World Party, Gemma Hayes

Following the release of 'Arkeology', an album spanning the band's 25-year history, World Party have announced details of their first proper UK live dates in ten years, culminating with a huge show at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The news marks the return for Karl Wallinger/World Party after Wallinger's recuperation from an aneurysm and the acquisition of his entire back catalogue from EMI. Now operating with Wallinger's own label Seaview, Arkeology is at once a new album - with songs finished as recently as 2011 - and an unreleased, unheard history of rare studio gems, live sessions, concert recordings, radio interviews, covers, demos and B-sides.

Spanning the band's 25-year history, new songs showcase some of Wallinger's strongest work to-date, whilst others offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at his quirky humour and love of studio experimentation with several genre-bending demos, some recorded as early as 1985. Elsewhere, live versions of familiar hits - including an ascendant crowd sing-along of 'Ship of Fools' - capture the band at some of its finest moments.