday 3rd – Palladium London, EnglandThursday 5th – Corn Exchange Cambridge, EnglandFriday 6th – Regent Ipswich, EnglandSunday 8th – New Theatre Oxford, EnglandMonday 9th – O2 Guildhall Southampton, EnglandTuesday 10th – The Forum Bath, EnglandThursday 12th – St Davids Hall Cardiff, EnglandFriday 13th – Victoria Theatre Halifax, EnglandSaturday 14th – O2 City Hall Newcastle, EnglandSunday 15th – Royal Concert Hall Nottingham, EnglandTuesday 17th – Cork Opera House Cork, IrelandThursday 19th – Olympia Theatre Dublin, Ireland
Friday 20th – Olympia Theatre Dublin, IrelandSaturday 21st – Waterfront Hall Belfast, Northern Ireland