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Delirious? 2005 - Review of the Year (Delirious.org.uk)
Last modified: 29 Dec 2005

Source: Delirious.org.uk
Author: Dave Wood
Date: 29 Dec 2005

Delirious? set out their stall for 2005 right from the outset. Just a week into the new year they set up camp at ICC Studios on the south coast of England to start work on a new album. The band spent a week together in the studio, working on early ideas for the album, but the recording process was set to take up much of the year. Delirious? follow a fairly consistent pattern of spending a year working on a new album, followed by a year touring and promoting the album. With 2004 being used to promote 'World Service' around the world, it stood to reason that 2005 would see them start work on something new.

As is often the case in a 'recording year', sessions in the studio were regularly interspersed with trips away for tours and gigs. February saw the first concerts of the year as the band spent a week on tour in Europe with three dates in Germany and a date in Denmark. February also brought the news that Delirious? had notched up two more Dove Award Nominations, bringing their tally to nine nominations in six years. Alas, come the ceremony later in the year, World Service didn't win 'Modern Rock Album of the Year' and the 'In The Name Of Love' compilation didn't win 'Special Event Album of the Year'. Oh well, there's always next year!

Martin and Stu G also took time out from their own studio duties in February to join a host of other worship leaders and artists at Abbey Road studios in London to record a Charity Single for victims of the Tsunami. 'One Voice, One Heart' helped to raise money for a fishing colony in India which was devastated by the Tsunami disaster.

The first week of March saw the band's first trip of the year to the USA, followed by a couple of concerts in Switzerland and an Easter trip down under on an Australian tour. A fairly quiet month in April gave the band time to catch their breath, before Martin's wife gave birth to baby number five, Ruby-Anna, on 25th April.

The next month proved to be jam packed full of trips all over the world, as Delirious? performed gigs in Germany, Holland, Morocco, Canada and USA in May. Their first ever concert in Morocco saw 85,000 people gather at the Friendship Festival. An astonishing six months into 2005, Delirious? made their first 'home' appearances of the year with a performance at the Frenzy Festival and the Xpression event at Ipswich Town Football Stadium. They somehow managed to fit gigs in Austria, Hungary and England into one whirlwind weekend.

By July the band had made some serious headway with the new album, and even felt confident enough to showcase two new songs at a local gig in Horsham. Delirious? were again on their travels that month, with trips to Northern Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, California and Canada all taking place. Meanwhile, visitors to Delirious.org.uk were busy voting History Maker the Ultimate Delirious? Song in a series of polls.

As summer arrived, Delirious? made their usual trip to Somerset for the UK's Soul Survivor festival, where they performed three songs from their new album. The summer also provided a chance for them to perform to new audiences as they made first-ever trips to Singapore and the Ukraine. In September, the band's manager Tony Patoto announced he was leaving his job as he decided it was time for a new challenge, taking up a job with EMI in Nashville. Tim was appointed player-manager in the interim, as the band made their second trip of the year to Australia followed by further dates in America, both minus bass player Jon as he stayed at home with wife Kristen due to the arrival of their third baby, Jackson, born on 7th September. Later in the month, Delirious? were included on the Music inspired by The Lion, The With and The Wardrobe compilation, released to coincide with the big-budget Narnia movie. By the end of the month the rumours were finally confirmed, the new Delirious? album was to be titled 'The Mission Bell'. To prepare the way, the band released the 'Paint The Town Red' single on 10th October, their first UK single in nearly four years. In addition to the CD version, the single was also available for download on iTunes, and the combined sales helped the single enter the UK charts at number 56. October also saw the band take on the support slot for US CCM megastar Michael W. Smith at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Odyssey in Belfast.

November started with Delirious? embarking on a five date tour of California, with further gigs taking place later that month in England and Norway. On 7th November, the band finally released their new album 'The Mission Bell' in the UK, unleashing twelve of their most exciting and innovative songs to date. The wintery month was also tinged with sadness at the news that Abbey Road legend Chris Blair had passed away after suffering a rare illness. Chris had been responsible for mastering every Delirious? CD since 1997 and was widely considered one of the best in the business. Martin was given the honour of performing 'Every Little Thing' at Chris' funeral service.

As November came to an end and December began, Delirious? embarked on a five date South African tour. The tour also provided the band an opportunity to celebrate Tim's birthday with South African street children as they made a visit to a Durban center for kids orphaned by AIDS.

Back home Delirious? began their seven date 'Paint The Town' UK Tour, performing tracks from 'The Mission Bell' and entertaining thousands of fans in the process. The year came to an end with the customary 'Christmas Show' at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, bringing the total for the year to 71 concerts in 16 different countries. The band somehow managed to combine a 'recording year' with a 'touring year' and still come out on top in both departments. Rumour has it that 2006 will see the band performing even more concerts than this year and landing in yet more countries they've never visited before. With concerts in six different countries in the first two months of the new year, and five other countries already confirmed for later in the year, it looks like being their busiest yet.





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