Martin Stephenson and The Daintees 'Boat To Bolivia' 40th Anniversary Tour

MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES

'Boat To Bolivia' – 40th Anniversary Tour
Celebrating four decades of one of the most beloved British debut albums of the 1980s

Martin Stephenson & The Daintees — the genre-blurring, soul-soaked band from the North East of England — are set to embark on a major UK tour in 2026 to mark the 40th anniversary of their acclaimed debut album Boat To Bolivia. Known for weaving folk, pop, blues, Calypso, country and rockabilly influences into a warm, unmistakable sound, the Daintees remain one of the most quietly influential cult acts of the past four decades.

The band first emerged in 1982 with their debut single "Roll On Summertime," released on the now-legendary Kitchenware Records — the same imprint that sparked the rise of Prefab Sprout, Hurrah!, and The Kane Gang. But it was the arrival of Boat To Bolivia in 1986 that cemented Martin Stephenson as one of the most distinctive songwriter-voices of his generation.

Supported by charismatic performances on Channel 4's The Tube and BBC2's The Whistle Test, the album quickly won the hearts of critics, musicians and fans alike. Its mix of vulnerability, humour, virtuosity and emotional openness made it stand out in a decade dominated by synths and bombast.

Critical Acclaim

Upon release, Boat To Bolivia received exceptional praise:

• The Observer called it "the most striking debut since Dexys Midnight Runners."
• Record Mirror described it as "an album to savour and cuddle tightly to your breast."
• NME hailed it as "a wonderful record which you should consider buying."

Over the years, the album has continued to gain recognition, often appearing on lists of underrated or era-defining albums of the 1980s. Longtime fans celebrate its warmth and honesty, while new listeners discover it as a hidden treasure, passed from generation to generation like a whispered secret.

Additional reflections from critics and broadcasters over the decades — in sentiment and tone — have praised:

• Stephenson's "rare lyrical sensitivity and joyful melodic instincts."
• The Daintees' "ability to shift genres without ever losing emotional coherence."
• The album's "remarkable blend of wit, storytelling, tenderness and technical musicianship."

(These are representative summaries of long-term critical sentiment, not attributed to specific publications.)

The Anniversary Tour

For the first time in many years, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees will perform the Boat To Bolivia album in full and in its original sequence, allowing audiences to experience the record exactly as it was intended. The tour will also feature highlights from the band's expansive catalogue — songs that have grown, evolved and taken on new life through decades of live performance.

Beloved for their humour, spontaneity and emotional warmth on stage, the Daintees continue to cultivate a loyal and intergenerational following. This anniversary tour promises not only nostalgia, but a vivid celebration of a band whose music still feels fresh, human, and defiantly full of heart.

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Some albums arrive quietly and never leave. Boat To Bolivia is one of them — a record whispered from friend to friend, passed down through families, rediscovered in charity shops and late-night playlists, treasured like a diary found in an attic. Forty years on, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees return to celebrate the album that set their story in motion: tender, restless, inventive, and joyously unpinned by genre. Martin Stephenson & The Daintees are a band who could shift shape like weather: folk warmth one moment, rockabilly fire the next, then a drift of Calypso breeze or country soul.

Now, four decades later, Martin Stephenson & The Daintees will carry the album back to the stage, performing it in full and in sequence — a rare chance to hear its stories unfold exactly as they were first told. They'll draw from the many chapters that came after too, songs lit with humour, soul, tenderness and truth.

The 40th Anniversary Tour isn't simply a celebration of a record — it's a celebration of endurance, of craft, of a band who never stopped wandering and never stopped giving. Boat To Bolivia still beats with that same restless heart. It always will.