Avant-garde legend and former Velvet Underground member John Cale has announced his latest venture, the POPtical Illusion Tour ‘25, slated for a Spring 2025 kickoff. The tour shares its name with his latest LP, POPtical Illusion, released last June through Domino Records. 

POPtical Illusion is John Cale’s eighteenth studio album, produced in Los Angeles alongside his longtime artistic partner, Nita Scott. Cale’s production credits range from his early work with the Velvet Underground on through to the current day, having worked alongside famous faces such as Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, and many more. On POPtical Illusion, Cale continues this collaborative tradition through featured guest spots by Sylvan Esso, Laurel Halo, Animal Collective, Tei Shi, Actress, and more. 

Cale's work with artists from across rock’s eclectic spectrum has led to his own forays into electronic, drone, and classical music, and with over 60-years of experience in the music business, he shows no signs of stopping - including his latest trip, with over twenty planned stops throughout the UK and Europe.  

The tour intends to support this latest album, released just a little over a year after his previous full-length LP, Mercy. Alongside the tour’s announcement comes the release of a music video for "Davies and Wales", the second track off of POPtical Illusion and the second video directed by regional-Emmy nominated director, Jethro Waters, who also directed the video for Cale’s "Story of Blood" off of Mercy. Watch below:

A press release for Waters’ latest video describes it as a reflection of the musician's own craft: "a perfect example of the kind of things that only John Cale can do all at once: upbeat, melancholic, happy, shapeshifting, nostalgic, modern, beautiful heartache." Waters also spoke of his intention to incorporate many parts of Cale’s life throughout the video, from “his youth in Wales, his time in NYC and California”, with hopes of illustrating a joyful, purposeful celebration of one of modern music's most storied careers.

POPticle Illusion Tour '25, March 2025

3/3 – Le Trianon, Paris
3/4 – Cirque Royal, Brussels
3/6 – Tollhaus, Karlsruhe
3/7 – Alte Kongresshalle, Munich
3/9 – Theaterhaus, Stuttgart
3/10 – Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
3/12 – Markgrafenhalle, Nurnberg
3/13 – Haus Auensee, Leipzig
3/14 – Columbiahalle, Berlin
3/16 – Laeiszhalle, Hamburg
3/17 – TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht
3/18 – Carlswerk Victoria, Cologne
3/20 – Playhouse, Nottingham
3/21 – Royal Festival Hall, London
3/23 – Town Hall, Birmingham
3/24 – Pavilion, Glasgow
3/25 – New Tyne Theatre, Newcastle
3/27 – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill on Sea
3/29 – Wales New Theatre, Cardiff
3/30 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
3/31 – Vicar Street, Dublin

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