Jessica Ennis's next door neighbours (athletically speaking) Sheffield-based newpop dreamers THE CROOKES have announced their umpteenth tour of a sizzlingly busy career. The past three years have seen them release two full albums, one mini-album and a slew of jaggedly romantic indiepop singles, as well as tour their tyres off in hot pursuit of international glory, and the autumn of 2012 sees no let up in the handsomely hectic schedule as they head out on the autobahn yet again to promote their newspangled 'Hold Fast' album.

Starting on October 11th George, Daniel, Russell and Tom head to the Continent for 17 shows in ten countries in 21 days in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. Then, with nary a pause to go home to polish their brogues, they head straight from Paris to Hampshire to start a string of UK dates, and those UK dates look like this:

NOVEMBER 1ST SOUTHAMPTON The Cellar
NOVEMBER 2ND STOKE Sugarmill
NOVEMBER 3RD NOTTINGHAM Bodega
NOVEMBER 4TH BRIGHTON Green Door Store
NOVEMBER 5TH CARDIFF Buffalo
NOVEMBER 6TH BRISTOL Start The Bus
NOVEMBER 7TH LONDON Lexington
NOVEMBER 9TH DERBY The Vic
NOVEMBER 10TH LEEDS Cockpit 3
NOVEMBER 12TH MANCHESTER Sound Control
NOVEMBER 13TH YORK Fibbers
NOVEMBER 14TH NEWCASTLE Cluny 2
NOVEMBER 15TH GLASGOW King Tut's
NOVEMBER 16TH LEICESTER Bar Academy
NOVEMBER 17TH BIRMINGHAM Sunflower Lounge
NOVEMBER 18TH DARLINGTON The Hub
NOVEMBER 24TH SHEFFIELD Leadmill

Those lucky bright young things who bought the thoroughly ripped 'Hold Fast' album in July or who joined the thronging thousands on youtube to glare at the videos for the 'Afterglow' and 'Maybe In The Dark' singles or who braved the newpop festival crowds at Latitude, Benicassim, Tramlines and beyond will know that this is a fitter, meaner Crookes: the fringes are a bit less floppy, the new songs are a touch more muscular, the attitude is a lot more...attitudinal. Ten songs roaring by in 33 minutes suggests that these are people with no time to waste, and the Leadmill show which closes the tour ‚ their biggest headline gig in Sheffield yet - is the very least their hectic efforts deserve.

And yes, they have already booked out September to start writing the third album...

www.thecrookes.co.uk