The British rock group Smokie will tour South-Africa in October as part of their world tour. They will also visit countries such as Russia, Germany, Turkey, Finland, India, Australia and Romania. This World Tour is also a celebration of Smokie’s 30 years in the entertainment industry.

After two very successful cover albums, Smokie has returned to song-writing on their new studio album On the Wire. According to bass player Terry Uttley, a founder and member of almost 30 years, Smokie has never been in better shape than now. For the first time in many years, Smokie has released a studio album with their own material. On the Wire marks the beginning of a strong new period for the band, which refuses to sit back and stop developing despite almost 30 years in the business. "We continue to grow with this album. After two albums of cover versions it was very important for us to start writing again as we are still very ambitious. In fact, 11 of the 14 songs on the new album were written by us and we are quite satisfied", says Uttley.

Smokie will appear at the Durban ICC on October 7. The tour also takes in the Aardklop Arts Festival in Potchefstroom (October 2); the Grand Arena at the GrandWest Casino in Cape Town (October 3) and Carnival City’s Big Top Arena (October 4). The warm-up act will be Supersterre winner Kobus Muller.

Booking open at Computicket. Discounted prices for groups of more than ten are available through Cecile on 011 815 3000 or visit www.lefra.co.za