A major Manchester band has announced their first set of live shows in five years – but there will be a big change in store.

Earlier this week, Manchester indie band Doves released their first piece of music in four years with latest single Renegade – which is to be taken from their upcoming sixth album Constellations For The Lonely.

The trio, made up of Jimi Goodwin, Andy Williams and Jez Williams, first met at The Haçienda in 1989 and were also behind 90s dance act Sub Sub, which was most famous for hit Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use).

To coincide with the upcoming new album, set to be released in February, Doves have announced a trio of intimate live shows to take place later this month. It will be their first gigs since performing at Gunnersbury Park in September 2019.

However, the shows will be without lead vocalist Jimi Goodwin – who has previously spoken publicly about his mental health struggles. In 2021, the band cancelled their tour with a statement saying that ‘performing live isn’t possible for us at this time or in the immediate future’.

For the new shows, which will take place in intimate venues in Stoke, Birkenhead and Hebden Bridge later this month, brothers Andy and Jez – who have interchanged with Jimi on vocals throughout the band’s career – will take on a ‘broader role’ as vocalists to play a mix of new and classic Dove songs.

The shows, which will kick off at Stoke’s 400-capacity Sugar Mill on November 27, will see the duo joined by a live band including Nathan Sudders on bass, who has performed with Elbow, as well as multi-instrumentalist Jake Evans and long-standing touring keyboardist Martin Rebelski.

Giving his blessing for the tour, vocalist Jimi said: “It’s wild to think of a Doves show I might be watching instead of hitting the stage for, but life just hasn’t led us all to the same place. I am doing so much better, taking looking after myself seriously and making music every day, but for now I just can’t commit to a lengthy tour.

“I need to work and trust in the process of my recovery. I am fully committed to it and right now it’s not compatible with a mad, city-to-city schedule. ‘Constellations For The Lonely’ is an album we’re all immensely proud of and we feel we’ve pulled it out of the hat again.

“It’s gonna sound insane when it gets let off the leash. All my love and respect to Andy, Jez, Rebelski and the new boys for taking it to you, our people. Please give them all your support and enjoy the shows!”

Tickets for the shows, which include dates at Birkenhead’s Future Yard on November 28 and Hebden Bridge Trades Club on November 29, will go on sale on Tuesday (November 12) at 9.30am via the Doves website.

The band added in a further statement: “We were beyond heartbroken to have missed out on touring our last record ‘The Universal Want’ one that we are still really proud of, but Jimi’s health came first. Jimi is irreplaceable but, with his blessing, we’re going to be able to play the songs from ‘The Universal Want’, ‘Constellations For The Lonely’ and others on stage.

“As you know, vocal duties are shared on all our albums and we, Jez and Andy, will be taking on this role on the upcoming live dates. Recording is one thing but, we are compelled to play live, we always we’re, and not being able to do so has affected us all, personally, in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

“We’ll have some extremely talented friends with us to make the shows go off as Dove’s shows always did. It’s exciting to be starting off in really intimate venues, going back to our roots.”

Tickets for the Doves shows will go on sale on Tuesday at 9.30am.

The full line-up of Doves intimate shows are:

• Wed 27 November – Stoke, Sugarmill
• Thu 28 November – Birkenhead, Future Yard
• Fri 29 November – Hebden Bridge, Hebden Bridge Trades Club